9 skin-smoothing exfoliants for a soft, glowy complexion

If acne, blackheads, congestion and/or pigmentation are among your top concerns, this exfoliant will help sort your skin out in no time. Glycolic acid, which is an alpha hydroxy acid, is an excellent resurfacing anti-ageing ingredient, and you’ll find 14 per cent of it in this chemical and physical exfoliant hybrid (jojoba beads take care of the manual exfoliation, in case you were wondering). The addition of antibacterial tea tree oil also helps clear breakouts and keep them from reappearing; now it's just showing off...

Freshly ground robusta coffee (the hero ingredient the brand is known and loved for) is in charge of smoothing and refining your skin texture with this guy. Then it’s over to white clay to detoxify skin, and a team of nourishing oils (coconut, rosehip, sweet almond and grapeseed) to ensure your complexion is topped up in the hydration department post-exfoliation, too. Our tip? Use it in the morning; its fresh coffee scent will perk you right up.

If your skin type runs sensitive and you're worried that a physical exfoliant will trigger major inflammation, take solace in the fact that this one will change your mind. With super fine, gentle beads in the formula to take care of the exfoliating part, it's also packed with vitamin B3 which helps to reduce skin sensitivity. Oh, and there’s also moisturising safflower oil and complexion-calming vitamin E for a little something extra in the soothing department.

Don't let the word 'peel' scare you because the glowing result of this two-step treatment is not to be missed out on. Step one puts the brightening powers of vitamin C to work in the form of an exoliating mask, before step two gets busy with AHAs to refine texture and remove impurities. It's a one-two-punch that'll leave your skin looking like you just returned from the spa, when in reality, you didn't leave the couch.

We love it when a pharmacy product can compete with the best of them, and this bargain buy will definitely leave you pleasantly surprised and keen to restock. Not only is it oil-free and cooling on skin, making it the perfect pick for shine-prone skin types, but it also contains tiny, environmentally-friendly natural exfoliating beads to polish the skin, while salicylic and glycolic acids deliver a gentle chemical exfoliation. Pretty damn impressive, huh?

You've probably seen this cult-status cool kid floating round Instagram, but we promise you it's good for more than just a selfie. Bamboo and macadamia slough away that skin-dulling layer of dead cells while clever Australian finger limes work to speed up cell turnover, AHA style. And of course we can’t forget the brand's infamous ingredient, Australian pink clay, which chips in to soak up excess oil while the rest of the magic is happening.

Tell stubborn pimples to watch their backs, because this chemical exfoliant is determined to leave no breakout behind. Using a mix of AHAs (glycolic acid and lactic acid) and BHA salicylic acid, the gel formula unclogs pores, gently removes dead skin, washes away acne-causing bacteria, and decongests skin all in one go. On top of that, liquorice, bilberry and calendula extracts are there to help the skin stay calm throughout the process, while also tackling those pesky issues that long-term acne can cause, like uneven skin tone and scarring.

Concerned with large pores, ageing, redness and blackheads? Reach for this lightweight leave-on exfoliant option. It’s enriched with two per cent salicylic acid, which we all know is pretty much the gold standard when it comes to a good exfoliation, and at that impressive concentration it's no surprise it works wonders in the brightening, purifying arenas. Not sold yet? Did we mention it's Paula’s Choice’s number one product worldwide? That's certainly saying something...

Yep, this little jar of solution-soaked pads technically falls under 'exfoliant' too; we told you it was a versatile category. Exfoliating pads are basically the easiest, most effortless and yet effective way to clear your skin of dead skin cells, so they're an absolute time-saving blessing – these ones have 2.8 per cent glycolic acid to refine uneven texture, witch hazel to even out the skin tone, and hyaluronic acid to calm and hydrate. What you’re left with is silky smooth skin and a pretty covetable glow; and who wouldn’t want that?! P.S. Kylie Jenner is a big fan, too.