Exfoliation is important. If you’re knowledgeable about your skincare routine, you’ll be aware of this, as well as the number of different types of products out there to exfoliate your skin.
If you’re in search for a solution for your face, body, or both, look no further. Here’s a roundup of the best exfoliating soaps.
Best exfoliating soap for face
First up, it’s time to take a look at the best exfoliating soaps to use on your face. Many of us struggle with the skin on our face more than the body, as it tends to be exposed to ore damage, as well as polluted by cosmetic products. Not to mention, the skin on your face is particularly delicate.
| Exfoliating Soap | Key Ingredients | Skin Type | Benefits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charcoal Soap | Activated charcoal, tea tree oil, shea butter | Oily, acne-prone | Deep cleanses pores, absorbs excess oil |
| Glycolic Acid Soap | Glycolic acid, jojoba beads, aloe vera | All skin types | Smoothes skin texture, promotes cell turnover |
| Oatmeal Soap | Oatmeal, honey, almond oil | Dry, sensitive | Soothes and hydrates, gentle exfoliation |
| Tea Tree Oil Soap | Tea tree oil, peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil | Combination | Antibacterial properties, reduces breakouts |
| Rice Bran Soap | Rice bran oil, rice bran powder, green tea extract | Dull, uneven | Brightens complexion, gentle exfoliation |
If you want to find an exfoliating soap to suit your skin, check out some of our favourites below.
CeraVe Salicylic Acid Cleanser
- [ EXFOLIATING FACE WASH ] Salicylic acid (SA) is a beta hydroxy acid (BHA), an effective exfoliator that removes dead skin cells and promotes radiance. Salicylic acid acts as a chemical exfoliant which feels less harsh than physical ones like face scrubs
- [ FOAMING CLEANSER ] Dispenses as a clear gel and transforms into a foaming face wash as you lather. With hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and vitamin D, this facial cleanser cleanses, exfoliates, and hydrates skin without leaving a stripped & tight feeling
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The first product we’re taking a look at is the salicylic acid cleanser, from one of our favourite drugstore brands, CeraVe. This cleanser is designed for daily use and is aimed particularly towards those with an oilier skin type.
The salicylic acid, also known as Beta Hydroxy Acid, is a powerful exfoliant commonly found in facial products and it’s great for de-clogging your pores. Not to mention, it’s potent cleansing properties make it the ideal ingredient for anyone with acne-prone skin.
If you’re on the lookout for an exfoliating facial soap that’ll help combat your facial acne, this is a great one to start with.
Also read: Are Cleansing and Exfoliating the Same Thing? (Explained)
Murad Clarifying Cleanser – Salicylic Acid Cleanser
- Cleanse at home, and on the go with our variety pack!
- Helps dissolve excess oil, purify pores, and clear and prevent future breakouts
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Another acne-focused product, the Murad Clarifying Cleanser is among a slightly higher price range, but the cost is worth it for the brilliant results it’s known for. The main focus of this exfoliating soap is to deeply cleanse the skin and remove all excess oil and sebum from the surface.
As well as salicylic extract, this product contains green tea extract to help soothe irritation and calm the skin. This is great for a daily product like this, as it prevents the skin being overly stripped over time and help to prevent future breakouts as a result of irritation.
Another impressive thing about this cleanser’s ingredient list is that it contains no parabens, sulphates, phthalates, or animal derived ingredients, so it’s safe for your skin and suitable for vegans.
Dove Beauty Bar Gentle Exfoliating With Mild Cleanser (Pack of 14)
- LOCK IN MOISTURE: Dove Gentle Exfoliating Beauty Bar, with exfoliating beads, nourishes and revitalizes skin to give you softer, smoother, more radiant-looking skin than ordinary bar soap.
- GENTLE EXFOLIATION: Dove Beauty Bar is made with exfoliating beads to wash away dead skin without drying skin like ordinary bar soaps. It’s gentle enough to use every day on both body and face.
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Our final recommendation when it comes to facial exfoliating soaps is this extremely economical option from one of the world’s favourite body care brands, Dove. If you’re not too fussed on a complicated skincare routine, sometimes the simplest products are the best, and there’s plenty of happy customers that’ll agree when it comes to this exfoliating soap.
The convenient bar soap is formulated with exfoliating beads to gently slough dead skin from the face, while also being gentle enough for sensitive skin. It’s formulated with ¼ moisturising cream, offering your skin an unmatched soothing, softening treatment, every day.
Not to mention, the bar format of this soap isn’t only convenient for travelling and practical to use, but it’s an eco-friendlier alternative, too.
How to use exfoliating soap on face
Of all the skincare products out there, an exfoliating soap is one of the easier concepts to grasp, as it’s such an easy product to use, regardless of the one you choose.
An exfoliating soap can replace your cleanser during your daily routine, either once or twice a day, depending on how sensitive your skin is, and is used in exactly the same way. Simply soak your face with lukewarm water and massage the soap into your skin for around 60 seconds, ensuring you cover all areas of the face.
Once you’re finished, rinse using lukewarm water and pat dry with a clean towel, before moving onto the rest of your skincare routine.
Also read: Does Exfoliating Help with Acne? (Tips That Help)
Best exfoliating soap for body
Although we often focus on our faces more than the rest of our body, that’s not the only skin which deserves some TLC, as our bodies do too. Often, your body can be exposed to more abrasive products, especially in areas with tougher skin.
| Exfoliating Soap | Key Ingredients | Skin Type | Benefits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee Scrub Soap | Ground coffee, coconut oil, shea butter | All skin types | Energizes, improves blood circulation |
| Sea Salt Scrub Soap | Sea salt, coconut oil, lavender essential oil | Dry, flaky | Removes dead skin, hydrates and relaxes |
| Sugar Scrub Soap | Brown sugar, almond oil, citrus essential oil | Normal, dry | Gently exfoliates, leaves skin smooth and soft |
| Loofah Soap | Natural loofah, glycerin soap base | All skin types | Provides mild exfoliation, promotes circulation |
| Exfoliating Bar Soap | Crushed walnut shells, shea butter, vitamin E | All skin types | Sloughs off dead skin, nourishes and moisturizes |
Below are some of our top picks to deeply exfoliate your body.
