Exfoliation is one major key step which helps in achieving a radiant and naturally glowing skin after using an exfoliating scrub. Women often desire a glowing skin and exfoliation is one key step for getting that.
A face scrub helps in lifting the buildup of dead skin cells, dirt, oil and other impurities from the face which makes the skin look clear and brightened. The right selection among a natural homemade scrub and a store bought face scrub is an important and most confusing one.
Now this choice between a natural and store bought face scrub for women can be a tricky one. Natural or a DIY scrub often uses kitchen ingredients which are available in most households and it is a cheaper option of a face scrub.
Whereas store bought face scrubs use chemical or some natural dermatologically tested ingredients which help in exfoliating the skin evenly. These store-bought scrubs offer safe and effective exfoliation but can be costly for some. So it is important to use a scrub which is more suitable to you based upon your needs.
How exfoliation helps skin?
Your skin might get accumulated with several impurities due to routine activities. The dead skin cells which shed and renew the skin, if it stops shedding due to some reason and get accumulated on the skin. This gets mixed with the sebum sitting on the face and creates a sticky buildup on the face.
Dirt and pollution also gets deposited on the skin. This buildup can make the skin appear dull and uneven. These impurities can also clog the pores and result in acne breakouts on the face.
Exfoliation helps in gently lifting off the buildup from the skin. It dissolves the dead skin cells by physical or chemical approach and helps in clearing them out from the skin. It also clears the dirt and oil from the skin.
Some scrubs even offer deep pore cleansing and prevent acne breakouts from the face. Exfoliation helps in refining the skin texture by clearing the buildup. It helps in brightening the skin as well by clearing dirt and dead skin cells making skin look radiant.
Natural or DIY scrubs
Natural or homemade scrubs usually are sourced from your kitchen and are easy to make scrubs. These scrubs are made using some raw ingredients and help in exfoliating the skin using manual scrubbing mostly. These scrubs are easy to formulate and the choice of ingredients is vast.
You can formulate your own face scrub using different ingredients and there is no need of relying on artificial fragrances or preservatives which might be irritating for the skin. A natural scrub is fresh and does not involve any skin irritation causing chemicals.
Ingredients of a natural face scrub
- Exfoliating agents: These ingredients help in exfoliating the buildup of impurities from the skin. They need to be scrubbed manually to lift the buildup of dead skin cells from the skin. Coffee grounds, oatmeal, and rice powder are most common.
- Binding agents: Some liquids are added to create a paste and also help in hydration. These ingredients help in creating a paste and bind the other ingredients properly. Honey, milk, and yoghurt are used mainly.
- Skin brightening agents: These ingredients help in fading pigmentation and help in brightening the skin. Turmeric, liquorice root or coffee can be used.
- Also some active ingredients like neem powder, aloe vera gel or other ingredients can be used in a face scrub.
Pros and cons of a natural scrub
Pros
- Are more budget friendly
- Less chances of skin irritation
- Are more safe environmentally
- Easy to formulate and alter
Cons
- Large particles can cause micro-tears
- Might not be suitable for all
- Wrong ingredients can cause skin irritation
Store bought face scrubs
Store bought face scrubs mostly use chemical exfoliants or some extracts of plants to exfoliate the skin. They can be physical or chemical exfoliating scrubs. The chemical scrubs work by dissolving the bonds of dead skin cells and help in shedding the impurities from the skin surface.
These scrubs might also help in deep pore purification as some acids can penetrate deep into the skin. The physical scrubs use microscopic beads for exfoliation purpose and help in gentle exfoliation. Marketed formulations are dermatologically tested and are safer to use. They can deliver guaranteed results.
Ingredients of a store-bought scrub
- Chemical exfoliants: These chemical exfoliants use AHA, BHA or PHA as exfoliants and they work chemically to dissolve the bonds of dead skin cells and help to clear them out of the skin. Salicylic acid, lactic acid and glycolic acid are used mostly.
- Plant based extracts: These extracts help in delivering benefits of plants in a marketed scrub formulation. Neem extract, cucumber extract, aloe vera are used majorly.
- Other chemicals are also used for delivering several benefits according to the need. Brightening, oil control, acne control and other actives are used.
Pros and cons
Pros
Cons
Final thoughts
Natural or store bought scrubs both work beneficially for the skin but choosing the right one depends on you. Your skin concerns and adaptability decides which one is better for your skin. One is a cheaper and homemade product while the other is already formulated and requires no preparation.
