Just like your face, your body needs exfoliation to stay soft, smooth, and healthy. If your current body care is limited to a loofah and a bar of soap, it’s time to level up. Here’s everything you need to know about adding an exfoliating body scrub to your skin care routine and the reasons why you should be sugar scrubbing.
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5 Reasons why you should Sugar Scrub
What Is A Body Scrub?
Body scrubs are physical exfoliants that mechanically slough away dead skin cells. The feel of a “scrub” typically comes from a combination of sugar and/or salt that is suspended in an oil base. While some scrubs (particularly of the DIY variety) contain coarse salt and sugar particles, higher-quality varieties are formulated with fine, premium particles that polish skin without being abrasive.
5 Reasons why you should Sugar Scrub
1. Sugar Scrub Exfoliates Your Skin
You might be unsure of what “exfoliation” is. It’s when you remove the outer layer of dead skin cells. Essentially, it gently encourages cell turnover and brings healthier skin to the surface.
Sugar granules are rounder and less abrasive than salt, making them a gentler exfoliant. A natural source of glycolic acid (an AHA), sugar breaks down layers of dead skin and smooths the skin’s surface. It also speeds up rehydration, keeping skin conditioned and moisturized. For this reason, sugar scrubs are a fantastic pick for dry and dehydrated types.
2. Get an even tan - Real or Fake
When you exfoliate before you go play in the sun or get a fake spray tan, it helps both the “real” and “fake” tan last longer! Since the old layer of dead skin cells was exfoliated away, the fake tan and or suntan looks smoother and even.
*AO GLOW Skin tip: Use our Awapuhi Vanilla Sugar Scrub before going to the beach or pool and use one of our Reef Safe Tanning Oils to elevate your tan.
3. Helps To Avoid or Remove Pesky Ingrown Hairs
One way to treat yourself is to use our Awapuhi Vanilla Sugar Salt Scrub before shaving. When you use the scrub, it can help unclog pores and remove textured skin that can lead to those pesky ingrown hairs.
4. Helps To Remove Toxins
No matter how well we take care of our body and skin, there’s always outside factors we can’t control: UV rays, pollution, pesticides—they all contribute to premature aging. Using our Awapuhi Vanilla Sugar Salt Scrub is formulated with 'Alaea salt, which can help rid your skin of those daily toxins and keep you looking and feeling youthful.
'Alaea Salt also has detoxifying properties: Its trace minerals are natural purifiers that draw out pore-clogging toxins and relieve congestion. This action invigorates the skin, promoting more efficient circulation and healthy skin cell turnover.
5. Sugar Body Scrub Removes Dry Bits
Enough said, right? Sugar + oil + dry skin = nourished and smooth skin. A lot of people think they shouldn’t use body scrubs if they have dry skin. Well, they’re wrong! Body scrubs remove dead skin cells and then moisturize with oil. It’s a perfect formula.
Pamper your skin and have an at-home spa day treat every week with our Awapuhi Vanilla Sugar Scrub & Body Lotion.
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Best Gift Ideas for Mother's Day
As a mama, I've had the blessing of being able to celebrate Mother's Day with my ‘ohana for 12 years now! Mothers work hard, so they deserve to be pampered and showered with gifts on our special day.
You can get your mama her favorite flowers, or this Mother's Day, you can skip the cliché gift and get her something you know she will love and that will last longer than just a few days. Here are six unique gift ideas for any and every kind of mom!
1. For the On-the-Go Mama
Make skincare simple and quick for mom by getting her The Basics Box!
It is available in three different sets:
ʻŌlena & Honey Set
Rose Water Set
Hibiscus Set
2. For the At-Home Spa Day Mom
AO Tip: Get mom our clay mask and mask bowl so she can mix the powder with water or apple cider vinegar!
3. For the Beach-Loving Mother
4. For the Pikake Princess
5. For the Radiant + Glowing Goddess
Our new ‘Iliwai Hydration Serum is ideal for all skin types, with special benefits for skin with visible signs of aging, including fine lines, wrinkles, enlarged pores, and lack of elasticity!
