Feeling the effects of dry skin? Don’t waste your moisturizers!
It’s no secret that as the cold season seeps in, moisture seeps out, causing our skin to become increasingly dry and irritating. Although dry skin can be a year-round occurrence, we tend to feel the effects more in the winter due to a lack of moisture in the air caused by temps dropping and indoor heaters running.
Dry skin can be different for everyone, but the most common effects are peeling or flaking, and if left untreated, our skin can become cracked, ashy, red, or itchy. When dry skin hits, most people turn to moisturizing or hydrating remedies assuming that a good lotion is all they need to relieve dry skin, but experts know better. The key to improving dry skin starts with exfoliating.
For lotions and creams to be effective, they must be applied to fresh skin. Exfoliating before applying moisturizers helps prep your skin to allow products to break through the dead skin barrier and seep in for a more hydrated body and face.
Our Founder Jennifer Lewis started Urban Spa because she wanted to support people in taking care of themselves in healthy ways while providing sustainable, recyclable personal care products that are good for the environment.
The right exfoliating tools paired with a good moisturizer can help you achieve and maintain soft, healthy skin all season long. But it all begins with knowing how to exfoliate skin properly.
Here are our expert tips on how to exfoliate your skin at home.
- Use a quality brush. You could exfoliate with just your hands and a scrub, but brushes work better for 2 key reasons. Good brushes are gentle on the skin and actively stimulate new cell growth. Wool fiber brushes with soft yet firm bristles have been revered by face and skin experts for decades because they’re good at getting rid of dry skin without being too harsh. (We recommend our Bamboo and Wool Facial Brush for our traditionalists out there – quality, gentle, AND eco-friendly!)
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Be gentle. Avoid rough scrubbing. Our skin is VERY SENSITIVE – so it’s best to trust your brush to do its job properly. Scrubbing your face, hands, or body too hard can irritate or damage your skin - making it drier and rougher.
- For the Body: We recommend the Boucle Bath Mitt or Body Loving Bath Mitt for regular use or The Serious Sisal Mitt if you’re looking for deeper exfoliation.
- For the Feet: For gentle – yet effective - foot exfoliation, we recommend the Basic Foot File or Heel to Toe brush. If you’re looking for an exfoliation tool that’s a little more aggressive at getting rid of dead skin, our Founder recommends the Love the Lava Pumice or the Best Ever Foot Paddle.
- For the Face: Get in on the latest in facial exfoliation with a Konjac facial sponge. They are infused with vitamins that will revitalize the lower layers of your skin while removing the flaky dead layers on the top. For a more aggressive scrub, exfoliate with walnuts! Our Tough Nut Facial Buffer is perfect for removing dead skin and stimulating skin microcirculation.
- Keep up with it. Exfoliating your face, body, and feet should be a regular part of skin care routines. How often you should exfoliate depends on how dry your skin is; however, most experts recommend exfoliation weekly.
Plus, check out these expert Do’s and Don’ts for effective face exfoliation.
If you’ve tried moisturizers and are still experiencing dry skin, we encourage you to make exfoliation a part of your skincare routine. We offer an array of exfoliation tools for the face and body.
Explore our collection to find the right tools to help you achieve gorgeous, glowing skin any time of the year. Shop Now.
