These 13 Facial Scrubs Will Clean Your Dirty, Gunk-Filled Pores (2024)

DID YOU know that right now, as you read this, there are dead skin cells just hanging out on your face? It sounds gross (because it kind of is), but it’s also a fact of life. Your skin regenerates every 28 days, so its cells are constantly dying off and getting pushed to the surface. The bad news is that even though they’re supposed to fall off naturally, they can often stick around, which leads to dull, flaky skin, clogged pores, blackheads and more. The good news is that you can help this process along with an exfoliator.

Exfoliating removes the dead skin cells that get caught on the surface of your skin. The result is a clearer, smoother, and brighter complexion. And you don’t even have to do it every day! Most men only need to exfoliate about twice a week. There are a few different kinds of exfoliators, but the easiest to use is a scrub, which offers mechanical exfoliation by way of beads or granules to physically remove the dead cells from your skin’s surface. Use one of these 13 best face scrubs for men and you’re on your way to a smoother, clearer face.

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In addition to the jojoba beads that gently smooth away dead skin cells from the surface of your skin, this scrub also contains salicylic acid to help declog inside your pores for an even fresher complexion.

This scrub mimics the professional microdermabrasion you’d get in a dermatologist’s office by using ultra-fine granules that feel like sand on your skin. They gently smooth your skin with the aid exfoliating lactic and glycolic acids for an especially bright complexion.

The teeny tiny ruby crystals in this super moisturizing formula are so fine you can barely feel them—and that’s the point. Combined with moisturizing ingredients like hyaluronic acid and jojoba oil, the crystals smooth away dead skin cells so gently you can use it every day if you want.

Made with volcanic sand and crushed diamonds (yes, really), Patrick's face scrub is a strong exfoliator that's gentle on the skin. It works exceptionally well at reducing ingrown hairs and eliminating dead skin cells. We also love the fact the particles stay full when applied to water, instead of disintegrating into a soapy mess.

Like your daily morning coffee, give dull skin a pick-me-up with this caffeine-infused face scrub. Citrus extracts and menthol revitalize and energize your skin, even on those off days.

The best thing about this scrub is that it’s gentle enough to use every day (if you want), but still super powerful thanks to the potent combination of charcoal particles, exfoliating enzymes, and alpha-hydroxy acids. It comes out of the tube as a powder and with a little water added, turns into a grainy paste that gently removes dead skin with ease.

The vitamin C and mint in this facial scrub from Jack Black will help wake you up while also clearing away any old, dead skin cells and making way for clearer, brighter skin.

What polishing and waxing does for your car, this does for your face. It's an intense smoothing and polishing treatment that changes the surface of your skin so that it appears poreless.

How often you use a scrub depends on your skin type and how intense the scrub is. Most scrubs are designed to be used once or twice a week, but some contain a lower amount of granules as well moisturizing ingredients so they’re gentle enough to use every day (make sure to read to directions on the bottle). But even if they scrub can be used every day, doesn’t mean it should. If you have oily skin or are prone to dullness, you can use a scrub more frequently. Sensitive skin, however, may not be able to tolerate a scrub more than once a week. Try it once or twice a week for a while and gauge how your skin reacts and how it looks between scrubs to see if you can up the frequency.

Face scrubs are pretty user friendly but do come with some caveats. Don’t rub or scrub too hard as too much pressure could damage your skin. If you see redness, irritation, or scratches after you exfoliate, that’s a sign you were too aggressive. And always follow your scrub with a moisturizer to help replenish moisture that may have been lost in the process and build your skin barrier back up.

For the past two years, we consulted with Men's Health's Grooming editors and writers on the top grooming products for men. Experts, including our Grooming Editor Garrett Munce, put a number of face scrubs to the test and evaluated their effectiveness, scent, and value. We also considered top-reviewed face scrubs and exfoliators that had high customer ratings on e-commerce websites we trust.