Exfoliants
All Exfoliants
KP Holy Grail KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub
The KP Bump Eraser is the rare body scrub that actually earns its cult status — the 10% AHA and pumice combination delivers genuinely transformative results for keratosis pilaris, ingrown hairs, and rough textured skin. It's not the gentlest option, but for anyone who's tried everything else for their stubborn arm and leg bumps, this is the one that actually works.
Clean BHA Bargain BHA Liquid Exfoliant 2%
A clean, no-nonsense BHA exfoliant that delivers 2% salicylic acid in a stripped-down, fragrance-free formula at an accessible price point. The Australian fruit acid complex adds botanical intrigue, and the gentle-yet-effective approach makes it a strong entry-level option for BHA beginners. Not the most innovative exfoliant on the market, but the value-to-quality ratio is excellent.
Sensitive-Skin Exfoliating Pad One Step Original Clear Skin Calming Pad
COSRX's 2025 calming variant of the iconic Original Clear Pad — gentler capryloyl salicylic acid + gluconolactone PHA exfoliation paired with the 4-component Centella complex and 3-component barrier lipid stack. Genuinely more thorough chemistry than typical calming pads, at the brand's signature accessible drugstore-tier pricing.
Gentle Exfoliating Pads Pine Calming Cica Pad
Convenient duo-sided toner pads that gently exfoliate and clear pores (BHA, LHA) while soothing (a five-form cica complex) and hydrating (triple hyaluronic acid), fragrance-free and affordable at ~$18 for 50. They smooth texture and clear congestion without the harshness of typical exfoliating pads — a smart, gentle exfoliating-and-soothing step for acne-prone skin that's also sensitive. Use in moderation and wear sunscreen; over-use is the main risk to avoid.
K-Beauty Exfoliation Pioneer AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid
A beautifully minimalist AHA exfoliant that does exactly what it claims with only ten ingredients: 7% glycolic acid at pH 4.0 dissolves whiteheads and polishes skin texture while niacinamide, panthenol, and hyaluronic acid keep irritation in check. After over a decade on the market, it remains one of the best values in chemical exfoliation.
Best Value AHA Exfoliant Kale-Lalu-yAHA
A masterclass in accessible exfoliation. The 5.25% glycolic acid is strong enough to deliver real results — smoother texture, brighter tone, clearer pores — while the extensive botanical soothing complex keeps irritation in check. At $25 for a 200mL bottle that lasts half a year, it makes most competing AHA products look overpriced.
Pharma-Grade Budget BHA 2% Salicylic Acid Face Serum
A pharma-grade 2% BHA serum at pH 3.75, built around Merck's RonaCare salicylic acid and flanked by Marrubium Vulgare, EGCG glucoside, and Oligopeptide-10 — a supporting cast most budget salicylic serums do not bother with. At ₹599 for 30ml, it is one of the best acne serums on the Indian market and genuinely competitive with the prestige alternatives.
Dual-Action AHA Exfoliant Smoothing AHA Face and Body Scrub
Alpha-H's Smoothing AHA Face and Body Scrub combines the brand's iconic 12% glycolic acid AHA chemistry with bamboo stem physical exfoliation in a dual-action wash-off format. At $36 for 185ml the value is reasonable for the clinical-skincare tier. Strong on face and body texture work; not suitable for sensitive skin, pregnancy, or barrier-compromised users.
Budget Resurfacing Powerhouse Overnight Exfoliating Treatment
A triple-acid exfoliant at a price that borders on absurd. For $6, you get glycolic acid for surface resurfacing, lactic acid for hydrating exfoliation, and salicylic acid for pore clearing — a comprehensive approach that many brands charge ten times more for. It's effective, straightforward, and potentially irritating if you're not careful. Know your skin, and this is one of the best values in skincare.
Milk-Buffered Multi-Acid Peel Multi-Acid Milk Peel
A well-built multi-acid exfoliant — a potent 15% glycolic acid with three more AHAs and fruit enzymes, cushioned in a soothing 'milk' base, fragrance-free. It smooths texture and brightens effectively, and the milk format genuinely softens the experience. At standout value; still a real, potent peel that sensitive skin should approach with care.
