How to Exfoliate Your Body: Scrubs, Washes and Timing
The night before the midsummer fairy festival, I decided my wings needed to sparkle brighter than anyone's. So I scrubbed them. Then I scrubbed them again, and once more for luck, until they were pink, squeaky and stinging every time the breeze touched them. I spent the whole festival flying low and wincing, which is not the look you want at a fairy party.
So let me save you the wince. Learning how to exfoliate body skin comes down to three choices: the right tool, the right number of days and the right order. Use a scrub or an exfoliating wash on damp skin with light pressure, rinse, then moisturize right away. For most people that's 2 or 3 times a week, less for dry or sensitive skin. Exfoliate before you shave, the day before you self-tan, and stop the moment your skin starts to sting.
- Exfoliate your body 1 to 3 times a week. Dry or sensitive skin sits at the low end, oilier skin and rough spots like knees and heels at the high end.
- Physical exfoliants (sugar scrubs, beaded washes) buff dead skin off by hand. Chemical ones (AHAs like glycolic and lactic acid, BHAs like salicylic acid) loosen it with acids. Pick one per day, not both.
- Exfoliate before you shave, never right after. For self-tan, exfoliate the day before and skip scrubs for a few days afterward.
- Stinging, redness, a tight shiny look or flaking means you've overdone it. Stop exfoliating for a week and just moisturize.
Physical vs chemical exfoliation: what's the difference?
Your skin sheds dead cells all the time, but some of them hang around and make legs, arms and elbows feel rough or look dull. Exfoliating just helps them leave a little sooner. Before you get into how to exfoliate body skin, know that there are two ways to do it.
Physical exfoliation means you buff the dead cells off by hand with something gritty. Sugar scrubs, salt scrubs, washes with tiny beads, washcloths and body mitts all count. You control the pressure, you feel the smoothness right away, and it works on any skin you can reach.
Chemical exfoliation uses acids to loosen the bonds that hold dead cells together, so they rinse away without scrubbing. You'll usually find them in body lotions, washes and pads:
- AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids) such as glycolic and lactic acid work on the skin's surface. People often reach for them on dry, rough or dull skin.
- BHAs (beta hydroxy acids), mainly salicylic acid, mix with oil, so they can work inside pores. They're a common pick for the back, chest and other oily areas.
Acids can make skin more sensitive to the sun, so wear sunscreen on any skin you treat with them, and follow the directions on the label. At Fable Beauty we make the physical kind: a sugar scrub and a gently exfoliating body wash. That's what I use, so that's what the routine below is built around.
How to exfoliate body skin, step by step
- Get warm and wet. Spend 3 to 5 minutes in a warm (not hot) shower or bath first. Damp, softened skin lets go of dead cells easily, so you need far less pressure.
- Wash first if you're sweaty. A quick cleanse clears off sweat and lotion so the scrub can do its job.
- Scoop a small amount. About a tablespoon covers both legs. Add more for arms and back.
- Use small circles and a light touch. Think "polishing," not "sanding." Spend about 30 seconds per area and give extra attention to knees, elbows and heels.
- Rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry. Rubbing with a towel is just a second round of exfoliation, and you don't need it.
- Moisturize within a few minutes. Freshly polished skin drinks up moisture, so lock it in while you're still a little damp.
Want the full scrub method, including how much to use and how to keep the jar clean? I wrote it all out in how to use a sugar scrub.
How often to exfoliate: a weekly body exfoliation routine by skin type
There's no single magic number. Start at the low end, watch how your skin reacts for two weeks, then adjust. Here's a body exfoliation routine you can actually stick to.
| Your skin | How often | Best fit | Sample week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | 2 to 3 times a week | Sugar scrub, or a beaded wash | Scrub Mon and Thu, plain wash other days |
| Dry | 1 to 2 times a week | Oil-based sugar scrub, then a rich moisturizer | Scrub Sun, optional second day Wed |
| Oily or breakout-prone (back, chest) | 2 to 3 times a week | Beaded wash; a BHA product can work on other days | Wash Mon, Wed, Fri; acid on one off day |
| Sensitive | Once a week, at most | Gentle scrub, very light pressure | Scrub Sat only, skip if anything feels raw |
| You shave often | 2 times a week | Scrub right before shaving | Scrub plus shave Tue and Sat |
| Rough spots only (knees, elbows, heels) | 2 to 3 times a week on those spots | Sugar scrub, spot by spot | Spot-scrub every other shower |
One note on exfoliating washes. A wash with fine beads is milder than a scrub, but it still counts. If you use one every day, scale back your scrub days, and switch to a plain wash for a while if your skin starts to feel tight.
