Best body exfoliators, from acid lotions to scrubs (2026)

Key takeaways

• Most body exfoliators use acids, such as Salicylic, Glycolic, or Lactic Acid, or Urea to loosen rough, visibly dry skin. The AAD says people with dry or sensitive skin may prefer a mild chemical exfoliator to a scrub.

• Our top pick is Paula’s Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA, a leave-on Salicylic Acid lotion for rough, bumpy arms and legs.

• CeraVe SA Cream is the value pick: Salicylic Acid, Ammonium Lactate, and Ceramides in a 12 oz tub for $25.99.

• For one body serum that combines several exfoliating acids with Urea, peptides, and Retinol, U Beauty’s Resurfacing Body Compound is applied after the shower, before body moisturizer.

• Alpha Hydroxy Acids raise sun sensitivity, so any exfoliated skin that sees daylight needs sunscreen.

What is the best body exfoliator? For most people, a leave-on lotion with an acid or Urea, used a few times a week to start, because it stays on your skin far longer than a wash or a scrub. The eight below cover every format, from leave-on lotions and a serum to a solid stick, two in-shower scrubs, and a body wash, and their listed prices run from $17 to $128.

How body exfoliators work

There are two ways to exfoliate. The AAD explains that mechanical exfoliation uses a tool or a scrub, while chemical exfoliation uses acids, and adds that the more aggressive the exfoliation, the less often you need to do it. Our guide to AHA vs BHA explains how the two main acid families differ.

• Salicylic Acid (a Beta Hydroxy Acid): oil-soluble, and often used on rough, bumpy skin.

• Glycolic and Lactic Acids (Alpha Hydroxy Acids): work at the surface and suit dull-looking, visibly dry, or uneven-looking texture.

• Urea: softens and hydrates at the same time, a gentler place to start for very dry skin.

• Pumice and other scrub particles: buff by hand and rinse off, best used sparingly.

What about rough bumps on the arms? Small, rough bumps on the backs of the arms are often keratosis pilaris. Cleveland Clinic says about 40% of adults get them at some point, and that Urea, Alpha Hydroxy Acids, Salicylic Acid, and Glycolic Acid “can sometimes improve the look” of them. The AAD’s keratosis pilaris self-care page warns against scrubbing, which “tends to irritate the skin.”

Leave-on or rinse-off? A lotion, cream, serum, or stick stays on your skin until your next shower. A wash or scrub works only for the minute or two before you rinse. That’s why the leave-on formats sit higher on this list.

At a glance

1. Paula’s Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA: best body exfoliator overall

2. CeraVe SA Cream for Rough & Bumpy Skin: best value leave-on cream

3. U Beauty Resurfacing Body Compound: best multitasking exfoliating body serum

4. La Roche-Posay Lipikar Urea 10% Roughness Smoothing Lotion: best for sensitive, very dry skin

5. The INKEY List Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Body Stick: best for small areas

6. First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub 10% AHA: best acid body scrub

7. Naturium The Smoother Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Body Wash: best in-shower exfoliant

8. Nécessaire The Body Exfoliator: best scrub that combines pumice with three acid types

How we compared these body exfoliators

Nothing here was tested on skin. We went by what each brand publishes on its product page and ingredient list, as of October 2026:

• The exfoliating ingredient: the acid, Urea, or scrub particle, with its strength where the brand states it.

• Format: leave-on or rinse-off.

• Fragrance: stated by the brand or shown on the ingredient list.

• Directions: how often, and where on the body.

• Cost: price and size on the brand’s product page.

Body exfoliators compared

1. Paula’s Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA: best body exfoliator overall

Paula’s Choice makes this as a light leave-on lotion with 2% Salicylic Acid (Paula’s Choice gives a pH of 3.5 to 3.9), plus Allantoin, Bisabolol, and green tea extract. Paula’s Choice says it’s fragrance-free, though its ingredient list includes vanilla fruit extract, and the brand notes the lotion may carry a light scent from its ingredients that fades quickly.

Key features:

• 2% Salicylic Acid: Paula’s Choice says it softens rough skin and targets hard, clogged-looking pores on the arms and legs.

• Rough, bumpy skin: Paula’s Choice says it suits skin prone to keratosis pilaris.

• Daily or spot use: all over, or only where it’s needed, with sunscreen in the daytime.

Best for: rough, bumpy skin on the arms and legs.

Tradeoff: it has no Alpha Hydroxy Acid, and Paula’s Choice says to talk to a doctor before using it if you’re allergic to salicylates.

Price: $35 for 7 fl oz.

