The 15 Best Body Scrubs of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

There are few things that feel more luxurious than exfoliated skin and a close shave — and the best way to achieve this simple pleasure is by incorporating a body scrub into your shower routine. You may have DIY’d a scrub or two in your day with a combination of sugar and oil, but nothing beats the spa-like scents and long-lasting nourishment of the scrubs that we tested and approved. While you can surely go to the kitchen to whip up a quick exfoliating fix, neither us nor dermatologists recommend it.

Because pure sugar granules from your cupboard can be far too jagged and abrasive on your skin, they should never be used on your face. Instead, these carefully formulated scrubs are made with pulverized ingredients that lightly slough the skin on your body to resurface your shining new layer underneath. “Body scrubs are intended to exfoliate and remove dry flakes and dull skin cells from the top layer of the skin, increasing luminosity, smoothness, and priming the skin for hydration with moisturizer,” says Dr. Rebecca Marcus, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Maei MD. This middle step between cleansing and moisturizer is a game changer, and one you should be incorporating into your self-care routine if you haven’t already.

We decided to take the long list of scrubs on the market head-on and test 29 popular products, from sugar formulas to chemical scrubs.

Keep reading to discover the 15 scrubs that didn’t inflame our skin, took care of our dry patches, and left us feeling soft and smooth.

Best Overall

Nopalera Cactus Flower Exfoliant

Our Ratings

• Consistency

  5/5

• Distribution

  5/5

• Exfoliation

  5/5

• Skin Look & Feel

  5/5

• Effective at sloughing our skin without feeling abrasive or rough

• Our skin looked noticeably smoother (and we weren’t left with strawberry legs!)

• Small granules melted into our skin and evened out texture

After testing this cactus flower exfoliant for two weeks, we can confidently say that this scrub has earned a permanent place on our shower shelf. Made from a nourishing, ground sugar mixture of prickly pear cactus and lightly fragranced with the refreshing scent of tangerine oil, this scrub was a delight to our weathered skin. Although thick with sugar crystals, this scrub never felt rough or damaging on our skin as we slathered ourselves in the shower. Instead, the granules seemed to effortlessly dissolve when brought into contact with our skin, leaving the hydrating safflower, jojoba seed, and tangerine oil to absorb into our skin and nourish the freshly exfoliated layer. 

While the scrub certainly felt oily in the shower, our skin never felt tacky nor did we ever leave the shower feeling unclean — a result of many other scrubs we tested that did not make our list of favorites. Instead, the oil slipped right off when rinsed in the water and our skin felt so perfectly moisturized as we were drying off with the bath towel that we skipped out on lotion entirely. Better yet, we noticed that our skin both looked and felt smoother to the touch, evening out our texture and definitely not leaving us with the small, red splotches of ingrown hairs (a.k.a. strawberry legs) that some other scrubs have caused us in the past. Our only complaint? That we don’t have more of this stuff, like, right now.

Star ingredients: Cactus flower, tangerine oil | Formulation: Sugar scrub | Size: 6 oz. | Fragranced: Yes

Best Budget

Tree Hut Sugar Scrub

Our Ratings

• Consistency

  5/5

• Distribution

  5/5

• Exfoliation

  5/5

• Skin Look & Feel

  5/5

• Buttery formula keeps the sugar crystals from causing a mess

• A little goes a long way, as one scoop covers an entire leg

• Quality and quantity far surpass its low price tag

Smooth, hydrated skin, a closer shave than ever, and a scent that transports you to a scenic spa — all for $11? It sounds too good to be true, but that’s exactly what we experienced when we incorporated this budget-friendly product into our shower and skincare routine. We appreciated how easy (and generally mess-free) it was to scoop a dollop of this scrub into our hands thanks to its shea butter base mixed with exfoliating crystals and hydrating medley of fruit and nut oils. 

