To scrub or not to scrub? A sensitive skin question.

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I am often asked about exfoliation. Is it necessary? Does it make a difference?  Should everyone scrub?  What I have observed in my practice, is that a lot of skin problems are caused by excessive scrubbing and exfoliation.  Being a skin care minimalist, I tend to believe that less is more and I will always think twice before adding anything to my existing routine. In my books, a daily skin care routine ought to be simple, effective and most of all mindful.  So a good place to start before ever applying anything to your skin is a mindful examination of  your skin. Use both logic and intuition.

-->What does your skin feel and look like? If your skin is red, inflamed, with broken capillaries and dry patches, it will definitely not respond well to anything that is abrasive in texture and irritating, so forget all the apricot kernel scrubs please. It is already irritated enough! Soothing and calming is what your skin needs. One thing that I suggest over and over again for this type of skin is a simple Ayurvedic concoction I have learned about years back. Clients use it with great success.

Simple ingredients which you probably already have in your kitchen:

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1 tbsp of chick pea flour + 1/8 tsp of turmeric.    Mix it well and store in a little jar. Use it every couple of days after cleansing your face. All you need is a pinch of this powder and a bit of water. Make it almost watery consistency and use it like you would any scrub. Chick pea serves here as a very gentle exfoliant and it also absorbs excess oil:)) (which is often an additional problem with this type of skin). Turmeric is an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory. It keeps redness and inflammation under control and prevents pimples.

chick pea/turmeric scrub

 

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My final verdict on scrubbing and exfoliating for the sensitive skin goes something like this:  STOP USING ROUGH STUFF ON YOUR BEAUTIFUL FACE, PLEASE! You are just making things worse.

P.S. If your skin is chronically red and inflamed I strongly suggest that you seek professional advice.