Ulitmate Exfoliation Routine: Creating an all over Glow

In our quest to create the ultimate circulation/exfoliation routine we first learned the importance of promoting adequate blood flow to feed and nourish the skin.  Once we have this in process, we now turn our attention to physical exfoliation of our bodies with the intention of creating soft, smooth, even toned, glowing skin all over.

With exfoliating our bodies, I personally believe that a daily practice will reap the highest benefits.  I came to this understanding after I began to practice this myself.  Years ago, I had this terrible issue with random occasional breakouts on my chest and back.  Those left long lasting scars that made it awkward to wear tank tops and such.  Regular exfoliation, I believe, is the greatest weapon I used to diminish the scars.

When I first began exfoliating in the shower, was amazed at the benefits.  There's no comparison between washing normally with just soap when I use a coarse towel.  Last summer was when I got really serious about create a smooth, even toned body.   Using either a commercial scrub or sea salt, I would exfoliate my body, rinse, then exfoliate again, rinse again then do it one additional time....in one session.  After doing this for a few times I decided to try another technique.  This time I would apply my exfoliant then scrub that area vigorously while counting my strokes until I reached a pre-determined number.  I do this more intensely in my thigh area to promote blood flow and muscle tone.  The results were pretty substantial.  Now that the weather is warming up, I'm ready to get back into the swing of things.

Here are the tools I'll be utilizing to create that all over glow.

Body brush||
Up until recently, I only exfoliated in the shower using a scrub or exfoliating cloth.  But now that my focus has become both circulation and exfoliation, I've been putting my body brush to use.  Using the brush helps promote blood flow, detoxification and helps keep my skin toned and firm.  Since I'm not privy to daily massages, brushing my skin feels like the next best thing.
 

Japanese Salux Cloth||
I just started using these cloths recently and I'm head over heels in love.  The coarseness of the texture takes a little getting used to but, believe me, this simple cloth is worth it's weight in gold. The size of the cloth allows me to easily scrub the hard to reach areas (like my back).  I recommend all of you get your hands on these cloths and experience the difference. 
 

Salt Scrub||
When I first began a regular routine of exfoliating my body, I began with coarse sea salt. This is probably the most abrasive method I've used but it worked for me because, honestly, I neglected to care for the skin on my body for so long.  Sea salt is inexpensive and does it's job.  Some say that salt also has therapeutic properties as well. If you're looking for an exfoliator for your feet, I recommend sea salt as a starting point.

Tree Hut Sugar Scrub||
After being consistent with my salt scrubs, I decided to transition to a sugar scrub to maintain the glow.  I've tried a few brands and I have to say the Tree Hut is by far my favorite brand.  The ingredients are pretty decent.  It has just the right amount of sugar-to-oil ratio.  In the past, I've found some products that had to much oil or the sugar dissolved too quickly.  For me this brand is just perfect.  Love, love, love it!

Foot Scrub||
I'll never forget it. I visited a nail salon for a pedicure. When the guy felt the bottom of my feet, and decided that he didn't need to use the skin shaving tool on my heals, I was elated.  Both women on either side of me had their feet shaved.  It was my first professional pedicure in at least 8 months.  That's when I took time and reflected back to my daily practice of scrubbing my feet in the shower.  A year prior I found a local nail supply store and bought a bunch buffing pads.  I placed on in my shower, committed to using it daily, and the rest is history. 

If you are ready to kick off your exfoliation routine, remember that our skin requires daily exfoliation.  We're constantly producing new skin cells.  Throughout the day, sweat, dirt and toxins are pushed the skin's surface.  If we're not intentional in removing this waste, it builds up creating dull, lackluster skin.  The physical act of scrubbing that area allows blood to flow to that area and if you remember from our last post, increased blood flow a key to vibrant health.