A little goes a long way, as just one scoop was able to effectively slough away the dead skin on one leg, from ankle to hip, before moving onto the next. Shaving was a breeze and honestly left us with smoother legs than ever before once we slathered on this scrub. Just be sure to wipe off the excess granules on the cap before screwing the lid back on.

Star ingredients: Mango fruit extract, shea butter | Formulation: Sugar scrub | Size: 18 oz. | Fragranced: Yes

Best Investment

Fresh Brown Sugar Body Polish

Our Ratings

• Consistency

  5/5

• Distribution

  5/5

• Exfoliation

  5/5

• Skin Look & Feel

  5/5

• Syrupy blend of brown sugar and plant oils left our skin feeling moisturized

• Formula was non-abrasive, yet effective

• Served as a great step before using self-tanner

Brown sugar may be in all of the desserts that you love, but did you know that it’s yummy for your skin, too? This exfoliant is made from brown sugar crystals and a delectable blend of several nut, seed, and citrus oils to make a scrub that not only sloughed away our dead skin, but loved on our newly surfaced skin, too. We appreciated that the grains weren’t too large, and therefore tough on our skin, and loved how rich and thick it felt when being massaged on our body under the water. 

The formula became syrupy when we slathered it on in the shower but rinsed right off when we were done, leaving our skin both looking and feeling hydrated. We even went on to try it before self-tanning, which ended up giving us a much more even look. We just wish that this tub was a little bigger, as we found ourselves running out of it fairly quickly.

Star ingredients: Brown sugar crystals, evening primrose, sweet almond, apricot kernel, and jojoba oils, ginseng root extract, peppermint | Formulation: Sugar scrub | Size: 14.1 oz. | Fragranced: Yes

Best for Sensitive Skin

Necessaire The Body Exfoliator

Our Ratings

• Consistency

  5/5

• Distribution

  4/5

• Exfoliation

  4.5/5

• Skin Look & Feel

  4.5/5

• Ground up, fine consistency is gentle enough on irritable skin

• Formula’s inclusion of charcoal, AHAs and BHAs are added skincare benefits

• A little goes a long way

• Scrub leaks into the cap, which can waste product

• You may sunburn more easily after using due to the glycolic and salicylic acids

What’s not to love about a scrub that not only works gently (yet effectively!) on your skin to slough away any roughness or dead cells, but one that’s chock full of skin-loving ingredients, as well? The Necessaire Body Exfoliator is made with bamboo charcoal, salicylic, and glycolic acids to soften and nourish your skin while evening out any pre-existing texture that you may have. We loved how gentle its ultra-fine formula was on our skin, making this a great option for people with sensitive complexions. You also don’t need more than a small dollop when using this scrub, as a little bit can cover a large area (but just be careful when you’re closing the cap, as the scrub has a tendency to leak and can create a mess). But if you want the scent and results of a spa treatment at home, then this is the scrub you need.

Star ingredients: Bamboo charcoal, salicylic acid, glycolic acid | Formulation: Charcoal scrub | Size: 6.1 oz. | Fragranced: Yes

Best Non-Stripping

Biossance Squalane + Enzyme Body Scrub

Our Ratings

• Consistency

  5/5

• Distribution

  5/5

• Exfoliation

  4.5/5

• Skin Look & Feel

  5/5

• Very soft texture that still effectively exfoliates

• Squeeze tube makes the job 10 times easier and less messy

• Clean layerable scent lingers beyond the shower

Packed with fruit enzymes and sloughing sugar crystals, this gentle scrub is the perfect mediator between an in-depth exfoliator and a delicate spa treatment. We loved the Biossance sugar body scrub for its soft, hydrating gel and delicate crystal formula, which blend harmoniously to create non-messy suds on our skin. It didn’t take more than a small amount dispensed onto our hands to get our legs fully lathered, and we’re awarding bonus points for its easy-to-squeeze bottle that makes application a breeze. While the price may be a bit high for some interested shoppers, we think the cost is well-justified for its surprisingly larger size tube and general effectiveness (after all, you don’t need much product to get results). For a scrub that evens your texture without stripping away your skin, this Biossance pick is the one for you.

