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If your skin has been looking lackluster, it’s time to invest in a brightening facial scrub. Dead skin cells combined with dirt and grime build up on the skin’s surface and can seep into your pores, leaving your complexion dull. Luckily, we rounded up all of the best brightening facial scrubs that will slough impurities off of your face and leave your skin glowing.
When it comes to the elite brightening facial scrubs of 2024 there are tons of options to choose from. Whether you’re looking for a scrub with micro-pearls to exfoliate skin or a gentle cleanser that is safe for sensitive skin – we rounded up options for everyone on our list below.
Included in our top picks are a scrub with glycolic acid to help reduce signs of aging, a vitamin C-infused scrub to brighten skin tone, and even a vegan option that uses natural ingredients.
No matter what type of scrub you’re looking for, there’s an option for everyone on our list!
Comparing the Finest Brightening Facial Scrub of 2024
Minimo Glow Brightening Facial Scrub — Best Overall
The Minimo Glow Brightening Facial Scrub is a must-have for achieving healthy and glowing skin. It is a powerful yet gentle exfoliator that is formulated with organic turmeric, organic cinnamon, raw manuka honey, chamomile extract, lemon extract, and oils that won't clog pores. This scrub effectively buffs away surface dark spots on the skin, leaving you with a radiant glow.
Suitable for all skin types, the Minimo Glow Scrub is carefully crafted with powerhouse ingredients. Turmeric, raw manuka honey, cinnamon, chamomile, and abyssinian oil work together to promote healthy and glowing skin. These ingredients are known for their skin-brightening and nourishing properties. Choosing Minimo means opting for the highest level of product quality. The blend of genuine ingredients in this scrub brightens the skin and gives it a more healthy and youthful appearance. With its natural formulation, you can trust that you're using a product that cares for your skin, which makes it the best overall on the list.
Pros
- Powerful yet gentle exfoliator
- Suitable for all skin types
- Contains ingredients for healthy and glowing skin
Cons
- May need other products to work optimally
ACURE Facial Scrub — Most Soothing
Perfect for all skin types, this 100% vegan face scrub is formulated with sea kelp, lemon peel, French green clay, and Madonna lily, to detox your skin while leaving it looking refreshed. When used three times a week, your skin will appear brighter and more radiant. Plus, it’s cruelty-free, paraben-free, sulfate-free, mineral oil-free, petrolatum-free, and formaldehyde-free.
Pros
- It’s 100% vegan
Cons
- Packaging may vary
Naturopathica Facial Scrub — Best Vegan Scrub
Here's another high-quality facial cleanser, this time from Naturopathica. Made from natural ingredients, this cleaning facial polish provides a 3-in-1 formula; it's capable of cleaning, scrubbing and being used as a daily exfoliation mask, too. One of the best things about this product is that it's vegan-friendly, which means that it contains no animal by-products and is never tested on animals, so you can enjoy powerful cleansing and hydration without any worries. Plus, every bottle goes a long way, as you only need to use a dime-sized amount each time.
Pros
- Never tested on animals
- 3-in-1 formula
- Lasts a long time
Cons
- Slightly odd fragrance
Aveeno Facial Scrub — Runner Up
This face scrub improves your skin’s texture to reveal a brighter complexion. It’s great for sensitive skin as it’s formulated with soy extract, natural granules that gently remove build-up from the skin’s surface, jojoba oil, and castor oil. The scrub cleanses impurities while getting rid of dead skin cells to leave you with a glowing finish, all while simultaneously hydrating skin. It’s soap-free, hypoallergenic, and doesn’t clog pores.
Pros
- Soap-free and hypoallergenic
Cons
- Can dry out skin if used too often
SKIN FOOD Scrub Foam — Honorable Mention
This gentle scrub is made from Cheorwon Odae rice bran water and uses fine micro-powder rice particles to gently scrub away impurities. The scrub turns into a foam that gently exfoliates while also thoroughly cleansing the skin. Not only does it clean your skin, but it also gives you a surge of moisture that leaves your complexion feeling soft and supple.
Pros
- Made from Cheorwon Odae rice bran water
Cons
- It is slightly acidic
L'Oreal Paris Cleanser — Contender
Reveal younger-looking skin with this brightening face cleanser that is formulated with glycolic acid and vitamin C. This daily scrub uses micro-pearls to gently exfoliate the skin’s surface revealing a glowing, fresh complexion. The cleanser improves your skin’s texture and tone while getting rid of dirt, grime, and impurities. It’s dermatologist-tested and is safe enough to use every morning and night.
