Get a Japanese washcloth, you animals. It's like a loofah that's been unraveled into a single rough cloth. A bit of body wash or even a bar of soap folded into it and you can hold the ends and scrub your body and back. Gets off all the dead skin and sweat, it's great.
I read something a few months ago about a dermatologist saying that you don't need something that rough to remove any dead skin, and that literally your hand or anything soft would fit the bill.
That being said, I still use a pretty rough "soap bag".
Whoa, another human knows of the magic of these things? They're awesome. Works exactly as you described, great for back. Lasts forever. Doesn't hold water or grossness, only suds. Perfectly abrasive, for baby smooth skin. Thanks Japan. A+