Star ingredients: Squalane, pomegranate enzymes, sugar crystals | Formulation: Sugar scrub | Size: 6.76 oz. | Fragranced: Yes

Best for a Smooth Shave

Osea Salts of the Earth Body Scrub

Our Ratings

• Consistency

  5/5

• Distribution

  4/5

• Exfoliation

  4.5/5

• Skin Look & Feel

  4/5

• Lathers up nicely while still effectively exfoliating our skin

• We thought the concoction of essentials oils and rose essence smelled spa-like

• Left our skin moisturized post-shower

Body scrubs are not necessarily an essential step before shaving, but it sure does provide a closer shave (and a luxurious addition to your shower routine). This exfoliant from Osea is specially made for dry skin, as its combination of Dead Sea and Himalayan pink salts work together to slough away your dead skin cells without irritating or breaking the skin. We particularly loved how tenderly this aided our rough patches and prepped our skin before we took our favorite women's razor to it, leaving us with ultra-smooth legs by the end of our showers. While we appreciated how silky smooth our skin felt as a result of the scrub’s elements of safflower seed oil, shea butter, and olive oil blend, we did feel like the formula left us feeling a little more oily than we’d like. However, we think the smooth and stubble-free skin was worth the momentary oiliness. Even if you prefer at-home laser hair removal over shaving, you'll still love the results of this product.

Star ingredients: Dead Sea, Bolivian rose, and Himalayan pink salts, shea butter | Formulation: Salt scrub | Size: 12 oz. | Fragranced: Yes

Best for Dermatitis

Kiehls Creme de Corps Body Polish

Our Ratings

• Consistency

  5/5

• Distribution

  5/5

• Exfoliation

  5/5

• Skin Look & Feel

  4/5

• Cream-infused formula helped keep our skin from drying out

• Eradicated our patches of contact dermatitis

• Not a rough product, even if you put some pressure behind it

According to Mayo Clinic, dermatitis is a “general term that describes a common skin irritation” — and it’s more common than you might think. Everything from small patches of dry skin to eczema can fall under the dermatitis umbrella, which makes a non-irritating body scrub like this one from Kiehl’s a go-to for people who want to gently nurse their dry spots back to life. This cream formula is engineered with shea and jojoba butters, sweet almond oil, honey, and soy milk to make this scrub a nourishing one while still working away at tough spots with the small granules mixed in. We loved the creamy consistency of this polish as we worked it into our skin and appreciated its gentle crystals that subtly sloughed away our flaky spots. Bonus points for its calming ingredients, which quieted our inflamed skin within just a few days of use.

Star ingredients: Soy milk, honey, shea and jojoba butters, sweet almond oil | Formulation: Cream scrub | Size: 6.8 oz. | Fragranced: Yes

Best for Dry Skin

Oui the People Full Disclosure Body Polish

Our Ratings

• Consistency

  5/5

• Distribution

  5/5

• Exfoliation

  4.5/5

• Skin Look & Feel

  5/5

• Feels more like an exfoliating lotion than a scrub (which we love)

• You don’t need much to get great results

• Our skin felt soft as silk once we stepped out of the shower

If you don’t quite have splotches of irritation like dermatitis but still experience dry skin, then the body polish from Oui The People is a great contender. This scrub is a delicate blend between lotion and exfoliator, coming out of the packaging as a thick lotion and thinning out into a hydrating scrub as it gets lathered up. We likened it to grains of salt as we sloughed off our dead skin, but felt as if we were putting moisture back simultaneously thanks to its thick, creamy consistency. Top it off with a little body oil and lotion afterwards to truly get the spa experience of your dreams. Dry-skinned beauty lovers will appreciate this scrub for its gentle work and hydrating properties, and will love it even more for its relaxing scent — though we did wish it did come with more product for the price and maybe even a few fragrances to choose from (although let’s face it, those of us blessed with dry skin don’t need extra irritants).

