The best exfoliators for men in 2023

The exfoliator is a product that seems to be somewhat shrouded in mystery to many of us - what does it do? And how? Why should we include it in our skincare rituals? Before we dive right into our list of 2023′s best exfoliators for men, let’s answer those questions.

A lot of dirt and pollution can build up on the surface of your skin over the course of a day, including dead skin cells that get caught up in that grime and fail to shed properly (fun fact: your skin entirely regenerates every 28 days!). Even if you wash your face with a cleanser twice daily, it can often still leave behind a lot of those skin cells.

These cells continue to build up over time, resulting in blocked pores, blackheads, ingrown hairs, and faded looking skin. An exfoliator is the solution to these problems: its purpose in your routine is to scrub away dead skin cells and stubborn dirt, maximizing the effect of your other skincare products and preventing a slew of issues down the line.

The way they work is simple. They’ll either use a chemical exfoliant that loosens and lifts dead skin, or they’ll contain tiny granules that scrub away at the grime and dead cells collected on your skin, resulting in a clearer, smoother, brighter complexion overall.

If you’ve heard not-so-favourable things about exfoliants, it’s fair that you might be a little skeptical of this claim. After all, some popular brands with less than healthy ingredients have earned this sub-category of skincare a bit of a bad rap. Due to the somewhat harsh nature of how exfoliants function, they can do more damage than good if they’re not good quality, or if they’re used wrong. That’s why it’s important to choose an exfoliant that suits your skin, and your routine.

These days there are many exfoliants out there that are gentle on the skin and are specifically designed to be used everyday, but in most cases you should only use an exfoliant two to three times per week. If you use them more regularly, all you’ll be doing is scrubbing away at perfectly healthy, live skin, which results in blemishes and irritation.

Your exfoliator should be used after, or in place of, your cleanser, and before a shave - this will ensure that pores are unblocked, preventing those pesky ingrown hairs. Prep your skin with hot water and gently apply a small amount in circular motions across your face and neck - don’t rub too hard! Wash the exfoliator off, then pat your skin dry. Finally, make sure to apply moisturizer afterward to calm and soothe your skin, and an aftershave if that’s your preference.

Some people choose to skip the exfoliation step, and we’ll admit: it’s not as essential a part of your skincare routine as cleansing or moisturizing. But when they are used, exfoliators are an absolute game changer. So whether you’re an experienced exfoliator looking for your next favorite product, or you’re looking to try one out for the first time, you’ve come to the right place. Without further ado, let’s jump into our list of the best exfoliators for men in 2023.

1. Blu Atlas Exfoliating Scrub

Coming in at an easy first place is an exfoliator that blows all others clear out of the water: Blu Atlas’ Exfoliating Scrub. Blu Atlas is forging a new face for men’s skincare, dedicated to the health of both their users and the environment, every product is 100% vegan, cruelty free, and dermatologically tested for safety and efficacy, with all-natural ingredients that contain zero artificial fragrances, parabens, sulphates, or phthalates.

Their Exfoliating Scrub is a gently revitalising blend of hibiscus flower extract, jojoba oil, and bambusa arundinacea (bamboo) stem extract. Hibiscus contains an abundance of antioxidants which may help fight free radicals and pollutants that can damage skin, while jojoba oil is rich in vitamins, A, E, and D, as well as antioxidants and fatty acids.

Its similarity to our skin’s sebum means that it is able to penetrate deep into the skin for maximum nourishment. Finally, bamboo stem extract is antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and acts as an antibiotic, helping with acne, dark spots, red spots, and inflamed skin. Use this soothing exfoliating scrub a few times a week to clean away pollution and return the vitality to your skin.

2. Scotch Porter Exfoliating Face Scrub

Presenting the newly reformulated Exfoliating Face Scrub from Scotch Porter, a non-irritating, citrus-scented exfoliator that removes dead skin cells to free trapped bacteria and sebum, brightening your complexion and removing blemishes. This is a cost effective, skin-, animal-, and eco-friendly scrub hand-crafted in the USA which boasts sustainably manufactured ingredients and zero sulfates, silicones, petrolatum, parabens, mineral oils, synthetic colors, phthalates, PEG’s, or animal ingredients.

