True Radical Honesty From Our Community

Face scrubs can be fabulous for the health of your skin. Using yours incorrectly, however, is not. So, don’t be that person who screws up their exfoliation routine and makes their skin pay for it.

With the launch of our awesome new Vitamin C Gentle Face Scrub, we’ve finally made it into the wonderful world of exfoliating scrubs. Can we have a group hug for that, please? Packed with some of the most incredible, skin-boosting ingredients, our new scrub instantly wakes up your skin, encouraging efficient cell turnover and healthier collagen to give your skin the best (but most gentle!) exfoliation of its life.

Yet to try Vitamin C Gentle Face Scrub? Don't worry, a) you’re forgiven, it’s very new, after all and b) here’s a quick lesson in what you need to know. For starters, this super lightweight scrub is fragrance-free which is very important if your skin flares up at the mere mention of synthetic fragrance in your skincare routine. And instead of fruit seeds or ground nutshells (which can cause micro tears in your skin) we use white Bora Bora sand to exfoliate. This superior type of sand is much finer than your regular beach sand, helping to gently buff your skin without risk of irritation.

If all this wasn’t enough, Vitamin C Gentle Face Scrub also contains a whole host of plant-powered ingredients including our new bestie, yuzu lemon which is brimming with vitamin C. We combine this with another C-vit favorite, sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP) to provide top quality antioxidant protection and a hard-to-break shield against free radical damage.

So, what’s the best way to use our new scrub without causing your skin to freak out? Well, we cut out the harsh ingredients and over-scrubby particles to help you out there. But, still, you have to do your bit, so read on for seven deadly (dramatic, much?) face scrub mistakes you do not want to make…

Face Scrub Mistake #1. Exfoliating Too Often

You know that phrase about having too much of a good thing? Yeah that. When it comes to how often you use your face scrub, always keep that phrase front of mind. Daily exfoliation, for example, can send your barrier function into a total frenzy, stripping it of essential moisture and leaving it vulnerable to breakouts, dehydration, dryness, redness and sensitivities.

If you’re experiencing any of these right now and reckon your over-excited scrubbing routine could be the culprit, pare it back by a good 50 percent.

Face Scrub Mistake #2. Not Exfoliating Enough!

Of course, not exfoliating your skin enough (or, gasp, at all!) can be just as detrimental for your skin, allowing your pores to become clogged, collagen synthesis to become sluggish and your skin to become dull or congested as a result. As you know, exfoliating your skin helps to remove dead skin cells and debris like oil, makeup, and dirt which can build up on the surface if you allow it. So don’t. Introduce a face scrub to your routine to keep your skin healthy and glowing but remember to listen to your skin and find your exfoliating sweet spot depending on your skin type and concerns.

If you have oily skin, for example, you might be able to get away with more frequent exfoliation to help balance sebum – maybe three or four times a week. Dry skin, on the other hand, is more susceptible to irritation so once or twice a week could be enough for you.

Face Scrub Mistake #3. Bombarding Your Skin With Other Exfoliating Formulations

Exfoliation comes in two different guises: chemical and physical. Chemical formulations like our 6% AHA, BHA + PHA Liquid Exfoliant use ingredients like fruit acids to sit on your skin and break down the bonds between dead skin cells, whereas physical formulations (like scrubs) require pressure and movement in order to exfoliate your skin.

Both are great in their own special ways, but it’s not the best idea to use both at once. Again, too much of a good thing. Of course, your skin might be able to cope with a scrub one day and a gentle chemical exfoliator the next, but don’t double up at the same time. And always read your skin – any signs of irritation, redness or inflammation is a red flag and you need to cut back.

Face Scrub Mistake #4. Being Too Rough With Your Scrub

Sure, physical exfoliation requires physical pressure (the clue’s in the name, after all!) but let’s not get too physical, OK?

Scrubs are excellent for sloughing off dead skin cells but you do not need to rub away at your skin like your life depended on it. This can cause micro-tears in your skin, leaving it red, raw, sore and inflamed. Not only that, but it will compromise the delicate balance of your barrier function, encouraging irritation and dryness. Conversely, it could also over-stimulate your sebaceous glands, causing your skin to become super oily and break out.

Basically nothing good can come of exfoliating too hard, so apply gentle pressure only, using your hands and the pads of your fingers to massage your scrub lightly all over your skin. Also, remember to be extra careful when dealing with thin, fragile areas like around the eyes and over your décolletage.

Face Scrub Mistake #5. Skipping Your Cleanser

Are you one of those people who uses their face scrub instead of a face wash? Then you’re doing your skin a real disservice. A face scrub shouldn't substitute your cleanser but should be used alongside it – as and when your skin needs it, of course.

There really is no rule about which comes first, however – cleanser or face scrub – because both ways have their benefits. Cleanse before exfoliating (the more common combo) and you’ll have prepped your skin to give your face scrub a beautiful, clean base to work on. But exfoliate before cleansing and your fresh skin will reap the benefits of your cleanser much better.

Try them both to see which you prefer. Just don’t ditch your cleanser. Ever.

Face Scrub Mistake #6. Not Moisturizing Post-Scrub

While you’ll love the look and feel of your skin after physical exfoliation, it’s crucial to replenish any lost moisture and nourishment by following with a good moisturizer and, even better, a healing or hydrating serum. What’s more, freshly exfoliated skin will accept other skincare products more readily, allowing all those fabulous active ingredients in the rest of your routine to penetrate the skin and get to work more effectively.

We love the awesome combination of Smoothing Collagen Serum and Firming Collagen Day Lotion which, together, help to ‘feed,’ firm and strengthen your skin while boosting collagen production and restoring moisture.

Don't miss this vital, post-exfoliation step in your routine. You'll regret it if you do. Simple as that.

Face Scrub Mistake #7. Forgetting Your Sunscreen

And then there’s sunscreen which is vital every day of the year, but especially on days when you’ve exfoliated and removed the dead, uppermost layers of your skin. Those new, fresh cells are extremely vulnerable and likely to burn and age up in the sun in no time. Which kind of defeats the purpose of exfoliation in the first place.

Get involved in our SPF 3 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C every day, applying it after or instead of your moisturizer depending on your skin type. Trust us, this gorgeous sun protection cream is so good you will actually want to wear it!