There have been waaay too many late nights around here lately and my skin is telling the story.
I wish I had an exciting reason why I am sporting black circles under my eyes but the truth is I just don’t let myself sleep! I will find anything to do other than go to bed. And once I finally do, I lie there and think of all the things I could be getting done. I even had a thought that I would make a new years resolution this year to sleep more, but quickly pushed that idea out of my mind thinking of how much time that would “waste.” I’ve been this way my whole life but I really do need to make a change. I can feel my lack of sleep affecting all areas of my life. But in the mean time, I need to do something about my sleep deprived skin!
Typically the first step to any skin care regimen is exfoliation. Luckily this is one of the easiest homemade beauty products you can make. Unless you have specific recommendations from a dermatologist or skin health expert, wasting good money on expensive exfoliation products is just that, a waste of money. There is no magic formula to it; all you are trying to do here is remove dead skin cells to allow room for new healthy cells to grow.
There are many variations of exfoliants you can make using ingredients found in your pantry. Today’s formula is for an all-natural grapefruit sugar scrub. Why grapefruit you ask? The citrus fruit is high in Vitamin C and antioxidants, which will help protect skin of premature aging but can also renew damaged skin cells and help even out skin tone. Food is so amazing!!!
Mechanical vs chemical: The more abrasive scrubs (salt, sand, sugar) are referred to as mechanical exfoliates, as you work them on the surface of the skin. Chemical scrubs (containing salicylic acids, retinol, etc. ) work at a deeper level penetrating cells beneath the skin which can leave you with beautiful looking skin but depending on the product you run the risk of using other harmful chemicals which are then absorbed through the skin. Personally I prefer a mechanical exfoliant and then using a good moisturizer to work at a deeper level.
One mistake some people make when exfoliating is rubbing their skin too hard. Going too rough leaves your skin, red, swollen and irritated, so massage your exfoliating scrubs gently to leave healthy glowing skin. Also, exfoliation is like working out; if you only do it once in a while it doesn’t give much results. Try doing it a few times a week to keep your skin glowing and youthful.
Happy scrubbing!
All-Natural Grapefruit Sugar Scrub
Ingredients
1 grapefruit
2 cups sugar
3 tbsp sweet almond oil (olive oil will work in a pinch)
What to do
Grate 2 tbsp of the grapefruit peel; set aside.
Add sugar to a medium sized bowl.
Slice the grapefruit in half. Squeeze some of the juice from one half of the grapefruit into the sugar (start with about 2-3 tbsp, you can always add more later if needed). If some of the pulp falls in that’s okay. Remove any seeds.
Stir until the sugar is moist.
Add grapefruit peel and sweet almond oil, stir to mix. If you think it needs more liquid you may add more grapefruit juice.
To use: apply generous amount to skin in the shower or bath and rub gently over the skin. Safe for children and sensitive skin.
Store in air tight glass jar and refrigerate when not using. Good for about 1 week.
By Three Happy Folk
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