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

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."

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."

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."

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.

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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