11 Best Body Scrub For Men
Stephanie Patterson
Table of Contents
Having a good personal care routine is probably one of the most important things to practice if you’re looking to improve your overall wellness. Self-care is not limited to warm tea in bed and a sweaty workout on the weekends – self-care can also look like regular cleansing, moisturizing, primping, trimming, and exfoliation.
Exfoliation is especially important because it paves the way for your skin to absorb the other products in your skincare routine. It rids your body of dead cells and debris, which can build up and lead to dullness or breakouts.
In fact, experts recommend that you exfoliate at least once a week, although it is safe to bump it up to about two to three times if your skin is not sensitive. And while much of the marketing to do with exfoliants targets women, there are plenty of new options for men.
Long story short: you can get your skin clean without smelling like Candyland or the tropics with the best body scrubs for men.
Choosing the Best Body Scrub for Men: A Guide
Similar to picking out hair care products or fragrances, you need to consider a few things before you buy:
- Price: ask yourself what your budget is. Do you have leniency to shop wherever you want, or will you be sticking to the drug store?
- Brand: do you have a specific brand you go-to when it comes to personal care? If you have no loyalties, then you should look into the different brands that offer body scrubs.
- Ingredients: Do you have allergies or sensitivities? Are you living a vegan or cruelty-free lifestyle?
- Intensity: ask yourself whether you want something that gently exfoliates or something that gives your skin a nice scrub.
- Fragrance: Do you want something musky, sweet, or minty? Are you a fan of subtle scents or potent ones?
All of these factors will be discussed in greater depth, section-by-section!
Price
First, have a budget in mind. Set the price you are willing to pay, then look into the options available. If breaking the bank for an exfoliator is not on your to-do list, then make sure you are keeping an eye on your limitations.
Second, know how different factors affect the price of men’s body scrubs. Brand will adjust the price, as luxury brands will cost more than drug store brands. For instance, something from Peter Thomas Roth will cost more than something from Laline, just like something from Gucci will cost more than something from Walmart.
Lastly, ingredients will also affect the price of a men’s body scrub because rare, natural, and organic ingredients tend to cost more than conventional ones.
Brand
When looking for the best men’s body scrub, start by researching which skincare lines are popular for their men’s products. Some of the top names in men’s skincare are Kiehl’s, Jack Black, Brickwell, and Baxter of California.
If you have other concerns, though, ethical or health-related, then it may be a good idea to look into brands that align with your values and address your specific needs. Regardless of whether you value ethical labor practices, sustainable production, or have supremely sensitive skin, there’s a brand out there you can feel good about using.
Ingredients
One of the first questions you have to ask yourself about the ingredients in a body scrub is whether or not you have allergies or sensitivities to anything, as it’s harder to reverse any damage or flare-up you might have to a product.
The first step to understanding your triggers is visiting an allergist or speaking to a doctor. The next step is to look for labels and advertisements that boast extensive clinical testing, dermatologist certifications, or safety assurances.
The third step is to consider your ‘non-emergency preferences, such as cruelty-free formulas or all-natural ingredients.
Intensity
Do you want to scrub your skin with particles the size of marbles, or are you looking for more of a table salt type of texture? This is what we mean by ‘intensity.’ Here’s the thing: larger particles might result in a deeper feeling scrub, but they are also more likely to result in tiny micro-cuts due to their abrasiveness.
While super abrasive scrubs are not recommended for people with sensitive skin, too little exfoliation can be underwhelming when you want to clear out your pores. So, seek out a product that lands between rubbing your face with literal sandpaper and dusting it with sugar.
Fragrance
This is where you can have a little bit of fun because there are so many options when it comes to fragrance. Given that unisex scents are on the rise, men can enjoy hints of vanilla, amber, mint, musk, cedarwood, rum, sandalwood, jasmine, lavender, and more. The possibilities are endless!
If, on the other hand, you cannot tolerate scent, then look into products that are marked scent-free or unscented. The last thing you want to do is slather something all over your body, only to realize the scent is irritating you.
- Cypress & Grapevine Exfoliating Shower Gel, $55
- Malin+Goetz Peppermint Body Scrub, $35
- Laline Ocean Body Scrub, $15
- African Botanics Cafe Noir Body Scrub, $131
- Hunter Lab Pinot Grape Skin Body Scrub, $32
- Greenwich Bay Trading Company Botanic Body Scrub for Men,$52
- Aesop Redemption Body Scrub, $47
- Necessaire The Body Scrub, $30
- The Body Deli Moroccan Mint Body Scrub, $32
- Ren Clean Skincare Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Salt Anti-Fatigue Exfoliating Body Scrub, $64
- Grown Alchemist Intensive Body Exfoliant, $40
- Peter Thomas Roth Acne Face & Body Scrub, $32
The Best Body Scrub for Men: Top 11 Picks
You can say goodbye to dead skin cells and undetected grime after using one of the best body scrubs for men. Our top 12 picks vary greatly in terms of price, intensity, and fragrance, so there’s something for everyone. Here’s to helping you shop smarter (and cleaner!).
