The idea of scrubbing your face may sound weird if you haven’t done it before. It sounds like it might cause skin problems, redness or other issues. But if you are careful and follow my advice you will have soft, glowing, healthy skin.
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The benefits of making homemade face scrubs
Dirt, oil, and dead skin cells accumulate on your skin during the course of the day. Over time this causes your skin to look dull and lifeless. Gently scrubbing your skin with a face scrub helps remove this buildup leaving your skin looking fresh and youthful.
If you wear makeup then exfoliating your skin with a face scrub first gives you a perfect foundation for flawless application.
Just imagine trying to paint a wall in your home without filling the holes and sanding down all the rough areas first. It would make the job twice as hard with worse results. Applying makeup to your face without using a face scrub first is the same thing. So please gently exfoliate first, then apply your makeup and you will be amazed how good it looks.
Other benefits include:
- It removes dead skin cells
- It ensures your skin is really clean
- It removes skin flakes
- It reduces the appearance of dark patches
- It removes acne scars
- It makes your skin super smooth
- It clears your complexion
- It improves your skin texture
The dangers of face scrubs
When you rub your face with a scrub you have to be gentle as it can cause redness and skin damage. You should also limit it to only once or twice a week to prevent skin irritation.
Remember you are using an abrasive material on your skin so you need to be careful and be gentle.
You should also avoid using scrubs that contain large particles such as nut shells and coffee grains as they can cause micro-tears in the skin that lead to damage and acne.
Most damage is caused by being too aggressive, performing it too often, or using the wrong ingredients.
“Watch out for very large particles, like nut shells, [which] can be more harsh and cause micro-tears which can cause acne or irritation,” cautions Dr. Chiu a dermatologist and founder of The Derm Institute in Redondo Beach, California in her fashionista article. “Look for fine particles, like sugar. Don’t rub too hard and don’t do it more than once or twice a week.”
Shop-bought or DIY face scrubs?
There are lots of shop-bought scrubs to pick from and they have their place when you are in a rush. They do have their drawbacks – such as the fact that many of them use tiny plastic beads which play havoc with the environment. In fact, there was such concern about this that the use of plastic beads in cosmetics was banned in the UK.
So if you want the best results for you and the environment I suggest you try making your own scrub. It allows you to control the quality and type of ingredients used so that you can get the best results for you. For example, you can add some nourishing ingredients to your homemade face scrubs – such as honey, yogurt or orange – so you will also get the benefit of a mask too.
In addition, you can control the size of the particles within the scrub by using a very finely ground cornmeal or even substituting it with fine sugar. This minimizes the danger of skin damage whilst using a natural ingredient.
Here are 4 scrubs I suggest you try – each has its own unique benefit. From an antiseptic to help acne, to reducing sebum on oily skin.
Honey and cornmeal scrub to soften skin
Gently soften and moisturize your skin with this naturally antiseptic scrub.
Ingredients required
You will only need 3 things:
- ½ TSP fine cornmeal
- 1 TSP honey
- A bit of water
About the ingredients
Honey is a real sweet miracle worker and combined with other key ingredients makes a great facial scrub. It also has the ability to moisturize and nourish because the sugar it contains retains water.
Regularly using honey in your cosmetic treatments helps your complexion become firmer and brighter plus it will also reduce the appearance of fine lines or wrinkles.
Honey contains certain acids that are beneficial:
- Shedding the dead layer of the skin
- Revitalizes the skin
- Increasing elasticity
- Balance out oily complexions
- Stimulates cell renewal by increasing the collagen production
- Minimize lines and wrinkles
- Natural antiseptic and antimicrobial
- Softens and moisturizes AND the list can continue as there are so many great things that honey does for your skin
Method
- Add cornmeal, honey, and water into a bowl
- Blend them together into a smooth paste
- Apply the paste on your face and neck using a gentle circular motion.
- Leave it for 1 minute and then rinse it out with warm water
You can apply this scrub once a week.