Star ingredients: Bamboo stem extract, lactic acid, squalane | Formulation: Cream scrub | Size: 4.2 oz. | Fragranced: Yes

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  People / Dominique Hobdy

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  People / Dominique Hobdy

Best Sugar Scrub

Ouai Scalp and Body Scrub

Our Ratings

• Consistency

  4/5

• Distribution

  5/5

• Exfoliation

  5/5

• Skin Look & Feel

  5/5

• Formula lathers up well and feels both cleansing and exfoliating

• Evened out our skin texture

• Don’t need to moisturize afterwards

One of our critiques during this test is that some of these scrubs have left a quite oily film on our skin, which keeps us from feeling totally clean. We were happy to discover that this was certainly not the case when it came to Ouai's sugar scrub, which lathered up nicely on our skin and left behind a soapy substance. This made it feel like we were not only scrubbing off dead skin cells, but really giving ourselves a good cleanse, as well. However, we did notice that sugar-crystal scrub was a bit rougher than others on our skin (without breaking skin or being harmful, of course) — which can also be attributed to its double purpose as a scalp scrub. But we don’t necessarily think this is a con for everyone, as people with tough skin on areas like their heels or elbows will appreciate the more heavy-duty (and actually exfoliating) results that gentler formulas may not grant you. 

Star ingredients: Sugar, panthenol, glycerin, coconut oil | Formulation: Sugar scrub | Size: 8.8 oz. | Fragranced: Yes

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  People / Dominique Hobdy

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  People / Dominique Hobdy

Best Coffee Scrub

SNP Cafferonic Body Scrub

Our Ratings

• Consistency

  5/5

• Distribution

  5/5

• Exfoliation

  4/5

• Skin Look & Feel

  5/5

• Felt like a gentler alternative to sugar scrubs

• Leaves behind a delicate cocoa butter scent

• Our skin was left feeling significantly softer and smoother than before

Hi, yes — we’ll take our coffee in scrub form, please! This caffeinated exfoliant is made from pulverized arabica coffee beans and ground-up walnut shells, which is best for gentle scrubbing and the prevention of ingrown hairs (a blessing for the bikini-clad warmer months). We thought it had a creamy consistency when it was first applied to our skin, and then it slowly became transparent as it was slathered. It then became balmy, allowing the formula to hydrate our skin as the coffee grains sloughed away our dead cells. (Basically, this scrub was a lot easier to apply than some of the other grittier ones.) However, we do think you should go for a more grainy scrub to really work at those dry spots, as this formula is better for sensitive skin or those who want a more gentle exfoliation. 

Star ingredients: Walnut shell powder, arabica coffee, hyaluronic acid | Formulation: Coffee scrub | Size: 6.1 oz. | Fragranced: Yes

Best Scent

Herbivore Coco Rose Body Scrub

Our Ratings

• Consistency

  5/5

• Distribution

  4/5

• Exfoliation

  4/5

• Skin Look & Feel

  5/5

• So moisturizing that we could forgo lotion afterward

• Coconut and rose petal fragrance is divine

• Feels justifiable to us as a shower-time splurge

If you want your shower to be your own personal spa, we’re right there with you — and the best way to get your space smelling the part is with the Herbivore Coco Rose Exfoliating Body Scrub. This body polish is infused with the natural scents of coconut and rose, crafting a whimsical fragrance, reminiscent of fine women's perfume, when infused with the steam of your shower — and leaving you with buttery soft skin. We were satisfied with the sugar crystals that effectively worked at our skin while the coconut oil hydrated the new layer that was uncovered. The sweet floral aroma was left by Moroccan rose, which makes this product every bit worthy of your shower shelf. However, we do advise you to be careful as you step in and out of the shower after you use this scrub, as the oils can make your tub a little slippery. (You may need to do a quick clean after you use this one.)