What it does contain is a revitalising and healing blend of naturally derived ingredients. Burdock root promotes healthier and younger looking skin, while helping with blemishes and irritated skin conditions. Pomegranate enzymes are safe, proteolytic enzymes that help gently break down and digest large proteins that have accumulated on the skin, while aloe vera acts as a hydrating and anti-inflammatory protective barrier to soothe itchiness and help to prevent water loss.

In addition, aloe is rich in vitamins A, B, C, D and E as well as minerals like magnesium, potassium and zinc, which all add to the healing benefits of this brilliant scrub.

3. Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Brightening & Exfoliating Daily Cleanser

Kiehl’s is a well-trusted household name brand, and for good reason. Their Clearly Corrective Brightening & Exfoliating Daily Cleanser is another in a long line of effective, excellent quality skincare products.

This cleanser is primarily a skin-brightening face wash that also serves to gently purify and exfoliate the skin by removing dirt, oil, and pollution. Dermatologically tested for safety and gentle enough for use up to twice per day, this cleanser is suitable for all skin types, including those with sensitive skin.

White birch extract is a sugar derived ingredient known for its ability to restore hydration and nutrients to the skin, peony extract is a natural antioxidant commonly used in traditional Chinese medicines, and pearlstone is a natural exfoliant derived from volcanic ash. These three primary ingredients blend into a formula that will even your skin tone, enhance its clarity, and refine and brighten to leave you feeling soft, smooth, and radiant.

4. SkinCeuticals Micro-Exfoliating Scrub

SkinCeuticals is a brand that is dedicated to formulating advanced skincare backed by science and professionals, so you know you can’t go wrong when choosing their products. Their Micro-Exfoliating Scrub is recommended by physicians as a compliment to most acne and anti-aging regimes. It’s gentle enough for daily use on all skin types, and is especially effective at treating dehydrated, discolored, and/or aging skin.

A powerful 2% concentration combining hydrated silica, glycerin, and aloe extract gently exfoliates skin and polishes away dead skin cells, while also hydrating and softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier. Containing zero parabens, sulfates, soaps, fragrances, dyes, or alcohol, this is a product that will be kind to your skin in the long-run - unlike some exfoliators out there! For an effective scrub that’s grounded in science, look no further than SkinCeuticals.

5. Ole Henriksen Pore-Balance Facial Sauna Scrub

Ole Henriksen’s Pore-Balance Facial Sauna Scrub is an exfoliator with a story. Inspired by traditional Scandinavian spas, this scrub embodies a spirit of both mental and physical relaxation.

Scandinavian spas are revered places believed to improve circulation through a process that starts with a hot sauna session, followed by immersion into cold water. In a similar way, this Pore-Balancing Facial Sauna Scrub controls surface oil, exfoliates, and deeply purifies, serving to reduce the look of pores and achieve a smooth, soft, and refreshed complexion.

This exfoliator is kind to you and to the environment, being non-comedogenic (doesn’t block pores), 100% vegan, and without parabens, sulfates, or phthalates. It combines a powerful blend of alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) - glycolic and lactic acid - that help lift and loosen dead skin cells, with Icelandic volcanic sand, Green Fusion Complex™, and neem seed oil.

Volcanic sand exfoliates the skin for a smoother texture, Green Fusion Complex™ is a proprietary blend of potent active botanicals including green tea, eucalyptus, algae (kelp) and Irish moss extracts that help to absorb excess oil and refine pores, and neem seed oil is a legendary ingredient in Ayurveda - the practise of natural medicines. This scrub tops it all off with a refreshing eucalyptus-peppermint scent that is sure to invigorate you for the day ahead.

6. Laboratoires Filorga Scrub & Detox

Laboratoires Filorga’s Scrub & Detox is a two-in-one double-action exfoliator that comes in the form of a velvety black foam, designed to intensely detoxify and reveal new skin in under five minutes. Step one is a mechanical and enzymatic exfoliation combining volcanic micro-spheres and resurfacing papain that gently exfoliates the skin, eliminating impurities and revealing a smoother skin texture. Step two is an immediate and long-lasting skin detoxification.

By leaving the product on for two to three minutes, detoxifying polyphenols and activated charcoal will help to relieve the skin from stress. Soothing vitamin E and niacinamide will envelop the skin in an invisible protective film to fight against daily aggression, leaving your complexion healthy and radiant.

This is quite an intense product, so should only be used once or twice per week - any more and you risk damaging your skin! As long as you follow this rule, it is an exfoliator that is suitable for all skin types, even sensitive skin. Laboratoires Filorga is committed to the safety and transparency of their formulas, and all products are subject to strict quality, tolerance, and effectiveness requirements.