Pros
- Formulated with glycolic acid and vitamin C
Cons
- Has a slightly strong scent
Yes To Grapefruit Facial Scrub — Also Consider
If your skin has been looking dull and lackluster, this is the facial scrub for you. It’s formulated with vitamin C which brightens skin, grapefruit which evens out skin tone, and lemon balm which calms and soothes your complexion. It’s made of 99% natural ingredients, is vegan, and is made without silicones, SLS, and parabens. Not only does this scrub work to remove dead skin cells from the surface, but it also gives you a deep clean that unclogs your pores and leaves you with a soft, smooth, and clear complexion.
Pros
- It’s formulated with vitamin C
Cons
- Strong scent
Buying Guide: Brightening Facial Scrubs
What Are Brightening Facial Scrubs?
Good skincare is an essential part of your self-care routine. Skin is the largest organ of your body, which means taking care of it improves your general health and also your appearance. A brightening facial scrub is great for exfoliating, and exfoliation is an important step towards having great skin. It removes dead skin cells and dirt from the top of your skin.
Why Should You Buy a Brightening Facial Scrub?
Rejuvenate your skin
Facial scrubs remove dead skin cells, dirt, and impurities that remain on your skin. After using facial scrubs, your skin can feel rejuvenated as the pores are unclogged from all the dirt.
Remove dead skin cells
The beads and granules of the scrub massage and remove the dead skin that sits on top of your skin. This process also aids in the further repair of your skin.
Add glow to your skin
Because dead skin cells are removed, the dullness and darkened skin are removed, leaving behind new, bright and glowing skin. Scrub also contains vitamins and nutrients that lighten your scars and dark patches over time further brightening your skin.
Dealing with flaky skin
Skin starts flaking when you do not scrub it for long because of the natural removal of excess dead skin cells. When you scrub your face with facial scrubs, the dead skin cells are removed, hence stopping the process of flaking.
Reduce tanning
Sun rays cause your skin to create pigments and cause it to darken. The scrubbing process tends to lighten your tan and improve the overall tone of your skin.
Make your skin soft and smooth
When you massage your skin with facial scrubs, the granules or beads improve your blood circulation. This also adds life to your skin and leaves your skin soft and smooth in texture.
Buying the Perfect Brightening Facial for You
Consistency of facial scrub
Facial scrubs come in many different options. They are creamy textured, while others come in clear gel-type consistencies. You need to think about which consistency to go for because different consistencies are matched for different skin types.
If you have dry skin, it is best to look for a facial scrub that has a cream-like consistency. People with very oily skin can use gel or foam facial scrubs. If your skin type is normal, then you can choose from any kind of consistency.
Exfoliating ingredients and fragrances
Different facial scrubs have different scrubbing agents. They range from microbeads to peach pits and are a great way to exfoliate your skin. Regular use of facial scrubs with peach pits is known to remove dead skin cells and promote blood circulation.
Type of facial scrub
Different types of facial scrubs available are made for different skin types. For normal skin types, you should go for face scrubs that are gentle with your skin and be able to remove dead skin properly.
For dry skin types, it is best to look for a face scrub that has creamy textures and moisturizing oils in them. This reduces dryness by hydrating your skin and also softening your skin.
For oily skin types, it is good to purchase facial scrubs that have flower and fruit extracts such as apricot scrubs because they absorb the excess oil and smoothen your skin.
For sensitive skin, you should check the facial scrub by applying it to a small patch of your skin. If there are any reactions such as irritation you should avoid using such scrubs. Facial scrubs that contain oats can scrub off dead skin cells and cleanse your skin without damaging or hurting it.
Factors to Consider
Skin type
It is essential to know your skin type when you are purchasing a facial scrub. Your skin type is a major factor when you are considering a face scrub. This is because the facial scrub can do the opposite of what it is designed for if you do not purchase the right facial scrub for your skin. Hence it is essential to consider what your skin type is. It is important to use very light facial scrubs if you have sensitive skin such as oat scrubs because the grains do not harshly cleanse your skin, and prevent from harming your skin.
Skin allergies and other complications
Facial scrubs contain many different ingredients in them. It is important to make sure you know what your skin is allergic to before considering buying a facial scrub. You should visit a dermatologist so that you know what exactly is your skin type and if you have any type of allergies. Some facial scrubs contain nuts in their ingredients and can be problematic for people who are allergic to nuts.
Your overall health
With all these factors, it is important to make sure your body is in a healthy state. Fast foods and oily dishes tend to harm your skin in many ways. You should make sure you have a healthy and nutritious diet as the skin is the largest organ. This will help you add further glow to your already healthy skin.
