HOW ESSENTIAL IS IT TO EXFOLIATE?

Having spent the last few weeks looking at the basics of your daily raw, organic, superfood skincare routine, today we're taking it a step further and looking into why we should exfoliate our skin, how to do it and how often we should perform this step.

We'll also be talking about our very own MSM Beauty Polish DIY Kit, one of our most popular products, which lets you customise your own exfoliant depending on your personal preference.

Exfoliation is one of those skincare techniques that you often hear or read about but in reality, many people admit to not actually remembering to take the time to do it as part of their regular skin care practise. This is a big mistake! Exfoliation is essential in the pursuit of healthy skin that both looks and feels great.

But what exactly is it? To exfoliate means to remove excess dead skin cells that naturally build up on the surface of our skin over time. It also helps remove dirt or toxins that are deeply engrained in our skin cells.

There are two different ways to exfoliate, either mechanically using abrasive products on the skin or chemically by using products that contain certain chemicals designed to dissolve the dead skin cells and then remove them.

Here at Rawgaia we opt for mechanical methods as we feel that it is gentler to the skin than using harsh chemicals that might irritate or inflame our skin.

Using products with naturally abrasive ingredients such as MSM, pumice (ground) powder and bamboo stem powder combined with natural plant-based oils such as hemp seed, chia seed and sunflower seed is an effective way to exfoliate the skin without any of the nasties you might find in chemical exfoliants.

The great thing about our MSM Beauty Polish DIY Kit is that you can adjust the consistency of the scrub depending on whether you want a soft or rougher exfoliant; simply add less of the polish to the serum for a softer product or use a little more if you want something a tad more abrasive.

Then you just need to mix the product in your hands before applying it to damp skin using gentle massage techniques.

Finally, remove the product (along with dead skin cells!) with a warm wet cloth before finishing with a toner and moisturiser.

By adding exfoliation to your regular skincare routine once or twice a week, you will help your skin in a plethora of ways. As well as removing dead skin cells, exfoliating helps unblock clogged pores, removes the appearance of blemishes and is great for preventing acne and improving your skin tone.

It is also very handy for those that suffer with dry skin as the removal of excess dead skin cells and dirt leaves your skin cleaner and pores more open, thereby maximising the absorption of your moisturiser.

Finally, by exfoliating regularly you can help prevent the signs of premature aging as your skin tends to be smoother and plumper with less wrinkles. This is because our body becomes slower at shedding dead skin cells as we age but exfoliation can boost this process and leave our skin looking youthful and fresh.

Like all tenants of skincare practise, exfoliation in itself only takes 5-10 minutes once or twice a week. But the benefits that you will gain vastly outweigh the time spent doing it, from anti-ageing to acne-preventing to improved skin tone....exfoliation will benefit all skin types.

And as our MSM Beauty Polish DIY Kit allows you to customise your exfoliant depending on the state of your skin on any given day, you only need one product and you're ready to go! It is also micro bead free so not only is it kind to your skin, but it is kind to the environment.

You can purchase it here and currently, we have a special offer running if you buy 3 packs at once!