Sensitive-Skin Exfoliant Calm Down 3.2% PHA + 0.8% BHA Liquid Exfoliant
Geek & Gorgeous Calm Down pairs 3.2% gluconolactone-and-lactobionic PHA with 0.8% salicylic acid BHA, buffered by fermented prickly pear, kharka reed, and Poria cocos mushroom anti-inflammatory complex. Sensitive-skin-friendly daily-use exfoliation at 15 dollars for 100ml.
Keratosis Pilaris MVP The Body Exfoliator
A body exfoliator built with facial-skincare seriousness — volcanic pumice plus a full AHA/BHA/PHA acid system in one shower step. It genuinely smooths keratosis pilaris, rough patches, and ingrown-hair-prone skin, and it doesn't leave you stripped. The scented version can sting reactive or freshly shaved skin, and it is easy to overuse, but as a body resurfacer it earns its spot.
Dark-Spot Specialist Cashmere Peel Gentle AHA + PHA Exfoliating Toner
The Cashmere Peel is a rare exfoliant that earns its 'gentle' label without softening its results. A buffered 9% blend of lactic acid and gluconolactone resurfaces while azelaic and tranexamic acids correct pigment, all in a milky base built and tested for melanin-rich skin. It is pricier than a basic acid toner, but the dual focus on resurfacing and dark-spot fading makes it a genuine treatment rather than a single-trick exfoliant.
Budget Acne BHA Clarifying Exfoliant
A no-nonsense, maximum-strength 2% salicylic acid liquid that does exactly what an acne-prone person needs: clears pores and smooths texture without fragrance, alcohol, or a high price. It can be drying with overuse and is not for dry or very sensitive skin, but for oily, congested skin it is one of the easiest budget recommendations going.
Buffered Glycolic Done Right Micro-Peel Peptide Pads
A rare example of a 10% glycolic pad that doesn't treat exfoliation as a blunt instrument. Dr. Ciraldo pairs the acid with Matrixyl peptides and a botanical soothing blend, turning each swipe into both a resurfacing and a collagen-priming step. Premium price, but the formula earns most of it.
Adult Acne Multi-Acid Pick Evenly Clear Acne Exfoliant
A well-built multi-acid exfoliant — a BHA, mandelic and glycolic AHAs, and a gentle PHA at moderate strengths — designed to clear breakouts and fade post-acne marks without over-drying. Fragrance-free, dermatologist-co-designed for adult acne, and sensibly priced. It is still a four-acid product, so sensitive skin should ease in.
Drugstore BHA Apricot Scrub BHA Apricot Face Scrub
St. Ives' BHA Apricot Face Scrub combines salicylic acid BHA with dual physical exfoliation (jojoba beads + apricot kernel powder) at 8-dollar drugstore pricing. Combined chemical + physical exfoliation is aggressive for many skin types.
Drugstore BHA Green Tea Scrub BHA Green Tea & Bamboo Face Scrub
St. Ives' BHA Green Tea & Bamboo Face Scrub combines BHA with dual physical exfoliation plus green tea antioxidant in drugstore format. 8-dollar accessible pricing. Multi-mechanism aggressive exfoliation.
Dry-Skin BHA Pioneer Salicylic Acid 2% Anhydrous Solution
A genuinely clever reformulation that makes BHA exfoliation accessible to dry and sensitive skin for the first time. It trades the instant gratification of a tingling acid for a gentler, sustained approach that works just as well — it just asks for more patience.
Gentle Exfoliation Gateway Heartleaf 77% Clear Pad
A thoughtfully designed exfoliating pad that makes PHA exfoliation genuinely accessible for sensitive skin, wrapped in heartleaf and centella soothing. Not the most powerful exfoliant on the market, but that's precisely the point — this is exfoliation you can trust.
Beginner Exfoliant Pick Cheer Up 5% Mandelic + 1% Salicylic Exfoliant
A thoughtfully formulated beginner AHA/BHA exfoliant that uses mandelic acid — the gentlest mainstream AHA — in combination with low-strength salicylic, plus a sugar-humectant complex for comfort. At 100mL for around $12, the value is excellent, and the formulation choices reflect the kind of cosmetic-chemist thinking that separates this brand from typical indie exfoliants. Ideal for exfoliant newcomers and sensitive skin.
Classic Physical Scrub Facial Scrub
A simple, fragrance-free, affordable physical scrub that leaves skin smooth and matte, softened with urea and soothing agents to take some edge off the abrasion. It does the scrubbed-clean job for resilient, oily skin — but it relies on coarse apricot-seed particles, an older and harsher exfoliation approach, so a light hand is essential and sensitive or acne-prone skin should steer clear.
