How To Remove Dead Skin Naturally?

No matter what your skin type is, it is important to exfoliate the top dead layer of skin cells on a regular basis. Exfoliation will keep your skin soft and your pores clean. It will prevent any acne, blackheads, and whiteheads from cropping up too. There are many natural ways to do this in the comforts of your home. Read on to know more about it!

One of the best things you can do to keep your skin looking fresh and glowing is to make exfoliation a regular part of your beauty regime. You may think that the CTM (cleansing, toning, and moisturizing) routine is enough to get a flawless skin. True! But in addition to that, exfoliating your skin is also important, and this applies not only to your face but also to your body. This is how exfoliation helps!

Why Exfoliate?

To understand this, you need to know why exfoliation is essential for a healthy looking skin.

Human skin is constantly regenerating itself. Old cells on the top layer of the skin die and are replaced by new cells that form in the lower layers, which is known as the dermis. As we age, however, our skin’s natural regenerative powers deteriorate. Exfoliation is the process by which we can help our skin’s regeneration process by removing dead skin cells and making way for new ones.

In the exfoliation process, we use products which help us remove the old skin and reveal the new skin underneath. There are, primarily, two ways by which we can exfoliate our skin – physical and chemical exfoliation. Physical exfoliation involves the usage of scrubs, whereas chemical exfoliation uses products that contain enzymes which can help dislodge the dead cells from the skin by their chemical action.

No matter which process of exfoliation you opt for, it will leave your skin refreshed and rejuvenated. Here are some exfoliation remedies that you can make at home and slough off that unwanted dead skin. You no longer have to make a trip to a spa for a fresh looking, happy skin.

How To Exfoliate Dead Skin At Home

1. Brown Sugar
2. Baking Soda
3. Sugar And Honey
4. Epsom Salt
5. Apple Cider Vinegar
6. Toothbrush
7. Coffee Grounds
8. Olive Oil
9. Pumice Stone
10. Oatmeal

How To Remove Dead Skin From The Face And Body

1. Brown Sugar

You Will Need

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon almond oil OR coconut oil

What You Have To Do

1. Mix the oil with sugar.
2. Apply this on the skin and scrub in a circular motion for a few minutes.
3. Leave it on for another five minutes before rinsing it off with lukewarm water.

Increase the quantities of the ingredients to use this on your body.

How Often You Should Do This

Repeat this once or twice a week.

Why This Works

Raw sugar works best to exfoliate the dead skin on the face and the body, as its texture is coarser and it can remove the dead skin cells with the friction it generates when scrubbed on the skin. The scrubbing action also improves circulation and makes your skin more supple and soft (1).

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2. Baking Soda

You Will Need

• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 vitamin E capsule
• Water

What You Have To Do

1. Prick open the vitamin E capsule and add the oil present inside to the baking soda.
2. Add a few drops of water to this and mix everything to get a paste with medium consistency.
3. Apply this on damp face and scrub in circular motions for 2-3 minutes.
4. Rinse it off with water.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this once every week.

Why This Works

The fine baking soda granules can easily remove the dead skin cells from your facial skin. Its alkalinity will help to dislodge the skin cells so that they can be easily shed off. Baking soda also restores your skin’s pH balance (2, 3). This can also be used to exfoliate dead skin from the lips.

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3. Sugar And Honey

You Will Need

• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon raw honey

What You Have To Do

1. Mix the honey and sugar.
2. Scrub your skin with this for a few minutes and then rinse it off.

How Often You Should Do This

Use this simple scrub 1-2 times a week.

Why This Works

Both brown and white forms of sugar can help to exfoliate the skin. The honey in this mixture will help to moisturize your skin and also reverse the oxidative damage (4). Use this remedy to exfoliate dead skin cells on the arms and even other parts of the body.

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4. Epsom Salt

You Will Need

• 1 cup Epsom salt
• 1 cup coconut oil
• 10-12 drops lavender oil (optional)

What You Have To Do

1. Combine the salt with the coconut oil and essential oil.
2. Transfer this to an air-tight glass container.
3. Use as much scrub as required for your entire body. Scrub gently for 2-3 minutes.
4. Wash everything off using tepid water.

How Often You Should Do This

Use this scrub once a week to exfoliate the dead skin on the body.

Why This Works

The salt granules remove the dead skin when scrubbed gently on the skin. Epsom salt is also a wonderful detoxifying and pH balancing agent (5).

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5. Apple Cider Vinegar

You Will Need

• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon water
• Cotton ball

What You Have To Do

1. Dilute the ACV with water and use the cotton ball to apply this on the face.
2. Leave it on for 10-15 minutes and then rinse it off using cool water.

To exfoliate dead skin on your feet, add half a cup of ACV to a tub filled with some water and soak your feet in this for 10-12 minutes.

