Sunday Stuff: The Right Scrub
A little something for my fellow exfoliation fiends (and anyone else who needs a little extra oomph to de-gunk pores and gently remove dead skin)...
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On Sundays, we talk about stuff.
I don’t know about y’all, but I have always loved a good, satisfying face scrub. Even way back when I was in the middle school in the 90’s, using the ubiquitous walnut-shell scrub that shall not be named and probably destroyed an entire generation’s collective skin barrier, I loved how transformative it seemed, how I could clearly feel the difference in how much softer and smoother my face felt afterwards. And yes, I used it every day as my regular cleanser for actual years—it was a different time! We didn’t know any better!
Fortunately, we gained wisdom and better skincare products with time, and it’s now common knowledge that you shouldn’t exfoliate your face every single day. Two to three times a week at most, unless your dermatologist says otherwise. But some of us (aka me) still have to fight the that urge to scrub, scrub, scrub until our faces fairly twinkle and our skin barrier gets immediately and progressively weaker.
So what’s a scrub fiend to do? Physical scrubs can be too abrasive unless you have extremely clogged & congested skin, and while chemical exfoliants are now all the rage, they can be really tricky and sometimes even dangerous for sensitive and reactive skin types. Plus, relying on scrub products is often a massive trial & error undertaking to determine what actually works for your skin, and what might burn holes in your flesh—which can also lead to ton of unnecessary waste. Babes, I found a solution: get yourself a silicon scrubber!
If you know me at all, you may know that I am actually not a fan or even a proponent of most skincare tools, particularly cleansing tools (I am, however, a big fan of a good dry brushing every other day or so). I’m SO glad those sonic face brushes have gone out of style because they were overpriced and wasteful—truly, all your need is your hands and maybe a washcloth. A little manual silicone scrubber splits the difference: it's more textured for physical exfoliation than your fingers, and not as abrasive as a washcloth might be. And it's definitely not as wasteful, expensive, or bacteria-friendly as a sonic brush.
Of course, there are some absurdly expensive sonic versions out there, which might be good for folks with limited hand or finger mobility, but even still—you don’t really need a power tool to get your face clean. This unassuming little doodad helps me satisfy that scrubbing itch without damaging ingredients or harsh acids. Mine has two different textures, which is a nice option if you have combination skin and need different levels of intensity for different areas.
Added bonus: one less skincare product to buy and try without knowing whether it will work! All you need is a dab of your regular cleanser and the scrubber can handle the rest—which means one less product to buy on an endless loop or taking up space in your beauty drawer/cabinet/closet/multiple storage boxes (because that’s totally normal, right?!).
Related Reading:
- I Impulse-Bought This $9 Face Scrubber and So Should You - Gerald Ortiz, GQ
- How to Clean Silicone Beauty Tools - Real Simple
- Silicone Scrubbers: The Alternative Cleansing Method You Should Know About - Kiana Murden, Byrdie (This article leans towards the sonic type, but know that you truly do not need one to properly exfoliate)
This is probably a good time for a disclaimer: I independently select and personally recommend every product featured on The Enthusiast. I currently don't participate in any affiliate programs (but I might at some point, tbh), so just know that this is all stuff I genuinely love and think everyone should try!
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Enjoy exfoliating!
LKH
