Brighten, firm, and smooth skin in a single step.
If there’s one step that’s non-negotiable for glowing skin, it’s exfoliation. The best exfoliator for face, neck, and chest is one that deploys ingredients in a balanced way — meaning it can slough away dead skin cells, minimize fine lines, unclog pores, and give skin a radiant look without irritation.
Best Overall: Dr. Loretta Resurfacing Enzyme Polish
Why It’s Worth It: Dr. Loretta’s Resurfacing Enzyme Polish won a 2023 Best of Beauty Award for being the best face scrub — because it is. The bio-fermented polish (which lends it the scrubbing action) is satisfying to massage in but doesn’t feel harsh or drying. The combination of pomegranate and radish root gently resurface skin, while niacinamide (a well-known brightening agent) and panthenol leave skin soft, smooth, and calm in a matter of seconds.
Best for Oily Skin: SkinMedica AHA + BHA Exfoliating Cleanser, $48
Why It’s Worth It: Large pores, meet your match. Along with other dermatologists, Joyce Park, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of virtual dermatology clinic Skin Refinery, is a fan of SkinMedica’s AHA + BHA Exfoliating Cleanser because it contains a host of good-for-you ingredients. This face wash has “a blend of AHAs (lactic, glycolic, citric, and malic), BHA (salicylic), and jojoba spheres to gently exfoliate and polish, while lavender helps to soothe the skin,” she notes. “BHA is lipid-soluble, so it can really get deeper into the pores for a good clean,” making it the perfect option for oily and combination skin types alike.
Best for Redness: Dermalogica Daily Milkfoliant Exfoliator
Why It’s Worth It: Many exfoliants can exacerbate redness, but that doesn’t mean they’re off-limits. This gentle Dermalogica Daily Milkfoliant Exfoliator starts as a powder and, with the addition of water, turns into a satisfying lather that polishes skin. It also includes grape extract and arginine — natural sources of AHAs and BHAs — to effectively yet gently smooth skin.
Best for Sensitive Skin: Beekman 1802 Milk Scrub Oat & Goat Milk Exfoliating Cleanser
Why It’s Worth It: Like a milk bath for skin, Beekman 1802’s Milk Scrub Oat & Goat Milk Exfoliating Cleanser, a 2023 Best of Beauty Award winner for sensitive skin, harnesses the natural lactic acid found in goat milk. It works alongside jojoba beads to slough away dead skin cells without harming the skin barrier, making it a winner for sensitive skin.
Best Drugstore: Aveeno Positively Radiant Skin Brightening Daily Scrub
Why It’s Worth It: Marina Peredo, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City, recommends Aveeno Positively Radiant Skin Brightening Daily Scrub for normal skin types (read: you’re not trying to tackle any major concerns). Antioxidant-rich soy extract helps brighten the complexion, fade discoloration, and even out skin tone, while glycerin and jojoba oil soothe and nourish dry skin.
Best for Dry Skin: Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment
Why It’s Worth It: Michelle Henry, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City and founder of Skin & Aesthetic Surgery of Manhattan, only has good things to say about Kate Somerville’s iconic ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment. “With papaya and pumpkin enzymes working as natural AHAs, as well as salicylic acid, this is a great option for all skin types,” she says. While some initial tingling is normal, rest assured that aloe vera, honey, and vitamin E work hard to soothe skin.
Best for Mature Skin: RéVive Enzyme Essence Daily Resurfacing Treatment
Why It’s Worth It: Bringing together the best of an essence and a toner, this formula features an exfoliating treatment suspended in an oil. In other words, it actively nourishes the skin while gentle exfoliants — namely, fruit enzymes — lightly resurface skin. The oil in question is a blend of meadowfoam and camellia seed oils, which give skin a glow without leaving behind residue. Worth keeping in mind: If you don’t love oils, this might not be the best option for you.
Best for Dark Spots: Glytone Enhance Brightening Solution
Why It’s Worth It: Glytone’s Enhance Brightening Solution is a top choice by Dr. Libby, who says that it “uses glycolic and salicylic acids to exfoliate skin and unclog pores, [as well as] niacinamide and an azelaic acid derivative to brighten skin and treat dark spots.” This product’s main aim is to address uneven skin tone, and it can be used after a peel to amplify the results.
Best for Large Pores: Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant
Why It’s Worth It: There are skin-care products that live up to the hype, and then there’s Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, which lives well beyond a viral moment. This is due in part to the 2% concentration of salicylic acid (BHA), which can clear clogged pores and, no surprise, is especially loved for fighting blackheads and acne.
Best Physical Exfoliant: La Roche-Posay Ultrafine Scrub
Why It’s Worth It: Dr. Park recommends La Roche-Posay Ultrafine Scrub, which is specifically formulated for sensitive skin and contains a mix of physical and chemical exfoliants to gently remove dead skin via superfine pumice particles. (It also contains perlite powders to mattify high-shine areas.) The end result: A brighter, smoother appearance and a respected, non-irritated skin barrier (thanks to glycerin).
Best for Sun Damage: Isdin Isdinceutics MelaClear
Why It’s Worth It: For reactive skin types, cosmetic chemist and Beautystat founder Ron Robinson recommends a gentle chemical exfoliant mixed with skin-calming ingredients. Isdin’s Isdinceutics MelaClear contains “a stable form of vitamin C and phytic acid [for exfoliation],” he says. “It also contains calming green tea, which provides gentle chemical exfoliation without irritation.”
