FACIAL EXFOLIATOR

We had SOOOOO many great entries for this, in 2023, that we’ve sub-divided exfoliators into three categories: more traditional-style creams and gels (here), liquids, and pads. The boom in exfoliating treatments can be linked to the quest for ‘glow’ which has gripped the world of beauty-seekers: more perhaps even than lines and wrinkles, we want to banish dull-looking, and regain our radiance. Fact: dead skin cells not only make skin look lacklustre; they ‘suck up’ product and keep it sitting on the surface. 

Here, you’ll find products that come in a tube – all of them enzyme-based rather than using beads or other skin-sloughing particles, which seem to have fallen majorly from favour. If you like to swipe on an exfoliating treatment, click here for toner-style products. And for exfoliating pads, with an even more intensive action, click here.

Whichever style of product you opt for, though, exfoliation remains one of the quickest fixes we know, in skincare.

GOLD (JOINT) AWARD  HUDA Beauty WISHFUL Yo Glow Enzyme Scrub

Can we just say: we do rather wish that HUDA didn’t give their products such playful names – because we reckon they put off a contingent of beauty-hounds (women of probably 40+) who would really benefit from what is actually a serious, benefits-led skincare line. We were converted ourselves to this when we first tried it, featuring it as a ‘Beauty Bible Loves’: a milky gel with a three-in-one physical, chemical and enzymatic exfoliating action, boasting AHAs, BHAs and gentle particles that roll away dead skin cells and impurities. This little tube of wonderment can be used as often as once a day by any skintype, they promise – though we’d suggest less frequently than that for super-dry or touchy skins.

£34 for 100ml - click to buy 

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘A no-irritation product that brightens up skin; lovely and refreshing after use.  Skin brighter, softer and smoother and evenness has definitely improved; my skin has a lovely glow after use’ • ‘A lovely consistency – similar to double cream – easy to apply and spread over my face. Enjoyable to use and very satisfying seeing the dry skin slough off my face!’ • ‘I’ve never really used a facial exfoliator before, as I never liked the feel of the ones I have used on my body. This is a game-changer. It goes on easily and makes little “bobbles” on your skin, but doesn't feel scratchy or abrasive and leaves skin feeling soft and cleansed’ • ‘A magic skin lift in a tube. I did a blind test on my husband, asking him to feel both cheeks(no clues or leading questions, only asking for his opinion on how it felt!) and without hesitation, he said the side I had been using the You Glow on felt softer and smoother. My sister also complimented my makeup free skin, saying it looked brighter’ • ‘Why haven't I heard of Yo Glow before?! This product has taken me by surprise. I was wary when I saw it had AHAs and BHAs since in the past I have suffered redness, but it never happened – not so much as a tight feeling’ • ‘Over a very short space of time my skin was looking really even and I had a noticeable natural glow, and after every use I was left with silky, smooth skin. I have already bought the jumbo size and have raved about this product to friends and family.’

£34 for 100ml - click to buy 

GOLD (JOINT) AWARD  Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment

Who wouldn’t want to be two minutes from brighter skin? That’s the promise with this cult brand’s ‘clinic-inspired’ green gel-cream, which is powered by cell-dissolving fruit acids and enzymes rather than scrub-like particles. Simply apply a thin layer once or twice a week, massage using a circular motion for 30 seconds, wait two minutes and rinse/pat dry. (Sensitive skins should remove after one minute.) Powerful exfoliating ingredients include enzymes from pumpkin, papaya and pineapple; lactic acid (an AHA that is right at the top of the ingredients lists) and salicylic acid (BHA), rosewood and cinnamon extracts, along with aloe vera, honey and vitamin E, to soothe; some testers found the predicted tingling sensation quite intense, at first. Delivered from a tube, and Kate Somerville recommend a patch test first, as with all active products in their range.

£69 for 60ml - click to buy 

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘Lovely to have an exfoliating treatment that is a “mask” rather than a toner. I love the tingle it gives you; the masochist in me wants to leave it on longer than advised to see what else it can do (I didn't though!)’ • ‘Might look and smell weird, but it really packs a punch – excellent product’ • ‘This product is a killer. It really does improve the feel of your skin – it’s a strong one though, so I would only use it once or twice a week’ • ‘Skin felt brighter and fresher. Blemishes were less red and angry which is a game changer for me; brilliant for smoothing out skin’ • ‘I will be adding this to my regular routine. My skin felt smoother and looked brighter as well and I felt I could see a difference immediately. Not drying at all; my face just felt really clean, soft and ready to apply my products’ • ‘I use it in the shower twice a week and leave it on as per the instructions for a couple of minutes. There is a slight tingling sensation after a minute or so but nothing uncomfortable. It washes off really easily and I do feel that my skin looks brighter and fresher immediately after using it’ • ‘Fewer breakouts on my skin, and it felt smoother. Lovely product, something I used when relaxing and winding down in the evening as the smell is very soothing.’

£69 for 60ml - click to buy 

SILVER AWARD  Gatineau Radiance Enhancing Enzymatic Gommage

A personal fave in the Beauty Bible office, this is designed for sensitive complexions and for those experiencing ‘breakouts, clogged pores, dull skin, uneven skin tone and pigmentation’. Wheat extract, glycolic/malic/lactic acids, plumping hyaluronic acid and vitamin C feature, alongside bacillus ferment (a mild enzymatic exfoliating derived from fermentation), and a new-to-us ingredient called Corallina extract, derived from red algae, which has been shown to improve circulation while reducing redness. Texture-wise, unusually for an exfoliator, it starts out as a balm and morphs on skin into a soft oil, getting to work over just two minutes before you remove with warm water.

