If you’ve never had ingrown hairs, then consider yourself very lucky. Of course, it is also possible that you’ve had ingrown hairs but never realized it. After all, most people only notice ingrown hair when they start feeling pain and irritation.
Ingrown hairs usually show up as bumps (papules) or discolorations on the skin. Most people tend to ignore them at this stage. However, if left untreated, ingrown hairs gradually become itchy before progressing to painful levels. At this point, the papules may turn into pustules, which can be equated with pus-filled pimples.
It is best to never let things reach this stage but to do that you need to understand why ingrown hairs occur. Typically, hair is supposed to grow straight out of the skin. Ingrown hairs occur when hair strands start growing sideways into the skin. Since the average human being has five million hair follicles, wayward growth is natural and ingrown hairs quite inevitable.
While ingrown hairs can happen to anyone, they’re more likely to occur to people with clogged skin pores and hair follicles. The blockage prevents normal growth and forces the hair strands to take a detour. Therefore, by minimizing clogged pores and hair follicles, you’ll be minimizing ingrown hairs too.
Unclogging skin pores is best done by exfoliating your skin, and exfoliators specialize in exactly this. This is why we’ve created this guide on the best exfoliators for ingrown hairs. Here’s everything you’ll learn about on this page, arranged in an easy-to-understand and easy-to-click navigation panel.
| Women |
|---|
 |
| ASUTRA Dead Sea Salt Body Scrub Exfoliator |
| 4.75/5.0 |
| Type: Women |
| Volume: 12 ounces |
| An excellent body scrub that is miles ahead of its competitors in the quality of ingredients and results alike. |
| Check Amazon |
| Men |
|---|
 |
| RUGGED & DAPPER Daily Face Wash and Scrub Cleanser |
| 4.75/5.0 |
| Type: Men |
| Volume: 8 ounces |
| A superb body scrub cleanser that doubles up as a face wash without the use of sulfates and moisturizes well. |
| Check Amazon |
| Unisex |
|---|
 |
| Thrive Natural Care Energy Scrub |
| 4.5/5.0 |
| Type: Unisex |
| Volume: 3.38 x 3 ounces |
| An incredibly effective body scrub developed with rare native Costa Rican ingredients and smells like coffee. |
| Check Amazon |
| Body Brush |
|---|
 |
| C.S.M. Body Brush for Wet or Dry Brushing |
| 4.5/5.0 |
| Type: Body Brush |
| Volume: 4.8 ounces |
| A fully natural exfoliating body brush that can be used as a massager and shower brush too. |
| Check Amazon |
- What Is an Exfoliator?
- Can an Exfoliator be Used to Prevent and Cure Ingrown Hairs?
- Do Exfoliators Have Other Benefits?
- Can You Make Exfoliators at Home?
- Top 10 Exfoliators for Ingrown Hair Comparison Table
- Top 3 Women’s Exfoliators for Ingrown Hair: Detailed Reviews
- Top 3 Men’s Exfoliators for Ingrown Hair: Detailed Reviews
- Top 2 Unisex Exfoliators for Ingrown Hair: Detailed Reviews
- Top 2 Exfoliator Body Brushes: Detailed Reviews
- How to Use Exfoliators?
What Is an Exfoliator?
An exfoliator is a substance that is designed to remove dead skin cells, dust particles, and grime from the surface of the skin. It can do this through either chemical or physical means.
Physical exfoliation involves the use of granules or “grit” of various levels of graininess. These granules rub, scrape, and slough off unwanted particles from the surface of the skin. If fine enough, they can even help remove unwanted particles from within skin pores and follicles.
Chemical exfoliants work by dissolving the bond between dead skin cells. As a result, they free them up to be removed from the surface of the skin. The best example of how chemical exfoliationoccurs can be seen when salicylic acid is applied to the skin.
An exfoliator can have either or both types of exfoliants. However, physical exfoliators are more commonly available than chemical ones.
Can an Exfoliator be Used to Prevent and Cure Ingrown Hairs?
All exfoliators will help prevent ingrown hairs simply because they’ll reduce the chances of clogged skin pores and hair follicles. If they’re supplemented with other ways of preventing ingrown hairs, they’re even more effective and faster. Other methods of preventing ingrown hairs include the following.
- Keeping skin moisturized and relaxed at all times.
