little white truths

This soap came in our last box from Maslow & Co (unboxed here).

While initially I was interested in trying the product because I like body exfoliants in soap form (saves me fiddling with screw tops and wet hands in the shower), one of my readers mentioned that she'd tested the pH and discovered it was alkaline - which as you know is a big no-no for skin - so I went in carefully with this because my skin is dry and it doesn't like astringent products.

This is definitely astringent. And it strips my body skin so I wouldn't put it anywhere near my face, even though it's designed for both face and body. More on that below.

• Used on the face and body, this gentle exfoliating bar is part of the Bright Now collection to help diminish dark spots
• For a flawless, luminous complexion
• Enriched with apricot kernels, known for their exfoliating properties, skin is gently cleansed, exfoliated and moisturised to reveal brightened skin
• For use on face or body, wet bar and rub into hands to produce a lather of soap; rub onto area using circular motions, then rinse with water
• Suitable for all skin types and can be used daily
• RRP $21.95 AUD for 150g

This product doesn't 'feel' right to me and my body isn't liking it so it's not one I would recommend - and definitely not for use on the face.

It's a standard soap that smells light and fresh, and it contains little grains that are scratchy and abrasive, so they're not something I've liked applying to my body. There are good exfoliants and then there are bad ones, and I feel this one's bad.

Not only are the grains too scratchy, but the product itself really strips my skin so I believe it's too astringent and should be used with caution.

Indeed, I've just tested the pH of this product and it's coming in somewhere between an 8 and a 9 (and likely closer to 9), so this is definitely an alkaline product and for this reason I wouldn't put it anywhere near your face. While I've used alkaline products on my face before, these haven't felt like they've stripped my skin - but this one absolutely does feel like that so it's not one I've enjoyed using.

On the claims: no I don't think this is gentle (not in the slightest); no I don't think it's suitable for all skin types and no I don't think it can be used daily (it's too astringent for that); and no I don't think this moisturises my skin in the slightest.

I can't speak to whether this meets its claims of helping to diminish dark spots because I haven't used it on my face, but I can say that I don't think the product reveals brightened skin: what it does is dry my body out so it feels parched and looks dull after use.

All in all, I don't like this product and I can't recommend it. It's just too harsh and I urge you to proceed with caution if you've received one of these too.

Not for me.