> Beauty > Skin Care > facial masks

To put it on your face or in it? That is the question. Oatmeal, yogurt, and almonds make for a fresh start to your day, whether they go on your face as an exfoliant paste or into your mouth as a nutritious breakfast.

Exfoliants can be a fun, practical, and safe way to help your skin along in its natural process of rejuvenation as it sloughs off older, damaged surface cells to expose a newer, more tender layer of cells.

How Do Exfoliants Work?

Exfoliants can contain acids that work to chemically dissolve that outer skin layer, or they can contain gritty particles to mechanically grind away the older skin cells. A third possibility? An exfoliant can contain ingredients that work both chemically and mechanically. Most commercial exfoliants also contain a cream or lotion to moisturize the newly exposed skin.

Cosmetic exfoliants are readily available. The active ingredient in many exfoliants is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), beta hydroxy acid, or both an alpha and beta acid.

Exfoliant Cautions

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepts products with up to 10-per-cent concentration of AHAs as safe, but it applies a caution. AHA exfoliants work like chemical peels, Paula Kurtzweil of FDA public affairs explains, "by increasing cell turnover rate and decreasing skin thickness." They must either contain sun protection for the newly exposed skin or labelling that cautions users to protect new skin from sunlight.

Commercially available exfoliants limit themselves to AHAs of up to 10 per cent and a pH balance of 3.5 or higher. Stronger exfoliants are limited to professional cosmetologists and even stronger ones to licenced dermatologists (50 to 70 per cent AHA).

Moderation is the Key

The FDA continues to monitor exfoliants (first introduced in 1992), in part because of complaints from many users who tried exfoliants daily or three to four times a week. The complaints? Redness, swelling - especially around the eyes, blotches, blisters, and sun sensitivity. Most commercial products caution users to use exfoliants occasionally&that means, for most of us, once a week or once every two weeks.

A key to exfoliants is to use them as an every-once-in-awhile pampering. Stick to natural ingredients to help avoid preparations that are too harshly acidic.

Going Natural

All of the acids we need are readily available in the organic produce sections of our grocery stores - in fresh fruits, veggies, and even in yogurt.

Check the hydrator drawer in your fridge or try the produce store for papaya, mango, pineapple, kiwi, orange, or lemon (peel or juice), even cucumber or tomato&any acidic fruit or veggie will do for its chemical acidic action. The lactic acid in yogurt has a similar exfoliating effect.

Now, down to the nitty-gritty. Oatmeal, cornmeal, poppy seeds, oat bran, coffee grounds, and crushed or ground almonds or macadamia nuts will work as the mechanical, circulation-stimulating ingredient in your exfoliant. Oatmeal can be ground with your fingers or by using a blender or grinder. Nuts will need a grinder or blender. Simple cane sugar will also work.

For the most basic of exfoliants, try your loofah. Before your shower or bath treat yourself to a tender massage, starting with your feet and working up.

For facial exfoliants with chemical action, why not get nature to help you along? You can start in your own kitchen.

Recipes: Generic Exfoliant

Choose one or two natural fruit or veggie ingredients. Go for colour coordination or contrast, scent, whatever appeals to you. Mash or blend into a paste. Add 1 or 2 tbsp (15 to 30 ml) grittiness from oatmeal, cornmeal, poppy seed, nuts, or cane sugar. Optional: Add 1 tbsp (15 ml) honey, already a wonderful paste, for its antibacterial properties. Add 1 to 3 drops of essential oils such as lemon, peppermint, or vanilla.

Generic directions: Wash face first, pat dry. Gently apply your exfoliant paste in small circular motions. Leave for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse face well with warm water. Follow with moisturizer or sunscreen lotion.

Eat-Your-Oatmeal Scrub

1 papaya or peach or 2 apricots
1/2 cup (125 ml) yogurt
1 tsp (5 ml) honey
1 tsp (5 ml) lemon juice
2 to 3 tbsp (30 to 45 ml) ground oatmeal

This is a favourite. Follow generic instructions to make the exfoliant. Use the same ingredients for a nutritious breakfast to savour during those 15 minutes your exfoliant is doing its job.

Sugar Soap Scrub

1 tbsp (15 ml) sugar
2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil
2 tbsp (30 ml) mild liquid soap

Follow generic instructions above.

Lemon Sugar Scrub

1 tbsp (15 ml) cane sugar
1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 30 ml) lemon juice
Honey for paste consistency

Follow generic instructions above.

Rhonda Schuller is a rhetoric professor and professional writer with a special interest in healthy living.

Source: alive #256, February 2004