In the heated debate on showers vs. baths, I’m a shower person all the way. But I still love to use products that help ritualize the experience, and turn showers into a special, rejuvenating treat. That’s where Versed’s new Buff It Out AHA Exfoliating Body Scrub ($18) comes in. It uses a combination of physical and chemical exfoliators to gently *buff* away dryness and dullness, and reveal smoother, brighter-looking body skin. The buzzy (and affordable) scrub makes a lot of promises—to polish away those pesky chicken bumps (also known as KP or keratosis pilaris), target hyperpigmentation, and clear up body breakouts for “skin as smooth as glass,” so I was obviously really excited to test it out. And spoiler alert: I was sold at first scrub.
As someone with pretty tough, non-reactive skin—who also loves the feeling of scrubbing their skin raw in the shower—I was mildly concerned that the Buff It Out Scrub wouldn’t give me the intense exfoliation I crave. But the creamy formula is loaded with super fine pumice, giving it just the right amount of grit, while still feeling gentle on my skin. I massaged it onto damp skin while in the shower (concentrating on the backs of my arms and legs where I’m most prone to bumps), and found that it exfoliated dry spots I didn’t even know I had. And the best part is that there’s no need to scrub hard, because the exfoliating pumice and AHAs do all of the work for you.
What makes Buff It Out effective?
To deliver the chemical exfoliation, Buff It Out uses a sensitive skin-friendly cocktail of alpha hydroxy acids. Lactic acid, an AHA derived from milk, helps brighten dark spots and dullness—and also happens to be one of the best AHAs for sensitive skin, according to dermatologists. “Lactic acid uniquely builds the moisture barrier,” Dennis Gross MD, dermatologist and founder of Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare previously told Well+Good. “It specially triggers genes in the DNA of the epidermis to make more ceramides and squalane, and actually stimulates the production of the skin’s own ingredients.”
Meanwhile, glycolic acid, an AHA derived from sugar cane, helps resurface dry, dull skin and support a smoother, brighter look. “It’s used to improve the skin’s appearance and texture through exfoliation, while also reducing fine lines, hyperpigmentation, dark spots, and uneven skin tone,” Dr. Gross told Well + Good. Throw in the antioxidant-rich pomegranate enzymes that tout exfoliating and skin-renewing benefits, and you’ve got a gentle—but effective—trio of exfoliators. Though you definitely don’t have to, I let the scrub sit on my skin while I washed my face and hair, giving the exfoliating ingredients more time to work their magic (and there was no stinging or tingling!).
Final thoughts
When it came time to rinse, I could feel the difference right away. The scrub had totally sloughed off my dryness and polished away the uneven texture on my legs and arms—taking me from chicken skin to smooth, slippery dolphin skin. I decided to build on my results by shaving my legs, and can confirm that Buff It Out also makes for a fabulous pre-shave treatment, giving me a close, silky smooth shave. Plus, the mess-free, squeeze tube packaging gives it major brownie points—because who wants to fuss with scooping scrub out of a jar and risk getting water in the product? This all makes Versed’s new body scrub a true 10 out of 10 for me. Order yours on the Versed website.
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