Exfoliating Your Body: Head to Toe

We all know we need to exfoliate the dead skin cells off of our body, but not all areas of your body should be treated the same. Your face can not be exfoliated with the same product as your feet, and vice-versa. Here we break down the body into 6 parts and talk about what is needed to exfoliate each area of your body.

1. Exfoliating Your Scalp

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If you have dry scalp or dandruff, exfoliating your scalp can help minimize the embarrassing flakes. Even if you are on top of exfoliating your body, you might not have ever thought about your scalp, even if you do have some dry skin issues going on up there.

And don't be embarrassed about dry scalp; your scalp is just an extension of your skin. We all have dry scalp issues from time to time and dry scalp is not dandruff, just dead skin cells. Exfoliating your scalp is as easy as rubbing Epsom salts onto your scalp a couple times a week.

2. Exfoliating Your Face

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When it comes to your face, exfoliating is key to good skin, no matter your skin type. If you have dry skin, exfoliating helps get rid of the flaky dry skin and in doing so, helps the anti-aging products work better because they do not have to work their way through dead skin cells. If you have oily skin or combination skin, exfoliating helps reduce the lifespan of breakouts by breaking through the dead skin cells which can cause buildup and acne and bringing fresh new skin to the surface.

You should exfoliate your skin two to three times a week at most using a facial exfoliator or even a simple washcloth will do the trick. And if you're in the pampering mood, you can always whip up your ownamazing facial scrub in your kitchen.

3. Exfoliating Your Lips

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If you're constantly finding your lipstick flaking off or you just can't seem to keep your lips from peeling, there's one way to get those kissable lips back in order - exfoliating! (Step-by-step instructions)

There are products you can buy or you can simply use a soft toothbrush with some vaseline on it to gently scrub your lips. Gentle is key on those sensitive lips. One added bonus from exfoliating is the natural color that will show from stimulating the blood flow to your lips.

Like every area of your body, make sure to properly moisturize your lips after you exfoliate.

4. Exfoliating Your Hands

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If there is one anti-aging tip you take away from this site it would be that your hands (and your chest!) won't keep your age a secret if you don't start treating them like your face. You can use all the anti-aging products you want on your face, but if you don't include your hands and chest, you won't be fooling anyone. (5 Top Tips for Younger Looking Hands.)

Exfoliate your hands just as you would your body, a few times a week. You can do this in the shower with your body scrub or you can use ahand scrub and keep it at your sink for a bit of pampering.

5. Exfoliating Your Body

Exfoliating your body is a must. Your body sheds dead skin cells at an alarming rate and simply washing your body with soap doesn't even make a dent in the removal of dead skin cells. (Dust much? See how much of the dust in your home is dead skin cells.)

Because most of your body isn't as thin as the skin on your face, you can have some fun when it comes to exfoliating your body. You can use the dry brush method, buy a fun body scrub or make your own.(Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Scrub Recipe). Or, if you are looking for something easy and budget friendly, a palm full of sugar mixed with your body wash makes a perfect body scrub.

Exfoliate your entire body, but concentrate longer on areas such as your knees and elbows which are prone to dry skin.

6. Exfoliating Your Feet

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Exfoliating your feet is a must-do job! Your feet take a beating each and every day and they deserve to be pampered. Exfoliate them by giving yourself an at-home pedicure or simply do it in the shower with your body scrub.

Because your feet are harder to exfoliate than your body, you can use a scrub on them 3 to 4 times a week or more depending on your results. You will get best results if you soak them for 15 minutes in Epsom Saltsor another foot soak. To exfoliate, try our favorite foot scrub or make one of your own.

The most important thing to remember is to apply a thick, hydrating foot cream, such as Curel's Deep Penetrating Foot Cream (read review) to your feet after exfoliating.

Link  http://skincare.about.com/od/skin101/tp/Exfoliating-Your-Body-Head-To-Toe.htm