It should come as no surprise that I used to devour magazines. Yes, kids, I said magazines—those paper things. This was back when the internet was still on dial-up, so instead of influencers, we had magazines—specifically the girl spinoffs of the grown-up ones. I’m talking about CosmoGirl, Teen Vogue, and Ellegirl. I also adored Nylon but it was quite a challenge to find in my suburban town.
I vividly remember this issue of Elle Girl
Back then I took all my beauty, and frankly life, advice from those glossy pages. And I remember one day reading about body scrubs and how you to make one at home with sugar and oil. I'll never forget it: my stepsister and I concocted our DIY scrub with sugar and olive oil, and I proudly asked my mom to feel my newly super soft arm.
And thus began a lasting love affair—20 years strong. From tiny granules drenched in oils to mitts, brushes, you name it, I've explored every avenue of exfoliation. Here are my favs.
Korean Body Scrubs
The best scrub of your life will come, hands down, from an older Korean woman in her undergarments. If you’ve never been to a Korean Spa, you’re in for a treat. Major disclaimer is that you’ll be totally naked the whole time. Before the scrub you soak in the tubs and saunas and then you lay down on a sterile looking table and get scrubbed within an inch of your life with little mitts. It’s not luxurious but it’s efficient and reinvigorating. Then, they wrap you in a towel like a little baby and send you on your merry way, with your gloves in a plastic bag.
In my opinion, everyone needs these mitts in their scrub arsenal. Especially for traveling because you don’t have to worry about anything spilling.
These are the exact ones they use in the Korean apas and they’re only $6 for 8 gloves. In an ideal world you also soak in the tub at home before using them, but let’s be real, that’s probably not going to happen. We’re all just trying our best.
Scrubs in a Tub
Despite my early discovery that scrubs are, in fact, incredibly easy to make at home, I've come to terms with the fact that I'm just not a DIY girlie. Capitalism wins again.
C & The Moon Malibu Made Body Scrub
I lowkey wish I didn’t love this so much, considering it falls on the pricier end of the scrub spectrum, but hey, what can you do? I find myself purchasing this scrub repeatedly, and it makes for an excellent, guaranteed-to-please gift. In fact, if I end up putting together a Mother’s Day Guide (very TBD), it will definitely make the cut.
The smell is delicious– like a fresh brown sugar vanilla cookie and while the scent is definitely sweet it’s not artificially sweet. Interestingly, it's crafted with food-grade vanilla flavors, which explains why I’m sometimes tempted to sneak a taste. It leaves your skin smooth and well-hydrated, eliminating the need for post-shower lotions. The ingredients are simple and clean, and I've yet to come across another scrub that leaves the skin feeling so nourished afterward.
I once read that Tracy Anderson (my obsession with her deserves it own post) will hop out of the shower, dry off, put the C & the Moon on, scrub it in, and then quickly rinse it off.
Trader Joe’s Lavender Scrub
I'm genuinely perplexed by the economics behind this scrub. It's mind-boggling how they manage to sell it for so little (last I checked, it was less than $10) while still packing it with so much luxurious lavender oil. I frequently buy this when I’m visiting my mom because I know any products I leave there will get used in my absence but it’s so affordable that I don’t mind repurchasing it every time.
Palermo Revitalizing Body Scrub
This one's for my rose-loving girls. I might just dedicate an entire post to all things rose because, as Kim K mentioned in her 2015 Into The Gloss breakdown, "if something is rose-scented, of course I love it."
So far, I've only tried the rose variant of this scrub, and it bears similarities to C & The Moon in terms of ingredient profiles and its ability to leave the skin soft. However, I find it slightly less oily than C & The Moon, giving it a different vibe.
Dry Brush
Dry brushes serve as a pre-exfoliation step before using a scrub, helping to remove dead skin cells, and are also great for promoting lymphatic flow.
I like this one from MUTHA because it’s black and doesn’t look like all the other ones out there. I also really like the Goop one for it’s longer handle.
But my favorite one, and the cheapest of the three is this one from Mamma Mio (random, I know) that has little nodules in it for extra exfoliating and skin firming benefits.
That’s all! Stay soft.