A Scar-y Halloween

Scars are natural. Composed of fibrous tissue, they are healed patches of skin where repair or replacement was needed. The concept is … beautiful. But because scarred skin doesn’t quite match regular skin and can remind us of something painful, we don’t easily see beauty there. 

Popular culture has even portrayed scars as … scary. There’s a reason why we fear Freddy Krueger. Hint: It’s not his fedora. There are different types of facial scars and each can be treated a little differently. We’ll work with Freddy’s first.

Scars from burns

After your burn has been treated and declared “healed” by a medical professional, consider some common and not-so-common homeopathic approaches to reducing the appearance of a scar. For instance, potatoes have an enzyme called catecholase, a natural bleach. If you slice a potato (raw) and rub it gently over a scar (up to three times a day), the scar’s darkness will lighten up. 

Another natural “bleach” is fenugreek seeds, which give birth to an herb similar to clover. If you soak the seeks overnight and grind them the next day, it makes a paste you can apply to your scar. Let it remain for half an hour and then wash it off with cold water. You should do this twice daily, experts advise.

There are a whole host of other natural products your scars will respond to. But do some research on the ingredients and remember that most of these mitigation measures are just that—mitigation, not medical treatment for a fresh burn. A common example is the use of aloe, as in rubbing the gelatinous insides of the succulent’s leaves over a burn. For minor burns where there is just redness, this may be all the moisturizing and cleansing treatment you need. But for anything more serious, aloe is merely a supplemental treatment not a total solution.

Scars from cuts or wounds

Scars that form from a cut or other wound are typically the most fibrous. That means the skin is super tight and can benefit from regular massaging. Think of it like a tightened or cramped muscle that needs a little TLC. 

When doing that massage, think about how you can make the area more moist and smoother. Moisturizers will help with the former of course, but a quality scrub will help with that and the latter too. Remember, a scar means the skin has healed. So, like any skin, it needs exfoliation too. In fact, the exfoliation process removes the dead and often discolored skin cells that were used to form your scar, and that means the newer cells underneath will now be seen.

A cutting-edge, organic-friendly way to exfoliate is with organic body scrubs relying on the natural cleansers and moisturizers found in healthy foods. Many coffee and chocolate scrubs for instance, are packed with cleansers and moisturizers like jojoba oil, coconut oil, honey, brown sugar and Dead Sea mineral salt. 

Scars, blemishes from acne

Ask any dermatologist and/or nutritionist and they’ll tell you one way to lessen and sometimes even prevent acne blemishes is to not get acne in the first place. And that’s done through clean and healthy eating. 

Well, guess what? If you do get acne, those healthy foods can still play a role. From sweets like honey and dark chocolate to fruits like banana, plants like jojoba, and herbs like mint, organic foods are becoming more commonly used in skincare products. When you start noticing stretch marks, skin blemishes, or your skin condition worsens, it’s time to consider organic body scrubs. 

One trending product is rose body scrub, which can be effective in healing small scars. This product typically contains other skin-friendly ingredients like sweet almond oil and vitamin E in addition to rose bud petals. The combination has antibacterial properties, which can help promote the growth of healthier skin and make scars less visible by evening out skin tone.

Rashes and pimples

We can’t stress enough the importance of using scrubs, and the importance of using scrubs once skin—whether it’s from a wound or from a fresh pimple—has been healed. Scrubs are meant for healed skin, and when it comes to skin health—and scary appearances for that matter—timing is everything.

The other skin condition that can be Halloween-grade scary is rash. Rashes can be caused by a myriad of issues, from allergies to shingles. If you are experiencing a rash, think moisturizing not exfoliating. And if the rash is painful, bleeding, or not going away, it’s time for more than an oatmeal bath. It’s time to see the doctor.

Some Final Words About Scrubs

In addition to using scrubs on scars, there are six other skin conditions where using body scrubs—correctly—are beneficial. They are:

1. Eczema—This is a chronic skin condition that afflicts many people with painful sores, flaky skin, itchiness, and other symptoms that impact their everyday lives and affect the way they look.
2. Acne—Relieving the symptoms of acne is a challenge most, if not all of us face in our lifetime.
3. Blackheads—Skin scrubs are a great way to remove blackheads, which can happen when your pores get clogged with sebum (natural oil your body produces) and dead skin.
4. Dark spots—These are a common symptom of aging skin or too much sun exposure. These deeply pigmented spots can pop up just about anywhere, and they can be very difficult to remove.
5. Dead skin—Although your body is constantly shedding and regrowing your skin, it can sometimes use a little help. Even when skin dies, it can often stick around for a while, which is where that dull, itchy, flaky complexion comes from.
6. Dirty skin—Fresh, clean skin starts with exfoliation, which is the use of abrasive particles to remove dirt, debris, and dead skin from your body.