Face Scrubs & Exfoliating Cleansers

Face Scrubs & Exfoliating Cleansers

An exfoliating cleanser helps lift away dead skin cells and built-up oil as it washes your face, so skin can look smoother and feel fresher. Shop face scrubs, exfoliating washes and gentle acid cleansers at Adore Beauty, and find the right formula from our full range of cleansers. Whether you want a gentle daily wash or a stronger treatment step, you can compare textures, ingredients and skin type suitability in one place before you choose.

Types of Exfoliating Cleansers

Physical exfoliants, often called face scrubs, use fine particles to buff the surface of the skin. Chemical exfoliants use ingredients such as AHAs (like glycolic acid) and BHAs (like salicylic acid) to loosen dead skin cells. Some cleansers combine both. For a more active option, the Skinstitut Glycolic Scrub 14% pairs glycolic acid with jojoba beads. If you want to exfoliate in a different format, browse exfoliating masks and peels. Check the ingredients list on each product page to see which type of exfoliant a formula uses. Product descriptions often use terms such as gentle, daily or treatment strength, which can help you judge how intense a formula is meant to be.

How to Choose and Use an Exfoliating Cleanser

Match the formula to your skin. Sensitive or dry skin usually suits a gentler wash, while oilier skin may handle a more active one, and our edit of skincare for sensitive skin is a good place to start if you react easily. Begin slowly, follow the directions on the label and patch test a new product first. Follow with a moisturiser to replace hydration. If your skin is sensitive, reactive or you have a skin condition, check with a pharmacist, doctor or dermatologist before adding an exfoliant. Using more than one exfoliating product at a time can be too much for some skin, so introduce new products one at a time.

Exfoliating and Sun Protection

Whatever you use, wear sunscreen every morning. Reapply about every two hours when outdoors, and after swimming or heavy sweating. Cancer Council Australia recommends an SPF50 or SPF50+, broad-spectrum, water resistant sunscreen whenever the UV index is 3 or above, and notes that sunscreen is only one part of sun protection alongside clothing, hats, shade and sunglasses. Browse our face sunscreens or the full sunscreen range.

Frequently Asked Questions About Face Scrubs & Exfoliating Cleansers