Dead skin cleanser: 10 best products to use

Are you dealing with dry flakes and a dull complexion? Then you’re in need of some serious exfoliation. With regular use, an exfoliating face wash will help get rid of dead skin cells and other debris to reveal a soft, radiant and healthy complexion. Here’s our complete guide to the 10 best dead skin cleansers currently available on the market.

Why You Should Use an Exfoliating Cleanser

First, let’s talk about your natural skin cell turnover process. Your skin regularly sheds dead skin cells and reveals the new, fresh skin cells underneath. This process is crucial for keeping your skin healthy, soft and youthful. The cycle takes approximately 30 days, but it gradually becomes longer as we get older. By age 60, it’s not uncommon for this cycle to take 60 days (and sometimes even longer!).

Exfoliating your skin is a way to support this process to keep your skin as healthy and smooth as possible. Some dead skin cells don’t always shed away in this natural cycle, so using an exfoliating cleanser can ensure your skin stays soft and flake-free. Since the process lengthens as we get older, exfoliating can also ensure our skin stays radiant, even if it isn’t going through the natural skin cell turnover cycle quite as quickly as it once did.

By clearing away dead skin cells and other impurities, you’re also creating a better canvas for the other skincare products you already use in your routine. Without any debris blocking the way, your serums and treatments will be able to absorb deep into the skin so that they can deliver the best possible results.

For those prone to clogged pores and breakouts, using an exfoliating cleanser will also get rid of pore-clogging impurities on the skin. This can help keep your complexion clear and acne-free.

The Best Dead Skin Cleansers

Now that we’ve covered the merits of exfoliation, here are our top picks for the best dead skin cleansers.

1. Blu Atlas Exfoliating Scrub

Our top recommendation is the Exfoliating Scrub from Blu Atlas, a premium grooming company known for its thoughtfully created, high-quality formulas. With regular use, it can help you achieve and maintain a soft, radiant and healthy complexion.

While many physical scrubs can be too harsh on the skin, this formula strikes the perfect balance. It’s able to polish away dead skin cells and debris to smooth the skin but does so without causing any aggravation or damaging the skin’s barrier. The brand says it perfectly, calling the scrub a “gentle powerwash.”

This highly effective scrub is packed with ingredients that soothe, soften and moisturize the skin so that it is left feeling calm and adequately hydrated, rather than tight and dry. This includes vitamin-, fatty-acid- and antioxidant-rich jojoba oil, which both moisturizes and nourishes the skin, as well as anti-inflammatory bamboo stem, soothing chamomile and allantoin. Antioxidant-packed hibiscus flower extract also fights free radicals that can cause damage to the skin, while glycerin and panthenol add extra moisturizing power to the formula.

What really made the Blu Atlas Exfoliating Scrub earn the top spot on our list (besides how well it works) is the top-quality, clean formula. This face scrub is vegan and cruelty-free, and it doesn’t contain artificial fragrances, parabens, phthalates or sulfates. Best of all, 98% of the ingredients used in the formula are derived from natural origins, such as plants, minerals and fruits. It’s also sold at a reasonable price, especially considering how long the jar will last.

2. Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser

This Tata Harper cleanser is one of the pricier options on the list, but if you are willing to splurge, it’s totally worth it. The Regenerating Cleanser is a daily exfoliating face wash that uses both chemical and physical exfoliants to gently polish the face, improving texture and tone while unclogging the pores and dissolving buildup.

This cleanser is packed with 16 botanical ingredients that work to improve the look and feel of the complexion. Apricot seed powder is used as the physical scrub, buffing away dead skin cells and debris on the surface of the skin. At the same time, willow bark extract provides gentle chemical exfoliation, targeting clogged pores. This extract also has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial benefits and helps to calm the complexion while fighting bacteria. Two other key ingredients that work to dissolve buildup on the skin are pomegranate enzymes and phytic acid salt.

In addition to these ingredients, the Regenerating Cleanser features kaolin clay, an absorbent clay that is able to draw excess oil and impurities out of the pores to help detoxify. The formula is finished off with a range of ingredients that hydrate, comfort and plump the skin to leave it feeling soft and healthy. This includes arnica extract, sunflower seed oil, aloe vera, calendula flower extract, borage leaf extract and olive oil.

Of course, we also love that this clean face wash is made without artificial fragrances or dyes, fillers, GMOs or synthetic chemicals. It’s also completely vegan and cruelty-free.