- Minimizing hair removal activities such as shaving and waxing.
- Preparing skin properly before shaving or waxing.
- Avoiding stretching the skin during the shaving or waxing process.
- Not wearing tight clothes.
When it comes to treating ingrown hairs, however, different exfoliators work differently. Chemical exfoliators excel at resolving ingrown hairs, especially when applied directly to the spot. Physical exfoliators are slower than chemical exfoliators and will only be effective through prolonged and repeated use.
Do Exfoliators Have Other Benefits?
All benefits of exfoliators stem from the fact that they remove dead skin cells from the surface of the skin. Apart from preventing ingrown hairs, this action leads to multiple other benefits which are:
Moisturizing and Conditioning the Skin
Most exfoliators contain ingredients chosen for their ability to moisturize and condition the skin. In the majority of cases, these ingredients are natural such as multiple types of butter or oils. Therefore, while the exfoliants remove the dead skin cells and other blocking substances, the conditioning agents in the formula moisturize the skin.
Increase Access to Sunlight
Dead skin cells not only prevent hairs from growing out properly but also prevent the skin from receiving sufficient sunlight. Therefore, when they’re removed, the skin gets more access to sunlight.
This creates multiple health benefits. The foremost of these is an increased production of vitamin D in the body. The human body needs vitamin D for various reasons but the most important is bone density and strength.
Apart from this, with more access to the sun, the skin is better able to produce melanin. As melanin is primarily responsible for tanning, exfoliation increases the speed of tanning.
Boosting Blood Circulation in The Skin
Physical exfoliants, in the process of removing dead skin cells, improve circulation in the skin too. The granules create a massage-like action on the skin surface. This activates skin cells and encourages the body to send more blood to those tissues. As blood is how key nutrients are transported all over the body, the extra nutrients these skin cells receive allows them to become healthier and more robust.
Reducing the Chance of Infections
Dead skin cells can also be a happy medium for microbes to grow. This is partially why people suffering from dandruff tend to get infections on their scalp so easily.
Accumulation of dead skin cells on the skin’s surface can lead to the same problem, especially if dust and grime are also mixed up in it. Therefore, by removing all these particles, exfoliators will be reducing the chances of you getting skin infections.
Improving the Efficiency of Everything Else
Dead skin cells, for the lack of a better term, deaden everything that happens with respect to the skin. This includes everything from your sense of touch to the effectiveness of other products you may be using.
Just by removing dead skin cells and other particles from the surface of the skin, you’ll be improving the efficiency of all other products you use as well as your ability to feel things with your skin.
Can You Make Exfoliators at Home?
It is very easy to make exfoliators at home. All you need to do is combine one or more moisturizing agents with an exfoliating agent. You can even play around with different ratios and compositions, depending on your preferences and requirements.
In terms of moisturizing agents, you can use commercial moisturizing products such as creams and lotions or naturally occurring moisturizing agents such as oils and butter. You can even combine more than one together to get a mix of their benefits.
What you need to make sure of, however, is that the moisturizing agents are compatible with your skin type. For instance, if you try to use heavy-duty moisturizers on oily skin, then you may end up encouraging ingrown hair instead of preventing them. The presence of excess oils in the skin is one of the most common causes of clogged up skin pores and hair follicles.
As far as exfoliants are concerned, the most commonly used are salt and sugar. If you’re interested in something more exotic, you can use ground walnut shells, coffee beans, jojoba beans, and other such ingredients.
We do recommend paying close attention to how well ground your exfoliant is. If it is too fine, then you’ll not get enough sloughing action but if it is too coarse, then it might get uncomfortable on the skin. You can, of course, mix fine and coarse together to make your DIY exfoliator more versatile.
