The Best Body Scrub for You, According to Dermatologists: Glossier, CeraVe, Paula’s Choice, and More

By Sarah Madaus

After a summer of sweat and sunscreen, coupled with the onset of chillier weather and dry skin, it's not surprising that you might be looking for the best body scrub to exfoliate months of buildup. For many, body scrubs are an afterthought when it comes to hygiene, but they’re actually pretty important for your skin's health. A good body scrub exfoliates the skin to remove dead skin cells, says dermatologist Nada Elbuluk, M.D., FAAD, associate professor at the University of Southern California. If you don't slough off that dead skin, you could end up with breakouts, clogged pores, and irritation. Exfoliation is also especially important for folks with keratosis pilaris, where keratin builds up in the hair follicles and creates bumps most commonly seen on the backs of arms, thighs, and calves.

Now there are tons of body scrubs out there, so we spoke to Dr. Elbuluk and looked to our dermatologist guidelines from our annual Healthy Beauty Awards to find a stellar selection of scrubs that are both safe and efficacious.

Body scrubs are pretty personal—what works for one person might not work for another. For folks with body acne, finding an exfoliant with salicylic acid is key, says Dr. Elbuluk. For people with keratosis pilaris, AHAs like glycolic and lactic acids are good chemical exfoliants that help to break down bumps. Physical exfoliants (those that feel sandy and scrubby versus smooth and creamy) are best for people with oily and combination skin that won't dry out too easily.

For sensitive-skin types, gentle chemical exfoliants that include PHAs (polyhydroxy acids) are ideal. Niacinamide (vitamin B3) is also an excellent soothing ingredient for all skin types, but especially for sensitive skin. Colloidal oatmeal, chamomile extract, and shea butter make excellent additions to physical scrubs meant for sensitive skin, as they calm the skin and replenish it with plenty of moisture.

Another important note: Every exfoliant should include some kind of emollient (a moisturizing agent, for example shea butter) and a humectant (an ingredient that seals the moisture in, such as coconut oil). As a bonus, the best body scrub for you should not only make your skin silky smooth, but create a luxurious shower environment too. Because who couldn't use a few extra minutes of self-care?

If you’re just starting out with exfoliants, using them once or twice per week is the sweet spot for sloughing away dead skin without making skin angry. Dr. Elbuluk notes that exfoliants as a whole should be avoided if your skin is irritated or inflamed, or if there's an open cut.

With these guidelines and suggestions in mind, we scrubbed (ha!) the internet for the best body scrubs for every skin type that put in the work—without creating irritation or dryness. Here's our selection of physical and chemical exfoliators, plus the ingredients that set them apart from the masses.

All products featured on SELF are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Glossier's surprisingly large exfoliating bar uses superfine bamboo powder and cellulose as physical exfoliants to slough off dead skin cells without rubbing your skin raw. It's also formulated with aloe leaf juice to soothe and sunflower-seed oil to lock in moisture.

This scrub formulated for expecting and new moms has a pillowy, whipped texture enriched with coconut, avocado, and sunflower-seed oils to soothe hormonal skin. It uses bamboo powder and blueberry seeds to buff dead skin cells, and kaolin clay to purify.

Buzzy body-care brand Soft Services’ Buffing Bar uses a "microcrystal" exfoliant of magnesium oxide and alumina to smooth rough patches, keratosis pilaris, and areas prone to ingrown hairs. It moisturizes with glycerin, shea butter, and aloe vera. This bar is a moderate to intense fragrance-free exfoliant, so weekly use is satisfactory for most skin types.

This body serum from cult-favorite CBD brand Lord Jones uses AHAs to gently exfoliate and soften bumpy skin. It's so good that it won a 2021 SELF Healthy Beauty Award for how effectively it reduced the appearance of testers’ keratosis pilaris. This product is formulated with moisturizing squalane and ceramides, which derms say help to protect and repair the skin. It also contains salicylic and lactic acids, two powerful chemical exfoliants.

The brand hailed by dermatologists and regular people alike, CeraVe makes a good exfoliating body wash thats easy on your wallet too. The main ingredient is clearing and purifying salicylic acid, and niacinamide plays the role of soothing skin post-exfoliation. Like all of CeraVe's products, this body wash is also packed with ceramides, which protect your skin.

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Cocokind's body scrub won a 2021 SELF Healthy Beauty Award for its ability to slough off dead skin cells and soak up oil without damaging the skin barrier. It incorporates upcycled coffee grounds, chicory root, and kaolin clay for a satisfying scrub that smells invigorating and works great on rough spots like heels, knees, and elbows.

Osea's sea salt scrub starts intense, but as it's worked into the skin, it dissolves for a gentler exfoliation. Since it's a physical scrub, it's ideal for extra-dry bits. Key nourishing ingredients include shea butter, avocado oil, and wild gigartina (a red marine algae) to soften and repair the skin after exfoliation.

Made with keratosis pilaris in mind, this scrub from First Aid Beauty uses both physical (pumice) and chemical (10% glycolic and lactic acids) exfoliants to whittle down pesky bumps on the arms and legs. It's also formulated with bisabolol, a soothing agent that's derived from chamomile.

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By Amy Marturana Winderl, C.P.T.

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While Hanahana Beauty's exfoliating cleanser is marketed as a facial exfoliant, nobody will stop you from using it everywhere else. It uses black soap and fine brown sugar to cleanse and buff, plus anti-inflammatory rose water and nourishing jojoba.

