Do you exfoliate your face?

I’m not talking about exfoliating with your facial cleanser that has microbeads or the St Ives Apricot Scrub. I’m talking about a facial brush like the Clarisonic brush. If you do not and can not afford an expensive one please keep on reading.

Exfoliation 101: Exfoliating is the best way to keep your skin soft and looking young. Immediately after using your exfoliator brush on your face it will glow, feel super soft, and smooth. That’s because you have buffed away the thin layer of dead skin cells that accumulated throughout the day. Buffing this dead skin away will keep it from clogging pores which can lead to blackheads, whiteheads, and acne. Buffing away the dead skin cells (along with excess dirt and oil) can also help reduce or prevent the appearance of fine lines by gently removing that first layers of skin.

When and how often: Your skin type will define how often you should be using an exfoliator on your face. If you have very dry skin, it is good to remove any flakiness, but don't over do it because it can cause major irritation. Opt to use a gentle exfoliator once a week. But if you have oily skin it can be beneficial to use a gentle exfoliator once a day to make sure that oil can't build up. Normal or combination skin? Try just using it twice a week or every other day because you don't want to cause any irritation. Even once a week will result in softer, smoother skin. You can also make changes depending on the season. For instance, in the summer with the heat and the humidity exfoliating more often will help you keep that dewy glow, and not look dirty.
Now you’re probably wondering where can I get a brush? Or where do I start? Let me tell you my experience and you can find what works for you. Keep in mind, what works for me may not work for you and vice versa.

Growing up as a preteen I had combination skin with an oily t-zone. In the winter months my skin would be dry and flaky on the sides of my nose and mouth area. I use to pick on it with a tweezer or just rub it til it came off. I didn’t know any better so now I have scars and blemishes from it. Well one day I was shopping in the makeup aisle of Walmart I found these facial scrub pads. I bought one and took it home and used it with facial cleanser. All I did was just scrubbed it gently around my whole face for a minute or two and concentrating mostly on the dry patches. After I rinsed my face, I was astonished how smooth my face was! I was super happy I found a cure to my dry skin.  Since then I’ve been using those facial scrub pads from Walmart for a few years. ( These can be found at Target and Walgreens as well in the facial cleanser aisle) Here’s an image how they look like:

Now you have to remember they will need to be dried and washed every time you are done exfoliating to keep them sanitized.

Fast forward to 2009, one of my aunt is a BeautiControl consultant. She gave my other aunt ( who is my roommate) one of the Microderm Abrasion Facial Kit. It comes with a hand-held battery-operated facial buffer and facial crème. This retails for $67.00 on their site.

I started using the facial buffer with my cleanser and I was in for a surprise! The buffer has two settings. One for low and the other is high. It basically controls how slow and fast you want the buffer to exfoliate on your face. I used this at least once a week and my skin was very smooth, applying makeup was flawless, no cakiness, and I felt young and beautiful. However, I was not consistent with it. I would only use it once every few weeks when I remembered. Finally around Christmas 2010 I asked my aunt (the beauticontrol consultant) if she is still a sales consultant because I want to invest in one. ( I finally gave in and would pay for one since the Clarisonic is way over $140 which I was not going to fork the money over) She mentioned she still had a brand new set and would give it to me for FREE. I refused to receive it for free but she insisted. So I came home and tried it with the facial crème. The crème has tiny aluminium oxide crystals which helps to lift the dead cells on your face. I used only a tiny bit and after I washed my face my face was super bright red. I was worried that I might be allergic or will get a reaction to it but after I applied moisturizer it was ok.  Honestly, I don’t like the face crème that comes with the set. It really tugs on your face and the crystals feel like it’s cutting open your skin. I much prefer using it with just my facial cleanser and it works just as great.
Overall, I’m still using BeautiControls Facial Buffer with my facial cleanser once or twice a week. I always exfoliate my face on Sunday’s to get a fresh start of the week. It’s winter so my skin is super dry around my nose and mouth area. It has helped tremendously and I always apply moisturizer right away to help seal it.
Now if you’re interested in a Facial Buffer there are a few options.  There is the Clarisonic that you can purchase however the price is pretty steep. It’s at least $149 + tax. I’m a bargain shopper so I’m not forking over that kind of money when I can find something similar for a lower price.  However, if the BeautiControl is still too expensive for you there is the new OLAY Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System. I saw the ad in a makeup/fashion magazine.

Here are the descriptions:

2-speed facial cleansing brush

Soft bristle replaceable brush head
(refills available)

Exfoliating Renewal Cleanser (20mL)

Directions: Dampen facial skin and brush head lightly with water. Dispense Pro-X Exfoliating Renewal cleanser in your hand and message over face. Turn on cleansing brush and gently move around the face for
approximately 60 seconds. Avoid the eye area. Rinse face and brush head with water.

The Olay system is a rotating brush system just like my beauticontrol buffer too. The clarisonic is a vibration-based cleansing system. The deep cleansing is still very effective for that smooth feeling face.  Price retails for $29.99 at your local drugstores. If that is still too expensive for you, you can invest in the facial buff pad and it works just as fine but not as great as the facial brush.

Let me know if you use a different method to exfoliate or you have something else. I would love to hear your exfoliating method.

P.s. If you exfoliate during the day and are planning to go outside please make sure to wear some sort of SPF 15 or higher. Your skin will be sensitive to the sun uv rays. I always apply my moisturizer after I exfoliate. The moisturizer I use have a spf of 15.

-Lilly