Top 5 Forgotten Exfoliation Points!

It's in all the magazines - exfoliating is supposedly a cure-all for skin problems. Scars? Exfoliate. Dull skin? Flaking issues? Exfoliate. Just about the only time you hear of a person being told not to exfoliate is if they've got dry skin, or less likely, perfect skin. When we hear about exfoliation it's most commonly in reference to the skin on your face. But what about the places that get lost in the rough - literally? Exfoliating isn't just for your face anymore. Here are the top 5 forgotten places to exfoliate your skin!

Lips. Yes, your lips are a huge source of dry and peeling skin. Rather than bite or suck the dead skin away (it may sound gross, but we're all human and I'm not winning any sugar-coating contests anytime soon), try exfoliating your lips with a little bit of table sugar instead. Because the area is so sensitive, the best time to do this is right after getting out of the shower when the skin is the softest and the dead cells are loose. The best pro to this is that there's nothing to worry about if the sugar gets in your mouth - besides deliciousness.

Feet. This is an area most of us probably only think about when we're going for a pedicure. However, foot-care has become a little more mainstream in the past few years with the invention of the Ped Egg and other devices like it. We walk around on our feet all day an almost every single one of us has at least one callous down there. Treat your feet with a Ped Egg or pumice stone (you can find either one in any drug store), and then rub them down with sand. If you can't get your hands (or feet in this case, I suppose) on any, sea salt or raw sugar is a perfect replacement.

Behind your ears. Remember how mom always used to make you wash behind your ears? There was a reason for that. It gets dirty back there, have you checked recently? The back of the ear is a pretty forgotten body part in general, but a lot can build up back there especially if you use a lot of hair products. Skin is a living thing and the dead layers need to be sloughed off regularly, so don't forget the places you can't see - the dead skin is still there! Which leads directly to the next area...

Back of your neck. Once again, just because you can't see back there doesn't mean that it's spotless. Anywhere that skin folds has a greater potential for dead skin buildup. Grab some sugar and scrub that neck!

Your hindquarters. Let's face it - it's nice to have a nice behind, much like it's nice to have a nice face. The principle behind this one is a little different, though. Your backside doesn't gather too much dead skin that won't already be rubbed off by your pants and underwear (told you I'm not winning any sugar-coating contests), but it is an area that requires some attention. Because this is an area that tends to be susceptible to cellulite, any pushing against the skin (including massages, ooh la la!) is great to help break down the cellulite deposits and exfoliating is a great way to do this. Now, scrubbing your derriere with some salt will never beat good old fashioned exercise, but a little tender loving care back there never hurt anyone, right?

Household exfoliants: sand, sea salt, table sugar. For a moisturizing scrub, mix your exfoliant(s) of choice with a little bit of olive oil - about a 4:1 exfoliant to oil ratio.