SkinAsthetics
Scrubbing YourWay to Healthier Skin
NoveletteBodden,
Certified Aesthetician
Pumice is probably the mostwidely used ingredient in scrubs designed to exfoliate skin. Agrayish-white natural glass with hundreds of tiny holes, pumiceforms when lava from a volcano flows out onto the Earth's surface.This very hot gas-filled lava cools quickly and forms a glass.
When crushed down, you getwhat we call pumice stones. Pumice is very coarse and must bemilled very fine to be gentle enough for skin. It is a good exfoliantfor the feet because of the thick nature of the skin in this area.
Scrubs that are perfectlyround in shape make exfoliating the skin gentler. These perfectlyround beads roll against the skin, leaving no chance of scratchingthe dermis in any way. Examples are jojoba beads, which come fromthe evergreen shrub that grows wild in the desert region of Mexico.Another example is micro-fine-polyethylene granules. Polyethyleneis a major synthetic polymer; the essential ingredients are usedin plastics such as milk jugs and plastic bags. These tiny granulesare gentle enough and round enough to assist in removing tireddry skin cells without damaging the skin.
Corundum crystals, usedin microdermabrasion, are the second hardest minerals in the worldnext to diamonds. Non-transparent corundum is used as an abrasivefor grinding, smoothing, polishing and now resurfacing the skin.These tiny crystals are applied through microdermabrasion machinesthat art used by professional aestheticians and physicians.
With so many different scrubbingingredients on the market, it is clear they are safe and effectivewhen applied to the proper skin type and area of the body. Payclose attention to scrubs applied to the face and look for ingredientsthat are perfectly round or that breakdown quickly with water.This is so you don't aggravate the skin. Look for ingredient suchas sugar, oatmeal, crushed almonds, and polyethylene granules.On tougher, thicker skin like elbows and feet, use a strongerabrasive such as apricot seeds and pumice. On the body, try usingscrubs that contain salt, Dead Sea Salts and jojoba beads. Thereis no question that the use of scrubbing agents assists in theexfoliation of dead skin cells. Just use your best judgment asto the level of aggressiveness for the particular body part youare scrubbing.
Novelette Bodden
Spa Novell