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A return to simplicity
People have been exfoliating their skin since Ancient times, first recordings are by the Ancient Egyptians who used honey, sand and essential oils, the American Indians used corn, the Romans and Persians would use a scraping tool and the Chinese practiced exfoliation in the Qing Dynasty in the 16th Century with ground rice and essential oils.
While Dermatologists debate the benefits of exfoliation, it’s without doubt, the simplest method to revitalise and smooth the skin.
Some Dermatologists claim the skin naturally sheds approximately every 28 days and a little longer for the elderly as the deeper layers of the skin gradually move to the surface and flake off.
While other Dermatologists claim active exfoliation with herbal and natural ingredients can prevent premature ageing from the impact of environmental and genetic factors. While the skin does naturally flake off, the time in between can clog pores causing acne and other related conditions including a bumpy, pigmented dull skin tone.
Interestingly, acne prone skin actually sheds 5 times more than normal skin which requires regular, gentle exfoliation.
As we age, our blood circulation slows down, we secrete less sweat, pigmentation lowers leading to age spots and sebum production, contributing to dry flaky and wrinkled skin. Exfoliating aged skin with gentle natural, less invasive herbal remedies is effective in the removal of accumulated dead skin cells, stimulating collagen production, cell renewal and evening out the skin tone.
From a hygiene perspective, exfoliating your body’s natural creases such as under the arms, between the thighs removes accumulated grime which can appear on clothes, it can be odorous and for some, can lead to skin sores and even infection.
As well as stimulating cell production, the key benefit, are the vitamin rich plant oils and extracts applied, as all bio-actives are deeply absorbed into the deeper layers of the skin enabling the quick absorption of the vitamins and Actives. The skin absorbs vitamins applied in the most natural form far more readily than in a synthesised version.
While chemical exfoliants are readily available in the form of AHA’s (alpha hydroxy acids) and BHAs (beta hydroxy acids) there is some conjecture as to how much of the resulting cellular turnover is due to using these acids. While the acids might not be suitable for all skin types causing irritation particularly if applied daily, while herbal or loofahs used remove tired skin while also providing nourishment.
http://www.globalsciencebooks.info/Online/GSBOnline/images/2011/FPSB_5(SI1)/FPSB_5(SI1)94-97o.pdf