The best body exfoliator scrubs for glowing, smooth, soft skin: best sugar body scrubs, best body scrubs for ingrown hairs, and best scrubs for face and body.
Just like using a face scrub can make skin glow, a body scrub can improve the skin below your neck. “Gently sloughing dead cells away can reveal softer, smoother, and more luminous skin,” says dermatologist Shari Marchbein, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at New York University School of Medicine. “It also allows the skin the absorb moisturizers applied afterwards more effectively.”
Body scrubs are mechanical (also known as physical) exfoliants. “They use abrasive particles or granules such as sugar or salt, ground nut shells, cornmeal, or beads made from a natural ingredient like silica or jojoba to lift and remove dead skin cells and dirt with friction,” says Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab senior chemist Sabina Wizemann. If you don't exfoliate, dead skin "can pile up into a thick, rough layer that scatters light rays and causes skin to appear ashy and dull,” says Wizemann. “The over-accumulation of dead skin can also lead to acne, clogged pores, and premature signs of aging.”
Ready to get silky, touchable, glowing skin you’ll want to show off? Shop our list of Good Housekeeping Institute- and reviewer-approved exfoliating body scrubs for all skin types.
You can read more about how we evaluate body scrubs in our lab and consumer tests — plus everything you need to know about finding the best body body scrub for your skin type — at the end of this guide. Looking for more ways to improve your skin? Check out our guides to the best body washes and the best body lotions for your money.