The other night we were channel surfing and as embarrassing as this may sound we found ourselves watching the shopping channel. It completely sucked us in. But that is not the most embarrassing part – we even recorded it!
In our defence it was a skincare segment and the guy was pretty slick. The bit that really sparked our interest was a product which was heralded as a non-negotiable – if you buy one product it had to be this one because no other product quickly transforms skin like this one.
“What is it?” you ask. It was a thermo enzymatic microdermabrasion treatment.
Time for Nosey Nigel
So being the Nosey Nigel that I am I checked it out to see what was actually in this amazing microdermabrasion treatment to back up the magical skin rejuvenating claims.
What I found was something so simple you can easily recreate in your own home.
The main two ingredients which do all the hard work resurfacing your skin is magnesium oxide and wait for it – good ol’ bicarb soda. After researching microdermabrasion a bit more it was confirmed that these two ingredients are commonly used by beauticians in treatments.
Thermo Enzymes??
Enzymes are good but what makes enzymes “thermo”? The “thermo” (heat) portion of this product is the result of a chemical reaction that occurs when magnesium oxide mixes with water. It feels pleasant, but it doesn’t offer any benefit for skin (e.g., it doesn’t open pores—pores don’t open and close like window blinds).
Light Bulb Moment
What popped straight into our head was, if we add some bicarb soda to the Cloud 9 Cleansing Balm would you get a similar result as demonstrated on the shopping channel?
Another quick search revealed we were not the first to think if this. There were many articles about DIY microdermabrasion recipes. All of them used bicarb soda.
Being the eager beavers we are we tried it straight away. Did it work? You betcha it did. It worked an absolute treat. There weren’t any thermo warming and cooling sensations but we did end up with very smooth soft skin.
The best part about using the Cloud 9 Deep Cleansing Balm was that you got the exfoliating effects without the irritation.
How to turn the Cloud 9 Cleansing Balm into a Microdermabrasion treatment?
This is how we did it:
- 1 teaspoon Bicarb Soda
- 1 teaspoon Cloud 9 Deep Cleansing Balm
- ½ teaspoon water (for enzymes use the Tickled Pink Perfecting Tonic)
Mix everything together into a bowl and gently massage over your skin in circular motions for 1-2 minutes. Avoid sensitive areas like the eyes, lips and nostrils.
This made enough to do our face, hands, neck and décolletage.
Some important considerations
- If you have sensitive skin test on a small area first. Bicarb soda is highly alkaline which can cause irritation and can cause dryness. Unfortunately it may not be suitable those with really sensitive skin.
- Ensure it is all washed off. Again bicarb soda can irritate so you don’t want to leave any on.
- Since you have removed all the dead skin cell lumps and bumps your skin is primed and will soak up everything better. Spray on some of your favourite tonic.
- You will need to moisturise really well. If you been on the ball and snapped up a free Happily Ever Vitamin C Eye serum then this the perfect time to use it. We then recommend following it with the Good Vibes Omega Facial Oil or the Laugh Out Loud Active Jojoba Oil.
- You will only need to this once a week, or even less frequently.
So now you if find yourself getting sucked in by Mr Slick on the shopping channel put the credit card down and save your pennies. For a great microdermabrasion treatment all you need is some bicarb soda from the pantry and the Cloud 9 Deep Cleansing Balm.
