Introducing National Exfoliation Month: Our Loss is Your Gain (and Other Marketing Cliches); But Seriously… It’s a Great Time to Exfoliate

by Shannon Trepka

While we mostly consider ourselves to be purveyors of the finest handmade bath and body products, we’re also marketers in a sense, in that we are selling you something.  We’ve found ourselves with a bunch of excess exfoliating bars, so in the grandest marketing tradition, we have decided to invent a holiday.  It was either that or lead with “whoops we made too much,” which seems cheesy, so National Exfoliation Month it is.  However, it is a happy coincidence that we’ve got a lot of exfoliation products in late winter/early spring. 
After all, it’s a great time for exfoliating.

Exfoliation is the process of renewing the skin by removing dead skin cells on the surface, reducing the dry, rough appearance that can accompany the uneven shedding of these cells. Not only can this improve the appearance of skin, it can also prevent problems by unclogging pores and reducing acne outbreaks by exposing oil trapped beneath old skin cells. In cold and windy conditions (like Ohio in late winter or early spring), exfoliation can allow lotions (like mine) to do their job more effectively by removing barriers to deeper penetration.

Exfoliation can be accomplished by either chemical or mechanical means.  Chemical exfoliants, such as alpha hydroxy acids and certain enzymes dissolve the substances that bond the dead cells to your skin. Mechanical exfoliants physically remove skin cells with their scrubbing action.  My exfoliating bars use this mechanical principle - scrubby substances like salt and soy granules lift dead skin cells, while fluffy lather washes them away.  Extra emollient oils then condition the skin.

For men, exfoliation can also be important, as it assists shaving by exposing hair follicles.  My husband has a few areas on his neck that are extremely prone to developing ingrown hairs. At some point, my constant reminders about exfoliating will sink in, and he may find some relief.  Ingrown hairs can get pretty serious, and can even cause scarring, so a little prevention is definitely worthwhile. Scrubbing bars like pumice soap are also great manly exfoliants.  After working in the yard or on the cars, my husband gets his hands clean again in no time with my handmade pumice bars.  The fine pumice I use scrubs gently but cleans effectively.

So celebrate National Exfoliation Month with us. Yeah, we’re evil marketers – but wait… there’s more: we make great exfoliating bars that can really help your skin. :)

A word of caution about overdoing it: getting too aggressive with either chemical or mechanical means can cause redness, irritation or worse– so go easy on your skin!  Those with sensitive skin, dark complexions or acne-prone skin need to be more cautious than most.

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