Searching for a body scrub that uses clay

August 4, 2022 8:13 PM

I used to buy Bath and Body Works Seatox clay body polish, but it's been discontinued for years now and is well past a reasonable price. I haven't been able to find anything else that makes my skin as smooth and soft.

I know it has clay and seaweed in it and a salesperson told me it's the clay that really is the key ingredient. I tried buying this clay and mixing it with vegetable glycerin. It made an extremely messy mask that did soften my skin, but did not get rid of the really rough stuff instantaneously (seriously!) like the Seatox polish did. The mask also changed the color of my skin slightly with repeated use, which was a definite downside.

I have Cervae rough and bumpy products in a cart now, but thought I'd try Metafilter to see if anyone knows of a magical replacement scrub that uses clay.

posted by Eyelash to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (15 answers total)

Clay will plug your drains. Try exfoliating gloves with very bubbly, soapy, soap. Then put on a little olive oil before you dry completely.
posted by Oyéah at 8:26 PM on August 4, 2022 [1 favorite]

Lush’s Ocean Salt scrub does not use clay (sorry, and I agree with above poster about drain thing) but I love it so hard and it’s one of my few beauty splurges. They have a “self-preserving” one that is supposed to keep longer as some of their other stuff has an expiration date (due to the ingredients, I assume) but I prefer the original kind (which I linked to). It lasts me forever and I’ve never had an issue with it “spoiling” or getting gross or anything.
posted by lovableiago at 9:00 PM on August 4, 2022

Response by poster: Thanks for the answers so far! I just realized I should have mentioned in the question that I have very dry skin, so anything dehydrating probably won't work for me.
posted by Eyelash at 9:11 PM on August 4, 2022

Ahava sells a facial mud exfoliator as well as a range of bath and body products, often using minerals from the Dead Sea in Israel.
posted by metahawk at 9:39 PM on August 4, 2022 [2 favorites]

Best answer: There are a few overpriced tubes for sale on ebay and one of them (for $39.50) has a readable photograph of the ingredient list. It starts with kaolin clay and perlite and then the chemically bits which you can look up to see what each contributes. I once found a close duplicate for a discontinued conditioner I liked by comparing the ingredient list of other conditioners. Unfortunately, ebay won't let me link to it.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 10:02 PM on August 4, 2022

I make my own scrub using 1 measure of granulated sugar, 2 measures of oil (I use just ordinary sunflower or canola oil) and a few drops of a favourite scented oil (currently ISO E-Super, aka Molecule #1).

It is amazing, and leaves my skin super-soft and with no bumpy bits. Take care when using it as it can make the floor of the shower or tub slippery so make sure you use a rubber mat, and then spray the floor with a de-greasing cleaner when you're done.
posted by essexjan at 2:15 AM on August 5, 2022

Try a tablespoon of baking soda and a squirt of face wash and a few drops of water for your face. Rub gently, gently! Rinse, moisturize.

For body I like regular shower soap on synthetic textured knit gloves, followed by a ton of moisturizer.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 5:57 AM on August 5, 2022

I swear by these exfoliating cloths. I use it at the end of a shower or bath, just rub firmly in one direction and all the dead skin and bumps are gone. I follow up with Tend Skin on places I have bumps (very few now that I do this regularly), and then lotion.
posted by ananci at 6:02 AM on August 5, 2022

Best answer: In case what the salesperson said confused you and you didn't realise, the clay in that scrub is what provided the softening effect, not the smoothing part. It would've had a physical exfoliant as well, which is what is missing in your DIY. You could try adding sugar/salt to your current mix. Don't leave it to set like a mask, which is what's causing your skin discolouration, just slather it on and gently buff while washing it off.

Otherwise I would definitely recommend trying the Cerave. It's a chemical exfoliant rather than a physical one, so it will be a lot gentler and should feel moisturising while also helping your skin texture, maybe a little slower than you'd like though.
posted by Adifferentbear at 6:04 AM on August 5, 2022

Not clay, but this Kiehl’s scrub has physical exfoliant and is very softening to dry skin.
posted by matildaben at 9:40 AM on August 5, 2022

Best answer: Lush's Angels on Bare Skin is not cheap, but a little does go a long way - I use a bean-sized glob to do my face, neck, front torso, and then my hands with whatever's left on them. The base is ground almonds and kaolin.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:41 AM on August 5, 2022 [2 favorites]

Seconding the Angels on Bare Skin - my skin felt amazingly soft after using it, way more than after a salt/sugar/oil scrub
posted by Sparky Buttons at 11:05 AM on August 5, 2022

Best answer: The Seaweed Bath Co. has seaweed + clay exfoliating body scrubs: Rosemary/Mint and Orange-Eucalyptus-Cedar. R/M full and trial sizes are out of stock at the company site, but are available elsewhere. If the scents and particular exfoliating agent ("finely ground walnut shells") aren't right, DIY recipes can be customized. FWIW, searching for an ingredient list for the discontinued product -- to better understand its exfoliating "polish" effect -- turned up seaweed/clay exfoliating soaps. (Soaps must be dried after use, else they're goo puddles.)
posted by Iris Gambol at 2:15 PM on August 5, 2022

Response by poster: Thanks to everyone for the great answers, I'm really excited to have some new stuff to try! Also thank you to those who warned about clay clogging drains, I definitely will start rinsing off with a bowl of water for any clay products and dumping it outside.
posted by Eyelash at 3:21 AM on August 6, 2022

This one seems like exactly what you want, I got it at Whole Foods. https://pachasoap.com/products/sea-mud
posted by tatiana wishbone at 12:51 PM on August 6, 2022