Homemade Exfoliator

As promised, I tried out Rae Morris' recipe for homemade exfoliator, using nothing more than a regular cleanser and Bicarbonate of Soda. When I spotted this in her book I reviewed last week, I thought it was the end of spending £20 a month on my favourite exfoliator. Hurrah!

I followed the instructions, mixing 1 teaspoon of bicardonate with a sploosh (my word, not hers) of my regular cleanser. It says to use any waterbased cleanser - I used Philosophy Purity Made Simple. I've no idea if this is water based or not, it works and I love it. So, it made a lovely fluffy paste in my hand and I slapped it on.

The first thing I noticed was how 'soft' the grainy bicarb bits felt in comparison to my normal exfoliator. I scrubbed and washed it off. This, however, is where it all went wrong. I couldn't seem to budge the bicard granules, no matter how much I splashed and everytime I patted my face with a towel, it scratched where there was residue. I admit this is probably my fault, but due to the fact I had to get in the shower to wash it off properly, I will not be doing this again! The excessive rinsing/rubbing/patting to get rid of the residue has left my cheeks very red and tender :(

Give it a go if you fancy and let me know how you get on. Be prepared for the taste of the soda running into your mouth when you wash it off!!

**please note, Rae recommends in the book not using this method if you have sensitive skin or are undergoing any type of chemical peel treatments. I agree. So please exfoliate sensibly.**

This is my usual exfoliator, available from Boots for £10. It warms in your hands so when you put it on, you get a lovely warming sensation across your face - it's not hot though. It brightens and smooths like no other exfoliator I've tried and it has never scratched my skin.