Just like your face, your body needs gentle exfoliation to remove dead cells, improve circulation and leave the skin feeling smooth and refreshed. When used correctly, they can enhance hydration, brighten dull skin, and prep the surface for lotions or treatments to absorb more effectively. If your current body care is limited to a loofah and a bar of soap, it’s time to level up. Here’s everything you need to know about adding an exfoliating body scrub to your skin care routine.
What Is A Body Scrub?
Body scrubs are physical exfoliants that mechanically slough away dead skin cells. The feel of a “scrub” typically comes from a combination of sugar and/or salt that is suspended in an oil base. While some scrubs (particularly of the DIY variety) contain coarse salt and sugar particles, higher-quality varieties are formulated with fine, premium particles that polish skin without being abrasive.
While body scrubs can also contain chemical exfoliants (like AHAs or BHAs), they are more commonly made with particles that physically slough off dead skin, as opposed to facial scrubs which are formulated to be more gentle. Some body scrubs are made with a combination of physical and chemical exfoliants for a dual-action effect.
Benefits of Using a body scrub
The skin is in a constant state of turnover: Dead skin rises to the surface, sheds naturally and reveals the baby soft skin underneath. This process slows over time, contributing to a buildup of dead cells on the skin’s surface. Add pollution and other forms of environmental stress to the mix, and you have a recipe for dull, rough and itchy skin.
As with all exfoliants, the goal of a body scrub is to remove dead skin cells and encourage the healthy production of new ones. This form of mechanical exfoliation not only smooths and polishes the skin’s surface but also helps draw out impurities beneath it. Dr. Tasneem Bhatia MD, integrative health expert, founder of CentrespringMD, and author of The Super Woman RX, recommends exfoliation as an excellent way to support detoxification. Dr. Bhatia states that “your skin helps detoxification pathways with enzymes and chemical reactions that release toxins and decrease oxidative stress in the body.”
The benefits of body scrubs include:
- Promoting efficient circulation, lymphatic drainage and skin cell turnover
- Removing dead cells from the skin’s surface
- Smoothing and softening rough, dry skin
- Drawing out impurities and clearing congestion
- Freeing ingrown hairs and smoothing razor bumps
- Prepping skin to better absorb moisturizers and body oils
How to Choose the right Body Scrub
The first factor in deciding which type of body scrub to use is your skin type. As with your face, the skin on your body may be oily, dry, sensitive or combination. While the type of skin on your body may be congruent with the skin on your face, that is not always the case. It is common to have dry arms and legs and an oily back, for example. It’s important to consider this when choosing a scrub.
Another factor to consider is how you will use the scrub. If you’re looking for a gentle daily scrub to slough off dead skin and keep things soft, you’ll go for a mild option. If you’re more of a weekly intensive scrubber, you might try something with more active ingredients.
You’ll also want to consider ingredients when choosing a scrub. While there are several synthetic exfoliants like harmful microbeads available, all Eminence Organic Skin Care scrubs use only natural and organic ingredients.
Most body scrubs employ sugar and/or salt to exfoliate the skin. Each of these has unique benefits for your complexion.
Sugar Scrub
Sugar granules are rounder and less abrasive than salt, making them a gentler exfoliant. A natural source of glycolic acid (an AHA), sugar breaks down layers of dead skin and smooths the skin’s surface. It also speeds up rehydration, keeping skin conditioned and moisturized. For this reason, sugar scrubs are a fantastic pick for dry and dehydrated types.
Our Coconut Sugar Scrub is a sweet choice for exfoliating the body. Made with deeply hydrating coconut oil, natural sugar cane crystals and revitalizing cucumber, this delicious-smelling option will leave skin smooth, soft and moisturized.
Salt Scrub
Salt scrubs tend to have grittier particles and are particularly useful in smoothing rough areas like feet and elbows. Salt also has detoxifying properties: Its trace minerals are natural purifiers that draw out pore-clogging toxins and relieve congestion. This action invigorates the skin, promoting more efficient circulation and healthy skin cell turnover.
