Scrubs & Exfoliants (Bath & Body)

Scrubs arrive in two mechanisms that often share a shelf. Physical versions use particles you rub across the skin: sugar, salt, ground shells, coffee or jojoba beads. Chemical exfoliants use acids, usually glycolic, lactic or salicylic, that break the bonds holding dead cells to the surface so they release without friction. One relies on your hands, the other on time.

Grain shape decides how harsh a physical scrub feels. Sugar granules are rounded and dissolve as they meet warm water, so they soften halfway through and suit most skin. Salt crystals are larger, sharper and slower to dissolve, which makes them effective on heels and shins and painful on freshly shaved legs. Most grains sit suspended in oil, and that oil does half the work by leaving a film that offsets the abrasion. Acids skip the rubbing entirely, making them the better tool for the rough bumps on upper arms known as keratosis pilaris and for ingrown hairs after shaving.

Washing removes dirt without touching the surface layer, so this is an addition to your body wash and never a swap for it. Lotion goes on afterward, because freshly exfoliated skin loses water faster and the timing matters more than usual. Face exfoliants are formulated far gentler, and a body scrub should never travel up onto the face or neck. Dry brushing gives a similar surface polish with no product at all, though it does nothing about ingrown hairs.

Anyone applying self tanner should exfoliate 24 hours ahead, since color clings to dead cells and goes patchy without the prep. Ingrown hairs, rough legs before an event and dry winter shins all respond well. Once or twice a week is the ceiling for most skin. Eczema, sunburn, active body acne and shaving days rule it out completely, and skin that flushes easily does better on acids than on grains.

Work on damp skin with the shower running off you rather than onto you, since water washes product away before it can act. Pressure should stay light, because the grains do the cutting and your hand only adds irritation. Rinse well, then moisturize within a few minutes. A tub left on the shower floor takes on water. A sugar scrub with water in it separates and grows mold quickly, so use a scoop and keep the lid on.