Top 10 Exfoliators for Ingrown Hair Comparison Table
| Product Name | Type | Volume | Cost per ounce (*Approx.) | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub | Women | 18 ounces | $0.33 per ounce | Check Price |
| M3 Naturals Himalayan Salt Scrub | Women | 12 ounces | $2.40 per ounce | Check Price |
| ASUTRA Dead Sea Salt Body Scrub Exfoliator | Women | 12 ounces | $1.92 per ounce | Check Price |
| RUGGED & DAPPER Daily Face Wash and Scrub Cleanser | Men | 8 ounces | $3.12 per ounce | Check Price |
| Brickell Men’s Renewing Face Scrub | Men | 4 ounces | $5.50 per ounce | Check Price |
| Viking Revolution Microdermabrasion Face Scrub | Men | 5 x 2 ounces | $1.69 per ounce | Check Price |
| GiGi No Bump Body Scrub | Unisex | 6 x 2 ounces | $1.62 per ounce | Check Price |
| Thrive Natural Care Energy Scrub | Unisex | 3.38 x 3 ounces | $3.45 per ounce | Check Price |
| C.S.M. Body Brush for Wet or Dry Brushing | Body Brush | 4.8 ounces | NA | Check Price |
| Dylonic Exfoliating Brush | Body Brush | 2.72 ounces | NA | Check Price |
Top 3 Women’s Exfoliators for Ingrown Hair: Detailed Reviews
1. Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub
Editor’s Rating: 4.0/5.0
If you’re going to be rubbing something all over your face and body, then you better make sure that you like how it smells. Nothing can ruin your day more than having to go through it mired in smells that make you gag. Luckily, the Tree Hut Sugar Scrub is available in so many different flavors and smell options that you shouldn’t have any trouble finding one that suits your sensibilities.
This body scrub comes in seven different flavors. These are Amazon pequi, coconut lime, mocha and coffee bean, passion fruit and guava, pear and chia, pomegranate acai, and tropical mango. The mango variant is the one we’ve chosen to link out to but you should not have any problems finding the other options on the same page.
Such a wide variety of flavors also works well if you’re one of those people who likes to change their products regularly. Further, while this scrub isn’t intended for men, we feel that one or two flavors may be neutral enough to suit them too. Another thing that may favor men is that this isn’t the gentlest scrubs and can be rough on the skin.
This body scrub does a good job of physically exfoliating the skin’s surface but that comes at the cost of the environment. Its granules are plastic microbeads which are known to create a lot of problems in the environment. Other than the microbeads, this scrub doesn’t contain any other artificial ingredients including parabens.
The microbeads are suspended in a mix of multiple moisturizers dominated by shea butter. Other moisturizing agents in this body scrub are orange oil, macadamia seed oil, sweet almond oil, avocado oil, and safflower seed oil. Of course, the flavor is added separately and differently in each variant. This one gets its mango smell and flavor through mango puree.
Incidentally, despite containing so many oils that are known for their moisturizing power, this body scrub falls short in that department. Most users say that it doesn’t condition the skin well enough and is better suited to people with oily skin than those with dry skin.
It is manufactured in the USA, so that should appeal to the patriot in you. Despite being produced domestically, though, its price isn’t too high. In fact, it is unbelievably affordable and pocket-friendly.
Who’s it for: If you want the most affordable exfoliator you can get and have strong likes and dislikes when it comes to smells, pick one of these Tree Hut Sugar Scrubs.
| Tech Specs |
|---|
| Product weight: 18 ounces |
| Type: Women |
| Active ingredients: Shea butter, safflower seed oil, avocado oil, sweet almond oil, macadamia seed oil, orange oil, and flavor puree |
| The Pros |
|---|
| Doesn’t contain harsh or harmful chemicals such as parabens |
| Available in seven different flavors |
| Manufactured in the USA |
| Extremely affordable |
| The Cons |
|---|
| Contains artificial microbeads |
| A little too rough to use on the face without discomfort |
| Doesn’t moisturize as well as competitors |
2. M3 Naturals Himalayan Salt Scrub
Editor’s Rating: 4.5/5.0
Everyone cannot handle the level of coarseness that products like Tree Hut body scrubs offer. There are people with sensitive skin who get excellent results from milder, more gentle body scrubs. If you’re one of these people then you may want to consider the M3 Naturals Himalayan Salt Scrub with its fine grit.
As is evident from its name, this body scrub uses salt granules as an exfoliant. It’s not just any type of salt either. It is specifically sourced from the Himalayas. The salt found in the Himalayas is pink in color, which is why this scrub is a pretty pink color too.
For moisturization, this body scrub contains only sweet almond oil which is why it isn’t the best at moisturizing dry skin. On the other hand, if you have oily skin, then this scrub should work very well for you.
Even though it doesn’t contain many moisturizing agents, this scrub does manage to soften the skin and make it more elastic. It does this because it is infused with collagen and apple stem cells.
