City Gritty: Scrub your way to healthier skin, lips, and hair

by Heather Bouzan, 02-06-2008

Sometimes we get so caught up in scrubbing the obvious - elbows, knees, face - that we forget about other parts that might need a little de-flaking. For one of them, we discovered the Lips to Die For Lip Facial Trio ($60) by Peter Thomas Roth. Available online at www.peterthomasroth.com, the tube contains three treatments that together leave lips smooth, rosy, and makeout-ready: Heavenly Lemon Sugar Scrub (a fine-grit formula that smells good enough to eat), Super Smooth Lip Putty (a clay masque-like moisturizing treatment), and Pink Bombshell Lip Balm (a conditioning gloss in a subtle, shimmering shade).

There's always a cult product that beauty editors and good-looking regular folks alike just can't stop gushing about. When it comes to exfoliants, Brown Sugar Body Polish ($62.50) from Fresh is it. The price gets you a hefty tub of the stuff, and a little bit goes a long way. This scrub doesn't mess around: it's chock full of real brown sugar crystals that are soaked in hydrating oils like sweet almond, evening primrose, and jojoba. Skin is left glowing, and there's no need to moisturize post-treatment. Find it at Fresh (121 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.421.1212).

We look like an otherworldly creature from a B-list horror movie as we're applying it, but the Olive Face Scrub Mud ($28), available at L'Occitane (Prudential Center, 800 Boylston Street, Boston, 617.536.4289), leaves our skin looking healthier, softer, and cleaner than it's ever been. Formulated with purifying green clay and shea butter, the scrub exfoliates with crushed olive stones and calls on olive oil to moisturize. Plus, it looks chic and Old Hollywood on our dressing table.

We've been aching for a reason to feature New York-based apothecary Malin+Goetz in one of our columns, and the perfect opportunity finally presented itself: the company's Peppermint Body Scrub ($30). We love its extra-gritty texture and refreshing, minty scent. Bamboo and pumice also help sand off dead skin. It's available locally at Barneys New York (Copley Place, 100 Huntington Avenue, Boston, 617.385.3300).

When it comes to the Ole Henriksen Rub N' Buff Salt Scrub ($48), we think it's all about the fragrance. But the lavender and lemongrass essential oils that perfume the thick, paste-like scrub do more than smell good: the former soothes, repairs, and renews skin, while the latter is a detoxifier that's known to relieve muscle tension. Massage it on two or three times a week and be sure to follow up application with a creamy moisturizer. Get it at Sephora (Prudential Center, 800 Boylston Street, Boston, 617.262.4200).

The scalp is another area likely to be overlooked, but - hello, dandruff! - it, too, can benefit from a good scrubbing. And the bursting jojoba beads contained in Trattamento D'Alternaza Exfoliating Treatment ($26) from Oscar Blandi take the scalp massage to another level. The product is meant for use once a week or so; massage it into scalp and hair, leave it on for up to 15 minutes, and rinse. Vitamins A, C, and E, along with soy and wheat proteins, leave locks nourished and radiant. Stock up at Sephora. @