How To Exfoliate Your Skin
Exfoliation....what exactly is it? You've likely seen the term "exfoliation" and you may not know what it really means for you. Exfoliation is the process of removing dead skin cells from your skin using a chemical or physical substance or maybe an exfoliation tool. Chemicals might be gentle/natural acids or not (some can literally burn your skin). Physical substances (i.e. things that scrub) can include crystals, seeds, nut shells and more. Tools include loofah, pumice, brushes and more. If you have sensitive skin, physical exfoliation might be too much for you so try out a gentle, liquid exfoliant.
Your skin does shed the dead cells on its own, but it doesn't always do a great job, which is why it might need a little help.
Most products you'll see either on your local store shelves or when searching "exfoliation" are likely physical exfoliants. As teenagers, many of us probably used a pretty famous apricot scrub made with walnut shells and other physical granules. While these types of exfoliants might work for some people, most skin will experience damage from a product like this, namely due to the uneven-ness of the granules. If you are going to use granules, it is critical that they are perfectly round to minimize skin damage. Many products used to use micro-beads, which are tiny pieces of plastic created to scrub your skin. Fortunately, most companies have stopped using micro-beads as it was found that they are highly contaminating local waterways and wreaking havoc on ecological systems so the FDA prohibits them now. These are likely not available but always check to be sure.
As an esthetician, Honua founder Kapua Browning started to see lots of scarring or micro-tears in skin, due to harsh physical exfoliation. She realized chemical exfoliation was too harsh for most people to do at all, let alone on a regular basis or at home. However, exfoliation does have benefits and she wanted to develop a way to rid dead skin cells, safely. Enter Hawaiian Beauty Water, one of her first creations. Hawaiian Beauty Water uses natural AHA* acids in papaya enzymes and BHA* acids in willow bark combined with witch hazel for toning and hibiscus for tightening and firming. Hawaiian sugar cane locks in moisture and further tones.
Our Ohana call this "The Glow Potion". We recommend using a cotton pad (we love reusable) and gently swiping all over skin, in various directions to grab all of those dead skin cells. No need to rinse - in fact, don't! Follow with Aloha Youth Serum to lock in hydration.
If you are looking for something more physical, we recommend our detoxifying 'Āina Mask. You can leave on skin or massage gently all over face and rinse clean. Using charcoal, witch hazel and Hawaiian chili pepper, skin is stimulated with deep pore cleansing ingredients without harsh scrubbing of skin.