Are you ready for brighter, more radiant, and younger looking skin? Washing your face is only the first step in a great skin care routine. Overtime the soap, moisturizers, and makeup you use daily builds up on your skin. All this build-up can cause dull skin and clogged pores, thus aging the look of your skin.
The often-missed step of cleaning your face is exfoliation. When you are younger, you have a natural cellular turnover, leaving your skin fresh and clean. As we age, that cellular turnover slows down and can cause our skin to dull. This dullness leaves your face with discoloration, redness, acne, and an overall older looking skin. Exfoliation cleans all those dead skin cells away, leaving bright and fresh skin.
While moisturizing is very important, especially as we age, layering your skin with a moisturizer without exfoliation can have the opposite of the intended effect. You could be wasting that expensive step, to the detriment of your skin. Exfoliation is key to helping your moisturizer penetrate the layers of your skin and those pesky fine lines of your beautiful face. To help you to your very best face, here is a list of the best exfoliating creams for mature skin.
Table of Contents
Best Face Exfoliator For Mature Skin Reviewed
Best Budget Face Exfoliator: Olay Regenerist Regenerating Cream Face Cleanser
The Olay Regenerist Detoxifying Pore Scrub, is an exfoliator and facial cleanser in one step. While it gives you a deep clean, it also exfoliates to leave you with bright and smooth skin. It’s secret formula helps to increase the cell turnover we discussed in the introduction. This will reveal softer skin, additionally it helps reduce the appearance of your pores as well as clean deep down into the pores. Featuring glycerin to keep your skin moist and hydrated to keep you from over scrubbing your skin, making this a well-balanced exfoliator. This face wash is a lathering gel that will gently exfoliate during the cleaning process to regenerate your skin’s surface
Pros
- The Olay Regenerist can be used on most types of skin. Whether you have dry skin, oily skin, or normal skin, you’ll find that this product will work well on your skin.
- With a simple three steps: wet skin with warm water, lather well into skin, rinse with warm water, you’ll find Olay and ease to use.
- Featuring a price point of under $10, Renegerist is very budget friendly.
Cons
- The scent of Renergist can be overpowering to some users. The scent is listed simply as ‘fragrance’ in the ingredients.
Best Salicylic Acid Face Exfoliator: Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Salicylic Acid Exfoliant
Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant is a leave-on exfoliator. Using salicylic acid Paula’s Choice exfoliates dead skin cells while clearing pores for a more even and radiant tone. Additionally, your fine lines and wrinkles will be visibly reduced. All this combines to give you smoother and younger-looking skin. Paula’s unique BHA (Beta hydroxy acid) formula mimics the natural cell turnover that you have in your younger years. With its fluid and lightweight texture, you’ll find that the liquid quickly absorbs into your skin where it will work all day long. Paula’s Choice has a perfectly balanced Ph level 3.2–3.8 making it the best choice for all skin types.
Pros:
- The BHA formula mimics the natural cell turnover, leaving you with bright and clean skin.
- The Ph level of Paula’s choice makes it a good choice for nearly all skin types.
- Unique leave-on formula eliminates the extra step of rinsing the product off your face and allows it to work all day.
Cons:
- Paula’s Choice recommends using the product twice a day for best results. For those that only clean their face in the evening, you will need to add a morning routine to see the best results.
TULA Probiotic Skin Care So Polished Exfoliating Sugar Scrub
So Polished is an exfoliating sugar scrub that leaves you with smoother and brighter skin. Packed with high quality ingredients and a unique probiotic blend, Tula helps skin lock in hydration and maintain balance for the softest skin. The natural exfoliant dissolves in the water with no effort. Papaya and pineapple along with the sugar contain natural enzymes to exfoliate the dead skin cells off your face. Papaya works to revive your tired and dull skin while the pineapple promotes your skin’s natural radiance for a more youthful glow. Combined, the scent will remind you of a beach vacation. So Polished is great for all skin types including sensitive skin.
Pros:
- So Polished works well for all skin types, including sensitive skin.
- Featuring a unique probiotic blend, your skin will naturally maintain more moisture. This will give you a more youthful look.
- So Polished only needs to be used two to four times a week for best results.
Cons:
- Tula’s sugar exfoliant dissolves quickly in the water, some people prefer a thicker exfoliant.
- While So Polished can be a stand alone product, Tula recommends using their skin care line for best results.
Aveeno Skin Brightening Exfoliating Facial Scrub
Positively Radiant Daily Scrub by Aveeno is a great product for those with sensitive skin. It is formulated for those whose skin needs a gentle touch. Reveal brighter and more radiant skin with its soap-free, hypoallergenic, and non-comedogenic formula. Positively Radiant’s ingredients include soy, jojoba oil, and castor oil. It is gentle enough for everyday use. Soy extracts and the naturally derived granules, gently exfoliate, cleanse and clarify your skin. The moisture-rich formula rebalances your skin’s tone and texture. With a once a day scrub, you will see smoother and brighter looking skin.
Pros:
- Aveeno Positively Radiant Scrub is great for all skin types, but the specially formulated ingredients it is best for those that have sensitive skin.
- Soy formula works for immediate and long-term skin benefits, brightening your skin quickly.
- This Aveeno Scrub is priced at under ten dollars, making it very budget friendly.
