The Most Effective Exfoliator You Didn't Know You Had (and it doesn't cost a thing)

For most people I know, exfoliation seems to fall into one of two categories: a petty extra step that takes too much time or else, a crucially vital step that must be done often and with vigor.

I personally feel both sides are valid. While it adds an extra step, but there are still many benefits to exfoliation that can’t be discounted—speedier cell turnover, faster healing time for breakouts, a reduction of dry patches that no face cream can alleviate. Overall, you clear the path for brighter, fresher, and more glowing skin.

But for all of these good qualities, exfoliation can have some pitfalls. Using physical scrubs often tears at the skin, whether palpably or microscopically, which can make it feel tight, stripped of hydration, and irritated. .Also, the particles that make up those scrubs often leave a sticky, gritty residue that does not rinse away easily. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are the chemical exfoliators in the form of peels or acid toners. Usually, these feel less harsh on the skin’s surface, but for more sensitive skin types, they penetrate too far into the skin’s deeper layers. This can cause redness or other consequences to the skin in the long-term, such as making the skin thinner and more prone to water loss and even more flaking or even an exacerbation of breakouts (ironically, all that exfoliation is meant to prevent).

Recently in a conversation with my best friend and sister about exfoliating, she suggested that most reliable, face exfoliator might be one’s own hands. That got me thinking that this would be a great method for tackling the basic concern that exfoliation addresses-- buffing away those pesky flakes barely hanging on to the face. When the skin is dry and dehydrated to the point of flaking, it is a sign of a sensitized or compromised skin barrier, and when that barrier is compromised the skin becomes even less tolerant of the abrasive rubbing of shells, beads, or even a washcloth and is also not able to withstand the sting of acids, especially not on a regular basis. And for those of us with chronically flaky or otherwise congested and angry skin, the need to exfoliate and do so routinely becomes a priority to remedy these concerns. But if the method we use is too harsh, we will see little benefit and do much more harm.

Our hands offer an easy but effective solution. There is little more gentle than our own touch upon our own faces, and we can feel instantly when it is working and when we might be starting to be a bit too rough. A good method for using the touch of our hands to exfoliate is to take warm water and your normal facial cleanser and gently massage your face buy simply concentrate and gently intensify your motions over the areas that are peeling or are feeling the most vulnerable and inflamed. This will coax the skin back into a calm state and aid those flakes in shedding off. Be prepared that this method is a gradual process and takes on average of about three minutes as it will take awhile for the skin flakes to become fully loose. Using the pressure of the hands is a great way to encourage the drainage of fluid, oils, or lymph that—when concentrated—can cause acne to form and to slough away the dry patches too-- all without introducing foreign substances to the skin which can cause disruption to its moisture balance and irritation.

In addition to being an amazing exfoliator, the physical touch of our hands has long been associated with healing. There are arguments to say that there was once a greater respect for the role of for physical touch and its benefits both to the mind and to the body and in this fast-paced, and often socially distant world nowadays those benefits are being lost more and more, especially unto ourselves. We understand fully how physical touch can promote feelings of relaxation, relief of stress, tenderness, and love. This is why we bring our arms around our friends and family, kiss our partners, and cuddle our babies and pets with such love. But what would the effect be on our bodies as well as our minds and souls if we imparted these feelings within our own caring touch back to ourselves? Perhaps in truly making a practice of utilizing our own hands in the way of making them the primary—and maybe the exclusive—helpers of our faces, , we might do more in the way of self-care than just what meets the eye. And of course, we will still be loving the clear glowing skin that will come along from our doing so!