Why You Should be Exfoliating in Cold Weather, Too: 5 New Scrubs to Try Now

Like beach waves and white clothing, the practice of sloughing off dead skin isn’t just for summer. “It’s a common misconception among my patients that exfoliating should be limited to the warmer months,” says New York City dermatologist Rachel Nazarian, M.D., adding that a thorough buffing is particularly beneficial for avoiding newfound “dull and tired-looking skin, and enhanced lines and wrinkles.” But that gritty salt scrub you used last summer probably won’t cut it now. “Your mechanism of exfoliation should vary depending on the season,” Nazarian points out. “Skin is more likely to be inflamed and irritated as the weather cools, so you’ll want to change to gentler versions.”

For the delicate face, consider options that provide a boost of hydration. Los Angeles herbalist Shiva Rose’s new Saffron Rose Facial Scrub blends stimulating saffron and orange peel with calming coconut-milk powder to form an exfoliating dust. To activate it, mix in a few drops of water (or rosewater for an extra shot of moisture), spread the paste over your face, and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes; afterward, lightly rub it into your skin as you rinse it off with warm water. For a multitasking solution, Sapelo’s Anti-Aging Enzyme Mask dissolves ruddy patches with plant-based papaya and pumpkin enzymes while also firming fine lines with a yeast peptide.

A host of new body products offers kinder, gentler exfoliation, too. For the décolletage, Caudalie’s Gentle Buffing Cream softly refines with nonabrasive jojoba beads, moisturizing grape oil, and acacia honey. (Use it with a washcloth in the shower.) Aesop’s new Redemption Body Scrub performs the dual action of sloughing with finely milled pumice and bamboo stem and quenching skin with hydrating fir-needle and sage-leaf oils (the subtle alpine scent is an added bonus). And for gleaming legs, invest in Susanne Kaufmann’s Detox Oil Scrub, which suspends skin-smoothing apricot kernels and poppy seeds in a sesame seed–oil base—rub it on dry skin, then add water to transform it into a milky liquid that, conveniently, doubles as your moisturizer.

 

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