#1 – Cypress & Grapevine Exfoliating Shower Gel
Jo Malone London is a British perfume and scented candle brand that Jo Malone founded in 1990. Nine years after its founding, Estee Lauder took it under its wing. Then came the Cypress and Grapevine Exfoliating Shower Gel: a sleek-looking product with its matte black exterior and silver label, priced at $55.
The formula cleanses and rejuvenates skin with castor seed oils, jojoba, and bamboo stem. Not only will you be getting the cleansing and scrubbing benefits, but you’ll also be scented with notes of cyprus tree, grapevine, and amber, providing you with a woody, intense, and sensual shower experience.
#2 – Malin+Goetz Peppermint Body Scrub
Malin+Goetz approaches skincare through the lens of a modern apothecary, infusing trusted natural ingredients into their products via highly advanced technologies. They begin their process with sensitive-skinned folks in mind because, by their logic, if you produce something that is safe, effective, and efficient for those with sensitive skin, then it’ll only get better from there.
That is why this vegan and cruelty-free scrub is so fantastic. Ingredients like amino acids and glycerine hydrate, while ground pumice exfoliates and softens. The residue-free formula is safe for all skin types – including the most sensitive – and costs $35.
#3 – Laline Ocean Body Scrub
Laline was founded in 1999 and started as a humble and charming store in central Tel Aviv. Today, it has expanded to become Israel’s leading chain of cosmetics and lifestyle products, boasting hundreds of locations worldwide.
Top-quality ingredients are mixed into the range of effective products packaged with whimsy, magic, and detail in mind. Using natural mineral oils, avocado, and grapeseed oils, the ocean-scented body scrub releases notes of sandalwood, cedarwood, jasmine, and ginger.
Plus, it’s currently 40% off from the regular price of $25 ($15).
#4 – African Botanics Cafe Noir Body Scrub
African Botanics is a South African skincare company founded in 2012 by Craig and Julia Noik inspired by the lush vegetation, enduring culture, and timeless traditions of the land. The core tenets of the brand are:
- Functional formulas that are cruelty-free and vegan.
- Transformative ingredients that come straight from the source.
- Sustainable packaging that is 100% recyclable.
The $131 Cafe Noir Body Scrub embodies all of the company’s values, as it is vegan and cruelty-free, free of silicones, mineral oils, parabens, allergens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, PEGs, and SLS.
AHAs and BHAs exfoliate and even skin tone while caffeine stimulates blood flow, promotes collagen production, and firms the skin. The brand’s Distinct African Oil Complex, rich in Omegas 3, 6, 7, and 9, helps soften the skin and leave it nice and plump.
#5 – Hunter Lab Pinot Grape Skin Body Scrub
Established in 2014, Hunter Lab is a modern skin health brand co-founded by Susie and Elliot Waldron. It focuses on using high-quality natural ingredients to formulate products that will improve the skin’s health and appearance.
In this formula, sea salt and grape skins improve blood flow and eliminate dead skin, while aloe vera, grapeseed oil, and coconut oil work to hydrate and nourish the skin. The scent comes from Hunter Lab’s signature citrus, herb, and spice blend, and it rings in at $32.
#6 – Aesop Redemption Body Scrub
Historically, Aesop was an ancient Greek storyteller who was famous for his collection of comedic fables. The brand embodies the culture of storytelling in its products, which explains its attention to detail and sensory pleasure.
The Australian-based skin, hair, and body care brand sources plant-based and laboratory-made ingredients with a proven efficacy and safety record. Finely milled pumice, bamboo stem, pine needle, and sage leaf work to leave skin feeling soft, smooth, and refreshed after using the Redemption Body Scrub.
It smells fresh, alpine, and camphoric, and it truly takes users on an exotic journey with its complex array of scent profiles for $47.
#7 – Nécessaire The Body Scrub
Necessaire is French for ‘necessary,’ which the brand embraces in its range of skincare products. Co-founders Nick Axelrod and Randi Christiansen create clean, high-performance formulas that are gender-neutral, sustainable, and pH optimized.
Their goal is to transcend the endless sea of beauty products that promise fillers and fluff by providing essential ingredients to the skin’s health. A blend of glycolic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid, bamboo charcoal, and volcanic pumice, The Body Scrub exfoliates, softens, and renews the skin with, you guessed it, the bare necessities.