Star ingredients: Sugar, virgin coconut oil, Moroccan rose | Formulation: Sugar scrub | Size: 8 oz. | Fragranced: Yes

Best for KP

First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub

Our Ratings

• Consistency

  5/5

• Distribution

  5/5

• Exfoliation

  4.5/5

• Skin Look & Feel

  5/5

• Silt-like scrub allowed us to exfoliate as much as we wanted to without worrying about causing microabrasions

• Also effective at targeting ingrown hairs

• Even though we have traditionally reactive skin, we had zero irritation with this one

• Doesn’t include a moisturizing component, which we would have appreciated

• Glycolic and lactic acid formula may cause you to sunburn more easily if not using sun protection

If you’re looking for a way to gently improve your KP (or keratosis pilaris, a.k.a. “chicken” or “strawberry skin”), then you’re in luck. This KP-targeting body scrub from First Aid Beauty digs deep with its 10 percent AHA chemical exfoliants, resurfacing the skin without causing any tears or microabrasions due to physical, gritty granules. While we went into this a little nervous because our skin reacts easily to new products, we were enthralled by its healing results and gradual erasure of ingrown hairs after just a few weeks of using. Our skin both looked and felt better after we started incorporating this scrub into our shower routine, reducing our red spots (the aforementioned “strawberry skin”) and smoothing our texture with its simple formula. Plus it’s fragrance-free, making this a good option for people with sensitive skin who develop reactions to artificial (or natural) scents. We do wish this scrub came with a moisturizing component to make the product feel a bit silkier, but we just applied baby oil afterwards for easy re-hydration. 

Star ingredients: 10% glycolic and lactic acids, pumice buffing beads, vitamin E | Formulation: Bead scrub | Size: 8 oz. | Fragranced: No

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  People / Sophia Noulas

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  People / Carolyn Malcoun

Best with AHA

Kopari KP Body Bumps Be Gone

Our Ratings

• Consistency

  5/5

• Distribution

  5/5

• Exfoliation

  5/5

• Skin Look & Feel

  5/5

• A little bit goes a very long way

• Visibly decreased our keratosis pilaris after a few weeks

• AHA chemical exfoliants are significantly more effective (and thicker to the touch) than others

Your idea of exfoliants may be sugar granules or coffee scrubs, but ingredients called AHAs in your beauty products are chemicals that, according to the FDA, activate the “shedding of the surface skin” (just without all the gritty ingredients). This scrub from Kopari features 10 percent AHA chemical exfoliants that target your dry (and/or KP-afflicted) skin and work to reduce the appearance of those little red bumps that can sprout up on your arms and legs. In fact, we noticed a significant change in the visibility of our KP after just a few weeks of slathering ourselves in this sudsy scrub, making it worth every penny of its (relatively affordable) $26 price.

We appreciated the triple exfoliants in this scrub (volcanic sand, finely-ground coconut shells, and pumice), which definitely felt more physical to the touch, but never felt abrasive on our sensitive skin. All that we needed was a quarter-sized dollop to get the product foaming onto our skin, which saved us more of the product (and money) in the end. Its cleansing formula made us feel clean too, not just freshly sloughed. We do encourage users to be wary of time spent in the sun afterwards (or to at least layer up with SPF and sun-resistant clothing for at least a week after using this scrub), as the glycolic and lactic acids in this stuff can cause your skin to be more prone to sunburn.

Star ingredients: 5.5% glycolic acid, 4.5% lactic acid, volcanic sand, coconut shells, pumice, jojoba oil | Formulation: Chemical exfoliant | Size: 8.45 oz. | Fragranced: Yes

Best Gentle

Avène Gentle Body Scrub

Our Ratings

• Consistency

  4/5

• Distribution

  5/5

• Exfoliation

  4/5

• Skin Look & Feel

  5/5

• Fine wax beads exfoliate our skin softly while the formula kept us from drying out or becoming inflamed