2. CeraVe SA Cream for Rough & Bumpy Skin: best value leave-on cream

CeraVe’s cream pairs a Beta Hydroxy Acid, Salicylic Acid, with an Alpha Hydroxy Acid, Lactic Acid in the form of Ammonium Lactate, in a moisturizing base with Niacinamide, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, and three Ceramides (NP, AP, and EOP). CeraVe labels it free of added fragrance and points it at the upper arms and thighs.

Key features:

• Two exfoliating acids: a BHA and an AHA in a cream that also moisturizes.

• Ceramides: CeraVe’s usual three.

• Large size: 12 oz covers a lot of skin for the price.

Best for: very dry, rough skin on a budget.

Tradeoff: the formula includes Mineral Oil and parabens, which some people prefer to avoid, and CeraVe recommends protecting treated areas from the sun.

Price: $25.99 for 12 oz.

3. U Beauty Resurfacing Body Compound: best multitasking exfoliating body serum

If your body routine has grown to an exfoliant, a smoothing lotion, and a moisturizer, the Resurfacing Body Compound combines the benefits of the first two in one serum. U Beauty’s Exfoliating Body Serum lists Glycolic Acid fifth, Lactic Acid 11th, and Salicylic Acid 13th, with Mandelic and Lactobionic Acids, Urea, peptides, and Retinol further down, with proprietary SIREN Capsule Technology™ in the formula. U Beauty says it’s designed to help visibly improve uneven-looking texture, discoloration, and rough, flaky-looking skin anywhere on the body, leaving it visibly brighter and smoother-looking.

U Beauty reports that after a month of daily use, an expert clinical evaluation of 30 volunteers found that 96% saw an improvement in skin softness and 93% in skin smoothness.

Key features:

• Five acids, Urea, and Retinol: in one leave-on body serum.

• After the shower: smoothed over dry skin, with extra attention on rough-looking spots, in the morning, at night, or both.

• First in the body routine: it’s applied before The SUPER Body Hydrator, per U Beauty.

Best for: anyone who wants one body serum that combines exfoliating acids with Retinol and peptides, allowing a longer body routine to get shorter.

Tradeoff: at $128 for 200 ml it’s the highest price here, and Methyldihydrojasmonate, a fragrance ingredient, is on its INCI. Daytime use calls for sunscreen on exposed skin, U Beauty says.

Price: $128 for 200 ml.

4. La Roche-Posay Lipikar Urea 10% Roughness Smoothing Lotion: best for sensitive, very dry skin

La Roche-Posay skips acids here and uses 10% Urea, with Shea Butter, Glycerin, and Allantoin. The brand labels it fragrance-free and paraben-free and says it suits sensitive skin.

Key features:

• 10% Urea: softens rough, visibly dry skin while it hydrates.

• La Roche-Posay’s figures: the brand says 96% of people found it left dry areas feeling less rough.

• Twice-daily use: made for all-over body use, morning and night.

Best for: sensitive, dry to extra-dry skin.

Tradeoff: Urea works more gradually than an acid lotion, so it suits ongoing care better than a quick smoothing.

Price: $22.99.

5. The INKEY List Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Body Stick: best for small areas

The INKEY List puts 7% Glycolic Acid, 0.5% Salicylic Acid, and 10% Shea Butter in a solid, waterless stick that you glide onto rough spots, such as elbows, knees, and heels, with no rinsing. The INKEY List says it’s clinically tested and fragrance-free, and reports improved skin texture in as little as seven days in a four-week consumer study of 100 people.

Key features:

• Targeted application: the stick keeps the acids where you put them.

• Gradual start: The INKEY List suggests a few times a week, moving to daily if your skin is comfortable.

• Morning or night: apply to clean, dry skin.

Best for: rough elbows, knees, heels, and other small patches.

Tradeoff: at 45 g it’s made for small areas, not all-over use, and The INKEY List advises sunscreen on treated areas that see the sun.

Price: $20 for 45 g.

6. First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub 10% AHA: best acid body scrub

First Aid Beauty’s scrub combines pumice with Glycolic and Lactic Acids and Colloidal Oatmeal. It rinses off, and you use it in the shower on wet skin.

Key features:

• Physical and chemical exfoliation: pumice buffs while the acids loosen visibly dry skin.

• First Aid Beauty’s figures: in a 10-day consumer perception test with 38 participants, 92% of panelists with keratosis pilaris said it made their skin feel exceptionally smooth.

• Sunburn alert: as with any AHA product, the FDA advises sunscreen while using it and for a week afterward.