How Often You Should Do This

Repeat this once a week.

Why This Works

The acids present in ACV, such as acetic, lactic, and malic acid, dissolve the dead skin cells and these can be easily washed off with water (6). Diluted ACV can also be used to exfoliate dead skin on the scalp.

Caution

Do not use this remedy if you have sensitive skin as the vinegar can sting.

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6. Toothbrush

You Will Need

• Lip balm
• Toothbrush

What You Have To Do

1. Apply a hydrating lip balm on your lips and let it sit for 15-20 minutes.
2. Now, take a toothbrush and gently rub it in circular motions on your lips.
3. Rinse off the dead, flaky skin with plain water.

How Often You Should Do This

Use this remedy twice a week.

Why This Works

This is one of the easiest remedies to exfoliate the lips. The lip balm softens the dead skin present on the lips’ surface. The bristles of the toothbrush can help dislodge this and give you smooth and plump lips.

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7. Coffee Grounds

You Will Need

• 2-3 tablespoons coffee grounds
• 1 tablespoon olive oil OR coconut oil
• Water

What You Have To Do

1. Add the oil to the coffee grounds and mix them.
2. Add some water to get a thick, grainy paste.
3. Scrub the skin with this using gentle, circular motions. Alternate the circular movement with upward (towards the top of your head) movements.
4. Keep scrubbing for 3-4 minutes.
5. Wash off the scrub with water.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this coffee ground exfoliation once every week.

Why This Works

Exfoliate the dead skin on your legs with this and see them shine with hydration. This scrub can also be used on the face but very gentle scrubbing movements should be used. Like the other scrubs, the coarseness of the coffee grounds removes dead skin cells. Coffee contains caffeine which awakens the skin by improving circulation. Use this scrub on your thighs, buttocks, and tummy to get rid of cellulite too. Caffeine prevents the accumulation of fat beneath the skin – a wonderful additional benefit (7)!

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8. Olive Oil

You Will Need

• 2-3 olive pits
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

What You Have To Do

1. Grind the olive pits and add olive oil to them.
2. Scrub your skin using this.
3. Rinse the excess oil off with a mild cleanser.

How Often You Should Do This

Repeat this once every 4-5 days.

Why This Works

While the ground pits exfoliate your skin, olive oil will nourish with a wonderful combination of fatty acids and essential nutrients (8).

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9. Pumice Stone

You Will Need

• Water
• A tub
• Pumice stone

What You Have To Do

1. Soak your feet in water for 10 minutes.
2. Gently scrub off the dead skin cells present under the foot.
3. Wash all the debris off with water.
4. Wipe your feet dry and apply a moisturizer.

How Often You Should Do This

Repeat this as and when required.

Why This Works

To remove dead skin from the skin, that pumice stone lying in your bathroom is all you need. Once the dead skin has softened because of soaking in the water, it can be easily scrubbed off.

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10. Oatmeal

You Will Need

• 2 teaspoons ground oatmeal
• Water

What You Have To Do

1. Make a paste and apply on the face.
2. Gently rub in circular motions for a few minutes and then rinse your face.

This can be used on the rest of the body as well.

How Often You Should Do This

Repeat this once or twice a week.

Why This Works

Oatmeal is an excellent choice for a homemade exfoliator, especially for the face. It softens the dead skin so that it can be gotten rid of easily. It also moisturizes the skin and reduces any inflammations that may be present (9). Use this to exfoliate the skin before shaving to make the process smoother and faster.

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The last step to follow after exfoliating your skin is to moisturize the skin. Follow all the remedies mentioned above with a moisturizer matching your skin type. This will ensure that your skin remains hydrated and healthy.

Some tips to keep in mind during exfoliation

Tips To Remember

• Always be gentle on your skin, taking care not to strip your skin of the natural oils and lipids.
• Always choose gentle scrubs.
• Fix a proper skin care routine.
• Do not exfoliate daily.
• The frequency of exfoliation should be determined by your skin type and needs.
• Dry skin and mature skin should be exfoliated not more than twice a week and products used should be moisturizing. An oil-based scrub would be the best.
• Oily skin and combination skin can be exfoliated thrice a week, but no more than that.
• Normal skin can be exfoliated twice a week or as necessary.
• When exfoliating, use a gentle hand and circular and/or upward motions which work best. Such movements will keep your skin firm in the long run.

Now that you know how to exfoliate dead skin at home, what are you waiting for? These simple steps will ensure your skin is healthy, soft, and glowing too. It just takes a few minutes, so give your skin that time and see the difference. Refrain from buying expensive exfoliating products from the market that contain harmful chemicals. These remedies are more than sufficient to get the same results and are also safer.

Hope you will definitely include this step in your skin care regimen so as to achieve the beautiful skin forever. Feel free to share your experiences with us below!

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