Well, I was timely with this project, at the very least. I tried a number of body scrubs, and by the end, well, I was actually kind of tired of body scrubs. What the heck, man! I was all ready to feel all spa-treated and pampered, but honestly, sometimes this stuff was just repetitious. But let’s talk about the scrubs, shall we?
1. Alterna Caviar Clinical Exfoliating Scalp Facial. Yes, that is “scalp” facial. What Martha said: “It helps remove buildup caused by clogged hair follicles and a dry scalp. The cap’s massage bristles work with the product’s fruit enzymes, salicylic acid, and dandruff-shampoo standby pyrithione zinc to dislodge flakes.”
What I say? I’ve never used a scalp scrub before. I actually felt like I had an itchier scalp after using this than I did before, which makes me wonder if this stuff actually stripped some essential oils from my scalp that were keeping it feeling nice. That said, using my normal shampoo after this scalp scrub seemed more effective; my hair was nice and shiny and very clean after this product. I’d maybe use it before important events to give my hair a little extra oomph, but I don’t think it will get a place in my normal rotation.
2. St. Ives Even & Bright Pink-Lemon and Mandarin Orange scrub. What Martha said: “Removing dead cells helps even out and brighten face tone. Hydrated silica and citrus extracts refresh normal skin types.”
What I say? This stuff wasn’t the most effective. I feel that living in the city, my facial skin in particular (which is exposed to so much environmental crap) needs a little extra oomph in the exfoliating and cleansing department. This had a pleasant smell, but felt more like applying lotion to a wet face than applying an exfoliating agent. I wouldn’t purchase this again, but it might be nice for young people or people with very dry skin.
3. Bliss Micromagic microdermabrasion treatment. What Martha said: “This pore-purging face was replicates the popular spa treatment at home. It smooths and renews with volcanic pumice and peppermint extract.”
What I say? Actually, this was a pretty effective facial exfoliator; the bottle warns not to use it more than 2x/week, though, which is disappointing. The texture is very fine-grained but I could feel it exfoliating my skin, and my skin did look overall more even and smooth after use. At $48/bottle, though, this is kind of a splurge. And since I’ve never had a microdermabrasion spa treatment, I can’t comment on how accurate the claim is that this replicates the experience. Overall, I would get this one on a splurge for occasional use, but keep looking for a good facial exfoliator (like the Clarisonic Mia that I use at home) for regular use.
4. The Lip Scrub by Sara Happ in Sparkling Pink Grapefruit. What Martha said: “Lip colors look richer and last longer after you prep your pout. Sugar, grapeseed oil, and jojoba oil remove dry flakes while they also hydrate lips.”
What I say? I couldn’t get this shit off my lips! It seriously took me like 7 tissues to completely remove this product from my mouth. And after that? Well, the area immediately around my lips was red and inflamed—not cute—and since I don’t wear lipstick regularly, I prepped my pout, so to speak, for what? A day later, my lips—which never flake unless I’ve been in the mountains—started flaking like crazy. This stuff was awful. Stick with gently exfoliating your lips, and only when they need it, with a wet toothbrush. (Seriously. It works.) I will say that this stuff tasted good. Which is great, because I kept finding it in the corners of my lips.
5. Bite Beauty Superfruit Butter. What Martha said: “This lip balm has gentle lip-conditioning powers. Acai berry suspended in shea and palm butters gives lips (and cuticles) a very subtle exfoliation.”
What I say? I wish I could! But Sephora hasn’t restocked this item in some time (I even signed up for an alert the moment I read this article). So, no review for this product. If the description from Living is accurate, though, this sounds far preferable to the Sara Happ-tastrophe.
6. C.O. Bigelow Lemon Sugar Body Scrub No. 1159. What Martha said: “It’s perfect for targeting leathery elbows, bumpy arms, and scaly knees. Brown and white sugars and lemon-peel extract transform ragged-looking limbs.”