Cons:
- Those with an allergy to soy should not use this product as it could cause irritation to the skin.
- Some people find the granules too large for a comfortable scrub.
Skin Ceuticals Micro Exfoliating Scrub
Micro-Exfoliating Scrub features a powerful 2% concentration combining hydrated silica, glycerin, and aloe extract to purify pores and promote a healthy skin barrier. Gentle enough for daily use, this exfoliating scrub provides a mild and even exfoliation to improve texture while softening and hydrating the skin. While being both gentle and effective the silica lifts and removes all the dead skin cells, natural debris, and excess oil from the surface of your skin leaving it smooth and brighter. SkinCeuticals works best for dry, normal, oily, or combination skin. If you have dehydrated, discolored, or aging skin, the Micro-Exfoliating Scrub will help restore your skin’s lost luster.
Pros:
- While the SkinCeutical is gentle enough for everyday use, for best results you only need to use it three to five times a week.
- Micro-Exfoliating Scrub lifts and removes skin cells and debris leaving skin fresh and rehydrated.
Cons:
- SkinCeuticals Scrub is not recommended for those with sensitive skin, only those with normal to combination skin should use this product.
- This exfoliating scrub is priced at over $30 which is not particularly budget friendly for some buyers
Best Face Exfoliator Gel: Lancome Exfoliance Clarte Exfoliating Clarifying Gel
If you have been suffering with lackluster dull skin, it’s time for the exfoliating gel of Lancome. It works best for those with normal or combination skin, this refreshing gel formula will brighten your skin by removing skin cells and everyday debris. The Lancome Clarte is formulated with white mirco-beads. These ultra-fine exfoliating grains along with a specialized cocktail of pineapple and papaya extracts gently remove all the dull skin layers and remove impurities. Your skin will be left clean, smooth, and toned and radiant. The gentle formula cleanses your skin without leaving a tightness that some exfoliators cause.
Pros:
- Visible micro-beads ensure that dead skin cells and debris are removed from the skin, leaving behind brighter skin.
- This formula does not cause a tightening effect that some exfoliators do. This is great for those who do prefer that experience.
Cons:
- The Clarte is only recommended for those with normal or combination skin types. Those with oily, dry or sensitive skin will not receive the best results.
Best Premium: Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Dermalogica’s Daily Microfoliant Exfoliator has a great powder to cream formula. This exfoliating powder will help you achieve brighter and smoother skin every day. With a rice-based powder that activates upon contact with water, you can polish your skin to perfection. Simply wet your hands with warm water and put about a half-teaspoon of the powder into them. Rubbing your hands together will create a cream. This cream contains papain, salicylic acid, and rice enzymes to polish. Dermalogica contains rice bran, white tea, and licorice to help balance uneven skin tone. The soothing blend of Colloidal Oatmeal and Allantoin calms your skin reducing redness and irritation.
Pros:
- Dermalogica contains soothing ingredients that reduce redness and irritation of your skin.
- Daily Exfoliator has a unique powder to cream formula. This lightweight formula is great for those with all skin types. Those with sensitive skin will find the formula gentle.
Cons:
- Some find the process of turning the powder into a cream a bit tedious and prefer a one step process.
- Dermalogica is the most expensive product on our list at nearly $60 which may be out of the price range for those on a strict budget.
Buyers Guide
What is an exfoliant?
Exfoliants can come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, including both natural and manmade, that help slough off and remove dead skin cells. By lifting and removing these unnatural cells off of your face, your skin is left brighter, smoother, and cleaner than before. As you age the natural process of cellular turnover slows down dramatically. This is why younger people can have bright glowing skin with less effort. By exfoliating on a regular basis, you mimic that natural process.
Why should I use an exfoliant?
Exfoliation is an essential step to any skincare routine. However, it’s the step that gets skipped most often. You can use all the expensive moisturizer and anti-aging cream, but if you are not removing dead skin, toxins, and debris off of your skin you are wasting your money. Moisturizers cannot penetrate your skin into deeper layers if the pores are clogged. Exfoliation helps remove that debris and cleanse your pores.
How often should I exfoliate?
The amount of times you should exfoliate is highly dependent on the product you choose and your skin type. Most products are formulated for use three to four times a week, while others need to be used every day. Certain products only to be used once or twice a week.
Which exfoliant should I purchase?
Exfoliants are like any other skin care product. You need to purchase the proper one for your skin type. Exfoliant’s formulas are based on normal, dry, oily, combination, or sensitive skin. You also need to check the ingredients. Many exfoliants contain plant and fruit extracts such as papaya and pineapple. Those with allergies to these should be wary of using products containing them. If you are able to, you should smell the exfoliant. When a product is on your face, the scent is much stronger than elsewhere on your body. You want to make sure you enjoy the scent that you are paying for.
What is the cost of exfoliants?
Like most beauty products, exfoliants can greatly vary in price. The products on this list range from under ten dollars to around sixty dollars. Exfoliants can become extremely expensive. It is best to compare the ingredient lists to find the best bargain.
Is there any exfoliant I should avoid?
Yes, actually. People of all skin types should avoid exfoliants that contain any pits or shells of nuts. While these ingredients do indeed exfoliate, they also leave microscopic tears on your skin that will speed up the aging process.