Grace Kelly still personifies the idea of classic beauty: poise, soft spoken, and soft, smooth skin. She may have come by it naturally but I sure didn’t. I had to work at it…
I went to a Women’s Expo one summer about 20 years ago. I discovered a great a skin product that had a high amount of glycolic acid. The cream helped clear the skin from dead layers which can really age your face. The price tag was ridiculous: $35 o $50 for a two ounce jar. No way I could afford that but I kept thinking about it. After some research on exfoliation, I found two perfect solutions. First, I found these bath gloves for a dollar each at the Dollar Tree (lots of other stores have them too). A few weeks after the Expo, as I stood waiting to fill a prescription, I looked down at the shelf below. There I spied a product called Aqua Glycolic 2 oz. for $14.99. I lit up like a Christmas tree! After checking the label, the glycolic acid content was 13%. That was unheard of for that price. I bought it immediately. Amazing results followed.
Most products, especially at the departments stores and even Ulta and Sephora will sell you a $65, 2 z. jar of promises for practically no active ingredients. No matter what the package or sales person says, don’t you buy that without finding out the percentage of active ingredient. Cosmetics retailers have fooled us into spending our hard earned money on pipe dreams. Now that we have that settled…
I did buy that little jar and the product was everything it promised to be. My skin became soft and dewey. To go to an even higher level, I decided to spend the exact same amount on the body lotion which was 8 oz. There are those silly ninnies that tell you never to put body cream on your face. Another stupid lie. Not only did I save myself a fortune but my skin continued to stay fresh and smooth. The Aqua Glycolic brand was bought up by another company and immediately made less effective by reducing the active ingredients. So I switched to a brand called Alpha Hydroxy. Love it!
The little bath gloves, and, yes, I use soap with them, did as much for my body skin as the cream did for my face. You can use any cleanser you like. So, for not much money, I was able to gain fresh and lovely skin again.
Here are the two products that change my skin game:
Scrub gloves from Walmart (best image I could find and reasonably priced):
Alpha Hydroxy 12%:
Both can be found at Walmart or Amazon.
Is there a spiritual exfoliator? Yes. It’s called repentance. You know, saying “I’m sorry; I wished I hadn’t done that; forgive me, etc.” When is the last time you said you were sorry or apologized for something you said or did, even if it was accidental? When is the last time you told God, “I’m sorry. I wish I hadn’t done that. I don’t ever want to do that again. Forgive me? ”
Does this mean that when I was saved, God really didn’t forgive me? Nope. Our sin was forgiven at the Cross. It just means that our christian lives get dirty and dead layers of sin pile up making us feel bad and feel estranged from God. It can even keep you from praying because of unexpressed guilt. This is not rocket science. Just open your mouth and say it out loud, “I’m sorry. Forgive me.” In any relationship, if we hurt the one we love, we want to make things right again and have that sweet vibe between us.
Exfoliation is great for our skin and our spirit. Now you have some meaningful and effective ways to keep both clean, clear and pure. Count these ideas as just another way to outfit your day with beauty and joy!
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