Oh, what a blissful day! Sun's shining, birds chirping and you've just scoffed down your favorite cheese fries because lucklly, dairy doesn't send your skin on a downward spiral.

However, for the remaining 80% of us, myself included! The dream of pimple-free skin seems so far away. Luckily, in addition to our current routine, we've found a secret weapon — EXFOLIANTS. Here's all you need to know about our skin-loving savior. 

Here at NOLA, we're a huge fan of exfoliants. From lip scrubs, body polishes down to organic sugar scrubs such as our Pumpkin Vanilla Bean Exfoliant and even chemical exfoliants such as our Pumpkin Enzyme Mask or Glycolic Cleansing Foam. 

Manual Exfoliants vs. Chemical.

So, what exactly is the difference between a scrub and a chemical? For starters, lets begin with Pumpkin Vanilla Bean Exfoliant. Formulated to buff/ smoothen the skin, this can be done for about 30 seconds to a minute during your routine. The Pumpkin Vanilla Bean is an example of a manual exfoliant. Made with organic cane sugar, it's much more gentle on the skin as opposed to salt scrubs that are much larger in size and more abrasive on the skin. When purchasing manual exfoliants, pay close attention to ingredients that are larger in size such as beads or fruit pits as they can cause micro tears in the skin.

Hi NOLA, what's a micro-tear?

No need for panic, a micro tear is just a fancy way to describe tiny little scraps on the skin that only your dermatologist or esthetician would notice under a microscope. Hence the reason we always recommend sugar scrubs as they're gentle, yet effective on even the toughest of acne-prone skin. 

Chemical Exfoliants.

Sure, I want to clear my skin, but I also want to glow too! We've heard you loud and clear, nolababe. If you enjoy the idea of no manual labor and still being able to shine afterwards? Chemical exfoliation is sure to be your new bff. I mean, it basically does all the work for you, take our Pumpkin Enzyme Mask for instance. It's an enzymatic active mask that aids in gently sloughing away dull skin to leave with you with a fresh, glowy face! In products such as our Pumpkin Mask or Glycolic Cleansing Foam, we use alpha hydroxy acids (AHA) to effectively "unglue" the bonds on the surface of your skin. Sounds weird, but we promise — no harm done unless you count the reduction in congestion of course!

Treats for the whole body.

Your face isn't the only part of your body that can benefit from exfoliation. We've got treats your entire body, lips included. Endulge in a few of our favorites. Cheers to healthy skin!

Which exfoliant do you prefer in your routine? Comment below, we'd love to hear from you.

Xoxo,

The NOLA Team