9 best exfoliating gloves and mitts for soft, glowing skin this summer

Exfoliating is a staple part of many people’s skincare routine for both the face and body. That said, not everyone’s aware of the benefits of regular exfoliation or how best to do it.

In short, exfoliating helps remove dead cells from the skin’s surface. And considering we shed around five thousand million skin cells every 24 hours, according to Imperial College London, it’s easy to see how important removing this dead skin is.

From reducing ingrown hairs and removing fake tan to prepping the skin for waxing and epilating, the benefits of regular exfoliation go much further than just achieving soft skin. It’s even been known to help certain skin conditions, such as keratosis pilaris, eczema and acne scarring – but always consult a doctor beforehand if you do have any of these conditions.

Now we’ve covered the benefits of exfoliation, it’s important to highlight that there are multiple methods, from sugar scrubs and chemical exfoliants to mitts and gloves. While all have their individual benefits, exfoliation mitts and gloves are possibly the easiest to use and store, with no mess, fuss and little worry of adverse reactions.

So, keep reading for how we tested each pair of exfoliation gloves or single mitt, and which ones we’ll be keeping in the bathroom cabinet.

How we tested

Exfoliation mitts and gloves are very similar, with the words often being interchanged between the two products. Usually, exfoliation gloves look like a regular pair of tight, knitted winter gloves that fit onto both hands, while an exfoliation mitt may just come on its own, and is usually larger and mitten-shaped with no finger holes.

Whether you prefer a bath or a shower, the best bit about these products is that they can be used both in and out of the water (though almost always on wet skin), are easy to pop on and off, and can be re-used for a good amount of time before discarding. For best results, we recommend starting at the feet and working your way up in light circular motions towards the heart, and you can always add body wash, too, for a deeper clean with less friction.

Our tester spent many a night scrubbing themselves to see which products really were the best at buffing. And, being an avid fake-tanner, it was easy to spot just how well any dead skin was being removed and how deep an exfoliation each glove delivered. Just remember, unless it states that it’s specifically a product for the face, please don’t use it there, as this skin is way more sensitive and can easily be damaged.

The best exfoliation gloves for 2022 are:

• Best overall – So Eco 2-1 exfoliating glove: £6.50, Lookfantastic.com

• Best tight-fit gloves – Soap & Glory exfoliating scrub gloves: £3.33, Boots.com

• Best intense exfoliation – Bare by Vogue luxury exfoliating mitt black: £6.75, Amazon.co.uk

• Best face exfoliating mitt – Sarah Chapman skinesis professional cleansing mitts: £19, Lookfantastic.com

• Best high street buy – The Body Shop bath gloves: £5, Thebodyshop.com

• Best pre-tan exfoliating mitt – Coco & Eve sunny honey Bali bronzing express exfoliating mitt: £9.90, Amazon.co.uk

• Best large exfoliation mitt – Face Halo body: £18, Feelunique.com

• Best budget buy – Superdrug fruity exfoliating body gloves 1 pair white: £2.99, Superdrug.com

• Best gentle exfoliator – Ameliorate exfoliating body mitt: £8, Lookfantastic.com

So Eco 2-1 exfoliating glove

With its large size, this glove was incredibly easy to slide on and off, and has a handy loop to hang it up to dry. Getting its 2-1 name from having a coarse side for exfoliation and a soft, gentle surface for cleansing, it feels more like a luxurious process than a must-do task. Our tester enjoyed adding body wash to the softer side for a post-scrub cleanse.

As far as exfoliating goes, it effectively removed any left-over fake tan and nicely buffed the skin. It was gentle enough to use dry, too, in a similar way to a dry brush. For anyone less mobile, or those who have difficulty reaching their feet or backs, the shower back strap (£4.80, Lookfantastic.com) is a great extra for those harder-to-reach places.

Buy now £6.50, Lookfantastic.com

Soap & Glory exfoliating scrub gloves

Typical-looking exfoliating gloves, Soap & Glory is always a failsafe option for low-cost mini luxuries and skincare essentials. Bright pink, these really jazzed up our tester’s bathroom and were very easy to use.

Made from 100 per cent nylon, they’re pretty coarse, and can really get into every nook and cranny, thanks to the stretchy finger holes. The wrist area was double-layered, meaning there was no worry of tearing or breaking when pulling them on and off. Again, these gloves have a nifty loop attached so can be hung up to dry.

Due to their coarseness, we’d suggest using them only wet and on wet skin, while the brand recommends wearing them to rub your body wash in – killing two birds with one stone.

Buy now £3.33, Boots.com

Bare by Vogue luxury exfoliating mitt black

Best: Intense exfoliation

Rating: 9/10

Now, this is an exfoliating mitt for those who like a really rough rub (ooh-er!). Our tester even used this on hard-skin areas such as their heels and feet, and was impressed at just how well it removed this stubborn skin.

Double-sided for easier use, this mitt design is on the small side, meaning it fit our tester’s hand quite snugly. The black colourway is great for those who prefer a minimal bathroom aesthetic, and also made it easier to see exactly what was coming off – in a grossly intriguing way.