• Suds up like a body wash, making us feel fresh and clean

• Didn’t enflame or irritate our eczema-prone skin

Beauty lovers with sensitive, KP- or eczema-prone skin will love this gentle option from Avene. Its exfoliants are composed of two types of differently sized granules, made from biodegradable cellulose and jojoba wax beads, to effectively scrub your skin without causing any abrasions or irritation. We liked that its soap-like consistency bubbled up on our skin, making us feel like we’re getting a good cleanse in while we exfoliate (as some others made us feel a bit too oily). However, this doesn’t mean that this product was absent of oil, as its shea, camelina, and safflower oil concoction helped replenish our skin’s moisture as the wax beads gently sloughed away our surface skin, giving some TLC to the new layer underneath. We definitely appreciated its gentle work on our sensitive skin, but do wish it had a bit more grit for our rougher patches (however, you can just apply this scrub with a loofah or scrub mitt for a deeper slough).

Star ingredients: Cellulose, jojoba wax, shea oil, camelina oil, safflower oil, thermal spring water | Formulation: Bead scrub | Size: 6.7 oz. | Fragranced: Yes

Best Fragrance-Free

Saltair KP Body Smoother

Our Ratings

• Consistency

  5/5

• Distribution

  4/5

• Exfoliation

  4/5

• Skin Look & Feel

  4/5

• Delicate enough for sensitive skin while effectively smoothing texture

• Super fair price for the larger amount and high quality of this scrub

• Balances uneven tone and dark spots with niacinamide and licorice

For those of us with sensitive skin, typically one of the non-negotiables is that our skincare products have to be fragrance-free. This KP Body Smoother from Saltair checks that box with its unscented, AHA-infused formula made with a bump-erasing mixture of volcanic sand, microcrystalline cellulose, kukui, coconut, and macadamia oils. We liked the thick consistency of this scrub and how fine its ground-up ingredients were, leaving us with non-irritated skin and smooth-to-the-touch texture after a few weeks of use. And if hyperpigmentation is a recurring event for you, this scrub works to counteract dark spots with niacinamide and licorice extract, which evens your natural skin tone while the granules balance your texture. Better yet, this gentle scrub is only $14, making this one of the best-priced products that we tried for the amount you get in the bottle (10 oz.!). Just make sure to lather up the sunscreen before you head out for the day, because its AHA content is enough to make your skin more sensitive to UV rays over the next seven days.

Star ingredients: 5% glycolic acid, volcanic sand, microcrystalline cellulose, pumice, kukui nut oil, coconut oil, macadamia seed oil, niacinamide, licorice extract  | Formulation: Bead scrub | Size: 10 oz. | Fragranced: No

Things to Consider Before Buying Body Scrubs

Formula

It goes without saying that the makeup of your body scrub is paramount in deciding whether or not that product is good for your skin, and this can be broken down into two parts: grains and base. Marcus recommends looking for grains that are “made from spheres, as opposed to rough grains with jagged edges that can cause micro tears in the skin,” which gives products like the Avene Gentle Scrub with its jojoba wax beads a leg up on this dermatologists’s book. She also suggests looking for a scrub formulated with AHAs such as glycolic acid and lactic acid (much like the Kopari 10 Percent AHA Clarifying Body Scrub), as these are chemical exfoliants that ignite the skin-shedding process without the use of crystals or granules. As for the base of your scrub, celebrity esthetician, skin expert and brand founder Renée Rouleau recommends looking for “something with a hydrating, creamy base,” if you have dry skin, or “a scrub that contains energizing ingredients like peppermint oil” if you want to revive dull skin.

Skin Type

The type of skin you have plays a very important role in the type of body scrub you should elect for your shower routine. But one important rule remains the same: You should never be using a scrub that’s too rough on your skin. Also, unless a scrub is specifically formulated for both face and body, stick to facial cleansing brushes and scrubs for your face. “Using anything that is too harsh or aggressive can cause micro tears in the skin, which pave the way for infection and inflammation,” says Marcus. The same rule applies to lip scrubs. Rouleau suggests looking closely at products that have large sugar crystals or “materials like crushed shells or seeds [that] can have sharp or jagged edges,” as these ingredients can cause irritation on the skin for any skin type. If you have dry patches that you have questions about or have irritation of any sort, you should consult with your dermatologist before using a body scrub. 

