Break Out Of Your Leggings With These Body Scrubs (2024)

Exfoliating is one of the major tenets of skincare and is in fact key to having a glowing visage. Yet, even as we spend hours on end searching for the best facial scrubs to target blackheads and asking our dermatologists which chemical peel or laser will most effectively get rid of dead skin, the skin below our neck has been building up for years. Time to slough it off with a body scrub.

Regularly exfoliating your body has the ability to boost circulation, unclog pores, and buff away dead skin cells, leaving skin smoother, brighter, and healthier. As with the skin on your face, there are two different ways to exfoliate the skin on your body—chemically (i.e. acids like AHAs and BHAs) or physically/manually (i.e. scrubs like sugar and salt). While it's typically safer to use a chemical exfoliant on your face (it's more sensitive), your body can usually take on both. New to body scrubs? Try just using one once a week to get started, suggests Mona Gohara, MD, a dermatologist in Connecticut. She also recommends choosing hydrating formulas that will restore moisture as they scrubbing away all that dead skin.

So, whether you’ve never considered using a body scrub or are still scarred from the harsh scrubs that once littered the bath aisle, it’s in your best interest to give them a (second) chance, and with new technologies and innovations popping up every day, now is the perfect time. Read on to check out 20 of the best body scrubs and exfoliators, and rest assured, your skin will thank you.

Great for all skin types, this multi-exfoliant from Nécessaire uses a trio of AHAs and BHAs (glycolic, lactic, and salicylic acids) to remove dead skin cells and pumice and bamboo charcoal to gently soften skin. The minimalist packaging also make it a nice, chic addition to your shower.

Made with various high-performing botanicals, this multi-particle scrub buffs skin with five sources of exfoliation, polishes with six smoothing ingredients, and nourishes with six vitamins and minerals. Ideal for dry, mature skin and for treating stretch marks, the Smoothing Body Scrub is best applied in a downward direction before rinsing off.

This body scrub is specifically designed to treat stubborn keratosis pilaris (KP) patches and features both physical and chemical exfoliators to work overtime on polishing skin. Glycolic and lactic acids at a combined level of 10 percent decongest pores and loosen skin’s top layer, while pumice buffing beads target dead skin cells, making the KP Bump Eraser a chemical peel and microdermabrasion treatment in one.

Formulated with fresh strawberry seed, active coconut oil, and sugar-based exfoliants, this body scrub from Skin Buttr will not only boost skin cell renewal and elasticity, but its scrumptious smell will also send your senses on a much-needed tropical vacation.

Although this cult-classic from St. Ives was technically created as a facial scrub, its deep exfoliating properties have long made it an excellent choice for use all over the body. Made with corn kernel meal, walnut shell powder, and apricot extract, this scrub is ideal for anyone looking for especially strong scrubbing power.

Ok, so this technically isn't marketed as being for the whole body, but I keep it in my shower to use from head to toe because it leaves my whole body feeling super soft. Some exfoliators tend to strip my dry skin of its natural oils, but this one doesn't do that at all.

If you’re looking to smooth and firm crepey skin, look no further than this exfoliating body scrub from aging-skin expert StriVectin. A blend of physical exfoliants, like quartz crystals and rice powder, work alongside AHAs, like lactic and glycolic acid, to dissolve dead skin cells and reveal visibly brightened, youthful-looking skin.

We all know how great Manuka honey can be for improving digestion and acting as an antiviral, but its benefits also extend to skin, as proven by this scrub from Savor Beauty. Organic sugar gently buffs away dead skin cells, while Manuka honey attracts moisture to skin, reduces inflammation, and provides a scrumptious natural scent.

This invigorating salt scrub will nourish skin and awaken your senses. Sea salt and lime peel cleanse and exfoliate, while bergamot, coconut, and sweet almond oils seal in moisture to reveal soft and toned-looking skin

Dermalogica’s dual-action exfoliant calls upon Indian bamboo stem and papain to promote cell renewal, while a blend of bio-lipids protect and strengthen the skin barrier, and antioxidant-rich licorice, white tea, and chamomile offer vital nutrients. The gentle scrub is vegan, sulfate- and paraben-free, and features recyclable packaging.

This scrub promises to exfoliate your skin and relax your mind. Infused with papaya acids, plant extracts, rose hip and sunflower oils, and coconut water, the Lavender Moon Body Scrub will effectively buff skin and leave it feeling soft and smooth.

Made with a blend of diamond powder, sugar, shea butter, coconut oil, and more, this scrub not only exfoliates skin and attacks dead skin cells, but it also replenishes, hydrates, and softens skin, leaving a protective veil to prevent further damage.

This ultra-hydrating body polish will, as the name suggests, leave your skin looking and feeling like satin. Seaweed extract and pink Himalayan salt detoxify skin and target cellulite, and cranberry seeds and organic cane sugar gently exfoliate and smooth.

This exfoliant is formulated with active ingredients, like pumice, inca-inchi, and activated charcoal, to purify and hydrate skin, and it even noticeably targets cellulite by encouraging cell renewal.

Crushed cupuaçu seeds and sugar crystals gently buff and smooth skin, while pressed pure coconut oil hydrates and nourishes, and highly caffeinated guaraná boosts circulation.

Formulated with softening shea butter and sunflower oil, this scrub is gentle enough to use daily and will leave skin polished, refreshed, and as smooth as satin—hence the name.

This bestselling body scrub uses powdered bamboo to lift dead skin cells and polish and AHAs to boost surface exfoliation to prep skin for seamless application of moisturizer or sunless tanner.

This skin-softening body scrub features mineral-rich salts from around the globe to buff away rough, dry skin and offer a sensorial experience that will send your skin on a transformational journey. Wild Gigartina seaweed and shea butter hydrate and leave skin glowing and ready for your favorite moisturizer.

With a delicious buttery scent and texture, this scrub is made from just a few simple ingredients, like cane sugar, coconut oil, and avocado oil, all of which work together to exfoliate and nourish skin, fully restoring softness.

While some oil-based scrubs can leave skin feeling greasy and weighed down, this exfoliating gel will refine skin’s texture to reveal a velvety smooth, radiant finish. Finely milled bamboo, pomegranate, and cranberry join pink Himalayan salt and Brazilian brown sugar to revitalize skin cells, while kukui nut, jojoba, borage, coconut, and buriti oils deliver ultimate hydration without leaving skin feeling slick.