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8 of the best face and body exfoliators you need in your life
Written byLiz Connor
Reviewed byH&B Regulatory Affairs
Dead skin getting in the way of your year-round glow? From manual scrubs to gentle chemical peels, keep top-to-toe fresh with these star beauty buys
Our top picks
Vegan
Sukin
Sukin Super Greens Facial Scrub 125ml
£9.95
5-blend AHAs
Trilogy
Trilogy Vitamin C Microdermabrasion 60ml
Save up to 1/2 Price
£17.43
£23.25
Brightens skin
Vitaskin
Vitaskin Vitamin C Gentle Daily Exfoliator
Save up to 1/2 Price
£12.00
£16.00
It’s all well and good slathering fancy serums and moisturisers into your skin in the pursuit of dewy hydration, but if your face is secretly harbouring a layer of dead skin cells, you’ll probably struggle to absorb the full benefits of your pricey beauty stash.
Which is exactly where exfoliation comes into play. This often overlooked skincare step works to slough away lingering surface build-up to reveal skin that looks radiant, refreshed and ready for the day.
Thankfully, the harsh apricot scrubs that plagued our bathroom cabinets and our skin barrier in the late nineties are firmly a thing of the past. Today’s smart exfoliators are made from innovative formulas that use hydroxy acids to dissolve dirt and gunk, leaving you wide-open to nailing that TikTok glass skin look…
Looking to save time on your next ‘everything shower’? This sweet body scrub doubles up as a moisturiser and a shower gel, sloughing away the day’s dirt while leaving the lingering scent of Moroccan rose – perfect for those days when you don’t have time for multiple steps.
With luxurious shea butter and a nourishing blend of Moroccan argan, rosehip, avocado and evening primrose oils, a quick sweep of this across your body will nourish and hydrate, leaving skin that’s smooth and baby soft.
Best for: dehydrated skin
With the vast array of beauty products available to us now, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by complicated, 10-step skincare routines. This exfoliator is an easy way to jump on the vitamin C bandwagon without needing to add an extra product into your routine – no fuss, no faff.
Best for: dull skin
Packed with high levels of the glowy vitamin, it’s blended with soothing sweet orange and kiwi seed oil, plus teeny tiny silica particles that help remove extra-stubborn dirt, leaving your skin feeling happy, healthy looking and radiant.
Best for: dull skin
Not a morning person? If the smell of a freshly brewed flat white is the only thing that gets you out of bed, this coffee scrub is sure to be your secret weapon for jumping straight into the shower first thing.
Loaded with caffeine-rich arabica coffee grounds, the natural particles in this scrub efficiently set to work on the dull, dry patches often caused by aeroplane AC, hot weather and dehydration. Add a zingy blend of lemongrass, lime and coconut essential oils in the mix, and you’ve got the perfect pick-me-up for when you’re feeling tired, groggy and cba.
Best for: dull skin
This skin-softening cocktail of arabica coffee and redness-reducing orange oil turns face washing into a ritual as pleasurable as that first sip of a barista-made latte.
Specifically formulated for dry, dehydrated skin, UpCircle’s face scrub contains a daily dose of rosehip – a natural oil that’s packed with essential fatty acids and vitamin A, which hydrates and plumps.1 Packing extra purifying properties, this is one to reach for when you feel a breakout coming on.
Best for: dry, dehydrated skin
If you like the sound of microdermabrasion but don’t fancy an in-clinic skin treatment, think of this pocket-sized product as your non-invasive alternative.
Designed to deliver skin resurfacing-like results in a pot, it’s formulated with powerful ingredients like finely milled pumice and a potent blend of five different AHAs – acids that gently exfoliate your skin2 without the need for manual scrubbing. Simply apply a thin layer to skin for three minutes and inhale the delectable vanilla-citrus scent before washing away with lukewarm water.
Best for: older skin
You’ve heard of eating your greens – but how about slathering them on your face? Sukin’s Super Greens Facial Scrub is all about harnessing the plant-powered goodness of nature’s leafiest ingredients.
There’s a bit of everything thrown in here: micro jojoba beads and ground bamboo to gently clear away unwanted gunk, kale, spirulina and parsley to nourish, plus added pineapple, liquorice and lime peel that smells as good as it sounds.
Best for: normal to dry skin types
Dead skin cells are radiance enemy number one, but you don’t need to sand-down your skin with coarse formulas to get a glow. In fact, going hard is likely to irritate your skin barrier, which can lead to a host of skin issues.
Top tip: AHA can increase your skin’s risk of sunburn and UV exposure,3 so always layer on SPF if you’re planning to add liquid exfoliators into your routine and follow the instructions on the label (check out our guide to sun lotion if you help choosing the right one).
Q+A’s gentle formula gets AHA to do all the hard work for you, sloughing away dulling dead skin, de-gunking pores and brightening your complexion.
Top tip: AHA can increase your skin’s risk of sunburn and UV exposure,3 so always layer on SPF if you’re planning to add liquid exfoliators into your routine and follow the instructions on the label (check out our guide to sun lotion if you help choosing the right one).
Best for: delicate skin.
If scrolling on TikTok has you seeking out glazed donut skin this season, a brightening exfoliator is a good step for laying the glowy foundations.
This one from Sukin packs kakadu plum, a natural source of vitamin C4 and bromelain, a natural fruit enzyme,5 to refresh skin and leave you feeling suitably pampered. Its jelly formula is also 100% vegan and cruelty-free.
Best for: vegans and dull skin types.
The final say
From hard-working body scrubs to gentle face exfoliators, with this hand-picked list of bathroom essentials, you’ve got all the go-to tools to keep every area of your body looking and feeling great this season.
Looking for more skincare inspiration? Check out our pick of the best hydrating beauty buys for radiant-looking skin.
This article provides informational advice and is not a substitute for medical care. Curated by experts for accuracy, we take great care to ensure the information is up-to-date and relevant. However, you should always consult your GP or healthcare professional before using supplements or alternative products, particularly if you have medical conditions or are under supervision.
1. Muzumdar S, Ferenczi K. Nutrition and youthful skin. Clinics in Dermatology. 2021 Sep;39(5):796–808.
2. Obagi S. Lifetime Skincare. Cosmetic Facial Surgery. 2018;656–67.
3. Tang SC, Yang JH. Dual Effects of Alpha-Hydroxy Acids on the Skin. Molecules : A Journal of Synthetic Chemistry and Natural Product Chemistry [Internet]. 2018 Apr 10;23(4). Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6017965/
4. Zhou Y, Phan ADT, Akter S, Bobasa EM, Seididamyeh M, Sivakumar D, et al. Bioactive Properties of Kakadu Plum-Blended Products. Molecules [Internet]. 2023 Jan 1;28(6):2828. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/28/6/2828
5. Agrawal P, Nikhade P, Patel A, Mankar N, Sedani S. Bromelain: a Potent Phytomedicine. Cureus [Internet]. 2022 Aug 11;14(8). Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9463608/
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