baking soda or white sugar

Though proper daily skincare will make all the difference in how healthy your skin is, many people forget about a step that shouldn’t be done daily, but is not to be passed over:

EXFOLIATION:

Your skin is constantly shedding, so you need to get the dead layers off.   Doing so really makes a difference in how easily you are able to apply your makeup. It also gets down to the new, attractive layers of dermis. If you think about it, your dead skin cells aren’t going to be vibrant with health because they are, well, dead. So getting rid of them will improve the glow of your skin.

For a quick, cheap, at home fix that is gentle and more effective than the average store bought product, do the following:

Mix a small amount of either baking soda or fine white sugar in with your cleanser in your palm.  The more you add to the cleanser, the stronger the exfoliation effect will be.  Then simply massage the mixture into your skin (but don’t get crazy harsh about it or anything). Make sure to pay special attention your nose area, as the dead skin builds up around there really quickly and will make your foundation and powder look terrible. When done, rinse and continue with your skin regimen as normal!

Here are a few additional tips on exfoliation:

• Exfoliating once or twice a week is generally right on target.  The optimal frequency will be affected by your skin type, age, habits and the climate you live in.  Listen to your skin and be careful not to do it so much that you cause irritation, sensitivity or dryness.
• Always moisturize skin after exfoliating, to soothe and nourish.
• If using a store bought exfoliator, be careful that the texture is not sharp or abrasive. (Even apricot scrubs are excessively harsh).  Abrasive particles create micro tears in your skin’s dermis.  Ouch!
• Many products have exfoliation properties built in.  Be aware if you are already using a product that is doing the exfoliation for you.  We don’t need any overkill.

LIP PREP:

All this applies to your lips as well! Your lips have skin too and they don’t like to be forgotten about! Exfoliating your lips is like magic. They look so much softer and more supple…. They are drastically easier to use makeup on afterward, and, exfoliating always brings out the healthiest of glows by stimulating your circulation.

You can use the same techniques of exfoliation on your lips, just be gentle as the skin is delicate.  A great, ready made solution for any time, especially when on the go, is Motives Lip Pumice.  It is an easy to use exfoliator that removes dead skin while moisturizing with good for you ingredients like Vitamin E.

Next, it will be time to prepare your canvas.  (Otherwise known as your face!)

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