Back in July, you beauty marked some of your favorite face scrubs, and here are three oldies but goodies that I've adored for ages. Face scrubs are imperative in maintaining a healthy appearance. They work to gently remove dead skin, oil and residue from the daily grind. This helps unclog your pores and smooth out your skin.
St. Ives Apricot Scrub ($3.99) is likely my absolute favorite exfoliator. Even though the packaging seems to change every couple of years, the product remains the same — a thick, coarse, mild smelling facial scrub that has some of the largest grains of its kind. The oil-free formula is great for acne-prone skin since it contains two percent salicylic acid.
Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream ($17.50) is a smooth exfoliator intended for skin that isn't currently experiencing any breakouts. This is more of a maintenance product for when your skin is dry or uneven looking — not so much for acne-prone skin. It works to slough away dead skin cells and unclog pores. Simply massage a nickel-sized amount into your wet skin for 15 seconds and rinse off with warm water.
For one last facial scrub, read more.
Clean and Clear Blackhead Clearing Scrub ($5.95) is another great acne-fighting scrub since it also contains salicylic acid and a gentle acne medication. This scrub definitely has the strongest scent, and you can feel it tingle as you work it onto your skin. It helps clear away blackheads, sebum and any leftover makeup. However, if you have super-sensitive skin, this may be a little bit harsh for you, especially since it is recommended for daily use.
Manoush
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Petite Fleur
Scrubs dry my face out WAY too much! I live in a crazy dry climate and I just use my cleanser and then a whole lot of mosurisor!
1I've always loved the St Ives one...
2I have always used the St. Ives for the past 5 years!
3That Clinique one messed my skin up majorly. I have sensitive skin, but it said even sensitive skin could use it 7 days a week, but I used it twice a week and gave me all kinds of dry, irritated, red, acne ridden skin. For crazy sensitive skin like mine Arcona's Golden Grain Gommage is the best.
4How funny! I open up bellasugar and my scrub is right there!
Haha...I never knew the St. Ives was such a huge hit, but I've been using it for about a year now. I guess I'm cool pplz then! lol...
5I don't like any Clean & Clear products, they just don't seem to work for me at all.
6I love Neutrogena, only thing that really works. Plus the oil free line has menthol so when I'm done washing my face I feel like I've brushed my teeth too.
7I've been warned against using St. Ives. My dermatologist says it's way too harsh for my skin, which is ironic...because she prescribed retin-a micro right afterwards. That exfoliates me just fine. Sometimes, I use Paula's Choice BHA gel in the mornings when my skin is especially bad.
8I like the Neutrogena blackhead eliminating daily scrub better than the clean and clear one... http://www.neutrogena.ca/en/product_details.asp?id=147
I have problem skin and it is the only thing that keeps my pores clear and my skin healthy. It even seems to work better than the dermed products I got from my spa! I love it!
9I love the St.Ives!! I've been using it for years!!
10St Ives Apricot scrub is the worst scrub you could use on your face. The scrub is made of ground apricot seed, it is too harsh for the face and actually makes tears in the skin. I won't even use that stuff on my body. It will age your skin faster than anything else.
11Dove's Gentle Exfoliant is also great! I've been using it for years and my skin's never been clearer.
12msgolitlee has got it right! I'm not putting ground up apricot seeds on my face! I'm using Bliss' scrub right now and it has a clean, grapefruit smell. I do like Neutrogena's scrub that has enzymes for extra exfoliation, although in my older age (29), I'm thinking of splurging on Dr. Brandt's microdermabrasion (around 70 bucks!). In a pinch, I'll use Aveno Daily Brightening scrub because it has soy and no ground up walnuts or apricots!
13My husband loves the St. Ives one, he uses it on his back and it has really cleared up his random backne a lot.
14I like St. Ives for my back in the summer, but not for my face, too course. I worked at Clinique, and liked the 7 day scrub, but I think baking soda works just as well!
15I agree...a little baking soda mixed with cetaphil does a great job...and I don't feel like I'm rubbing gravel in to my face
16I too have heard from an esthetician what msgolitlee said. I have oily/combination skin and I just started using Dermalogica's Skin Prep Scrub--it's great! The Daily Microfoliant is good too for normal skin.
17I love Lush's Angels on Bare Skin & Dr. Hauschka's cleansing cream - those are both scrubby enough but still gentle and non-drying.
18it'd be nice if you'd check on the facts of products instead of relying on feelings or hype before suggesting it to us. apricot scrub will NEVER be recommended by a dermatologist. the grains may feel nice (i used to use it), but they give tiny cuts on your face. you can't see them. instead, it's best to use something like the beads, sugar, or something. tsk tsk
19i just mix a little sugar w/ my cleanser.
I agree with everyone who mentioned the st. ives apricot scrub is too harsh. The best manual scrubs are those made with rounded, polished spheres.
20I tend to be a very enthusiastic scrubber (ha), so sometimes I overdo it a little...But St Ives is my absolute favorite, as long as I don't get too into it (I could literally scrub all of my skin off!)
21wow, i did not know that about the st ive's scrub. i almost bought some the other day! good thing i bought the dove stuff instead. i only exfoliate once a week, otherwise my skin gets crazy dry.
22i love st ives. i also use the one in a jar.
23I love Clinique 7 Day Scrub...I've always been a Clinique girl. But lately, my facial scrub of choice is the Citrus Facial Scrub by Burt's Bees. It's amazing.
That St. Ives one reminds me off junior high! I used to use it all the time.
