Modern Friction

First, let me make one thing very clear: I was not blessed with soft skin, particularly on my face. It's hard enough to keep my combination skin looking smooth, with its oily spots, flaky patches, and occasional blemishes. But getting it to feel soft to the touch has always been fairly impossible. That is, until I discovered the life-changing Modern Friction face scrub from Origins ($36).

In the past, I have steered away from so-called dermabrasion products, because I was afraid they would irritate my skin. But this product does quite the opposite: It gets rid of irritation, uneveness, dry patches, and dullness by gently resurfacing your face all over. After the scrub, my face has a ruddy glow, but it looks polished and not the slightest bit angry, so read more

When I was in my early 20s, the phrase "tired-looking skin" wasn't even in my vocabulary. But lately, dull, worn-out skin has been one of my biggest beauty woes. So this weekend, in an attempt to brighten up my face, I bought my first jar of Origins Modern Friction, $36, available here. The gentle dermabrasion scrub, made from rice starch, promises to slough away dead skin cells and even out your complexion.

Because I have sensitive skin, I've always been wary of dermabrasion. But when the Origins sales lady demonstrated the scrub on my hand and I felt the silky smooth results, I was hooked. Plus, it's incredibly easy to use: You apply the scrub on your face when it's dry, then add just a splash of water and massage it in for a few minutes. Your skin will come out looking brighter and feeling creamy. Also, rumor has it that Origins will soon be launching Modern Friction for the body, so stay tuned.