The softest skin.

Soft dewy looking skin is about the nicest thing I think, beauty and health wise. Maybe next to soft shiny hair! 

I have been lucky enough to try microdermabrasion and some very good scrubs. Oh my goodness they make a difference. To give you an idea for someone who has not been exfoliating well a course of six or so microderm treatments will get you back to fresh lovely skin. It is like a miracle.

My friend Nerilie went for a course after I had been telling her about it. She seemed dubious but anyway I saw her immediately after her first treatment. In her usual cut to the core way she said "OMG my neck is a different colour!" and yep that is about the size of it. And my Mum went and returned bouncing around like a school girl as some age spots and pigmentation she had were gone as is erased and yes in one session she looked so much younger. And she did, it was a remarkable difference.

Over the years skin sort of appears to thicken and darken and in my mind it is no different to buildings in the city... they get dark and dingy and sometime a team come along and pressure clean the whole building and it looks new and fresh and restored. Same thing!

Having felt the results I at least knew what to aim for and not to ever let dryness, flakiness, build up etc sneak up again. Now the next thing is after this your moisturiser just disappears! Have you ever felt moisturiser just sort of sits on the surface? Same with a treatment mask.  Then your makeup goes on so beautifully, smoothly. 

Ok so you can do this at home. For almost free. This is the scrub I use after trying and buying millions that are too coarse and scratchy. 

This is what Lucy has to say about it...

I have always needed to use facial scrubs because my skin seems to get congested easily, and it doesn't help that I love wearing makeup. I used to buy facial scrubs then I thought I was a genius when I started using an exfoliating glove with my everyday cleanser. That was until I was given the honey scrub to try! The granules are finer yet more affective and your skin feels smoother than you've ever felt, truly like a babies bottom! My skins overall appearance is much smoother and brighter and I don't need to exfoliate as regularly. It's all natural and my skin gets less redness using a natural product. My skin is glowing and clearer than ever! I recommend this product to all!

Thanks Lucy. She is one fussy chick with her products and makeup too!

Now this is messy. I use it in the shower or bath. And I use it for everything, legs, arms etc as well.

The recipe:

3/4 fill a jar with dark brown sugar. This is the sugar that is fine and slightly moist... if left it goes hard and lumpy. It is NOT raw sugar. Dark brown sugar is treacle brown, soft and fine. Castor sugar will not do either! 

Pour over this a couple of tablespoons of glycerine. Then fill the rest with runny natural honey. If it is not runny then warm it slightly in the microwave. Once warm and runny pour that over and stir your mix. It will be like lava! It will need a stir now and then.

Ok keep sealed in your jar.

Over time it improves! This also makes a divine lip scrub.

Now if you have not exfoliated much then start gently. For best results lay back and work this into your skin working on one small area at a time. Think of your face as divided by a grid of 1 cm squares and you are working on each square individually for a few seconds each. Then re work congested areas like around your nose, chin etc. This is going to take ten minutes or so. 

Now heres what I do. I have an electric toothbrush with a soft old head. I apply the scrub to my face and extra to the toothbrush. Then I use the electric toothbrush to work every centimetre of my face (sparing around eyes as they are too delicate) If you try this do a small test area. Also do your lip line and gently do your lips. The head must not be scratchy. Once you have done a test area wait and see how it is. To begin I would moisten my face although now I use this on dry skin and only add water as I am rinsing. Honestly the first time you have to be gentle until you establish what your skin can take and each time up the anti. 

So I will lay there and work over my face and take 10 minutes or so. The honey gives you a boost, it is sensational for your skin. Then I wash my hair as I said this can be messy and this way I just don't care. But this is the closest thing to microderm I have ever found and I don't think I would ever pay for microderm again.

After apply moisturiser or a mask. And if that soaks in re apply. And if that soaks in re apply! You are aiming for soft and dewy. If you have dry dry skin use Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream. It is not really just hand cream. It is clear and thick. I got this tip from a vogue magazine! I used to moisturise then feel dry again in half an hour. I would add more in the night, I would still be dry in the morning. I tried everything. I did not know what properly moisturised skin was yet I tried every brand for dry skin. This stuff is about $8 and at last, I apply and in the morning my skin is soft and moist! The first time I reapplied about six times! it just kept soaking in.

Now the thing is exfoliated skin is truly like baby skin. You must not get it in the sun. It will burn, freckle and be damaged. You must wear sunscreen and hats and stay out of harsh sun.

If you feel like you have new skin wait until after about 6 weeks of this. It can be like a miracle. I do this at least weekly but twice a week is good. But we all have different skin which is why try gently, build up and see how you go. When you apply makeup it will feel amazing. You won't be able to believe how your skin feels.

I hope this works for you and you love it and it saves you a few thousand dollars!