Share: Tell us what you love, hate, or are otherwise indifferent to about body scrubs! Always use it? Never use it? Effective?
my answer: I love ones that aren’t too coarse but aren’t too fine. I like when they stay solid enough that you can work them in, but then they dissolve as you do so, which helps me with timing!
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I use them all the time! They’re a must for me. I have really dry ankles… Weird I know. So I need scrub to keep me soft and not gross. They’re great for preventing ingrown hairs and razor burn too. I always have at least 2 in my shower.
Girl, you’re not the only one… I’ve got me some dry, ashy ankles! Got to scrub those suckers, too.
I love body scrubs, but I prefer ones that are really dense and not liquidy. Lately my favorites has been Juelp’s grapefruit scrubs. It’s more like a thick frosting with sugar particles. It’s great!
I like my scrubs to be similar to what you described. I can’t stand scrubs that are packed with so much oil that I feel like I’m coated in Crisco afterward, though! The oil is hard to wash off, and it leaves my tub so nasty. I prefer a formula that is more water soluble.
Rant: Oh my GOD shower gels that say “scrub” and have like… two bits of scrub in there. What is the poiiiiiiiiiiint?
I SOOO agree!!! Like WHYYY????
Omg that is so funny. I agree, give me an actual scrub!!
While I love a good body scrub, I hate the mess they make of my shower. I had one from Origins once that had pomegranate in it and it stained my tub red, plus made it incredibly slippery. I haven’t used any scrubs in a while because we only have a shower stall in our master bath and I don’t want to gunk it up. If anyone has a rec for a scrub that won’t mess up my shower/tub, I’m all ears.
Maybe give the Qtica Smart Spa one a try…
http://www.qticasmartspa.com/content/101/category/Smart_Spa_Cherry_Bing_Sugar_Scrub.html
There’s a bunch of other scents than the one linked, but I think it’s a pretty good scrub. It dissolves slowly enough that you can get a good exfoliation, but it doesn’t leave the shower with a bunch of grit or an oily film. It rinses clean, and it’s made to not clog drains or whirlpool jets. I can say from experience that the Cherry Bing one doesn’t stain.
Body scrubs are now an essential part of my skin care regime. I like slightly coarse scrubs that should give an effective exfoliation as the milder ones doesnt serve any purpose…
I make them!
2 parts Sugar at the coarseness you desire
1 part Honey
Optional additives:
Splash of a carrier oil of choice (I like sweet almond – nourishing and cheap!)
Few drops of an essential oil
And, of course, someone to get to your back for you 😉
Since oily scrubs leave my tub a mess (and give me a less than thrilled hubby) I’m gonna have to try your sugar/honey combo.
I just do it once every couple months and it does the job.
My hubby isn’t too fond of helping me with it(sticky, stuck under nails), but he loves the results!
Hi Zoltanfire…sounds ideal for those of us with loads of allergies but not loads a cash 🙂 Can you please answer some silly questions so I can try this?
1) I use Agave Nectar to sweeten so need to buy some sugar. Should I get bag of plain ground white sugar? Hoping I don’t need to buy the expensive “natural” sugar” that is in larger beads for lack of proper term. 2) Does the honey easily wash off completely or do you get super sticky? 3) The only oils I have are EVOO or argan which would be pricey to use. Will cooking olive oil work as the carrier? Thank you so much for posting this…I love that eliminating essential oil will allow me to avoid allergies and there are few ingredients. Hope you reply so I can get everything soon!
Hey there! I’m glad I’m starting to turn some people to the dark side 😉
1) Plain old cheap baking granulated white sugar does the trick.
2) You will have to rub again after and check, usually the hot water gets the honey off of you.
3) You don’t have to use oils as they are pretty pricey! I buy a large bottle of sweet almond oil from my local health food store(brands are now foods and aura cacia).
Aura cacia also has a really nice argan oil that is truely 100% and aromatherapy grade.
Have fun!
I’ve been told that sugar melts more quickly against the skin than salt. So sugar is better for your face or if you have sensitive skin and salt is better for a harder scrub.
I tried dead sea salt but did find it any different to bog standard table salt. You can try normal granular vs caster sugar too for different grain size.
Can’t wait…hope to try soon since it will be inexpensive! Not sure if my tiny town will have sweet almond oil so thanks for alternatives.
BTW, if you never see me post again, it means all that sugar & honey brought some of our grizzly bears & black bears out of hibernation for a sweet treat 🙂
I’ve made ones with sweet almond oil, aroma therapy oils, sugar and salt but never honey, going to have to try this 🙂
Excellent. Thanks for this!
Love them, I use a combination of home made and Body Shop. I’ve never used solid ones but now I’m intrigued.
I use them in the shower (without the water running) for easy clean up. 🙂
I love ones that are chunky in oil. Like the ones from Origins. The only problem is that the shower gets so slippery.
I’ve recently discovered the Victoria Secret sugar body scrub (in the Love Spell scent). It’s great for scrubing away dead skin but it dissolves and it smells fantastic. I got it for free when I used a $10 Secret Reward Card back in December.
