This exfoliating mitten makes my skin feel like a damn cloud
This is You Won't Regret It, a new weekly column featuring recommendations, tips, and unsolicited advice from the Mashable culture team.
There are few greater joys than having insanely soft baby skin. Some people are born with it while others — like me — have to labor to achieve desired softness.
In my quest to join the ranks of those with satin-like limbs, I have tried many things. Over the years, various exfoliating brushes or gloves have made their way in and out of my bathroom. Name a cream or lotion, and I've probably tried that too. But nothing has come close to the dear friend and ally I have found in the Baiden Mitten — an exfoliating mitt that will have you feeling like a goddamn cloud.
When I was younger, I was always self-conscious about the tiny bumps that littered my arms and caused my skin to feel rough to the touch. Later in life, I learned that I had a very common skin condition called keratosis pilaris (KP for short.) As a self-conscious teenager I tried various ways to scrub them away, but nothing seemed to work until I found the Baiden Mitten.
I stumbled upon it while comparing exfoliating gloves online, and when I saw the photos of dead skin sloughing off of folks who had purchased the product, I felt the same sensation I'm sure pimple popper fanatics have felt: equal parts disgusted and utterly fascinated.
I felt the same sensation I imagine pimple-popper fanatics have felt: equal parts disgust and utter fascination.
The mitten is pretty simple in design, featuring tightly woven fibers are a little rough to the touch.
Once you've soaked and steamed your skin in a bath or shower, you take the mitten and apply pressure to whatever area you're exfoliating. With a firm hand, you essentially stroke up or down or side to side and dead skin just...rolls off. The clumps of skin (ew, I know) roll together and form bigger clumps that grab smaller clumps and...wow, it's just engrossing.
Less dead skin will slough off every time you use it, but if you're consistent, you'll notice long-lasting results. I moisturize liberally afterwards (rotating between jojoba oil, coconut oil, shea butter, or Amlactin lotion depending on the season) and then beg everyone in my life to touch my arm and see how smooth it is. Sorry, friends.
I've come to terms with the fact that I will probably have KP forever, and it doesn't bother me as an adult like it did when I was a kid. Still, the Baiden Mitten is one thing that's turned into a staple in my self-care routine. Literally feeling good helps me feel good, too.
While I use it strictly for my arms and legs, the (extremely outdated) website suggests that it can be used on the face (as long as you follow the instructions). There are plenty of pros and cons to physical exfoliation vs. chemical exfoliation for the face, so my best advice is to just do what feels best for you.
A Baiden Mitten will run you about $50 on Amazon, and while they do last a long time, it might cost more than you're willing to spend. Here are some alternatives that the people of Reddit's /r/SkincareAddiction and across the internet have had success with:
Stay smooth, friends!
