My Exfoliators from the Kitchen!

Aside to my obsession with clothes, one of my hobbies is heading to the kitchen and start mixing stuff here and there for my skin care. I really love using natural ingredients to exfoliate, moisturize and refresh both my face and body skin. I've tried so so many things, some that worked, other that didn't but the best thing is that natural ingredients never harm you unless you use them in an absolutely wrong way. In this post I'll show you, not all, but my favorite natural exfoliators and explain to you how I use them. Just before I start, my skin is combination to normal. Another thing you should always remember that works on others might not work for you, or maybe what others swear by could be of no benefit to your skin type.

Other notes on Exfoliation:

•   Don't do it too frequently, a MAXIMUM of 3-4 times a week is enough
•   Avoid going out in the sun for an at least 45 minutes after exfoliating
•  Use a toner after your done, as a fan of ingredients from the kitchen, rosewater is my all-time favorite!

So let's get goin' !

My Favorite: Baking Soda

Baking soda is a LOVELY exfoliator! All you need to do is get a small cup and put 1 tablespoon of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of water, or an amount that makes a paste. After having your paste using the tips of your fingers take some and put it on your face. Start scrubbing your face in circular motion* but don't press too hard so you don't harm yourself. Do that for about 3-5 minutes than rinse your face with lukewarm-cold water, don't use hot water since your pores are very sensitive after scrubbing and you don't want to open them so they do not collect dirt. Dry your face and notice the softer texture of your skin!

*Circular motion must always be used when exfoliating or applying moisturizers. Move your fingers in upward directions and never down, in other words make the circles towards the outside of the face not to towards your nose. 

Honey:

Honey is usually not an exfoliator by itself, it is basically a pre-exfoliation agent . It is very good when you're trying to exfoliate for blackheads removal, but make sure the honey is very dense and sticky so it really collects dirt off your pores. Simple take the honey and again move in small circles for 5 minutes, you can press a little hard with honey as it is soft and wont harm you. After wiping it off or rinsing it, proceed to any of the other methods on this post.

Olive Oil & Brown Sugar

Get a small plate and put one tablespoon of brown sugar and another of olive oil and you're ready to go in circles again around your face. Again don't press too hard and do it for 3-5 minutes. Rinse of with lukewarm water.

Lemon and Salt:

1.5 tablespoon of lemon + 1 tablespoon of salt. Or depending on the type of salt, just make sure that the salt doesn't dissolve. You will do the same but since this mixture is very acidic, 2 minutes of scrubbing is enough. Again, rinse with lukewarm-cold water.