The creamy vanilla bean-like texture is available in three different fragrances (sandalwood, eucalyptus, and bergamot), as well as a fragrance-free option for $30.
#8 – The Body Deli Moroccan Mint Body Scrub
The Body Deli is the place to shop for raw, organic body and hair care. The work is done in Coachella Valley, where small batches of premium quality hair and skin care are created by hand using superfood ingredients.
Founders and ‘cosmetic chefs’ Margaret Skarin Clark and David Anton Parker aim to produce products that nourish the skin just like fresh food nourishes the body. This multi-functional scrub fulfills that promise. It acts as an exfoliant, a moisturizer, and an aromatherapeutic experience.
The Morrocan Mint Body Scrub boasts sea salt, shea butter, cocoa butter, macadamia oil, argan oil, and virgin coconut oil. The aromatics include peppermint, rosemary, and blood orange, which embrace you in a citrusy, herbal, minty hug. And, it’s available for $32.
#9- Ren Clean Skincare Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Salt Anti-Fatigue Exfoliating Body Scrub
Since 2000, Ren Clean Skincare has had a goal of producing skincare essentials that are created with sustainably sourced, clean ingredients that come in environment-safe packages. The brand’s products are safe for all skin types, from oily to dry to acne-prone to combination.
The $64 Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Salt Anti-Fatigue Exfoliating Body Scrub is vegan, cruelty-free, gluten-free, and recyclable. It works to brighten and even skin tone while moisturizing with a blend of sea salt, magnesium salt, Atlantic kelp, and microalgae oil.
#10 – Grown Alchemist Intensive Body Exfoliant
Grown Alchemist uses only the purest and highest-quality ingredients supported by scientific research and clinical assurance to treat the skin from the surface down to the deepest layer to promote lasting, noticeable results. The $40 Intensive Body Exfoliant is proof of this promise.
The slate grey bottle contains a mixture of ingredients, including fine volcanic pumice, activated charcoal, and a blend of Omega 3, 6, and 9. This scrub promotes blood flow and breaks down fat deposits like no other, along with stimulating antioxidants from guarana, horse chestnut flavonoids, and smoothing white grapefruit peel oil extract.
#11 – Peter Thomas Roth Acne Face & Body Scrub
Peter Thomas Roth is an eponymous skincare brand established to address the founder’s skin issues. He was inspired by his struggles, which led him to create a company that abides by his philosophy: innovative and groundbreaking formulas that produce astonishing results.
This ultra-gentle acne scrub features salicylic acid to treat and prevent blackheads, glycolic acid to brighten and tone, and jojoba beads to exfoliate and unclog pores for $32.
Which of these products provides the most intense scrub?
Two of the most popular and commonly used natural exfoliants are coffee grounds and sea salt. The three products on our list that contain these ingredients are as follows:
- Hunter Lab Pinot Grape Skin Body Scrub
- The Body Deli Moroccan Mint Body Scrub
- Ren Clean Skincare Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Salt Anti-Fatigue Exfoliating Body Scrub
The notable thing about the latter two options is that they are safe to use on all skin types, including facial skin. And if you prefer a multi-use product for more practical reasons, these are the best men’s body scrubs to shop.
Which scrub is best for sensitive skin?
If your skin is usually irritated by fragrance, chemicals, and essential oils, the safest men’s
body scrubs to use on sensitive skin would be the Malin+Goetz Peppermint Body Scrub, the African Botanics Cafe Noir Body Scrub, and the Nécessaire The Body Scrub.
The Malin+Goetz scrub is suitable for all skin types, especially those with sensitive skin. The Cafe Noir scrub avoids triggers like synthetic fragrances, and lastly, the Necessaire scrub contains a ton of irritant-free ingredients that serve to clear the skin and leave it nourished.
Which body scrubs are the most affordable?
By far, the most affordable product on this list is the Laline Ocean Body Scrub. For only $15, it packs significant benefits from natural mineral oils, avocado, and grapeseed oil. It also features an elegant and complex scent with top notes of sandalwood, cedarwood, jasmine, and ginger for under $20. What a steal!
What should I do after I use a body scrub?
If you are exfoliating your body, reach for nutrient-heavy aftercare products like emollient body butter right after the shower. It’s essential to impart moisture to the skin directly after cleansing to avoid dryness and flakiness.
If you are exfoliating your face, then avoid the heavy stuff. Choose lighter moisturizers or serums that are explicitly tailored to your skin. Most importantly, use an SPF if you are heading out into the sunlight.
