Getting Body Scrubs At The Spa

Getting Body Scrubs At The Spa

Body scrubs at the spa are more thorough and tend to leave your skin softer because the therapist works longer and gets into areas you can't reach easily, like the middle of your back. The therapist might use special equipment like a Vichy shower to rinse you off.

Body scrubs are the spa are usually combined with an application of lotion or short massage, which is relaxing. You can get a body scrub at the spa every once in a while, and maintain at home.

Finally, never use a body scrub on your face, where the skin is thinner and more delicate. Body scrubs are designed for the tougher skin on your body.

Body Scrubs

Everything You Need To Know About Body Scrubs

Body scrubs are a great way to keep your skin healthy and beautiful through can buy a body scrub for anywhere from $5-$50 to get a

No matter which way you go, most body scrubs have these three ingredients:

• An exfoliant. This is the abrasive material like salt, sugar, rice bran, jojoba beads, apricot kernels, coffee grounds, etc. that rubs away the dead skin cells on the surface, revealing the softer, younger cells just below.


• Oil. This holds the mixture together so you (or someone else) can apply it to your skin. More expensive body scrubs like usually have more expensive oils like macadamia oil, kukui nut oil and sweet almond oil.


• Fragrance. Ideally, the fragrance comes from high-quality essential oils, like the spearmint and rosemary in the Origins Salt Rub. Budget body scrubs like St. Ives (Compare Prices) will have synthetic fragrances and more synthetic ingredients in general.

The price of body scrubs is determined by the quality of the ingredients (high-quality and green vs. lower quality and synthetic), the brand identity (high-end or budget) and where it's sold (spa or specialty store vs. drug store.)

Body scrubs might also have skin-nourishing ingredients and chemical exfoliants like alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) to dissolve the intra-cellular "glue" that holds cells together. For instance, is a high-end scrub enriched with proprietary Bio-Maple Sugar, which has natural antioxidants and AHA acids. That can send the price even higher.

If you want an inexpensive, high-quality body scrub, it's easy to make your own. Here's a and

Salt Scrub Recipe

How To Make Your Own Salt Scrub

Salt scrubs make a great gift when they're in a pretty jar.

Origins

You can buy salt scrubs for $30, or you can make your own salt scrubs at home for a fraction of the cost. Salt scrubs are one of the easiest home spa products to make -- and a great gift if you put it in a pretty jar. With this easy salt scrub recipe, you can exfoliate your skin at home instead of paying $90 or more for a salt glow at the spa.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup oil. Use sweet almond, grapeseed or another light-textured massage oil. Don't use simple cooking oil from your pantry.


• 1 cup fine sea salt. Baleine is a good choice. Don't use simple iodized table salt -- it's too harsh. If you have sensitive skin you can substitute sugar, which is gentler.


• 5-15 drops high quality essential oils. The essential oil you choose for your salt scrub depends on the result you want. Lavender is relaxing, lemongrass is refreshing and rosemary is stimulating. You can experiment and do your own blend.

Preparation:

Put the salt (or sugar) in a small bowl.

Add the oil, mixing well with a spoon or wooden stick. The texture should be moist enough to hold together, but not overly oily. You can adjust the amount of oil to achieve that texture.

Gently tap in the drops of essential oil and combine well. If you get more interested in aromatherapy you can customize your recipe using different essential oils.

So now you're ready to use your home-made salt scrub -- once a week is plenty. Here's how to give yourself a salt scrub at home.

This recipe should get you through three salt scrubs.

Best Basic Cleanser for All Skin Types: Purpose ""

Best Basic Cleanser for All Skin Types: Purpose

My beauty cabinet is full of cleansers from some of the priciest boutique brands, but the cleanser I use every day doesn't cost $60 or even $30, it costs $6 at the average drugstore. When my friend Laura spotted my bottle of Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash in my bathroom, she emerged laughing. She couldn't believe THIS was my cleanser of choice. I had to explain that you don't need a lot of bells and whistles in a good cleanser.

This soap-free, oil-free liquid lathers away dirt, makeup and oil but doesn't leave skin so dry it reacts by overproducing oil. Purpose makes most of the "Best" lists in magazines and is recommended by dermatologists, including the expert I turn to, Dr. Maryann Mikhail.

Guide Review - Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleanser

Guide Review - Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleanser

Products that claim to be “deep cleansing” make the acne sufferer’s heart go pitter-patter. Sure, we know acne isn’t caused by dirty skin, but the promise of super-clean skin is enticing all the same. So Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleanser sounded like just what my skin needed.

The most notable feature of this cleanser is the mentholated action. If you love that invigorating, cooling feel, this is the perfect cleanser for you. It even has that eucalyptus-like, mentholated smell. You’ll either love the scent or find it too overpowering.

