One of the easiest and cheapest ways to get a youthful glow is to use exfoliating products. By exfoliating your skin with a facial scrub, you will remove the layer of dead skin cells that build up naturally throughout the day. Removing this layer leaves your skin looking healthy and feeling soft and silky smooth. Also, since the dead skin will no longer be clogging your pores, exfoliating your skin will also help to prevent blackhead, acne, and other blemishes.

Perhaps the best news is that you don't have to shell out the big bucks for expensive exfoliating products to reap the rewards of exfoliation! Chances are, you have all the ingredients for a great exfoliating facial scrub in your own kitchen.

To create a low-cost and effective homemade facial salt scrub scrub, combine a a dab of honey (about two tablespoons) and a pinch of sea salt (about 2 teaspoons) and gently massage into clean skin for a minute or two. Rinse off the facial scrub with warm water, then finish with a splash of ice cold water to close your pores. Honey is a natural antioxidant and is used in may professional skin care products. It will also keep your skin sterile during the exfoliation process as its antibacterial properties will kill off any bacteria. The coarse texture of the sea salt scrub does the job of sloughing off the dead skin. Sea salt is also a main ingredient in many high-end skincare and exfoliating products because of its ability to stimulate new skin cell growth. It is important not to scrub too long or too hard in the same area as this will only aggravate the skin. It is best to gently exfoliate three to four times a week and gradually advance to a daily routine to allow your skin to adapt.

One facial scrub in the family of exfoliating products that is worth paying a little extra for is a microdermabrasion cloth (available from retailers such as Sheer Miracle). This cloth contains microfibers that do a wonderful job of sloughing off dead skin and you will see (and feel!) the difference after the first use. As opposed to the homemade salt scrub, this treatment should only be used to exfoliate, at most, once a week since overuse may result in dry, irritated skin. Complete instructions for this product can be found on the company's website.

When you use exfoliating products, you are not limited only to your face! Any rough or dull area (elbows are a great example) can be transformed into soft, radiant skin with the help of a good exfoliating body scrub. After any routine used to exfoliate you skin, it is important to moisturize and apply sunscreen before going outside. Since you have removed a layer of skin, your face (or any exfoliated area) is more susceptible to sun damage.