Everyone knows about the benefits of going to a health spa. Clear skin, improved circulation, and sloughing away dead skin cells are just a few. You can also use at home body scrubs to receive health spa benefits in the privacy of your own home, and achieve the same results for a fraction of the expense. But why spend any time at all on body scrubs?
Along with removing the dead skin cells, another benefit is an increase in blood flow to your skin’s surface, which will help achieve the rosy soft glow of youth. You will additionally find that your skin will be more receptive to your body lotions, or even to self-tanners, once this layer of dead skin cells is removed. In fact, most commercially made body scrubs have a moisturizer element in the scrub itself; a time saving feature that can mean one less step to take in your daily beauty routine. Scrubs containing milk or butters, such as almond or coconut, will help with deeply moisturizing the skin.
First, body scrubs are invaluable at removing dead skin cells. In our youth, our bodies replenished skin cells rapidly and sloughed them off naturally. As we get older, dead skin cells are replaced at a much slower pace and accumulate on our skin surface, which causes a dull appearance and dry skin. You can go to a health spa to remove these, or do it yourself in your own shower with a body scrub. Body scrubs are like luxurious sandpaper for the skin, and gently remove these layers of dead skin cells to reveal the youthful, glowing skin under them.
Body scrubs are useful in dealing with common skin problems such as acne, blocked pores, blackheads, or bumps caused by ingrown hair. The gentle exfoliation opens clogged pores and can remove extra non-beneficial oils on the skin, which can cause acne breakouts. Some scrubs are designed specifically to deal with acne or other skin issues such as dark spots caused by sun and age.
While some effects of a health spa type body scrub are immediately apparent, such as the appearance of youthful skin, other benefits are occurring under the skin surface. An increase in circulation aids in draining your lymph nodes. Since your lymph nodes are the first step in fighting some diseases, this can have an added health benefit far beyond appearance alone. Furthermore, this increase in circulation also aids in breaking up cellulite and increases skin tone and elasticity, resulting in softer, smoother skin. A scrub designed for this purpose may contain elements such as sea salt or sugars.
A body scrub can also provide great relaxing effects as it stimulates your skin. Some scrubs come with tantalizing or relaxing scents and textures to both invigorate your skin and relax your mind. Look for those with lavender, rose or herbs to aid relaxation, and consider creating an extra health spa feel to the experience by playing soothing music during your shower. Mint or licorice might be in a scrub designed to stimulate the mind and body.
For best results on normal skin, a scrub can be used two to three times per week. These scrubs can be applied with fingertips, a washcloth, body mitt, loofah or sponge, but a gentle touch in application is the key to releasing the health spa benefits at home. Scrubs can be applied prior to stepping in the shower for a deeper exfoliation, or just as you shower to save time. Recipes can be found online to make a health spa quality scrub at home; the best recipes will include sea salt, coffee, sugar, walnut, or oatmeal to name a few. Commercially made scrubs will also include wonderful and luxurious scents, scientifically proven ingredients, and they will usually contain an element of balanced moisturizers all in one easy to use bottle. These scrubs are sometimes designed to aid in specific skin complaints.
For all its amazing health benefits, having an invigorating and relaxing body scrub from home seems like a great habit to pick up. However, when time permits, take a trip to the health spa and treat yourself to a professional scrub combined with massage. This allows you to relax and enjoy a thorough scrub without having to make preparations or clean up on your own. It has a more potent effect, leaving you totally rejuvenated – a wonderful, highly rewarding and welcome treat.