body care 4 min read

Body Scrub 101: How to Use a Turmeric & Sea Salt Scrub (and How Often)

A Ablu RitualConsidered care · June 2026

A body scrub is one of those simple shower upgrades that's easy to overdo. Used gently and not too often, it sweeps away the dull, flaky surface layer and leaves skin feeling smooth and looking fresh. Used like sandpaper every day, it just leaves skin red and grumpy. Here's how to get the polished feel without the irritation.

What a scrub actually does

Exfoliating means lifting away dead cells from the surface of your skin. Do it well and skin feels softer, looks a touch brighter, and your moisturiser sinks in more easily afterwards. That's the whole job, and it's a cosmetic one: a scrub smooths and refreshes the look and feel of your skin. It isn't a treatment for any skin condition, and a salt or sugar scrub won't fix bumpy or dry patches at the root, it just makes the surface feel smoother.

How to use it, gently

The American Academy of Dermatology's advice for at-home exfoliation is refreshingly simple: apply the product gently using small, circular motions for about 30 seconds, then rinse well with lukewarm, not hot, water. Let warm water soften your skin first, scoop a small amount of scrub, and work it over damp skin in light circles, no scrubbing hard, no pressing. Pay a little attention to rougher spots like elbows, knees and heels, then rinse clean.

Pair it with a mitt

An exfoliating body mitt gives you even, controlled coverage and means you use less product. It also makes it easy to keep the pressure light, which is the whole point. Glide it over the skin in those same gentle circles rather than bearing down. After you rinse, the AAD reminds us that “exfoliating can be drying to the skin, so apply moisturizer immediately after”, so smooth on a body lotion or oil while skin is still slightly damp.

How often is enough

Less is more. For most people, exfoliating one to three times a week is plenty. As the AAD puts it, “the more aggressive the exfoliation, the less often it needs to be done,” and over-doing it can leave skin red and irritated. A grainy salt scrub is on the firmer end, so once or twice a week suits most skin nicely. If your skin looks tight, flaky or pink afterwards, you're doing it too often or too hard.

A note for sensitive skin

If your skin is on the sensitive, dry or reactive side, go gentler still. The AAD notes that for those skin types a washcloth and a mild approach may suit better, as a vigorous mechanical scrub can be too irritating. Start once a week, keep the pressure feather-light, and never exfoliate over sunburn or broken skin. When in doubt, do less.

Why turmeric and sea salt

Our scrub leans on two simple, sensory ingredients: fine sea salt for a smoothing polish, and warm-toned turmeric for that golden, spa-like feel and scent. It's about the experience and the soft, fresh finish, not a cure for anything. Together they leave skin feeling buffed and looking radiant in the everyday, cosmetic sense.

The simple version

Warm up skin under the shower first.
Massage a little scrub in light circles for around 30 seconds.
Rinse with lukewarm water.
Moisturise straight away while skin is damp.
Repeat one to three times a week, less if skin is sensitive.

Ready-made? Our turmeric and sea salt body scrub and exfoliating mitt are made to be used together, and the Everything Shower Kit brings them in alongside the scalp brush for a top-to-toe shower. Founded in New Zealand, shipping to NZ, the US and Canada.

Ablu makes cosmetic claims only. A body scrub is a feel-good upgrade for the look and feel of your skin, not a treatment for any condition. Source: American Academy of Dermatology, How to safely exfoliate at home.