These two ingredients not only make the skin more elastic but also slowdown the aging process, resulting in younger and healthier-looking skin. Incidentally, the company says that its apple stem cells are derived from a rare Swiss apple variety called ‘UttwilerSpätlauber’.
Apart from all these ingredients, this body and face scrub also contains lychee. Its sweet, subtle, and feminine smell is a result of its lychee-content. This scrub has a unique texture too. Its texture can be best described as wet salt, and whether you’ll like it or not depends on your preferences.
Like most high-quality body scrubs, this one is also manufactured in the USA. You should also know that this isn’t the cheapest body scrub out there. The fact that it contains so many unique ingredients is why it is positioned in the expensive price bracket.
Who’s it for: If you feel that your skin lacks elasticity in addition to having ingrown hairs, get this M3 salt scrub.
| Tech Specs |
|---|
| Product weight: 12 ounces |
| Type: Women |
| Active ingredients: Himalayan salt, sweet almond oil, collagen, stem cell, lychee fruit oil, jojoba seed oil, grape seed oil, aloe vera, and vitamin E |
| The Pros |
|---|
| Salt-based exfoliator |
| Mild and gentle |
| Contains collagen and stem cells |
| Smells like lychee |
| Doesn’t contain harsh or harmful chemicals such as parabens |
| Manufactured in the USA |
| The Cons |
|---|
| Doesn’t moisturize as well as competitors |
| Wet salt texture may not appeal to everyone |
| Very expensive |
3. ASUTRA Dead Sea Salt Body Scrub Exfoliator
Editor’s Rating: 4.75/5.0
ASUTRA’s offering in the body scrub market is one of the best in the industry. It relies on salt sourced from the Dead Sea as the exfoliant. Since the Dead Sea is full of a wide variety of minerals, salt sourced from it also contains the same. The company specifies that the salt they use in their scrub contains more than 20 salts that benefit the skin in various ways. They call them ‘healing’ salts.
Physically, the salt granules are ground well to create fine granules. As a result, the scrub is very gentle and mild on the skin. The moisturizing ingredients of the body scrub are as impressive as its exfoliant ingredients. This scrub contains three different types of oils, namely sweet almond, argan, and jojoba.
Each of these oils is extremely efficient at moisturizing the skin but together they make this scrub very strong at conditioning the skin. In fact, it is so strong that it may not be suitable for people with oily skin. Also, this scrub has solid anti-infection properties since it contains aloe vera as well.
It doesn’t contain any harmful or artificial ingredients and is completely free of chemicals like parabens. The scrub is even cruelty-free, which should appeal to the animal lover in you.
While we’ve put this scrub in the women’s section, we could’ve easily placed it in the other categories because it comes in nine different variants. Each variant has a unique scent with some of them being neutral enough to appeal to men too.
The one we’ve linked to is the revitalizing coconut variant, while the others are cooling cucumber, invigorating eucalyptus, purifying peppermint, refreshing jasmine, revitalizing coconut, sensual rose, soothing lavender, and uplifting lemongrass. There’s even a pure vitamin C scrub for customers not interested in the more exotic flavors.
In terms of texture, this scrub is very much capable of splitting in the jar i.e. you might see the oils separating from the salts when the jar is left untouched for too long. Don’t worry about this, however, as it doesn’t affect its effectiveness.
Moreover, the company is aware of this physical separation which is why this scrub comes with a stirring spoon. You can use the spoon to mix the oils and salts together again. Be gentle with the spoon, though. It is quite fragile and capable of snapping off.
The biggest flaw of this scrub is its price. It is on the expensive side but the price is justifiable. For instance, the product is manufactured in the USA, using only the best quality standards and guidelines. Further, the company offers a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee. They promise to return all your money if you’re not happy with the scrub and get in touch with them within 30 days of your purchase.
