Aubrey Organics Jojoba Meal and Oatmeal Mask and Scrub

photo courtesy of Aubrey Organics

I got this mask before my excursion into baking soda, because I wanted a scrubby mask.  I chose this, even though it’s meant for dry skin, because this is the only Aubrey mask that is also a scrub.

I mainly used this as a facial scrub, and it did a great job.  This isn’t a rough scrub because the scrubby bits are ground up really well.  Unlike the apricot kernel or almond scrubs you may have used in the past, this isn’t going to scrape your face up and make it sting.  Used as a scrub, I would recommend this for any skin type, though people with sensitive skin might want to avoid it.

I only used this as a mask once or twice.  Like the other Aubrey masks I’ve reviewed, this one doesn’t dry on the skin, so it’s easy to remove–especially if you then scrub it off gently with water.  After use, my skin was soft and moisturized, and no oilier than normal several hours later.  And this didn’t cause my skin to break out.

I don’t remember much of the fragrance.  It wasn’t offensive, and I think it’s slightly herbally, much like the other Aubrey products I’ve used.

Jojoba meal and Oatmeal Mask and Scrub, $9.43, 4 ounces.

INGREDIENTS INCI: Aqua, alcohol denat. (38b, lavender*), simmondsia chinensis seed powder*, cetyl alcohol, avena sativa kernel flour, glycerin, citrus grandis seed extract, glyceryl linoleate, glyceryl linolenate, triticum vulgare germ oil, rosa rubiginosa (Rosa Mosqueta®) fruit oil*, persea gratissima oil, tocopheryl acetate, hamamelis virginiana water, pimenta acris leaf oil, cymbopogon nardus oil, ferula galbaniflua oil, lavandula hybrida oil, citrus limonum peel oil, evernia prunastri extract, mentha piperita oil, abies sibirica oil, rosmarinus officinalis leaf oil, aloe barbadensis leaf*, ascorbic acid, fucus vesiculosus extract, laminaria digitata extract, glycine soja oil, daucus carota sativa root extract, beta carotene.

Baking Soda

Yes, I’m back to reviewing products (at least that’s my intention), and I’m starting with a product you probably already have around the house:  good old baking soda.

You use it in baking.  You add 1/2 a cup to your laundry to boost the effectiveness of your detergent, and you might even have a box in your fridge to ward off odors.  If you are super-envirogirl (or boy), you even use it to clean–and probably love to watch what happens when you mix it with white vinegar in your drain.

But you can use baking soda in your beauty routine, too.  In fact, I encourage it.  I keep baking soda in a four ounce container in the shower, and I think I refill it every two or three months, and that’s using it for something three to four times each week.  A little bit goes a long way.

To exfoliate my face, I mix about a dime size amount of soda with whatever facial cleanser I’m using at the moment.  The cleanser can be a cream or a lathering cleanser.  I’ve used soda with both types and it works with either one.  Mix those up in your hand, then wash face as usual.  Don’t wash too hard, because that will leave your skin pink!  Rinse well, and when you’re done, your skin will be polished and smooth.

I also use baking soda as a hair clarifier, usually once every two weeks, but maximum once a week because it can dry out the hair.  Mix about a quarter sized amount with your shampoo in the palm of your hand, then shampoo as normal.  If you have long hair, but don’t normally wash the ends of your hair, make sure to wash the ends as well to get product and conditioner buildup off the  hair.  Rinse well, then use a really good hydrating conditioner or treatment.

You can also mix this with your shower gel to exfoliate all over your body, or use it to brush your teeth.

I usually use soda to exfoliate my face two to three days a week.  If you have dry or sensitive skin, I would use it once a week to see how your skin reacts to it, then increase the number of days if needed.  Oilier or less sensitive skin can probably get away with using it twice a week from the start.

Baking soda seems like such a humble product to use, especially now that we’re so used to high-priced, high-technology beauty products.  But we don’t need all of that when we have something so simple in our pantries that works well for so many different uses.

 

LUSH Sugar Scrub

LUSH strives to be more environmentally friendly by creating products that use little to no packaging, something that very few companies can claim, and I commend LUSH for that.  The latest in this long line of products was introduced sometime in late 2008 or early 2009 as a solid sugar scrub.  So far there are two in the line, Sugar Scrub and Sugar Babe.

Sugar Scrub is half a sphere and about the same size as half of one of LUSH’s bath ballistics.  These are really only designed for one use, so at about $4 a scrub, these aren’t very economical.  The other drawback is that this is a very hard scrub.  As I’ve mentioned in several reviews, my skin isn’t very sensitive, but I thought the scrubbiness of this was almost painful.  If you have sensitive skin, skin that is fragile and tears or bruises easily, any kind of skin condition (like excema or psoriasis) or are taking any kind of medicine (including chemotherapy) that might make your skin more fragile, please do not use these solid sugar scrubs.  They are simply too hard and scrubby for skin like yours.  Stick to a softer scrub.

With that out of the way, let me tell you what I really liked about Sugar Scrub.  First, while it’s designed for single use, you can get two uses out of it.  When wet, these allow a lot of sugar to be left behind, so instead of rubbing with the scrub itself, you can scrub the remaining sugar on your skin until it dissolves.  Second, this did a heck of a job of exfoliating, and my skin was soooooooo smooth and soft.  This smells really nice too, and has a light herbal scent to it.  You’d expect a sugar scrub to have a very sweet smell, and this doesn’t.  It’s a nice change of pace.

Ingredients:

Fair Trade Sugar, Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream of Tartar (Tartaric Acid), Sodium Laureth Sulphate, Fresh Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), Fennel Oil (Foeniculum vulgare), Lavender Oil (Lavandula angustifolia), Fresh Ginger Root (Zingiber officinale), Glycerine, Cocamide DEA, Lauryl Betaine, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume, Chlorophyllin (CI 75810)}

*Occurs naturally in essential oils

LUSH Ocean Salt

Ocean Salt is a cleanser and scrub all rolled into one. You can use this as a face or body scrub after cleansing, or you can use it as a cleanser on its own. If you’ve never used an oil based cleanser, this might take some getting used to, but it’s really worth it – even if you have oily skin. I’ve only used one other oil based cleanser, and both it and Ocean Salt worked well to get my skin clean. The bonus with Ocean Salt is that it exfoliates while it cleans.

The other great thing about it is the smell. It’s fresh, clean, and sweet, and with lime and vodka, slightly alcoholic. The downside is that this is one of LUSH’s more expensive products for the amount of product you get. Despite the price, this is worth a try.

Ingredients:
VEGETARIAN, Fine Sea Salt, Fresh Grapefruit Infusion (Citrus paradisi), Coarse Sea Salt, Stearic Acid, Fresh Organic Lime Extracted in Vodka (Citrus aurantifolia), Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Glycol Cetearate, Triethanolamine, Avocado Butter (Persea gratissima), Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (Cocos nucifera), Lime Oil (Citrus aurantifolia), Seaweed Absolute (Fucus vesiculosus), Violet Leaf Absolute (Viola odorata), Glycerine, Lanolin, Cetearyl Alcohol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume, Colour 42090, Methylparaben, Propylparaben}