How to exfoliate your body

Why should you exfoliate your body?

Your skin is an incredible organ that constantly changes and regenerates itself, all while providing your internal organs with protection from the outside environment. The skin is composed of several layers, including the epidermis (the outermost layer of skin) and the dermis (the layer beneath).

New skin cells are continually pushing their way up from the lower dermis to the epidermis. As these cells become weathered by the environment, they create a new layer of dead skin cells called stratum corneum. Over time, these cells slowly break away from the epidermis and fall off, allowing newer cells to continue growing up from below – a process which takes roughly one month.

Regularly exfoliating your body helps to speed up the process of removing these dead cells. Why is this important? Because your moisturiser will absorb deeper into skin that’s free from flaky, dead skin cells. So for your body to look and feel its best, regular exfoliation should be top of your beauty list.

Using a body scrub for exfoliation?

An exfoliating body scrub is a beauty product used for exfoliating and hydrating skin. Body scrubs contain exfoliating granules – anything from Sea Salt or Sugar to Bamboo – which, when massaged onto the skin, gently removes dry cell particles. This process allows new, youthful skin to come to the surface, leaving you with a body that feels soft to the touch and super nourished.

Scrubs are great for gently removing toxins from the body and priming your skin for moisturiser, allowing serums and lotions to absorb deeply into the skin’s surface. So, if you’re looking for even, silky-smooth skin, adding a body scrub to your weekly routine will help you get there.

4 steps to exfoliate your body

Exfoliating your body should be a simple, relaxing process. Follow these five steps to see the best results.

Step 1: Run yourself a hot bath or start the shower

Hot water helps to open up your pores, ensuring your body is perfectly primed for exfoliation. You don’t need to get in just yet, but you’ll want the water ready for you once you’ve applied the exfoliating body scrub.

Step 2: Apply body exfoliator in small, circular motions

For the silkiest skin, apply exfoliator all over your body – use a hand mitt or body brush to improve circulation and invigorate your skin. Focus particularly on your knees, feet and elbows as the skin around these areas can be tougher, but be gentle as the skin is very delicate.

Step 3: Rinse with a bath or shower

Once you’ve exfoliated your skin from shoulders to toes, step into the shower to rinse. Wash away any leftover product with warm water and bask in the smoothness!

Step 4: Moisturise after exfoliating

Following exfoliation, you might like to use a body wash like Clarins Tonic Bath & Shower Concentrate to clean the skin. Some bath and shower gels can cause dryness, with humidity in the air sometimes worsening cracked or rough skin, so it’s important to follow up with a moisturiser.

The good news? Your skin is at its most absorbent when freshly exfoliated, so make sure to lather on the good stuff as soon as you’re done. For total luxury, let our Wonder Fig Body Lotion melt into your skin. With its heavenly, outdoor scent, this lotion will leave skin feeling silky soft to the touch.

What are the benefits of using a body scrub to exfoliate?

You’ll be glad to know there are countless benefits to exfoliating with a body scrub, but here are our favourite four:

Rejuvenated skin

Our body sheds dead skin cells on a regular basis. Gently removing these cells is essential for maintaining fresh, healthy skin. Adding exfoliation into your weekly routine will also work wonders for evening out your skin tone, as it banishes flaky skin cells that can cause discolouration and patches.

Increased moisture absorption

Freshly exfoliated skin is the perfect base for body moisturisers. The deep, cleansing nature of a body scrub means your skin absorbs moisturiser more easily, and is therefore more hydrated. So, make sure you always follow an exfoliating session with a moisturiser – your body will love you for it! Clarins’ replenishing Moisture-Rich Body Lotion – with natural extracts of Peach Milk, Shea and Orange Blossom – is the ideal choice. Your skin will soak up the goodness, be soft to touch and smell divine.

A peaceful mind

Exfoliating yourself from head to toe has soothing benefits for your mind, too. Practice mindfulness as you gently scrub, allowing yourself to be captivated by the sumptuous smells and divine textures. The experience can be an instant mood lifter, so take your time and get in tune with your body. After all, you’ve got to nourish to flourish.

Better hold for self tan

Our final favourite benefit? Self tan holds better to freshly exfoliated skin. So if you’re looking for a golden glow that echoes a lazy, sun-soaked weekend on the Côte d’Azur – you’ll want to bring out the body scrub before you get started. Wave goodbye to a patchy tan and say hello to a natural, even-looking glow and a holiday state of mind.

How often to exfoliate your body

To see the best results, exfoliate your skin with a body scrub two to three times a week. This will make sure that dead skin cells are removed on a regular basis, allowing new, younger ones to move up to the surface. As well as helping promote cell regeneration, exfoliating this regularly perfectly primes skin for the rest of your beauty routine.

When to exfoliate your body

The evening is the ideal time of day to exfoliate your body. This gives you a chance to remove any dirt that’s built up during the day, then you can follow up with a moisturiser before bed, allowing your skin to soak up all the goodness while your cells regenerate overnight. Say yes to waking up to velvety skin.

Next, find out how to exfoliate your face.