12 Best Exfoliators For Black Skin 2024, Cleanse, Tone & Scrub To Perfection

Exfoliating is an extremely important part of skincare.

With the ability to cleanse, tone, and smooth the skin, it’s necessary that you find an exfoliator that works for you.

Don’t know where to start?

Start here!

Below we’ve listed twelve great exfoliator options for black women’s skin.

Best Exfoliator For Black Skin: M3 Naturals Superfood Scrub

Essential oils and salt or sugar aren’t the only important products in a scrub.

M3 Naturals Superfood Scrub proves that.

While this product contains scrub necessities like Dead Sea salt, aloe vera, and jojoba oil, it’s also infused with collagen and stem cells.

This helps to make the skin firmer while also elevating its elasticity.

The M3 Naturals scrub will not only leave your skin smooth and soft, but looking younger as well.

Budget Exfoliator For African American Skin: Shea Moisture African Black Soap Bamboo Charcoal Scrub

Shea Moisture is one of the most popular makeup brands among black women.

What can we say – they make a ton of great products.

Their African Black Soap Bamboo Charcoal is one product to add to your list for a number of reasons.

One, just look at the ingredients.

African black soap is well known among the black community for its clarifying abilities.

This means it’ll help clear up your skin.

Charcoal is another great ingredient in skincare products because it’s also known for removing impurities from the skin and body.

Plus, not only will this product leave your skin smooth, but Shea Moisture made it without all those bad ingredients we’re used to hearing about like parabens, phtalates, and sulfates.

Premium Exfoliator: Kiehl’s Creme De Corps Soy Milk & Honey Body Polish

Kiehl’s is brand that is growing in the name of skincare, and their Creme De Corps Soy Milk & Honey Body Polish should be on your radar.

They have tons of ingredients that will benefit the skin.

Just to start, the body polish includes ingredients like Shea butter, sweet almond oil, jojoba butter, and honey.

While these ingredients will leave your skin hydrated and supple, it’s the Luffa Fruit that the product includes that will leave your skin feeling smooth.

And while most exfoliators are not meant for daily use, this Kiehl’s exfoliator is gentle enough for daily use.

Dr. Teal’s Epsom Salt Body Scrub – A Cheap Option For Black Skin

Dr. Teal’s is another well known name in the world of skincare.

Their Epsom Salt Body Scrub is another exfoliator that you should try out.

While most body scrubs are made from sugar, this one uses salt which is just as beneficial.

You might recognize that many people soak their sore bodies in epsom salt because it helps to provide relief.

This scrub is also made with lavender which is known for its calming effects.

That makes this great if you use exfoliating as a relaxing activity.

This product also comes with Shea butter and jojoba oil to leave your skin feeling moisturized after use.If you’re looking to both exfoliate and renew your body, this Dr. Teal’s exfoliator is a great product.

This Works Perfect Leg Scrub

It’s all in the title, isn’t it?

While you’d most likely be using these products on the entirety of your body, you can expect perfect legs and more with the Perfect Legs Scrub from This Works.

Pink Himalayan Salt is another popular ingredient used in many skin care products.

And that’s not the only essential ingredient in this scrub.

With essential oils like black currant seed oil and crambe abyssinica seed oil, this product will also leave your skin feeling smooth and moisturized.

This Works also claims that this product can be used on dry skin, but for the best results, use on wet or damp skin.

Ole Henriksen Rub N’Buff Transforming Salt Scrub

Another brand known for its great skin care, the Ole Henriksen Rub n’ Buff Transforming Salt Scrub is another product to look into.

A salt scrub, it also comes with other moisturizing and softening ingredients like lemongrass and sweet almond oil.

With promises of exfoliating, smoothing, retexturizing, and softening the skin, you can be sure your body will be left feeling great after using this product.

If you want to transform your skin, try this Ole Henriksen scrub.

Neutrogena Body Clear Body Scrub

We’ve been hearing about Neutrogena for decades and if you’ve yet to try them out, consider starting with their Body Clear Scrub.

As with the other exfoliators on the list, this also comes with a host of benefits.

