Natural Exfoliants and Body Scrubs

Ah, the quest for beautiful skin. What some people are willing to endure for the sake of a youthful glow! Luckily, personal care manufacturers are now delivering gentler, less-irritating scrubs and polishes that exfoliate and cleanse the skin, leaving it soft, supple and delectable, too.

For years, individuals have incorporated exfoliation into their daily beauty regimen. Exfoliation removes dead skin cells and reveals younger, healthier-looking skin underneath. Additionally, regular exfoliation, between one and three times a week, depending on skin type, provides better penetration for moisturizers and lotions, which soften the skin. It’s also been said that regular exfoliation can reduce the appearance of cellulite, firm and rejuvenate skin, and prevent acne scarring and ingrown hairs.

Scrubs, polishes and other exfoliants play an important role in the customization of products that address specific body care conditions. At the SupplySide West show, held in November 2007 in Las Vegas, Julia McNamara, vice president consumer markets consulting, Datamonitor, provided insight into the desires of premium consumers looking to solve specific beauty and personal care problems. She noted consumers increasingly want specific personal care problem-solving solutions. Some of these areas include parts of the body where signs of aging first appear, as well as areas that tend to get dry, chapped, calloused or easily irritated.

Manufacturers are clamoring to bring new products that embrace this trend. Many have found exfoliants are a wonderful solution for overcoming rough hands, heels and feet, treating flaky elbows and softening dry skin and lips. The latest innovations include spa-like products: blends that are gentler on the skin and use calming botanicals and unique ingredients that are less or more abrasive, depending on the formulation and where the product is to be used on the body.

Overcoming the Rough Patch

Exfoliation is of ten achieved through chemical or mechanical means. Chemical exfoliants can include scrubs made with varying concentrations of alpha-hydroxy (AHAs) and beta-hydroxy (BHAs) acids. Examples of AHAs include lactic acid, malic acid from apples, glycolic acid from sugar cane and tartaric from grapes. Salicyclic acid from wintergreen and sweet birch are most often regarded as BHAs. According to derma e’s “A Natural Approach to Beautiful Skin” guide, AHAs and glycolic acids are non-abrasive exfoliants that encourage the removal of the dead cel ls via a biochemical reaction. These topical ingredients have the ability to dissolve or loosen the glue-like substances that hold dead cells together.

Fruit enzymes are another topical exfoliating skin ingredient. Some popular enzymes used in exfoliating skin products include papain, a papaya enzyme; and bromelin, a pineapple enzyme. When applied to the skin, these proteolytic enzymes dissolve dead cells. Products that include these ingredients can be ideal for those with sensitive, acne-prone skin, as long as they are not combined or applied with harsh mechanical exfoliators that scrape off the dead skin through physical friction. Zia Natural Skincare’s Age-Defying Body Scrub is one skin-smoothing scrub that fights breakouts and refines texture. Made with pineapple enzymes, willow and apple extract, the scrub is said to help dissolve excess surface cells and free impurities trapped in pores.

Buff puffs, washcloths, loofahs, cleansing cloths, microdermamitts, micro-bead facial scrubs, crushed shells, sugar or salt crystals and pumice stones are considered to be manual or mechanical devices that manually remove dead cells from the skin. This procedure can be too harsh and aggressive for those with sensitive skin. Hard, irregularly-shaped granules, such as crushed oyster shells, seeds and apricot pits, can potentially leave microscopic lacerations—over time, constant abrasions can create tough, calloused skin.

The benefits of using mechanical exfoliants ultimately depend on the body part and the skin type. While a product that includes a coarse, textured natural exfoliant may be too rough on the face or sensitive areas, it may work well with oilier complexions that have larger sebaceous glands, making the skin thicker and able to tolerate a more abrasive scrub. Salt and sugar scrubs, as well as many of these mechanical exfoliants, are best when used on the body where the skin is thicker. Aubrey Organics’ Natural Spa Sea Wonders Relaxing Body Polish is said to be a mild, exfoliating body polish that uses sea salt obtained from seaweed; these salts are known for their effective toning action. derma e also takes advantage of sea-based ingredients in its Sea Kelp and Herbs Face and Body Exfoliating Scrub. The product is made with finely ground apricot shells, corn and almond meal, sea kelp and sea salt.

JASÖN’s new body scrubs exfoliate the skin without being abrasive, and work to combat specific skin issues. Some of these scrubs are made with walnut shell or corn cob powder and papaya fruit extract for an intense, yet gentle exfoliation, and are balanced with moisture-enhancing ingredients such as cocoa butter, Aloe vera, sunflower and evening primrose oil, as well as babassu seed oil There’s an abundance of scrub, polish and exfoliant options, and it can be overwhelming for consumers to determine which product will deliver the best results. An end cap display featuring a variety of scrubs and exfoliants, positioned and displayed according to skin type—sensitive skin and face, entire body, trouble areas such as feet and elbows—is a great way to educate customers on what to look for when buying these products. It also gives the HBA staff an opportunity to discuss how various exfoliating ingredients work on the skin and how other mechanical exfoliants, such as loofahs and pumice stones, can be most effectively used to achieve that soft skin glow.

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