Best exfoliants and scrubs for all skin types

Blessed By Nature Retoning Facial Scrub

While walnut scrubs have gotten a bad wrap in the past, this particular iteration delivers really good results. It's not overly abrasive but is gritty enough to polish your complexion and remove flaky skin. It also does a great job of minimising the congestion that I sometimes experience through the T-zone. This one contains a bunch of very soothing and calming ingredients like aloe, calendula and green tea that are very kind to your skin – even as you exfoliate. If you have redness or sensitive skin, this scrub could be a good one for you.

Blessed by Nature is a great brand for the price point. This scrub is much better than just about every department store brand I've tried. This is a fabulous option if you're looking for something that delivers results with very little skin irritation.

• Beauty Heaven rating: 4/5 stars
• Price: $12.95 for 125mL
• Where to buy: Priceline
• For all skin types.

Alya Skin Pomegranate Facial Exfoliator

This is a simple product that leaves you with soft skin without being too scratchy. This one uses pomegranate seed powder as its exfoliating component which I've found to be more gentle than some other scrubs. What I particularly like about this product is that it actually includes a fair few moisturising ingredients like sweet almond oil and macadamia seed oil – so it leaves your skin feeling plump and nourished as opposed to raw. This is the scrub I use when my skin is flaky and congested but needs a bit of moisturising TLC.

I also love that in addition to being natural and cruelty-free, this one is actually made in Australia. It's hard to find products that are made locally, so when you do, it's great to support them.

• Beauty Heaven rating: 5/5 stars
• Price: $29.99 for 80g
• Where to buy: Priceline, Alya Skin, Princess Polly
• May not be suitable for sensitive skin.

Rodan + Fields Micro-Dermabrasion Paste

Rodan + Fields is one of the few hyped-up brands that actually lives up to the claims – in my opinion anyway. The brand's microdermabrasion paste is a fabulous product for anyone who loves face scrubs. This balm-style product is applied to dry skin without water and massage over the face. It starts out solid and you have to scoop it out of the container. It's a bit like those old-school makeup removing balms, but grittier obviously.

This paste is designed to be abrasive but also very nourishing. It's not a gentle scrub by any means, it's a deep exfoliant that really almost feels a bit like microdermabrasion. But the intensity is minimised by the moisturising properties of the balm, which is surprisingly oil-free. I found it left my skin super smooth and deeply moisturised. Which is a lovely change from scrubs that leave your face with an uncomfortable tight feeling.

• Beauty Heaven rating: 5/5 stars
  
• Price: $114 for 125mL
• Where to buy: Rodan + Fields
• May not be suitable for sensitive skin.

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant

Dermalogica's Microfoliant is a rather unique exfoliant. The key selling point is that you can customise the abrasion factor. It actually comes in a powder form, not a liquid or cream, with the idea that you can create your own consistency. Use it dry for maximum effect or you can gradually add water to get the abrasion you're most comfortable with. The rice-based powder is designed to "activate" when you add water and it releases papain, salic acid and rice enzymes to help clear dead skin and impurities. It definitely does the job, leaving your skin feeling soft and fresh.

I love being able to change up the abrasion factor to what suits my skin on the day I'm using it. It's also a great product to travel with because it doesn't leak all through your suitcase. And, I find the size quite generous, especially when you consider that other products of the same size are probably half water.

• Beauty Heaven rating: 5/5 stars
• Price: $80 for 75g
• Where to buy: ry.com.au, Adore Beauty, Active Skin
• Not suitable for sensitive skin.

Peter Thomas Roth FirmX Peeling Gel

This is one of my favourite ever skincare products. You can literally see the dead skin rolling off your face as you work this gel in. It has also solved one of the biggest issues with chemical-based exfoliants, which is over-exfoliating. Many of these types of products are made with hydroxy acids which can burn your skin if you use them too frequently. But this product uses enzymes to exfoliate rather than acids. What the enzymes do is find dead skin and clear it off the live, healthy skin by "digesting" it. Weird, I know. But this means that it literally only takes off the dead stuff and leaves the rest alone. So even those with sensitive skin can use this product.

You apply this one to a clean dry face and massage in for a few minutes. You need to use a decent amount to get the full effect, so don't be shy. As you work it in you'll find dead skin starts rolling off your face, but don't worry, it's normal. Once you're done, just wash it off with water. Your skin will be left fresh, clean and with no irritation.

• Sephora rating: 4/5 stars
• Price: $75 for 100mL
• Where to buy: Sephora
• Suitable for all skin types, except those with very sensitive skin.

The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution

This product is great for when you need an intense refresh. Been on a long-haul flight? Long week in the office? This is the skin revitalising product that seems to clear away all sins. It contains a combination of peeling acids from two of the main families, alpha hydroxies and beta hydroxies. AHAs work on the surface of the skin and BHAs go deeper to clear out clogged pores and dirt in the skin. So this is an all-in-one, deep-cleaning chemical exfoliant.

You'll need to apply it to clean and dry skin. You can apply it with a cotton pad but I just use my finger – I find cotton pads chew up too much of my product. Apply it all over but avoid the eye area. This is an AHA product you will need to wash off – it's not a serum! Don't leave it on for more than 10 minutes. I'd say probably only leave it on for five if you use other exfoliating or peeling products. These are acids and can cause irritation if you leave them on too long.

At the end you'll be left fresh-faced and bright. I find it does a really good job on the congestion I get around the T-zone. It's quick, easy and very affordable, but it might not be the best if you have sensitive skin.

• No store rating available, 4.7/5 on Google reviews.
• Price: $14.00 for 30mL
• Where to buy: Priceline, ASOS and Cult Beauty
• Great for oily or congested skin. Not advised for sensitive skin.

Drops of Youth Youth Liquid Peel

This is another peeling-gel style product, similar to the Peter Thomas Roth exfoliant, but this one is somehow even more gentle. If you're sick of rubbing your skin raw with scrubs, and acids aren't for you, this could be a great option. I'm not exactly sure what the exfoliating agent is here, but the product description suggests it could be planted stem cells. Regardless, this one does a great job of delicately removing dead skin and impurities from the top of your skin and allowing them to roll off.

I'm very impressed with how well this performed, given similar products have a much higher price tag. It leaves your skin super soft, plumped and bright. But if you have very oily or congested skin, something a bit stronger might be better. This one is a better option for those with sensitive, normal or dry skin.

• Beauty Heaven rating: 5/5 stars
• Price: $37 for 100mL
• Where to buy: The Body Shop
• Suitable for all skin types, even sensitive skin.

Dermalogica gentle cream exfoliant

Derma E Essentials Microdermabrasion scrub

Societe Superfruit Enzyme Exfoliator

Dermalogica gentle cream exfoliant is great, especially for sensitive skin. - Genevieve

Its a cruelty free and vegan, but also its sold in priceline and easy to find on sale. Its gentle on my skin which I need because I have very sensitive skin. This doesn't irritate, something hard to find in scrubs. - Tara

It doesn't feel grainy or coarse, so it's really gentle and doesn't 'scratch' my skin or leave it red/irritated, but is really effective. I can always see the difference in my skin immediately after using it. - Alison