Over the past few years, I have simplified my skincare routine dramatically. And my skin has never been happier. After spending lots and lots of money on fancy creams and masks through the years, I figured out that my skin really just wants the wholesome goodness of natural ingredients. One of my favorite recipes is this simple way to exfoliate my sensitive skin naturally.
No expensive scrubs or treatments, just three simple organic powerhouse ingredients you probably have in your pantry right this minute.
My philosophy when it comes to DIY skincare is pretty basic. It should be easy and effective. The recipe I am sharing with you checks both of those boxes with ease.
When it comes to sensitive skin, many traditional exfoliant recipes can be a bit on the harsh side. They often rely heavily on abrasive ingredients that rough up the top layer of your skin.
Sensitive skin generally doesn’t tolerate abrasive treatments like scrubs or brushes very well. Nor will it react favorably to strong chemical exfoliants. Does that mean you are doomed to have dry looking rough skin? Absolutely not!
While it probably works okay, the rough scratchy stuff is not really necessary if you use the right ingredients. Today we’ll stick with gentle components that have long been used to treat irritated skin naturally.
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You can find all of my simple and effective homemade skin and body care recipes as printables in my FREE Resource Library! Just sign up here and your password is on its way to your inbox.
And with that, let’s get started on making you even more beautiful than you are already, shall we?
WHAT IS EXFOLIATION?
Healthy skin sheds continuously. This normal turnover results in skin cells being shed completely in about 30 days.
Skin that doesn’t shed will have a dull appearance over time, with dry patches. Reduced cell turnover is often a part of the aging process. Skin cells that are left behind can clog pores and can cause breakouts.
This article explains why exfoliating makes sense and the various methods in greater depth.
WHY SHOULD YOU DO IT?
So skin changes as we get older. Why bother with exfoliation?
Removing dead skin cells does more than simply giving your skin a glowing look and feel. It also allows moisturizing products and other treatments to penetrate deeper and actually makes them more effective in the long run.
WHAT INGREDIENTS WORK WELL AS EXFOLIANTS?
Now that we know the what and why let’s take a look at which ingredients make the most sense and are readily available.
Since exfoliating is not a do-it-once-and-you’re-done type of deal, it makes sense to use a recipe with ingredients you can easily keep on hand.
After researching many different options, I narrowed it down to these three:
PLAIN ORGANIC GREEK YOGURT
Organic yogurt is not only good for your inside (provided you tolerate eating dairy), it does wonders for your skin as well. The lactic acid in yogurt acts as a very gentle chemical exfoliant by softening dead skin cells. To allow the lactic acid to do its job well, it’s best to use yogurt as a mask.
I chose Greek yogurt for this recipe because it is much thicker and creamier than conventional yogurt. That not only makes it easier to apply but also allows it to stay in place.
Its cooling effect feels extra soothing on dry irritated or skin with breakouts.
RAW HONEY
Honey has antibacterial properties, which is great news if you have breakout-prone skin. As if that weren’t good enough, honey is an excellent moisturizer, chock full of antioxidants to help slow down the effects of aging.
Honey has been used in beauty and healing treatments for thousands of years. And that definitely makes it a must-have ingredient for any soothing, healing mask.
Why raw? In order to get the maximum benefit from your natural skincare it’s best to opt for the purest ingredients. They will contain all of the benefits nature imparted on them.
You can also find my favorite honey face wash recipe in the FREE Resource Library.
OATMEAL
Oatmeal is another heavy hitter when it comes to skin benefits. Like honey it contains antioxidants. It is also well known for its skin-calming properties. Soothe eczema, sunburn, or dry itchy skin with an oatmeal bath.
For this mask, oatmeal serves as a very gentle abrasive.
For this recipe, you can use rolled or quick oats, which is shown here. The important part is that you need to process the oats into a finer consistency like is shown here:
This is pretty easy to do, just give it a quick whirl in a small food processor, coffee grinder, or as I did in our Nutribullet.
We use ours for all kinds of stuff and it comes in mighty handy for quick little jobs like this one!
GENTLE EXFOLIATING MASK RECIPE:
1 tbsp plain organic greek yogurt
1 tbsp ground oats
1 teaspoon raw honey
Additional tips:
- Grind a bunch of oats and store them in the refrigerator for next time
- Don’t add the oats to the honey yogurt mixture until you are ready to use the mask
- For a slightly stronger exfoliant, you can add some finely ground lemon peel powder to the mixture
- For maximum effectiveness use regularly
Mix all ingredients thoroughly. You may add a little more ground oats if the mixture is too wet.
Apply mask generously to face, excluding eye and mouth areas. Gently rub in a circular motion when applying. Leave the mask on for 20-30 minutes, wash off with warm water, and pat dry. Use your regular moisturizer to follow.
For optimal results use this recipe twice a week. Pretty simple, right? You cannot argue with skincare that is good enough to eat! And yes, you can exfoliate sensitive skin at home naturally!
If you like this recipe, you will love my super simple detoxifying charcoal mask recipe.
If you like to create more of your own natural skincare, be sure to sign up for the FREE Resource Library for additional recipes and all kinds of other fun and useful stuff.
Getting and maintaining glowing skin should not be difficult or expensive!
For other natural skin care recipes be sure to check out these posts:
How to Create Homemade Soap like a Pro
Sugar Scrub, Body Balm, and Soothing Lavender Bath Salt
Take the time to pamper yourself! Nobody deserves it more than you!