Budget Exfoliant MVP Stubborn Texture Liquid Exfoliating Treatment
Twelve ingredients, seven percent AHA, and zero pretense. Neutrogena stripped the liquid exfoliant concept down to its essentials and priced it at a fraction of the category leaders. It won't win any packaging awards, but your skin texture will thank you within two weeks.
The Product That Built a Brand BHA Blackhead Power Liquid
The product that launched COSRX and arguably the entire K-beauty exfoliant category for global audiences. Twelve years later, its gentle-but-effective betaine salicylate approach to blackhead management remains one of the smartest formulations in the category — though it requires patience that stronger BHA products do not.
Beginner-Friendly Glow Pad Facial Radiance Pads
The AHA exfoliating pads that proved gentle and effective aren't mutually exclusive. A decade-plus on the market, backed by P&G, and formulated with a soothing botanical arsenal that makes acid exfoliation genuinely accessible to sensitive skin. Not the strongest AHA option, but for most people, that's exactly the point.
Drugstore Blackhead Slayer Pore Unclogging Scrub
One of the few drugstore scrubs that's actually worth its shelf space — a real 2% salicylic acid product in a soft-bead wax base that respects your skin barrier more than its age suggests. For oily, blackhead-prone users it's a legitimate cheap staple. Sensitive skin should pass, and no one should confuse it with a complete acne routine.
K-Beauty 2% BHA Value Chestnut BHA 2% Clear Liquid
Isntree K-beauty BHA toner at FDA-OTC anti-acne maximum 2% salicylic acid with chestnut shell extract signature ingredient, multi-HA pool, glycerin + allantoin soothing, and willow bark complement. Fragrance-free + vegan formulation. Exceptional value at K-beauty pricing for the substantive BHA active loading. Frequently positioned as accessible Paulas Choice 2% BHA Liquid alternative.
5-Ceramide Physical Exfoliant Bar The Body Exfoliant Bar
Nécessaire 2% upcycled wood pulp physical exfoliant bar with 5-ceramide complex + completed lipid trio + niacinamide + plant oil pool (marula + caryodendron + meadowfoam) + glycerin + lecithin hydration. Substantive in-shower physical exfoliant with comprehensive barrier-restoration companion architecture. 2023 Allure Best of Beauty Award winner. $15 for 140g represents reasonable indie body bar pricing.
Oil-Cushioned Salt Scrub Polish Detoxifying Body Scrub
A genuinely nourishing Dead Sea salt body scrub that leaves skin polished and soft rather than stripped — coarse salt cushioned in avocado, grapeseed, and jojoba oils, with clay and oatmeal rounding it out. It's a luxurious body exfoliant from a Black-owned clean brand, with the usual caveats: the salt is too harsh for the face or delicate skin, and three essential oils keep it off the fragrance-free list.
Glycolic Glow Tonic SuperFruit Exfoliating Tonic
A well-judged 8% glycolic tonic that goes beyond plain resurfacing by pairing the acid with melanin-inhibiting licorice root and a soothing aloe-allantoin-hyaluronic buffer — a smart, two-front approach to dull, uneven, dark-spot-prone skin. It's effective and tolerable for normal-to-oily skin, but the citrus extracts and acid strength rule out sensitive types, and $48 for 5 ounces is a premium ask.
Gentle Peeling Pads Phyto-enzyme Peeling Pad
Gentle exfoliating peeling pads — betaine salicylate (a mild BHA), LHA, and papaya enzyme clear pores, control sebum, and smooth texture without a harsh peel, at a big-count value. The recurring catch: they're loaded with essential oils (patchouli, juniper, mugwort, mint), which on freshly-exfoliated skin raises the irritation risk and rules them out for sensitive skin. Genuinely gentle, effective exfoliation for non-reactive congested skin; a skip for the sensitive, and they need sunscreen and moderation.
Gentlest of the Range Clarifying Lotion 1
The gentlest rung of Clinique's classic numbered exfoliating-toner ladder, tuned for dry and sensitive skin with low-dose salicylic acid buffered by humectants. It delivers a smooth, lightly clarified finish without stripping, but the alcohol denat and synthetic dyes are dated touches, and the prestige price is steep for a mild liquid exfoliant. A reasonable pick within a Clinique routine.
