Here is a list of our favorite exfoliates. We have included both physical exfoliates (aka scrubs) as well as chemical exfoliates (containing acids).
We have broken our list down to include a budget buy as well as a luxury buy.
Physical Exfoliates
The physical exfoliate I have picked is a dry powder. I love using dry powder exfoliates because it is super easy to customize them and they have a long self life.
My skin glows when I add my powder exfoliate to my morning cleanser .
Budget Buy
- Thesis Beauty Poppy Seed Face Scrub - Simple ingredients give you a natural way to exfoliate your skin. Organic clays, herbs, and flowers will help remove dead skin cells gently and effectively.
Have a look at our article on cleansing grains: Guide to Cleansing Grains - What They are and How to Use Them
Chemical Exfoliates
There is a variety of chemical exfoliating products, including masks, peels, creams, serums, and cleansers.
I am going to share my favorite leave-on chemical exfoliates because I find them the most comfortable to use.
My favorite chemical exfoliates are ones that I can use daily. I find a small amount of exfoliation done every day, rather than a complete peel once a week is better for my skin. Leave-on exfoliates such as serums are easy to layer with other products, making them a part of my daily skincare routine.
If you are new to acids, salicylic acid is the acid I recommend starting out with. It is the gentlest acid and is good for all skin types. I also find fruit enzymes to be an excellent way to slowly exfoliate the skin.
Budget Buy
- The Ordinary Direct Acid Series - This brand is so beyond awesome! They make effective and safe products at a very reasonable price. The Ordinary has exfoliating serums for various skin concerns, so you can pick the one that suits you.
- Mad Hippe Exfoliating Serum - This serum uses glycolic acid and lactic acid to exfoliate.
Luxury Buy
- Kypris Beauty Moonlight Catalyst - Utilizes pumpkin enzymes to exfoliate, as well as salicylic acid from willow bark. Use nightly to soften skin and inspire cell renewal. Read our Review of the Moonlight Catalyst.
- Moss Illumina Decongesting Radiance Concentrate - Anti-aging, blemish-fighting, skin-texturing, and antioxidant-rich, this serum does it all. I love how lightweight this serum is, and the quality of the ingredients are unmatched. Even though it is marketed for adult acne, this serum is great for all skin types. Read my Review of Illumina.
If you want to learn more about chemical exfoliates, we have plenty of articles covering them and what they do.
We hope you enjoyed this list, please let us know in the comments if you are looking for any other product recommendations, we are here to help!
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