What I say? Hallelujah! This is the scrub I’ve been waiting for. First of all, it smells delicious. Second, it’s super effective. Even though it’s a rough scrub, it didn’t feel too rough; I wasn’t concerned that I was sandpapering my limbs or anything. Third, though it did effectively exfoliate my skin, it also left my skin so smooth; it was super hydrating. I’m not the kind of person who uses phrases like “super hydrating,” so color me impressed. I use this one as often as I have a few extra minutes in the shower, and will probably buy it again.
7. Crabtree & Evelyn Gardeners hand scrub with pumice. What Martha said: “Not for green thumbs alone, this ultrafine formula whisks away dirt and rough patches. Pumice and skin smoothers like honey and aloe keep hands soft.”
What I say? All of that is technically true, but I just wasn’t feeling this one. It felt rougher than I expected, and on skin as sensitive as hand-skin, that’s not very pleasant. The smell was nice—a kind of soft, honey smell—but there was nothing about this that made me want to go back and keep using it. If you do garden and need a rougher exfoliant for your hands, then I would give this one a try. I am a pampered baby and the roughest thing I ever touch, really, is dog fur, so this isn’t for me.
8. L’Occitane Shea Butter One Minute hand scrub. What Martha said: “It tackles calluses, cracked skin, dry nails, and cuticles in 60 seconds. A saturating blend of organic brown sugar and sweet-almond oil transforms uber-parched palms.”
What I say? Well, if I want to moisturize my hands, I’m not going to use an exfoliant. Oddly enough, after using this scrub—not before—I developed a patch of dry, flaky skin on my fingers. And while I was hoping that these hand scrubs would tide me over between an extra long wait between manicures, they did the opposite; my cuticles look more ragged than I’ve ever seen them before. Ironically, one of my favorite hand lotions is L’Occitane’s Shea Butter hand cream. I just was not feeling the scrub.
9. Le Couvent Des Minimes Hiker’s Foot Healer foot-polishing cream. What Martha said: “It offers soothing relief for anyone who spends too much time on her feet. Poppy seeds, pumice, and walnut shell powder lend heel-sloughing properties, while wintergreen and alpine mint invigorate.”
What I say? It was okay. I actually wanted more exfoliating action than I got from this scrub, but it was okay. You apply it to dry feet, which I found surprising, and then rinse clean. I have a few very calloused patches on my feet, and rather rough heels, so I was looking forward to trying both of these foot scrubs, but…
10. Kiss My Face Peppermint foot scrub. What Martha said: “Crushed nut shells, which are typically too harsh for delicate skin, are just right for thick-skinned soles. Pumice and those walnut shells scour and soften callused patches.”
What I say? …neither one of the foot scrubs really did the job I was hoping. Where the Le Couvent des Minimes scrub was kind of a cream-based, the Kiss My Face is more of a gel. Both have nut shells and pumice, both have a minty scent, but Kiss My Face is half the price of the other and comes in a larger container, I believe. So if you’re going to get one of these, I’d go with the drugstore option. I would use it again, but was disappointed that it didn’t do more for me.
And the winner is? If it wasn’t obvious, that would be the C.O. Bigelow Lemon Sugar Body Scrub No. 1159. Which means, I’m doing a giveaway for one lucky winner to receive a jar of C.O. Bigelow Lemon Sguar Body Scrub No. 1159. Yay! Tell your friends. Here’s the Giveaway:
And you can also find it on my Facebook page by clicking the “Giveaway” tab. All you have to do to enter is like my Facebook page. That’s it!
To summarize, this project was probably a three-Martha project. It’s not that any of it was terribly unpleasant, but it wasn’t challenging in any way, either, so my sense of accomplishment and achievement is pretty slender. Since my pleasure in the result was mixed, but I did wind up with one solid body scrub I’d use again and again, that seems decent. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway, and tell all your friends!
Tagged: #LivingProject, giveaway, Martha Stewart