I agree with you Christine-the scrubs that are watery are really hard to work with. The Body Shop makes good ones. I am also a fan of Lush products. I haven’t tried any high end ones-recommendations anyone?
Lush has a few “shower smoothies” that are great exfoliators – one with ground up almonds and banana. I like these because not only do they exfoliate, they moisturize too.
I love scrubs! I prefer thick foamy scrubs with sugar and polyethylene (tiny plastic beads), but in the winter I like oily scrubs too.. but only the thick and creamy ones that emulsify when you add water. Salt scrubs are fun too, but the salt should be fine. I do prefer sugar though.
The polyethylene beads are unfortunately a really huge environmental problem! They are so small they end up in the oceans where plankton eat them and onward! I recommend sugar instead 🙂
Bella, thank you so much for sharing this. I honestly never thought about it. I just looked up the scrub I’ve used for years to check the ingredients even though most of it dissolves while rinsing off. I have changed many habits & purchases over the years as I learn about something I am doing that is so destructive. Thanks for educating me!!!
You know, that’s an interesting thing to learn, so thanks. Last year I spent an entire week feeling like I had something in my eye, but figured I was just being a wimp.
Since I work with Ophthalmologists, I happened to mention it to one of them one day and they put me in the chair and took a look. Anyway, turns out I had a scrub “bead” embedded in my cornea!!! Sounds worse than it was; he took it out in 2 seconds with a needle and a couple of days with eye ointment and I was good as new.
But it did give me pause for thought.
Thanks you guys! 🙂 happy to help!
Ouch Terri! I’ve been hoping to see you post…off topic…I want you to know your Happy Birthday and kind words meant a lot to me. Thanks for taking the time 🙂
Oh gosh, that makes me really happy!!! Wishing you peace and happiness Kelly!
Oh no, really? :/ Would walnut powder or seeds would be a problem too? Thanks for the info! 🙂
I tried the Laura Mercier Silk Crime foundation and I don’t think it is working for me. I love the coverage and looks great when I apply it, but throughout the day it just looks thick and it doesn’t stay in place with my really oily skin. Plus I was colour matched Cream Ivory which is too dark for me.
??? This is for body scrubs.
I love the Gommage aux 3 huiles by Lierac or the Body Shop scrubs ( shea butter, moringa, cocoa butter or grapefruit or mango or chocolate etc… ) I love them all !
My favorite is the Sabon vanilla coconut scub!! It makes my body so soft and I love the smell!!!
I use the Bath & Body Works scrubs and love them! I feel like they’re coarse enough to get the job done, but not too coarse to hurt. I really scrub all over about twice a month, and once a week I just focus on my upper arms and sides of my thighs since I tend to get goose-pimply bumps there
I love using scrubs but most of them leave a mess in my shower.
I never buy fancy scrubs–I’m too frugal with my beauty budget. If I buy a scrub it’s the generic apricot scrub. Mostly I just use one of my two exfoliating cloths. They’re cheap and reusable which are my priorities since I really dislike shower clutter.
My biggest rant about body scrubs is that they don’t really work. Many of the ingredients irritate my sensitive skin and KP while doing a marginal job of physically exfoliating the dead, dry skin. I prefer Aveeno body wash for sensitive skin and a Salux-style washcloth. Keeps my skin soft and clear. It took me 20 years to learn that. Maybe more. I’m 39.
I really like the ones with the exfoliater being sugar – the beads don’t do much for me. The Body Shop makes a pretty good body scrub. They make my skin feel nice and soft.
I use them once a week all over. The ones that moisturize are best for me in my dry climate. I like Lalicious…but am on the hunt for something new. I always like to try new scrubs:)
I love body scrubs. I immediatelly feel and see the difference when I don’t scrub regularly. I usually scrub two to three times a week, which some might say is too often but for me it work. Super soft skin guaranteed! 🙂
I Love The Body Shop’s Shea sugar Body Scrub
Hey Jennifer…is this the same as their “shea body scrub” that has “salt grains & organic sugar”? I’ve tried this one but was hoping there is a sugar only one I can’t find.
I am a body scrub junkie, no lie i’ve tried them all!!
BEST EVER – Red Flower Red Flower Ohana Gingergrass Bamboo Scrub
Try it you will LOVE it!!
I don’t think I’ve met a body scrub I didn’t like, from gentle but thorough (Clarins with the bamboo powder) to really scrubby and effective (Soap and Glory, Aveda). I love ’em all!
THE best body scrub that is also the cheapest – St. Ives Apricot scrub! You can get it anywhere and I even use it on my face.
