Dry Exfoliation: Great for You, Easier on Planet

The beauty product aisle has a bevy of exfoliants to choose from: Body scrubs, nail scrubs, medicated facial scrubs and foot scrubs galore. Besides these lovely-scented, grainy elixirs, there are a trillion accessories to assist you in your scrubbing. A variety of brushes, scads of pumice stones, loofahs, textured gloves and even a new device that borrows its concept from the cheese grater.

We go to great lengths to remove dead skin. Usually the drill is rinse, apply exfoliant, go to town with your tool of choice, repeat until desired effect is achieved and rinse again. Follow through with a cream, oil, or lotion of some sort to seal in moisture. Dry exfoliation is all of the above steps, minus the exfoliants and the water. Exfoliating dry will allow you to to slough off more dead skin cells. If you exfoliate with the shower running, you are wasting water and reaping fewer benefits.

How to Exfoliate Dry

Take a fierce loofah and make quick circles while standing in the shower. (The water should be turned off.) Scrub yourself down with firm pressure, concentrating more on the rougher spots and always towards the heart to improve circulation. Voila! You have softened your skin and conserved water. Shower normally afterwards.

Dermatologists recommend limiting exfoliation the delicate skin on your face to once a week. For rougher spots, such as your elbows, knees and feet, scrub to your hearts content! Or in my case, bring on the belt sander.