Are you making the same mistakes as I do while exfoliating your face? {Skin Care}

photo credit: FoundryParkInn via photopin cc

So, now that winters are almost in full swing, hopefully you are doing what I am doing these winters! And, then, now my skin is absolutely perfect. But, then, I suddenly noticed my entire face is not so soft! In fact, one of my readers also sent out the same query. Check out!

I use fair n lovely face wash I also apply the same cream after my wash....n when I touch my skin honestly I do not feel anything like cracking and all...I sense it smooth...but at the same time when I touch the corner part of my nose I feel it rough n its like skin coming out! What should I do?

So, now you would have already understood what I mean to say in this post. So, let us see if we really exfoliate our face properly!! And, discuss what are the proper exfoliation methods. Lets start.

What is the best time to Exfoliate?

So, this is the first thing I would like to clear. Now, my favorite time is the night time. Because, a proper exfoliation in the night helps the moisturizer to soak in better. Also, exfoliating in the night avoids the fresh skin to get exposed to the morning sun! 

Where as, the morning time is a better time. Because, the skin rejuvenates in the night and in the morning, your face has a layer of dead skin which is ready for removal. But, then, the fresh skin is exposed to the harsher sun light and might tan unless one is diligent in applying sunscreen. Btw, exfoliating in the morning also helps the makeup go on better. 

So, you can decide which is the best time for you! 

What to use for Exfoliation?

So, what is your favorite ingredient for exfoliating your skin? For me, it is sugar and salt!! Well, is it really correct for my skin type? Ok, so sugar is an all-rounder when it comes to exfoliation and gives a smooth and perfect skin. For dry skin, it is quite hydrating and nourishing.

But, for oily skin, salt is an absolute must. Salt absorbs the oil and provides the minerals which sugar can not. It also detoxifies the skin which is why even people with dry skin should use salt once in a while for exfoliation. Do check out my homemade DIY body polishing scrub!

Never Exfoliate on Dry or even Damp Skin!!

Have you ever done this, anywhere on your body? Like scrubbing the dead skin on your heels or even nails? If yes, DO NOT ever repeat it. It is extremely harmful for your skin and you can end up injuring yourself. Exfoliate only completely clean and dripping wet, preferably soaked with warm water so that the pores are open, skin.

Don't forget these areas during exfoliation!

And, then, we take the scrub and apply it to the face. Start from the forehead and proceed to the cheeks in light circular motions. Be gentle and have a light hand. And, DO NOT forget these areas -  

• crevices around the nose where it generally gets dry and skin peels off - extend your nose as if you are removing blackheads and scrub the crevices thoroughly!
• corners of the lips - extend your mouth like you are applying the lipstick and scrub off the corners.
• inner curve below the lower lip and above the chin - extend the lower lip over the lower jaw to make the curve flat and scrub it
  
• on and behind the ears
• lips - press your lips tightly to avoid tasting the scrub :P, and, finally 
• neck lines - extend your neck like a giraffe and giving it a thorough scrub. Moisturise in the same way!!   

photo credit: FoundryParkInn via photopin cc

Leave the scrub on for sometime to help it soak into the Skin

So, now that you have scrubbed your face, leave it on for sometime while you finish washing or scrubbing yourself. That will make the skin even more softer and helps the active ingredients of the scrub to soak into the skin.

And, finally, wash off with luke warm water and last rinse should be cold water. Do NOT forget to Moisturize. Just because your skin is feeling awesome does not mean you forgo the skin care routine. So, do not forget to tone and moisturize your skin with your favorite oil or serum.  

And, now, we have one more thing!

Type of Skin and Frequency

Now, this has been said time and again that oily skin should not be exfoliated as often as dry skin. For one, oily skin if exfoliated regularly produces more oil causing more oiliness. And, dry skin accumulates more dead skin which needs to be removed regularly for a fresh and glowing look. So, twice a week is enough for oily skin and for dry skin, thrice a week of exfoliation is enough.  

So, what all steps do you follow? Do you have any exfoliation tips!!

Related Posts:
Dry Skin Causes and how to heal it?
Dry or Dehydrated; Moisturized or Hydrated!!
Excess Body Heat and Acne

Nivea pure effect Total Face Cleanup {Product Review}

So, this was on loving it list, if you remember! And, then, I had stopped using it for like a month. So, when I used it today, I recalled I have not yet reviewed it. So, here it is!!

Well, the first time I used the product, I remembered loving the texture of the product. It is so fluffy and smooth and looks very very luxurious. I think that is what I fell in love with.

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Pros

texture of the product is very luxurious

cleans the face really well

scrubs very gently and removes the dead skin cells on the nose gently

leaves a subtle glow

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When I used it as a scrub cum face wash, it was really soft on skin and yet removed the dead cells gently. But, the mask part was not so amazing. But still it was fine.

I love the entire concept of face wash cum scrub cum mask. Actually, the reason is that since May, I was following the same thing using 3 different products in the shower which was resulting in a lot of time waste in washing off one product and applying the other!

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Cons

glow does not last really long

no removal of blemishes or oil or evens skin tone

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A single product which can actually take care of everything came like a god-send. I use oils to cleanse off my sunscreen and this product is good at washing off the oil. Well, I can only say that not all face washes remove the oil completely!!

And, the scrubbing if done everyday is not really good but may be you can just be really gentle with it. Well, overall, how the product performs is quite vague in my case!

It cleans the face really well and leaves a subtle glow at the end but the glow does not really last for long. May be in the long run it really does something for the skin but I did not really feel that way. The only reason I love it is because of its texture. But, yes, it is worth a try!!