24I use the St. Ives for my body--it gets things smooth like nothing else. I agree with others who've said it's a bit much for the face, though.
Olay Definity Pore Redefining Scrub is also a great exfoliant and daily cleanser. It does its job without rubbing skin raw.
25I've been using St. Ives for years (ever since I was at least 10 (when it only came in the orange tub)... I'm now 30!) and I've never, never, never had a problem with with abrasions on my face.
I tried the products similar to the Ponds scrub with micro beads and just found that they aren't abrasive enough to get my skin clean. I would wash my face just to still have flakes of dry skin on it. I've tried the higher end products like Murad and still haven't achieved the results that I get when I use St. Ives.
St. Ives is by far the only product that works for me in the harsh environment that I live in. And you can't beat the drugstore price!
26I like the DHC Apricot facial scrub (It's gentle. I have always found St. Ive's way too harsh)and the Aveeno Skin Brightening Daily Scrub as well.
27I agree with most and especially with wyoming_gal. I've been using St. Ives for longer than most of you have been on the planet, had very bad acne and it's what the Dermo suggested. I still use it today (every other day) and I'll be 50 real soon. Never had anything but great results.
I'm super oily skinned if that makes a difference.
28Benefit Honey, snap out of it scrub. (I love that name)
I have super-sensitive combination skin, and it's gentle enough for me to use daily. My pores look tighter, and my skin looks healthier. It smells good too!
29St. Ives is a tiny bit too harsh for me, so I just use a paste of sugar and water.
30I use the St. Ives Apricot Scrub & I love it!
31Good Ol' St Ives made the list!! Loved that back in the day
I'll have to give clinique a try!
!azúcar!
32Ame
I have tried the St. Ives before but heard it's a little harsh, depends on each person's skin though. I am now trying Aveeno's Skin Brightening Daily Scrub which I like a lot, but don't use every day. I alternate that with Aveeno's Face Calming Cleanser (foamy) so I get a softer cleanse one day then a mild scrub the next. So far so good.
33St. Ives is great. I actually found out about it on this website, and I have been using it for the past 4 months. It definitely gets my skin smooth like nothing else ever has. When I wash my face, I use three products now: first St. Ives apricot scrub, then Cetaphil, then Proactiv. If I omit the St. Ives, my skin is still very oily after I get out of the shower, even with the other cleansers. I have been using it every day (sometimes twice a day), on my back and on my face, and I have not had any problems with abrasions on my skin.
34the only exfoliater i use is the seaweed one from the body shop. i LOVE it and it makes my breakout-prone face so smooth!
35Be careful about the St. Ives scrub! THe grainules in it are very rough and can tear the skin - I got an infection on my face because these 'micro-tears' got infected. Nasty!
I have since switched to Clinique, which is not as grainy, but I swear works twice as well. The beads in this product are not natural, they are lab-created, which means they are smooth on all sides.
Don't say I didn't warn you!
36I like the St. Ives Apricot scrub - it doesn't seem too harsh on my skin. I forgot about the Burt's Bees; I like their citrus scrub too, as well as some of their other products. Lately I've been using Biore Pore Unclogging Scrub, and my face feels really soft afterward. I think I heard about it from Lucky magazine.
37st. ives used to be my favorite scrub for years until i went to school to be an esthetician. now i know how bad it is for you!
38just because it might not feel like its harsh or like its tearing your skin doesn't mean it isn't doing damage.
it ages you faster! use something with round beads instead!
I guess I'll think twice about the St. Ives since so many people are saying it's bad for you! I wonder if the Biore and the Burt's Bees are OK?
39I have been using the St. Ives for nearly 20 years now, since I was a girl, and though I have tried others, it remains my favourite. I read about the whole rough beads/round beads debate years ago, and switched to a round bead style, but it didn't do *anything* for me.
40I've heard that about St Ives too! It can be too harsh for your skin. I personally love Aveda's scrub! It smells great and my skin looks beautiful and bright. Also for a cheaper version, I like Neutrogena's! They also have fab makeup that's very natural looking.
41I've used the St. Ives and Clean & Clear ones in the past, and both of them were really rough on my skin - now I use the Body Shop Tea Tree exfoliating scrub, which is gentler...
42I love St. Ives it's really the only thing that actually feels like it's working. I've used the clean and clear one as well but the round, synthetic feeling beads didn't seem to do anything and the fragrance made my skin feel irratated.
43PLEASE GOD DON'T USE A SCRUB IF YOU'RE BROKEN OUT!!! It'll just spread that bacteria around...ick. I know it feels good, but it's too harsh. Use it to prevent, not treat! Sorry, that's what I've been taught.
44I have always been a fan of Clinque 7day and exfoliating scrubs but I recently purchased Neutrogena Blackhead Eliminating Daily Scrub
and really like it. It was
$6.99 at Walgreens.
45oooh i forgot about the biore stuff. it's too drying in the winter for me, but i love it in the summer. it's so refreshing!
46I've been using Lorac's Makeup Prep - mineral exfoliator. You're supposed to use it with the applicator sponge thing - I just squeeze it out and use it like any other scrub. The trick for me is not to be super aggressive when I exfoliate. I tend to want to scrub my face off - which just irritates it and makes me breakout or leaves me with a lingering redness. Be gentle with your faces ladies - with whatever you use!
47I love Alba face scrubs, especially the Pineapple Enzyme Facial Scrub. It's gentle and leaves your skin feeling so soft.. plus the smell is amazing!
48Love the St. Ives one!
49I've never used any of these products but I just mix regular sugar with a little water and it works great.
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