Who’s it for: If you don’t mind spending for premium-quality and don’t have very oily skin, this is the body and face scrub you should get.
| Tech Specs |
|---|
| Product weight: 12 ounces |
| Type: Women |
| Active ingredients: Dead sea salt, coconut oil, evening primrose oil, aloe vera, jojoba oil, argan oil, and sweet almond oil |
| The Pros |
|---|
| Salt-based exfoliator |
| Mild and gentle |
| Moisturizes well |
| Doesn’t contain harsh or harmful chemicals such as parabens |
| Cruelty-free exfoliator |
| Available in nine different flavors |
| Comes with a stirring spoon |
| Manufactured in the USA |
| Backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee |
| The Cons |
|---|
| Too greasy to suit people with oily skin |
| Very expensive |
| The provided spoon is a bit too fragile |
Top 3 Men’s Exfoliators for Ingrown Hair: Detailed Reviews
4. RUGGED & DAPPER Daily Face Wash and Scrub Cleanser
Editor’s Rating: 4.75/5.0
Men usually don’t devote the same kind of time to their skin that women do. This is one of the reasons why this product from Rugged & Dapper has garnered such a huge fan following. It is both, a face wash and a scrub cleanser, that can be used daily without any qualms.
Typically, when you come across a versatile product you give up on functionality in some way. That isn’t the case with this product. It is awesome even if you only use it as a face wash or face scrub.
The exfoliant in this product is natural jojoba beads. Owing to their small size, this exfoliator isn’t very coarse. While the majority of the men should be okay with this, others with more leathery skin may find it a little too gentle to be effective for them.
The jojoba beads are suspended in a mix of natural and organic ingredients such as burdock root, willow bark, vitamin C, and aloe vera. These ingredients combine to make this scrub a great moisturizer. However, for some of you, its moisturizing power may be excessive. In simple words, if you have oily skin, this isn’t the product for you.
Incidentally, this 2 in 1 product is free of all artificial ingredients including sulfates and parabens. This is especially impressive since it lathers up well as a face wash. Further, it is completely cruelty-free too. The smell of this face wash and scrub is very clean, fresh, and masculine.
This product’s price may be a stumbling block for some of you, but you should know that it is worth it for more than one reason. For one, the product lasts a long time so you don’t have to buy refills very often. Further, the customer service is superlative. They’ll contact you to ask you if you’re satisfied with their product. That is extremely rare in today’s world of sell and forget business strategies.
Who’s it for: If you have sensitive and dry skin and are looking for a face wash and scrub combo, then we recommend spending on this awesome 2 in 1 product.
| Tech Specs |
|---|
| Product weight: 8 ounces |
| Type: Men |
| Active ingredients: Aloe vera, vitamin C, jojoba oil, willow bark, burdock root, borage oil, coconut extracts, lavender water, grapefruit seed, calendula, red clover, rosemary, olive oil, rose hip oil, oregano oil, orange peel tincture, and tea tree oil |
| The Pros |
|---|
| Face wash and exfoliator in one product |
| Uses biodegradable jojoba beads to exfoliate the skin |
| Mild and gentle |
| Moisturizes well |
| Has a very fresh, clean, and masculine smell |
| Lasts a very long time |
| Doesn’t contain harsh or harmful chemicals such as parabens |
| Cruelty-free exfoliator |
| Manufacturers have a very helpful customer service department |
| The Cons |
|---|
| Too greasy to suit people with oily skin |
| May not be abrasive enough for some men |
| Very expensive |
5. Brickell Men’s Renewing Face Scrub
Editor’s Rating: 4.5/5.0
Brickell’s offering in the male facial scrub market segment has some very loyal fans. The Men’s Renewing Face Scrub is celebrated by its regular users because of its scent. In fact, it is so popular and loved that a lot of the users are looking for other products like cologne with similar scents. It has a strong, masculine citrusy scent that is derived from the product’s green tea and coffee content.
This scrub is good at its core function too. Like most high-quality men’s scrub, this one is based around jojoba beads. The fine jojoba beads do an excellent job of exfoliating the skin and preventing ingrown hairs. However, if you’re accustomed to using coarse scrubs on your face, then you may find this one too fine.
The scrub is suitable for most skin types, except for oily skin. The reason for this is that it is a strong moisturizer. If used on oily skin, it will end up making it greasy very quickly. Its moisturizing power is a result of the fact that it contains avocado butter and aloe vera. Other ingredients found in this scrub are vitamin E and pumice.
The scrub doesn’t contain any harmful chemicals or artificial ingredients such as parabens, sulfates, phthalates, or siliconeseither. The manufacturer even says that this product is 98 percent natural. It is also fully vegan and cruelty-free.