The cool, refreshing feeling this cleanser generates lasts well after you rinse away the cleanser. It’s powerful, though, so those with more sensitive skin types will probably find it too strong or even irritating.

If your skin is super oily, you may not like the creamy consistency. It feels more like lotion than cleanser, and can’t cut though oily skin like foaming cleansers can. Those with less oily skin (like adult acne sufferers) will like the way it cleans. It would probably do a bang-up job for combination skin types too.

The one beef I have with this cleanser is it’s hard to rinse away. Unless you use lots and lots of water it leaves a bit of a film on the skin.

All in all, though, this is a nice cleanser for the money and a great choice if you love cooling, mentholated products.

Acne Skin Care Tips for the Summertime

4 Easy Summer Skin Care Tips for Acne Prone Skin

Summer is a beautiful time of year. The weather is warm; the days are long. But, summertime can also bring oily skin, blackheads and breakouts. With a few changes in your skin care routine, you can keep your skin looking and feeling great all summer long.

1. Control Oil

Heat and humidity can cause oil glands to work overtime. Control oiliness by washing your face with a foaming cleanser twice daily. If your skin gets exceptionally oily, you can do a midday cleansing too.

But don't get into the habit of cleansing too often. For some, a once per day cleansing may be all the skin can tolerate. Cleansing too often can break down the skin's protective barrier, causing excessive dryness and irritation, and ultimately worsen breakouts.

Some dermatologists advise letting the cleanser sit on the skin for a few seconds before rinsing well. You can try an oil-absorbing clay mask a few times per week (less if you notice dryness or irritation).

Cleansing 101

Everything You Need to Know About Cleansing Your Skin

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board

Cleansing the face seems like such a simple thing, doesn't it? But it's normal to have questions about proper skin cleansing, especially if you are prone to acne breakouts. Get answers to some of the most common questions about cleansing the skin.

What Type of Cleanser Should I Use?

Cleanser choice is dependent on a number of factors. Do you have mostly non-inflammatory breakouts? Choose a salicylic acid cleanser, which is a beta hydroxy acid that speeds up cell turnover and clears blocked pores.

respond well to benzoyl peroxide cleansers, which can reduce bacteria responsible for acne.

If you are using any acne treatment medications, like Retin-A or BenzaClin, cleansing with medicated products isn't a good idea. Instead use a mild cleanser such as Cetaphil.

Whatever cleanser you choose, it should leave your skin clean but not too tight, dry, itchy, or red. Feeling overwhelmed? Ask your dermatologist or esthetician to recommend a few.

Are Bar Soaps OK?

Certain bar soaps can be used for cleansing the face. Dove and Neutrogena are two examples of bar soaps that are gentle and appropriate to use for cleansing your face. What you want to avoid are anti-bacterial, deodorant body bars. While they work well for cleansing tougher areas like your back or feet, these soap bars may be drying for the face.

More important is the pH of the soap. Cleansers with a very high pH (very alkaline) are going to be very drying and possibly irritating to the skin. Generally, you should choose a cleanser specifically formulated to be used on the face. These types of cleansers will give you a gentler cleansing than a bar of soap meant to be used on the body in the shower.

What About Washcloths and Scrubbing Pads?

These items aren't needed to get a good, thorough cleansing of the skin. It would seem that a good scrubbing would help cleanse out the pores, but if you have inflammatory acne scrubbing away at the skin can further irritation.

Instead, use just the pads of your fingers, massage your cleanser over the face thoroughly, and rinse very well. If your face feels exceptionally oily, or if you wear makeup, you can do a "double cleanse:" lather up, rinse, then repeat. You can also leave the cleanser on longer before washing it off.

If you just have to use a washcloth or cleansing pad, choose one that is soft and non-abrasive.

What Temperature Water Should I Use?

Room temperature water or just warmer is the best temperature to cleanse the face.

Many people swear by the "steaming hot water to open pores, icy cold to close them" cleansing routine. But this isn't necessary and may actually be detrimental to the skin. Water that is too hot can contribute to couperose (broken capillaries), and exacerbate inflammation.

And cold water isn't needed to "close" pores. Pores aren't like doors; they don't open and close. You can't change pore size with water.

If large pores are a concern, try an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) product. AHAs remove dead skin cells and hardened oil plugs, making pores appear smaller. Light chemical peels, microdermabrasion, and retinoids can also make the pores look smaller.

How Often Should I Cleanse?

No more than twice a day. Cleansing too often isn't going to help the skin. The skin needs some natural oil to be healthy (yes, oil can be a good thing). Cleansing too often can strip the skin of its natural oil, leading to over-dryness and irritation.

Cleansing once in the morning and again before bed is enough to remove dirt, excess oil, and makeup without stripping the skin.