3. SkinCeuticals Micro-Exfoliating Scrub

This Micro-Exfoliating Scrub from SkinCeuticals is the ideal pick for anyone looking for a gentle scrubbing cleanser they can use multiple times a week to keep their complexion soft and healthy. The formula is suitable for normal, dry, oily and combination skin types, and works to buff away dead skin cells and reveal radiant, soft and hydrated skin.

The scrubbing action in this formula comes from hydrated silica which lifts dead skin cells from the surface of the skin while also removing debris and excess oil that can clog the pores. The hydrated silica is able to gently polish without aggravating the skin.

As the hydrated silica gets to work, a range of additional ingredients hydrate and support the skin barrier. Glycerin (a humectant) attracts moisture to the skin and locks it in, while aloe barbadensis leaf extract further moisturizes, refreshes and soothes the skin. This formula also gets bonus points for being made without parabens, fragrances, dyes, alcohol or sulfates.

4. Wishful Yo Glow AHA & BHA Facial Enzyme Scrub

This scrub from Wishful is packed with chemical and physical exfoliants that will help you achieve your softest skin yet. Made to be a suitable option for all skin types, the milky exfoliating formula tackles clogged pores, texture, skin flakes and dullness. A study even revealed that 99% of participants found that their skin felt softer after using the scrub for six weeks, while 93% agreed that their complexion appeared brighter.

The Yo Glow AHA & BHA Facial Enzyme Scrub contains both papaya and pineapple fruit enzymes, which work in tandem to gently exfoliate and smooth the skin while gradually fading the appearance of uneven skin tone. Beta hydroxy acid (salicylic acid) works deep in the pores to unclog excess oil and debris, helping fight and prevent breakouts. At the same time, alpha hydroxy acids (lactic, malic, tartaric and glycolic acids) work to further smooth texture and improve skin tone while getting rid of dead skin cells. Cellulose is used as the physical exfoliant, buffing away dead skin and other debris stuck to the surface of the skin.

While all of these highly effective exfoliants are the true stars of this formula, the scrub also contains additional supporting ingredients that benefit the skin. A range of fruit extracts (including coconut, banana, guava and blueberry extracts) further calm the complexion and provide antioxidant benefits. Ingredients like glycerin, sodium hyaluronate and sweet almond oil leave the skin feeling hydrated and plump. This Wishful scrub is also non-comedogenic (meaning it doesn’t contain ingredients known to clog pores), cruelty-free, clean and made without sulfates or parabens.

5. SheaMoisture Clarifying Facial Wash & Scrub

Another one of our favorite dead skin cleansers is the Clarifying Facial Wash & Scrub from SheaMoisture, which can be used up to two times per week. This scrub is specifically made for acne-prone and oily skin types, and it works to get rid of excess sebum while detoxifying the pores to keep the complexion clear. The physical exfoliants also clear away dead skin cells and other debris that can clog the pores and lead to breakouts.

The star of this SheaMoisture scrub is African black soap, which is made of cocoa pods, coconut oil, palm kernel oil and shea butter. This soap has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, making it a suitable solution for fighting and preventing breakouts, as well as minimizing any inflammation tied to current blemishes. The shea butter in the soap also deeply moisturizes and softens the skin, leaving it feeling smooth and comfortable after cleansing.

In addition to the African black soap, this scrub contains additional ingredients that further work to eliminate excess sebum and fight breakouts. Salicylic acid and willow bark extract exfoliate the skin and decongest the pores to keep the complexion clear and healthy. At the same time, tea tree leaf oil provides extra anti-inflammatory and antibacterial benefits, while tamarind fruit extract (which contains natural alpha hydroxy acids) continues to clear away dead skin cells on the surface of the skin.

The formula is finished off with ingredients like mango seed oil, bisabolol, panthenol and jojoba to soothe and moisturize the skin as it is being polished. This scrub is completely free of sulfates, parabens and phthalates, and is also cruelty-free.

6. Tatcha The Rice Polish Deep Foaming Enzyme Powder

Tatcha offers a few versions of the brand’s cult-favorite enzyme powder, but if you are looking for a seriously effective solution for buffing away dead skin cells, we recommend The Rice Polish Deep, which is made especially for combination and oily skin types. This powder is activated by water, which transforms it into a creamy, non-irritating exfoliating solution that polishes the skin to reveal a smooth, radiant complexion. It’s also specifically formulated to exfoliate the skin without stripping it of its moisture or disrupting skin barrier function.

