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Friday, August 13, 2010

Review : St Ives Elements Olive Scrub

I first used the classic St Ives Apricot Scrub when I started to try and look after my skin aged 14. I hated it. It gets rave review after rave review, and I must be missing something because I thought it was bland and did nothing. It's had the same, dreary packaging for years which made me doubt very much that the product had changed at all. It kind of put me off trying anything from the St Ives brand, but I have been quite intrigued by a few of their newer products. I decided to bite the bullet and try another of their facial scrubs recently - the Moisturising Olive Scrub from the new Elements range.



What do St Ives say?
Gently exfoliates while leaving skin moisturised. This scrub, with all natural exfoliants, smoothes and re-energizes the skin. Olive oil nourishes the skin, leaving it feeling soft and moisturised.


What do I say?
The packaging is nice - a lot more updated than the traditional Apricot ones! The scrub itself smells lovely and fresh, and really 'healthy' or herbally, but then you'd expect it to with jojoba oil, chamomile and olive oil. The consistency of the scrub is more like a face wash/gel product, so combined with the smell it makes a really refreshing scrub that feels light on the skin.

Personally, I'm a massive fan of really abrasive and scrubby exfoliators, otherwise I just wonder what's the point? Sadly, this scrub doesn't quite cut it. The scrubby bits are too feeble and sparse, and the ones that are there just don't scrub enough. They kind of just roll over the skin instead of getting all the dead skin off, which defeats the object of using an exfoliator. I like to feel invigorated and revitalised after using a facial scrub, but I don't with this. I think it's just too gentle.


All is not lost though, because here is where the review gets confusing - I love the effects this has on my skin! The thing that sets it apart from most other gentle scrubs, is the moisturising oils that make my skin look radiant and glowing. The olive oil, jojoba oil and chamomile are known for their moisturising properties, and are a fab combination. My skin feels really hydrated when I use this, and I think that's more to do with the luxurious oils rather than the pretty poor exfoliating properties. It doesn't feel greasy, but I definitely feel like I can feel the layer of dead skin still sitting there.

I think St. Ives would benefit more from removing the pathetic 'exfoliants'. The consistency and results would make this a perfect, light facial wash to use in the mornings. It's really moisturising, even on my dry skin, and is actually a good little cleanser. This is definitely not good enough to be an exfoliator though!


Price?
Because I bought this on offer, I can't remember how much it was, and I'm struggling to find it online anywhere. I believe it's around £4-£5, which is a bit more expensive than the traditional products, but is still great value I think.


Would I repurchase?
Nope. I think if this was a face wash and not a scrub I'd be all over it.


What do you think of St Ives products? Are you a fan of their Apricot Scrubs anyway?

xoxo

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