6. For the Mama Who Wants Everything!
Gift Ideas from Other Local Businesses
Looking for more Mother's Day gifting ideas? Here are some of our favorite local mama-owned businesses that you can support this year!
Happy Mother's Day!
Xoxo,
Chelsa + the AO ‘ohana
Why You Need to Use a Serum and Moisturizer
Serum vs. Moisturizer
Serum
- Thinner and lighter than moisturizers, and are always applied before your moisturizer.
- Contain highly active ingredients that penetrate deep into your skin.
- Designed to treat skin concerns like acne, wrinkles, antioxidant, and discoloration.
- They are comprised of tiny molecules that are able to absorb deep into the layers of the skin.
Moisturizer
- Thicker and creamier than serums.
- Create a barrier that locks in moisture and nutrients.
- The molecules in moisturizers are larger than serums, so they are meant to add moisture to the top layer of the skin.
It is beneficial to use both a serum and moisturizer. Use your serum before your moisturizer. Adding this combo to your skincare routine will give your skin a double dose of hydrating and healing ingredients!
Skin Myth
It’s okay to skip moisturizer, and just use serum alone.
Serums are truly state-of-the-art skin care products because they are potent formulations that deliver beneficial high-performance ingredients such as antioxidants, humectants or other cell-communicating components to the skin.
As beneficial as serums are, dont be tempted to skip your moisturizer, especially if the consistency of the serum you’re using resembles a lotion or an oil-based serum. Moisturizing is a crucial part of skin care! Keep in mind that your skin protects the entire body. Moisturizers protect our skin from the elements, all while hydrating and softening it. Also, while some serums contain hydrating ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, you still need to add layer a moisturizer over the serum to seal it into the skin!
‘Iliwai Hydration Serum Drops Soon!
Get ready for our NEW ‘Iliwai Hydration Serum, which drops this Friday, Mar. 12 at 6 a.m. HST.
PRO SKIN TIP:
- Cleanse
- Tone
- Apply our new ‘ILIWAI HYDRATION SERUM
- Lastly, lock it in with a moisturizer!
Be sure to sign up for our e-newsletter to be in the know, and get an alert when this serum hits our site!
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Get your moisturizer to go along with your new serum!
Mask On!
These days the essential accessory is the face mask, which we all need to protect our health during this pandemic. However, today we're talking about a different kind of face mask–our ‘Alaea Clay Detoxifying Mask!
Combatting Maskne (Mask-Acne)
Wear a mask! This you already know–but do you know how often you should be washing your mask or even how to safely wash it to prevent getting “maskne” or mask-acne? Sometimes tossing your used masks in the washer may be counterproductive for your skin as certain detergents may irritate it. However, we have the perfect solution to address this new skin issue some of us may be “face”-ing!
What you need:
1 medium-sized bowl
1 ½ c water
5 to 10 drops melaleuca oil
5 to 10 drops lemon essential oil
1 tbsp liquid castile soap (our favorite is Dr. Bronner's Pure-Castile Liquid Soap)
Instructions:
- Place all contents in the bowl and mix.
- Soak your mask in the liquid mixture for 10 to 20 minutes.
- Remove the mask from the liquid mixture and lightly scrub it, then hang to dry.
“Maskne” prevention tips:
- Have at least three to four masks on hand that you can use and rotate through.
- Save your cotton masks for longer wear periods like an eight-hour work shift.
- Use masks with thinner material (i.e. Lycra) for shorter wear periods like a quick trip to the grocery store.
- Skip the makeup from the nose down–just apply eyeliner, eyebrow pencil, mascara, etc., and of course, don’t forget your Ao Organics sunscreen!
Combatting “maskne”:
If you are already suffering from acne, try some of our products that will treat it!
- ‘Ōlena + Honey Foaming Cleanser
- Hibiscus Mist Facial Toner
- Ili Hydration Moisturizer
Be sure to wash your mask every three to four days (of course, the more often you wash it, the cleaner it will be!). For more information, click here for a clip from KHON2 featuring our friends at Revival Beauty Bar!
