Dyptique makes the most beautiful candles, and the body collection is no less spectacular. The Dyptique Smoothing Body Polish, $70, is meant to create the "spa-like feel of Carthage." From the antique-inspired label to the nourishing pomegranate oil and fragrant jasmine oil, it really feels like a vacation to an ancient city.
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Please-Everyone Scrub
While salt scrubs can be too harsh for some people, sugar can often be too gentle. Brilliantly, The Organic Pharmacy Cleopatra's Body Scrub, $82, is a blend of salt and sugar for that perfect middle ground of exfoliation. It also contains nourishing olive oil and honey plus rose and ylang ylang for a delicious scent. Like the name suggests, it will leave your skin glowing like Cleopatra's.
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Oenophile's Scrub
Like all Caudalie products, the Caudalie Divine Scrub, $38, contains an antioxidant-rich, vineyard-sourced ingredient -- grape oil. In addition, it has argan, hibiscus and sesame oils in a base of brown sugar -- an ultra-moisturizing combination. The smell is deliciously sweet but not cloying.
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Out-of-Africa Scrub
There's a lot of buzz around African Marula oil -- it's extremely high in antioxidants and soothing to the skin. And African Botanics Marula Detoxifying Salt & Sugar Body Scrub, $55, is loaded with the stuff. It also has omega-rich baobab oil, which has tightening properties, and Kalahari melon seed, which is a supercharged moisturizer that's high in vitamin E. Plus, the blend of Himalayan sea salt and raw cane sugar makes it effective yet gentle.
Once you've tried a truly indulgent, beautifully packaged body scrub, it's hard to imagine showering without one. I remember my first: the now-classic Fresh Brown Sugar Body Polish. The brown sugar exfoliates away dry, dead cells. The evening primrose and sweet almond oils leave skin silky for days. And the ginseng root gets your circulation going. Plus, the hefty tub looks chic sitting on the cluttered ledge of my bathtub. I know I could mix together some sugar and olive oil for a DIY scrub, but the Fresh scrub is so much more.
Now, there's a new generation of high-end body scrubs popping up at department stores, following in the footsteps of the cult favorite from Fresh. Not only do these scrubs make your skin feel amazing, they also have therapeutic benefits and glamorous packaging that make them worth every penny.