The Best Exfoliators

I take very good care of my skin and have become a lot more diligent with exfoliating. I personally need to exfoliate 3x a week, but I know that’s not the case for everyone else. Everybody’s skin is different. What works for me might not work for other people and vice versa. I’ve experimented with different exfoliators for years and there’s just a handful that I continue to use time and time again. So I thought I’d share the best exfoliators that work for me!

You might think, “don’t you just need one exfoliator?” and my answer is…well no. At least not for me. Because I work in a makeup and skincare store, I’ve learned a lot about different exfoliators and have come to prefer certain kinds based on what my skin needs, how much time I have to apply them, how immediate I need to see results, and how much I’m breaking out. So, here’s a list of my favorite exfoliators (in no particular order):

Miracol Revitalizing Cream by Merle Norman. I LOVE THIS. So. Much. It’s Merle Norman’s oldest product and it’s honestly VERY reasonably priced. I think it’s around $20 if you purchase it at a Merle Norman studio. It’s an intense mask that hardens and leaves your skin feeling super tight and lifted. I love to use this mask when I have a little more time to exfoliate and when I have a lot of acne that I want to clear up. In fact, all of these exfoliators are great for helping me clear up acne. I prefer to exfoliate instead of use on the spot treatments!

My Melaleuca Tea Tree Face Scrub by Maddie’s Market. I wrote a whole blog post about Maddie’s Market skincare which included this product. I really love this because it’s all natural, it’s quick, and effective. It’s also reasonably priced too! Just $15. I like to use this in the shower and leave it on while I shampoo. Because it’s all natural, there’s no ingredients that can sometimes be too harsh on your skin. I’m able to use this as often as 3x a week if I want to because it’s so great!

Clarifying Clay Mask by Merle Norman. This was one of the first masks I purchased from Merle Norman and it’s a good staple. Clay masks are great for oily skin, and what I like about this is it’s “more fun” and you can wear it for a little longer than the Miracol mask. I get oily on my forehead so this mask is awesome to apply to just that area, or all over. I don’t find this drying at all.

Merle Norman Skintelligent Cleanser – this is actually an exfoliating gel cleanser, but it’s very gentle so you can use it everyday. This has been my daily cleanser for a few months now and I REALLY love it! It has these natural seeds that gently exfoliate your skin without over-drying. It also contains a bunch of probiotics which are really good for your skin.

And that’s all! One thing worth noting is that after you exfoliate, make sure to moisturize your skin. When I have more time to spend on pampering my skin, I use a moisturizing mask for ten minutes (this one is my favorite) and follow with the rest of my skincare routine. Moisturizing is so important! Do not skip this step.

Thanks for reading this blog post! It was fun to write about skincare. I’m definitely not an expert by any means, but I do like sharing great products when I feel they work and are worth the price. Have a great weekend!