I’m a body scrub addict!! Two of my favourites are Bath & Body Works Supercharged body scrub and Clinique’s scrub (I think it’s the sparkle skin one). But I love the b&bw one most because the scrub dissolves eventually so it’s great for using on the face and not having to worry about missing some when you wash it off before applying makeup or moisturizer. I like the Lush Ocean Salt too for the smell but I don’t find it exfoliates that well : /
I like body scrubs that dissolve as you’re scrubbing.. I hate the ones that are really coarse – I had a mani-pedi done today and the scrub they used scratched my skin so much that it actually started to hurt! And I generally have a pretty good pain threshold, considering waxing my arms and legs don’t bother me too much :/
I’m another Body Shop fan…the Coco Butter Body Scrub is one of the only things I’m not allergic to, it is relatively hydrating while doing a great job of exfoliating. I don’t live near a store so buy online…they have really good sales where you can stock up for months at a time without spending much.
I prefer sugar scrubs but haven’t found any inexpensive ones that don’t have ingredients that cause hives. I can’t use salt scrubs, they dry me out terribly and make me itch for days. Can’t wait to read everyone’s ideas!!!
I like them to be coarse and feel that they really do a good job removing everything. I absolutely hate those that dissolve, mainly because they dissolve too quickly for me, so I always need to apply more product to get the job done. I also hate oil based ones. I have oily skin and break out easily on my body as well if I don’t use the right products there, so if I use an oil based scrub I have to wash my skin with body wash after.
Looks like I’m very much in the minority. I’ve tried a few scrubs and found that I didn’t care for them – grains too rough, grains too small, dissolved to fast, went down the drain, made the floor too oily, etc. I use an exfoliating mitt every other day or so with plain old Dove soap.
I love, love, love body scrubs! I currently have 5 different scrubs in my shower and use them every other day! Love them! I prefer sugar or brown sugar scrubs, rather than salt scrubs. The bigger the sugar, the more effective! I love them!!!!
Jackie S. do you have favorite sugar scrubs that aren’t very fragrant? Thanks for any recommendations.
Hey Kelly B.,
I’m currently using a DIY sugar scrub (the mixture of brown sugar and coconut oil – you can use any kind of oil of course!) and it works wonders for me 🙂 It leaves my skin super smooth and hydrated. And it’s super inexpensive as well!
Hi Eszter…I am so trying this! I am planning on buying sugar & honey for Zoltanfire’s scrub at bottom of page so I’ll get these items too. Questions just in case you check back: I’ve never made a scrub…how much of each ingredient is enough for 1 full body (so I don’t waste a lot). Do I just get regular cooking brown sugar? I’ve never tried coconut oil – is it a staple like olive oil…tiny town with limited grocery store. I’m just hoping to find the sweet almond oil mentioned below. I’ll wait to go to store in case you reply.
I’ll probably just eat it all before I actually exfoliate. Snort Snort. Thanks for the recipe!!!
Hi Kelly,
Actually, I make more than one portion at a time and mix the ingredients in a jar which closes well enough till I use it up. (for a little more exact measures I use a pinch – the size of a teaspoon approximately – for every area (the legs from knee to toe is one for example) to exfoliate. The brown sugar is from the kitchen, sure 🙂 About the coconut oil, I’m not from the US , but something like WholeFoods surely has it! But of course, you can use olive oil or almond oil (any kind for that matter) just as well! Hope I could help 🙂
Lush’s Buffy, I can’t be without it!!! It smells great makes my skin smooth soft and amazing.
I LOVE scrubs! I feel like they make my skin feel ultra smooth and I get a much better shave using one. I do have some pet peeves, though… I really hate when products, especially products used in the bath/shower, come in tubs. I’m also not a fan when scrubs dissolve too quickly in water because then I don’t get to exfoliate properly. Another thing I don’t like is when scrubs or any product leaves a slippery film in the tub. My favorite is the Qtica Smart Spa Sugar Scrub!! It’s great for manis/pedis, but I also really love it as a body scrub. The one I have comes in a tub since it was part of a 3 piece gift set, but the individual smaller size comes in a squeeze tube. It’s not overly rough, but does a great job exfoliating, doesn’t dissolve too quickly, and doesn’t leave a residue on the legs or in the bath/shower. I’m also a huge fan of the lotion, too.
Never use them, I have very sensitive skin and it will always scratch me.
I used to avoid scrubs until very recently and I tried Nivea’s inexpensive scrub. Its amaazing! Makes skin very soft without being coarse or drying.
I live for body scrubs. They are the best. I love how they leave my skin so smooth and hydrated especially if there is a high amount of oil in the scrub. My favorite scrub is by Victoria’s Secret although I am not sure if they still make them. I also enjoy making my own scrubs at home. There are tons of recipes out there on the internet including Pinterest.
I love them! I like them pretty coarse. Bath Junkie’s is probably my favorite because you can combine scents and choose the color. I don’t really like the ones that are super oily since they make everything so slick.
I love them but I very rarely buy them, they’re something I skip to save money. I use exfoliating gloves and shower gel every day instead, which does work, but I do love scrubs. I always repurchase The Body Shop Mango Body Scrub – as a matter of fact I may go buy some now!!
I love scubs ! It’s very effective on my body ! I use natural scrubs like coffee marc :p I use also scubbing glove 🙂
Love body scrubs. I only use them once every week or two, but I love how soft my skin feels afterwards. I do get blemishes or ingrown hairs on my body and using scrubs helps clear up both.