I used to rely on physical exfoliants in my weekly routine. That is, until I found chemical exfoliation. Now, I rarely find myself reaching for physical exfoliators, which makes the fact that I own so many seem a bit excessive. I have ordered this list from least to most abrasive to make it a little easier for everyone.
Planted In Beauty Detox Exfoliant
This is the most gentle exfoliator that I have in my collection. Containing both physical as well as chemical exfoliators, I find that this is the #1 exfoliator that I will reach for when I’m wanting a gentle exfoliation. If you’re looking for the hard core scrub, this is not for you.
I like to leave it on for a few minutes to let the pineapple enzymes work their magic before massaging it into my skin for a MINOR amount of physical exfoliation.
Nyakio Kenyan Coffee Face Polish
This exfoliator has the most beads out of all of them. The beams also seem to be the largest, and yet it doesn’t feel overly abrasive. I like to use this one in the mornings when I have something important to go to. I find that it gives my skin a smooth texture and because it contains coffee, it does a pretty good job at pepping my skin up.
Dr Roebuck’s Byron 2-in-1 Mask + Scrub
This is the newest to my collection. I believe I got it as a point perk from Sephora. I love that this one feels minty and cooling on the skin. The exfoliating beads don’t feel harsh or abrasive at all. I leave this one for a few minutes to get the most out of the peppermint cooling sensation. Out of all of the ones that I have, this one feels the most luxurious to use. The peppermint feels nice, it has a nice luxe texture, and there are no sharp, abrasive edges to the exfoliating beads. Overall, this one feels like a winner to me.
Crop Detoxifying Charcoal Facial Scrub
This feels much more abrasive than the Dr Roebucks, however, there are not a ton of beads so it still doesn’t feel overpowering on like it’s stripping my skin off. I reach for this more when my skin feels very flaky and like there is an intense layer of dead skin sitting on my face. I also like that this contains charcoal, which is great for detoxifying the pores. With Vitamins A, E & C, the exfoliator deeps cleans the skin while helping reduce dark spots to leave you with brighter, smoother skin.
Derma-E Purifying 2-in-1 Charcoal Mask
This Derma-E exfoliator reminds me an awful lot of the one from Crop. Both contain Charcoal to suck out impurities. The only real difference is that this can also be used as a mask. When left on as a mask, it dries down completely to really pull out all of the gunk and grime in your skin. I reach for this more as a mask that has exfoliating beads than I do just an exfoliator.
Skinfood Black Sugar Honey Wash Off Mask
By far my harshest exfoliator that I own, this is the one that I reach for the least. So much so, that this pot has actually expired and I need to get rid of it. The beads in it are tiny, but they feel sharper than the other exfoliators for some reason. I only used to reach for this when my skin was in desperate need of intense exfoliation. Nowadays, I’m too scared to used something so harsh on my face.
What’s your favorite physical exfoliator?
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