Pure-n-Simple Soap

Well, winter is here again, and although these past few days of Indian summer were most enjoyable we know that the cold and bitter air will be here to stay for a while.  With humidity levels at a low this usually is the time of the year most of us suffer from wintry dry skin and begin applying more chap stick, lip balms, lotions, creams and salves.  These are all good and do help treat dry skin and chapped lips, especially goats milk lotion, and lip balms with Shea Butter and therapeutic oils in them, but I would also like to mention; by introducing skin exfoliation as a bathing routine will help prevent dry itchy skin as well.

What is dry skin, and what does it look like? Dry skin, is skin that has low levels of Sebum, which is an oily substance secreted by the glands in your skin that helps protect it from drying out.  There are many variables that contribute to dry skin conditions such as, change in climate, genetics, poor diet, nutritional deficiencies, and exposure to sun, wind, chemicals, cosmetics, and harsh soaps.  You will know if your skin is dry if you’re constantly itchy and experience skin cracking.  Signs to look for in dry skin other than the itchy feeling; are increased visibility in the fine lines of the skin, cracking of the skin, and dry flakes.

What is Skin Exfoliation? Skin exfoliation is the removal of dead skin cells from the (epidermis) which is the outermost layer of skin allowing new skin cells to develop from the (dermis) the lower layer of skin.  It is said that the Egyptians were the first to practice such skin care practices, which interestingly enough is the native home to the Loofah gourd that is still used today as a popular sponge for skin exfoliation.

There are three different types of skin exfoliation; manual, chemical and enzyme exfoliation.   Manual exfoliation of course is manually scrubbing off dead skin cells, by using sponges, creams, lotions, scrubs and cleansers.  Chemical exfoliation is used to treat the surface of the skin using chemicals such as Alpha hydroxy acids and Beta hydroxy acids.  This form of exfoliation is most often used in treating acne, age spots, sun damage and wrinkles. The third form of exfoliation is Enzyme exfoliation which is used for people who have very sensitive skin.  These products, rather than scrubbing off or using chemicals, dissolve dead skin cells by using powders, pads, cleansers, and mask that have proteolytic enzymes in them.

How often should I exfoliate? Although skin exfoliation is great skin care practice for maintaining healthier skin, you do not want to over exfoliate.  Due to the great effects exfoliation has on the skin can lead many into the trap of over exfoliating.  Exfoliation does feel great and leaves your skin feeling healthy, but too much can actually cause even more damage causing the skin to be  more sensitive and vulnerable to skin damages.

For face exfoliation it is recommended to only exfoliate twice a week and less than that if you have sensitive skin.  Also keep in mind that the skin on your face is more sensitive than the skin on the rest of your body and should use gentler products with less abrasiveness.  For body exfoliation you can get away with doing it 2-3 times a week; if you have sensitive skin you might prefer to exfoliate less.

There are so many different types of exfoliation products on the market today; I prefer to use the most natural products for all my skin care needs.  I have really enjoyed growing my own loofa gourds and making my own loofa sponges as well and molding my handmade soaps into these sponges.  This of course is a lot of work but so worth it!  Other natural ways I enjoy exfoliating my skin is using milder soaps such as goat milk soap with natural ingredients in them such as oatmeal, ground almond and cinnamon.