Why women and men should exfoliate their body and face (FREE skin care regime included!)

Health benefits of regularly exfoliating your skin

You may be cleansing, moisturising, applying face serums and using face masks, but nothing seems to be helping! Those pesky blackheads or dull skin tones seem to be hanging around, and we may know the reason why! It could all boil down to something as simple as regular exfoliation (or lack thereof).

As it turns out, exfoliation is an essential ingredient to good skin care and healthy skin! This applies to both facial skin care as well as body skin care. It also applies to both men AND women! If you're not exfoliating enough, your skin may not be as healthy as it could be. Exfoliating can help your skin functioning and appearance in many different ways, and has all sorts of benefits that you may not be aware of!

View our entire range of natural, organic facial and body skin care products >

What is exfoliation?

Exfoliation involves the removal of the dead skin cells on the skin's outermost surface. There are various forms of exfoliation, such as body scrubs, chemical peels, microdermabrasion, granulated facial exfoliators, enzyme-based exfoliators and more! Your skin naturally sheds dead skin cells to make room for new skin cells every 30 days or so. Exfoliation helps speed up this process, encourages improved skin cell reproduction, and helps remove a build-up of dead skin cells on the skin's surface! Exfoliating can improve the appearance of your skin in several ways.

Reasons why you should be exfoliating your face and body

Exfoliating smooths the skin's surface 

Sometimes skin can feel a bit rough in texture. This is because of the dead skin cells sitting on the skin's surface, as well as sebum (natural skin oil) and dirt clogging up the pores! Men's skin usually feels a bit more rough then women's - this is because their skin is about 25% thicker! It's well-known that men have thicker skin than women, which is even more reason why men should be exfoliating more often. Regular exfoliation helps remove dead skin cells, dirt and clogged pores, leaving men and women with toned, softer and rejuvinated skin!

Exfoliating reduces acne and breakouts 

Regular exfoliation encourages spot-free, clear skin on the face and other body parts. People who suffer from breakouts on their face, chest, back or arms can greatly benefit from exfoliating! Men and women who suffer from breakouts should exfoliate to get rid of dirt, excess oil and dead skin cells, all of which contribute to breakouts and acne. Clogged pores trap oil under your skin’s surface, which contributes to acne breakouts! If you're exfoliating regularly, the factors (oil, dirt, dead skin cells) which contribute to acne and breakouts won't have the time to accumulate fast enough. Voilà! Spot-free skin.

Exfoliating helps your other skin care products penetrate better 

If you've got dirt, sebum (oil) and dead skin cells sitting on top of your skin and in your pores, it makes sense that skin care products will have difficulty penetrating and doing their job! If you'd really like to reap the benefits of skin serums, moisturisers, face masks and other skin care products, you need to first remove the obstacles which block the active ingredients from being absorbed into the skin. You can use the best, most expensive skin care products, but if they meet a layer of dead skin cells or dirt, they won’t be able to penetrate deep enough to do their job! Getting rid of the blockages allows for maximum absorption!

Exfoliating reduces fine lines and wrinkles

Regular exfoliation encourages a more youthful, glowing appearance! As men and women age, cellular turnover slows down and our skin takes longer to renew itself. Exfoliating speeds up the process of cellular turnover, getting rid of the dead, old skin and making space for the new, softer skin! Additionally, in ageing skin, the dead skin cells that sit on the surface of the skin often tend to exaggerate the fine lines and wrinkles, so by exfoliating them away, you'll end up with a more vibrant look! 

Exfoliating reduces ingrown hairs

Men, listen up! Those annoying, and sometimes painful, ingrown hairs can be avoided! Staying neat and groomed does not have to come with consequences if you take the necessary precautions. Exfoliating the beard area regularly, especially post-shave (about 3 days after the shave), is the key to preventing ingrown hairs and razor bumps! As hairs begin to grow back, they start to coil and grow back into the skin. A thin layer of skin will then often close the hair in. Gently exfoliating over the shave area will lift the thin layer of skin and allow the hair to be freed. The same applies to women who shave or wax!

Exfoliating gives makeup application an even tone

Because exfoliating makes your face smooth and silky, it makes way for a clean, even canvas when applying makeup! There's nothing worse than a layer of makeup that adheres to flaky, rough skin.

FREE skin care routine for YOU

As mentioned above, there are many different ways to exfoliate your body and face. Some methods are affordable, while others may cost quite a few bucks! Some you can do at home, others you have to go in to a clinic. It's important to have a regular skin care regime, so we're going to lay out an efficient and affordable skin care routine for you (men and women):

Step 1: Cleanse

This organic Cleansing Milk is effective for all skin types. It cleanses your skin gently yet effectively, removes makeup and includes extracts of African botanicals to leave skin feeling healthy and silky. Mix a small amount with warm water and rub into the skin. Gently wipe off with a warm wet face-cloth or face sponge. One can also remove eye make-up with this milky cleanser.

Step 2: Tone

Once you've rinsed off the cleanser, gently pat skin dry. Add a few drops of 100% natural distilled Rose Water on to a wet cotton pad and rub over skin. This helps remove any of the last debris and excess oils, and balances pH of skin! Do not wipe off.

Step 3: Exfoliate / Mask (2-in-1)

Dispense 1/2 heaped teaspoon of Natural & Organic Exfoliating Clay Mask into a small bowl or into your hand. Mix with a little warm water to form a paste, apply to clean skin and leave on for 20 minutes. Wash off with warm water!

Treat your skin to this amazing natural clay mask with Bentonite clay, Lavender and essential oils! The natural ingredients help to detoxify and deep cleanse your skin, leaving it toned, renewed and clean. Also helps to promote circulation to the face and support cell renewal due to the natural exfoliating properties. Use 1 to 3 times per week. Use more often for acne prone skin!

Step 4: Serum

Serums are skin care products that are formulated with concentrated, powerful active ingredients to give the skin an extra special boost! Once you have completely rinsed off the exfoliating clay mask, ensure your skin is properly dried off. Apply a serum such as this Helichrysum Face Serum, or Vitamin C Face Serum in small circular motions. Leave on skin for 10 minutes. 

Step 5: Massage

After 10 minutes, slowly massage your skin with your choice of oil. Massage is a highly underrated therapy, whether for the face or body! Regular massage improves circulation, speeds up cellular turnover, boosts skin elasticity, encourages suppleness of the skin and helps fight off stress and tension.

Some of our favourite skin care massage oils are from a brand called BaoCare. They have different formulations for different skin types as follows:

• Acne Oil >
• Radiance Oil (40+ skin) >
• Tissue Oil > (for very dry skin, scarring and stretch marks)
• Eczema Oil >

Step 6: Moisturise

Day creams protect the skin and create a barrier against external threats such as pollution. They often contain antioxidants which capture free radicals, helping to shield your skin from premature ageing. Not only do day creams protect your skin, they also often give you a glowing, radiant look! Apply your moisture as the final touch to your skin care routine! 

Here are our top recommendations:

• Natural and organic Mattifying Day Cream for oily skin >
• Natural and organic Day Cream for combination skin >

Note: You should follow this skin care routine daily for best result. ONLY include the exfoliation step 1 - 3 times per week, depending on your skin type. People with oily skin should exfoliate  more, while those with dry or sensitive skin should do it a little less frequently. Over-exfoliating could lead to irritation, redness and dryness of the skin.

Remember that your skin absorbs everything that you put on it. That makes it important to choose skin products that are 100% natural and free from parabens, petrochemicals and other synthetic ingredients!

View our entire range of natural, organic facial and body skin care products >

If you have any questions, please contact our team or leave a comment below for FREE health advice. We always love hearing from you!