How to Exfoliate Your Skin, Naturally
Kleen exfoliating soap (handmade in Kent) is vegan with no palm oil, and sold in zero waste packaging. It also has an integrated rope, to hang in the shower. So no need for a slatted soap dish.
Avoid essential oils for pregnancy/nursing and affected medical conditions. Avoid shea butter for latex allergies. Keep skin exfoliators away from pets (due to coffee grounds, citrus or cocoa butter).
The Two Types of Skin Exfoliators
As we age, our skin cells turn over less and less, and all dermatologists say that regular exfoliation is a good idea. This can be done in two ways:
Physical exfoliation can be as simple as using a facecloth or loofah (on your body). Or it can include made products like scrubs made with exfoliating ingredients from oats to coffee grains.
Chemical exfoliation is a bit more advanced. It likely has better results, but you have to be careful as some brands use a lot of chemicals. You’ll likely see these listed as AHA or retinol creams.
Exfoliating Natural Konjac Sponges
These exfoliating natural konjac sponges are the ideal alternative to nylon bath sponges, which leach microplastics into the sea, once rinsed.
Made from Japanese potato fibre, they are also vegan friendly (sea sponges are made from living creatures, cut away with knives by divers).
Sold in zero waste packaging, konjac sponges are gentle enough for all the family. Just rinse to activate a gentle sponge that can be used alone or with your favourite cleanser, then rinse. After a few months, just bin to naturally biodegrade, or cut up and compost.
One sponge should last 2 to 3 months, with normal use. Use the attached rope to hang it up to dry, in a well-ventilated area. Sold in a pack of 3 or 6, the colours correspond to added ingredients for different skin benefits:
- White (konjac root)
- Green (French clay)
- Black (bamboo charcoal)
- Orange (turmeric)
- Red (red clay)
- Purple (lavender)
A Natural Loofah (to exfoliate skin)
This natural loofah is made from plant-based materials (as opposed to sea sponges, which are living creatures cut away with knives from the sea bed by divers). Designed to last for years, just wet and use with your favourite soap or shower gel, to buff away dry rough skin.
It’s important to leave loofahs to dry in an airy place, to prevent mould.
The loofah is dry and stiff, and softens when you wet it. Just be sure to store it in a dry area with circulating air, to prevent mould after use.
Use up to three times a week. Hang up to dry, then it naturally biodegrades at end of use, around 3 months.
Loofahs are actually a kind of Egyptian cucumber, and when wet, they become nature’s own exfoliator. When young, they are eaten. It’s when they are dried that they become loofah sponges.
Look in zero waste stores for other types of loofahs, which are often used as dishwashing sponges and cleaning sponges too!
Natural Loofah Body Scrubs
These natural loofah body scrubs (use code ENGLANDNAT10 for 10% discount) are made from a biodegradable plant (related to cucumber) that is ideal to exfoliate skin without chemicals or plastic.
Before first use, soak for a few minutes until the sponge becomes soft.
After three to four months of use, just cut up and compost or bin to naturally biodegrade. The loofahs are blended with leftover organic cotton made for other products.
These loofahs are handmade alongside an organisation that helps support Burmese refugees on the Thai-Myanmor border, so your purchase makes an impact beyond the bathroom.
SBTRCT: Solid Willow Bark Facial Exfoliator
SBTRCT Exfoliating Cleanser is a zero waste bar sold in sustainable packaging, made with natural ingredients. Created by the former execute of Bulldog Skincare, he decided to create his own zero waste vegan beauty brand, which has fabulous reviews.
This is made with willow bark (a gentler alternative to salicylic acid) and upcycled rice powder, to lift away dead skin cells and decongest pores. Buy the starter kit, then just refills after.
Avoid essential oils for pregnancy/nursing and affected medical conditions. Avoid shea butter for latex allergies. Keep skin exfoliators away from pets (due to coffee grounds, citrus or cocoa butter).
Blackberry & Honeysuckle Skin Scrub
This blackberry & honeysuckle sugar scrub is a vegan (no palm oil) beauty basic, sold in a zero waste glass jar. Ideal to exfoliate dead rough skin, the scents remind you of an English hedgerow. Contains almonds.
Made with antioxidants-rich blackberry fruit powder, along with coconut extract, mango butter and vitamin E.
Crafted by hand with real sugar, everything is made from scratch with only natural exfoliants (no plastic microbeads to wash down drains and harm our marine friends). This scrub cleanses, exfoliates and moisturises dry skin, and also washes off easily, to leave skin soft and smooth.