One, it contains salicylic acid which as we mentioned above, is great for acne prone skin.

Two, they describe the product as being non-comedogenic.

While the word is long, it’s simple.

Non-comedogenic means it won’t clog the pores.

Clogged pores is often what leads to acne so this product will help remove the dead skin from your body without further clogging the pores.

Another great thing about this Neutrogena exfoliator is that it’s oil-free.

Many exfoliants are oil-based and if you have oily skin, this could only exacerbate the issue.This oil-free Neutrogena exfoliator could be the answer you’re looking for.

Moroccanoil Body Buff

Exfoliating your body can be a luxurious affair, and what’s more luxurious than rose petals.

This Moroccanoil Body Buff is made with rose petals which will give your skin the beautiful scent of roses.

Not only is it made with rose petals, but it is infused with Argan oil which is known for its moisturizing capabilities.

It also comes with other essential oils like avocado oil, Vitamin E oil, and grape seed oil.

Careful to leave out harmful ingredients, this Moroccanoil exfoliator is paraben-free.

Fresh Brown Sugar Body Polish

The final product to give a try is the Fresh Brown Sugar Body Polish.

Using brown sugar as the main ingredient to buff the skin, it is also joined by other great add-ins like primrose, sweet almond, and jojoba oils.

One of the many things that exfoliators do is promote skin regeneration and with the ginseng root extract included in this mixture, it’ll help stimulate the skin even more.

And if that’s not enough, this product also includes citrus oils.

Citrus fruits like lemons, limes, and more are well known for helping to brighten the skin.

All in all, the Fresh Brown Sugar Body Polish will leave your skin smooth and soft after using it.

Herbivore Crushed Amethyst Exfoliating Body Polish

Okay, sometimes we just like things because they’re pretty.

Luckily enough, the Herbivore Crushed Amethyst Exfoliating Body Polish is both useful and pretty.

With beautiful amethyst crystals, it comes infused with a host of other ingredients.

Some of them include coconut oil, jasmine, and magnesium-rich salt.

Plus, if you love healthy and environmentally friendly products, it’s both vegan and cruelty-free.

While most exfoliators can be used well in the shower, with instructions to let the product sit for a minute or two on the skin, this Herbivore exfoliant is better suited for a bath.

Clinique Sparkle Skin Body Exfoliator

The great thing about the brand Clinique is that you can find it everywhere from high-end stores to the drug store.

This means that you can find their Sparkle Skin Body Exfoliator anywhere if you decide to give it a try.

And here’s why you should.

While it has great exfoliating abilities, it includes an ingredient that a few products on this list are missing.

This Clinique exfoliator includes salicylic acid.

Now, if you have acne prone skin, you know what this is.

Salicylic acid is probably the most popular ingredient known for fighting acne.

It’s also a great ingredient to apply after exfoliating.

Thankfully, this product includes the acid so you won’t have to worry about applying an additional product afterwards.

Just be mindful that while most people associate acne with the face, it can appear on other parts of the body and this Clinique exfoliator is not meant for the face or neck.

Fresh Cocoa Exfoliating Body Scrub

If you’re looking to smooth and soften the skin, try the Fresh Cocoa Exfoliating Body Scrub.

Through the name, you can already guess one of its two main ingredients.

Cocoa is a big part of this product but so is coconut.

This exfoliator combines the best of them both by using the shell of the coconut as well as crushed cocoa.

Plus, they also use both cocoa butter and coconut oil which are known in the black community to have magical powers.

Both are great for moisturizing the skin and helping to soften and smooth it out.

If you love cocoa butter and coconut oil, the Fresh Cocoa Body Exfoliant is a great place to start when looking for an exfoliator.

What Are The Benefits Of Exfoliating Your Skins?

There are a ton of benefits that one can find from exfoliating.
Let’s go over a few of them.

It helps with skin texture.

You might think your skin is rough.

That might not be the case.

There’s a chance that your skin has a build up of dead skin.

After exfoliating, you’ll notice that your skin will be much smoother.

It allows other products to better penetrate the skin.

If you have dry skin, you might continuously apply moisturizer.

