Style

These All-Natural Exfoliators Will Give You That Glow Without Harming The Planet

Leandro Crespi / Stocksy

Exfoliating your skin is no longer just as straightforward as grabbing a bottle of scrub from your local Boots — and I mean this in a good way. Skincare fans are not as limited anymore in a number of ways, most notably because exfoliants now come in liquid form as well as manual scrubs. They are also available to buy in cleansers, or serums, as well as scrubs and liquid tonics. Best yet, there are lots of natural exfoliating formulas out there now, meaning you can keep your face glowing without harming the planet.

It's important to stress that exfoliating formulas with micro beads are no longer sold after microbeads were banned in January 2018 — and for good reason. Microbeads are essentially just tiny balls of plastic that, because they are non-biodegradable, can cause serious harm to marine life once they find their way into the ocean after being washed down our sinks.

After this positive step was taken, many brands decided to opt for liquid formulas using natural fruit acids, or those that use jojoba beads rather than micro beads. Jojoba beads are naturally sourced and are derived from a plant in North America, making them a much safer option.

In short, there are a great deal of natural exfoliators that are kind to skin as well as the ocean and the planet. Keep scrolling to find out more about them.

Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser
Cult Beauty
A gentle exfoliant that's suitable for daily use, this promises to not only regenerate skin but also cleanse deeply. Use this each morning for a perfect wake up, and to brighten skin. Combining pink clay, willow bark and apricot seed kernels, with bergamot and grapefruit, it targets blemish-prone skin. Tata Harper uses 100% natural ingredients (83% of which are certified organic), so you know this is stuff you can trust.
Burt's Bees Peach & Willow Bark Deep Pore Scrub
Feel Unique
Using finely ground peach stones and willow bark, which is a natural form of salicylic acid, this has all the hallmarks of a brilliant exfoliant. It's 99.9% natural, and promises to give pores a real deep clean and refresh.
BYBI Prime Time Smooth & Soothe Scrub
BYBI
This formulation uses jojoba beads, natural fruit acids from apple, lime and pineapple, and marshmallow root, which has anti-inflammatory properties. BYBI's products are all natural, and this scrub is a great choice for sloughing away dead, dry skin.
Pai Kukui & Jojoba Bead Skin Brightening Exfoliator
John Lewis
Another formula that uses jojoba beads to exfoliate, Pai's natural exfoliator is best applied onto dry skin, then mixed with water to form a milky substance. Use a few times a week.
Frank Body Creamy Face Scrub
Cult Beauty
Made using coffee granules to exfoliate rather than fruit acids, this formula works beautifully and smells amazing. Also containing white clay and natural oils, this leaves skin feeling nourished and never stripped.
Herbivore Prism Natural Fruit Acids 5% Exfoliating Glow Potion
Space NK
If you prefer a liquid exfoliator, this one by Herbivore is world class. With bilberry lactic acid, orange peel citric acid, apple malic acid and kakadu plum, this features a whole load of naturally exfoliating ingredients. Use it as a serum several times a week.
100% Pure Acai Pulp Facial Scrub
100% Pure
As its name suggests, this formula is totally pure and natural. It uses superfruits to exfoliate, and is infused with vitamins and antioxidants to keep skin looking and feeling super healthy.