Sugar & spice and all things nice

There’s a growing trend spreading across the globe where social media (aka tik tok) is awash with women using fine sugar together with an oil as a facial cleanser/scrub.  They all seem to swear by it but does it really do any good or are we damaging our sensitive facial cells by ripping them apart with sharp edged sugar particles?  

Using sugar has been around for years. I remember my grandmother back in the 70’s instructing us how to get soft hands by using a mixture of lard and sugar then rubbing our hands together until the sugar had dissolved and boy did we get soft velvety hands.  But that was back in the day!  

So how does it look in the 21st century when we are now using it on our delicate faces?   Yes, there are homemade sugar body scrubs out there but we are talking about our faces not our bodies; which tolerates more invigorating scrubs.  Using sugar has the potential for micro tears in the top layer of the epidermis which then creates a whole new world of problems.  

I asked one of Australia’s leading cosmetic chemists about this trend & he said “Exfoliation comes at different levels and in different ways. Sometimes you're looking at only a surface exfoliation, really just a deeper version of skin cleansing. This can be done with extremely small particles that simply help to scoop up the very surface layer of loose skin cells. At this level the particles should be very small and not sharp. If you want to remove more skin cells, to leave a fresh layer of skin, you can use larger, sharper particles. But you have to be aware of doing 'more harm than good' by scratching the skin. And a product that is good for the body may be too harsh for the face. At this point we suggest looking at acid exfoliation, using AHAs like Glycolic acid, and many similar acids. Used properly, correct concentration and correct pH, this can be very effective at all levels of exfoliation”

And as the saying goes: the sweetness of life is sure in only two things: Love and sugar. If you don't get enough of the first, have more of the second!  (But maybe as a bar of chocolate instead!)