Skincare

Taking care of the skin on your body is as important as taking care of the skin on your face. I started switching my body products over to more skincare focused with similar active ingredients as the products I use on my face and have really seen such a difference. One of the key steps to soft and gorgeous skin is proper exfoliation. Exfoliation is important because it helps remove dead skin cells which will make your skin feel and look so much better. There are a ton of benefits to exfoliation that I’ll discuss in this post but especially in winter, it’s important to properly exfoliate your body and with the right products. I’ll share how often you should be exfoliating your body because too much exfoliating can actually have the opposite effect on your skin and damage it quite significantly. This post is a guide for how often you should be exfoliating your body as well as some of my favorite products to use to achieve smooth, glowing skin.

How Often You Should Exfoliate Your Body

There are a ton of benefits to regular exfoliation outside of the obvious result of smooth skin. Exfoliation can really keep your skin healthy, balanced and better supported to protect against external aggressors such as extreme temperatures and environmental factors. It’s important however to find the right balance between exfoliating enough and exfoliating too much. Over exfoliation can actually harm the skin and cause a myriad of other issues that you will need to treat.

Why You Should Exfoliate Your Body

Smoother Skin

Who doesn’t love the feeling of smooth, soft skin? It’s one of the immediate benefits of exfoliating that gives you instant gratification.

Brighter Skin

Exfoliating your body regularly can help make your skin look brighter and more radiant. And especially during the winter months when the extreme temperature changes can really cause skin to look dull and sallow.

Reduced Breakouts

Not everyone may struggle with breakouts on their body but many with acne prone skin do. Regular exfoliation can help prevent future breakouts on areas such as your chest and back where you may experience more clogged pores.

Better Absorption of Skincare Products

When your skin is properly exfoliated, your body lotions, oils, creams and serums will absorb better. If they absorb better, they will be more effective and you will see better results.

Improved Circulation

Exfoliation can help boost circulation and stimulate blood flow.

Keep Your Skin Balanced

Often people struggle with dry, scaly and uncomfortable skin on their body because it is not being exfoliated properly or exfoliated enough. Making sure you exfoliate regularly can help your skin look better but more importantly feel better.

When Should You Exfoliate Your Body?

This will obviously be dependent on your skin type or time of year but I find that the best schedule for exfoliating your body is weekly. Sensitive skin types could definitely move that to every two weeks and if you are overly active or have oily skin you may find that exfoliating two times a week suits your needs. But if you are wanting a general rule of thumb for exfoliating your body, stick with once a week.

How to Exfoliate Your Body?

There are many different ways to exfoliate your body and choosing the right type of exfoliant is important. Here are some different ways to exfoliate your body:

Scrub

This is the most accepted and probably most popular choice for body exfoliation. There are a million different body scrubs available to suit anyone’s preferences and needs. If you choose to use a traditional body scrub for your exfoliating needs, I would recommend once a week for this method. Here are a few body scrub recommendations: First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub (this one is amazing), Herbivore Coco Rose Body Scrub (this one smells amazing) and Fresh Brown Sugar Body Polish (this one is incredibly moisturizing).

Exfoliating Brushes/Dry Brushing

While not a completely new idea, dry brushing has gainly popularity over the past few years as a way to exfoliate your body. As the name suggests, you use a body brush on dry skin and go section by section using soft strokes to “brush the skin”. One benefit of dry brushing that many people find is it stimulates circulation and can help with lymphatic drainage. If you want to try this, I would recommend doing it once a week to start. Some people choose to do it more but it’s best to start slow and see how your skin and body responds. I wouldn’t recommend doing this on the same day you want to use a body scrub because that would be too much physical exfoliation for the skin. If you decide to dry brush and use a body scrub in the same week, try to space them out a few days apart to give your skin a break. Here are a few dry brush recommendations: Osea Body Brush (I love their products) and Esker Dry Brush (this has a longer handle which is nice).

