Choosing a Body Exfoliator

With winter quickly closing in, we do tend to focus on changes in our facial skincare regimen, but what about all of that lovely skin from the neck down?  It is time to make sure you are taking care of that complexion as well.

One of the first steps is to make sure you are regularly exfoliating the dead skin cells, same as with your facial routine.  But just as there are thousands of facial scrubs available, there are just as many body scrubs if not more.  Here are a few considerations to keep in mind when you are shopping for a new body exfoliator.

• Skin Type – The more sensitive your skin, the smaller the granules should be. The only exception would be if you are focusing on your elbows and knees which can usually take a more assertive approach.
• Formula – Do you prefer a creamy base or an oil base? Do you prefer sugar, salt, oatmeal, or ground rice bran?  There are many options you can play around with.  If you end up with one that is too harsh, just remember that it would probably make a terrific hand and foot scrub until you finish it.
• Scent – Obviously this one is the most personalized. But if you are using it in the morning you might want a more uplifting fragrance than if you are using it at night.  If you have particularly sensitive skin, you might want to stay away from anything with too many artificial fragrances anyway.

Two quick notes – Do make sure that if your scrub is oil-based, it can make your tub or shower very slippery.  And if you have selected a salt scrub in particular, I would recommend not using it immediately after shaving to avoid the potential stinging effects.