The ancient Egyptians are said to be the first to use dermabrasion skin care techniques to improve their skin. Kings and queens used alabaster and pumice to remove blemishes and rough spots and make their skin smooth and soft. In the mid-90's a skin care technique using aluminum oxide powder for microdermabrasion was developed in Italy. The process uses vacuum and a small orifice to accelerate the powder. Aluminum oxide abrades the skin and the vacuum cleans out blocked pores. Microdermabrasion has been developed as a less aggressive treatment and is often performed on people that can not afford the recovery period required from full dermabrasion procedures. Microdermabrasion is often referred to as the "lunch time face lift" because of the tightening and smoothing of the facial skin.