Exfoliating Gloves Are the TikTok Trend That'll Give You Baby-Soft Skin

TikTok is a treasure trove of affordable, visibly effective, and/or time-saving beauty hacks, and one of the latest trends saturating the social media platform is all of the above. It's — drum roll, please — exfoliating gloves (cue cheers from audience)!

The hashtag #exfoliatingglove, which currently has 2.2 million views on the app, is home to countless videos of body exfoliating gloves in action. Upon first glance, you might think the 'tokkers are using tanning mitts, but take a closer look and it becomes evident that these hand coverings are more abrasive and meant to be used on wet skin (thus, all the shower backgrounds).

Apparently, they're also so effective that they produce visible residue, as evidenced by many of the clips. I repeat: visible residue. Do you hear that? That's the sound of baby foot and Dr. Pimple Popper fans rejoicing, since these exfoliating gloves serve up a serious dose of satisfaction. But even if just the idea of sloughed-off dead skin makes you gag, don't count yourself out of this TikTok trend just yet. Once you try it yourself, you might be so pleasantly surprised by the results that the residue no longer bothers you. Just take it from TikTok user @sarchetrit, who begins her exfoliating glove video saying, "This looks so gross but it feels so good and my skin is so soft after."

If you're having déjà vu, that might be because these body scrubbers are essentially the Italy towel — another popular exfoliator on TikTok — but in mitten form. Italy towels are abrasive washcloths made of viscose fabric that are often used for body scrub treatments at Korean spas. Some of the exfoliating gloves are likewise made with viscose, others with silk.

Whether your weapon of choice is a loofah, washcloth, or glove, regular exfoliation is worthwhile. It removes the outermost layer of dead skin cells (which can make skin look dull and dry) and allows any products you apply afterward to better penetrate your skin. Since your body skin is two to three times thicker than that on your face, it calls for a stronger exfoliant, so you can have at it with an exfoliating glove that wouldn't be suited to your face. Still, you should exfoliate your body with a glove or washcloth no more than two times per week, since over-exfoliating can cause irritation.

And if you're hoping to get your hands on (in?) an exfoliator glove, they're pretty easy to come by. A lot of the TikTok posts are from brands such as CheekyGlo or Hana Amara, whose mitts start at $30. But you don't have to spend that much to slough off your skin. Colourpop SOL Exfoliating Mitt, Zakia's Morocco The Original Kessa Hammam Scrubbing Glove, and Céla Exfoliating Mitt, are a few more budget-friendly options.