Words: Alex Woodhall
The skin on your face gets a pretty rough ride, taking beating from the elements as you go about your day. Whether it’s the pollution in the air, whipping wind or general gunk and grime, by the end of the day (or the next morning) you’ll want to give your face a good old clean.
A facial scrub is the unsung – and often forgotten – hero in our skincare routines. Commonly called an exfoliator, it’ll, among other things, remove the day’s dirt, prevent spots, clear up a complexion and wash away the flakes from dry skin. Essentially, it makes you look that little bit better and if you’re not using one by now, you’ll want to rectify that pretty quickly.
NORMAL SKIN
If you’re blessed with skin that is neither excessively oily, sensitive or dry (i.e. hit the complexion jackpot), then you’ve got a wide berth of products to choose from. You could do much worse than Ruffians’ daily scrub; it’s great value for money and promises to unblock pores, remove any excess oils whilst prepping your skin for a great shave. Being fragrance free it won’t mask your cologne, whilst making it suitable to use on sensitive skin also.
Ruffians Daily Facial Scrub, £9.95
On the other hand, if you’ve had a heavy night and need to all but pressure wash remnants of the night away, reach for the heavy-duty option. Baxter of California’s scrub will promote high-speed cell renewal, so you can start the day a little fresher – outwardly at least.
Baxter of California Exfoliating Facial Scrub, £17.00
OILY SKIN
If you’re skin has more than a bit of grease to it, don’t fret. Aesop has formulated a product, that’ll quickly eradicate those concerns. The blend of ingredients, including tea tree leaves, crushed nut shells and clays, will whip away the oil and grime without stripping the skin away, so it won’t overproduce oil again.
Aesop Tea Tree Leaf Facial Exfoliant, £27.00
SENSITIVE SKIN
If you’re skin often responds to products with a flushed look and burning sensation your first instinct may be to shun a scrub, but in fact it can help improve appearance and brush away the flakes for good – if you pick the right one. Full of natural goodness, this Malin + Goetz is all about the gentle, yet effective touch. You wont need to apply too much pressure to get the most out of it, the small polyethylene beads lift dead skin away, whilst it’s packed with calming and hydrating properties.
Malin + Goetz Jojoba Face Scrub, £28.00
DRY SKIN
If there’s more life in your iPhone’s battery than the skin on your face at the end of the day, you don’t want to risk damaging it any further, but you also need to wash away the gunk and lift its look. Clinique’s offering makes use of rounded granules to not scratch the skin but revive and smooth it for a fresher appearance.
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