Exfoliators: tried and tested
The Hitchin and Letchworth outdoor pools are finally reopening so it's time to gear up for the summer’s main attraction – getting bronzed, and what better way to do that than to prep your skin with a great exfoliating body scrub? Ella Walker tries the best on the highstreet
Dull, wintery skin in shades of “pasty” and “dried out” is never a good look but especially not when ice-cream weather kicks in. You can’t head straight outside and get your tan on though without getting your skin into shape first. So, I set out to find the perfect reinvigorating skin scrub…
Sweet Lemon Body Scrub, £5, The Body Shop
It’s about time The Body Shop started selling edible versions of their products because this (and their heavenly satsuma soap I always want to gnaw on) is practically a dessert. In terms of smell “lemony” is an understatement, and luckily the zestiness lingers on your skin long after you use it. Sadly, when it came to the texture, I was a little disappointed. At times the grittiness and lack of bubbles made it feel more like an all-over-body nail file than an invigorating scrub. However, the sweet lemon moisturiser (of the same range) helped sooth and soften me up afterwards. Still, a half-hearted effort.
3/5
St Ives Invigorating Scrub, £4.38, Superdrug
Normally I can’t bear apricots unless they are wrapped in bacon and baked, but mashed up in a skin product, they are irresistible. This scrub’s gluey consistency left my skin dead-cell free and definitely looking much brighter, plus it smells gorgeous and comes in a great squeezy bottle that doesn’t let you get through it too quickly; it’s a little on the pricey side. But it’s worth it, somehow it manages to cleanse, buff and bubble in one go and is perfect for bringing dry skin back to life. Am in love with it.
4/5
Radox Mineral Spa Scrub, £1.99, Boots
Radox’s offering blends sea minerals with finely ground apricot seeds, and you can tell too because the seeds stick to the bottom of the bath like coffee granules after you’ve finished showering. Despite that, I’m quite a fan. It’s grainy in a good way and your skin feels like it’s getting a gentle roughing up, like having a pore by pore massage. You end up understanding exactly what “squeaky clean” feels like and it’s great value, but it needs a yummier smell.
4/5
Simple Exfoliating Body Wash, £2.10, Boots
Stuffed with shreds of loofah and chamomile oil this exfoliator lacks what you’d normally get from a scrub: anything gritty or grainy. Simple was never going to produce an exfoliator that would scour your skin though and this one gently buffs it into shape instead. My favourite of the bunch, it isn’t all that tasty – it sticks to Simple’s no colour, no perfume policy – but after a week of lathering up with it my skin was left smooth, soft and not a bit war-torn. Positively radiant.
5/5
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