Loofahs/Exfoliating Gloves

Loofahs or exfoliating gloves are a great way to exfoliate with your regular daily body wash or shower gel. If the loofah or gloves are on the softer side, exfoliation two to three times a week with a creamy body wash is great to help keep your skin exfoliated in a regular yet gentle way. If the gloves or loofah are very rough, stick with the routine of using them only once a week. Here are a few loofah and exfoliating glove recommendations: Luv Scrub Mesh Body Exfoliator (I love all the color options) and Well Kept Sea Sponge (this is a traditional loofah).

Exfoliating Body Lotions/Creams

I personally love chemical exfoliation as the preferred method for my face and have begun incorporating chemical exfoliants into my body care too. Using a body lotion or cream that contains different chemical exfoliants such as alpha hydroxy acids (i.e. glycolic acid) or beta hydroxy acids (i.e. salicylic acid) is a great way to intensify your exfoliation routine. Depending on the strength of the product, you can use an exfoliating body cream a few times a week. During the winter especially, I like to layer an exfoliating body serum underneath my body creams to give that added boost. If you plan to only use an exfoliating body cream or lotion as your primary means of exfoliation, you can apply it a few times a week if your skin can handle it. It’s best to use the product instructions as your initial guide but you can alter it depending on your skin’s tolerance and desired results. Like with any chemical exfoliant that you use on your face, I would always recommend patch testing a small area first to ensure there is no skin irritation or reaction to the product. Especially if you have a dry or sensitive skin type. If you want to use an exfoliating body lotion in addition to a manual form of exfoliation as mentioned above, it’s best to avoid using on the same day. And depending on the strength of the exfoliating body lotion you are using, you may want to decrease your use of physical exfoliants to once or twice a month to make sure you don’t damage your skin barrier. Here are a few exfoliating body lotions and cream recommendations: SkinFix Resurface + Renew Body Cream, Paula’s Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA and Sol de Janeiro Bom Dia Bright (this one has amazing reviews).

I have been a LONG time fan of the Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm. I first tried Elemis products nearly 10 years ago and have been buying it ever since. In fact, I started double cleansing shortly before then and really saw how much my skin improved with this method. I use a cleansing balm or cleansing oil as my first cleanse to break down all the makeup, sunscreen, dirt, etc from my face and then follow it up with a second cleanser which is usually a milk or gel texture. Back when I first started double cleansing, cleansing balms were just beginning to get popular. Now nearly every skincare brand makes one and they are a skincare staple for so many people.

I will say that though there are a TON of cleansing balms to choose from now, not all are as effective or make my skin feel as nourished as the Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm. Initially I read a few reviews about it years ago and my interest was piqued especially since I was just beginning to really get into skincare. Since then I have repurchased it countless times and thought I would share a more in-depth honest review of it and why I love it so much.

Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm Review

As someone that wears a full face of makeup nearly everyday, it is necessary that I use a cleanser that will fully remove all the makeup in one application. Using a ton of different skincare products just to remove my makeup is not necessary and can also irritate the skin, especially sensitive skin. I find that using an effective cleansing balm eliminates the need for a ton of other products in my skincare routine and cleans the skin thoroughly in one try.

I’ve been using the Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm for nearly 10 years and loved it from my very first use. It cut through my makeup effortlessly, removed every last bit (even waterproof) and left my skin feeling so nourished, moisturized and soft. None of that “squeaky clean” feeling that often cleansers will leave me with – which often means it has stripped my skin of all the necessary moisture and oils leaving it dry and dehydrated. A really good cleansing balm should give a thorough deep clean without stripping the skin.

What Is Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm?

For those new to using cleansing balms, specifically the Elemis Pro-Collagen one, they are often cleansers made with various oils and nourishing blends that transforms on the skin once water is added. Often cleansing balms will go through three stages of texture: rich balm when first applied, silky oil when rubbed into the skin and then a gentle milk once water is added. While many may be hesitant to use an oil based product on their skin to cleanse, it is actually the oil that will break through the dirt and makeup on the skin effortlessly, remove it easily and help cleanse the skin more deeply ultimately leading to fewer breakouts and blemishes.

