The Best Natural Body Scrubs & Non-Toxic Exfoliators (Reviewed!)

I have never really been super into body scrubs and exfoliators, to be honest.

It’s probably the minimalist in me.
“They’re not necessary!”
“It’s excessive!”

But one of the perks of my job is that sometimes I get sent something I would not have otherwise tried and end up loving it.

That turned out to be the case with body exfoliators.

Call me a convert. I’m now fully on board the non-toxic body scrub train.

Here are are a few reasons I find myself reaching for my exfoliators:

• To help my natural deodorant work better. (I find that using a gentle exfoliator on my pits helps to remove excess product and generally just get a better clean.)
• To help prevent ingrown hairs after shaving.
• To get rid of dry skin in the winter.
• To get the most out of my body lotion. (It soaks in better without that deadish layer of skin on top.)
• To scrub off dead skin before applying self tanners. (This is a ‘best practice’ that most self tanning products include on their directions.)

So, in this guide, I’m giving you my favorite natural & organic body scrubs. I hope you love them too!

This guide contains product recommendations, and we may receive compensation through affiliate links or editorial fees. As always, we only make recommendations that are genuine!

My favorite natural body exfoliators

These are the best non-toxic body scrub brands to help remove dead skin, moisturize, prevent ingrown hairs, and more.

Vanilla Bean Body Scrub from withSimplicity

• All-natural with mostly organic ingredients (sea salt cannot be organic)
• 3 scent options available (no fragrance-free)
• Vegan & cruelty-free
• Price: $14

First of all, you’re going to love the smell of this organic body exfoliator. It takes me back to junior high school, before I knew Bath & Body Works’ Warm Vanilla Sugar was not good. 😬

It’s sugar free (they use sea salt instead), so it doesn’t leave you feeling sticky. They combine it with witch hazel to help to remove dead skin cells and clean the skin.

Overall, I think this scrub finds the perfect balance between being exfoliating while not being too harsh. My skin definitely feels noticeably softer after using it!

I tried the Vanilla Bean one, but they also have Lavender Lemon, Cedarwood Mint, and Coffee Scrub.

Would I re-buy it? Yes.

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Body Polish from Toups & Co.

• All-natural, with many organic ingredients
• Not vegan (contains tallow)
• Very low plastic (comes in a glass jar; the label is the only plastic part)
• Price: $52

This natural body exfoliator is luscious. The exfoliation it provides is on the gentler side—it’s not super rough. But it definitely leaves my skin feeling noticeably smoother and more moisturized.

It’s pretty thick, so a little goes a long way.

Sugar is the main ingredient they use for the exfoliating part. Then they add 100% grass-fed tallow (sourced from regenerative farming partners in the southeast US), and several other nourishing plant oils. I like that it’s not just about the exfoliation, but also about moisturization.

I also realllyyyy like the smell of this one. They use a few different plant oils, including lavender, cranberry, and raspberry, and it overall just makes for a really pleasant scent.

Would I re-buy it? $52 is steep for me personally for a body exfoliator (which I view as a kind of ‘non-essential’ body care product). So, I would buy it again, but only as a special treat or a gift for someone. Not necessarily on a regular basis.

[I will say on the price, though, that the 7 oz jar does go a long way. So I do feel like you’re getting a good amount of product for the cost.]

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Salts of the Earth Body Scrub from OSEA

• Price: $48
• Scent: lavender (it’s subtle)
• Pretty much all-natural, but not organic
• Vegan & cruelty-free

This one also has a luxurious feel to it that I really like.

It’s definitely on the softer side for a body scrub. The exfoliating salts dissolve with water as you use it, so it actually turns from a scrub into more of an oil as you rub it into your skin. So it’s not too harsh at all.

(If you want to make it more exfoliating, you could use it on dry skin first and then add water.)

It definitely leaves my skin feeling noticeably softer. The oil it leaves afterward can even serve as a replacement for after-shower lotion.

It does have a slight smell to it, which is technically supposed to be lavender. But it’s very subtle and I personally don’t think the lavender comes through very strong. It just smells a little ‘earthy’… which I guess fits the name!