One of the key ingredients in this Tatcha formula is Japanese rice bran, also known as komenuka. It’s put through a milling process that results in extremely fine particles that gently polish the skin to reveal a smoother complexion. The rice bran is also packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that nourish and soften the skin. This ingredient is joined by papaya enzymes, which further help remove dead skin cells on the surface of the skin to boost radiance and improve texture.

In addition to these exfoliating ingredients, The Rice Polish Deep Foaming Enzyme Cleanser contains Japanese wild rose, a skin-balancing ingredient that is packed with antioxidants. The formula also features the company’s trademarked trio of fermented Japanese superfoods (green tea, rice and algae), which is meant to restore radiance.

Additionally, belamcanda chinensis root extract helps calm the complexion, while houttuynia cordata extract provides antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial benefits. We also love that this powder is dermatologist tested, cruelty-free and made without synthetic fragrances, sulfates, phthalates or parabens.

7. Holifrog Shasta AHA Refining Acid Wash

Scrubs aren’t the only solution for clearing away dead skin cells and other debris on the face. If you’re looking for a solution that only uses chemical exfoliants, we highly recommend taking a look at the Holifrog Shasta AHA Refining Acid Wash. This formula uses an effective blend of alpha hydroxy acids that works to chemically exfoliate the skin to reveal a radiant, clear and soft complexion. It’s particularly well-suited for anyone that is prone to breakouts and pore congestion—or who just wants to tackle rough spots and dullness.

This Holifrog face wash features glycolic, mandelic, lactic, tartaric and citric acids. These alpha hydroxy acids sweep away dead skin cells and debris on the surface of the skin while decongesting the pores, fighting breakouts, improving rough texture and minimizing dullness. By eliminating pore clogs, these exfoliants also refine the appearance of enlarged pores, making them look smaller.

As these acids exfoliate the skin, Australian caviar lime extract brightens the complexion, while aloe vera calms and minimizes any redness. Tamanu and rosehip oils moisturize the skin while also working to nourish and strengthen it with vitamins, fatty acids and antioxidants.

This face wash is also thoughtfully created to be gentle on the skin, and it doesn’t contain essential oils, drying alcohols, fragrances, parabens or other ingredients that may aggravate the complexion. The formula is also cruelty-free.

8. Origins GinZing Refreshing Scrub Cleanser

This cleanser from Origins continues to be one of the absolute best exfoliating face washes on the market. The GinZing Refreshing Scrub Cleanser was made to be safe for daily use and gently buffs away dead skin cells and debris while brightening the complexion.

This Origins cleanser uses the power of jojoba beads and carnauba wax which gently buff the skin to reveal a smooth and soft complexion. These physical exfoliants also help unclog the pores to refine their appearance and keep blemishes at bay. While these ingredients polish the skin, caffeine derived from coffee beans boosts radiance in the complexion. Panax ginseng root extract also provides antioxidant benefits, and at the same time improves texture and uneven skin tone.

This cleanser has an uplifting and energizing scent that is naturally created from the essential oils of grapefruit, lemon, orange and spearmint. It’s also vegan, and made without parabens, phthalates or sulfates.

9. Dr. Brandt Skincare Microdermabrasion Renewing Age-Defying Face Exfoliator

If you’re looking for a scrubbing cleanser that will help fight signs of aging, look no further than the Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Renewing Age-Defying Face Exfoliator. Inspired by in-office microdermabrasion, this cleanser contains both physical and chemical exfoliants, and was created to effectively polish and smooth the skin while minimizing signs of aging.

Of course, the brand offers evidence to prove these claims. In a small study, 100% of participants reported that the formula softened the skin, improved uneven tone and increased skin hydration. After four weeks of use, 87% of the participants agreed that they experienced a reduction of wrinkles and expression lines.

This Dr. Brandt cleanser physically exfoliates with biodegradable micro-granules, which are made from renewable wood cellulose. The granules come in a variety of sizes to offer a gentle yet effective polishing effect. Lactic and glycolic acids (which are alpha hydroxy acids) chemically exfoliate the complexion, removing dead skin cells and particles on the surface of the skin. Over time, they help improve texture and uneven skin tone while softening the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

As the exfoliants clear away debris on the skin, ingredients like glycerin, allantoin and pericarp extract lock in moisture and soothe the complexion, ensuring the skin is soft and comfortable after the exfoliating process. The dermatologist-tested cleanser is vegan and cruelty-free, and it doesn’t contain any parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances or sulfates.

