Why Exfoliate?

Today was the warmest day us Chicagoans have had this year, and it was beautiful!  The spring-like weather really reminded me that we are officially transitioning out of winter (even though, yes, it's already the middle of April!).  With that transition comes different beauty/health routines!

I know I'm not the only one who gets a little lazier in the winter months.  Long pants every day = less time and attention spent to caring for your legs.  Less shaving, less moisturizing, less tanning, less everything.  But we're aaalmost to the point where skirts, dresses, and short are making their way back to the front of our closets.

If you start prepping your legs for the summer now -- while we still have a few more weeks left of pants weather -- you'll be ahead of the game and super prepared for those 80 degree days!

The first thing I do is EXFOLIATE.  Again, this is the kind of thing that a lot of people skip when they don't have time.  That makes sense though!  It's time consuming, out of the ordinary, and less of a priority than something like shaving or moisturizing.  But if you want smooth and glowing skin, it's a step you can't skip!  It's like the first building block to those airbrushed-looking, radiant legs you see on body lotion commercials.  If there's a build-up of dead skin cells, any product you put on your legs (like creams or self-tanners) won't absorb as well.  It also traps your leg hairs underneath a thin layer of skin that can easily be exfoliated off, which causes painful and ugly ingrown hairs. Ick.

I picked up this absolutely awesome salt scrub from TJ Maxx on clearance for $4!  [It was originally $12 but I got a great deal.]

That's right: Chocolate Mint Cookie scented exfoliator.  Although this exact scrub is probably not in stores anymore, here, here, and here are great salt scrubs from Ulta for $10 and under!  

What I LOVE about this product (as well as the ones I linked above!) is the oil base.  After scrubbing the salt into your skin and rinsing it all off, it leaves you with an incredibly moisturizing oil to benefit your legs even after exfoliating!  

The salt is a natural exfoliant, and you won't have to worry about anything unnatural seeping into your pores as you scrub it into your legs.  It may seem like a time consuming process, but it's really not too bad.  TIP:  To make the time go faster, I play music while I exfoliate -- I section my legs into 4 parts (knee down and knee up for both legs) and scrub the salt mixture into my skin for one song per part, for a total of 4 songs.  Listening to your favorite music and making your legs look beautiful at the same time.. how can you go wrong?

I recommend exfoliating your legs before you shave.  Sloughing off all the dead layers of skin is a perfect prep before the razor.  If there are any hairs that have been trapped or ingrown, exfoliating will bring them to the surface and expose them so you can shave them right off.

If you really need to exfoliate and don't have scrub, don't have time to buy scrub, or simply don't want to spend the money on it.. just make your own!!  [Here is my own DIY salt scrub recipe!]

Since summer is right around the corner, start prepping your skin now and be ready for when the beautiful weather arrives :]

xojaybee