Would I re-buy it? Yes, but again – it’s expensive so I may only re-buy it as a treat. It’s not something I would add to my everyday skincare routine.

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Cleansing Body Polish from OSEA

• Not all-natural (though many of the ingredients are)
• Fragance: This one has OSEA’s signature scent (which is an uplifting fruity vibe)
• Vegan & cruelty-free
• Price: $48

Even though they are similar products, I like this one better than the scrub (above). A couple of reasons:

• I like the texture better. It’s soft but exfoliating at the same time, and it’s got a kind of jelly texture that just feels nice.
• It uses both physical and chemical exfoliants (whereas the scrub is only physical). I like this because I use it on my armpits a lot. It’s got AHAs, which help with cell turnover and de-stinking! So it actually kind of does triple duty: exfoliation, cleansing, and moisturizing.

This is the only one listed here that does include undisclosed “natural fragrance,” so be aware of that if you want to try it. It’s annoying that OSEA doesn’t disclose all of the ingredients in their signature scent, but they are all natural. OSEA is one of the few brands I’m willing to make an exception for on this.

Would I re-buy it? Yes, I personally would buy this one over the scrub. I like the texture better and I think it’s more effective for actually cleaning my skin.

Btw, here’s my full OSEA review.

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Whipped Body Exfoliator from DIME

• Not all natural. It’s more in the ‘low-tox’ category.
• Scent: fragrance-free
• Cruelty-free. And probably vegan, although it doesn’t say that explicitely.
• Price: $26

There are actually several things that set this one apart from the other options listed here.

• Like the OSEA polish, this one is formulated with both physical and chemical exfoliant ingredients. They use polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) for a physical scrub, which is basically a plant-based plastic, along with lactic acid and salicylic acid, which help to dissolve the bonds between dead surface skin cells. (These acids also make it a good option for people with body acne.)

• Small thing, but it comes in a squeeze bottle, so you’re not getting water into the container every time you use it. (I’ve worried about this when using the other ones… Am I risking the preservative system by getting more water into it? Am I increasing the risk of bacteria or mold growth?)

From a user standpoint, I like this scrub. I noticed a difference in how my skin felt immediately after using this—it was noticeably softer. In my experience, this one is the “strongest” in terms of exfoliating power. I found that if I used it multiple days in a row on sensitive areas, it would start to irritate my skin a little bit.

I’m not crazy about a few of the ingredients, though:

• PHB (which is used for the “spherical cellulose beads”) is considered a polymer. But it’s usually produced by fermenting sugars; it’s not derived from petrochemicals. It is biodegradable and generally considered non-toxic. But I’m calling it out because it’s one of those ingredients that exists in a sort of gray area. It’s a new thing in skincare and we don’t have a ton of data on it. (For example, does it truly biodegrade in the environment? I don’t know if we can be 100% sure of that yet.)
• Similarly, it also contains carbomer (again—not the worst, not the best) and phenoxyethanol (which I personally am not super concerned about, especially in a rinse-off product, but some people choose to minimize it).

Would I re-buy it? Probably not, to be honest. Even though I like the way it makes my skin feel, I would be more likely to re-buy one of the ‘cleaner’ brands above.

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Even more non-toxic body scrubs that I want to try

Here are some more clean body scrubs that fit my ingredient standards, but that I have not had the chance to try yet:

• Acure Salt Body Scrub or Brightening Body Scrub (note that this one contains crushed walnut shells, which is one of the harshest body exfoliants and can lead to microtears)
• Earth Harbor Citrine Sea Body Polish (haven’t tried this, but I like a lot of Earth Harbor’s other products)
• Indie Lee Coconut Citrus Body Scrub
• Innersense Inner Glow Body Scrub
• True Botanicals Pure Radiance Sugar Exfoliating Body Scrub

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Non-toxic body scrub recipes

Of course, the most affordable non-toxic body exfoliant is going to be a DIY option.

