Desperate for a cheapie travel-sized cleanser while on a five-day work trip to Las Vegas, I picked up a 95-cent tube of this CVS-brand apricot scrub not expecting much. But now that I’m home I cannot stop using the stuff! It’s super rich and creamy, and every time I use it (about every other day), I still ohh and ahh over how baby’s-bottom-soft my face feels. Just like the iconic St. Ives Apricot Scrub, this knock-off version couples a wee bit of salicylic acid (2 percent) with physical, grainy bits that gently scrub, working together to buff away dull, dead skin. But unlike St. Ives, the CVS version rinses away cleanly—no residue or walnut shells left in the hairline. Psst: A full-size 6-ounce tube is on sale now at CVS for only $1.67! –Meghan
Filed Under: cvs apricot scrub, EXFOLIATOR, face scrub, salicylic acid, st. ives apricot scrub
Hello lovelies! I'm Elizabeth Dehn, a beauty writer + lifestyle editor who's equally fanatical about lip gloss as juice cleansing. I live in Minneapolis with Mr. Bets and our white lab, Molly Thomas . . . 
I’ll have to check it out-I dump St Ives on my clarisonic and love it-but hate scrubbing pieces out of my hair! Can’t beat that price!!! Thanks for the tip!
Careful, though. An esti at my place of work has warned me that the “scrub” in apricot scrubs like St. Ives (and likely the knockoff) is made from crushed apricot pits. These turn out to be not-so-gentle at all, causing microlacerations in the skin, making it easy for bacteria to get in the little cuts and cause blemishes.
That said, I used it for a long time without problem.
My newest scrub obsession is the Eminence Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant. It’s definitely not drugstore priced, but well worth the dollars dropped. It’s a powder made up of very finely ground rice grains, and you can shake it into your cleanser (I’ve been using it with $6 Aveeno stuff!) or use it alone mixed with water. It exfoliates the skin better than anything I have ever used, and really brightens drab and dull winter skin. If you’re willing to splurge… A-ma-zing.
S – I like the way you think! You get the benefit of Eminence (divine) without investing in a pricy cleanser (I love aveeno’s too). And I agree on the physical scrub front – they can b unnecessarily harsh.
I’ve been super impressed by the CVS brand of a lot of products.
I absolutely love the CVS version of Olay’s daily glycolic warming peel. The scrub is finer than the apricot scrubs — so not as harsh for sensitive skin, or skin that’s undergoing acne treatment. And it’s a big help for lightening scars and discolorations.
The “real deal” is $18! but the CVS brand is only $7 or $8.
Sarah G, rice bran exfoliants are the jam (I was hooked on Dermalogica’s Daily Microfoliant powder), and have heard great things about Eminence. I’ll keep that in mind when I want to spoil myself.
Emma, I’ll have to give that peel a whirl! It sounds great, and after discovering this scrub, I’m confident that CVS can make some great knock-offs/generics. Thanks for the tip!
xo,
Meghan
[...] mostly on whether or not I removed all my eye makeup the night before. A few times a week I turn to my favorite CVS scrub, which I can usually find on sale for less than $2. After hopping outta the show’, I spritz [...]