10 Natural Exfoliators For Sensitive Skin
Sensitive skin can be tough to manage and really is quite a pain (sometimes literally!). Whether you’re trying to hydrate, cleanse, or exfoliate, if you’ve got sensitive skin, you know that oftentimes most products contain chemicals that lead to extra irritation. Lucky for us, there are several different ways to achieve great exfoliation using natural ingredients! These natural exfoliators are great for sensitive skin and can often be found at home and made into easy DIY scrubs or masks. They’re gentle and free of any unnatural chemicals or other ingredients that may lead to further irritation for people with sensitive skin!
1. Sugar
Sugar is a very popular choice when it comes to effective and natural skin exfoliators. It’s most commonly used in scrubs along with other natural ingredients like honey and orange zest, and sugar is gentle enough for people who struggle with skin that is more sensitive than usual. Sugar is light and fine, so you can use it on your face and lips as a great exfoliator, or anywhere else!
When using a scrub, people with sensitive skin may want to apply less pressure to avoid irritation. Sugar is light, so it may be tempting to scrub hard while exfoliating, but it gets the job done just as well without all that pressure and you can avoid any irritation!
2. Salt
Salt is another popular natural exfoliator that is commonly used in scrubs. It’s a little thicker and not as fine as sugar, so I don’t recommend a salt scrub for more sensitive or delicate areas such as your face, but it works great on your legs, hands, or feet – areas where your skin is a little thicker.
Salt works well as an exfoliator and can also be combined with other natural ingredients to make an effective scrub. You don’t need to scrub very hard with salt either to achieve exfoliation and is a great choice if you’re looking to remove dead skin or soften any rough patches.
3. Baking Soda
As if there weren’t already so many different ways to use baking soda, here’s another one! It makes a great exfoliator! You can combine baking soda with a little water to make a mask or you can use it as a gentle exfoliating scrub.
Not only with a baking soda scrub work as an exfoliator to remove dead skin cells and brighten your skin, but it also works to lighten any dark spots you may have and can even treat acne! It’s very versatile and makes an effective natural and gentle exfoliator.
4. Coffee Grounds
Using coffee as a skin scrub or mask is gaining popularity quickly and for good reason: it’s effective! Similar to baking soda, using coffee grounds as an exfoliator may come with a few extra benefits as well. When used on your skin, coffee promotes collagen production (which is essential to healthy skin), it can help minimize stretch marks, and can even help reduce the appearance of cellulite!
With so many benefits, coffee makes a great natural option for exfoliation. It helps to awaken your skin and is gentle enough to work without being a risk for people with sensitive skin!
5. Oatmeal
Oats are one of the best gentle exfoliators and are amazing for sensitive skin! If you’ve got any oats lying around at home and some honey, you can quickly whip up an amazing skin exfoliator that’s natural and effective.
Oats are great for exfoliating away any dead skin cells and leaves your skin brighter and softer, and may even help heal dry skin! You can use them as they are or if you prefer a finer scrub you can grind up the oats first. Whatever your preference, oatmeal is a great option.
6. Milk
Now this one may seem a little strange, but hear me out! When we think of exfoliation we typically think of a scrub, but masks work well for exfoliating too. There are some natural ingredients, such as milk, that make a great exfoliating mask!
Milk contains lactic acid which makes a great natural exfoliator. When applied to your skin, the lactic acid starts efficiently removing dead skin cells (gently, of course!). It’s gentle enough to be used on your face and can be combined with other ingredients like aloe to make it even safer for people with sensitive skin.
7. Flaxseed
Did you know there’s another way to get the benefits of flaxseed other than consuming them? They make a great natural exfoliator! Flaxseed is rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, which help to reduce inflammation.
When applied through a scrub or a mask, flaxseed delivers this anti-inflammatory power to your skin! It can also help hydrate your skin and is safe and gentle enough for people with sensitive skin.
8. Rice
Using rice as a natural exfoliator is gentle and effective and is used in the same way you would use sugar or salt. It works well in a scrub and can be used all over the body, even your face!
It delivers similar results to a sugar or salt scrub and can be combined with other natural ingredients to make your scrub however you’d like. Rice is a particularly good option for people with sensitive skin and it can even help to calm inflammation!
9. Cinnamon
I know, this seems like another strange one, but really cinnamon makes quite a good exfoliator! It can be used as a scrub when combined with other ingredients like honey and is gentle enough for sensitive skin.
Cinnamon is a spice commonly used in baking or cooking, but when applied to your skin, it can help to stimulate your blood vessels and promote blood flow! Combined with the gentle massaging of it into your skin (which also stimulates blood flow), cinnamon helps give your skin a healthy look and a more even tone.
10. Apple Cider Vinegar
This natural exfoliator can be used in a scrub or on its own as a mask! When applied to your skin, apple cider vinegar acts similarly to milk. Where milk contains lactic acid that exfoliates, apple cider vinegar naturally contains acids such as alpha hydroxy acids and malic acid.
This type of exfoliation is called chemical exfoliation, which sounds processed, but these exfoliants contain only naturally occurring acids that are beneficial to your skin! These acids work really well to whisk away any dead skin cells and reveal healthy, new skin when removed.
