SOS: Summer Body Scrubs
Apr 30, 2012
Every spring, we shed our winter layers to reveal the skin below. Unfortunately, many women don’t take the time to do any spring skincare before flaunting their epidermises. So before you bare, for goodness sake, scrub.
Splurge. I received a sample of Dirt Salt Scrub ($45) in my Birchbox, and I was heartbroken when it ran out. The cucumber fig scrub is made with rich ingredients like French salt, grapeseed and avocado oil. And what it’s made with is as important as what it is made without, no mineral oil, parabens or sulfates.
This scrub will smooth out rough spots on elbows, knees and heels. And since it’s packed with nurturing oils, it won’t dry out your skin. And you will adore the light, fruity scent with hints of pear and fig.
Save. I bought a tub of Abra Green Tea Body Scrub ($11) last year after I read an article cautioning against buying skincare products made with mineral oil. (You’d be shocked how many products are chock full of the stuff!) And during a particularly dry winter, I ran through the tub within weeks.
The scrub is made with essential oils, volcanic ash and herbal extracts. The scrub isn’t quite as nourishing as the Splurge option, but it does exfoliate just as well. And the scent is a delicious lemon, which is guaranteed to wake you up in the morning.
Verdict: I love both products, but I would recommend the Dirt Salt Scrub in a heartbeat. Because if you’re really looking to save money on a summertime body scrub, you should be making it at home!
When I make my own scrub, I prefer to use a mix of white and brown sugar instead of salt. Mix 1/2 cup of each in a bowl and add a quarter cup of vanilla-scented liquid soap, two tablespoons of avocado oil, and two tablespoons of vanilla essential oil. Just remember that this scrub needs to be kept in the fridge so that the oils don’t go bad.
I also make my own scrub at home, and I swear by grape seed oil.
I've been using The Body Shop Shea Body Scrub for a while and I find it to be equally exfoliating and moisturizing. The scrub is normally $18 but ends up being really cheap if you do the buy 2 get 1 free deal. If I need some extra exfoliation after a long winter I apply the scrub with exfoliating gloves.
Do you have a link to the article about mineral oil? I would be interested in reading it.
Screw the scrubs. I got scared of them when I read that the granules in some have teeny sharp edges that can tear pores and make them bigger. Yikes!
Instead, use Salux clothes. They're like giant washcloths made of rougher loofah fabric, and they're machine washable. Use with moisturizing body wash or- if you like the oils in the scrubs- a shower oil.
You'll get smoother skin if you do less physical exfoliation and more chemical (with something like an AHA lotion). Physical exfoliation is actually quite irritating to the skin. If you have something like keratosis pilaris, you could actually be scarring your skin by ripping off the little bumps.
To echo Ellen, can you tell us what you read about mineral oil (or link to the article)? I haven't heard anything about it yet.
I am a die hard fan of the Bliss body scrub. I have super sensitive skin so I can't use most products, especially scrubs. But omg this scrub! Leaves my skin soft as a baby's and doesn't irritate it at all. https://www.sephora.com/lemon-sage-body-scrub-P6862?skuId=1000165 I don't know if it has mineral oils though!
Here's a similar article: https://www.koat.com/Lotions-may-make-skin-problems-worse/-/9154444/9533280/-/4f8rc9/-/