How to Use Body Scrub for Silky Smooth Skin
The secret to soft, radiant skin...knowing how to use body scrub correctly.
Dry skin? Dullness? Rough patches on your knees, elbows, and ankles? What you’re experiencing is a buildup of dead skin cells. Once you remove these dead cells, your skin will feel instantly smoother and look visibly brighter. The best way to buff away dead cells? With an exfoliating body scrub!
Knowing how to use a body scrub is imperative for enjoying maximum benefits without upsetting and irritating your skin. In other words, if you’re not using body scrub properly, you might undo all of its positive effects. Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered!
Here’s your step-by-step guide on how to use body scrub, and the best ones to choose for unlocking your softest, smoothest skin.
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What is Body Scrub?
A body scrub is a skincare product that contains abrasives like sugar, sea salt, or coffee grounds to exfoliate the skin and remove dead skin cells. Our skin naturally sheds these dead cells over time. Exfoliating speeds up the process, allowing new cells to surface.
Body scrubs are used to improve skin tone and texture, leaving skin feeling smoother and looking brighter. They also help to prevent ingrown hairs from shaving by keeping pores clean—so hairs don’t get trapped. Alongside all of this, body scrubs enable active ingredients in your body lotions and serums to penetrate more effectively for maximum effects.
How to Use Body Scrub in 5 Steps
Many people ask, what is the correct way to use body scrub? Here’s a simple guide on using body scrubs correctly.
#1: Start in the Shower (or Bath)
First up, soak your skin in warm water—either in the shower or bath. Heat dilates your pores while moisture softens your skin. This preps your skin for gentle and effective exfoliation. It’s also a wonderful self-care ritual that helps to relax your body and mind.
Haven’t found your fave scrub yet? Take your pick from our bestselling body scrubs that promise satiny-soft skin.
#2: Apply to Damp Skin
Next, apply a generous dollop of body scrub onto your damp skin. Dermatologists recommend using a quarter-sized amount for the face but a larger amount is needed for body areas like the arms and legs. Feel free to adjust the quantity based on your personal preference.
#3: Massage onto Skin
Gently massage the body scrub onto your skin using circular motions for a couple of minutes. Avoid using excessive force as this can lead to redness and irritation. Light, circular motions allow the sugar granules to effectively exfoliate the skin without irritating the skin—or even worse, damaging it.
#4: Rinse Off
Now that your scrub’s sorted, rinse off the remaining body scrub with warm water. Pat dry and voila—your skin feels immediately soft, smooth, and squeaky clean.
#5: Moisturize
Make sure you finish your shower routine with a hydrating body lotion to lock in moisture so your skin feels silky soft all day long. Browse Truly’s bestselling body butters for decadent & dewy hydration.
Best Exfoliating Body Scrubs 2025
Now you know how to use body scrub like a pro, it’s time to find your go-to scrub. Here are the best body scrubs for every skin type.
Best Body Scrub for Dry Skin
A lightweight, sugar scrub that buffs away dead skin cells and impurities to reveal bright, glowing skin. Enriched with coconut oil, vitamin E, and grapeseed oil, Smooth Legend Body Scrub exfoliates and hydrates at the same time for ultra-smooth, soft skin that doesn’t feel dry or tight.
Best Body Scrub for Sensitive Skin
A calming, redness-reducing body scrub formulated with a blend of lavender, jojoba oil, and blue tansy to buff and brighten dull, lackluster skin. Use 1-2 times per week to keep skin silky and bright without causing irritation.
Best Body Scrub for Oily Skin & Acne-Prone Skin
Tame oily skin, combat body breakouts with this impurity-erasing body scrub. It contains a powerhouse blend of salicylic acid, African black soap, and charcoal to buff away dead cells, absorb gunk and excess oil, and unclog pores for clear, mattified skin.
As experts in smooth skin, Truly Beauty treatments contain nature’s finest ingredients to give you the silky smooth skin of your dreams. From body scrubs to body polishes and more, browse our full selection of smooth skin essentials.
