Face and body scrubs are some of the most gratifying products in your bathroom cabinet and for good reason. With results ranging from glowing skin to increased smoothness, what’s not to love? That being said, regular exfoliation is key if you want your skin to look its best as dead skin cells can gather on the surface, leading to issues like dullness and pesky breakouts. If you’re in the market for a new scrub or two, read on to check out our expert-approved picks, below.
Body Scrubs
Nichelle Temple, Esthetician and Founder of Inderma Studio, tells Lively that she loves and uses the LINNÉ Activate body wash. “After a run or bike ride, I apply some on my calves and back of the knees for a pick-me-up post workout — it energizes the skin in a very refreshing way and smells of eucalyptus and charcoal,” she says. “If I am in the mood for a bath, I will apply everywhere on the body in circular motions to help exfoliate and improve circulation.” She’s also a fan of this Detox Exfoliating Body Scrub from The Seaweed Bath Co. “It has coffee extract and French clay and with increased use of hand sanitizers lately, I like to use a bit on the back of my hands as well as full body,” she says. Temple adds that she regularly moisturizes with Environ’s Body kit (body oil and DermaLac lotion). “It’s rich in vitamins A, C and E, lactic acid and mandolin acid, and the cocktail of mixing the two will simultaneously exfoliate and hydrate the skin.”
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If you have blemish-prone skin, Brigitte Tolson, Medical Aesthetician and Founder of Green Chemistry Skincare, suggests checking out Osea’s Salt of the Earth Body Scrubwhich blends detoxifying kaolin clay with dead sea salts and essential oils for a mineral-rich scrub. “Although it's superb for tackling body breakouts, it's also gentle enough for all skin types,” Tolson notes.
Joyce Marie Partise, Owner and Skincare Therapist at Joyce Marie of Beverly Hills, shares that Cali Cosmetics has a wonderful Tarocco Body Scrub that combines Sicilian red orange, Mediterranean sea salt, aloe vera and white ginger to simultaneously exfoliate, calm and moisturize the skin. Another body scrub recommendation from Partise is the Lalicious Body Scrub line. “These products are paraben free, sulfate free, 99% vegan and base exfoliants include ingredients like brown sugar, cane sugar and coffee grounds,” she says. “The line comes in an assortment of delicious scents like lavender, pumpkin and coconut and also include nourishing oils that leave the skin soft and hydrated.”
Face Exfoliators
Moving on to face exfoliators. If you have dry skin, Tolson suggests reaching for Daily Detox from Green Chemistry.“This product blends active papaya enzymes with plant butters and wild sourced flowers to exfoliate even the most dry and sensitive skin, but round jojoba beads ensure it's thorough,” she says. “Plus, thanks to geraniums and chamomile, it smells like a day spa and Green Chemistry donates $3 to bee conservation for every product purchased.”
Partise highlights a few products from Dermalogica as her top picks: “A new product that was just released is the Hydro Masque Exfoliant — its key ingredients include bamboo, snow mushroom, sugar beets, sunflower, safflower and jojoba seed extract,” she says, adding that the combination of these ingredients mildly exfoliate, strengthen the skin’s moisture barrier and soothes dehydrated, sensitive skin. Next up is the Multivitamin Thermafoliant. “Part of Dermalogica’s ‘Age Smart’ line, this exfoliant contains ingredients like lactic and salicylic acid along with vitamins C and E — this product is perfect to help smooth away dead skin cells and speed cell renewal while brightening the skin’s surface,” she explains. And the Daily Microfoliant is a rice-based enzyme powder that is gentle enough to use every day on even the most sensitive skin types. “Papain and salicylic acid dissolve dead skin cells and help to loosen pore-clogging debris, while the combination of licorice, grapefruit and rice extract also help to brighten the skin.”
Lastly, Temple shares that her go-to exfoliation is the Environ Hydrating Clay Masque. She notes that the formula is a dream come true and can be used in three ways: (1) Apply pre-cleansing oil and massage hydrating clay masque onto face with the oil — you’ll get the best exfoliation with this method. It’s not a “scrub” that we’re used to, but if you were to look at the skin under a microscope you’d see all the dull cells sloughing off; (2) After cleansing and patting skin dry, apply masque and hang out for 20 minutes before rinsing off; (3) Apply as a hydrating overnight masque that you can sleep in. “I like that this is a multi-purpose product that can give your skin more of what it needs without buying more and overcrowding your beauty shelf,” she adds.
Cleansing Devices
If you’re looking for a device to aid with exfoliation, Tolson points us to Skin Lord Co. which is a woman-owned company that makes a hypoallergenic cleansing brush. She says that it’s safe for the shower, can be used on both the face and body, and has vibrations in 5 settings that can be adjusted to your liking. Temple adds that most days she uses a dry brush (such as this one) before hopping into the shower which is known to help exfoliate and aid in smooth, glowing skin.