This natural exfoliant list will help you choose the best natural exfoliator for your skin, so less dead skin, clogged pores, break-outs, and blackheads!
I can only think of a few times in my life that I’ve had someone else put makeup on me. Both times involved a wedding, and both times the makeup artist fussed at me for not exfoliating my skin properly. One of them even gave me a scrub and made me use it on part of my face before she would put makeup on me.
That’s kind of embarrassing, but I only mention it because I’ve since realized that exfoliating my skin is something I should be doing regularly. Exfoliating basically means getting the top layer of skin off – not the good, living skin, but the older, flaky skin that rests on top. When the old skin is gone, the newer skin looks healthier and shinier (in a good way). Naturally exfoliating also means there is less dead skin to clog pores, which makes for fewer break-outs and blackheads.
Avoid Commercial Exfoliants
There are many products that you can buy to exfoliate your skin, but the problem with most of them is that they contain microbeads. Microbeads aren’t only rough on skin, but also terrible for the environment. The small plastic beads in these products aren’t filtered out by water treatment plants and are being washed right back into our water supply, often with harmful results for marine life. Illinois recently banned the use of microbeads, and several other states are hoping to follow.
The good news is, the best exfoliators are all-natural, so you don’t need to buy any harmful, expensive products. With ingredients that you already have on hand, you can have your face shining and refreshed in no time.
Natural Exfoliants
Sugar
Sugar grains are naturally small and rough, which make them perfect for sloughing skin cells from your face. When added to an oil, such as grapeseed or olive oil, sugar is a fantastic natural exfoliant. Another benefit to sugar? It’s full of glycolic acid, which helps to naturally break down dead skin cells and decrease fine lines. People pay a lot of money for glycolic acid facials, but you can have a bit of that power from your own sugar facial at home.
Find organic sugar here and organic carrier oils here to make this sugar exfoliant.
Check out our other sugar scrub recipes.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is one of the gentlest natural exfoliants you can find. If you have sensitive skin, it’s a great place to start for exfoliation. Oatmeal works best when whole oats are ground up in a food processor, then added to water or another base and applied to the face with your fingertips. Another benefit to oatmeal is that it absorbs oil, so you will be cleansing as you exfoliate.
Find organic oats here for a nice natural exfoliator for sensitive skin.
Baking Soda
Have you noticed how much we love baking soda around here? We use it for just about everything, including a natural exfoliant. All you have to do is make a paste out of baking soda and water, so it is the simplest and least expensive natural exfoliant on this list. Baking soda is one of my favorite exfoliants; my face always feels so much fresher after I’ve rinsed all the baking soda off, and it’s very gentle, too.
Find our favorite all-natural baking soda here.
Sea Salt
Sea salt (not table salt!) makes a great natural exfoliant, too. The granules are large and coarse and don’t dissolve easily. This makes it fantastic for use on the rougher parts of your body, like elbows and feet. Another nice thing about sea salt is that it isn’t at all sticky. To use, simply mix with a small amount of oil and rub it into your skin.
Find unrefined coarse sea salt here.
Coffee
I remember a few years ago when big makeup companies started putting caffeine in their facial products. The idea was that if caffeine could perk us up every morning, it could probably perk our skin up, too. Caffeine is known to decrease puffiness around the eyes. A natural exfoliator that reduces puffiness at the same time? Sounds good to me! You can use either fresh coffee grounds or those you’ve already brewed (which makes more sense to me – recycling is always a good thing). Simply add them to a small amount of the oil of your choice, and apply it to your skin. The only downside I see to using coffee as a natural exfoliant is that coffee grounds are inherently messy, so be prepared for a bit of cleanup.
Find organic coffee beans here (so pesticides from conventionally grown coffee don’t end up on your face).
Almonds
It probably sounds strange to think of rubbing almonds all over your face, but when they’re ground up very finely, almonds make for a great natural exfoliant. Almond powder is a chemical-free, nutrient-rich method to exfoliate your skin. When added to a small amount of water, the almond powder will exfoliate the skin without leaving behind any residue.
Find organic raw almonds here.
Using an exfoliant a few times a week is one of the best ways to keep your skin healthy and young-looking. Make sure you use them gently – exfoliating shouldn’t hurt! Scrubbing your face too hard or too often can result in irritated skin, and redness is definitely not the look you’re going for with this.
If you think it’s going to be difficult to incorporate natural exfoliation into your routine, take heart. If I can learn to do it, you can learn to do it. Once you get used to having such bright skin, you’ll never want to go back.
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Musenge says
Is baking Soda good for oily skin
Kim says
Can you premix any of these and store for later use?
Lori says
I have made some of the sugar, and oil, ahead of time, I also added some, a couple of drops of essential oil, but in an air tight container, just make sure water doesn’t get in, as my 10 year-old grand-daughter did, it dissolves real quick, LOL.
Lourdes Mestre Hernandez says
Son muy buenos ,no sabia que existÃan tantos productos naturales para la piel.Por favor pubilquen mas ,nos benefician mucho, es una pagina necesaria para la salud interior y exterior .LOS FELICITO.
Yirgalem says
Hello, i am happy with all ur interesting health and beuty topics but i have a question about exfoliating substance how much time need to stay on ones face? Thanks, YG
Emry Trantham says
It isn’t really about leaving it on your face–the power is in the motion of the exfoliant. Scrub gently and then rinse off!
Gina says
Do you have the sugar, face scrub recipe to share?
Priscilla says
I just use warm water and rub my face with a cotton washcloth. The knobby weave of the washcloth seems to exfoliate pretty well.
Dana says
I have acne prone skin so I use a manuka honey, cinnamon and nutmeg mask and to wash it off I dampen my hands and exfoliate with the cinnamon and nutmeg. It smells and tastes good too. Lol
Denise says
My new favorite blog! So excited whenever there is a new update! Keep up the good work!
Phyllis says
After spending years buying very expensive cleansing regiments and cosmetics, I’ve decided it’s much cheaper and safer to go all natural. I love the idea of not putting chemicals on my skin.
Kris says
These sound great. Would anyone know if any will work on dark skin patches left from a rash?
Emry Trantham says
If the dark patches are surface level, exfoliation might help. You might try lemon juice, too, as it has skin-lightening properties. Good luck!
beatriz maria says
Thanks for all your advices. I prefer oatmeal for my skin.Once I tried
baking soda and have my face red and irritated ( excuse my english)
Brenda Beauchamp says
Chickpea flour and water works well on sensitive skin.
Mern says
Thank you for all the information you share. Living on an island and having no income I’m pleasantly surprised how easy it is to keep my appearance naturally:)
P.S. may mom thanks you too!