Salt vs. Sugar: Choosing the Right Scrub for Your Skin

Have you ever stood in front of a wall of beauty products and wondered exactly which ones will help you achieve the smooth, soft, luminous skin that they all promise?  If so, you are certainly not alone.  It is nothing short of overwhelming to find yourself confronted with a ton of products, without understanding which ones will work to your own specific needs and produce the results you desire.  Fortunately, there is a place to start–with choosing the right scrub for your skin.

Salt vs. Sugar

Dead and dehydrated cells cannot give one the beautiful skin they desire, which is why we must exfoliate regularly.  However, not all exfoliants are beneficial, and some can even do more harm than help.  Salt and sugar scrubs are generally acknowledged to be the best choices because they can both dissolve naturally during use.  But which one is right for you?

Sugar scrubs are usually less abrasive than salt scrubs, which can make them better suited to use on the more sensitive skin on the face.  Sugar scrubs also tend to dissolve much more quickly in water, which makes them milder than salt scrubs.  Brown sugar can be mixed with water-based cleansers or moisturizers to create homemade scrubs that smell incredible and are far cheaper than store-bought options.  Unrefined cane sugar contains calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium–nutrients that replenish your skin.  However, unrefined sugar is scratchy enough that you may want to use it only on your body, while you use finer table sugar on your face.

Salt scrubs made with sea salt are great exfoliants in dry areas of the body like the feet, elbows, knuckles and legs.  Sea salt is wonderful at drawing toxins out of the body and reducing inflammation in sore muscles, and sea salt can be mixed with oil-based cleansers or moisturizers to create a deep-cleansing scrub.  A few drops of an essential oil can further heighten the experience.  Epsom salts are also well-known for their detoxifying powers, though these work best when dissolved in the bathtub rather than when scrubbed onto the skin.

Some sugar scrubs can be used two or even three times per week to exfoliate the skin, but the more abrasive salt scrubs should only be used once per week.  While regular, gentle exfoliation is helpful in keeping your skin clean and fresh, over-exfoliation can lead to irritation and inflammation.  Be gentle, and enjoy the wonderful results!

Love,

Gen