Skin Conditions

Common skin types that people seek out exfoliation for are keratosis pilaris (KP), eczema, and dermatitis, which each result in a different type of irritation. Marcus recommends that people with KP ("strawberry/chicken skin"), avoid gritty, physical scrubs at all costs. “Scrubbing skin with a physical exfoliant can further irritate hair follicles and worsen keratosis pilaris,” Marcus explains. In general, she recommends salicylic acid, glycolic acid, and other AHAs for a granule-free exfoliant that can safely get the job done — but of course, check with your doctor first for your particular skin condition.

How We Tested

In search of the next best body scrub on the market, we went home with one of the 29 scrubs we were testing and used as directed by the product’s instructions over the next two weeks. We used them in the shower, first warming up the scrub between our hands, and then rubbing it onto our skin in small circular motions using our hands. Then we were free to go about our normal routine, whether that included cleansing before or after, shaving, moisturizing — whatever our hearts desired. We then repeated this as frequently as each product recommended and recorded our insights throughout the process.

Over the course of the two weeks, we reflected on the attributes of consistency, distribution, exfoliation, and how our skin both looked and felt, taking pictures along the way. Did it feel nice as it was being rubbed into our skin, or was it too gritty, even borderline painful? Did it require a lot of product to get just some exfoliation in, or did a little go a long way? Did we feel like our dry spots were being effectively exfoliated — or worse, did we react badly to the scrub?

We took into consideration all this and more to gather the best insights possible. From there, we digested the feedback for each and came to you with our unanimous winners — the body scrubs worthy of being in your shower.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What are body scrubs meant to do for your skin?

  Different body scrubs perform differently on our skin due to their physical and chemical makeup. Physical exfoliants, like sugar scrubs, are made to “physically lift those loosened cells off the skin to reveal fresh, bright new skin cells underneath,” according to Rouleau. And on the other hand, chemical exfoliants like those made with exfoliating acids such as lactic, glycolic, and salicylic, are meant to “loosen the keratin, or ‘glue’, that keeps expired cells stuck to the surface of our skin,” resulting in a grainless (or very finely pulverized) scrub.

• How many times a week should you use a body scrub?

  It’s recommended that most people only exfoliate once or twice a week, unless instructed to do more (or less) by a dermatologist. Scrubbing your skin at least once a week is great for the maintenance of your skin and gives it a helping hand in shedding those dead skin cells that have been turned over.

• Are there any ingredients that you should look for when purchasing a new body scrub?

Why Trust PEOPLE?

Alyssa Brascia has been a commerce writer for PEOPLE since 2022, with expertise in beauty research for her work with cosmetics and skincare. She previously contributed to InStyle, researching and writing beauty content and becoming well-versed in the world of esthetics. For this piece, she analyzed the insights from our team of testers who tried 29 body scrubs at home for two weeks. She also interviewed Dr. Rebecca Marcus, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Maei MD, and Renée Rouleau, celebrity esthetician, skin expert and brand founder of Renée Rouleau Skincare, for an expert’s opinion on what makes or breaks a good body scrub (and which ones you should actually be buying). 

What Is People Tested? 

We created the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval to help you find the very best products for your life. We use our unique methodology to test products in three labs across the country and with our network of home testers to determine their effectiveness, durability, ease of use, and so much more. Based on the results, we rate and recommend products so you can find the right one for your needs.

But we don’t stop there: We also regularly re-review the categories in which we’ve awarded the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval — because the best product of today might not be the best of tomorrow. And by the way, companies can never buy our recommendation: Their products must earn it, fair and square.

In short, PEOPLE Tested provides recommendations you can trust — every day, every purchase.

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