If you've ever searched "how to exfoliate your body," you've probably been hit with a wall of conflicting advice. Dry brush first. Use a scrub in the shower. Try a chemical exfoliant. Don't overdo it, but also don't skip it. Body exfoliation is genuinely one of the best things you can do for your skin, but only when you understand what's actually going on and pick the right approach for what you're trying to fix.
Chemical vs Physical Exfoliation: What's the Difference?
This is where most of the confusion starts, so it's worth understanding what each type actually does.
Physical exfoliation is what most people picture when they hear the word "exfoliate." It's anything textured that buffs dead skin cells off the surface, such as sugar scrubs, body brushes, exfoliating gloves, and washcloths. It feels great, it's easy to do, and it gets the job done. The downside is that it only works on the very top layer of skin. It can't get into your pores or break down the deeper buildup that causes things like rough texture, body breakouts, or keratosis pilaris.
Chemical exfoliation takes a different route. Instead of harsh scrubbing, it uses acids to dissolve the bonds that hold dead skin cells together, so they shed on their own. The two main types you'll see in body care are AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids, like glycolic acid) and BHAs (beta hydroxy acids, like salicylic acid). AHAs work on the skin's surface to smooth out texture and even your tone. BHAs are oil-soluble, so they can actually get inside your pores and clear out oil and buildup from within. When a product uses both, you're getting exfoliation that works on multiple levels at once.
Neither type is bad. If you're dealing with anything beyond everyday dryness, like KP, body acne, ingrown hairs, or uneven skin tone, chemical exfoliation is where you'll see the biggest difference.
Why Your Body Needs Different Exfoliation Than Your Face
It might seem like it makes sense to just use the same exfoliating products everywhere, but the skin on your body is built differently. It's thicker and tougher than your face, which means it can handle higher concentrations of active ingredients, and usually needs them to see real results. That said, some areas like the inner arms, chest, and inner thighs are more sensitive and deserve the same kind of care you'd give your face.
The other thing worth thinking about is that body skin concerns tend to show up differently. Rough, bumpy texture on your upper arms and thighs? That's usually KP. Breakouts on your chest and back? Likely clogged pores plus friction from your clothes. Dry, flaky patches on your elbows and knees? Slow cell turnover. These are all different issues, and a single product or approach isn't going to solve all of them well.
Why You Should Exfoliate Before You Shower
Most people exfoliate in the shower, usually with a scrub or an exfoliating body wash. That works for a quick refresh, but the pre-shower approach is trending for a good reason.
When you put a chemical exfoliant on dry skin before you get in the shower, two things happen. The active ingredients aren't getting diluted by water, so they work at full strength, and you can give them proper time to do their thing. Leaving an acid-based product on the skin for five to eight minutes means the ingredients have a real chance to break down dead cells and get into your pores, instead of washing off before they've started working.
This is exactly why we made Soft-Touch the way we did. It's a pre-shower exfoliating body mask with 30% glycolic acid and 2% salicylic acid. You put it on dry skin, wait five to eight minutes, then rinse it off in the shower. The format is designed around how chemical exfoliation actually works best, not just what's easiest to use.
How Often Should You Exfoliate Your Body?
This might be the most common question in body care, and it really comes down to what kind of exfoliation you're doing and how your skin reacts.
For chemical exfoliation with ingredients like AHAs and BHAs, once or twice a week works for most people. Your skin needs time between sessions to breathe, and exfoliating more often doesn't get you faster results; it just makes irritation more likely.
For lighter physical exfoliation, like a washcloth or a gentle scrub, you can do it a little more often, maybe two or three times a week, since it's not as intense.
The thing to watch out for is doing both on the same day. Using a scrub and then putting on a chemical exfoliant right after is asking for trouble, even on body skin that can take more than your face.
Common Body Exfoliation Mistakes
Even with the best intentions, there are a few things that commonly go wrong with body exfoliation.
Exfoliating too often
More is not more. If you're exfoliating every single day, your skin never gets a break. Over time, that can wear down your skin's barrier, which leads to dryness, sensitivity, and sometimes even more breakouts than you had before.
Using the wrong exfoliant for what you're trying to fix
Scrubs are great for making your skin feel smooth in the moment, but if you're trying to deal with KP, body acne, or ingrown hairs, you need a chemical exfoliant that can actually get into your pores. Scrubs aren't the problem; they're just not the answer to everything.
Skipping moisturizer afterward
Freshly exfoliated skin needs hydration to stay comfortable and protected, so always follow up with a moisturizer after you exfoliate. We designed Summer Skin as the hydrating partner to Soft-Touch for exactly this reason. It locks in moisture on freshly exfoliated skin and keeps it soft throughout the day.
Forgetting about sunscreen
AHAs like glycolic acid make your skin more sensitive to UV. If you're using a chemical exfoliant on areas that see the sun and you're not wearing SPF, you're working against yourself.
Exfoliating skin that's already irritated
If your skin is sunburned, freshly waxed/shaved, or already feeling raw, let it calm down first. Putting acids or scrubs on skin that's already compromised is only going to set you back.
Building a Body Exfoliation Routine That Actually Works
Your body exfoliation routine doesn't need to be complicated. It just needs to match what you're using to what you're trying to fix, stay consistent, and include hydration.
A simple weekly exfoliating routine
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Once or twice a week, use a chemical exfoliant like Soft-Touch before your shower.
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Follow up with Summer Skin to hydrate and protect your freshly exfoliated skin.
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On the other days, wash with a gentle body wash and apply Summer Skin as your daily moisturizer.
A mix of active exfoliation days and rest days gives your skin the push it needs to turn over cells and clear buildup, without overdoing it.
Tip: If you're new to chemical exfoliation on the body, start with once a week and see how it goes. You can move to twice a week once you're confident your skin handles it well. Doing a patch test before your first time with any new active product is always recommended.
Treating Your Body Skin Like It Matters
For a long time, body care just meant a bar of soap and maybe some lotion. Using active ingredients on your body the same way you'd use them on your face wasn't something most people thought about.
That's changed. Ingredients like glycolic acid, salicylic acid, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin B5 are showing up in body care because they genuinely work, and people are starting to want the same kind of results below the neck that they expect from their facial skincare. Your body deserves that same attention, and knowing how to exfoliate your body the right way is where it all starts.
