The Best Scrub for Every Skin

TLC may have no love for scrubs, but we certainly do. While you may not want to date one, you should absolutely be using one on your skin. Forget what you’ve heard or read about physical exfoliation being too harsh for some people. Of course, there are a couple of scrubs you should never give your number (AKA St. Ives Apricot or anything with an ingredient that belongs in a trail mix) but as far as physical exfoliants go, there’s more to it than you ever thought possible. 

Physical exfoliation is the process of manually removing surface dead skin cells. This is important because chemical exfoliants dissolve and bring the dead cells to the surface, but most people’s skin then needs physical exfoliants to manually sweep them away. By physically exfoliating, you get your serums to penetrate further and actually treat your skin condition better. 

There are three families of scrubs that we recommend! 

The first is simple and straight forward. It’s an exfoliant with small beads in a gentle cleanser that will remove dead skin and debris without irritation. These can be used 1-2x/wk to daily for some skin types and is a good place to start if you have never used a scrub and have normal to dry skin with normal concerns (aging, dullness, and/or mild breakouts).

Skin MPLS Picks: Face Reality Antioxidant Scrub and Arcona Cranberry Gommage. Both are universal options with the ability to instantly smooth the skin. You never want to use a DIY scrub or something that comes from a health food store on your face because it will most likely contain things like sugar and walnut shells that can create tears in the skin. Our motto – put it in your pantry, not on your face!

The second type of scrubs we love has exfoliating beads AND active ingredients with a two-for-one effect. These can still usually be used by all, but take some time and acclamation (read up on acclimation here). If you have more oily skin, acne*, or hyperpigmentation, this type of scrub will do great things for your skin. The most typical types of active ingredients that these types of scrubs contain are ingredients like alpha hydroxy acids, antibacterials, and vitamin c. They are good for normal to oily skin with more serious concerns like active acne, acne scarring, aging, hyperpigmentation, large pores, rough texture, and excessive oil production. They are also good for more tolerant and acclimated skin. You will see faster changes in the skin with this type of product. 

Skin MPLS Picks: Arcona Brightening Gommage, Mandelic Acid Exfoliating Cleanser, Benzoyl Peroxide Exfoliating Cleanser. 

*Sidenote: Scrubs and inflamed acne can be a controversial topic. We don’t say no to them, because being able to remove the dead skin will get to those deep acne impactions faster – but we take this on a case-by-case basis. You will want your scrub to contain an antibacterial ingredient (benzoyl peroxide or mandelic acid) to also work on killing any infections while also loosening those impactions. In the beginning, you will avoid applying friction to inflamed areas and as your skin clears up you may apply more pressure. Always ice afterward to cool down the skin and reduce inflammation.

The third type of scrubs we rely on aren’t really “scrubs” but we wanted to tell you about it anyway :) These would technically be enzyme products. Enzymes are fruit acids that eat dead skin cells (yum!) and stimulate cell turnover both physically and chemically. These are truly the all-for-one, one-for-all of skincare as everyone can and should use enzymes. They are especially recommended for dull, flakey, and dry skin as well as skin compromised by rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, melasma, and any other conditions that weaken the skin barrier. 

It may seem harsh to exfoliate this type of skin, but once oh-so-gently breakthrough that outer, compromised skin layer then we can truly treat what is beneath. So we rely on these pseudo-scrubs to keep these chronic skin issues at bay. 

Skin MPLS Picks: Theraderm NuPeel, Image Vital C Hydrating Enzyme Mask, and Arcona Berry Gel Gommage. 

If you have taken someone else’s advice in the past to keep scrubs at arm’s length, we encourage you to rethink it. While poorly formulated ones can weaken your skincare game, the right one will have you feeling as fly as a ‘90s pop star.