8 DIY Skin Exfoliants You Need to Try Now
Dead skin? Dry skin? Oily skin? All of these skin problems can be solved with exfoliation. Instead of wasting your money on store-bought exfoliants, try these 8 homemade skin exfoliants using household ingredients like mayonnaise and brown sugar.
Bruce and Jeanne Lubin
Mayonnaise
A good way to slough off dead skin is to apply mayonnaise over dry, rough patches. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then wipe away with a washcloth dampened with warm water.
Lentils
Here’s a unique scrub with excellent exfoliating properties. Soak one cup of red lentils (masoor dal) overnight in a quarter to a half cup of coconut water. There should be enough liquid to moisten all of the lentils, but they should not be drenched. In the morning, pulse this mixture in a food processor with an optional quarter cup of dried orange peel until you have a coarse, damp scrub. To use, scoop out a tablespoon or two of the scrub and add water to moisten. Massage over face and neck to remove dead skin cells. Rinse with cool water to reveal silky smooth skin. You can also use this as an all over body scrub. Store leftovers in an airtight jar in the refrigerator.
Lemon Juice
Brown spots on your skin are usually caused by dead skin cells. Slough off this skin and brighten what’s underneath by rubbing lemon juice on the spot. Let it dry, then rub vigorously with a washcloth.
Salty Lemon Scrub
This simple salt scrub uses ingredients almost everyone already has around the house. In a small bowl, add one cup of sea salt, and begin drizzling in three to four tablespoons of olive oil until you have a damp mixture. Stir in one teaspoon of lemon juice and the zest of one lemon, and put the scrub in an airtight storage container. To use, massage into damp skin, then rinse with warm water.
See also: 8 Creative Lifehacks for Lemons
Brown Sugar
It doesn’t get much simpler than this hand scrub. Mix together a half cup of brown sugar and one teaspoon of olive oil until well blended. Gently massage into hands or feet to exfoliate, then rinse. Follow with your regular moisturizer.
Epsom Salts
For a super smoothing skin exfoliant, mix a handful of Epsom salts with a tablespoon of olive oil and rub over wet skin to cleanse, exfoliate, and soften the rough spots. Rinse off well for a polished finish. If you don’t have Epsom salts, use the coarsest table salt you can find.
Pineapple Peel
The next time you buy a pineapple at the supermarket, don’t just toss the peel. Use it on your feet! Pineapple contains bromelain, a natural meat tenderizer, which is also great at exfoliating rough spots on your skin like your heels and elbows. Rub the fleshy part of the pineapple peel against your skin for several minutes, then rinse.
Strawberry Scrub
Try this fresh strawberry scrub to exfoliate and remove dry skin, particularly on trouble spots like the feet, hands, and elbows. Mash one cup of strawberries with one tablespoon of olive oil and one tablespoon of salt. Massage onto skin, leave for a few minutes, then rinse. The strawberries and salt will slough the dry skin away, and the oil will provide lasting moisture.
For more than a hundred more DIY beauty recipes, check out our eBook,Who Knew? Make Your Own Natural Beauty Products, available in Kindle, Nook, and PDF formats. And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook for our Tip of the Day!
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About the Author
Bruce Lubin and Jeanne Bossolina-Lubin are the proud parents of three boys and more than a dozen books. After saving thousands per year using everyday tips and simple lifehacks, they started their own business in the hopes of sharing their knowledge with others. They have been known to go into their friends’ refrigerators to turn their eggs upside down so that they last longer.