£43 for 75ml - click to buy 

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘My daughter has noticed the difference in my skin, saying I look refreshed, as if I’d had a holiday. It’s a very quick and easy product to use, gentle with no harsh beads or grains to damage the skin, no roughness or abrasiveness, so it should be suitable for all skin types’ • ‘A light gel that smooths over my skin effortlessly, with a nice citrus smell, washes off easily, leaving my face feeling softer than before’ • ‘I’ve noticed a big difference is my skin texture after using for a few weeks: softer, more refined with a much more even complexion’ • ‘No scratchy grains/beads to irritate your skin. I was absolutely amazed the first time I used the product; I did not expect my skin to feel exfoliated as there were no grains or granules but my skin felt wonderful – fresh, scrubbed clean, brighter, clearer - everything you would want from a face product! It also felt soft and smooth and not remotely dried, as I have found with some exfoliating products in the past’ • ‘A miracle in a tube. I have already bought some for my close friends as presents as I am truly converted to using this as part of my regular skincare routine’ • ‘I’ve never before felt as “wowed” by a product as I do by this. It almost reveals a whole new face underneath which is younger and clearer than before. I will never want to run out of this! I have been going make up free more often and have been commented on how 'well' I look; comments that I look youthful were also great to hear and gave me a confidence boost.’

£43 for 75ml - click to buy 

BRONZE (JOINT) AWARD  BeautyLab Black Diamond® Pearl Dermabrasion

BeautyLab have done really well across several categories in 2022, back again here with a product that previously won a Beauty Bible Award in 2019. What nudges this into the realms of truly luxe skincare is the ‘rare black diamond’ particles in the formula, along with tiny particles of mother and pearl. Those physical exfoliants are boosted by a blend of glycolic and lactic acids, to target dead skin cells and irregular pigmentation, boost cellular renewal and promote brightness. If that all sounds a bit hardcore, there’s gentle aloe vera to add soothing moisture, plus magnesium to help with hydration.

£78 for 75ml - click to buy 

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘Loved this! Initially I was a bit wary of using a harsh scrub in case it irritated my skin, but I've had no irritation and my skin is so much softer and smoother’ • ‘I felt my products absorbed much better after using this and my make-up went on really smoothly. Over the course of using this my skin texture and hydration has noticeably improved’ • ‘Perfect when you need a good exfoliate before and event, but also when used consistently it's making your skin softer and pores less noticeable. I have been very pleased with results – like microdermabrasion, in a jar; I will be repurchasing it’ • ‘10/10! I noticed skin is smoother and brighter and I use any excess on the back of my hands; it makes them look 10 years younger’ • ‘I have come to the realisation that my skin needs a granular formulation rather than a gentle peel to really get rid of the dry skin cells and give my complexion a glow; previously I had been wary of these formulations as they damaged my skin with their ferocity, but this product is very gentle yet highly effective, leaving it feeling and looking less congested, glowing and smooth. Skin is more youthful looking and I love how I can wear less make-up, which also lasts all day’ • ‘A hard-working product that changes your skin in so many ways for the better, leaving it soft, glowing and younger. Pricey but absolutely worth it. I really liked the light, clean slightly sweet powder smell’ • ‘Just the right number of exfoliating beads to feel as though it was actually doing something without being too harsh. Skin looked somewhat fresher afterwards.’

£78 for 75ml - click to buy 

BRONZE (JOINT) AWARD  Katherine Daniels Essential Exfoliating Gel

British brand Katherine Daniels describe this salon-strength product as ‘a gentle exfoliator that packs a powerful punch’ – and our testers had to agree. It can be used by even the most sensitive skintypes, and again, is based around enzymes, which work to dissolve the bonds that hold dead cells on the skin’s surface, creating that flat, dull look. Again, a red algae extract features in this gel, alongside Laminaria digitata, a seaweed derivative which soothes and regenerates. Once on skin, the gel melts into a silky oil, which you massage into skin and leave in place for up to five minutes. They recommend removing with their own Katherine Daniels Micro Cloth, but as you can see, our testers used their usual techniques.

£37 for 75ml - click to buy 

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘Really liked this. Exfoliators often leave my face red and sore, but this one didn’t –gentle yet effective. Made a visible difference to texture, and therefore make-up application was smoother’ • ‘Skin looks younger, more glowy, fresher. The texture of the product is lovely and silky; glides over skin evenly’ • ‘A more gentle option than my usual exfoliator for when I wanted to get rid of flaky skin without overdoing it’ • ‘Recommended to anyone struggling with concerns of pores, tone and unevenness. Used once or twice a week, gives the look and feel of a more even skin tone; I felt like I had some really good skin days after using it!’ • ‘Immediately, my face felt and looked baby-soft, I could really feel it had been exfoliated, but in no way was this harsh – it’s non-abrasive, with a lovely smell’ • ‘You only need a small amount; I found a little goes a long way -  the product comes out as a gel and as you massage gently into the skin it melts into a silky oil. I felt that my skin was really smooth. I can have a dry and spot-prone chin but this cleaned it really well, helping with both dryness and oiliness. My skintone looked more even after the trial (I normally tend to have a slightly redder chin)’ • ‘Pleasurable to use: a thick, fruity scented serum consistency which is easily applied to the face and after a few minutes dissolves to an oil that rinses clean away, leaving skin soft and smooth and clear afterwards.’

£37 for 75ml - click to buy