Maintain a vibrant complexion without polluting our oceans
Do you ever wake up in the morning to find your skin looking dull or lacking glow? If so, it’s most likely because of a lack of exfoliation. When we don’t exfoliate, dead skin cells build up over time and can lead to skin issues and dullness.
However, while exfoliation is recommended for healthy-looking skin, many exfoliants are unhealthy for our environment.
President Obama recently signed a bill to ban plastic microbeads due to their pollution of our oceans. These plastic beads made of polyethylene threaten sea life. The ban will not take full effect until Jan. 1, 2018. Many are now wondering if they should exfoliate at all. The answer is still yes – but not with microbeads. 
The best alternative to a plastic bead is a jojoba bead. Many mistake the jojoba bead for a plastic bead, but it‘s not the same. Jojoba is a natural oil that is completely biodegradable. The beads are still round and gentle enough to use on the face. It’s important to use round beads on the face to prevent micro-tears in the skin. While safe on the body, it’s not recommended to use sugar, salt, or walnut shells on your face.
Checking what kind of bead is used in a product is easy. Simply look for the ingredient list and make sure that polyethylene is not listed.
It’s also important to not exfoliate your face every day. Skin care is about balance, and over exfoliating can either leave the skin very dry, or oily and could even cause breakouts. I recommend scrubbing about every two days. The easiest way is to do this in the shower. First, wash your skin with a facial cleanser then exfoliate from your face down to your neck. The steam from the shower will help soften the dead skin cells for a deeper exfoliation.
After-care products will penetrate deeper into the skin after exfoliation. This is the best time to put on a mask or a nice serum. Your skin will definitely feel smoother but also improve in texture and brightness within 14 days.
Exfoliation is an important step to better skin care. Now we can do it with safer alternatives.
Additional Resources
Feel confident in your own skin, makeup free
Six tips for better skin as we age
-By Kim Chang, aesthetician at the Baylor Aesthetics Studio