This leave-on body treatment from cult-favorite brand Paula's Choice uses 2% salicylic acid to slough off dead skin and reduce inflammation. It's a gentle chemical exfoliant with the texture of a lotion, making it more suitable for sensitive-skin types. It's also formulated with dimethicone to moisturize and chamomile flower extract to soothe.

An invigorating peppermint body scrub like this one is excellent for mornings when your skin needs a bit of a pick-me-up. Pumice acts as a physical exfoliant in tandem with salicylic acid to soften and smooth your skin. It's a soapy, cleansing scrub, so it can take the place of your body wash a few times per week.

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A good body scrub packed with gentle exfoliating sugars, moisture-sealing emollients, and skin-soothing antioxidants always comes in handy when your skin needs a good sloughing off or an extra hand pumping up the moisture, which is why this one earned a 2020 SELF Healthy Beauty Award. Testers of this body scrub loved how it left a moisturized, smooth barrier on their skin post-shower, thanks to shea butter, sea buckthorn oil, and coconut oil. One thing to note: This scrub contains essential oils, which some derms advise against for folks with sensitive skin.

From drugstore superhero Neutrogena comes a solid scrub option for folks with acne-prone skin on their bodies. While the active ingredient is acne-fighting salicylic acid, it also uses microcrystalline cellulose—a refined wood pulp—to gently scrub the top layer of skin. It's also oil-free and includes moisturizing jojoba esters (a derivative of jojoba oil that mimics the natural oils produced by the skin).

For seriously rough, dry skin, consider this body polish from Fresh, which uses brown sugar (a natural humectant) as the primary exfoliant. A blend of jojoba, sweet almond, and apricot kernel oils work to keep skin moisturized after intense buffing.

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SLMD, the line helmed by Dr. Pimple Popper, has a highly rated chemical body exfoliant. The active ingredient is glycolic acid, an AHA that eats away at excess keratin (the culprit of keratosis pilaris) and gently scrubs off dead skin. Other notable ingredients include lactic acid, dimethicone, and willow bark extract.

Get you a scrub that can exfoliate your scalp and body. This one uses sugar crystals to remove product buildup and dead skin, while glycerin and panthenol replenish the moisture lost. To (literally) seal the deal, Ouai's sugar scrub is formulated with coconut oil, a humectant that holds moisture in.

Olay's glycolic acid body scrub is made for people with keratosis pilaris to help gently buff away bumps. It's also packed with lactic acid to brighten and vitamin B3, or niacinamide, which hydrates and unclogs pores.

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By Amy Marturana Winderl, C.P.T.

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Necessaire's multi-exfoliant uses bamboo charcoal as a physical scrub, as well as AHAs (glycolic and lactic acids) and BHAs (salicylic acid) as chemical exfoliants. It's also pH neutral, making it a good pick for reactive, sensitive skin. The Body Exfoliator comes in three scents: eucalyptus, sandalwood, and fragrance-free (ideal for sensitive skin).

This hydrating scrub with an earthy, citrusy scent is enriched with camellia and jojoba oils to retain moisture and nourish. It utilizes sugar as a physical exfoliant to scrub away dead skin cells. Bright orange peel, cedarwood and sandalwood essential oils make this a luxurious option for any shower.

Meant to be used overnight, Oui the People's leave-on body serum uses glycolic and lactic acids to unclog pores and smooth rough texture. This one also targets hyperpigmentation with lemon peel oil, PHAs (polyhydroxy acids), and lactic acid, making it ideal for folks with dark spots and scars. Since it's a serum rather than a lotion, it sinks into skin without leaving a sticky residue.

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This sea salt scrub from Sabon (say that three times fast) is a SELF writer's go-to for a luxurious shower moment. The lavender-apple scent is bright and powerful, and rich oils like almond and jojoba help to lock in moisture and keep freshly exfoliated skin from drying out.

If you already love Kiehl's iconic Creme de Corps body lotion, this body polish (which has no physical exfoliants) brings all the same goodness into the shower. It's packed with shea butter, sweet almond oil, and honey to help keep the skin from drying out post-exfoliation.

Pumice works in conjunction with bamboo stem extract in Aesop's botanical body scrub to soften rough bits. It has a gel—rather than creamy—texture, making it ideal for folks with oily skin. It's fortified with bergamot and mandarin orange peel oils that not only provide a heavenly scent but also lock in moisture.

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By Amy Marturana Winderl, C.P.T.

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Kosas, the makeup brand with an excellent body care line, has a 2-in-1 exfoliating body wash for the busy people who shower with efficiency in mind. It's great for people who sweat and exercise a lot, as it's enriched with AHAs like glycolic acid and fruit enzymes that work to unclog pores. Another ingredient to note: allantoin, an effective moisturizing agent that's nonirritating, making it a key ingredient for sensitive skin.

Anyone with sensitive skin knows—and probably loves—Avene's gentle skin- and body-care formulations. The brand's signature thermal water is an important soothing and hydrating ingredient, while cellulose provides a gentle physical scrub that's safe for weekly use.

Similar to CeraVe's body wash, this cleansing bar is great for more targeted exfoliation. It has the same ingredients—salicylic acid, niacinamide, and ceramides—to buff, soothe, and protect the skin.

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By Amy Marturana Winderl, C.P.T.

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This robust, energizing coffee scrub is for spots that need some intense buffing. It's a physical scrub made with coffee, brown sugar, cacao extract, and vitamin E. Folks with combination skin or dry skin will get the most benefit, while people with sensitive skin might wish to choose a gentler option.

SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.