#micro beads

So, in the last post I covered how to moisturise your skin properly to protect against the dryness winter often brings. In this post, I’ll be focusing on another essential technique to keep that glow going - exfoliation. 

1. Choosing which method suits you - physical vs chemical 

Like moisturisers, there are a multitude of different formulas to exfoliate your skin. The main decision is picking whether you want to use a physical exfoliator or a chemical one. 

Physical exfoliators usually contain jojoba beads, rice or any other natural ingredient that’s slightly gritty to slough off dead skin cells. Chemical exfoliators include lactic or glycolic acid to achieve better skin texture and tone by dissolving these cells. Those with dry skin might think that physical exfoliators are too harsh for them, meanwhile those with super sensitive skin might be wary of chemical exfoliators due to their strength. 

Generally, a gentle physical exfoliator is useful for normal to combination skin types, whereas chemical exfoliators are good for oilier or drier skin types.

2. Check the ingredients/concentrations are right for you 

There are a few things to bear in mind when choosing an exfoliator. When looking at a physical exfoliator, please avoid any scrub containing walnut shells, apricot pits or micro-beads. Walnut shells and apricot pits are too abrasive for the skin, meanwhile micro-beads are damaging to the environment.

With regards to chemical exfoliators, make sure the strength of the formula is right for your skin type. If you’re opting for a product containing glycolic acid, make sure to start with a low percentage (around 5%) before moving onto a stronger solution. If you want to use a lactic acid product, around 10% percentage should be fine unless you have easily irritated skin. For super sensitive skin, mandelic acid is a weaker option to try. 

3. Recommendations! 

The Ordinary’s Lactic Acid 10%

Superdrug’s Naturally Radiant Glycolic Tonic 5%

Sukin’s Oil-Balancing + Charcoal Pore Refining Facial Scrub

Facetheory’s Glycolic Exfoliating Cleanser/Face Scrub 

Beads, beads, beads…

Big Bang bowl

ALTOIDS beaded box

Altoids box with micro beads

Tree of life motif in micro beads on top of vintage tin

The federal government says it will ban the sale of shower gels, toothpaste and facial scrubs containing plastic microbeads, effective July 1, 2018.

A notice published Friday in the Canada Gazette serves as final notice on the long-running environmental complaint, and it sets Canada on a timetable that follows the U.S. for removing the tiny pollutant from Canadian waters.

Microbeads found in natural health products and non-prescription drugs will be prohibited a year later, on July 1, 2019.

Environment Canada began studying the impacts of plastic microbeads on wildlife and the environment under the previous Conservative government in March 2015. The beads were officially declared toxic in June of this year.

The tiny pieces of plastic, less than five millimetres in size, are used as exfoliants and cleansers in toiletries but do not dissolve. They then find their way into oceans, lakes and rivers where the beads are ingested by a variety of organisms.