Each ingredient is meticulously selected and measured to ensure its safety, so you can rest easy in the knowledge that this is a product that will do you good in the long term, not harm.

7. Dermalogica Daily Superfoliant

Next up on our list of 2023′s best exfoliators for men is a slightly different one: Dermalogica Daily Superfoliant is a highly active powder exfoliant designed to resurface your skin and fight environmental triggers known to accelerate skin aging, delivering you the smoothest skin you’ve ever felt. Their advance powder formula immediately activates upon contact with water.

Powerful enzynes and skin-smoothing alpha hydroxy acids, and activated binchotan charcoal help to purify the skin, releasing envioronmental toxins from pores, while niacinamide, red algae and tara fruit extract protect against the damaging effects of pollution.

With a gentle exfoliating powder, this exfoliator can be used daily, but those with sensitive skin should use it only once every other day. It is also cruelty free and certified 100% vegan - so just as kind to mother nature as it is to your skin. To top it all off, the Superfoliant packaging is fully home-recyclable, or you can return your used products to Dermalogica to be processed through their recycling program.

8. Horace Face Scrub

Allow us to introduce Face Scrub by Horace. This exfoliator can be summed up in two words: simply good. All of the good things a face scrub can be are combined into one minimalist little tube with no frills or complications. 98.5% natural origin ingredients with zero silicones, parabens, mineral oils, or fragrance make for a product suitable for all skin types.

Murumuru serves as the foundation ingredient of this exfoliator; its grains gently exfoliate and slough off dead skin cells, while its butter protects the skin from dehydration. Vitamin E blends through to soothe and prevent inflammation. While gentle, this facial scrub should be used no more than once to twice per week - and is sure to remove impurities and unclog pores every time, leaving your skin soft and smooth, like new.

9. Clinique All About Clean 2-In-1 Cleansing + Exfoliating Jelly

Clinique is another household name brand, famous across the globe for many many years. Sometimes the consumer’s instinct can be to shy away from these industry giants, with concerns that they - and their ethics - may be stuck in the past. But Clinique is a brand you can trust: their products contain no parabens, phthalates, or fragrances, and now come in more sustainable, post-consumer recycled packaging to reduce the creation of new plastic waste.

Clinique’s All About Clean 2-In-1 Cleansing + Exfoliating Jelly is a mild jelly-like product, suitable for all skin types and gentle enough to be used up to twice daily in place of a regular cleanser. Its main ingredients are bamboo powder, which acts as a mild yet effective physical exfoliator to manually slough away dead skin cells, and salicylic acid, a chemical exfoliant that works to help release the bonds that hold dead skin cells to the skin’s surface.

The result is a gentle cleansing jelly that purifies congested pores of build up from pollution, dirt, oil, and debris, leaving you with glowing and healthy skin every day.

10. Super Facialist Invigorating Face Scrub

While many of the products on this list are suitable for use by women as well as men, Super Facialist’s Invigorating Face Scrub is an exfoliator tailor-made for men. It’s from a range of performance-driven skincare, dermatologically tested for efficacy, that helps to purify & unclog pores for the perfect shave, leaving you with smoother, healthier looking skin, and a more even-textured complexion.

This is a face scrub made from a veritable cocktail of skin revivers. Exfoliating Icelandic volcanic sand is blended with hydrating cactus water, antioxidant-rich acai, and niacinamide (vitamin B3) helping clear dead skin cells and unclog pores. Finally shea butter and almond oil sweep in at the finish to moisturize and leave the skin soft and invigorated. Perfect for use two to three times per week, this face scrub for men will purify and revitalise, giving you happy skin and the perfect shave.

11. Naturopathica Oat Cleansing Facial Polish

Naturopathica takes a holistic approach to skincare, drawing on herbal healing practices, restorative spa treatments, and curative tinctures to deliver results that will build your skin health from the foundations up. Gentle enough for daily use, this three-in-one cleanser, scrub, and mask will sweep away dry skin and impurities, leaving your face feeling soft, supple, and radiant.

The core ingredients of this Oat Cleansing Facial Polish are safe and sustainable, cruelty free, vegan, and contain no toxic materials, endocrine disruptors, petroleum derived ingredients, or silicone. Oat protein serves to calm and hydrate the skin, while small spherical wax jojoba beads gently exfoliate without stripping away essential oils. Gently rub the polish in and then leave the polish on your skin for a few minutes as a mask, then wash away to reveal moisturized, cleansed, happier skin.