This might be a futile task if there’s something blocking your skin from truly absorbing it.

By buffing away this top layer, you’ll allow your skin and pores to better absorb products.

It unclogs your pores.

In a similar way that exfoliating allows your skin to absorb more products, it also helps remove the dead skin that may be clogging your pores.

It helps with hyperpigmentation.

Hyperpigmentation is a problem for black women.

No one wants dark spots littering their face or their bodies. 

I certainly don’t!

By helping remove dead skin cells and helping buff away texture, this helps lighten dark marks over time.

Now that you probably want to exfoliate daily to reap the benefits, the real question is how often should you exfoliate?

How Often Should You Exfoliate?

As most answers go, it depends.

A good rule of thumb is that no matter who you are, you shouldn’t be exfoliating more than 3 times a week.

Exfoliating your body daily with a rough exfoliator can actually damage your skin.

However, there are exfoliators that are gentle enough for daily use.

Even so, if you have sensitive skin, aim to exfoliate 1-2 times per week.

If you have “normal” skin, 2-3 times should work.

Prepping Your Skin Before

There isn’t a lot that needs to go into prepping your skin beforehand, but there are one or two things you can do to make the process more effective.

Before you start the process, gently brush your body with a towel or loofah to help get rid of some of the loose skin.

Afterwards, step into the shower or bath and use warm water and allow your body to soak in it for a bit.

This will also help get the dead skin loose to help buff it off more easily.

Now you’re ready to exfoliate!

Tips To Follow When Exfoliating

Now that you’re ready to exfoliate your body, there are a few tips to keep in mind.

Start from the bottom and work your way up.

When you exfoliate, you should start with your feet and work your way up.

The feet are often the area of our bodies that need the most work, especially the heel.

Start here and work your way from the back of your foot to the front.

You can then continue moving up the body until you reach your face.

Also, the exfoliator you use on your body should NEVER be the one you use on your face.

Whether you have what you would categorize as sensitive skin, the skin on the body is naturally more durable than that on the face.

Apply the exfoliator in circular motions.

When you’re exfoliating, be sure to move in circular motions.

While you might be tempted to move “up and down” your body, the circular motions will really allow you to buff the dead, dry skin away.

Be gentle!

Some might be fooled into thinking that the harder they are on their skin, the better it will be to get the job done.

Don’t do that.

Exfoliators are meant to get the job done themselves without your help.

All you have to do is rub them on your bodies.

No additional force is needed.

Just be gentle and your skin will thank you for it.

Taking Care Of Your Skin After

The process doesn’t end once you’re done exfoliating.

It’s important to take care of your skin afterwards.

First, make sure you pat your body dry (or air dry).

It’s important not to rub your body down with a towel or something harsh so that you don’t further harm your skin.

While allowing your skin to dry is important, it’s even more important to allow your skin to moisturize your skin afterwards. 

The outer layer of the skin has oils that often protect the body so it’s important to create the foundation to allow those to kick back up.

Also, once you’ve gotten rid of those dead skin cells, you’re making it easier for the body to absorb products which will make your moisturizers even more effective.

Things To Avoid

You need to be careful on the road to great skin.

While we’ve mentioned a few don’ts in passing, it’s important that we emphasize what you should be avoiding throughout this process.

First, don’t over exfoliate.

You shouldn’t be exfoliating your body daily with a product that isn’t a daily exfoliant.

Keep the number of times you exfoliate a week at 3 maximum.

Another thing to avoid is exfoliating your skin when it’s damaged or irritated.

If you have sunburn, don’t exfoliate!

If you have a rash, don’t exfoliate!

You’ll just make it worse for yourself and cause yourself more pain than necessary.

Tip three for things to avoid is exfoliating your skin too roughly.

Keep a light hand and let the product do the work for you.

Best Exfoliators For Black Skin Conclusion

Exfoliating can be super beneficial for black skin. 

Not only will you gain smoother, softer skin when done alongside creaming, but it can also help you get rid of dark marks as well.

When it comes to taking care of the body, exfoliating is a necessary step.

Want more?

You can check out some of the popular makeup brands for black women here.