Body scrubs are ideal for exfoliating the skin on your body, and can elevate your in-shower routine. When massaged into damp, clean skin, the best body scrubs make light work of dry elbows and knees, ingrown hairs and hard skin, within just a few seconds.
These gritty scrubs are filled with a cocktail of ingredients that address common body skin concerns, such as texture, dryness and dullness, and are made with sea salts, sugar crystals and pumice formulations to manually exfoliate all over, or just in areas you’re keen to improve.
Many formulas are also strengthened by the inclusion of alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta hydroxy acids (BHAs), chemical exfoliants such as salicylic, glycolic, mandelic and lactic acids, which address dry skin in the long term. They are also great at unclogging pores to reduce breakouts and ingrown hairs, stimulate collagen production and remove excess sebum, dirt and oil from the surface of the skin.
As a result, just one use of a body scrub can leave your skin feeling softer and smoother, and, with regular use, this can become the norm. Many scrubs are rich in sunflower, primrose, coconut and jojoba oils (to name a few), which add a fragrant and luxurious finish to skin.
You can find body scrubs from high-end, luxury brands, along with equally worthwhile options in your local supermarket or Boots. We’ve made it our mission to find the very best of the lot, having spent weeks testing as many as possible, to bring you the crème de la crème.
How we tested
Given that body scrubs are literally washed down the drain, we were keen to see what’s worth your money and what’s not. We tested many different scrubs, at various price points, and examined each for abrasiveness, packaging, value for money, and any changes we saw in our skin. Our testing conditions were a shower bath with a glass screen, so we also evaluated how easy it was to clean away any residue after using each scrub.
The best body scrubs for 2024 are:
Naturium KP scrub and mask
Our tester has yet to try a Naturium product she hasn’t loved, and this is a new favourite. The formula is a mix of chemical exfoliants (AHAs, BHA and PHAs) and pumice rock, blended together in a creamy texture. You apply it all over damp skin once a week, and leave for a few minutes before washing off.
The second our tester washed it off, they found their skin was instantly the smoothest it has ever been – even on very dry areas. Thanks to the chemical exfoliants, it works to smooth skin with a long-term approach, over time decongesting blocked pores all over your body. Our tester found their skin felt fantastic after the very first use of this formula. It’s well worth a slightly longer application process, as leaving the product on to act as a mask makes such a difference, compared with the other instant wash-off scrubs tested.
Buy now £20.00, Spacenk.com
Marks and Spencer Burst Bodycare cherry body scrub
This is an unsung hero of Marks and Spencer’s own brand, Burst Bodycare, but a must-try, especially if you love a scented shower product. We tried the cherry version but you can also find the same formula in mango, shea, melon or orange. The fragrance comes from cherry extracts, blended with cherry stone to exfoliate, and avocado oil to hydrate and soften skin. A small amount goes a long way, as the oil-based texture can be massaged across limbs easily and be rinsed off quickly. For less than a tenner, it’s reasonably priced, great for beginners and offers a fun range of vibrant scents.
Buy now £8.00, Marksandspencer.com
Soap & Glory smoothie star body scrub
This is the perfect blend of grittiness, as it’s abrasive without being irritating to skin. Containing cupuacu bio scrubs, banana, almond and honey extract, it leaves skin instantly softer and smoother.
We love the refreshing maple, brown sugar and vanilla fragrance and a little goes a long way. It has a thicker consistency than most, and came in handy for exfoliating pre-fake tanning, and helped prevent tan build-up on elbows and knees.
This isn’t only a great budget-friendly option, it lasts a long time too.
Buy now £9.99, Boots.com
Dove crushed macadamia and rice milk body scrub
The creamy body exfoliant is gentle on the skin with an inoffensive scent. While it lacks abrasive grittiness, its whipped texture feels luxurious and instantly softening, making it especially pleasant on sensitive or redness-prone skin.
The creamy formula means it doesn’t make your shower slippy, nor does it cling to the sides of your bath and leave a mess in its wake.
Another brilliant budget beauty buy, it’s also available in a pomegranate seeds and shea butter scent.
Buy now £7.00, Boots.com
ishga Hebridean sea salt scrub
This Scottish skincare brand utilises sustainably harvested seaweed grown in the Hebrides throughout its products. Everything is organic and you’ll find ishga in over 70 spas across the UK. If you’re looking for a luxury body scrub as a self-indulgent purchase or a gift for someone else, this is our top pick.
This scrub is made from sea salt and nourishing jojoba oil and almond oil, with the perfect balance of oiliness and a gritty texture that buffs away dry skin, while leaving beautifully soft skin in its wake. The scent smells just like a spa too, thanks to the lavender, rose geranium, lemongrass and juniper berry essential oils.
When this arrived on our doorstep, we worried that the glass jar would have spilt, but the sealed ring on the lid and metal clasp kept it cleaner on our shower shelves than any other scrub we tried.