Salt & Sugar Scrub
Can’t decide between sugar and salt? Some scrubs offer the best of both worlds. Our Stone Crop Revitalizing Body Scrub combines sugar and mineral-rich rock salt to invigorate the skin and smooth dryness. Building into a creamy lather, this gentle scrub exfoliates and resurfaces the skin, leaving it looking healthier and more radiant. Like all Eminence Organics body scrubs, it is free of harmful microbeads and uses only natural and organic ingredients.
How To Use A Body Scrub Step-by-Step
It’s best to use a body scrub two to three times per week to keep your skin soft and smooth from head to toe. Here’s how to add one to your body care routine:
- Use lukewarm water; allow it to run for 5–10 minutes to soften the skin.
- Pause running water and apply the scrub in circular motions; start at your feet and move upwards towards your heart to enhance circulation.
- Maintain gentle pressure (don’t scrub too hard!)
- Rinse thoroughly.
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Apply your favorite body oil or lotion while your skin is still slightly damp. We recommend our Mangosteen Body Lotion which resurfaces the skin with Lactic Acid Complex for bright and radiant skin.
How Often Should You Use a Body Scrub?
While scrubbing your body is an important part of maintaining healthy skin, is there such thing as too much of a good thing? The answer is yes! The skin on certain parts of your body is thicker than the skin on your face (think soles of your feet vs. your eyelids), but just like with your delicate face, too much exfoliating can be hard on other skin as well. It can damage the barrier and lead to issues like dryness, flakiness, irritation and increased sensitivity. It can also strip the skin of its natural oils, which can result in breakouts or rough, uneven texture.
The sweet spot for a sugar (or salt) scrub is about 1–3 times per week, depending on your skin type and the type of exfoliant used. Dry or sensitive skin should exfoliate less often, two times a week max, while normal to oily skin can handle up to three times weekly. It’s crucial to start slow and listen to your skin. You’ll know when you’ve overdone it.
Dos & Don’ts of Body Scrubbing
Do be gentle. Start slow and see how your body reacts. When trying a new scrub, perform a patch test to make sure your skin doesn’t show any signs of irritation.
Do follow with a moisturizer. Once the dead skin has been scrubbed away, the skin underneath is primed and ready to accept a nice layer of moisture. Try the Monoi Age Corrective Night Body Cream and wake up with smooth, youthful-looking skin.
Don’t scrub or exfoliate too hard. As mentioned, more is not always more when it comes to getting rid of dead skin. You may feel really dry and want to shed that top layer, but going too hard can dry skin out, leaving it irritated, itchy and uncomfortable.
Don’t use a scrub on broken or abraded skin. Just like on your face, you should avoid using a scrub on skin that is cut or broken. The abrasive particles can cause further irritation, delay the skin’s healing process and increase the risk of infection.
Do make a night of it. A body scrub can be a bit of a process. Rather than putting it off because can take a while and be a bit messy, make it part of your ritual. Do a face mask and a hair treatment and just relax for a bit. Better yet, do it as part of your everything shower!
What To Expect From A Spa Body Treatment
You can boost the effects of your at-home body care routine with a visit to the spa. Professional body care treatments, like a full body scrub, are performed by a licensed esthetician and are customized to address your unique skin concerns. Just as regular facials enhance your skin’s strength and vitality, spa body treatments give your skin a healthy glow from head to toe.
These are the most popular types of services to choose from:
- Dry brushing
- Body scrub or polish
- Hydrotherapy
- Massage
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Body mask or wrap
After having a professional body treatment, especially a scrub, your skin may feel slightly tender. In the days that follow, it is best to treat your skin gently. Avoid these pitfalls to keep your skin calm and comforted post-treatment:
- Visiting the steam room
- Exercising
- Exfoliating
- Shaving or waxing
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Sunbathing
Ready to level up your body care routine? Explore the Stone Crop Body Collection at an Eminence Organics Spa Partner near you.