Price: Rs 199 for 150ml

Availability

It is available easily everywhere but I got it from myntra.

Did you use the product? Do you like it or hate it?

Get from flipkart:

Other products from Nivea:

Nivea Whitening Smooth Skin Deodorant

Nivea powerfruit relax Shower Gel

Nivea Sun Light Feeling Daily Face Sun Fluid 50+ Very High

Lush Dark Angels Face Cleanser {Product Review}

Price: Rs 700 for 100 gms (approx.)

Ingredients

Rhassoul Mud, Cold Pressed Avocado Oil (Persea gratissima), Glycerine, Powdered Charcoal, Black Sugar (sucrose), Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Perfume, *Linalool, Sandalwood Oil (Santalum album), Rosewood oil (Aniba rosaeodora)

 

Pros

natural ingredients

makes the skin really soft

exfoliates amazingly!!

Cons

doesn't control oil production

doesn't remove oil or cleanse really well

very expensive!!

My Experience

I got this in June and have been using it on and off since then. I had been wanting to try the product since a very very long time so was very excited to try it out. So, how to use it a very big problem and trust me when I say its damn messy!!! It will blacken your washbasins and everywhere else it touches. 

How to use? Take a pea size amount and pour a drop or two of water on it and make a paste which will be a little watery and cleanse with it thoroughly. Though, I would like to say that it doesn't really cleanse well. I use oil to remove the traces of sunscreen from my skin and this product doesn't cleanse that oil as thoroughly as I would like. 

But, its a damn good exfoliator. It leaves the skin soft and smooth and removes the whiteheads but it didn't really have any noticeable effect on my blackheads. I use it on alternate days to scrub my face properly. Its not at all harsh. Oh btw, avoid looking in the mirror or you might frighten yourself :D Yes, it looks like black paint on the face!! 

 

Its definitely expensive and would last two months at max if used regularly which I think is way too less. The expiry period of the product is probably four months from the date of manufacture but I do have issues with this date things in Lush. They provide date of packaging and expiry but the date of packaging is date when you buy the product. So, how do they calculate the date of expiry? Honestly, Lush is not really working out well for me!!

Have you used Dark Angels?

Other products I love or hate from Lush:

Lush Caca Noir

Lush Aqua Marina Cleanser

Lush Gorilla Perfumes - Short Description

Update on Lush Caca Noir

Auravedic Ritual Skin Lightening Mask {Product Review}

Price: Rs 200 for 50gms

Ingredients

Pros

makes the skin really soft

helps reduce blackheads!

makes the skin glow

improves skin complexion

effects stay for 2 days at least

does a 2-in-1 job of scrub and mask

gentle on skin

no stinging 

Cons

stains the skin yellow!!

doesn't last long!

My Experience

Ok, the first time I used the product, I didn't know how I was supposed to use it so used it on completely dry skin and applied a really thick layer as it wasn't spreading easily on skin. That time only I used around 3-4 uses of the mask!! Then, I realized that it should be applied on damp skin. 

From next time, I started using it in the bath. Keeping it for 20 minutes is something I hate but still follow. Yeah, I am running low on patience these days!! Ok, so the product is a commercial version of homemade ubtan. The worst part of the product being it stains the skin and clothes YELLOW :(

As you can see in the pic, it is a little grainy in texture which is very gentle on skin and helps to clean the blackheads and dead skin cells. Its is recommended to use the mask daily but honestly it becomes an expensive deal to use it daily. In that case, the homemade deal would be better.

I got around 10 uses with the product. But, yes, its a good product and it has definitely improved my skin a lot. Though, I didn't notice any skin lightening. Some one had commented that my skin was looking pink after using this product so that was something surprising. 

I have liked Auravedic products more or less so this is another addition to that list. There is another product which came along with this one. Its just the powdered ubtan which has to be mixed with some liquid and used daily so I shall try it out next. Meanwhile, you should check this out :)

Availability

http://www.auravedic.com/skin-care/skin-lightening-mask.htm

PS: Product sent by brand. 

Other products from Auravedic:

Auravedic Botanical Actives Pulpy Facewash Honey Almond 

Auravedic Pomegranate Grapeseed Face Polish

Auravedic Reviving Body Cleanser

Nivea Aqua Effect Skin Refining Scrub {Product Review}

Price: Rs 149 for 75ml

Pros

leaves the skin clean, no film

can be used without any problem on alternate days

Cons

not fit for a serious scrubbing session

scrub beads may feel harsh on sensitive skin

My Experience

I love the color of this product. Oh btw, what do you think of the snap quality :D My new cammy at work!! The blue grains which you are finding in the product are the scrub beads. They are a little harsh I felt :( But, not extremely so!!

But, then, the main issue which I noted with the product is that it is not fit for a heavy scrub duty. For example, it can't scrub away the dead skin cells in the curves of the nose or the curve below the lips. 

But, the product can be used on alternate days without any issues. Since the product clearly states it is for normal skin, I really doubt if it does anything to remove the oiliness or moisturize the skin.

But, as a regular scrub, it does a great job. It leaves the skin smooth and soft and clean. It leaves no film behind either. So, it is worth a try!! And, meanwhile, did you check out the accompanying face wash with this scrub??

PS: Product sent by brand.

Other products from Nivea:

Nivea Express Hydration Body Lotion
Nivea Whitening, Cell Repair & UV Protect Body Lotion
Nivea Nourishing Body Milk