Buy now £43.00, ishga.com
Q+A AHA exfoliator body scrub
We loved this fluid, creamy scrub that’s scented with golden vanilla and coconut, for a refreshing in-shower treatment. The tube packaging is much easier to work with than dipping your hand into a pot, which can be a bit messy.
Simply massage this scrub all over wet skin and rinse off. It’s not abrasive but effective at scrubbing away pesky areas of dryness and sorting ingrown hairs, without irritation or causing redness. We found ourselves reaching for this product time and time again.
This is a great option to use before evenings out, pre-tanning, or to bring on holiday for a squeaky-clean feel after a day in the sun.
Buy now £5.60, Amazon.co.uk
Keys Soulcare body polish
While celebrity skincare brands is an overwhelmingly saturated market (we’re looking at you, Brad Pitt and Travis Barker), Alicia Keys’s brand, Keys Soulcare, is one of the very few we’d recommend.
This body polish – a creamy, grainy scrub that comes packaged in a tube – feels more hygienic and easier to manage in the shower with wet hands. The formula contains lactic and glycolic acid, two popular chemical exfoliants that slough away dead skin cells for smoother skin, plus coconut and sunflower oil, which have skin-softening benefits and bamboo charcoal.
The scrub is gritty but not irritating on the skin, and, when it’s washed off damp skin, leaves behind a clean, refreshing scent of sage and oat milk.
Buy now £25.00, Keyssoulcare.com
Beauty Pie soul providers re-energizing dry oil sugar scrub
Since its 2016 launch, Beauty Pie has democratised the beauty industry, selling high-quality products to its subscribers for a monthly or annual fee, for wholesale prices – read our review of its products in our guide. For us, this sugar scrub is one of the best money can buy if you’re a subscriber, as it’s only £16. For non-members, it will set you back £27.
Rich in lemongrass, black pepper, apricot and evening primrose oil, it’s sweetly scented and was one of the most effective scrubs we tried for sloughing away dead skin. The lemony fragrance is luxurious and lasts on the skin once it’s been washed off. The wooden scoop that comes with the pot is a nice way to keep the tub clean, too.
Buy now £27.00, Beautypie.com
Ouai scalp and body scrub
This multi-purpose scrub is a versatile addition to your body and haircare routine. It’s made up of sugar crystals and coconut oil, which gently exfoliate and condition skin. When used on the body, it buffs away dead, flaky skin and is particularly effective on scaly legs or to keep skin extra soft after shaving.
However, it’s also a really great scalp scrub, if you’re experiencing product build-up on your hairline or you want to deep clean the skin on your head. When massaged onto a wet scalp, it emulsifies into a foamy cleanser that leaves hair silky soft and cleaner for longer. While it’s a luxurious splurge, it’s a true two-in-one product with equal efficacy.
Buy now £36.00, Libertylondon.com
Sol de Janeiro bum bum body scrub
From the maker of the famous bum bum cream, Brazilian brand Sol de Janeiro also offers a body scrub with the same cult favourite, Cheirosa ’62 fragrance.
Aside from the addictive scent, the gentle exfoliants are sugar crystals, microbeads, crushed cupuacu seeds, sunflower-seed oil, coconut oil and rosemary-leaf extract. It leaves skin silky smooth and invigorated, but due to its gritty texture, we wouldn’t recommend it for use on sensitive skin.
It’s pricey, but a little goes a long way, lasting us well over a month with almost daily use.
Buy now £39.00, Amazon.co.uk
Sanctuary Spa signature natural oils salt scrub
This glass jar feels more luxurious than its price tag belies, and it’s more than double the size of many on our list, making it excellent value for money.
The scrub itself is made up of sea salt flakes mixed with coconut and jojoba oils, which separate until you mix them, so make sure you give it a good stir before you use it, to get the best results.
It’s fragranced with jasmine, grapefruit and vanilla, and it’s vegan-friendly. The addition of the oil in this formula leaves skin feeling silky soft and moisturised, and the giant jar will last you ages.
Buy now £18.00, Boots.com
Tropic body smooth refreshing polish
This indulgent scrub is housed in a thick, mason-like glass jar with a cute wooden spoon. With a formula rich in sea salt, jojoba and macadamia nut oil, it doesn’t feel scratchy but gently exfoliates.
While it’s recommended it be applied to dry skin, we preferred using it on damp skin, as it spread easier.
We loved the zest scent of lemon sorbet, as do many of Tropic’s customers – it’s a bestseller for the brand. The spoon may look gimmicky and small, but actually comes in handy to scoop out product and stir the oils, which can separate.
Buy now £24.00, Tropicskincare.com
Superdrug vitamin E sugar oil body scrub
Superdrug’s own-brand vitamin E range is home to some brilliant budget beauty finds, which cover the basics in your skincare and bodycare routine. This scrub is an effective way to tackle dryish areas of skin and helps reduce razor bumps after shaving.
