6 Best Exfoliators for Your Face, As Vetted by a Dermatologist and Our Beauty Editor
The most effective — and satisfying — exfoliants and scrubs, without any of the harshness.
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Spring cleaning isn’t just for our homes. Using one of these expert-loved exfoliators for the face will ensure we experience the cleanest, smoothest skin we’ve been dreaming of all winter.
Think about it: Throughout the past season, we’ve taken hot showers, experienced blustery outdoor weather, and battled dry indoor air caused by our radiators — cumulatively, these have caused thirsty, flaky skin. These dermatologist- and beauty editor-approved face scrubs will level up our dull complexions after just the first use.
Best Exfoliators for the Face
- Best Overall: Alastin ReSURFACE Skin Polish
- Best Budget: CeraVe Skin Renewing Nightly Exfoliating Treatment
- The Best New Beauty Award Winner: Embryolisse Exfoliating Face Scrub Powder
- Viral on TikTok: Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant
- Best for Daily Use: Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Why Use an Exfoliator for the Face
“Exfoliation is essential for removing dead skin cells from your face. Exfoliating ingredients help facilitate the removal of dead cells from the skin surface,” says double board-certified dermatologist Dr. Brendan Camp, M.D., of MDCS Dermatology in New York. He highlights alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), beta hydroxy acids (BHAs), retinol, and fruit acids as popular ingredients in exfoliating products.
Chemical vs. Physical Exfoliants
The most important factor when shopping is whether these scrubs use chemical or physical exfoliants. “Chemical exfoliants break apart the bonds of dead skin cells, which facilitates their removal from the skin surface. Examples of chemical exfoliants include alpha-hydroxy acids like lactic acid and glycolic acid and beta-hydroxy acids like salicylic acid,” explains Camp. “Physical exfoliants employ small particles to gently buff or scour the skin surface and remove dead skin cells. Examples of physical exfoliants include sugar, salt, and nutshell.”
For the hard-to-please person in your life (hi, indecisive Libras!), you could always gift them a face exfoliant that uses both chemical and physical exfoliants.
How Often Should You Exfoliate Your Face?
Generally, it’s OK to use an exfoliant two or three times weekly, Camp says. But some products are formulated for more frequent use. Your safest bet is to read the instructions to ensure you’re not over-exfoliating — or you might cause more harm than good. “Avoid over-exfoliating the skin because this can damage the skin barrier. A damaged skin barrier can predispose the skin to dryness, eczema, irritation, and infection,” cautions Camp. He adds that exfoliation can make your skin more sun-sensitive and advises everyone always to be diligent about sun protection.
How We Chose
I included two of my all-time favorite products to simplify your quest for a new face scrub. I also asked Camp to share a few of his recommendations. These suggestions start just under $18 and are made with science-backed ingredients, like salicylic and glycolic acids. Speaking of, some of these exfoliants include hydrating ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid and ceramides, to help prevent moisture loss, which is always appreciated.
Pros
- Combines the best of physical and chemical exfoliants
- My face feels softer and more hydrated after use
- Only need a small amount of product
Cons
- You have to massage into the skin for 30 seconds
Alastin is a brand that targets mature skin, but frankly, I am obsessed with everything I’ve tried from the brand. My skin is dull, rough, and flaky whenever I stop using this face exfoliant. ReSURFACE Skin Polish deserves our best overall pick because it cures all of my abovementioned skincare woes and more.
A refined volcanic mineral called perlite satisfies my urge to feel my skincare products working, while glycolic acid helps boost exfoliation and minimizes the look of fine lines. It’s the best of both a chemical and physical face scrub — and I can’t get enough.
Somehow my skin feels softer and more hydrated whenever I apply this glow-enhancing face exfoliant. I love it so much that I gifted one to my mom, but mainly so I’ll always have access to this scrub during impromptu trips back home. (Whoops! Sorry, mom.)
It’s also on the pricey side but lasts for several months before I need a restock, which, TBH, is always. So really, I can’t freak out too much at the initial cost because the cost per use is relatively low.
More: Shampoos for Gray Hair
CeraVe Skin Renewing Nightly Exfoliating Treatment
Pros
- An overnight treatment
- Helps protect your skin barrier with the help of three ceramides
Cons
- Doesn’t contain any BHAs, so it’s not your best bet if you have acne-prone skin
Who says you gotta spend big bucks to discover a solid exfoliant for the face? Enter Camp’s budget-friendly suggestion that costs just under-$19.
