Will body scrubbing lighten your skin tone?

Body scrubbing is the most popular skincare regime among skincare enthusiasts that involves exfoliating the skin to remove dead skin cells. Scrubbing reveals smoother, brighter skin and even the tone of your skin. While they can help reduce the appearance of dark spots and scars and brighten your skin over time, they do not technically lighten your skin tone. 

In this blog article, we have the insider knowledge that you need on all things about body scrubbing.

Why is body scrubbing?

Body scrubbing is the physical exfoliating process that is either sugar or salt-based mixed ingredients used to remove your skin’s dead skin cells. Salt and sugar are abrasive ingredients that work as a natural exfoliant to work into the skin and clean the layer of the old dead skin cells in your skin and make your skin feel soft and supple. 

They can help restore natural moisture, prevent acne breakouts, and make your skin feel amazing by stimulating skin cell turnover for smoother, brighter skin.

Why is it important?

It is always essential to stick to the skincare routine for healthy-looking skin. Body scrubbing is also a type of skincare that helps to clean and exfoliate the skin. It is used to wash away the oil, dirt, and sweat from the outer layer of the skin by using abrasive ingredients. 

Depending on the ingredients used in the scrub, it may help stimulate blood circulation and shrink the pores. Now, there are a plethora of body scrubs available in a variety of textures, including granules, beads, and balls, in the market. 

They are specially designed for oily, dry, and combination skin. 

They can be applied to all body parts, but they work most effectively on dry and rough areas like knees, elbows, and feet.

Does it lighten your skin tone?

The fact that the answer is No may surprise you. Although scrubbing can make your skin look better, it is not likely to lighten your skin tone. 

Our skin color is determined by the amount of melanin, a pigment that is produced by melanocytes in our skin. It helps protect our skin from the sun’s UV rays which cause our skin to sunburn and skin damage. If you have darker skin,  it means you have more melanin in your skin. 

However, scrubbing your face or body does not affect your melanin; rather, it makes your skin brighten and even-toned. 

If you want to lighten your skin tone, there are other skincare options available that may be more effective. 

Here are some common skincare options to lighten your skin tone:

Skin Lightening Creams – Using skin lightening creams with hydroquinone, kojic acid, and arbutin can help to reduce the amount of melanin and lighten your skin tone. 

Chemical peels – Chemical peels contain chemical solutions that are applied to your skin to remove the outermost layer of the skin, which can reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation and dark spots and lighten your skin tone. 
Laser treatments – Laser treatments target particular hyperpigmented areas and reduce the melanin which results in lightening overall skin tone.

Bottom line

It is important to remember that skin-lightening procedures can have potential risks and adverse effects, such as skin sensitivity, irritation, and skin damage. Before using any skin-lightening products or undergoing any skin-lightening procedures, it is essential to consult your dermatologist to make sure that are safe and appropriate for your skin type and concerns.