Forgive the metaphor...

...my husband and I decided to re-paint our house. The guy who was going to do it for us said he needed to pressure wash the house first. You know, to get the old flaking paint off and smooth out the surface for the new paint. Now, this was going to take a little extra time and money, so we said no. We didn't mind the lumps and bumps that were going to exist on the house after he painted. I mean, no big deal- right?

What am I talking about? Exfoliation. Yep. The same principle can be applied to your face, neck, and chest as pressure washing a house. When you don't get rid of dead skin cells, they just kind of pile up. Your pores get clogged. You can have flakes. And the surface of your skin isn't smooth. But, if you just take a little extra time maybe twice a week, you will notice a difference in a pretty short period of time! And the wonderful thing is that there are options for all skin types. Let's talk about all your options!

1. Regular exfoliation: This is the most common type of exfoliation. It usually involves a cream or gel base with "beads" in it. This can be used twice a week for oily skin and once a week for dry skin. Honestly, Clinique has the 2 best. 7 Day Scrub Cream can be used by all skin types and works wonders: http://www.clinique.com/product/CATEGORY21363/PROD678/Skin_Care/ExfoliatorsMasks/index.tmpl
The other one is their Exfoliating Scrub for oilier skins: http://www.clinique.com/product/CATEGORY21363/PROD715/Skin_Care/ExfoliatorsMasks/index.tmpl
Both are grainy without being scratchy. This is VERY important. You never want to feel like you are using sandpaper on your skin. A few others that are a little more budget conscious are: Burt's Bees- http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod1470036
Neutrogena- http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod1400130
BeFine- http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod1150008
Alba- http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=prod2145401

2. Microdermabrasion- This is certainly a new buzz term that has come about in the last few years. This is the process of using much smaller, finer crystals to essentially resurface the skin on your face. You can go to a dermatologist and spend a LOT of money to get this done. Or, you can use some of the at home products for a lot less. Keep in mind that this should probably only be done about once a week and that your skin might be a little tender afterwards, so no harsh astringents or AHA's (we'll talk about those next) immediately afterwards. Now, honestly, I think that the Origins Modern Friction is phenomenal: http://www.origins.com/templates/products/sp_nonshaded.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY5816&PRODUCT_ID=PROD7480
It's got tons of natural ingredients in it and my skin always literally glows after I use it. (Yes, I know it's pricey. Don't forget- you can find it on Ebay, too.) Some of your other choices are:
C. Booth- http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod1110470
Olay- http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=prod2118744
Artemis Woman- http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=prod2112622
Boots #7- http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=219339&catid=48050

3. Acids (alpha hydorxy, beta hydroxy, etc)- These are actually products that you put on like a moisturizer and they work at the cellular level. The acids break down clogs and help slough off dry skin. I like to use mine at night when I am going to bed. I feel like it really helps overnight while my skin is repairing itself. L'Oreal makes a wonderful version: http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod1100290. It has the same stuff in it as more expensive versions, but does the same work! Here are a few more that I would definitely recommend:
Juice Beauty- http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P38523&shouldPaginate=true&categoryId=5650
Clinique- http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P135504&categoryId=S15110&shouldPaginate=true
Zia- http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=39429&catid=48050&trx=PLST-0-CAT&trxp1=48050&trxp2=39429&trxp3=1&trxp4=0&btrx=BUY-PLST-0-CAT

Now, GET SMOOTHING! I promise, you will see results! Whether it's less blemishes or brighter skin or smoother skin. You'll like what you see.

Don't forget! The recruiting contest is still on! You have until Friday to bring in as many new followers as possible to win your bag of fall beauty must haves!