Forget microdermabrasion: buy the best exfoliator for smooooth skin

Chemical peel in a bottle...

A good exfoliator will give you smooth, beautiful
skin - essential as part of your beauty routine.
Scrub your face twice a week, eat a beauty
detox diet and you'll be radiant and glowing!

It's grey outside, your skin is rebelling against the freezing weather by erupting in red patches and spots, and you think, why don't I treat myself to a salon treatment.  You've got to spend a bit of money on your skin for it to look good - right?

Loads of people ask me which salon treatments they should shell out for (sorry, ‘invest in’ as I call it), and which ones they can do without.  A popular treatment is called Microdermabrasion.  Basically, it means the application of tiny rough grains to buff away the surface layer of the skin.  You can try it at home with an exfoliator, but usually you have to go to a salon where a machine will buff and - my favourite bit - hoover away those dead skin cells.

No, not that kind of hoover...

A salon treatment costs about £60-100. 

Is it worth it?  Or is there a comparable at-home product to do the job?

Really quickly - thank you very much for reading and please follow me on Twitter @UltraSkinBeauty, and on Google+ +Ultra Beauty
Also please share this article by clicking the little G+ or Facebook symbol to the left at the top. I'm not really sure what they all mean.
T h a n k s !

Skin biology

Your skin is made up of two main layers, the epidermis and the dermis. The epidermis is a layer of dead skin cells closest to the outside world. They're meant to be dead, don't worry. It's a set of dead skin cells on top of another layer of cells that are in the process of maturing. The topmost layer of that is called the stratum corneum. The stratum corneum mostly acts as a barrier between the outside world and the lower skin layers. 

When you put creams on your skin, some of the moisture passes through the stratum corneum, but not all of it. This layer is home to many minor skin imperfections like fine wrinkle lines and blemishes.

So, microdermabrasion smooths this out, buffs away fine wrinkles, gives you a renewed, fresh look, and allows creams to penetrate the layers so that they get to do the most good.  When I've had the treatment or used a scrub, my skin feels REALLY smooth, and holds products like foundation and fake tan more evenly.

At home alternative

Biology lesson over – should you pay for microdermabrasion?  I think no, not if you have a good exfoliator.  The BEST one on the market – and believe me, I’ve tried a load – is the Body Shop Vitamin C Microdermabrasion.  For some reason, it has way more granules than the expensive brands, and at a much smaller size, so you can really feel them buffing away your dead skin cells. It works fantastically. It is head and shoulders above the rest:

You can even use it on your body, smoothing those bumpy bits on the backs of your arms, for elbows, and on your legs to make them baby-bottom soft.  The best all-round beauty product, and for only £13 for 200ml!  You can buy it in the US as well, I think it's about $19.  When the bottle is empty, cut it in half and I guarantee you'll be able to scoop out loads more.

More Ultra Beauty remedies for problem skin:

• The most effective products to invest in this winter
• Give the Ultra Beauty diet a go, to heal your skin from the inside out

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• Total Beauty reviews hair products and techniques
• In this video, Michelle Phan teaches you how to take the perfect selfie!

Ultra Beauty snack of the week

Prêt a Manger snack pots: Spinach and egg, or salmon and quinoa

These mini pots from Pret are just big enough for a mid morning or afternoon snack. Packed to the brim with skin-friendly nutrients, they are perfect to stave off hunger until the next meal while providing your skin with Omega 3, lutein, vitamin C, beta-carotene and protein. 
If you choose the spinach and egg one, don't toss the yolks!  I'm watching you….

5 ways to a happy and beautiful WINTER

Beat winter blues, stay positive, healthy and ultra beautiful with these
tips. Your beauty diet needs an extra boost in the cold weather to stave
off weight gain, depression and dull skin. Here are some easy tips to
make this winter your happiest yet!

It might be freezing, rainy and dark outside, but there are loads of things you can do to stay happy through the winter months. Try a few of these ideas and you’ll feel energized, positive and will even avoid putting on those winter pounds.  Here are some things that really help you to stay sunny all winter long – no trip to the Maldives required!

1. Facebook-stalk yourself

You’re allowed to self-snoop - it’s officially good for you.  A US study found that spending time on your own profile page for just five minutes sent self-esteem soaring.  The reason being that there’s no other place with such a high density of nice messages, flattering photos and happy memories of fun times.  

2. Exercise in the a.m.

It’s dark, the central heating hasn’t come on yet and you sooo want to press ‘snooze’ until the very last minute.  But there is a good reason why you should man-up and hit the gym or pound the pavement first-thing. The American College of Sports Medicine found that post-exercise highs can last for 12 hours, giving you more energy, clear thinking and positivity for your whole working day.  When I really don’t want to get up, I tell myself that I’ll only do a ten-minute workout and then relax in the sauna. But once I’m there, I can’t help but extend it for another 45 minutes.  Sneaky…

Kensington Gardens covered in snow was the
perfect location for a homemade BMF session

3. Gather your happiest pals

Bears may hibernate, but we humans weren’t meant to hide away in our dens all winter. In fact, socialising is a very powerful way to boost your mood. A 20 year study of 4,700 people found that hanging out with sunny-natured people boosted your own mood by 15%.  Grab a coffee at work with your colleague, or organise a Sunday evening bring-and-share dinner to get you pumped for the week ahead.

4. Eat your way upbeat

No, not by swinging by the all-you-can-eat buffet; although that might work in the very short term, lets be honest. Certain foods boost your mood by increasing brain activity in the ‘happy’ area (sorry for the non-scientific description..). Vitamin D, B-Complex, Omega-3 fatty acids and complex carbs have all been shown to increase serotonin, the feel-good chemical.  Start the day with porridge, lunch on salmon with brown rice and spinach, and end the day with black-bean chilli. Superfood snacks are mango, bananas, nuts and seeds which all increase tryptophan in the brain, having a natural calming effect.  

My winter supplements - an arsenal against illness and the blues!
B-Complex is mega important for mood and energy

5. Anticipate a great escape

Looking forward to a trip is one of the most fun things in life.  I spend a good minute every day planning (and daydreaming) a future getaway. I even get excited looking at books called things like ‘Amazing adventures to do before your die’ because they remind me there’s a whole world out there…

Indoor skiing before for a ski trip.
Check out the lovely 80s outfit...

I love books like this one for really
unusual and inspiring travel ideas..

Thank you for reading, and please follow me on Twitter +Ultra Skin Beauty and on Google+ which is the G+ button to the left.  

Soo sorry to self-plug but if you share this article with a G+ thing I will be v v happy!

More from Ultra Beauty:

• Winter is the perfect time to get your sleep routine sorted. Read about why it's so important to your beauty and health, and the key to a good night's sleep. 
• Pampering is my favourite thing to do when it's cold outside - here are my top beauty products to invest in for 2014.

Mini-skirts are not appropriate snow wear!

41 HQ Panorama Wallpapers