What’s the best one for you? Well that’s entirely up to your needs and comfort level. But read on for some inspo (you may already be doing a few!). Popular ingredients for scrubs include: brown sugar, white sugar, coffee grounds, and salt (either coarse, medium, fine, or a mix). As for your hydrators, you can use any of the popular beauty oils out there—those like olive oil, jojoba oil, almond oil, or grapeseed oil tend to be the most popular. From there you can toss in extras like enveloping essential oils, soothing botanical waters, and other natural hydrators like honey. Check out our full step-by-step guide to scrubs (with recipes!) for more info. But one thing all skin care experts agree on: Dry brushing is an excellent exfoliator. Dry brushes come in many shapes, sizes, and materials. Common bristle materials are either synthetic nylon or natural boar bristle; you may find some with copper strands, but those are for expert-level dry brushes only as they are the stiffest variety. From there, you can find options with long, medium, curved, or no handle. This is purely a personal preference, there’s no size or shape that’s more “effective” than the rest; just find one that suits you. (Need help finding yours? check out a few of our favorites, here.) It’s important to be gentle, especially for beginners as they acclimate themselves to the technique. Pressing too hard, or doing it too frequently, may cause irritation or dryness as you may be scraping off too much skin. Remember: Balance is key as with any exfoliation technique. “Body exfoliators shouldn’t be used on the face. They are often thicker in consistency and contain higher concentrations of acids and could be too irritating for delicate facial skin,” board-certified dermatologist Raechele Cochran Gathers, M.D. reminds us about exfoliating. “Likewise, using a facial exfoliation on your body may not be strong enough to give you the results you’re looking for.” As a recap of chemical exfoliators: They usually fall into two major categories, alpha and beta hydroxy acids. AHAs (think: lactic and glycolic) are known to be more hydrating: “They can be simultaneously exfoliating and hydrating, making them very beneficial to many skin types,” says board-certified dermatologist Mona Gohara, M.D. BHA (salicylic acid) is stronger and better targets oil, making it ideal if you have any sort of body acne. Typically you’ll find these in washes and rinses, but they can also be formulated into body lotions, which are typically your most gentle option as it hydrates skin while sloughing off dead skin cells. However, if exfoliation is not the goal with your towel dry (and you just want to soak up water off your body), always be mindful to use a clean towel made with a gentle, soft fabric, and dab your skin dry.