Although we do have to stress that anyone with sensitive skin may want to look at some of the other options, this really is a brilliant choice for those who want a strong-working product.

Buy now £6.75, Amazon.co.uk

Sarah Chapman skinesis professional cleansing mitts, pack of four

Known for having a roster of famous clients, Sarah Chapman is quite the go-to brand for luxury skincare. So, when it comes to exfoliating an area as sensitive as the face, we trust her products to be gentle yet effective – and we weren’t disappointed.

Just like a mini body exfoliation mitt with one textured side and one softer side, these mini-mitts easily slot over the fingers for a deeper cleanse. We used ours with the No7 cleansing balm (reviewed here) and were really impressed with how clean our skin felt afterwards. It easily removed stubborn eye make-up in seconds, handling even the dreaded glitter eyeshadow with no problem.

The whole process felt more of a spa-like experience than our regular washing routine, and you can just wash and re-use the mitt over and over again – a definite win.

Buy now £19.00, Lookfantastic.com

The Body Shop bath gloves

At £4, these bath gloves from The Body Shop are a great budget-friendly option that are sure to see you through for a long time. Available in four colourways – pink, green, yellow and orange – they’ll brighten up your bathroom, too.

Typical glove style, they can get into every crease, between the toes, and around the bikini line to combat ingrown hairs. They weren’t as coarse as some of the other options in this round-up, so would be a better option for gentler exfoliation or on sensitive skin. Our tester used them to apply body wash, providing a lubrication between the skin and the glove, and giving a deeper clean in a shorter amount of time.

Buy now £5.00, Thebodyshop.com

Coco & Eve sunny honey Bali bronzing express exfoliating mitt

This mitt has been designed to exfoliate before using fake tan – a vital step in pre-tan prep – and that’s exactly what our tester used it for. It wasn’t the most intense exfoliation, but the fine ridges did whip away dead skin as well as remnants of a lingering old tan, too.

More like a sock than a glove or a mitt, with just one space for the hand and a tight wristband, it stays on tightly for easy use, with no faffing around trying to get fingers into the right holes.

Being double-sided, it’s easy to rotate and use all over the body, including the back. Like most of the other mitts here, we’d recommend using this one only while wet and on wet skin.

Buy now £9.90, Amazon.co.uk

Face Halo body

Face Halo has been causing quite a stir with its reusable face pads – which our tester already uses on a daily basis – so it was no surprise that the body mitt was one of the first options to try in our exfoliation glove and mitt round-up.

At first glance, it doesn’t look like this will do much, due to its soft, fluffy exterior, but we were really quite impressed with just how exfoliating it was once we started to use it. One side is more textured, which was great for a deep exfoliation that really worked across tougher areas such as the feet and hands. The other side is softer, designed to polish the body post-scrubbing – it delivered great results without any scratchiness.

Another big plus is that it can be used up to 200 times on both wet and dry skin, making it great value for money.

Buy now £18.00, Feelunique.com

Superdrug fruity exfoliating body gloves 1 pair white

Superdrug is a regular go-to for budget-friendly products, so it’s no surprise that it has one of the cheapest exfoliating gloves on offer. Simple in design, the 100 per cent nylon gloves have no fancy features but just get the job done.

Like the other exfoliation gloves in this round-up, they’re great for covering all areas (bar the face). But again, we’d recommend using them wet and on wet skin with a body wash for an effective, quick and less scratchy feel. If you prefer dry exfoliating with a gentler option, the Superdrug spaa body exfoliating gloves (£3.49, Superdrug.com) are a thicker yet softer version, delivering more of a spa feel.

Buy now £2.99, Superdrug.com

Ameliorate exfoliating body mitt

For a light exfoliation that can be done on a more regular basis or used on sensitive skin, we’d recommend the Ameliorate body mitt. It’s a double-sided, sock-like mitt with a tight wrist strap, which makes for easy use.

Specifically designed to help with ingrown hairs, it’s gentle enough to be used on more delicate areas of the body (though not the face) without irritation, but it still whips away dead skin cells effectively. And, being black, our fair-skin tester took great pleasure in being able to see just how much was being buffed away onto the mitt.

Buy now £8.00, Lookfantastic.com

The verdict: Exfoliating gloves 2022

This was a really close call, as all of these options would make a great addition to any bathroom cabinet and can provide great results when used regularly (around once a week). But, with its coarse and gentle sides, large size and deep yet gentle exfoliation, the So Eco 2-1 exfoliating glove pipped the rest when it came to being our best buy.

For those who like a typical tight-fitting glove that doesn’t break the bank, the Superdrug fruity exfoliating body glove is a great option. And anyone who’s after a really strong exfoliation that can even handle the hard skin on feet, look no further than the Bare by Vogue luxury exfoliating mitt.

Again, we’re going to stress the importance of not using any of these body mitts on your face – but why would you want to when the Sarah Chapman skinesis professional cleansing mitts deliver such great results?

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