Dove Beauty Bar For Softer Skin Cucumber and Green Tea, 14 Bars
- REFRESHES SKIN: Dove Cool Moisture Beauty Bar combines the refreshing scents of cucumber and green tea with Dove mild cleansers for skin care to revitalize both your senses and your skin
- DERMATOLOGIST RECOMMENDED: Dove Beauty Bar is the dermatologist-recommended Beauty Bar in the U.S
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We’ve already mentioned Dove’s impressive beauty bars in this article, but we just can’t get enough of them. Not only are they suitable for use on your face, but they’re great to use on your body, too.
While we recommend you stick with a mild, unscented product for your face, like the unscented beauty bars we linked earlier, sometimes it’s nice to have a scented product to use on your body.
These beauty bars, created with the same nourishing, enriching formula as the originals, come in a variety of scents, and one of our top picks is the cucumber and green tea. It’s a fresh scent that’ll leave you smelling clean as well as your skin soft and exfoliated.
Honey Belle Natural Loofah Soap Bar 5-Pack
- 🌿 CLEANSE, SCRUB & EXFOLIATE - Cleanse, nourish, exfoliate and scrub all at the same time! Coconut Oil and Glycerin keeps your skin moisturized and healthy. Contains a natural, unbleached, eco-friendly sponge to help get rid of dead skin! Safe for sensitive skin.
- ❤️ VARIETY 5-PACK - Includes: CITRUS, CHARCOAL BAMBOO, EUCALYPTUS PEPPERMINT, LAVENDER RAIN & ROSE
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Moving onto a less conventional option for your body’s exfoliating soap, these loofah soap bars are a fun twist on a regular bar soap, and they come with plenty of benefits for your skin.
Unlike a regular body soap, these products are loofahs, coated with gorgeously scented soap, so you get a good lather while you scrub your body using the loofah, which is great for gentle exfoliation.
These soaps are plant-based and natural, as well as cruelty-free and handmade in the USA, so what more could you ask for?
OGX Coffee Scrub and Wash, Coconut
- COFFEE & COCONUT BODY SCRUB: Infused with exotic arabica coffee & coconut oil, this exfoliating & moisturizing blend will help soften & hydrate your skin. Boost hydration to reveal beautiful-looking skin
- SMOOTH & SOFTEN: Indulge in the robust aroma of coffee & rich coconut oil with the OGX Smoothing and Coconut Coffee body collection. Try the Body Scrub & Body Cream for skin that feels silky-smooth
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A cult favourite brand in the haircare industry, OGX have a great body care collection too, and this is one product you really don’t want to miss out on. This soap is a physical exfoliant that uses arabica coffee to scrub dead skin cells and leave your body smooth.
The coffee and coconut combination has a beachy, exotic aroma and can be combined with other products of the same scent from this body care collection, for the perfect routine.
Thanks to the nourishing coconut oil, your skin will be hydrated and soft, as well as healthier. Plus, it’s sulphate-free so your skin won’t be overly stripped of its natural moisture and oils.
Aveeno Positively Radiant Exfoliating Body Wash with MoistureRich Soy Complex
- 18-fluid ounce bottle of Aveeno Positively Radiant Exfoliating Body Wash gently exfoliates and cleanses skin leaving it feeling soft and smooth after just one use
- This soap-free body wash is uniquely formulated with Moisture-Rich Soy Complex and natural light diffusers to enhance skin's natural radiance, as well as crushed walnut shell and natural exfoliants to sweep away dry, dull skin
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The last product we have on our list today is this exfoliating body wash from Aveeno, popular for their kind-to-skin body care. This exfoliating soap is no exception as, while it’s great to remove dead skin, it ensures your skin is left nourished and soothed using complex formulas exclusive to Aveeno.
In this body wash, walnut shell is the star of the show as it’s used to gently exfoliate the skin while patented technology replaces moisture and softens the skin. Your whole body will be left looking radiant with ingredients designed to add a subtle glow to your skin.
Also read: Best Body Wash for After Spray Tan (My Recommendations)
How to use exfoliating soap on body
Just like using an exfoliating soap on your face, using an exfoliating soap on your body is another simple switch in your routine, and it can be used as often as you like, in the shower. For a full-body exfoliation, we recommend using your soap a few times per week.
| Consideration | Description |
|---|---|
| Skin Sensitivity | Choose exfoliating soaps suitable for your skin type and sensitivity level to avoid irritation |
| Exfoliation Intensity | Consider the level of exfoliation needed for your skin and select a soap with the appropriate scrubbing agents |
| Moisturizing Properties | Look for soaps that contain moisturizing ingredients to prevent excessive dryness after exfoliation |
| Fragrance Preference | Consider personal preference for fragrance or opt for unscented options if you have sensitive skin |
| Ingredient Allergies | Check the ingredient list and avoid any known allergens to prevent adverse reactions |
All you need to do is hop in the shower and massage the exfoliating soap all over your body, in every area which you wish to leave glowing. Rinse as you would a regular body wash and make sure you moisturise once your skin has dried.
Final thoughts
It’s easy to see that there are plenty of different options to satisfy your needs when it comes to exfoliating soaps. If you’re ready to try one for yourself, choose one of our brilliant recommendations and follow our simple guides to exfoliate your face and body. Just be careful not to over-exfoliate!
