Walnut Scrubs – Are They Good For Your Skin?

It's a controversial beauty topic

Posted on

15 May 2019

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Walnut Scrubs – Are They Good For Your Skin?

The walnut is a food, packed with proteins, good fats, antioxidants, fibre and minerals all in one shot.

Sure, this powerhouse is packed with goodness of nature – but besides being good for your overall health, it is believed that the walnut also has many skin rejuvenating benefits, too. Especially in the forms of scrubs – but we want to explore, are walnut scrubs good for your skin?

Following recent criticism by experts of Kylie Jenner’s new walnut facial scrub from her latest skincare line, Kylie Skin, we look at whether using walnut facial scrubs are beneficial for your skin type at all.

The believed benefits of walnut facial scrubs

Jam-packed with goodness, walnuts have made their way into skincare regimes and facial scrubs over the years. They promise to slough away dullness and pimples, leaving skin glowing.

Fiber helps to improve blood circulation, for instance, whilst the good fat in walnuts – Omega 3 – help to keep your skin healthy and glowing with youth. Proteins help repair wounds faster, and antioxidants can help your skin fight harmful dust, pollution and UV rays.

Are walnut facial scrubs damaging to your skin?

As with most things, use facial scrubs in moderation. Nowadays dermatologists warn about the effects of over-exfoliation, and this is true of any facial scrub.

But when it comes to the walnut – its powder is too harsh of an ingredient.

Many facial scrubs available use crushed walnut shells as their main ingredient, which cause micro-tears in skin if used too much. And while yes, your skin is adept at repairing itself, over-zealous scrubbing isn’t beneficial for any skin type.

After all, if skin is scrubbed repeatedly, it begins to protect itself by forming an even thicker layer of dead skin cells on the surface leaving you trapped in a vicious cycle of scrubbing, and scrubbing, and scrubbing.

If a facial scrub is too harsh, contain irritating ingredients or are overused, this can leave the skin more prone to dryness and micro-abrasions, resulting in irritation and inflammation.

Walnut facial scrub - are they damaging?

Should you be using a facial scrub at all?

It all depends on your face, your skin type and your needs. Experts categories facial scrubs into two categories; physical, and chemical.

Physical exfoliants include ingredients like jojoba beads, clay, sugar and salt. You may also use a muslin wash cloth, a sponge or a brush or undergo microdermabrasion. These methods physically scrub your skin clean.

Whereas chemical exfoliants use acids to exfoliate. Most commonly, these are AHAs – like glycolic acid, lactic acid and so on – and BHA, like salicylic acid.

Physical or chemical scrubs – which one is better?
Generally, for your face, chemical exfoliants are the best option for ridding your skin of dirt and grime, without causing irritation. In fact, whilst the name ‘chemical’ insinuates harsher exfoliation, the effect is quite the opposite. Chemical exfoliation is gentler on your skin, as it doesn’t involve scrubbing.

Physical exfoliation can be too harsh on the skin if not done properly or too frequently – like using walnut facial scrubs.

Can you scrub your face too much?

No matter what exfoliant you’re using, it is possible to overdo it – and your face won’t be happy with you if that happens.

Over-exfoliation causes irritation, inflammation like acne, and makes you more susceptible to sunburn, whilst losing moisture and disrupting your natural skin barrier.

Experts suggest limiting exfoliation to once or twice a week and remember to sooth and protect your skin post-exfoliation by loading up on moisturisers and sunscreen. Look for products with ceramides, hyaluronic acid and peptides to strengthen you skin barrier.