First, I just started off with just white sugar to scrub my face. I got the idea from an article I read where the famous makeup artist, Carmindy (from TLC's What Not to Wear) stated that she regularly uses a handful of white sugar as an exfoliator, a trick she picked up from her grandmother! I liked the white sugar scrub, although it kept dissolving when I mixed it with water.
Next, I decided to try using brown sugar instead of white sugar, an ingredient in many cult beauty classics like Fresh Brown Sugar Body Polish and a little heftier than regular white sugar. I liked it better than the white sugar scrub (much more delicious when it runs down your face!) but still, it kept dissolving in water.
That's when I thought of adding honey to make the brown sugar "stick" and I fell in love with this combination! All you need is a little bowl, brown sugar and honey. Add between a teaspoon to a tablespoon of brown sugar and a teaspoon to a tablespoon of honey (more if you want to use on the rest of your body) in a bowl and mix.
The reason I love this scrub so much (and may never go back to buying a facial scrub again) is because the brown sugar truly exfoliates away all the crap without being too abrasive and the addition of honey really softens the skin (honey has moisturizing properties). My facial skin felt SO good after I rinsed off the scrub. However, the best part about the scrub is that while I usually experience tiny post-scrub breakouts 2-3 days after I exfoliate, I didn't breakout at all with this scrub -just really smooth, soft skin that has been wonderfully clear.
I used to try this as a body scrub with an added teaspoon of lemon juice and glycerin, but with white sugar. Is brown sugar alot more gentle for the face?
ReplyDeleteI'll have to try your combination, Lolita! Thanks for the comment!
ReplyDeleteI actually think that white sugar is a little more gentle on the skin than brown sugar...white sugar has a softer texture, IMO, than brown sugar. I would probably recommend white sugar to someone with more sensitive skin. I actually liked the brown sugar because it felt like it was exfoliating better.
I use white sugar with some baby oil as a body scrub. Love how my body feels after a scrub:) and it's cheap ;)
ReplyDeleteHmm...I hadn't thought of using oil initially! Using olive oil or almond oil may work as well! I will have to try that!
ReplyDeleteHi Kohl,
ReplyDeleteI also use a Honey & Brown Sugar combination, but I also add Olive Oil & Oatmeal to the mix. (Sometimes I add Vanilla Extract for fragrance ; ) When I used just the honey, I found that although it worked great for removing blemishes, it began to dry out my skin. The Olive Oil helps balance it out, and the oatmeal is also suppose to exfoliate & moisturize. (I personally like to partially grind the oatmeal in a coffee grinder.)
My skin use to look very dull and dry, but it looks so alive now!:) I found that I don't need to use my wrinkle cream anymore as well. lol
In response to Lolita who mentioned using lemon juice, that is a good idea because lemon juice has alpha-hydroxy acid which sloughs off dead skin, but anything with this acid can also make your skin sensitive to light. So be sure to wear a sunscreen after using a lemon juice-based scrub (or any skin product with alpha hydroxy acids).
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