How Do I Choose the Best Face Scrubs?

Face scrubs are exfoliating products designed specifically for the delicate skin on the face. When used correctly, they can help remove dead surface cells and leave the skin looking smoother and brighter. When used too often, however, they can leave the face raw and irritated. There are numerous different types, and choosing the best face scrubs depends on your skin type, allergies, and budget.

The first thing to take into consideration when you are choosing the best face scrubs is whether you are allergic to certain ingredients. Many different scrubs contain fruit enzymes or particles to provide the exfoliating action. Others may contain nut products, wheat germ, and other potential allergens. Check the labels carefully if you are prone to serious allergic reactions caused by certain types of foods.

Your skin type is also a major determining factor when deciding on the best face scrubs. If you have dry skin, you will want to avoid any products that contain alcohol or salicylic acid, as they can dry it more. Oily skin does better with clay-based products, which help draw out oils. If you have sensitive skin, you’ll need to take extra care to pick a mild face scrub that, preferably, does not contain any added fragrances or dyes.

Choosing the best face scrubs for your needs also depends on your budget. While there are many inexpensive options in mass-market retail stores and even in specialty stores, there are also extremely expensive ones available. Typically, the ingredients determine part of the price. A face scrub with rose oil in it, for example, is going to be significantly more expensive than one that contains aloe, because rose oil is expensive to make. Price is also determined by brand name, and sometimes you pay more for the logo on the label than for the actual ingredients inside the jar.

An alternative to buying face scrubs is making them yourself at home. You can use a myriad of different ingredients, from powered almonds to whole-wheat flour. Just mix the exfoliating ingredient with a little water, yogurt, milk, citrus juice, or honey and use the resulting paste as you would a store-bought scrub. If you have sensitive or dry skin, you may want to avoid acidic juices.

Once you pick the best face scrubs and start to notice results, it can be tempting to use them every day, but this can be very damaging to your skin. Although the dead skin cells that the scrubs remove do cause a duller complexion, they do serve an important biological function by protecting the healthy skin beneath. Using the scrubs every two weeks is often enough to attain the desired results, but not so often that it strips your skin of natural oils and protection.