Dual Exfoliating Acne Wash Even & Clear Gentle Exfoliating Wash
A capable dual-exfoliating acne wash that pairs 1.5% salicylic acid with smooth jojoba microbeads, soothed by oat and sea whip so the double action stays reasonably gentle. It clears blackheads, smooths texture, and controls oil for around seven dollars — best for oily and combination skin used no more than once daily, and less suited to dry or sensitive skin given the beads and light vanilla scent.
Hydrating Gommage Gel DIVE IN Peeling Gel
The most hydrating version of a format that usually dries: a cellulose gommage gel built on Torriden's five-weight hyaluronate stack with panthenol, allantoin and squalane, that polishes flaky skin gently and leaves it comfortable rather than tight. The crumbs are the product, not your skin, the three peptides and the PHA wash off before they can act, and the whole thing is weeks old on US shelves. A pleasant weekly polish for normal and dry skin at a fair price; not a treatment, and honest only once you know what a peeling gel is.
Everyday Gentle PHA Gluconolactone (PHA) 10% Treatment
A refreshingly transparent, fragrance-free PHA treatment that declares 10 percent gluconolactone and a pH of 4.0 on the label, delivering gentle daily exfoliation and hydration for sensitive, dry and redness-prone skin. It is milder than AHA or BHA toners for heavy congestion, and the finish is slightly tacky, but it is excellent value.
Drugstore Acne Workhorse Acne Exfoliating Toner
Peach Slices Acne Exfoliating Toner is a solid drugstore 2% salicylic acid treatment buffered with centella, licorice, and panthenol for a gentler feel than most US-brand acid toners at the price. The denatured alcohol keeps it off the sensitive-skin list, but for oily and combination skin battling blackheads and congestion, it's one of the best budget BHA picks available.
Budget Blackhead Buster 2% Salicylic Acid & Fruit Enzymes Serum
Revolution Skincare's 2% Salicylic Acid & Fruit Enzymes Serum is a capable, affordable BHA that pairs standard 2% salicylic with papaya and mango enzymes for a dual-action exfoliation approach. For oily and congested skin it's an easy budget pick — the alcohol denat. and witch hazel content make it less ideal for dry or reactive skin.
Daily Multi-Acid Exfoliant Clearly Corrective Daily Re-Texturizing Triple Acid Peel
A genuinely well-built daily multi-acid exfoliant — AHA, BHA and PHA at modest, buffered strengths, fragrance-free, engineered for everyday use rather than an occasional intensive peel. It smooths texture and boosts radiance reliably. The formula is sound; the $50 price is steep for what is, in essence, a daily acid serum.
Hydrating Exfoliant Pick PEEL STEP Panthenol Soft Peeling Pad
The hydrating middle tier of Leaders' PEEL STEP line, built to exfoliate dry skin without drying it out. Two gentle polyhydroxy acids are paired with high-placed panthenol and an AQUAXYL moisture complex, so skin comes out smoother and softer rather than stripped. Fragrance-free and vegan; mild by design, so heavy congestion needs the Deep tier, and the per-pad cost is premium — but for dry, flaky skin it's a rare comfortable exfoliant.
Oily-Skin Oil Buster Clarifying Lotion 4
The heavy hitter of Clinique's numbered exfoliating-toner ladder, with salicylic acid pushed high and an unapologetically astringent alcohol-and-witch-hazel base built to degrease oily skin. It genuinely controls oil and clears congestion at a fair price, but the alcohol content makes it drying and unsuitable for sensitive or dry skin, and the added dye is an unnecessary touch. A targeted tool, not an everyone product.
The BHA for Skin That Reacts Skin Perfecting 1% BHA Gentle Exfoliating Gel Toner
The brand that made 2 percent salicylic acid famous has finally made the version for the faces that could not use it: a 1 percent leave-on BHA cushioned in emollient alkanes, prebiotic sugars and allantoin, fragrance-free and built for skin that flushes. It works more slowly than the flagship and costs the same, and the redness botanicals are ahead of their evidence, but as a daily exfoliant for sensitive and rosacea-prone skin it is a thoughtful, overdue product.
