How Do I Exfoliate with Salt?

Salt exfoliation is often considered one of the best ways to naturally exfoliate the skin. Sea salt is generally the best type of salt to use for salt exfoliation, because it's coarser than other types of salt. When exfoliating, salt can either be used alone or mixed with a wet ingredient to make a paste. Soap, oil, and honey can all be used to make salt scrubs. To exfoliate with salt, these mixtures should be rubbed onto the skin in a circular motion before being rinsed off.

Just about any type of salt will work for exfoliation. Sea salt, however, is typically the most commonly used. This type of salt is coarser than regular table salt, and it contains a number of minerals and other nutrients that benefit the skin.

Salt can often be used alone as a simple exfoliant. Scented oils can also be added to create a pleasant fragrance. To exfoliate with salt alone, a handful of the grains can be rubbed onto the skin and rinsed off.

Many people also exfoliate with salt scrubs that can be made by mixing salt with a wet ingredient. Salt can be mixed with body wash, for example. The soap mixture can then be used just like regular soap. A wash cloth or a sponge can be used to lather the mixture on the skin.

Dry-skinned people may prefer to exfoliate with salt scrubs made with olive oil. The salt in this mixture helps slough off dead skin, while the olive oil adds moisture to the skin. Scented oils can also be added to this mixture as well. These types of exfoliating scrubs can make the bottoms of tubs and showers very slippery, however, so caution should be used.

A mixture of honey and salt also makes an excellent exfoliating scrub. Honey is very moisturizing, so it can be used on very dry skin. It also has mild antibiotic properties, making it an excellent choice for acne-prone skin. Raw honey also contains alpha hydroxy acids, which help loosen dead skin.

To exfoliate with salt scrub, a handful of the mixture is rubbed onto dry skin in a circular motion. Special attention should be paid to very rough areas, including the elbows and the knees. The heels of the feet also typically get very dry. After the mixture is rubbed onto the skin, it should be rinsed off with clean water.