You know that feeling when you haven’t washed your hair in a couple of days, your legs are fuzzy and you just feel like you need a good, long clean? It may be time for an “everything shower,” as the kids say. As the name suggests, everything showers are reserved for when you have time to do it all: exfoliate and shave, plus apply a hair mask in addition to regular ol’ shampooing, conditioning and cleansing. First order of business? Breaking out the best body scrub known to man (which you shall learn about shortly). After all, full body exfoliation is not only one of life’s greatest pleasures, it’s also healthy for your skin. Removing all those dead surface skin cells makes way for a softer and smoother surface underneath while abolishing body acne and encouraging skin cell health.
Quick Overview
-
eos
Key ingredients: Sugar, shea, cocoa and argan butters, | Size: 6.1 oz | Scent: Vanilla cashmere
The Eos Cashmere Pre-Shave Scrub is now officially my go-to for my own everything shower, when I shave my entire body, arms and all. It’s made with sugar and several butters — shea, cocoa and argan — that make my skin so incredibly baby-soft! After all is done with my shaving extravaganza, sometimes I almost don’t want to apply a body cream when I step out of the shower. It feels that good. Also, I haven’t had an ingrown hair in months.
Pros- Very affordable
- Made with sustainable shea butter
- Dermatologist-tested and cruelty-free
- Helps reduce ingrown hairs
Cons- Some find the tube hard to squeeze
- Fragrance is strong, so may not be for sensitive noses
How we tested
To find the best body scrubs on the market, I used my over decade-long expertise as a beauty editor obsessed with all things skin care and tested 15 body scrubs. I kept in mind certain features and factors, like the texture (was the exfoliation effective without being too rough?), quality of ingredients, how well the product exfoliated my skin (did it feel soft afterward?) and whether it improved the appearance (did I notice more smoothness). I also noted whether it clogged my tub or not — a real problem with some of the thicker, less-well-made scrubs!
Others body scrubs tested that didn’t make the cut
I really wanted to love the Fenty Skin Cherry Dub Triple Action AHA Body Scrub, but it was a total fail (sorry, Rihanna!). While I loved the cherry-scented formula, it was way too slippery and kept falling off of my body before I got to actually scrub it on my skin. My dog even thought it was something edible and literally jumped into the tub.
Body scrub FAQs
What are body scrubs?
Body scrubs are products that use physical exfoliants (some also have chemical exfoliators) to remove dead skin cells and promote cell turnover. This results in a whole slew of fabulous benefits, ranging from smoother and softer skin texture to a reduction in dark spots, lesser risk of ingrown hairs, prevention of breakouts, reduction of the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, stimulation of blood flow, encouragement of collagen production, and better penetration of lotions, body creams and moisturizers.
How often should I use a body scrub?
Most experts advise against using a body scrub more than once or twice a week due to the risk of over-exfoliation, which can lead to redness and irritation and make your skin more vulnerable to damage. If you have sensitive skin, it’s especially important not to go overboard.
What ingredients should I look for in a body scrub?
Body scrubs typically contain gentle natural exfoliants like pumice powder, sugar, salt, etc., but additional exfoliants in the form of AHAs, like glycolic and lactic acids, can level them up. They’re especially helpful if you are dealing with skin issues that require an extra boost of exfoliation, like KP. Natural moisturizing ingredients, like plant butters and botanical oils, ensure skin is hydrated and nourished after scrubbing the dead skin cells away.
We received complimentary samples of some products and purchased others ourselves, but we reviewed all products using the same objective criteria.