This is probably why it is so expensive. In fact, this is easily one of the most expensive scrubs in the market which may put off many of you from even trying it. One way of working around the problem of expense is to buy a smaller bottle first. It comes in two-ounce and four-ounce bottles.
Who’s it for: If you’re looking for a unique smelling men’s face scrub, then get this one from Brickell.
| Tech Specs |
|---|
| Product weight: 4 ounces |
| Type: Men |
| Active ingredients: Aloe vera, avocado butter, vitamin E, pumice, jojoba beads, coffee extract, green tea, olive butter, horsetail extract, geranium extract, dandelion extract, and kukui nut oil |
| The Pros |
|---|
| Uses biodegradable jojoba beads to exfoliate the skin |
| Mild and gentle |
| Its unique coffee and green tea smell is loved by nearly all users |
| Doesn’t contain harsh or harmful chemicals such as parabens |
| Cruelty-free exfoliator |
| Available in two different sizes |
| The Cons |
|---|
| May not be abrasive enough for some men |
| Incredibly expensive exfoliator |
6. Viking Revolution Microdermabrasion Face Scrub
Editor’s Rating: 4.25/5.0
This face scrub from Viking Revolution is more affordable than both the other male face scrubs listed on this page. While it isn’t as excellent as the other two options, it is still a very good face scrub.
The reason for this is that Viking Revolution designed this scrub specifically for men’s pre-shave routines. This means that it isn’t really suited for use on other parts of the body. However, if you’re prone to getting razor burns and ingrown hairs on your face and neck, then this product should do wonders for you.
Just make sure that you don’t have very oily skin or this scrub may backfire and encourage clogged pores instead. As it is, many users complain that it leaves an oily residue on their faces.
This makes sense to us too because it contains several strong moisturizing agents in the form of Coconut oil, vitamin E, peppermint oil, sunflower seed oil, argan oil, and sweet almond oil. The product has a strong minty smell because of its peppermint content.
The exfoliant in this product is sugar, and it is ground fine. This means that it is a gentle exfoliator that will be perfect for sensitive skin but may not appeal to men who prefer abrasive scrubs.
Even though it isn’t priced like its premium competitors, Viking Revolution still offers a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee on it. If you’re not completely sure about buying this scrub, we recommend getting the one tube pack. However, if you’re convinced that you’ll like it, go for the double-tube pack as it will be more affordable in the long term.
Who’s it for: If you want a men’s pre-shave face scrub that doesn’t put a hole in your pocket, get this one from Viking Revolution.
| Tech Specs |
|---|
| Product weight: 5 x 2 ounces |
| Type: Men |
| Active ingredients: Coconut oil, vitamin E, peppermint oil, sunflower seed oil, argan oil, and sweet almond oil |
| The Pros |
|---|
| Designed specifically for pre-shave use |
| Sugar-based exfoliator |
| Mild and gentle |
| Moisturizes well |
| Has a minty smell |
| Doesn’t contain harsh or harmful chemicals such as parabens |
| Available in two different sizes |
| Backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee |
| The Cons |
|---|
| Too greasy to suit people with oily skin |
| May not be abrasive enough for some men |
| Cannot be used all over the body |
Top 2 Unisex Exfoliators for Ingrown Hair: Detailed Reviews
7. GiGi No Bump Body Scrub
Editor’s Rating: 4.25/5.0
Most scrubs are not designed to cure ingrown hairs and instead focus on preventing the problem from occurring in the first place. However, the No Bump Body Scrub from GiGi is different. The success of this body scrub is due to its central ingredient – salicylic acid.
The fact that this product’s formula revolves around salicylic acid means that it is the strongest scrub available in the market. Salicylic acid is a very strong anti-inflammatory agent that works on the bond between dead skin cells. This allows them to become loose and easier to separate from the surface of the skin.
By the same philosophy, salicylic acid also works against dirt, dust, and grime that may be clogging your pores. This body scrub physically exfoliates the skin too. However, because it uses very fine grains for physical exfoliation, it isn’t very harsh or aggressive on the skin. Unfortunately, the fine grains in question are microplastics which are very harmful to the environment.
For moisturization and hydration, the formula of this product contains rice bran wax. Because it doesn’t contain any ingredients with a natural fragrance or even artificial perfume, this scrub’s smell is clean but artificial in nature. It is reminiscent of old school cologne which may or may not appeal to you, depending on how old you are. Of course, the smell is gender-neutral so it can be used by men and women alike.
