Welcome to the world of skin care, Kylie Jenner! Last month the, uh, self-made beauty mogul launched her new skin care line, Kylie Skin. And no surprise the products flew off shelves and sold out within hours. The line features the basics: face wash, exfoliator, toner, moisturizer, eye cream (and, to my pleasant surprise, a vitamin C serum). While the whole Kylie Skin collection got the internet buzzing, it was the Walnut Face Scrub, $22, in particular that put the internet in a tweeting rage. Jenner calls the Kylie Skin face scrub, "my secret to a fresh face," and claims it's gentle enough to use everyday. But is it really?
Don't get me wrong, I love exfoliation: Just like peeling off your skinny jeans or kicking off your heels after a long day, there's no greater feeling than sloughing off dirt, grime and dead skin cells off your face. A regular exfoliating routine leaves your skin looking fresh and healthy by removing build-up of dead skin cells that lead to excess oil and clogged pores. So, obviously, an exfoliator is a natural fit for the Kylie Skin lineup — but is a walnut face scrub the best the billionaire could offer?
The face scrub was met with backlash on social media because let's be real: Us skin care junkies know better. We've already spent years throwing shade at St. Ives for their notoriously abrasive walnut face scrubs, since it can cause micro-tears on your skin that lead to irritation and inflammation. Not cool! Furthermore, consistent use of a harsh face scrub can lead to skin sensitivity, hyperpigmentation and clogged pores caused by bacteria trapped in those aforementioned micro-tears.
This person summed it up perfectly when they tweeted, "Why buy the walnut scrub when you could go scrape your face against tree bark for the same effect." There are better ways to get smooth and radiant skin without abusing your face. So, ditch the abrasive face scrubs and remember the wise words of TLC, "No I don't want no scrub"... Because walnut scrubs are officially canceled.
Read on to see my favorite gentle exfoliators for healthy, radiant skin.
Image via @kylieskin
This is my go to exfoliator. It's gentle, yet hard working — and it smells like lemons. What more could you want? These pads are the perfect combination of physical and chemical exfoliation. The single-use exfoliating pads are double sided with gauze on one side to gently scrub the top layer of skin, and then there's the soft cotton side to wipe away the debris.
For added benefit, the pads are soaked in chemical exfoliants that clear clogged pores. The extra extra bonus? It gives your skin a boost of vitamin C to brighten the skin and help fade acne scars.
(Have sensitive skin? Try the Neogen Bio-Peel Gauze in Green Tea, $27, for more soothing benefits.)
Do you like it rough? Then this one is for you. This exfoliating face mask has a similar sensation of a walnut scrub, but it's far more gentle, since the all-natural black sugar grains dissolve as you massage them into your face. This scrub also pulls double duty with ingredients like shea butter and lanolin that leave your face hydrated after you wash it off. If you've got that thirsty skin, give this one a try.
Let me introduce to you my can't-live-without exfoliator: While physical exfoliators clean out the junk on the top layer of your skin, BHAs work on a deeper level to clean out your pores to help reduce blackheads and excess sebum. This option contains 5% natural BHA and hydrating ingredients in a potent formula perfect for oily and acne-prone skin.
The Dr. Oracle A-Thera Tea Tree Peeling Sticks mix together chemical exfoliators AHA and BHA into one powerful acne spot treatment. The AHA works on the top layer of skin to remove dead skin cells, and the BHA dives deep underneath to help blemishes disappear faster — which means it's also great for targeting tough cystic acne. Use this with Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patch, $6, and you've yourself got a pimple-killing machine.