What order to do it in: shaving, self-tan and moisturizer
Exfoliating and shaving
Scrub first, shave second, all in the same shower. Buffing away dead skin helps the razor glide instead of dragging. It also frees up hairs that are lying flat. Then shave with a glide product like The Sprite Shave Oil Serum, rinse, and moisturize. Don't scrub freshly shaved skin. It stings, and skin that's just been shaved has already had a light exfoliation from the blade. Wait at least a day. My full shave routine lives in how to shave your legs.
Exfoliating and self-tan
Exfoliate the day before you tan, then shave if you need to, so the color goes on an even canvas instead of clinging to dry patches. Before you apply, put a little moisturizer on knees, elbows, ankles and wrists. After you tan, skip scrubs and exfoliating washes for at least a few days, because they wear the color off faster. When it starts to fade unevenly, a gentle scrub helps clear it before your next round.
The full order for one shower
Wash, scrub, shave, rinse, pat dry, moisturize. Then apply self-tan if you're using it, on a separate day after scrubbing, not in the same session.
Signs you're over-exfoliating
This is the wing lesson. Too much exfoliating doesn't make skin smoother. It makes it angry. Watch for:
- Stinging when you put on lotion or step into the shower
- Redness that lasts longer than an hour after you rinse
- A tight, shiny, almost plastic look
- Flaking or rough patches that weren't there before
- Small bumps showing up after you scrub
If you spot any of these, stop all exfoliating (scrubs, beaded washes and acids) for about a week. Use a gentle wash and moisturize twice a day. When things feel normal again, come back at half your old schedule.
If your skin is sensitive
Sensitive skin can still be exfoliated, it just likes to be asked nicely. Patch test anything new on a small patch of your inner arm and wait a day. Use the lightest pressure you can, stick to once a week, and never use two exfoliants on the same day. Skip any skin that's sunburned, cut, or already irritated. Rather than scrubbing harder, see a dermatologist if a rash, cracked skin or bumps don't settle after a week off, or keep coming back. For dark dots on shaved legs in particular, read my friend's guide to strawberry legs.
My picks for a polishing routine
- The Sprite Magical Sugar Scrub ($25, 4 oz): sugar crystals in safflower seed oil with rice bran, rosemary and sunflower extracts and vitamin E. It smells like my Citrus Splash, sweet vanilla and citrus with lily of the valley, and it's what I use on scrub day.
- The Valkyrie Radiant Mist Body Wash ($20, 8 oz): a sulfate-free wash that gently exfoliates with jojoba beads and pumice, plus aloe, coconut and jojoba oil. It's a softer polish than a scrub, and it smells like fresh flowers and sandalwood.
- The Sprite Body Frosting ($25, 4 oz): a whipped moisturizer with shea butter, cocoa butter, glycerin and aloe for step six, right after you rinse.
- The Sprite Polish & Pamper Duo ($45): the scrub and frosting together, so step one and step six live in one bag.
In colder months your skin needs more cushioning between scrubs. My sisters put together a winter body skin care routine for that.
FAQ
How often should you exfoliate your body?
Most people do well with 2 or 3 times a week. Dry or sensitive skin is usually happier with once a week, and you can always add a day if your skin stays calm.
Should I exfoliate before or after shaving?
Before. Scrub first so the razor glides over smoother skin, then shave. Scrubbing freshly shaved skin usually stings, so give it at least a day.
Is it OK to use a sugar scrub every day?
For most bodies, no. Daily scrubbing tends to leave skin tight and irritated. Keep the scrub to a few times a week and use a plain or gently exfoliating wash in between if your skin likes it.
Can I use a body scrub and an AHA lotion together?
Not on the same day. Alternate them instead, for example scrub on Saturday and an acid lotion on Tuesday, and drop back if you notice stinging or redness.
Should you exfoliate before or after self-tanner?
Exfoliate the day before you tan so the color goes on even. After you tan, skip scrubs for at least a few days, because exfoliating wears the color off faster.
One last spell
By the next midsummer festival I'd learned my lesson. One gentle polish two days before, a thick layer of frosting after, and nothing at all the morning of. My wings caught every lantern in the meadow, and I flew as high as I wanted. That's the real secret of how to exfoliate body skin: a little at a time, not all at once.
Every beauty has a story.
— The Sprite
