While exfoliating may already be a part of your skincare routine, most people don’t realise that it takes more than a few crushed seeds in your shower gel to give your body the deep exfoliation it needs each week. Giving your skin a regular exfoliating treatment with a good quality salt scrub can breathe new life into tired skin, and leave it looking fresh, and hydrated. If you haven’t used a salt scrub before, then you will be amazed at how effective this treatment can be for unclogging your pores, purifying your skin of dirt and toxins, and removing dead skin cells to smooth your skin and reveal the fresh, radiant skin underneath. What are Salt Scrubs? Salt scrubs are, put simply, exfoliating body scrubs which use salt as the base. This base is the ingredient which removes dead cells from the surface of your skin. Whether you have dry, oily or combination skin, exfoliating using a salt scrub can improve the appearance and texture of your skin There is a lot of debate around whether skin benefits more from a sugar, or a salt scrub. While both are good for your skin, salt is an excellent choice for two reasons: Firstly, salt provides a deeper, more abrasive exfoliation, making it perfect for those who want to remove areas of rough, hard skin. Because salt has larger, coarser granules, it has a more ‘cutting’ texture and does a better job at smoothing out any tough spots you have on your skin, such as elbows and feet. Dead skin cells harden with age, so the longer dead skin is left to settle on the skin, the more difficult it can become to remove. Rubbing a salt scrub into the skin will remove these cells and speed up the cell regeneration process to reveal the new, moist skin underneath. Using a harsher scrub such as salt also means you won’t have to exfoliate as often as you would if you used a lighter scrub. Secondly, while other scrubs, such as sugar, work solely as an exfoliant, salt also allows you to access the many benefits that sea salt offers for your skin. The trace elements present in salt can include calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper, and iron, all of which offer healing, and antiseptic properties. These elements are known for their therapeutic, mineral benefits such as detoxifying, promoting circulation and reducing inflammatory response. Giving Yourself a Salt Scrub Treatment Salt scrubs are a popular spa treatment, but you can give yourself one at home – it’s inexpensive, quick, and easy to do. The purpose of a salt scrub is too deeply cleanse your skin and remove the top layer of dead skin cells. At a salon, a salt scrub is normally done on a table, followed by a shower. At home, the easiest thing to do is to get in the shower to give yourself the treatment. Here's our quick guide to exfoliating your entire body using a salt scrub: 1. Start the shower and wait till the water is warm to hot before stepping in 2. Ensure that all your skin is thoroughly wet and warm before applying the scrub. This will ensure that the skin is soft and the pores are open, ensuring a deeper pore clean 3. Shower as usual, with your regular products 4. Pause the water 5. Take some scrub in your palm and apply in circular motions, starting from your feet and working your way up to your heart, applying more scrub as needed. Keep moving your hands in the circular motion until most of the salt has dissolved 6. Once you get to your heart, start scrubbing at your forehead, and work your way down your neck and back down to your heart 7. Be sure to concentrate on areas with rough skin such as elbows, knees and feet, as well as cellulite prone areas such as thighs 8. Rinse the scrub off your skin. Don’t apply any other products at this point, as you want the minerals in your salt scrub to stay on your skin 9. When you are out of the shower and dried, be sure to apply a rich, moisturizing body oil or butter to replenish the skin’s moisture While salt scrubs are a fantastic way to keep your skin fresh and clean, they should be limited to once a week as they can irritate the skin if overused. Most people notice that after several weeks of regular salt scrub treatments, their skin’s appearance improves dramatically as the increased circulation will improve the skin’s tone and give your skin a radiant, healthy glow. For an indulgent exfoliating experience, try one of our luxury salt scrubs, available in seven soothing scents including Banana Nut Bread, Frankincense and Myrrh, Kama Sutra, Kimono Flower, Lavender, Lemon, and White Jasmine and Pineapple.