Why We Chose Papaya Enzymes for Our Body Scrub

When I first started formulating body scrubs, I kept running into the same problem — I’d scoop out a generous amount, start scrubbing, and within seconds, the sugar would melt away. My skin would feel slightly softer, but not transformed. And if I wanted that ultra-smooth feeling? I had to use more and more product. It felt wasteful, and honestly… underwhelming.

That experience set me off on a journey to create something better — a scrub that felt beautiful to use and delivered real results, without needing to overdo it. I tested different sugar sizes, oil blends, and even clays. Some scrubs were too greasy. Some were too harsh. Most felt like they stopped working the second the sugar disappeared.

That’s when I started looking into enzymes — and discovered papaya.

The challenge with traditional scrubs

Scrubs tend to fall into two camps:
Too harsh — with coarse grains that irritate the skin and fall off the skin straight away
Too soft — where the sugar melts instantly, and you’re left massaging with oil

I didn’t want either. I wanted a scrub that stayed gentle, but kept doing something even after the sugar dissolved. One that smoothed and brightened, but still felt like a moment of calm, not a rush.

Why papaya stood out

Papaya enzymes (specifically papain) offer a kind of exfoliation that doesn’t rely on pressure. They work on the surface of the skin, breaking down the bonds that hold dull, dead cells in place — without any harshness or physical scrubbing needed.

It’s one of the few ingredients I found that felt powerful but gentle. Botanical, effective, and beautifully suited to skin that needed softness more than anything.

So I built the formula around it.

How we formulated for glow and softness

The scrub still contains sugar — because I love that immediate smoothing feel — but the papaya enzymes give it that second layer of exfoliation. It means that even after the sugar dissolves, you’re still getting results. You can take your time. Use less. Massage more slowly. And your skin will still feel noticeably smoother after one use.

The oil blend was designed to leave a velvety finish — not greasy, not dry — so your skin feels nourished and calm once you rinse.

You don’t have to choose between something that works and something that feels good. This scrub does both.

What the skin feels like after

Soft. Even. Balanced. Not raw, not tight — just smooth in that way you can’t stop touching. I’ve had people tell me it’s the first scrub they’ve used that didn’t leave their skin feeling dry, or like they needed to moisturise immediately. It’s subtle, but you’ll feel the difference — especially if you’ve ever struggled with things like KP, flaky arms, or rough patches.

Made to be used slowly, not wasted quickly

What I love most is that you don’t need to use a handful to feel a difference. The enzymes keep working even after the sugar melts, which means you can focus on massaging the skin, rather than rushing to reapply.

It turns exfoliation into something more — a moment of care, instead of just a task.

If you’ve ever felt like body scrubs weren’t doing enough — or were too rough to enjoy — I’d love for you to try this one. It took a lot of testing, a lot of tweaking, and a lot of skin-softening trials to get it right. But the result? Is worth it.

Explore our Enzyme Body Scrubs — and if you try it, I’d love to hear what your skin thinks.