Containing sugar, sea salt and walnut-shell granules, along with sweet almond and grapeseed oil, it does exactly as promised – gently exfoliates and softens skin. It’s not gritty or harsh, and, for a little more than a fiver, you can’t go wrong.
Buy now £5.99, Superdrug.com
Byoma body smoothing body polish
Byoma is a brilliant budget beauty brand, especially if you have sensitive skin or are new to using chemical exfoliants within your routine. This vibrant orange 300ml bottle features a pump dispenser, which makes using it with wet hands much easier, compared with other tub packaging. The formula is very gentle and not hugely abrasive, which is great if you’re prone to redness and sensitivity. The texture is quite fluid and the perlite exfoliating beads are encapsulated in a creamy base that’s easy to spread across your body. Without it feeling too gritty, the scrub leaves your skin feeling smoother and softer after each use.
Buy now £12.99, Amazon.co.uk
Joonbyrd violet haze body scrub
Joonbryd was launched earlier in 2024, by consultant dermatologist Dr Alexis Granite. The brand offers a luxury body care line-up of butters, hand creams, body washes and serums, housed in colourful packaging with fun, fragrant formulas.
This violet haze body scrub is one of the best-smelling products we tested, with notes of vanilla, white lily, creamy chocolate and cardamom. Aside from smelling great, it’s an effective exfoliator, too, made with a mix of manual and chemical components, such as plant-derived butters and oils, niacinamide, chia seeds and sugar granules. It’s fluid enough to spread across limbs without much effort but thick enough that it doesn’t slide out of the pot. We also love that the purple packaging is made from a non-slip material, making it easier to use in the shower. That said, it gets marked down for its sky-high price tag – if you’re keen to try it, we’d recommend purchasing the mini 30ml version (£14, Spacenk.com) first, before committing to the pricey full-size pot.
Buy now £56.00, Spacenk.com
Wild Source revival scrub
This Himalayan salt scrub is like a spa in a jar. Thanks to the inclusion of pink grapefruit, lime, sweet almond and argan oil, it smells delightful and the gritty formula looks great in its minimalistic glass packaging – the result of a rebrand earlier in 2024.
The scrub itself is soft but gritty – exfoliating without being too harsh. We loved using it to get rid of dryness on our legs, post-shaving. It also leaves an oily, but not greasy, residue when rinsed off, that keeps skin feeling soft and supple long after you’ve turned off the shower.
Buy now £40.00, Wildsource.co.uk
Versed buff it out AHA exfoliating body scrub
If you tend to find yourself fumbling around with tub containers in the shower, picking a product that comes in a tube could make your routine a little easier. This Versed option has a simple twist lid that reveals a small opening to distribute product, keeping both you and your bathroom free from mess.
The formula has a creamy texture, with very fine granules of pumice and pomegranate enzymes to polish texture bumps and buff away dry patches, alongside a cocktail of AHAs, including lactic and glycolic acid. It’s a decent mid-range option – if you like a strong exfoliating in-shower experience, this scrub is hard to fault.
Buy now £13.20, Boots.com
Aesop geranium leaf body scrub
As with all of Aesop’s products, this scrub’s packaging is chic, minimal and jazzes up any bath corner. We loved how convenient it was to store in our shower caddy, too, as it takes up very little space, compared with a large, glass tub.
The manual exfoliants included here are milled pumice and bamboo stem, with the added bonus of geranium leaf, mandarin and bergamot oils, to soothe skin post-shaving, prevent ingrown hairs and prep your limbs for a generous application of moisturiser. The jelly texture doesn’t cling to the sides of the bath or leave a greasy residue on the tub, either.
Buy now £31.00, Cultbeauty.co.uk
Caudalie vinosculpt crushed cabernet scrub
Caudalie’s skincare is well loved by beauty fans (and for good reason) but don’t overlook the brand’s body care range. Made from a blend of cold-pressed grape seed oil, brown sugar and honey, this scrub has a thick, luxurious creamy texture that spreads nicely and leaves skin instantly softer. It’s not too abrasive but provides a deep clean experience – it’s a lovely treat following a sweaty run, busy day or long commute.
The texture is quite granular but we found it wasn’t too harsh on sensitive areas of skin, such as sun-damaged patches. Meanwhile, we could get into every nook and cranny of dry elbows and knees. You do need to do a thorough clean of your bath afterwards, though, as some sugar pieces can linger.
Buy now £29.00, Caudalie.com
The verdict: Body scrubs
Our overall winner is the Naturium KP scrub and mask, which offers the perfect balance between manual and chemical exfoliants, but also provides the most instant and long-lasting results. The tube packaging is convenient and easy to keep clean, too. However, if you’re in a pinch, try the Marks and Spencer cherry body scrub for a brilliant budget beauty buy – we don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
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