Best Exfoliating Body Washes for Men

When it comes to body odor, dirt, grime, bacteria, and dry skin — sometimes basic body wash simply just doesn’t cut it.

Now don’t get me wrong, I think there are a bunch of really great body washes out there. But as a man, I understand that sometimes body wash needs a little extra oomph in the form of exfoliating particles to help get those stink zones smelling fresh and feeling squeaky clean.

And by stink zones I mean the balls, crotch, ass, armpits, and feet. No sense in beating around the bush, right?

That’s why when it comes to cleansing my personal stink zones, I like to have a high quality, highly effective exfoliating body wash on hand to help handle the dirty work.

Not only can an exfoliating body wash help power through odor, dirt, grime, and bacteria, but it can also help slough away dry skin and rough patches. Something your typical, non-exfoliating body wash simply can’t do.

Another benefit of exfoliating body wash is that it can help clear up body acne by penetrating deep into the pores to eliminate oil and acne causing bacteria.

Exfoliating Body Wash VS Body Scrub – What’s the Difference?

If you’re here thinking you’re going to see a list of body scrubs, I want to let you know that body scrub and exfoliating body wash are two different, albeit similar things.

• Body Scrub

A dedicated body scrub is intended to be used 1-3 times per week to help slough away dry, coarse skin. Most body scrubs contain a high level of grit that thoroughly exfoliates the skin, but isn’t intended to cleanse or provide much in the way of moisture or hydration. When it comes to exfoliation, you simply can’t beat the power of a dedicated body scrub.

If you’re interested in trying out a body scrub, check out my list of best body scrubs for men.

• Exfoliating Body Wash

Exfoliating body wash is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It’s a body wash that contains varying degrees of exfoliation particles. Here are a few benefits of using an exfoliating body wash opposed to using a dedicated body scrub:

1. Unlike an aggressive body scrub, an exfoliating body wash can generally be used every day. Since exfoliating body washes are much gentler on the skin than a body scrub, they are completely safe to use on a daily basis.

2. Unlike most body scrubs that don’t cleanse the skin or moisturize, exfoliating body washes on the other hand are specifically designed to cleanse the skin, moisturize, and hydrate, all while providing gentle exfoliation.

3. Another advantage of using an exfoliating body wash is that it’s much gentler on the skin than a body scrub. If you’re a guy that suffers from sensitive skin, body scrub might be something you want to avoid due to its aggressiveness and potential to scratch the skin.

Now that we clarified the differences between a body scrub and an exfoliating body wash, it’s time to get into my list of best exfoliating body washes for men. Enjoy.

The Lineup:

• Cremo – Exfoliating Body Wash for Men
• Marlowe – No. 104 Exfoliating Body Wash for Men
• Nivea Men – Rock Salts Exfoliating Body Wash
• Axe – Snake Peel Exfoliating Shower Gel
• Irish Spring – Exfoliating Clean Body Wash for Men

Best Exfoliating Body Washes for Men Reviewed

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Cremo – Exfoliating Body Wash for Men

If you’re in search of the best exfoliating body wash for men, I highly recommend you check out this offering from Cremo. Featuring an incredibly fresh Pacific Sea Salt & Grapefruit fragrance, this body wash is designed to cleanse the skin while exfoliating particles (sea salt and pumice) gentle slough away dead skin and dry patches.

And unlike many body scrubs and exfoliators that have a tendency to strip the skin of moisture, Cremo exfoliating body wash does a really great job of moisturizing and hydrating while the exfoliating particles smooth and soften the skin.

Another thing that I really like about Cremo exfoliating body wash is the awesome scent. When it comes to great smelling body washes for men, Cremo has established themselves as one of the best in my opinion. The Pacific Sea Salt & Grapefruit fragrance of this exfoliating body wash smells very fresh, clean, citrusy, and masculine. It’s definitely worth a sniff.

Bottom line: This exfoliating body wash by Cremo is a bonafide winner in my book. Not only does it smell awesome, but it does an excellent job of softening the skin while providing tons of moisture and hydration. It’s also very reasonably priced which is a big plus.

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Marlowe – No. 104 Body Scrub & Wash

If you’re looking for an exfoliating body wash for men but don’t want to spend a small fortune, I recommend you check out this Body Scrub & Wash from Marlowe.

This 2-in-1 body wash is formulated to exfoliate coarse, dry skin while it simultaneously cleanses, nourishes and hydrates.

Exfoliation is powered by apricot seed powder and pumice, which are both gentle on the skin, but strong enough to power through dry, rough patches.

Exfoliation aside, this body wash produces a nice lather that leaves the skin feeling remarkably clean, smooth, and hydrated. Unlike many body scrubs that have a tendency to dry out the skin, this combination scrub/wash does an excellent job of moisturizing and hydrating while it cleans.

