What benefits do exfoliating gloves have?

According to Natalie Papadopoulos, Owner and Founder of wellness space and skin clinic The Parlour Room , exfoliation can have a profound effect on the health of the skin on our body because it “removes dead skin, stimulates and improves circulation, encourages cell renewal, prevents ingrown hairs , and simply helps you relax”. Exfoliation mitts are a nice option when it comes to body exfoliation because they’re able to offer all of the above benefits, plus they’re sustainable, affordable, and easy to use.

How do you use exfoliating gloves?

Papadopoulos suggests that when it comes to body exfoliation, it’s best to start at the feet and work your way upwards in a circular motion, paying extra attention to dry spots around the ankles, knees, and elbows. Try adding a little shower gel for slip and integrating the practice into your routine two to three times a week, building up to daily use if you feel you need it.

How do you clean exfoliating gloves?

This will be dependent on the gloves you have specifically, but a warm, gentle machine wash is a good place to start. Leave them someplace dry between uses to prevent bacteria build-up as well.

The 10 Best Exfoliating Gloves of 2022

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Body exfoliation is often an overlooked sub-section of our beauty routines (or something we only think about when winter hits are our legs look part-lizard). But it doesn’t have to be a difficult or laborious undertaking. Case in point: Exfoliating gloves.

According to Connecticut-based dermatologist Mona Gohara, these gloves slough away dead skin cells, add vibrance to skin, minimize fine lines, acne and acne scars, evens out skin tone and even helps products penetrate better.

While they don’t seem flashy (nor should they), a good set of scrubby gloves is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to maintain silky skin, minimize ingrown hairs, and in some cases, reduce scarring and the appearance of stretch marks. And the best part is the experience is so easy—simply add your body wash of choice and spend a few minutes scrubbing in the shower. We promise you’ll feel all the better about it.

Discover our top exfoliating glove picks below.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

Face Halo Body Exfoliator at Facehalo.com

Best Budget:

Earth Therapeutics Exfoliating Hydro Gloves at Amazon

Best Drugstore:

Bondi Sands Exfoliation Mitt at Amazon

Best for Sensitive Skin:

EvridWear Exfoliating Dual Texture Bath Gloves at Amazon

Best for Ingrown Hairs:

Dermasuri Deep Exfoliating Mitt Body Scrub at Amazon

Best Value:

Mooerca Double-Sided Exfoliating Gloves at Amazon

Best Charcoal:

Earth Therapeutics Purifying Exfoliating Gloves at Ulta

Best for Sunless Tan:

Zakia's Morocco Kessa Original Hammam Scrubbing Glove at Amazon

Best for Your Back:

SmitCo Exfoliating Gloves and Shower Back Scrubber at Amazon

Best for the Face:

Earth Therapeutics Loofah Facial Mitt at Ulta

In This Article

Our Picks
Final Verdict
What to Look For
Why Trust Byrdie?

View On Facehalo.com

This double-sided mitt features a textured side to remove dead skin, plus a soft, Halotech polishing side to smooth, cleanse and refresh. While we love it in the shower, you can use it either wet or dry. The oversized round shape makes the process easier, as well.

Earth Therapeutics Exfoliating Hydro Gloves

View On Amazon View On Ulta

These are thick and textured, so they’re really effective when it comes to buffing and smoothing out dry, flaky skin. For the price, you can’t really go wrong.

View On Amazon View On Asos View On Bondisands.com

This mitt from Bondi Sands has two sides with different textures, so you can tailor the experience to your skin type and the reasons you’re using the glove itself. The black side will buff, smooth, and exfoliate the skin, whereas the blue side is great for gently removing tanning mistakes or ingrown hairs.

Evridwear Exfoliating Dual Texture Bath Gloves for Shower

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If your skin is more sensitive, this glove set from EvridWear is a great option because the material used is not as abrasive. Add a squeeze of fragrance-free body wash and lightly sweep the gloves over limbs, starting from the feet and working your way upwards.

4.5

Dermasuri Deep Exfoliating Mitt Body Scrub

View On Amazon View On Dermasuri.com

Ingrown hairs happen when shaved or tweezed hair grows back into the skin, leading to swelling and inflammation. One of the easiest ways to prevent them is a good ol’ fashioned weekly scrub to encourage skin cell turnover, and this Dermasuri mitt is the best one for the job. Made from a woven fabric, it works to slough off dead skin, untrapping hairs, and clearing out pores.

