little white truths

I had an iHerb voucher for a few dollars and knew I would shortly run out of the two body scrubs I've been using, so I decided I to buy a scrub with my voucher and save myself going to the chemist.

While that seemed like a good idea in theory, I've wound up with this gigantic tub of scrub to use and I really don't like it. It had great reviews (which is of course why I picked it) but it's not the scrub for me because it's not scrubby enough: the grains are too small and sparse to be effective. Annoying!

Plus I've since bought two Rituals scrubs that I can't wait to open, but I want to save those until I've finished this - or at least made a good dent in it - so I'm currently mixing it with some facial exfoliating salts that I haven't been using. 

Indeed, you may well see both products on my Project Pan list shortly, since this will make me get through them - and I do need that encouragement because the products are so huge that they seem never-ending!

Petal Fresh claims/product details:

• Moisturise and regenerate your skin 
• This repairing scrub gently exfoliates the skin to reveal your natural, healthy glow
• Formulated with argan oil and other good-for-you ingredients, your skin will be left feeling silky smooth and smelling like paradise
• Vitamin a heals and regenerates
• No colours, parabens, sulfates, phthalates or glycols
• Cruelty free and vegan; certified organic ingredients
• To use: apply liberally to clean, wet skin in the shower or bath, using gentle circular motions; avoid face and delicate areas; rinse thoroughly
• RRP $10 AUD (approx) for 473ml (see eg iHerb)

Verdict

This just isn't the product for me unfortunately. I like my body scrubs to be pretty scrubby and I definitely need more grains than this one has because once you spread it out across the skin and massage it, it doesn't feel like much is going on. It's the kind of gentle scrub that's more of a soft 'polish' and would be better for the face, but of course it all comes down to personal preference.

It's a thick, cream/gel product that has a gluey texture (kind of like pudding) that I don't love. The scent is quite faint but it's definitely there - a soft shea butter smell - and I suspect it wouldn't bother most people because it's an inoffensive kind of scent.

I don't love the plastic tub packaging - I'd prefer to have something that I don't need to dig my wet hands into - but I can overlook that because a lot of body scrubs are packaged this way so the product doesn't lose points on that front.

When I use this, I really don't feel that much is happening in terms of exfoliation and I also feel that I need to use more of this than I do other scrubs because it doesn't give me a lot of bang for my buck (as mentioned, the grains are too sparse).

Over the past few weeks, I've discovered that the best way to use this is to put a dollop on my shower puff, add a dose of those exfoliating facial salts I mentioned above (the ones I haven't been using because I don't love those either), and then I massage the puff over my body. This is the only way I've found to get an effective scrub from this product (and the salts), and I honestly think that the puff is doing most of the work anyway.

All in all, I don't think this is an effective scrub and I wouldn't recommend it. I've given it a 'disappointing products' tag because I was expecting more, given the great reviews it's had, and also because it still doesn't do a great job when mixed with another product and applied with an exfoliating puff. It may work for people who don't like much exfoliation or have sensitive skin, but it doesn't work for me.

Hoh well, at least it didn't cost me much. Bad news is, the tub contains almost half a litre of product so it's in for the long haul! I definitely think I'll have to push it into my Project Pan list: otherwise I can see this taking up precious space in my shower for a year or more.

Do let me know if you've used any great, inexpensive body scrubs - I've had trouble finding one so I'd love to hear your recommendations : )