Another great thing about this scrub is that it’s formulated with Marlowe’s proprietary blend of skin beneficial ingredients, including: Green tea extract, willow bark extract, passionflower extract, and deep sea algae extract.

This unique blend of ingredients is designed to nourish and moisturize the skin while it helps heal, protect, and even reduce inflammation.

Bottom line: Marlowe No. 104 Body Scrub & Wash is a great exfoliating body wash for men at a great price.

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Nivea Men – Rock Salts Exfoliating Body Wash

If you’re suffering from dry skin and rough patches, consider this Rock Salts exfoliating body wash from Nivea. Specifically formulated for men, Nivea Rock Salts contains Himalayan rock salt and microbeads that do a highly effective job of softening and smoothing the skin.

In my opinion it’s perfect for gentlemen who want exfoliation in their body wash, but prefer to stay away from the aggressiveness of a dedicated body scrub.

Exfoliation aside, this body wash is intended to provide a deep down clean and that’s exactly what it does. It leaves skin feeling smooth and squeaky clean, without any residue or waxy buildup left behind. It’s very popular amongst athletes and gym goers due to its ability to eliminate odor and bacteria while keeping the skin smelling fresh all day.

Another thing that I really like about this body wash is the clean, fresh, woodsy scent. It’s bold, rugged, masculine and perfectly suited for gentlemen such as ourselves.

Bottom line: Nivea Rock Salts is a very affordable and excellent performing body scrub for men. Not only does it provide a noticeably deep down clean, but it also features a woodsy scent that is very pleasant without being too strong or overbearing.

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Axe – Snake Peel Exfoliating Shower Gel

If you’re in the market for a great smelling, exfoliating body scrub for men, you simply can’t go wrong with Axe Snake Peel shower gel. This combination scrub/wash is designed to eliminate rough, dry skin, while moisturizing ingredients leave your skin feeling soft, smooth, and hydrated.

I must admit, I was initially attracted to this body wash because of its cool sounding name: Snake Peel. I honestly didn’t have high expectations in regards to performance. While many men really love the Axe brand of skincare products, I on the other hand have had somewhat of a hit-or-miss relationship with their products over the years.

Thankfully I am happy to report that Snake Peel is definitely one their products that performed much better than I was expecting.

Not only does it provide an effective amount of exfoliating particles to help slough away dead skin and bacteria, but it also works into a thick, rich lather that helps make the cleaning process quick and easy.

And just like pretty much every Axe product in existence, you can tell they put a lot of thought into the scent of this shower gel. While I will admit that I’m not always a fan Axe scented products, I think they did a really great job with this one. The smell of Snake Peel isn’t too strong or overbearing, nor does it give me flashbacks of high school. It’s a pretty mellow, masculine scent that I believe is suitable for pretty much any age group.

Bottom line: Axe Snake Peel is an excellent performing shower gel and it smells really good too. It provides a good amount of exfoliation that noticeably helps smooth and soften the skin, while providing a satisfying, thick, rich, lather.

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Irish Spring – Exfoliating Clean Body Wash

Eliminate dirt, odor, and bacteria with Irish Spring Exfoliating Clean body wash for men. As a brand, Irish Spring has been around forever. And like most men, I used my fair share of Irish Spring bar soaps over the years.

One of the most common complaints about Irish spring bar soap — and bar soap in general for that matter — is that it has a tendency to strip the skin of moisture.

So when I was presented with the opportunity to try this Exfoliating Clean body wash, I made sure to not only pay attention to its exfoliating capabilities, but I also wanted to see if it left the skin feeling dry like their bar soap tends too.

In regards to exfoliation, this body wash offers plenty of exfoliating particles to get the job done. Once you start working the wash onto your skin you can really feel it going to work. It’s not harsh or abrasive like many dedicated body scrubs can be, but instead provides a nice amount of grit that leaves the skin feeling noticeably softer and smoother.

And when it comes to moisture and hydration, this body wash gets two thumbs up. Unlike Irish Spring bar soap, this wash leaves the skin feeling very moisturized and hydrated post shower. None of that dry, tight feeling that is so common with the bar soap.

Bottom line: Irish Spring Exfoliating Clean body wash is absolutely worth a try. It does a great job of sloughing away dead, dry skin, and it also leaves the skin feeling very moisturized and hydrated. I also really like the fact that this stuff is pretty damn inexpensive. You get more than what you pay for with this one.

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Thanks for checking out my list of best exfoliating body washes for men. If you found this article helpful check out my list of best body scrubs for men. As always, if you have any comments or questions feel free to drop me a line in the comment section below.