Beginner's Best AHA Lactic Acid 5% + HA
The gateway AHA — a 5% lactic acid serum gentle enough for sensitive skin that still delivers real exfoliation results, backed by the same smart supporting ingredients as its 10% sibling. For first-time acid users and reactive skin types, this is where the journey begins.
Best Budget AHA Toner Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Toner
A thoughtfully formulated budget glycolic toner that pairs gentle 3.5% AHA with triple-weight hyaluronic acid and ferment filtrate. It's the ideal training-wheels acid toner — effective enough to deliver visible results, gentle enough that you're unlikely to regret starting it.
Gentle Triple-Acid Innovator Mandelic Acid + Superfood Unity Exfoliant
A thoughtfully engineered triple-acid exfoliant that prioritizes inclusivity over intensity, delivering gentle multi-level exfoliation backed by a generous antioxidant complex. The gentle approach means patience is required, but for the right skin type, the payoff is a refined, clearer complexion without the drama.
Nightly Three-Acid Pick Exfoliating Night Water
A well-formulated nightly acid toner that uses three acid categories in buffered, sensible concentrations. Thoughtful formulation, playful Starface packaging, and a sensible positioning as the preventative counterpart to the brand's famous hydrocolloid patches. Priced a little above the drugstore competition but delivers.
Gentle Beginner AHA 5% Lactic Acid + HA Exfoliating Face Serum
The beginner-concentration entry point into Minimalist's lactic acid range — 5% L-lactic acid plus 1% hyaluronic acid in an aloe vera juice base at pH 3.8. It is gentle enough for first-time AHA users and sensitive skin, and the fragrance-free, pH-disclosed formulation punches above its roughly ₹500 price tag. Experienced acid users will want the stronger 10% variant instead.
Beginner-Friendly AHA Pick Exfoliating Swipeys
Swipeys are the rare acid pad that's actually designed for people who don't already own three other acids. A short, low-irritation formula built around buffered lactic acid and a generous aloe slot, packaged in a way that quietly nudges you to use it. The price-per-pad is the main thing standing between it and a flat-out recommendation.
Drugstore Avocado-Honey Scrub Avocado & Honey Face Scrub
St. Ives' Avocado & Honey Face Scrub is the brand's nourishment-enriched variant for dry skin — jojoba bead exfoliation in mild surfactant base with avocado oil and honey emollient enrichment. 6-dollar drugstore pricing.
Gentle Gommage Peel PHA Peeling Gel
A genuinely gentle two-step exfoliant: cotton-derived cellulose for a soft gommage and lactobionic acid PHA for mild chemical exfoliation, buffered by ceramide, hyaluronic acid, and soothers. It's an excellent low-irritation way for sensitive or dry skin to smooth texture without the sting of a strong acid. The honest catch — it's mild, so stubborn texture and congestion may need something stronger, and some of the visible 'peeling' is the product, not your skin.
Gentle Barrier Exfoliating Pad Extreme Panthenol Facial Toner Pad
A rare exfoliating pad that does not punish your barrier for the privilege of smoother skin. Gentle LHA and lactobionic PHA are paired with five ceramides, panthenol, ectoin, and niacinamide, so it refines texture and brightens while actively supporting the skin. Alcohol high on the list and a little rosemary oil are the main cautions, and it is purposely too mild for anyone chasing heavy-duty exfoliation.
Blackhead Toner Workhorse Pore Release
A well-balanced triple-acid toner that brings Hero's blackhead obsession into a leave-on exfoliant. Salicylic, glycolic, and gluconolactone tackle congestion at the pore and surface, cushioned by aloe and lotus so it stays tolerable. It genuinely smooths texture and clears blackheads with consistent use, but it is aimed at oily skin and easy to overdo, so restraint and sunscreen are non-negotiable.
Gentle Dual Exfoliating Scrub Scrub So Clean
A dual-action exfoliating wash that combines gentle rice-bran beads with low-dose salicylic acid and a genuinely soothing botanical base. It leaves oily, congestion-prone skin smooth and clean for very little money, but the added fragrance, physical particles, and acne-prone focus make it a poor fit for dry, sensitive, or reactive skin.
Mochi-Skin Drugstore BHA 2% BHA Exfoliating Hydra Serum
A declared 2 percent salicylic acid in a twelve-ingredient, fragrance-free, oil-free gel that Kao has built as a texture play, bouncy, bubble-flecked and cushiony, so the acid stays on the skin while a glycerin, butylene glycol and sorbitol trio keeps the finish soft. It unclogs and smooths oily, congested skin well for seventeen dollars and is one of the cleanest drugstore BHAs on the shelf; denatured alcohol second is what dissolves the acid and what will tighten drier faces, and a month-old product has no track record yet.