Here are two all-natural recipes that Anna has tried and liked:

DIY peppermint & coconut oil scrub

This is a scrub that Anna paired with a foot soak. She got the recipe from Lisa Bronner’s book “Soap and Soul.” Even though she used it on her feet, you could totally use it on your whole body.

It’s easy; it just includes:

• ⅔ cup of turbinado sugar
• ¼ cup of melted coconut oil (unless it’s already liquid from the temperature!)
• 20 drops of peppermint essential oil

Anna’s thoughts:

After the soak and the scrub, I was blown away by the results! My feet were honestly not in the best condition beforehand. At the time of this soak, I was just returning from spending three weeks living off-the-grid in the jungle in Peru. 

I didn’t wear shoes most of the time and had at least 100 mosquito bites. Plus a dry patch on one of my heels. I was in desperate need of a pedicure. 

My skin was already so much softer and visibly better from the soak, but the scrub allowed for deeper rejuvenation. The sugar helped remove dead skin and get rid of the dry patch on my heel. My feet were baby-soft after! Plus, with the coconut oil, my skin felt hydrated and nourished. 

Overall, this truly felt like a self-care ritual. Me—and most importantly, my feet—were very pleased with the results! This is definitely going to be in my self-care rotation from now on. 

DIY Sugar Scrub Recipe

If you’d rather not use coconut oil because it’s comedogenic (can clog pores), here’s another recipe that Anna tried. This one she actually used more for her face, but again, you could use it on your entire body, or any specific parts that need some attention.

Craft time: 5-10 minutes

• ¼ cup of light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons of sweet almond oil (or jojoba, olive, or rosehip oil)
• 1 tablespoon of orange peel powder (optional)
• Essential oils of your choice (optional)

Directions 

1. In a large bowl, add the sugar and the oil and mix very well. 
2. Add the orange peel powder and mix again until all the ingredients are integrated. 
3. Add your essential oils of choice, mix, and put the scrub in a container for storage.

Anna’s thoughts on this recipe:

I’ve been using this one twice or three times a week. To use it, I put a bit on my palm and add water. This is an important step! The first time I used it, I didn’t add water and it felt too rough on my skin. The texture wasn’t my favorite either, which was a bummer cause I loved the way my skin looked after. 

However, the next time I used it, I added a bit of water to create sort of a paste before scrubbing my face and it made it SO much better. The texture improved and it didn’t feel so rough anymore… However, I’m still not fully satisfied with it. 

The key ingredient here I think it’s the orange peel powder. I know I say it’s optional, cause it isn’t necessary, but it really boosts the recipe, and I highly recommend adding it. You can actually use the orange peel powder as a facemask too—just add water! 

Overall, this scrub does its job not only at exfoliating but also softening and brightening.

Face scrubs are such an easy DIY product and although I love this one, I think the texture could still improve a little bit. Adding water helps but as you know, oil and water don’t mix, so it’s not fully what I hoped it would be. 

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Ingredients to look for (and avoid) in body scrubs

Here are the most common ingredients to look for in the best non-toxic body exfoliators:

• Salt or sugar for physical exfoliants. These are not only better than the microbeads from the days of old (which have since been banned), but they’re also more gentle on skin than crushed walnut shells, which can cause microtears.
  • Less common physical exfoliants include hydrated silica (which is the most gentle), coffee grounds, jojoba beads, bamboo powder, or pumice. These are less common.
• For chemical exfoliants, you’ll want to look for acids like salicylic, lactic, or BHA, which basically help to “dissolve” dead skin cells as opposed to scrubbing them off. Enzymes like papaya and pineapple can help with this too, in a more gentle way.
• Most organic body scrubs also pair the exfoliant(s) with moisturizing ingredients too, like shea butter, tallow, or plant-based oils like jojoba.

Here are some common ingredients used in more conventional body scrubs, which I recommend you try to avoid:

• Undisclosed fragrance
• Talc (can be contaminated with asbestos)
• Artificial dyes (they’re honestly just not necessary)
• Synthetic wax (this is an unspecific ingredient that could potentially involve liquid plastics)
• Too many ethoxylated ingredients (these can be contaminated with carcinogens because of the way they’re manufactured)

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