Mooerca Double-Sided Exfoliating Gloves, 8 Pairs

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Simple, cheap, and cheerful, this set of eight gloves is great for beginners or anyone looking to test out the exfoliating mitt waters. Bonus points for the oh-so-fun colorways.

Earth Therapeutics Charcoal Exfoliating Gloves

Courtesy of Ulta

View On Ulta

While we’re not completely sold on the idea of charcoal-infused gloves, it’s a feature that certainly can’t hurt! Aside from that, these Earth Therapeutics gloves are snug and retain their shape well, so you can keep them in the shower for ease.

The Original Kessa Hammam Scrubbing Glove

Courtesy of Amazon

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Seasoned tanners will know the benefits of exfoliation before applying a layer of self-tan. But even if you’re new to the game, this scrubbing glove from Zakia’s Morocco is easy and effective. Starting at your feet, work in circular motions in an upwards direction, spending extra time on dry spots like the knees and elbows. Finish with a little bit of moisturizer, and you’re ready to marinate.

SMITCO Exfoliating Gloves and Back Washer

View On Amazon View On Smitcollc.com

No one wants to accidentally dislocate an arm when scrubbing their back. Enter Smitco’s Exfoliating Gloves and Shower Back Scrubber. The handy duo makes it easy to exfoliate your entire body (including hair-to-reach spots) for smooth, flake-free skin all over.

Earth Therapeutics Super Loofah facial Mitt

View On Ulta

While we wouldn’t normally use an abrasive pair of exfoliating gloves on our face, this version from Earth Therapeutics is specially designed to offer a really soft, delicate exfoliation without irritation. It’s also the best shape and size to nix any flakes around the nose, chin, or forehead.

Final Verdict

Our top pick is the Honeydipped Essentials Bamboo Exfoliating Bath Mitt (view at Honeydipped) because it's eco-friendly and gently exfoliates the skin. Of course, after careful consideration (i.e. a lot of scrubbing) team Byrdie has decided that the Dermasuri Deep Exfoliating Mitt Body Scrub (view at Amazon) and Face Halo Body Exfoliator (view at Face Halo) are also great options. Dermasuri in particular fits really well and offers a thorough exfoliation to smooth the skin and prevent ingrown hairs (one of the most annoying things ever). Meanwhile, Face Halo is amazing in its own right, partly due to the fact it has two sides—one to gently buff and the other to slough off flaky, dry skin.

What to Look for When Buying Exfoliating Gloves

Fit

Most exfoliating gloves are pretty stretchy, but a snuggly fit will give you more control overall. If you’ve got petite hands, look for something small (but with stretch).

Texture

The only other real thing to consider is the texture or coarseness of your exfoliating gloves. If you’re really dry, trying to remove tan, or want to feel reborn, go for a pair that’s tightly woven and quite abrasive. Likewise, if you have sensitive skin or want to use your gloves daily, seek out a pair that are woven from softer fibers.

FAQ

What benefits do exfoliating gloves have?

According to Natalie Papadopoulos, Owner and Founder of wellness space and skin clinic The Parlour Room, exfoliation can have a profound effect on the health of the skin on our body because it “removes dead skin, stimulates and improves circulation, encourages cell renewal, prevents ingrown hairs, and simply helps you relax”. Exfoliation mitts are a nice option when it comes to body exfoliation because they’re able to offer all of the above benefits, plus they’re sustainable, affordable, and easy to use.
How do you use exfoliating gloves?

Papadopoulos suggests that when it comes to body exfoliation, it’s best to start at the feet and work your way upwards in a circular motion, paying extra attention to dry spots around the ankles, knees, and elbows. Try adding a little shower gel for slip and integrating the practice into your routine two to three times a week, building up to daily use if you feel you need it.
How do you clean exfoliating gloves?

This will be dependent on the gloves you have specifically, but a warm, gentle machine wash is a good place to start. Leave them someplace dry between uses to prevent bacteria build-up as well.

Why Trust Byrdie?

Not only has Emily Algar combed the market for all the top-rated exfoliating gloves to help you find the best pair, but she has road-tested a bunch as well.

According to our Diversity Pledge, 15% of products in our newly-published market roundups will feature Black-owned and/or Black-founded brands. At the time of publishing, we were not able to find any exfoliating gloves from a Black-owned and/or Black-founded business. If you know of one we should consider, please email us at contact@byrdie.com and we will evaluate the product ASAP.

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