Best Mask: Golde Papaya Bright Instant Exfoliating Superfood Face Mask
Why It’s Worth It: A 2020 Best of Beauty winner, Golde Papaya Bright Instant Exfoliating Superfood Face Mask is a powder-to-gel formula activated by water. As its name suggests, this mask gently exfoliates and brightens your complexion with 100 percent pure, edible superfoods packed with vitamin C — and no essential oils, clays, or preservatives to be found. Together, natural papaya enzymes, lucuma fruit, and sea buckthorn berry smell and feel like the tropical vacation your face deserves.
Best Luxury: U Beauty Resurfacing Compound
Why It’s Worth It: The Resurfacing Compound is a high-performance, multipurpose formula that basically combines an entire skin-care routine in one potent product. AHAs, hyaluronic acid, as well as vitamins C and E, and retinol (a type of vitamin A) are all included to target fine lines, discoloration, visible pores, and beyond. The result? Brighter, clearer, and smoother skin without experiencing signs of irritation in the process.
Best for Dullness: Versed Day Maker Microcrystal Exfoliator
Why It’s Worth It: Thanks to superfine, uniform-sized microcrystalline, a 100% plant-based, biodegradable alternative to microbeads, Versed Day Maker Microcrystal Exfoliator is the perfect solution to the rough, gritty scrubs you might’ve subjected your skin to in the past. The formula also contains an antioxidant-rich blend of blackcurrant and raspberry leaf extract to balance oil production and reduce inflammation, so your skin doesn’t erupt with breakouts.
Best Chemical Exfoliant: Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial
Why It’s Worth It: This is a winner because it’s just that effective: It’s infused with a 25% AHA blend (made up of glycolic, tartaric, lactic, and citric acids) and two percent BHA (salicylic acid), which brighten and clarify your complexion without leaving skin feeling raw. One Allure editor swears by this stuff for its ability to brighten — which is also thanks to chickpea flour — without irritating her sensitive skin.
Best Powder: Klur Skin Soil
Why It’s Worth It: Once properly mixed in, Klur’s powder-like Skin Soil Multiuse Additive Exfoliating Grain turns your favorite water-based cleanser into a low-friction, enzymatic exfoliating paste. Refined grains like rice bran, rosehip seed, and papain enzyme powders gently polish uneven surface areas, lifting away pore-clogging dirt and kick-starting cell turnover. You’ll find that your subsequent skin-care products absorb more deeply after this double-duty cleansing step.
Best on Amazon: Acure Brightening Face Scrub
Why It’s Worth It: Dr. Henry says Acure’s Brightening Facial Scrub is a must for sensitive skin. “Made with sea kelp, lemon peel, and French green clay, this scrub brightens your complexion.” With over 18,000 five-star ratings on Amazon, it’s clear that this vegan, affordable scrub is a favorite of many for tackling discoloration, uneven skin tone, and clogged pores.
Best for Acne: Glow Recipe Strawberry Smooth BHA + AHA Salicylic Acid Serum
Why It’s Worth It: This is a great option for those who want a serum-textured exfoliator over an acidic toner. Its formula of BHAs and AHAs gently smooth skin’s texture, while strawberry combats excess oil, making this treatment a great option for those with acne-prone skin. It doesn’t hurt that this lightweight serum comes in a pretty pink bottle you can proudly display on your bathroom counter.
What are chemical exfoliators?
“Chemical exfoliators are ingredients that help loosen the bonds between dead skin cells, allowing them to shed and reveal newer and healthier cells beneath,” explains Tiffany J. Libby, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon at Brown Dermatology. “They also help unclog pores and exfoliate away surface skin cells; they also brighten skin, improve skin cell turnover and renewal, and some may even help stimulate collagen production within the skin.” Resurfaced skin can also allow your subsequent skin-care products to sink in more effectively (and work better as a result).
Can you over-exfoliate?
Despite the benefits of using an exfoliator, overuse can lead to redness, irritation, breakouts, and damage to your moisture barrier. Additionally, using an exfoliator that’s either too harsh or too gentle for your skin type can rob you of that luminous finish you’re going for. To strike an optimal balance, first, make sure you’re not exfoliating too often — no more than three times a week, or look into TikTok’s dermatologist-approval skin cycling trend.
For dry or sensitive skin, one to two times a week should be enough. Michelle Henry, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City and founder of Skin & Aesthetic Surgery of Manhattan, recommends exfoliating with a physical exfoliator for about 30 seconds (or less) using small, gentle, circular motions. For chemical exfoliators, she recommends following the instructions printed on the packaging, as they can vary by product.
Second — and perhaps more important — make sure you’re using a formula that contains the best exfoliants for your skin type. Dr. Henry suggests initially avoiding mechanical exfoliation if you have sensitive skin and instead choosing alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) like glycolic acid. “They exfoliate the upper layers of the skin while also hydrating and helping your skin retain moisture,” she says. Dr. Libby echoes similar advice: “If you have sensitive skin, start with polyhydroxy acids, or lactic acid and mandelic acid, which are larger alpha hydroxy acid molecules [that] do not penetrate as deeply into the skin and are least likely to cause irritation.”
What are physical exfoliators and who should use them?
On the other hand, Dr. Henry says physical exfoliation is key for oily skin since it helps remove any layers of oil buildup. “When you have oily skin, your dead skin cells are more adherent and don’t flake off as quickly, and this can contribute to breakouts,” Dr. Henry explains. She recommends using an exfoliating scrub with salicylic acid (a type of beta hydroxy acid, or BHA), which “gently speeds up skin turnover and better penetrates oil and oily follicles” to keep skin clean and clear of blemishes. Dr. Libby suggests salicylic acid, too, which she says “is excellent at targeting oil and unclogging pores.”
How we test and review products
When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that’s included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.
For our list of the best face exfoliators, we considered each product’s performance across five primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance, texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors — along with special consideration from dermatologists. To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
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After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the “best” for people over 50 if the only testers we’ve solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We’re proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.