The best face scrubs for guys — and why you might want to use one

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If you sweat during the day, work outdoors, or have just been experiencing clogged pores, it's probably time to start exfoliating your skin. One easy way to make this a habit is to stock your shower with a good face scrub — one that you'll actually enjoy using. But given all the options out there, shopping for a grooming product that will work for your skin can feel overwhelming. No matter: Ahead, a handy guide to the best face scrubs for men.

Before you start scrubbing away, there are a few things to know. A lot of face scrubs are filled with heavy-duty exfoliators, which means they don't need to be used every day. In fact, over-exfoliating your skin can lead to irritation, so try limiting your face scrub sessions to a few days a week, especially in the beginning. Once you've seen how your skin reacts, you can start using one every other day.

If you have sensitive skin (maybe your face is prone to redness or you break out easily), be careful with the scrub you choose since some of them can be very abrasive. Below, you'll find a few gentle options that are sensitive skin-friendly — as well as a face scrub for daily use, a formula that treats acne, and an all-natural cleanser infused with coffee grounds.

01

The Best Face Scrub for Daily Use (& the Best Value)

For a face scrub you can use every day, there's Cetaphil's extra-gentle daily scrub. There's nothing fancy about this one: It's simple in the best way. Using micro-fine particles, it buffs away dead skin without being drying, so your face feels soft instead of stripped. As a bonus, you get two big 5-ounce bottles for just over $10, so you'll be stocked for a while.

"This is my favorite cleanser," writes one reviewer. "It's incredibly gentle and like it says it doesn't dry out your face at all. This gets used nearly every day by my wife and I."

Another fan describes it as "light and airy with a fresh scent," and then goes on to note: "After rinsing, my skin is noticeably smoother and feels cleaner."

02

The Best Natural Face Scrub

Free of artificial ingredients, this all-natural face scrub is made of plant-based exfoliants and oils that work to keep your skin smooth, clear, and soft. Instead of harsh shell powders, Thrive's scrub uses coffee grounds and biodegradable jojoba beads to cleanse and exfoliate skin, while the ingredient juanilama (which has antibacterial properties) helps keep blemishes and ingrown hairs at bay. The brand recommends using it every two to three days, and each purchase helps support Costa Rican farmers, who grow many of Thrive's ingredients.

Reviewers describe the scent as "masculine, natural and earthy." One fan said it cleared up his back acne in a matter of days, while another swears by it for clearing up "beard burn."

03

The Best Face Scrub for Acne

If you're dealing with recurring acne, you probably need a medicated face scrub like this one from Neutrogena. It contains 1 percent salicylic acid — one of the most effective acne-fighting ingredients around. Salicylic acid penetrates deep into your pores to remove pimple-causing dead skin and oil, though, since it's naturally-derived, it's a more gentle alternative to harsher acidic formulas. The brand says you can use it every day, but it's still wise to start with a few times a week to see how your skin tolerates it.

"It is extremely gentle and great at cleansing pores without irritating skin," reports one reviewer. "My breakouts have literally stopped since I started using this. It is amazing."

04

The Best Face Scrub for Sensitive Skin

If your skin is on the sensitive side, try this gentle face scrub from La Roche-Posay. Free of alcohol, soap, and sulfates, it uses ultra-fine pumice particles to exfoliate, while the brand's signature thermal spring water helps soothe and refresh skin. The only downside is that it comes in a pretty small bottle, though this can actually be a good thing if you travel a lot. Use it two to three times a week, and it'll aim to make your face smoother and clearer with time.

"I love this scrub! It is very gentle but also very effective. It does not irritate or cause any redness. In fact my skin seems LESS red than usual. It also smells amazing. Not strong but light and fresh and clean," reports one reviewer.

05

The Best Face Scrub for Uneven-Looking Skin

Formulated without any harsh sulfates or alcohol, this face scrub contains finely ground microdermabrasion crystals to give your skin a gritty, yet non-irritating, cleanse. In addition to helping to keep blackheads and ingrown hairs at bay, it can also fade the appearance of scarring and hyperpigmentation so your complexion becomes smoother and more even over time. The brand recommends using this scrub just once or twice a week to avoid over-exfoliating your skin.

Multiple users report results after just a few days, with many fans calling it "magic" and the "perfect scrub."

One reviewer writes, "This product deeply cleansed my skin, but didn’t irritate or dry my face out at all. After using, my skin feels so much smoother and brighter. I have also seen a drastic improvement on my blackheads and inflammation from acne."

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