22 Best Natural + Organic Body Scrubs For Glowing Skin

PUBLISHED: 04/12/2019 | LAST UPDATED: 01/17/2020

This article may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy for more details. To learn more about how we selected the products featured on this list, check out our product review & research standards.

If an organic body scrub isn’t already a part of your beauty regimen, then you could be missing out on glowing skin from head to toe. Routine body exfoliation unveils glowing skin by removing all of the dirt, oil, and dead skin cells that are sitting on the surface of your skin and clogging up your pores. While there are a variety of ways to exfoliate the body, organic body scrubs are easily the most fun and skin-nourishing option. Organic exfoliating body scrubs are made from skin nourishing ingredients that are literally good enough to eat—like coffee beans, sugar, Himalayan pink salt, coconut oil, and oatmeal. We’ve even tried a natural scrub made from real crushed amethyst gemstones! In this article we’ll share some expert body exfoliation tips (especially for those with sensitive skin), a few luxurious homemade organic body scrub recipes, and our top 20 truly organic body scrub products.

Benefits of Natural Body Scrubs
Body exfoliation with a natural scrub has the same great benefits of facial exfoliation. By removing dead skin cells, freeing ingrown hairs, and unclogging pores, routine body exfoliation creates smoother, softer, and visibly plumper skin. A full body exfoliation can even help to treat body acne & blackheads, reduce the appearance of stretch marks, remove flaky patches, and soften dry skin.

One simple beauty trick is to exfoliate with a body scrub before shaving for a smoother result. A body scrub works to gently unclog blocked pores, free ingrown hairs, and clear away dead skin cells that can accumulate around the hair follicles.

One of the most potent benefits of exfoliation is that it can actually improve your skin’s ability to absorb skin care products more efficiently. By removing all of the gunk and debris off of the surface of your skin, exfoliation creates a beautiful canvas for body lotions and oils to work their magic.

How to Use a Body Scrub for Glowing Skin?
The first rule of exfoliation is—don’t overdo it. Over-exfoliation can seriously damage the skin and can lead to dark spots and hyperpigmentation, unbalanced oil production, red skin, acne, and even scarring. To avoid over-exfoliation, start by using an organic body scrub just once per week. Combined with a luscious organic body oil or body butter treatment, weekly exfoliation is all most people need. If you need a little more exfoliation than that, then gradually increase to 2-3 times per week.

The best place to use a body scrub is in the shower or bath. Simply take a handful of the body scrub and gently massage in circular motions over your whole body. Don’t scrub too aggressively! You’ll be surprised at how little scrubbing is needed to unveil new skin. You can let the exfoliant sit on your skin for a few minutes before rinsing.

Who Should Avoid Using Body Scrubs?
There are some skin conditions which can be made worse by using a body scrub. Those with acne cysts and pustules, rosacea, raised skin issues such as warts, herpes, or fluid-filled bumps, should pass on using a body scrub while those conditions are present. You run the risk of bursting and spreading bacteria and exacerbating the issue.

Those with sensitive skin should avoid harsh abrasives (such as large salt, sugar, and nut granules) and concentrated glycolic, lactic, and AHA/BHA acids. Finely crushed powders and very mild natural fruit acids are the better way to go.

Types of Body Scrubs & Best Ingredients
You may be wondering if there are any differences between a body scrub, body exfoliant, and body polish. A body polish is typically made with finer grain exfoliants than a body scrub (which can be made with large chunks of salt or sugar). Otherwise, each term can be pretty much used interchangeably.

When it comes to the actual scrubbing action, some of the best natural body scrubs are coffee grounds, salt, sugar, jojoba beads, fruit acids, bamboo, and nuts powders. These ingredients are abrasive enough to loosen dead + dry skin without causing skin damage.

Natural Body Scrubs vs Conventional Body Scrubs
Simple natural body scrub ingredients are all you need to achieve healthy glowing skin. However, there are many body scrub products made with ingredients that are not only bad for your skin, but bad for the environment as well.

The first of such ingredient are micro-beads. Micro-beads are typically synthetically created from plastic. They are harsh on the skin and have been known to cause microscopic abrasions. These tiny abrasions are invitations for bacteria and chemicals to make their way into your body (2).

Additionally, many conventional body scrubs are made with synthetic fragrances, parabens, powerful soaps and detergents, artificial waxes, and strong alcohols. These ingredients are typically used as cheap fillers, preservatives, or additives to create unnatural textures and scents. All in all, these chemicals are often chosen because of their cost effectiveness not necessarily because they are beneficial for your skin.

How to Find a Natural & Organic Body Scrub?
Luckily, we’ve done a lot of the heavy lifting for you when it comes to researching the best organic and all-natural body scrubs. Our team spent hours researching and reviewing over 100 “so called” organic body scrubs to bring you this top list of over 20 authentically natural & organic options. Trust us when we say that there are some seriously addictive scrubs on this list. All of these body scrubs meet our strict ingredient standards, which means that they are free from sulfates, parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals + mineral oils, synthetic fragrances + dyes, PEG compounds, ethoxylated ingredients, and much more.

To quickly find the best body scrub for your needs, use our FILTER function to find organic exfoliating body masks, exfoliating body peels, luxury organic body scrubs, organic salt scrubs, organic sugar scrubs, organic coffee scrubs, and organic scrubs for feet. Enjoy!