The Face Polish Designed To Give You A Glow In An Instant
Rebecca Sullivan worked as a lifestyle and beauty journalist for almost a decade, before crossing over brand-side to work behind-the-scenes in the beauty industry full time. Now, she works in PR, Communications and Content strategy, and literally gets paid to play with lipstick and highlighters all day.
Exfoliation is an essential step in any good skincare routine, but we all know it’s very easy to become so addicted to that I-Just-Exfoliated, fresh-faced glow that we can go slightly overboard on the face scrub.
Overusing a physical face exfoliator - either by using it too often or scrubbing just a little too hard - can result in tiny microtears in the skin, along with increased redness, irritation, tight pores and a compromised skin barrier. And nobody has time for that!
But for those of us who aren’t willing to bid farewell to physical exfoliators altogether (although I hope that old tube of Apricot Scrub has definitely been chucked in the bin!), there’s a new, more gentle type of scrub to acquaint ourselves with - a face polish.
What Is A Face Polish And How Do You Use It?
A face polish is a water-activated, powder-to-foam, exfoliating cleanser. Basically, if a physical exfoliant and a chemical exfoliant had a baby, the product would be a face polish.
(If you’ve ever used Dermalogica’s famous Daily Superfoliant or Daily Microfoliant, you’ll be familiar with how these powders work.)
Now there’s a new face polish from Australian beauty brand Sand & Sky - the same crew behind the Instagram-famous pink clay Sand & Sky face mask - that gives you a gorgeous lit-from-within glow in just 15 seconds!
The Sand & Sky Emu Apple Enzyme Power Polish is a powder that uses both physical and chemical exfoliators to buff and polish the skin, giving you that lovely post-facial glow.
You mix this fine white powder with a tiny bit of water to “activate” the product, mix the solution in your hands and you’ll find you have a light pink foaming face wash.
Gently wash your face, focusing on those areas that could use a little extra TLC. FYI, it’s best to use this as the second step in your “double cleansing” routine, after you’ve removed your makeup and surface oils, so the polish can really do its job properly.
A Breakdown Of The Ingredients:
As an Australian brand, Sand & Sky uses potent local native plant ingredients in all of its products.
Australia is home to loads of incredible fruits that are jam-packed full of antioxidants and brightening ingredients that can reduce pigmentation, dark spots and improve overall radiance and glow.
Papaya enzymes: The papaya fruit contains natural acids that when incorporated into skincare and applied to the skin, can eat away at dead skin cells and dark spots, enhancing skin texture and glow. Enzyme exfoliants are great for people with sensitive skin, as they are less harsh than other popular AHAs like lactic and glycolic acid.
Emu Apple: This fruit actually looks like a berry, similar to a cranberry. It’s native to Australia and is found deep in the bush. It’s packed full of vitamin C and loads of antioxidants - it actually contains three times more antioxidants than blueberries, making it one of the highest concentrated ingredients in the world.
Quandong: This is a native bush plant packed full of natural AHAs, which gently exfoliate the skin while also giving it a good whack full of antioxidants.
Davidson Plum: An antioxidant powerhouse, this fruit was traditionally eaten as “bush tucker” by Indigenous communities in New South Wales and Queensland. It also contains some very gentle AHAs, exfoliating the skin without the usual side effects.
Jojoba and macadamia oils: These nourishing oils pack some hydration back into the skin to prevent dehydrating, redness and irritation.
How To Incorporate It Into Your Weekly Skincare Routine:
Everyone is different - there are some people who love to exfoliate their faces everyday - but for most of us, we shouldn’t exfoliate more than a few times a week. This includes both chemical and physical exfoliators.
So if you already incorporate active ingredients such as BHAs and AHAs into your routine - things like salicylic acid, lactic acid or glycolic acid - using this product once a week or once a fortnight is ideal.
I like to use this when my skin feels super oily and congested, when I’ve got loads of blackheads or pimples popping up and I want that fresh-faced feeling.
Step 1: Take off makeup, excess oil & grime with micellar water or oil cleanser
Step 2: Wash your face with your normal cleanser
Step 3: Activate the face polish with a little water, rub gently over your face, focusing on any uneven or congested areas, then rinse off
Step 4: Follow with your regular skincare routine, but avoid too many intense AHA products
Step 5: Always make sure you use SPF, as the fresh new skin you’ve just uncovered will be more vulnerable to sun damage.