Benefits of Body Scrub
Using a body scrub leaves you softer and smoother with a healthy, lit-from-within glow. Best of all, many of the benefits of body scrubs are almost instant. Now you know how to use body scrub properly, here’s why you should start using one weekly:
1. Smooths Skin Texture
Body scrubs slough away the buildup of dead skin cells on the surface of the skin. By doing so, healthy new cells emerge, giving skin a smoother feel and appearance. Exfoliation is essential for softening dry, rough patches.
2. Improves Skin Tone
By encouraging cell turnover, body scrubs can help combat dark spots and discoloration for a more even skin tone thanks to exfoliating ingredients like sugar and salt.
3. Prevents Ingrown Hairs
Regular exfoliation keeps pores clear and promotes healthy hair growth, in turn preventing the formation of ingrown hairs after shaving.
4. Stimulates Circulation
When you exfoliate your skin with a body scrub, you boost your blood circulation simply with the movements. This results in brighter skin with a healthy glow plus a collagen boost for younger-looking skin.
5. Boosts Benefits of Skincare Products
Not everyone knows this but...exfoliating encourages the absorption of active ingredients in your skincare products. Whether you’re using a retinol serum or vitamin C cream, these products will penetrate better and work harder when applied to exfoliated skin.
6. Promotes an Even Tan
For an even sunkissed glow, exfoliation is key! When you skip exfoliation before using self-tanner, you end up with a patchy tan. By removing dead cells, you increase your chances of getting an even tan.
Body Scrub FAQs
So we’ve shown you how to use body scrub and the best scrubs available for all skin types. Still got questions? We hope we’ve answered your questions below.
Do You Use Body Scrub Before or After Body Wash?
This all depends on your body wash. Typically, it is best to use body scrub after body wash to ensure your skin is clean and prepped for exfoliation. That’s if you’re just using a regular shower gel or body wash.
If you’re using a body wash designed to fight acne, you may be better off using it after exfoliation to allow those active ingredients to absorb better—and ultimately work harder.
Should I Use Body Scrub Wet or Dry?
Skin should always be damp before exfoliation. That’s why it’s best to soak your skin in the shower or bath. Warm water softens skin and opens the pores, promoting gentler and more effective exfoliation.
How Long Do You Leave a Body Scrub on?
According to dermatologists, you do not need to let your body scrub sit for an extended period. Once you’re done working it into the skin, you can simply wash it off. Of course, you can always leave it on the skin for a minute to let active ingredients penetrate but it is not necessary.
How Often Should I Use Body Scrub?
A body scrub is not for everyday use. For most skin types, body exfoliation 2-3 times a week is enough to keep your skin smooth and healthy. It’s important not to overdo it as this can lead to skin irritation. Those with sensitive skin may need to reduce frequency to 1-2 times per week.
If you have oily, blemish-prone skin, you may need to exfoliate your body more often to keep pores unclogged. We recommend using it 3-4 times per week—provided that your skin can handle it.
Can All Skin Types Use Body Scrubs?
Yes, all skin types can benefit from using body scrubs in their skincare routine. Sugar scrubs, especially, are suitable for all skin types. If you have severely sensitive skin or skin conditions like eczema, make sure you get the green light from your dermatologist beforehand.
Can I Put Body Scrub on My Face?
It’s generally not recommended to use body scrub on your face. Body scrubs are designed for the thicker skin on the body, which makes them a little too harsh for facial use. For the face, it’s better to use a chemical exfoliator like salicylic acid, lactic acid, or glycolic acid to encourage cell turnover.
What Should I Do After a Body Scrub?
Once you’ve finished exfoliating your body, pat your skin dry and apply a hydrating moisturiser. Use a body lotion or butter that contains nourishing emollients and humectants like cocoa butter, hyaluronic acid, shea butter, coconut oil, jojoba oil, and vitamin E.
Body scrubs can be a real gamechanger in your routine. Whether you’re dealing with bumps, rough patches, ingrown hairs, or acne, a body scrub can bust all your skin concerns. Use this guide on how to use body scrub to keep your skin looking smooth and radiant.
As experts in smooth skin, we pride ourselves at providing clean, high performance products that leave you feeling your best.