GiGi began nearly five decades ago in 1972 but has still managed to remain a major player in the body scrub market. Even though this strong body scrub and has been helping people deal with ingrown hairs for a very long time, it has never enjoyed a 100 percent success rate. However, this is a downside of chemical exfoliation in general rather than this product in particular.
For this reason, we recommend trying the product out with a single jar first. Once you know it works for you, buy the double-jar pack when it is time for you to get it again.
Who’s it for: If you’re already suffering from ingrown hairs, get this salicylic acid-focused body scrub from GiGi.
| Tech Specs |
|---|
| Product weight: 6 x 2 ounces |
| Type: Unisex |
| Active ingredients: Rice bran wax and salicylic acid |
| The Pros |
|---|
| Very old and reliable brand |
| Directly targets ingrown hairs and razor bumps |
| Contains a lot of salicylic acid |
| Available in two different sizes |
| The Cons |
|---|
| Contains microplastics |
| Some people may not like its smell |
| May not work for everyone |
8. Thrive Natural Care Energy Scrub
Editor’s Rating: 4.5/5.0
In a market that is full of body scrubs of various types, finding a truly unique product is very difficult. However, the Energy Scrub from Thrive Natural Care is one such product.
The ingredients this scrub depends on are virtually exclusive since it makes use of oils derived from native Costa Rican plants called juanilama and fierillo. Both ingredients are incredibly helpful in skincare with their anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties.
The ingredients, by the way, are sourced sustainably from Costa Rican farmers. The company says that its business model is designed to support these individual farmers while simultaneously improving the fertility of the soil they work on.
While the aforementioned ingredients help keep the skin healthy, the scrub relies on ground arabica coffee to exfoliate the skin. The arabica coffee beans are ground very fine making this scrub gentle but effective for most types of skin.
This scrub smells like coffee owing to its arabica coffee content. The smell is very much gender-neutral, making this product appropriate for men and women alike.
However, everyone may not like the coffee smell. If you’re one of these people, don’t worry because the company offers a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee. You can get in touch with Thrive and they’ll refund your purchase completely.
This body scrub is a good choice for people with very sensitive skin as well since it is completely natural, vegan, without gluten, and completely cruelty-free. Unlike most body scrubs, though, this one has a very thin and runny consistency. This could lead to wastage at the time of application if you’re not careful. It is a very expensive body scrub so wastage can end up being quite costly.
The product is made in the USA and can be purchased in three differently-sized packs containing one tube, two tubes, and three tubes. Each tube contains 3.38 ounces of the product.
Who’s it for: If you want a truly unique body scrub made with rare ingredients, get this one from Thrive Natural Care.
| Tech Specs |
|---|
| Product weight: 3.38 x 3 ounces |
| Type: Unisex |
| Active ingredients: Juanilama, fierillo, wakame brown seaweed extract, Arabica coffee grounds, and argan oil |
| The Pros |
|---|
| Boasts of unique Costa Rican ingredients |
| Uses biodegradable arabica coffee fragments to exfoliate the skin |
| Mild and gentle |
| Smells like coffee |
| Doesn’t contain harsh or harmful chemicals such as parabens |
| Cruelty-free exfoliator |
| Available in three different sizes |
| The company supports Costa Rican farmers |
| Backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee |
| Made in the USA |
| The Cons |
|---|
| Some people may not like its smell |
| Has a thin, runny consistency |
| Very expensive |
Top 2 Exfoliator Body Brushes: Detailed Reviews
9. C.S.M. Body Brush for Wet or Dry Brushing
Editor’s Rating: 4.5/5.0
Body brushes are as good at physically exfoliating skin as body scrubs are. In fact, some body brushes are even designed to serve multiple functions. Take this one from C.S.M. for example. It exfoliates and massages the skin. Moreover, it can be used in the bath for lathering soap.
This brush can perform all these tasks because of its design. It has long bristles that exfoliate the skin. In-between those bristles are soft nodules that massage the skin. The combination works perfectly as the bristles remove dead skin cells while the massage nodules revitalize the skin and improve blood circulation.