What makes the Elemis cleansing balm so effective is its various essential oil and plant oil ingredients that clean the skin while still leaving it balanced and nourished. It is also mineral-oil free and suitable for ALL skin types. There is a scent to it and if that is something that could bother you or your skin, there is a fragrance free version that is a great option.

Elemis Cleansing Balm Ingredients

• Elderberry Oil – keeps the skin moisturized and healthy
• Starflower Oil – promotes good skin health by helping to maintain the skin metabolism
• Padina Pavonica – a brown algae proven to support the feeling of hydration on the skin
• Nine essential oils and seed oils including lavender, chamomile, grape seed, eucalyptus and sweet almond oil
• Rose and mimosa waxes

What Does Elemis Cleansing Balm Do?

It’s a treatment balm that transforms into 3 different textures that help to cleanse and nourish the skin. It treats the skin as a balm, removes makeup as an oil and then hydrates the skin as a milk.

Is Elemis Worth the Money?

After my first use of the Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm nearly 10 years ago, I have continued to repurchase it every time I run out. For me it has totally been worth the money because it consistently makes my skin feel and look great after each cleanse. I have found other cleansing balms I love and use regularly but the Elemis is still my #1 because the texture is smoother and creamier than any other formula I have tried.

And occasionally I will try a cleansing balm that has a similar oily rich texture to the Elemis and then spend 5 minutes trying to remove it because it has left a film on my face. Yuck! The Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm never leaves a film and is always the easiest cleanser to remove while still being the most effective. Here is a quick rundown of 3 of my other favorite cleansing balms and how they compare to the Elemis:

1. Farmacy Green Clean

The texture of this balm is much more stiff and not as oily. For many that is a major selling point because they may not like the oiliness of the Elemis and this is a great alternative. It is just as effective as the Elemis cleansing balm but doesn’t leave my face as soft and nourished.

2. Colleen Rothschild Radiant Cleansing Balm

The texture of this balm is a tad more oily than the Farmacy but somewhat thick so I usually have to massage it a bit longer to fully get it to break down. As a result, I find that I get a slightly more exfoliated result with this cleansing balm and my skin looks so glowy afterwards.

3. Versed Day Dissolve Cleansing Balm

This cleansing balm has an almost identical texture to the Farmacy but is a touch more creamy. Not as oily as the Elemis so my skin doesn’t feel as moisturized afterwards, but still does an amazing job at removing every last stitch of makeup. And it’s a great price point!

Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm Before and After

Even without using moisturizer or any hydrating serums, my skin looks so fresh, moisturized and supple. Occasionally when my skin is feeling very lackluster or dry, I will leave the Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm on for 3-5 minutes before rinsing it off to allow those plant and essential oils to really give my skin an intensive treatment almost like a face mask. Even though I use it mostly to remove makeup, I will also use it on days that I don’t wear makeup.

How to Use the Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm

Use with dry hands/dry face

This may take some getting used to if you have never used a cleansing balm before but it is best used on dry skin. I apply a small amount of the cleansing balm with dry hands directly to my face – makeup and all. I then begin massaging it around breaking down all the makeup and mascara.

Add water

Once you have fully massaged in the cleansing balm, wet your hands with warm water and massage the water onto your face. The cleansing balm will turn to a gentle milk and easily rinse off.

Use a washcloth or cleansing cloth

For an added bit of exfoliation, you can use a damp cloth to remove the cleansing balm instead of your damp hands.

Is Elemis cruelty-free?

Elemis does not test on animals and requires all their suppliers to respect these standards. They are sold in China but the UK government has an agreement with the Chinese government that British companies can be exempt from having their products tested on animals. For more information, go to the FAQ page on elemis’ website.

For more reviews on the best Elemis products, you can see my breakdown of my top 10 favorites here.