This $9 Face Scrub is a Top-Tested Exfoliator (2024)

Trying to achieve naturally glowing skin? Are you dealing with dull skin or wishing it felt smoother? There's an easy solution for any of these issues: a face scrub. Using a face scrub will clean and exfoliate the skin using physical exfoliators (like sugar crystals or silica beads). Though the skin does exfoliate itself, using a face scrub will aid and quicken the process.

"Exfoliation is the process of removing dead cells in the stratum corneum, the top layer of skin, to increase cell turnover," explains GH Beauty Lab Senior Chemist Danusia Wnek. What to expect after using a face scrub? Smoother, brighter, clearer and more radiant skin immediately after use and over time.

Our Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab scientists have tested all kinds of exfoliators, including face exfoliators, DIY face scrubs, scalp scrubs, body scrubs and more. When evaluating face scrubs and exfoliators, our scientists use instruments in the Lab to measure each product's efficacy. They also send each item to consumer testers across multiple skin types, who give feedback on each scrub's performance. In the Beauty Lab's most recent test, our scientists tallied 1,375 survey data points to determine which exfoliating face scrubs are the best on the market. Whether you have oily skin, acne-prone skin or sensitive skin, there's a face scrub for you. Ahead, our top picks, including drugstore options and face scrubs for men.

Mary Kay's GH Seal-holding face scrub is both proven to work and loved by our editors. The "gentle" exfoliator contains the "perfect" sized granules to slough off dead skin without feeling too rough or harsh, GH Contributing Beauty Editor Dori Price raves. "I love how smooth my skin feels and how quickly my serums and other products absorb after using it," she adds. GH Beauty Lab data evaluation also confirmed that it is suitable for sensitive skin, won't strip or dry out skin; plus, 92% of consumer testers agreed it left skin feeling soft.

Infused with botanicals like walnut shell powder and lemon peel, this exfoliating face scrub came to impress in our GH Beauty Lab face scrub test. It wowed with its deep-cleaning performance, scoring perfectly for cleansing in a test of full-cover makeup removal and highest with testers for both clearing impurities and brightening skin. In fact, a majority of Lab testers called it the best scrub they'd ever used, noting it left skin "so refreshed and smooth, I didn't need makeup" and "matte for hours after use." Note that the scrub is dark green and can be difficult to rinse out of your sink.

"Mild" and "soothing" according to Wnek, she turns to this Dermalogica exfoliator when her skin is feeling sensitive but still needs some polishing. The format of this scrub is a bit different: It is a powder that you sprinkle onto your hands and add water to, which she notes can be a bit messy. Though it's pricey, it is also widely loved on Sephora with 4.7 stars. "It leaves my skin feeling smoother without redness or irritation," says Wnek.

Made with soft, circular beads, Is Clinical's exfoliating version of its cult-favorite Cleansing Complex is great for all skin types, including dry. Our Beauty Assistant says that this scrub is gentle enough for her to use on dry skin every other day. Although it's pricey, "the beads are soft and smooth, so the scrub doesn't feel rough, like you're scraping or sanding your skin," she says. "Despite it being so gentle, my skin feels significantly smoother and more supple even after just one use."

A combination of natural ingredients — including strawberry, brown sugar, plum seed oil and grapeseed oil — work together to exfoliate and nourish skin at the same time. Our Beauty Director calls it a "splurge" but "indulgent, thanks to its sugar and fruit extract formula." She also notes that "it gives skin a good sloughing yet it feels silky instead of dried out. I would use gentle pressure when applying it as the sugar crystals can be coarse for sensitive skin types."

Exfoliating effectively at a palatable price, the iconic St. Ives drugstore cream scrub lived up to its cult classic status during our Lab tests. Our consumer testers found it checked many boxes: They rated it high for its fresh, fruity scent, dirt and oil removal and minimizing pore appearance, though some found its coarser particles irritating. “It gave my skin a glow and even helped my makeup go on smoother,” a tester noted.

Developed by a dermatologist, this baking soda-based Zo Skin Health polish left skin silkiest in GH Beauty Lab testing. Also a GH Beauty Award winner, it was most popular with consumers, ranking above the rest at making skin satiny, having the right exfoliation level and being the least messy of all the scrubs evaluated. “My skin still felt smooth a day later,” a tester remarked, and several liked that a little product went a long way. It also contains retinyl palmitate, a retinol derivative, adding to its anti-aging benefits. Take note: Some consumer testers found the scrub to be a bit drying.

Use your face scrub two to three times per week (avoiding the eye area), sweeping it onto damp skin in circular motions with very light pressure to prevent irritation and micro-tears, the Beauty Lab recommends. Apply a broad spectrum SPF 30 or higher face sunscreen each morning to protect freshly exfoliated skin.