Dull Winter Skin? Try This Brightening Grapefruit Facial Scrub

News flash! Exfoliation is key to combating dry, winter skin. Many don’t think of exfoliation as an important step in their skincare routine. Slathering on more and more moisturizers, creams and lotions will not help hydrate skin without exfoliating first (but it will drain your bank account to waste expensive product!).

Instead, regular exfoliation will slough off dead skin cells and help all of your other products work more effectively. Here’s why exfoliation is crucial: without a barrier of dead skin or the build up of old makeup, dirt and sebum, your serums and moisturizers can now penetrate the way they are intended. Try this gentle facial scrub to brighten dull skin and fight the winter skin blues. Then see how much more effective your other skin care steps will be!

Brightening Grapefruit Facial Scrub

• 1 cup sugar (the finer the grit the better)
• ½ grapefruit
• 5 drops lavender essential oil
• 3 tablespoons avocado oil

Juice half a grapefruit, the strain any seeds or pulp. Combine the juice and sugar into a bowl and then pour in the avocado oil. Mix and add the lavender essential oil; stir to incorporate. To clean skin, apply a half dollar size amount of scrub to the face, careful to avoid the delicate eye area. Be sure to use light pressure with only your middle and ring fingers to spread the scrub in circular motions. Spend extra time on your lips and rinse with warm water. Follow with hydrating serum and/or moisturizer. Scrub can be preserved in refrigerator for up to a week.

Photos by Ana Stanciu