Honey and yogurt face scrub to deep clean your pores
This is a great Scrub if you need to clean your pores and moisturize your skin. It is suitable for dry, mature, normal and combination skin types.
Ingredients required
You will only need 3 things:
- 1 TSP fine cornmeal
- 1 TSP of honey
- 1 TSP of yogurt
About the ingredients
Besides being a healthy food, yogurt can also provide numerous benefits for your skin.
Both plain and whole-milk yogurt contain lactic acid which softens the skin. However, there are a multitude of advantages when using yogurt in beauty treatments.
It reduces the appearance of wrinkles, hydrates dry areas, and soothes sunburned skin by reducing blistering and peeling.
Honey, has also an important role in this case as it helps the skin relax by locally regulating blood circulation.
It has a high content of vitamins: B1, B2, B5, B3, A, C, D and K.
It also contains organic acids, mineral salts, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium and sodium.
Method
- Add cornmeal, honey, and water into a bowl
- Blend them together into a smooth paste
- Apply the paste on your face and neck using a gentle circular motion.
- Leave it for 5 minutes and then rinse it out with warm water
You can apply this scrub once a week.
Cornmeal and orange facial scrub for oily skin
This is a perfect facial scrub for oily skin as it helps remove excess sebum and prevents spots developing.
Ingredients required
You will need:
- An orange
- 4 TBSP of fine cornmeal
About the ingredients
Oranges can help balance your oily complexion. The fresh squeezed orange juice will nourish your complexion and stip away the excess sebum quickly and naturally.
Method
- Slice your orange in half and squeeze the juice into a bowl
- Add the cornmeal to the bowl
- Mix the ingredients until they form a paste
- Clean your face and neck
- Apply the paste to on your clean face and neck taking care around the sensitive eye area
- Gently massage the scrub on your skin in a circular motion for 2 minutes
- Rinse the scrub away with warm water.
This scrub can be repeated once a week.
Chamomile tea scrub for sensitive skin
This is a perfect facial scrub for sensitive skin but it can also be used on normal, combination, or dry skin too.
Ingredients required
You will need:
- 1 TBSP chamomile tea
- 1 TSP fine cornmeal
- 1 TSP milk powder
About the ingredients
Chamomile flowers have – through the oils they contain – aromatherapy properties.
It is claimed that the essential oils extracted from the chamomile flowers are not only great for health-related issues but also good or cosmetic and dietary problems too.
Method
- Make some chamomile tea and let it cool.
- Put the cool tea in a bowl and add the cornmeal and the milk powder.
- Mix them really well
- Gently apply the mixture all over your face.
- Leave the scrub for 5-10 minutes.
- Rinse it off with warm water.
You can use this scrub once a week to clean your skin. Don’t forget to intensively hydrate your skin afterward.
Yogurt and lemon face scrub for oily skin
This facial scrub will help absorb your skin’s oiliness leaving it feeling freshly clean and smooth.
Ingredients required
You will need:
- 2 TBSP Cornmeal
- 2 TBSP Yogurt
- 1 TSP Lemon juice
About the ingredients
Lemons are citric fruits and their acidity can help to deal with an oily complexion. Lemon juice acts as a natural antiseptic and will also prevent blackheads.
Be careful when you use lemons as they are acidic and can cause sensitivity to light. I would suggest you use this mask in the evening, just before bed so you avoid direct sunlight on your face.
Yogurt is also very effective if used in a facial scrub or mask as it contains calcium, vitamin D and proteins. Yogurt can be a key ingredient and it helps with hydration while also fighting acne.
The combination of yogurt and lemon is perfect for balancing an oily complexion.
Method
- Blend the lemon, yogurt, and cornmeal together
- Gently massage this scrub on your face for 1 to 2 minutes
- Leave it on your face for another 5 minutes
- Remove carefully with warm water
- Rinse your face with cold water to help close your pores
This treatment should be repeated once a week.
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