Best face scrub UK: Get smoother skin using scrubs from Upcircle, Tropic, Nip+Fab and more
21st May 2024 | Author: Phee Waterfield
The best face scrub can not only leave your skin looking clear and healthy, it can help make all your other makeup and skincare work better
At our best we make time to cleanse, tone and moisturise our skin, and use serums and face masks, at our worst we barely wash our makeup off. So adding the best face exfoliator to this mix seems like an unnecessary extravagance.
Yet, if you’re not exfoliating regularly, any other effort you’re managing to put in could be all for nothing.
Face exfoliation, using face scrubs, is one of the best ways to rid yourself of dead skin cells and replenish moisture.
This helps prep your skin for makeup, helps fight the signs of ageing and keeps your skin clear from acne, spots and blemishes.
We’ve taken a look at some of the best face scrubs in the UK and rounded up our favourites to give your skin a glowing and healthy look.
FURTHER READING:Face scrub and exfoliator: Differences, benefits and when to use each
Best face scrub UK
- Editor’s Pick: No7 Total Renewal Micro-Dermabrasion Face Exfoliator – £9.95
- Budget Buy: Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Daily Scrub – £4.99
- Luxury Buy: Kate Somerville Exfolikate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment – £69
- Best face scrub dry skin: Upcircle Coffee Face Scrub Citrus Blend – £16.99
- Best face scrub for combination skin: Tropic Face Smooth Brightening Polish – £22
- Best face scrub for oily skin: Nip + Fab Salicylic Fix Scrub – £9.95
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Editor’s Pick: No7 Total Renewal Micro-Dermabrasion scrub
£9.95 | BUY NOW
No7
Why we love it: The No7 Total Renewal Micro-dermabrasion Exfoliator is simple but effective. It’s designed to improve the appearance of your skin by removing dead cells and promoting a more radiant look.
The physical scrub comes from the use of aluminium-oxide micro-crystals that refine and smooth the skin’s surface.
When used regularly – once or twice a week – it can also help reduce the appearance of fine lines, even out skin tone, and leave the skin feeling softer. This is because the scrubbing helps all of your other skincare work more effectively, while boosting your circulation and promoting collagen.
It can make your skin feel a little tender and sensitive to the sun immediately after use so make sure you follow with a moisturiser and ideally a product that contains at least SPF15.\
How to
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Budget Buy: Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Daily Scrub
£4.99 | BUY NOW
Why we love it: An uplifting daily facial scrub available at your local supermarket, this face exfoliator will help you achieve clear, fresh and radiant skin on a budget.
The MicroClear technology and naturally derived exfoliating microbeads help to eliminate spots and blackheads and prevent future breakouts.
Cleaning deep down into the skin, it unclogs pores and purifies the skin without overdrying it.
FURTHER READING: What causes blackheads?
Buy now from Superdrug
Luxury Buy: Kate Somerville Exfolikate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment
£28 | BUY NOW
Why we love it: How often have we dreamed of having a Hollywood facial? Well, this product promises a two-minute facial from the comfort of your own home. The American brand has finally made its way over the Atlantic and offers a “dual-action” face exfoliation.
Featuring physical and enzymatic exfoliants, including lactic acid and fruit enzymes, the ExfoliKate removes dead cells to uncover “unrivalled radiance” and a “fresh from the skin clinic” result.
This face exfoliator should be used twice a week on wet skin, applying a light layer across the face and massaging in a circular motion for 30 seconds. It is then left on for two minutes before being rinsed off and patted dry. For those with dry or sensitive skin, leave it on for a minute or less.
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UpCircle Coffee Face Scrub Citrus Blend: Best face scrub for dry skin
£16.99 | BUY NOW
Why we love it: Caffeine is known for reducing the appearance of redness and puffiness, which is why this product is perfect for dull and dry skin.
While it seems to be made for combination and oily, when we tested the product on dry skin it absolutely did the job.
The citrus oils make us wonder if this scrub would be too much for oily skin, which normally looks to reduce the appearance of oil rather than enhance.
However, for those with oily skin that want to give this product a try, it does contain ingredients such as tea tree essential oil.
This face exfoliator is perfect for everyday use, though we’d recommend using it in the shower—the coffee beans in the scrub do tend to make a mess.
Buy now from Holland and Barrett
Tropic Face Smooth Brightening Polish: Best face scrub for combination skin
£22 | BUY NOW
Why we love it: Firstly, this face exfoliator smells divine. The polish combats rough and uneven skin using macadamia oil, bamboo silica and acai berry.
Paired with essential oils, this product also softens, smoothes and brightens your complexion gently and effectively.
To be used twice a week, you only need a marble sized amount on damp skin to reap the benefits of this face scrub.
FURTHER READING:What skin type do I have? |Best moisturiser for combination skin UK
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Nip + Fab Salicylic Fix Scrub: Best face scrub for oily skin
£9.95 | BUY NOW
Why we love it: Including salicylic acid and volcanic rock – a natural and effective exfoliant – this face exfoliator is great for oily skin. It reduces the appearance of sebum on the skin while conditioning your complexion for a silky smooth feel.
How to exfoliate: Not to be used every day, this product is to be gently massaged into damp skin and rinsed with lukewarm water.
FURTHER READING: The truth about the acids in your skincare
Buy now from Nip+Fab
Face scrub vs face exfoliator: Which one do I need?
We go into more details in our face scrub and exfoliator guide, but in summary:
Face scrubs are best for immediate results and for when you dull skin needs a boost.
Face exoliators are are best for sensitive skin or people who want longer lasting effects. They can cause skin purging but are better for your skin in the long run, as long as you don’t use too much and over-exfoliate.
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Phee Waterfield
Sophia is an international journalist covering technology, healthcare, culture and lifestyle. Her words appear in outlets such as Newsweek, Forbes, Metro UK, New Scientist and more
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