I Still Can't Believe How Soft My Skin Feels After Trying This Cult Favorite (2025)

Despite having an arsenal of scrubs, brushes, and polishes at my disposal, I don't exactly have mybody exfoliating routinedown pat. It's not that I'm unaware of thebenefits of body care—I've written way too many articles to ever ignore those perks—but I'm simply impatient when it comes to my own shower.

I've got things to do! People to see! I cannot waste precious minutes massaging in coffee granules!

Jokes aside, I need an exfoliator that feels like second nature to my shower routine, so I'll actually stick to a regular regimen. So, when I finally got my hands on the cult-favoriteBuffing Bar from Soft Services, I was shocked to declare it a shower-time staple—my skin had never felt so smooth.

Themiracle-working exfoliatorcomes in a set of two for just $28, and the brand is currently offering a gift set that also includes a sleek drying dish and splash cover.

My skin: dull, rough & perpetually thirsty

Again, I don't always remember to exfoliate my body, save for a weekly shave. On that note, I don't have thebestrazoron hand (I usually just pick up a drugstore pack), and I'm a bit haphazard with the routine (told you, I'm impatient!), so I don't always wind up with the silkiest shave.

As a result, areas prone tokeratosis pilaris, like the backs of my thighs, can feel bumpy.

My skin can also never get enough hydration, and I always,alwaysslather on abody lotionpost-rinse. But without proper exfoliation, my creams and butters cannot properly absorb into my thirsty pores since the lingering dead skin creates a barrier that makes it hard for the formula to do its job—thus, my skin stays dull and rough.

My results

The first time I used theBuffing Bar, I was truly blown away—seriously, I couldn't believe how soft my skin felt. In the shower, I wet the bar and rubbed in gentle, circular motions on my roughest areas (the backs of my arms and thighs), and it immediately released any trapped hairs and keratin buildup.

My poor feet also have some gnarly calluses (commuting sandal-clad in NYC—enough said), so I dedicated a few moments to my heels, and the results were better than anypumice stoneI've tried.

The brand calls theBuffing Baran "exfoliating brick," which I honestly think is the perfect term. It's certainly not your average creamy bar soap; the experience actually feels sort of like an exfoliating mitt—rough and slightly grainy—yet it still suds up like your traditional bar soap would.

That's because the formula features magnesium oxide crystals, which are small yet effective for physical exfoliation, as well as sodium palmate (a common surfactant in bar soaps) and glycerin, aloe, and shea butter to simultaneously hydrate and soften the skin.

Given these hydrating and cleansing ingredients, you could use the bar all over if you wanted to, but you'll have to ease up on the pressure for more sensitive areas, especially if you're prone to dryness or irritation.

I decided to only scrub rougher areas that needed some extra polishing and stick to my everyday body wash (Odele's Moisturizing Body Wash) for my full cleanse. Regardless, make sure you moisturize after stepping out of the spray—exfoliating without replenishing that hydration is a recipe for a weakened skin barrier.

The takeaway

Is theBuffing Barworth the buy? Take it from someone who loves a streamlined shower routine: This $28 product (which comes in a set of two and is currently up to 20% off!) makes exfoliating an absolute breeze, and it delivers shockingly smooth results.

My only callout is that bar soaps arenotoriously difficult to store—if they stay moist, they can easily harbor bacteria. If you don't already have a slotted soap dish to drain excess water, I would suggest investing in theSoft Services Soap Homeas well, or grabbing the limited-time gift set which saves you $9.

You want to extend the life of your new favorite exfoliator, no?