Gommage Starter Gel Floria Brightening Peeling Gel
A fun, cheap gommage that leaves skin polished for a couple of days, provided you understand the grey pills are polymer theatre rather than shed skin. The actives are decorative and the fragrance is loud, so treat it as a gentle weekly smoothing step, not the brightening treatment its name suggests, and it earns its modest price.
Skincare's Viral Disruptor AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution
The most democratizing product in modern skincare — a genuinely powerful 30% acid peel for under ten dollars that delivers visible results competitive with products costing four to ten times more. Not without risks for the uninitiated, but for experienced acid users, the value is nearly without equal.
Holy Grail Exfoliant Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant
The product that launched a thousand skincare routines. Twenty-five years in, this eight-ingredient formula remains the gold standard for BHA exfoliation — not because it's fancy, but because it's ruthlessly effective. If blackheads, congestion, or dull texture are your primary concerns, this is where you start.
Budget Exfoliation Champion Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution
The gold standard for budget AHA exfoliation — a properly formulated 7% glycolic acid toner at a pH that actually works, delivered in a generous bottle for the price of a fancy coffee. It won't win any packaging awards, but your skin won't care.
Budget Blackhead Fighter Blackhead Eraser Facial Scrub
An honest, no-frills drugstore scrub that delivers decent surface exfoliation and acne-fighting salicylic acid for under $8. Don't expect miracles on deep blackheads, but as a maintenance tool for oily, congestion-prone skin, it gets the basics right at a price that doesn't sting.
Triple-Acid Texture Reset Solution Exfoliating Skin Perfector
Solution is Glossier's sharpest skincare product — a 10% triple-acid exfoliant that delivers real, visible results for texture, pore congestion, and dullness. The AHA/BHA/PHA combination is intelligently formulated, and the niacinamide inclusion shows genuine formulation sophistication. But this is not a product for everyone — sensitive and dry skin types should look elsewhere.
Budget BHA Essential Beta Hydroxy Acid Serum
Thirteen ingredients, $11, and one of the cleanest BHA formulations on the market. The INKEY List strips away everything unnecessary and delivers exactly what acne-prone and oily skin needs — no more, no less.
The full exfoliants guide
Chemical exfoliants dissolve dead skin cells to reveal smoother, brighter skin — and they're more effective and far less damaging than physical scrubs when used consistently at the right strength.
The acid type determines the job: AHAs work on the surface for dullness and texture, BHAs penetrate into pores for acne and blackheads, and PHAs offer a gentler option for sensitive skin.
How to choose & use exfoliants
Choosing the right one
AHAs (glycolic, lactic acid) work on the skin surface — great for dullness and texture. BHAs (salicylic acid) penetrate into pores — best for acne and blackheads. Start 2x/week and build up.
How to use
Start with two uses a week and build up as your skin tolerates it, applying after cleansing and before moisturizer. Most exfoliants are best at night. Because acids increase sun sensitivity, daily sunscreen is essential — and avoid layering multiple exfoliants or pairing them with strong retinoids, which leads to over-exfoliation.
Exfoliants: frequently asked questions
What's the difference between AHA, BHA, and PHA?
AHAs (glycolic, lactic acid) are water-soluble and work on the surface for texture and dullness. BHAs (salicylic acid) are oil-soluble and penetrate pores for acne and blackheads. PHAs are larger, gentler molecules ideal for sensitive skin.
How often should I exfoliate?
Two to three times a week is plenty for most skin; sensitive types may prefer once weekly or a gentle PHA. Daily exfoliation usually damages the barrier — more is not better, and over-exfoliation worsens the problems you're treating.
Are chemical exfoliants better than scrubs?
Yes — chemical exfoliants dissolve dead cells evenly without the micro-tears and irritation physical scrubs cause. Scrubs can inflame skin and spread bacteria, while acids work more effectively and gently.
Do I need sunscreen when using exfoliants?
Always — AHAs and BHAs increase sun sensitivity, so daily SPF is essential to prevent sun damage and pigmentation. Skipping it undoes the brightening and smoothing the exfoliant provides.