Spin off: Best exfoliating creams for face?

I'll list my personal favorites. I like to switch my skin care products up rather than using the same product over and over again, so I have tried quite a few.

Murad has good products. Their AHA/BHA exfoliating cleanser is really good too. The good thing is that you can use it daily and not have irritated skin. Pharmacies sell this, which is also a good sign. Boscia smoothing facial polish is another gentle product that leaves your skin looking soft and smooth. Biore Pore Unclogging scrub is great for people prone to pimples. Again, it isn't too harsh. It is also very cheap. If you want to splurge, you could try Bobbi Brown buffing grains for the face. They are expensive and meant to be used less often, once a week or so, and this product is more rigorous if you like.

I like all of these, depending on what mood strikes me :).

For sensitive skin, I'd really recommend chemical exfoliants instead of physical ones. Alpha hydroxy acid is a case in point. They help you avoid acne and keep your skin looking fresh at the same time, without all that scrubbing. All you need to do is start off slowly, because too much can cause overload and bad reactions.

The one other thing that made a real difference to my skin was adding more fruit to my diet. Yes, I got a bad-ass juicer and committed to making a good juice every single day. At first it's a hassle, later it settles into your routine. Vitamin C serums are good, Vitamin C from the inside is even better.

So, something I came across the other day and am pretty interested in is Origins Modern Friction Instant Brightening Pads. That's pads, as the name already gives away, that exfoliate and brighten your skin right away. I like the thought of them 'cause they seem low fuss and I like it that way. Haven't tried it yet but I'm really pretty interested in that. 

For now, I'm using Soap & Glory The Greatest Scrub Of All. This is like £7 and I really quite like it... it comes with salicylic acid which of course helps brighten your skin and is a natural exfoliator as well as them beads that exfoliate your skin. There's a handy tube that looks neat. I notice that my blackheads got better since using this so yeah, I'm pretty chuffed and it's great if you're on a budget.

I don't exfoliate right now, but I have done it in the past. What I used is some tube of peach scrub with ground peach pips. It was quite nice, but my face was a little sore afterwards. Maybe I overdid it a little? Anyway, I am 53 and my skin is quite soft naturally. I don't find that I really need any of these products. Perhaps it goes counter to what everyone recommends, but hey, why ruin a good thing you already have going, I wonder? Is exfoliating really necessary? I don't think so, not for me, but it depends on your skin type I suppose. I saw that they try to tempt you with these rotating soft brushes that you put stuff onto but I don't really see the benefit myself. I'll add that I look young for my age so I must be doing something right, or maybe it is just genetic?

Thanks for sharing your product recommendations! I can see why you would like to use those pads. Who doesn't like a product that is easy to use and hassle free? I've heard about Soap and Glory before too. That's like $10, right? That sounds really goood. How often do you use this? Three times a week, or more or less frequently? What do you use after exfoliating your skin?

That is interesting! I suppose that part of this is what your skin gets used to in the long run. If you exfoliate regularly, your skin comes to depend on you doing exactly that, whereas if you have never done it, your skin learns to do without. You are pretty lucky to look young despite not doing much in the way of skincare. If everyone was like you, cosmetics companies would go out of business pretty quickly I think!

You actually do need to take your skin type into account when picking a facial scrub.

Oily skin types do best with a physical exfoliator. You don't need really huge and abrasive beads or anything, but light beads that you can control by how much pressure you put when you massage it really helps you.

If you have dry skin then you need some scrub that exfoliates and moisturizers at the same time. Oil beads are good for this skin type, and a scrub with honey inside is really good for you as well.

For acne skin, you are best off with chemical exfoliators that gently scrub your skin and improve cell turnover without doing damage to skin that is already undergoing problems. You are well off with salicylic or lactic acid products if this is your skin type.

As long as you keep it in mind, you will be able to pick the right scrub for your face. For combination skin they can use a combination of recommendations for dry and oily skin, depending on the area of your face.