Women washing her face with a cleanser Women washing her face with a cleanser

Should You Cleanse or Scrub First?

Cleansing and exfoliating are both important parts of a good skin-care routine. But which comes first? Let's explore the benefits of each approach to help you decide what's best for your skin.
Woman washing her face with face wash.

Cleanser Before Scrub

Cleansing before scrubbing is often recommended. By first removing dirt, sweat, and makeup, you create a clean canvas for exfoliation. This allows the scrub to effectively target dead skin cells without being hindered by surface debris. Exfoliating then removes these dead cells, revealing fresh skin beneath and prepping it for moisturizer, oil, or serum. This method can lead to softer, smoother skin.

Exfoliation Before Cleansing

While less common, exfoliating before cleansing can also be beneficial. Scrubbing first loosens dead skin cells, dirt, and other debris. Following with a cleanser then washes away these loosened particles, providing a thorough cleanse and leaving a smooth, receptive surface for moisturizer. This method can be particularly effective for those with oily or congested skin.

woman exfoliating skin

Our Verdict?

Try both out and see what you like better. There’s no hard and fast rule to whether you should scrub or cleanse first. We recommend trying out both orders and then going with what suits your skin best. Either way as long as you are cleansing and exfoliating according to your skin type, you can achieve a deep clean for your most beautiful skin.

Alternatively if you think exfoliating and cleansing are too complicated, you can merge your exfoliation and cleansing into one step. Garnier SkinActive’s Clean+ Blackhead Eliminating Scrub is a gentle exfoliating cleanser. It softens skin and unclogs pores. The formula infused with charcoal, can draw out blackhead-causing dirt, oil and impurities like a magnet.