10. Tula So Poreless Deep Exfoliating & Blackhead Face Scrub

Anyone prone to blackheads, congested skin and clogged pores will want to check out this exfoliating cleanser from Tula. The So Poreless Deep Exfoliating & Blackhead Face Scrub is created to whisk away debris to boost radiance and softness while purifying the skin for a healthy and clear complexion. This formula is perfect for deeply exfoliating the complexion two to three times per week.

This Tula scrub uses the power of volcanic sand and pink salt to physically buff away dead skin cells on the surface of the skin. Lactic acid chemically exfoliates the skin and works alongside hibiscus flower and willow bark extracts to dissolve impurities deep in the pores. Together, all of these ingredients ensure the pores stay clear of clogs to minimize the risk of blemishes and enlarged pores.

The formula is packed with additional ingredients that are highly effective at clarifying the skin. Kaolin draws out impurities, while witch hazel and raspberry leaf extracts calm inflammation and reduce excess sebum that can contribute to clogged pores and breakouts.

At the same time, a range of probiotic extracts improve smoothness in the skin and balance the complexion, while a powerful blend of fruit extracts (including orange peel, grapefruit peel, pineapple, strawberry and apple) nourish and further support overall skin health. This Tula cleansing scrub also has a clean formula that is made without sulfates, parabens, phthalates or synthetic fragrances.

FAQs

Ready to work one of these scrubs into your routine? Here are some of the answers to the most frequently asked questions about using an exfoliating cleanser.

How often should you use an exfoliating cleanser?

Exactly how frequently you use an exfoliating cleanser will depend on a few different factors. First, you need to look at the specific formula you are using. Some cleansers are made to be gentle enough for daily use, whereas others exfoliate more deeply and are better suited for less frequent use.

You also need to keep your own skin’s needs in mind. Some will find that using an exfoliating cleanser (even if it’s a mild one) on a daily basis is too harsh for their skin. If this is your first time adding an exfoliator to your routine, try using it every couple nights to start, and adjusting as you see fit.

Last but not least, look at what other exfoliating products you are using in your routine. If you use a chemical exfoliant (a product that contains alpha hydroxy and/or beta hydroxy acids, like glycolic, lactic, or salicylic acids), you won’t want to use that right after cleansing with an exfoliating face wash. This can lead to over exfoliation, increasing your risk of dryness and irritation.

When you aren’t using your exfoliating cleanser, you can use another gentle daily face wash that is suitable for your skin type.

How do I pick the best exfoliating cleanser for my skin?

The first thing to consider is your skin type. For example, if you have dry skin, you might want to seek out a formula that also contains hydrating ingredients like shea butter, oils, and glycerin. On the other hand, if you have sensitive skin, you should look for a milder exfoliating cleanser that is made to be gentle enough for more irritation-prone skin.

You should also consider what you’re looking for in an exfoliating cleanser. Do you want a gentle formula that you can use every morning to keep your skin fresh and polished, or are you looking for a more intense solution that gives your skin a deep scrub once a week (or less)? Deciding how this cleanser will work into your routine can help you narrow down your options.

Finally, keep your price point in mind. An exfoliating cleanser will only work if you use it regularly, so you want to find a product in your budget so that you’ll be willing to continue using it consistently.

What are the next steps after using an exfoliating cleanser?

After using an exfoliating cleanser, you can move on to the next steps in your typical skincare routine. Follow up with any treatments or serums you may be using, and then finish off with a moisturizer. A moisturizer is absolutely essential, as it will seal in moisture and keep your skin feeling and looking soft and smooth. During the day, be sure to also wear sunscreen to protect your skin against UV rays.

As noted above, if you’re using a more intense exfoliating cleanser, you’ll want to avoid using other leave-on exfoliants (or any other harsh active ingredients) immediately after cleansing. This can increase your risk of irritation and dryness and will ultimately do more harm than good.

Can a normal cleanser remove dead skin?

A normal cleanser can help remove some of the dead skin cells present on your face, and will also get rid of other impurities and debris on the skin that can clog pores and lead to texture issues. However, a dedicated exfoliating cleanser is better equipped to dissolve the bonds that hold these dead skin cells to the skin. This makes it a more effective solution for removing any dead skin cells that are harder to whisk away with a standard cleanser. Ultimately, this is why you’ll want to incorporate exfoliation into your routine—to ensure you’re getting rid of all dead skin cells present on the skin.