“Glycolic acid and lactic acid are included in this nighttime exfoliating serum, along with hyaluronic acid and ceramides to keep skin hydrated,” says Camp.
Notably, it contains an impressive 5% blend of glycolic and lactic acids, two prominent types of AHAs. These ingredients will help smooth fine lines without irritation. This face serum is also non-comedogenic, meaning it won’t congest your pores and lead to acne. It also boasts CeraVe’s MVE delivery technology for controlled time release of hydration throughout the day.
Pros
- Safe for all skin types, including sensitive skin
- Ideal for frequent travelers
Cons
- Skip if you don’t enjoy lightly-foaming face products
I recently crowned the Embryolisse Exfoliating Face Scrub Powder as the best face exfoliant of the year for our inaugural Best New Beauty Awards.
It’s a powder formula that lightly foams when mixed with water. I appreciate the gentle formula containing 99% natural ingredients, like three types of coconut extract, to buff away dead skin cells. Since it’s a powder, you can tuck this into your favorite piece of luggage or overnight bag, making it handy for travel.
Pros
- Non-abrasive leave-on treatment
- Also minimizes blackheads, redness, and wrinkles
Cons
- Feels sticky on your face for the first 5-10 minutes
Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant is a must-have exfoliant that minimizes the appearance of large pores. Speaking of pores, this one does wonders for loosening up the gunk trapped inside of them.
“With a fluid, lightweight consistency, this well-tolerated salicylic acid-containing liquid exfoliant helps unclog pores and even skin tone,” says Camp.
It also has antioxidant-rich green tea extract to calm redness. No wonder it’s a viral must-have for beauty TikTokers and thousands of shoppers across Amazon and Sephora.
Pros
- Good for acne-prone skin
- Improves uneven skin tone and texture, like dark spots
Cons
- Be very careful when cleansing around the eye area — the microexfoliants are tiny and could easily get into your eyes
Dermalogica is a favorite of Camp, Courteney Cox, and my esthetician Yuko Funaki of Moonflower Spa in NYC.
“A unique powder formula, this product is gentle enough for daily use and includes a unique blend of acids and rice enzymes to brighten and soften skin,” says Camp.
It earns major snaps for being easy to use. All you need is to mix in a bit of water and your complexion will be treated to a combination of gentle physical and chemical exfoliants.
This face exfoliant is compatible with all skin types, but anyone with acne-prone skin will love this product as it’s made with salicylic acid, the superhero anti-acne ingredient. Those dealing with dark spots will also see a steady improvement in dullness anywhere from 1-4 weeks.
It also contains colloidal oatmeal and allantoin, two gentle skincare ingredients dermatologists love for their skin-calming properties.
Pros
- Multi-layered approach to deep weekly cleansing
- Slide-off cover is great for keeping contents dry, and it has a wand to prevent clumping
- Customizable intensity
Cons
- Like all scrubs, a build-up regimen is best, starting from once a week
Those of us still scarred (physically and emotionally) by the dark days of apricot scrubs will appreciate Wow Polish: It’s a physical and chemical exfoliant in one but without the harsh effects of an actual scrub.
“Like many, I’ve become gunshy for years about using facial scrubs because of how aggressive they were in the ’90s,” Senior Editor Eunice Lucero-Lee says, adding, “But this has seriously changed my mind and safely brought scrubs back into my life! I like that it combines a mineral powder, perlite, with an AHA and a PHA for multi-effect cleansing, and that you can customize the ‘grit’ to your liking and needs: Add more water to make it into a foamier, gentler wash, or add less water if you need a heavier paste.”
Aside from perlite for absorbing excess oil and pore cleansing, it also has lactic acid for AHA-induced brightness and gluconolactone, a polyhydroxy acid (or PHA) for smoother, more even skin. All three powders are colored differently, too — a clever detail that helps you see which ingredient is which in your palm.
Nicole Saunders is the beauty editor at Best Products with over seven years of experience researching, writing, and editing lifestyle content. She specializes in breaking down complicated topics, like high-frequency wands and microcurrent devices, into easy-to-understand guides. She takes great pride in heavily researching and testing featured beauty products, — such as hairdryers and foundations — on our site, and spotlights her all-time seasonal favorites in her quarterly column Best New Beauty. And she tests quite literally thousands of launches for our Beauty Awards package.
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