Reviewers Are Saying This $6 Body Scrub Smells "Good Enough to Eat" (2024)

Just like using a face scrub can make skin glow, a body scrub can improve the skin below your neck. “Gently sloughing dead cells away can reveal softer, smoother, and more luminous skin,” says dermatologist Shari Marchbein, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at New York University School of Medicine. “It also allows the skin the absorb moisturizers applied afterwards more effectively.”

Body scrubs are mechanical (also known as physical) exfoliants. “They use abrasive particles or granules such as sugar or salt, ground nut shells, cornmeal, or beads made from a natural ingredient like silica or jojoba to lift and remove dead skin cells and dirt with friction,” says Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab senior chemist Sabina Wizemann. If you don't exfoliate, dead skin "can pile up into a thick, rough layer that scatters light rays and causes skin to appear ashy and dull,” says Wizemann. “The over-accumulation of dead skin can also lead to acne, clogged pores, and premature signs of aging.”

Ready to get silky, touchable, glowing skin you’ll want to show off? Shop our list of Good Housekeeping Institute- and reviewer-approved exfoliating body scrubs for all skin types.

Our top picks:

You can read more about how we evaluate body scrubs in our lab and consumer tests — plus everything you need to know about finding the best body body scrub for your skin type — at the end of this guide. Looking for more ways to improve your skin? Check out our guides to the best body washes and the best body lotions for your money.

A longtime go-to of GH beauty editors, this exfoliating drugstore body wash is so indulgent, you'd never guess it costs less than a fancy coffee. "The rich, creamy formula smells like sweet coconut and feels incredibly soft and pampering on skin," one editor says. "It makes your everyday shower a treat." Plus, the generously-sized bottle really lasts.

Slough away and soften dry skin simultaneously with Dove's cream-based body scrub, with exfoliating silica and moisturizing macadamia seed and rice oils. "It leaves your entire body baby smooth," one Amazon reviewer said. Bonus: It smells like dessert!

This First Aid Beauty scrub tackles stubborn skin bumps like ingrown hairs and keratosis pilaris with a combination of physical exfoliators like pumice and chemical sloughers like glycolic and lactic acids. And according to Sephora reviewers, it works: "I've tried so many different products and exfoliators and nothing has ever worked," one reported. "I've used this twice...and the little bumps are gone."

This classic St. Ives exfoliator, a winner of the GH Beauty Lab's face scrubs test for removing impurities and oil, can also be used on the body. It deeply sloughs skin with a mix of walnut shell powder and cornmeal. "It works wonders not just for the face but for the body," one reviewer confirmed.

The Body Shop's creamy body scrub suspends gently exfoliating sweet almond shell powder in a whip of soybean, sesame, and jojoba oils, honey, and shea butter. "I have dry, sensitive skin, and this helps get rid of any dry flakes without irritating," an Ulta reviewer noted.

Birnur Aral, Ph.D., Executive Director of the GH Beauty Lab, is a fan of Nécessaire's body scrub, made with a mix of heavy-duty exfoliators like pumice, bamboo charcoal, and glycolic, lactic, and salicylic acids. "I like the gel texture that adheres to skin and lathers when diluted,” she says. “It leaves skin soft and scented with sandalwood."

This unique balm body scrub is a GH beauty editor favorite, thanks to its mix of buffing sea salt and decadent, invigorating botanical oils (sweet almond, olive, peppermint, basil, and rosemary). "The exfoliation you get from this is similar to what you receive during a professional body scrub at a spa," says one editor. "The dense balm leaves a coating of hydration behind on skin, and I love that the huge tub goes a long way."

This novel double duty Indie Lee formula works as both a body scrub and a bath soak. A blend of Himalayan and Dead Sea salts softly exfoliate and purify, while lavender, sage, rosemary, and black pepper essential oils relax senses. "Using this made a basic shower a physical and mental escape at the end of a long day," one GH beauty editor says.

“As long as it is not causing skin irritation, you can do it daily if desired,” Dr. Marchbein says. “Personally, I recommend exfoliating no more than three times weekly — once per week is even sufficient for most people.” For best results, apply a dollop of the product on damp skin in the shower, buffing in circular motions from your chest down to your feet, then rinse.

To find the best scrub for your skin type, look at a body scrub’s ingredients. “In general, sugar is softer and thus gentler than salt, cornmeal, and nut shells, and may be more suitable for sensitive skin,” Wizemann explains.