12. Bull Dog Sensitive Face Scrub

If you’re prone to redness or irritation when you’re using skincare products, it can be tricky to find something that works for you without setting off your sensitivities. Even if you manage to find a cleanser and moisturizer that does its job without a sting, the advice for those with sensitive skin is often just to skip exfoliating.

After all, it’s a process that can be quite harsh on your skin. But you shouldn’t have to leave out an entire step in your skincare ritual - and now you don’t! Introducing the Face Scrub from Bull Dog, specially designed for those with sensitive skin.

This scrub contains a mild blend of carefully selected man-made ingredients alongside some incredible natural ingredients: quinoa, baobab oil, oat oil, and willow herb. It’s formulated to gently exfoliate the skin and leave it feeling deeply cleansed without being tight or dry, leaving your face feeling soothed, fresh, and soft. This scrub is even gentle enough to use daily.

What’s more, there is an entire line of sensitive skincare from Bull Dog, all gentle and fragrance free to minimise irritation and cleanse sensitive skin without the worry of doing more harm than good.

13. Jack Black Face Buff Energizing Scrub

Jack Black is an excellent line of men’s skincare products. They are all carefully formulated with the best ingredients to be highly effective, yet easy to use. They’re dermatologically tested for efficacy and safety toward sensitive skin, while being completely vegan, cruelty-free and free of parabens, sulfates, and artificial colorants. Their products are even eco-friendly and biodegradable - all-round good for your skin and for the environment.

Jack Black’s Face Buff Energizing Scrub in particular is a pre-shave cleanser and facial scrub that helps exfoliate your skin for an effortless shaving experience. Eco-friendly and mineral-rich scrubbing granules in the form of bamboo powder help to unclog pores, prevent ingrown hairs, and minimize shaving irritation.

Licorice extract and allantoin help to smooth and calm skin, while vitamin C fights against free radicals. For best results, use this scrub two to four times per week to clear oil, dirt, and dead skin cells, and prepare your skin for a clean shave.

14. Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser

This AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser from Murad is the winner of Remix Magazine’s 2021 Lifestyle Awards Reader’s Choice. A two-in-one creamy solution, this product brings all the benefits of exfoliation to the convenience of a cleanser. It’s suitable for use two to three times per week, and is ideal for all skin types, being formulated without phthalates, gluten, mineral oil, animal-derived ingredients, formaldehyde, oxybenzone, or petroleum.

The exfoliating cleanser uses both chemical and physical exfoliants derived from biodegradable jojoba beads, as well as sodium PCA to help open hydration pathways, optimize the skin’s ability to attract and hold moisture, and clear dull, dry skin from the surface.

This results in a fresher appearance and better penetration of the treatment ingredients that follow. We recommend checking out their entire skincare line - their website even offers a quiz to help you figure out the perfect combination of products from their range to suit your skin.

15. Lumin Exfoliating Rub

Lumin’s Exfoliating Rub is described as “a gentle powerwash for your face”. Its skin-smoothing formula clears out dirt and impurities and buffs away dead skin cells, helping to prevent breakouts and post-shave irritation, and working to fade acne scarring and repair skin damage. With regular use, this serum can even reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, leaving you with a smoother, cleaner complexion over time.

Powerful natural ingredients make up the foundation of this exfoliating rub: charcoal attracts and cleanses impurities such as the dirt and oil that build up deep in your pores, while rosemary leaf extract offers antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties to gently and effectively soothe the skin while also removing impurities.

Finally, green tea extract is a strong antioxidant that helps to diminish early aging signs, supports skin health, and balances the production of oils. No matter your skin type, use this rub once or twice a week for calm, clear, radiant skin.

16. Skingredients AHA Cleanse Exfoliating Cleanser + Resurfacing Micro-Mask

Skingredients’ AHA Cleanse Exfoliating Cleanser + Resurfacing Micro-Mask is from their range of Match + Mix® skincare products, designed as add-ons to your core skincare regime. It’s an active cleanser and micro-mask that treats dull, tired, and lacklustre skin by gently exfoliating and flooding with moisture, making for a smoother, plumper, more even-toned complexion.

