When it comes to exfoliation, there is nothing complicated about it. Whether you exfoliate your body or face, it is a simple process. You just need to find the best exfoliator that suits your needs.
Why do you need to know how to exfoliate legs? Well, it is one of the most important aspects of your skin care routine.
Exfoliation helps prevent ingrown hair, get rid of ingrown hair, ensure you have silky and smooth skin, and more.
Depending on the area you want to exfoliate, there are different exfoliators.
For the legs, for example, you can use gloves, scrubs, or chemical exfoliators.
For the face, a cleansing brush is the best you can get, and for the back, the good back scrubber is the way to go.
Benefits of exfoliation
The most important benefit of exfoliation is preventing ingrown hair. Anytime you are looking for hair removal for ingrown hairs, try exfoliation. But there is much more you can get from exfoliation.
Exfoliation helps you remove dead skin cells from the surface of the skin, but also dirt, grime, and excess oil. Any impurities on your skin can be removed with exfoliation.
And if you want better results with your waxing, shaving, and depilatory hair removal methods, exfoliation is the best way to prepare the skin.
Last, but not least, exfoliation will help you brighten skin complexion, and improve the moisture if you have dry legs.
Types of exfoliators for legs
There are three different ways for how to exfoliate legs. You can use exfoliating gloves, body scrubs, or chemical exfoliators. Let’s discuss each of these three.
Exfoliating glove
For many women, the an exfoliating glove is the best solution. Why? Because they are affordable and long-lasting.
Gloves do not wear out easily, and they can take the wear and tear of daily usage.
The best part about an exfoliating glove is that it is not harsh to the skin. And you need just one minute before and after a shower to get the job done.
One pair of gloves can last up to a couple of months, and that is money well spent. You can use before going out, and after a shower.
Moisturize immediately after exfoliating with Argan oil, coconut oil, or any other oil that is easily absorbed by the skin.
Body scrubs
Body scrubs are safe to use, and they are designed for specific skin types. Even if you have sensitive skin, you can use them. Just find body scrub for sensitive skin.
If you get the right exfoliation scrub, it will work like a charm.
And you can make them at home, but more on that later. The simplest DIY body scrub is adding salt to your shower gel, or making a combination of salt and oil.
If you do not feel like putting some effort into making DIY body scrubs, you can always buy one.
They are not expensive and work great at removing dead skin cells. Most of them contain vitamin C for extra refreshment and healing of marks and blemishes. The result will often be silky smooth legs.
Chemical exfoliators
If you have sensitive skin or are prone to skin allergies and rashes, you might need to stay away from chemical exfoliators.
The reason they are called like that is that they contain chemicals in the formula. Usually, that is alpha hydroxyl acids or salicylic acid.
These ingredients are potent and powerful and used by people who have serious problems with ingrown hair.
When the ingrown hairs cannot be removed by a glove or a scrub, you need to turn to chemical exfoliators.
After application, the targeted area of the body will peel. And because of the intensive peel, even the worst ingrown hair will come out to the surface.
Most of these exfoliators are safe to use two times per day for maximum benefit.
After usage, make sure to moisturize the skin, as the exfoliators can be quite drying. Each product comes with its own set of instructions, so there is no one universal rule for how to exfoliate legs with a chemical exfoliator.
DIY Exfoliating solution
We said before that there are many DIY exfoliation recipes out there. We want to give you our favorite recipe, along with a guide to exfoliate your legs.
Ingredients include:
- ½ cup of oil, you can use anything from baby oil, coconut oil, olive oil, and more
- 3 tablespoons of lemon or lime juice, alternatively, use 20 drops of lemon essential oil
- 1 ¼ cup of sugar
Instructions:
- Mix all of the ingredients together. Put the mixture in a mason jar, and shook it up. Then, transfer it to a plastic squeeze bottle for easy application and you have a great sugar scrub for leg exfoliation
- Soak your legs in a tub for five to seven minutes. If you are taking a shower, wash your hair first, and then apply the mixture to the legs and rub it in. Because of the abrasive nature of the sugar, you will get rid of all the dirt and dead skin cells. Lemon juice, on the other hand, acts as a mild skin peel
- Cleanse and rinse the exfoliator. If you want to shave your legs, afterward, you can do it
- Once you are done with exfoliating and shaving, pat your skin dry, and apply lotion or any other moisturizer. Your skin will feel soft and you will save money in the process
What not to do when exfoliating?
The guide for how to exfoliate legs is pretty simple and straightforward. Yet, some women still make mistakes. Here are some mistakes you should avoid.
For starters, do not be over-zealous when exfoliating. You just need to remove the dead skin cells, not an entire layer of healthy skin. It should feel like a relaxing massage, not torture.
Follow the instructions precisely that come with a chemical exfoliator. Do not do it your own way. Do not get lazy, make sure to exfoliate between hair removal sessions.
How often should you exfoliate?
When it comes to skin care routine and leg exfoliation, you should be careful not to overdo it. There is a limit you should stick to. Otherwise, you might cause trauma to your skin. It is also worth noting to make a difference between dry skin and oily skin.
With a dry skin, you can exfoliate your legs once per week. But if you have oily skin, two times is better.