Best for: people who like the feel of a scrub, used sparingly.

Tradeoff: First Aid Beauty says to use it only once or twice a week, and the AAD warns that abrasive scrubs can be too irritating for dry or sensitive skin.

Price: $30 for 8 oz.

7. Naturium The Smoother Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Body Wash: best in-shower exfoliant

Naturium’s cream body wash lists Glycolic Acid third, after Water and Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, with Lactic, Malic, Pyruvic, and Tartaric Acids further down, at a stated pH of 4.25 to 4.75. Naturium labels it fragrance-free and says it’s gentle enough for daily use, and that it can double as a facial cleanser.

Key features:

• Five acids in a wash: Glycolic plus Lactic, Malic, Pyruvic, and Tartaric, without adding a step.

• Leave-on option: Naturium suggests leaving it on for a few minutes before rinsing.

• Large bottle: 16.9 oz for $17.

Best for: adding gentle exfoliation to your shower routine.

Tradeoff: a wash stays on your skin only briefly, so it does less than a leave-on lotion.

Price: $17 for 16.9 oz.

8. Nécessaire The Body Exfoliator: best scrub that combines pumice with three acid types

Nécessaire’s gel scrub pairs volcanic pumice with Alpha, Beta, and Polyhydroxy Acids, at a stated pH of 5.2 to 6.2. Nécessaire describes it as a mild-to-moderate in-shower exfoliating cleanse for keratosis pilaris, ingrown hairs, and rough, textured patches, and says it’s non-stripping and made without sulfates (SLS and SLES), silicones, and parabens.

Key features:

• Physical plus chemical: pumice beads and three acid families in one cleanse.

• Three versions: Eucalyptus, Santal, and Fragrance-Free.

• A gel texture: with buffing beads, rather than an oil-based scrub.

Best for: people who want a scrub feel with acids built in, a few times a week.

Tradeoff: the Eucalyptus version carries fragrance notes of eucalyptus, Siberian fir, lavender, and ginger, so choose Fragrance-Free if scent bothers your skin, and like any pumice scrub it’s best used gently.

Price: $35 for 180 ml (6.1 fl oz).

How to exfoliate your body safely

Start slowly. Use a new exfoliant a few times a week before going daily. The AAD also advises against exfoliating skin that has open cuts or wounds or is sunburned. For the face, our piece on how often to exfoliate applies the same thinking.

Moisturize afterward. Exfoliating ingredients can leave skin feeling dry, so follow with a moisturizer. For what to apply next, see our body lotions for dry skin.

Wear sunscreen on exfoliated skin. According to the FDA, people who used an AHA for four weeks became 18% more sensitive to UV reddening. Our guide to mineral vs chemical sunscreen explains the options.

Don’t scrub hard. Scrubbing can irritate rough, bumpy skin and make it look worse.

Pick one acid product at a time. A leave-on acid lotion plus an acid scrub plus an acid wash on the same skin is a lot. Choose one leave-on and, if you like, one rinse-off.

Keep body products off your face. Several of these, including the First Aid Beauty scrub and The INKEY List stick, are made for the body rather than the face. Our list of face exfoliators covers face-specific picks.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best body exfoliator?

For most people, a leave-on lotion with Salicylic Acid, an Alpha Hydroxy Acid, or Urea, such as Paula’s Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA or CeraVe SA Cream. For dry or sensitive skin, the AAD suggests a mild chemical exfoliant over a scrub.

Are acid exfoliants better than body scrubs?

Often, yes, especially for dry or sensitive skin. Scrubs work on contact and rinse off, while leave-on acid lotions keep working after you apply them, and the AAD warns that scrubbing can irritate the skin.

How often should you exfoliate your body?

It depends on the product. Scrubs, such as First Aid Beauty’s, are meant for once or twice a week, while gentler lotions can often be used daily once your skin is used to them.

What is the best exfoliant for keratosis pilaris?

The AAD lists Alpha Hydroxy Acids, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Salicylic Acid, and Urea among the ingredients that may help. Paula’s Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA and CeraVe SA Cream are two common picks.

Do I need sunscreen after using an AHA body lotion?

Yes, on any skin that sees the sun. The FDA reports that AHAs raise UV sensitivity and recommends a sunburn alert on AHA products telling people to use sunscreen while using them and for a week afterward.

Related reading

• The 7 best exfoliators for your face

• The 7 best exfoliators for uneven, bumpy skin texture on the face and body

• Dermatologist-recommended skincare products

• The 7 best firming body lotions for crepey-looking skin

• The 7 best body lotions for dry skin