Well for starters let’s be clear what exactly do we mean by scrubbing the skin. It is a process to rub your skin for the purpose of removing dead skin cells from your skin.
Yes, you read it right. Our skin has dead cells all over it. The cells become dead roughly within thirty days. If not removed (i.e. scrubbed away) they tend to result in clogged pores or flakes giving a dull look to the skin.
Scrubbing helps to exfoliate the skin as it consists of either sugar or salt. The coarse particles collide against the skin and slough away the dead cells. High end scrubbing products have chemical properties instead of salt or sugar to serve the purpose.
A Good Scrubbing increases Collagen
Shaking off dead skin cells still not enough reason for you to grab a scrub then hear this out, Scrubbing leads to increased Collagen.
Collagen is a protein present in our body. This protein plays a vital role in maintaining skin health.
Scrubbing your skin often sheds off dead cells and increases Collagen in longer run.
Sugar Vs Salt
As mentioned earlier scrubs either comprise of sugar or salt. Let’s find out the differences between the two.
Sugar Scrub
Sugar is more gentle exfoliator for the skin. Scrubbing with sugar particles means less rash.
Sugar has the tendency to rehydrate the skin. Scrubbing with sugar leaves the skin fully moisturized.
Sugar scrubs are a natural source of glycolic acids (AHA) so it is beneficial for tearing away the thick layer of the dead skin formed over the fresh skin.
Salt Scrub
They are more coarse in feel as compared to the sugar scrubs so they tend to work better on parts like elbows or ankles.
Salt scrubs are efficient in detoxifying the skin. It goes deep down to the clogged areas and kicks out the dirt.
The right way to Scrub your skin
Salt or sugar, scrubbing means these little particles would get rub against your skin. If not done the proper way there is a pretty good chance that you would end up damaging your skin.
The correct way to scrub your skin is to first rinse your face with lukewarm water. Let the face stay damp. Take a dollop of the product and run on your skin (body or face) in circular motion.
Keep in mind rubbing aggressively is never equal to shedding off more dead cells as most of us subconsciously assume it to work this way. Instead rub it gently, the particles in the product would do the work to shed off the dead cells.
There is a probability that you would feel heating sensation as you would start scrubbing the skin. This happens because circular motion activates the blood circulation in the body. The constant rubbing also causes friction and so you feel hot while scrubbing your skin.
It is fine to feel that way however if the heating sensation increases to the point of giving you a burning sensation then you should immediately stop doing it. It can mean either you are rubbing too aggressively or the product is unsuitable for your skin type.
Once done rubbing your skin for good ten to fifteen minutes, rinse your face with lukewarm water. There is no need to wash your face with soap after scrubbing the skin. Pat it dry and apply little lotion (preferably kept at a cool place) to cool off the heat and relax the skin.
Scrubbing and Skin Type
Whenever we talk about any beauty regime, a big factor is to be sure of how often should we go for it. It is vital to be absolutely sure of the number of times you should go for it so you can avail from the product and not instead end up tormenting your skin one way or another . As excessive scrubbing can lead to ruptured capillaries.
| Skin Type | No of times to scrub |
| Dry skin | Once a week |
| Oily skin | Twice a week |
| Combination skin | Twice a week |
Lastly often a common question asked about scrubbing is about the time of day it should be done. There is no restriction for doing this procedure. If you are someone who is fond of wearing excessive makeup then it is generally better to go for scrubbing at night. This would assist in shedding off the left over makeup particles. Otherwise you may also go for scrubbing in the early morning.