The formula is comprised of a blend of 8% lactic acid - an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that loosens the bonds keeping dead skin cells attached to the skin, gently exfoliates, and brightens - and 1% polyhydroxy acid (PHA) - a gentler exfoliating acid that has humectant abilities, meaning it attracts and retains moisture within the skin.

These ingredients make this hydrating and nourishing cleanser perfect for those with fatigued-looking skin, but should not be used by those with very sensitive skin. It should be used two to three times per week, and can also be applied as a micro mask and left on for seven minutes before washing off.

17. Peter Thomas Roth Acne Face & Body Scrub

Are you still fighting pesky blemishes and under-the-skin sores brought on by acne? If no other product has worked for you yet, this Acne Face & Body Scrub from Peter Thomas Roth might just be the solution for you. It’s an ultra-gentle yet supremely effective acne scrub that cleanses and treats spots without over-drying the face and body.

This product might not be quite so natural or eco-friendly as some of the others we’ve included on this list, but it sure does get the job done. OTC level 1% Salicylic acid (BHA) can help clear acne blemishes and also prevent future breakouts. The Sepicontrol™ complex helps absorb and control oil to balance skin.

Soft micro jojoba beads gently exfoliate the skin to help unclog pores, emulsify oil, and allow the acne treatment products that follow to absorb better. Glycolic acid complex (AHA) helps reduce the look of discoloration for flawless, clear-looking skin. If you’re looking for an exfoliator that will banish acne for good, this is the product for you.

18. Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser Daily BHA Exfoliator

For an effective exfoliating cleanser that is made of only good things, look no further than Tata Harper’s Regenerating Cleanser Daily BHA Exfoliator. This is a product composed of 100% natural ingredients, with 80% of those being organically farmed on the company’s farm in Vermont. It is COSMOS ORGANIC certified by Ecocert Greenlife and is entirely free of GMOs, toxins, fillers, artificial colors, fragrances, and synthetic chemicals.

This daily BHA exfoliator is formulated with ingredients specially chosen to tackle specific jobs. Pomegranate enzymes, sunflower seed oil, and phytic acid salt serve to dissolve buildup, while coral clay, pink grapefruit, and bergamot refine pores. These ingredients sit with aloe vera, crystalline coconut, coconut liquid crystals, and kimchi ferment to plump and hydrate the skin. Use daily in the morning and evening, and combine with Tata Harper’s resurfacing mask for a deeper exfoliating treatment and even better results.

19. Origins Ginzing Refreshing Scrub Cleanser

Origins Ginzing Refreshing Scrub Cleanser is a two-in-one brightening and scrubby cleanser infused with panax ginseng and caffeine from coffee beans. Naturally derived jojoba beads and carnauba wax gently exfoliate to help unclog pores, resulting in skin that looks smoother and brighter and feels perfectly refreshed.

The formulation is 100% vegan, suitable for normal, oily, or combination skin types, and contains no parabens, phthalates, propylene glycol, formaldehyde, SLS, mineral oils, petrolatum, paraffin, diethanolamine (DEA), or polyethylene beads. In other words, absolutely zero nasties!

Refresh yourself with the uplifting aroma of grapefruit, lemon, and spearmint, and use this scrub cleanser in conjunction with Origins’ vitamin C-infused GinZing™ Serum, coffee & ginseng infused GinZing™ Gel Moisturizer, and vitamin C and niacinamide infused GinZing™ Eye Cream for even better, targeted results.

20. Typology Regenerating Face Scrub with Olive Squalane

Last on our list - but absolutely not least - is Typology’s Regenerating Face Scrub with Olive Squalane. This is a triple-textured transforming gel that exfoliates the skin, unclogs pores, and refines skin texture for a more nourished, smooth, radiant complexion. The technology works by adding an oil created with rich botanicals and naturally derived emollients drop by drop to an aqueous formula and dispersing them.

This results in an oily gel that transforms into a milk-like substance when the product comes into contact with water. The advantages of this transformative property are threefold: it provides a pleasant sensory experience for the user, the initial gel hasn’t undergone any heating so retains its efficacy, and the oil-based nature of the formula helps to avoid the use of preservatives.

Active ingredients in this scrub are olive-based squalene, which is a naturally rich emollient known for its skin-barrier protecting actions, geranium rosat essential oil, which is known for its regenerating properties, and apricot kernel powder, which offers gentle exfoliation. These ingredients are 100% naturally derived and completely vegan, and are sure to keep your skin feeling fresh and new between every use.