When we talk about skincare it’s common for us to focus on your face.
However, the skin is our largest living organ and covers our entire body so we should be taking care of all of it. The good news is there are a plethora of natural and cost-effective products on the market that will give you that all body glow.
But before we begin, we thought we better educate you on why the skin on your face and the skin on your body deserves to be treated differently.
There are number of differences between skin on different parts of the body. There are even differences in the skin from one part of the face to the next. I’ll try to break down the major differences into categories:
1) Skin thickness. Think of the difference in skin thickness on the eyelid (around 0.5mm) and the skin on the sole of your foot (up to 5mm in some places). The skin has different thicknesses because it has different demands placed on it depending on location.
2) Oiliness. The skin on the face has a lot more sebaceous glands (oil glands) on it than other parts of the body. The oil (or sebum) has different proposed functions: it helps to lubricate/hydrate the skin, that it contains antioxidants, that it contains antimicrobial (bacteria-fighting) substances.
3) Number of other glands. The skin under the arms, in the groin, and in the ear canals have special glands that produce a type of sweat that can smell. These are called apocrine glands. The sweat itself doesn’t smell bad, but it changes when it comes into contact with bacteria that lives on all of us. This produces the smell.
4) Amount and type of hair. The density of hair follicles on facial skin is actually quite high, but most of that hair is very fine and hard to see. The density of hair follicles on the face is a lot higher than on the back, for example.
These are some of the major differences in skin in different areas of the body. The reason we use different washes, etc. on different parts of the body is because of the different characteristics of the skin. The thinness of the skin plays a big role in that.
Natural products to use on your body:
- Dry Body Brush
These can be purchased by under $10 at most chemists or health food stores. Dry body brushing helps shed dead skin cells (and encourages new cell renewal), which results in smoother and brighter skin.
It can also help with any pesky ingrown hairs. It assists in improving vascular blood circulation and lymphatic drainage.
Try body brushing in upwards sweeping motions from your feet to your thighs and your fingers to your shoulders.
Try body brushing before every shower this week and see if you can feel the difference. Your skin should feel softer and smoother.
- Make your own body exfoliators
It might sound like too much work, but in reality a few simple household ingredients can combine into a wonderful in shower exfoliant. Next time you are in the supermarket reaching for your favourite shower scrub take a look at the ingredients and see if you recognise any of them.
The likeliness is they are full of pesky parabens and artificial fragrances that your skin is unknowingly absorbing. Like your face, you want to feed your body real ingredients.
Some of our favourite DIY scrubs:
- Green Tea & Sugar Scrub
- Pink Himalayan and Rose Petal Salt Scrub
- Cucumber and Mint Scrub
For recipes click here to go to our Face Plus Pinterest Account and checkout our DIY skincare board
- Coconut Oil
Are you sunburnt or is your skin deeply dehydrated? Coconut oil is an amazing natural ingredient that should also be used outside of the kitchen.
Massage it into your body after your shower and notice how hydrated and glowy your skin looks.
Pro tip: If you’re suffering from dry and damaged hair cover your hair in some melted coconut oil and leave it on overnight (just makes sure to sleep on a towel, so you don’t grease your sheets).
It is an incredibly restorative leave in conditioner and your hair will be super glossy the next day.
To book a skin consultation:
Call: 02 8897 0000
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