These skin exfoliators are all made from natural ingredients in zero waste packaging. Paper Plane Solid Sugar Scrub Bar is made in Rutland (England’s smallest county). It features lavender and ylang ylang for a floral hint.
Avoid essential oils for pregnancy/nursing and medical conditions like epilepsy and asthma. Also avoid rosemary and citrus oils for high blood pressure. Avoid shea butter for latex allergies.
So what is exfoliation, and do we really need to do it? After all, animals don’t need to buy skin exfoliators, so why do we? Dermatologists say that as we get older, not exfoliating the skin leads to patchy and flaky skin, clogged pores and blemishes. Exfoliation also helps to generate new skin cells and helps to repair damage from the sun and hormonal changes (like age spots). Chemical exfoliants like retinol and AHA (often from sugarcane, or plant enzymes like papaya and pineapple) work deeper within the skin than physical exfoliations, dissolving skin cells, but can make the skin irritated for sensitive skin. Most dermatologists recommend exfoliation a few times a week. Others say a retinoid is the best way to smooth the skin, and often you then don’t need an exfoliator. Others say our skin cells regenerate naturally every 28 days or so anyway, so there’s no need to bother, as long as you make sure to cleanse properly and use a weekly clay mask.
This exfoliating shower mitt is ideal to just use with soap. Handmade in England with ethically sourced cotton, this heavyweight shower glove works with your chosen soap. If you are looking for a natural exfoliator in the store, always look for ones that use natural ingredients made from ground nuts or fruits. Or if you want pure simplicity, just use an exfoliating mitt like this one, with standard vegan palm-oil free soap.
Natural Wake Up Call Coffee Scrub is a natural exfoliator for the face and body. Start your day with a hit of caffeine. This scrub is packed with real Fair Trade coffee grounds, for natural and invigorating exfoliation.
Rose Clay Exfoliating Face Polish is gentle and suitable for all skin types. It’s sold as a dry powder in a zero waste tin. Made in Scotland, it features organic rice and oat flour, clays, rose petals and rose absolute with rose geranium oil. The active ingredients gently cleanse the pores and exfoliate the face, to reveal fresh smooth skin. To use, just mix a little powder with water for a fresh scrub. The more water you add, the gentler the scrub. Also as Lime & Coconut Face Scrub.
This sea salt body scrub is an ideal alternative to toxic plastic bath beads. Made with organic refined coconut oil and mineral-rich hand-harvested sea salt, it’s stored in British made glass jars with metal lids. Use as a body exfoliant, bath soak and rich moisturiser. Containing essential oils, choose from the following scents (avoid the Naked version as it contains rosewood from an unsustainable tree):
- Body (cypress, juniper, lavender, cedarwood)
- Nuit (bergamot, ginger, palma rosa, sandalwood)
- Be (mandarin, cardamom, ylang ylang, cedarwood)
The labels are biodegradable and compostable. To remove, just soak off with warm water and add to your compost bin. Each sale benefits the Marine Conservation Society and Surfers Against Sewage, to help protect our oceans from plastic pollution.
This grapefruit & sea kelp exfoliating soap bar is made with plant-based ingredients and free from palm oil, packaged in recycled kraft paper. It’s scented with real essential oils (avoid aromatherapy oils for pregnancy/nursing (Tisserand says that grapefruit oil should be fine if one medication unlike with the food, but check with your doctor, to be safe). It’s also best to avoid seaweed for thyroid and iodine issues.
This bar is ideal for your morning shower, as it gently buffs away dead skin cells, with biodegradable ingredients that safely wash away down the plughole. Sea kelp is rich in antioxidants, to protect skin and lock in moisture. Seaweed is soothing to skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.
Real handmade soap won’t dry your skin out, as the natural moisturising glycerin is left in, rather than being removed and sold to industry, as happens with most commercial soaps. Try using handmade soap (and nothing else) on your skin for a month, and see the difference. It’s recommended to keep handmade soaps on a slatted soap dish, as they are very moisturising and will go all squishy, if you don’t!
