If your skin is looking dull and lifeless it is past time for an invigorating all-over body polish to restore its youthful glow. Body polishes are a combination of exfoliant and carrier moisturizer designed for use on your entire body and contain abrasives mixed with oils. Depending on the sensitivity of your skin, you can choose among products containing ground nut shells, pulverized coffee, sugar, or sea salt.

The simplest body polishes are simply granulated sugar or sea salt combined with safflower oil. While safflower oil will certainly create a moisture barrier on your skin as the abrasive removes dead, sloughing skin cells, it is also greasy. No only will this leave you feeling sticky after your body polish but can also make the floor of your shower or tub slippery. If you are on a budget think about creating your own body polishes using salt or sugar and good quality, easily absorbed oils.

For the ultimate in body polishing and moisturizing in one product, look for jojoba oil or wax, as the major ingredient. Other superior ingredients to look for are shea butter, almond oil, meadowsweet oil, and green tea oil. All of these vegetable oils and waxes are easily absorbed into the skin and do not leave a greasy or sticky residue behind. Many can be purchased individually for making your own body polish creation at home.

Body polishing should be done weekly or more often if a mild abrasive is used. Sea salt or brown sugar are relatively gentle abrasives while ground walnut shells, white cane sugar, or apricot kernel shells can provide a higher degree of polish. Just be careful not to polish so aggressively that you remove tender new skin and leave yourself raw and sore. The object is to remove dry scaly skin and sloughed cells to expose the fresh, glowing skin underneath.

After cleansing your body in a warm shower put a quarter-sized amount of body polish in the palm of one hand and start applying it to all your rough spots first, like elbows, knees, and feet. Use a circular, massaging motion, adding more body polish as needed. Do your legs, arms, shoulders, front, and back, continuing with a gentle, massaging motion, until you have polished your entire body. Rinse off the body polish and gently pat yourself dry with a towel.

Be very careful not to slip and fall as many of the ingredients in body polishes can be slick. Using a bath chair in the tub or shower is one way to avoid this potential hazard. Used properly, body polish is an excellent way to maintain healthy, glowing skin and a more youthful appearance and combined with a good skin care regimen, can take years of your age!