Be warned, though, that the bristles need to be broken in. When the brush is new, the bristles are a bit too hard and hard to handle on the skin. Over time and with exposure to water, they become softer. You should let the brush soak in water before using it. We should also add that, in the early stages, some bristles will fall off. However, this is temporary and part of the breaking-in process.
The brush is made up of completely natural materials. The natural bristles are fixed into a wood base, giving this brush a very exotic and rustic appeal. The brush is easy to use too. Its head is round and will fit in hand perfectly for everyone but for people with the largest and the smallest palms.
It is also fairly lightweight. Further, it has a canvas strap at the back that will prevent it from being dropped by mistake while being used. Unfortunately, the strap is too loose and there is no mechanism to adjust it.
Who’s it for: If you want a completely natural exfoliator body brush, you cannot go wrong with this one from C.S.M.
| Tech Specs |
|---|
| Product weight: 4.8 ounces |
| Type: Body Brush |
| The Pros |
|---|
| Has massage nodules behind the bristles |
| Natural body brush |
| Has a strap at the back |
| The Cons |
|---|
| Some people find the bristles too hard |
| The strap is not adjustable |
10. Dylonic Exfoliating Brush
Editor’s Rating: 4.25/5.0
The second exfoliating body brush on our list is more affordable than the first one. The main reason why this exfoliating brush from Dylonic is cheaper is that it is made up of rubber or silicone-like material instead of natural materials like wood. Apart from making it more affordable, its rubber-like construction offers another benefit.
This is the fact that when you put it in warm water, the bristles become softer. This means that you can modify how hard and abrasive the bristles feel on your skin just by timing how long it stays in warm water. In fact, we predict that most of you will be doing this because without this kind of intervention the bristles on this brush are very hard and sharp.
The brush boasts of an ergonomic grip that is convenient even when you’re trying to reach tough spots on your body. There is no strap, however, which means that you can’t really reach the middle of your back with this brush.
The biggest problem with this exfoliating body brush is its design. There is a gap between the panel that holds the bristles and the panel with the grip. This gap fills up with water very easily.
The worst bit is that you have to open up the brush to get this water out and clean the brush. While the manufacturers have designed this body brush to be opened, the procedure requires something thin and flat to be inserted between the two panels.
The entire thing can become very tedious if you have to do it after every use. Apart from this flaw, this body brush offers good value for money, especially since it is backed by a 100 percent money-back guarantee. If you buy it and don’t like it, you can always return it.
Who’s it for: If you’re looking for a simple exfoliating body brush and don’t fuss about it being artificial, get this affordable one from Dylonic.
| Tech Specs |
|---|
| Product weight: 2.72 ounces |
| Type: Body Brush |
| The Pros |
|---|
| Bristles made of rubber or silicone-like substance |
| Has an ergonomic grip |
| Has a strap at the back |
| Backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee |
| Good value for money |
| The Cons |
|---|
| Some people find the bristles too sharp |
| Needs to be cleaned after every use |
How to Use Exfoliators?
Even though it is very easy to use exfoliators, there are some things you need to keep in mind to ensure proper results. Here’s is a step by step process.
- Wet the skin properly to soften it and prepare it for receiving the exfoliator.
- Based on which body part you’re focusing on, take a certain amount of the exfoliator and start scrubbing.
- The best way to scrub is to use circular motions as this will allow the exfoliant to reach and remove clogs from skin pores.
- You can apply the body scrub by hand or use a body brush. You can also use a body brush without the body scrub.
- Once done, rinse off the skin with cool water and moisturize.
- You can exfoliate up to four times a week. We don’t recommend daily exfoliation as that would put undue stress on your skin. On the other hand, make sure you exfoliate at least twice a week as the results will only become visible over time.
Contents
- What Is an Exfoliator?
- Can an Exfoliator be Used to Prevent and Cure Ingrown Hairs?
- Do Exfoliators Have Other Benefits?
- Can You Make Exfoliators at Home?
- Top 10 Exfoliators for Ingrown Hair Comparison Table
- Top 3 Women’s Exfoliators for Ingrown Hair: Detailed Reviews
- Top 3 Men’s Exfoliators for Ingrown Hair: Detailed Reviews
- Top 2 Unisex Exfoliators for Ingrown Hair: Detailed Reviews
- Top 2 Exfoliator Body Brushes: Detailed Reviews
- How to Use Exfoliators?
