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13 of the Best Body Scrubs for Super Soft, Ultra Smooth Skin

You might like to think you're pretty thorough when it comes to your skincare (after all, you've got a derm-approved retinol and an effective vitamin C serum lined up on your bathroom shelf.) But, admit: your body can often get forgotten.

And if you are in the after-shower moisturising club (10 points to you, if so) when was the last time you treated your body to a proper, 3-step skincare routine? After all, we cleanse, exfoliate and moisturise the skin on our faces – so why don't so many of us pay the same amount of attention when it comes to the other 90% of our skin on our bodies?

Ready to join us on our quest to apply that same energy to, well, everywhere? Keep reading for our round-up of the all-time best body scrubs.


But first: Why are body scrubs good for your skin?

Similarly to facial exfoliators, the goal of a body scrub is to remove dull, dead and dry surface skin cells, in order to encourage the production of new, healthy ones in their place. This might be especially helpful if you deal with keratosis pilaris, a common skin condition (it affects 50-70% of adolescents and approximately 40% of adults in the UK) often referred to as ‘chicken skin’, because it mimics the plucked look of raw poultry – think rough patches of skin that are dry and covered in minuscule, hard bumps.

But that's not all they're good for. 'If you self-tan, coffee-based scrubs are great for removing your old tan and nourishing your skin before you then apply more fake tan,' explains Bree Johnson, co-founder of Frank Body.

She says that her brand's Original Coffee Scrub is handy for nixing breakouts on your body skin, too, and can help to lessen the appearance of scars and stretch marks.


How often should you use a body scrub?

While we believe that using a body scrub should 100% become part of your regular routine, know that you can overdo it. Physical scrubs can be harsh on your skin if you use them too often, so it's best if you only use them two to three times a week.

Rubbing in a circular movement is also key, as this helps to free ingrown hairs and is less abrasive than a back and forth scrubbing motion.


13 of the best body scrubs for silky smooth skin

1. Sunday Riley Charcoal Smoothie

This skin-loving scrub is packed with salicylic acid, meaning it's great for de-clogging blocked hair follicles and smoothing away rough bumps and areas of keratosis pilaris.

2. Frank Body In Your Dreams Sleep Scrub & Soak

Designed to be used in the bath, this 2-in-1 scrub-meets-soak is the ultimate end of day wind down product. It's blended with magnesium, Epsom salts and lavender oil to help reduce cortisol levels and let your mind drift off, prepping your bod for a restful night's sleep.

3. Glossier Body Hero Exfoliating Bar

This clever 'soap bar' contains finely-milled biodegradable bamboo powder that helps to gently (but effectively) buff away dead skin, leaving your bod smooth after just one use. It's also enriched with sunflower seed oil and aloe leaf juice to nourish your skin, leaving you feeling soft - never stripped.

4. Ameliorate Transforming Body Lotion Warm Amyris

Supercharged with exfoliating lactic acid, this is the OG chemical body exoliator that's great for dealing with keratosis pilaris, dry or dehydrated skin types. The new, limited edition Warm Amyris fragrance allows it to feel more like a spa treatment than a quick in-shower scrub, enveloping you with its warming tonka bean and velvet musk aroma.

5. ESPA Relaxing Salt Scrub

If a gritty scrub is your kind of jam, then you'll love this relaxing salt scrub. Use once or twice a week and buff your skin in circular motions. Natural sea salts help to sweep away any dry and dead skin cells, while sweet almond oil hydrates and smoothes.

6. Coco & Eve Bali Buffing Sugar

Great for prepping your skin pre-false tanning, this buffing sugar sloughs away dull and dead skin cells with its nourishing formula of volcanic pumice, coconut flower sugar and deeply hydrating virgin coconut oil.

7. Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Body Scrub

If you're a fan of the summery cult scent of Sol de Janeiro's Bum Bum cream, then you'll love this scrub version. It uses both sugar and salt, together with Amazonian guarana seeds to polish away rough areas of skin, leaving skin silky smooth underneath. Coconut, açai and cupuaçu butters also help to nourish and condition your skin - leaving it ultra smooth and hydrated.

8. ELEMIS Sea Lavender & Samphire Salt Scrub

The ultimate spa-like shower treatment, this clever salt scrub contains zeolite, which gently warms when applied to damp skin. The purifying sea salt, together with sea lavender and samphire buffs away areas of dryness and performs a natural detoxifying exfoliation. The result? Soft, smooth and supple skin - with a seriously dreamy scent.

9. Soap & Glory Flake Away Body Scrub

With claims to 'transform your scaly legs from reptilian to radiant', this salt and sugar based scrub really works. It's garnered a cult following thanks to its seriously scrubby texture, while shea butter and sweet almond oil make sure it leaves your skin nourished and smooth.

10. Bondi Sands Coconut & Sea Salt Body Scrub

If you're someone who likes to give your bod a bit of an au-naturel exfoliation when you're at the beach: then this is the scrub for you. It's packed with actual Australian sand, sea salt, coconut husk and ultra-fine walnut shells to help scrub away dead skin cells - perfecting your skin pre-tanning. While it's a bit of a messy one, it really does leave your skin as soft as it feels after a day on the beach.

11. Herbivore Coco Rose Body Polish

If you're drawn in by seriously good-looking bathroom cabinet products - you'll love Herbivore's Coco Rose Body Polish. Not only does it look seriously chic by the side of your tub, it nourishes skin while it buffs away rough patches. Hydrating virgin coconut oil together with dreamy Moroccan rose and skin-softening sugar, it leaves your skin smooth, supple and firmer-feeling.

12. REN Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Salt Anti-Fatigue Exfoliating Body Scrub

Formulated specifically to help relax your muscles and your mind, this refreshing scrub is enriched with Atlantic kelp and microalgae oil to help replenish skin with moisture and essential minerals. The iconic blend of REN's Anti-Fatigue essential oils help refresh and de-stress your body and mind.

13. This Works Stress Check CBD Body Polish

This ultra-gentle exfoliator is designed to be used every day, in order to remove the build-up of dead skin and pollution on the skin. It's enriched with both chemical and physical exfoliators pumice and lactic acid to buff and balance stressed-out, congested skin. While soothing CBD, moisturising squalane and protective vitamin E help skin retain ample moisture.


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