Exfoliation is an important part of any skincare routine. A good product will soften the skin, gently buff away dead cells, and also help to eradicate impurities and blockages in the pores. Unfortunately, all of this cleansing goodness ordinarily doesn’t come cheap, and most of us end up spending a fortune on cosmetics to help keep us looking fresh-faced and dewy skinned. For all of you who are keen to cut down on extortionate spending however, I’ve put together this list of 7 steps to a great home made exfoliator. Give it a try; it’s fantastically effective.
Snapshot Survey
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Please subscribe for your personalized newsletter:
1. Assemble Your Ingredients
There are a variety of things you might use to make a your own exfoliator, but the recipe I generally go for uses oatmeal, pineapple, honey and natural yoghurt. There is a good reason for each of these ingredients: oatmeal, when wet, acts as a gentle polisher, pineapple is a natural chemical astringent and contains an enzyme that helps to battle free radical damage, the lactic acid in natural yoghurt softens the skin, and honey has antibacterial properties.
2. Find an Appropriate Jar
Before you do anything else, you will need to find the right container in which to store your creation. I love those big, old fashion glass jars with the locking mechanisms and the sealable lids, but it really doesn’t matter what kind you choose. You will be storing the exfoliator in the fridge, after all, so if you wanted it could even go in an old ice-cream tub.
Frequently asked questions
3. Prepare Your Pineapple
Begin by getting your pineapple ready. You can use tinned if you like, but somehow I always think fresh is better. Slice off the spines and cut the fruit into small cubes before throwing these into your blender and pulsing until you have a smooth, golden pulp. Pour this into a mixing bowl. You won’t need to use the whole fruit; about a quarter to a half should be plenty. You only really want to make enough for a few days – unfortunately these fruity concoctions don’t keep much longer than that.
4. Oatmeal
Throw about a handful of oatmeal into your mixing bowl with your pineapple pulp. Use a wooden spoon to mix it in well and then get on with the rest of you preparations. The oatmeal will soak up the juices from the pineapple and soften as it does.
5. Yoghurt
Pour a decent quantity of natural yoghurt into your bowl. I always go for Bulgarian but I think that just has something to do with the fact that I like the way it tastes – absolutely not important when you’re planning to rub it on your face. Basically, you could use any plain variation you like; all yoghurt has lactic acid in it so all of it will do the right job
Related Videos about
6. Honey
To the delicious-looking breakfasty mixture, add a generous squirt of honey. If you can get hold of Manuka – a particular variation of made from the Manuka bush – that’s fantastic; while all honey is supposed to have antibacterial properties, this is the kind that is, apparently, the most effective.
7. Mix and Refrigerate
Using a wooden spoon, or your (clean) hands, thoroughly mix the ingredients together. The consistency should be grainy, but not too rough – remember the skin on your face is very delicate. If you find that after a day or so the oat meal has become too soft, you can always add a fresh handful to the concoction. Scrape everything into your chosen receptacle and refrigerate; try to use it all up relatively quickly.
Facial polishers are important but also irritatingly expensive. Luckily, it’s easy to make your own, all-natural variation using ordinary ingredients you’ll find in your kitchen. This list of 7 steps to a great home made exfoliator should get you on your way to a fabulously clean complexion; do you have any tips of your own to add to it?
Top Photo Credit: thepinkpeppercorn
