Product Review: St. Ives Apricot Scrub - Renew & Firm

ST. IVES APRICOT SCRUB: RENEW & FIRM $3-4 USD

"Alpha-Hydroxy Complex speeds skin’s cellular renewal process to improve firmness and tone. Exclusive St.Ives® Moisturizing Complex replenishes and retains moisture for clearer, firmer looking skin." ~StIves.com

PRICE
Anything for a few bucks at most times is worthy of trying in my book, even if after trying it doesn't work. So I can't really complain when rounded up that this tube is only worth $4!

PACKAGING
Standard tube packaging. It's easy for dispensing but then you have to deal with remaining product once it nears the end. Instead of snipping the top off and transferring the product to another container to avoid exposure to the air, I just go bend crazy and give my thumbs a good near-the-end workout.

SMELL
It has a sweet creamy smell that translates to something like how an orange cream pop would taste. But not sweet in the sense of fruity. Sweet in the sense of the cream. It doesn't have me jumping off the walls in euphoria nor does it tickle the senses, but tolerable enough to get through when using the product.

PRODUCT CONSISTENCY
If you've tried St. Ives' regular Apricot Scrub, this product, although part of the same line, is slightly different. It still contains walnut shell powder, which is either why you like or dislike Apricot Scrub to begin with, but majority of the scrub is comprised of a cream-like consistency whereas regular Apricot Scrub is just purely rigid in texture. Or "sandpaper" as it's commonly compared to. Its almost like rubbing lotion on your face except for the fact that it's a scrub and contains scrub-like properties and is meant to be washed off.

When delicately worked into the face so as not to scrape the outer skin layer, the cream really soothes as the walnut shell powder exfoliates. I used to go really harsh with the regular Apricot Scrub and would literally grind my skin (oh forgive me of my ignorance), but as I've realized how loving we need to be to our skin, working St. Ives Renew & Firm Apricot Scrub ever so gently is more than enough needed pressure to accomplish proper exfoliation.


WHAT I LIKE

• Majority of the scrub is creamy. It felt really soothing and calming to the fact that the walnut shell powder can be a harsh exfoliant.
• It made my skin glowy.
  

WHAT I DISLIKE

• The walnut shell powder can be a bit harsh for sensitive skins. I personally don't mind the added roughness but stuck it under the 'dislike' category for those who cannot tolerate a rigid exfoliant.
  

OVERALL
Its an alright product. I do like the St. Ives Microdermabrasion Scrub more but I like the walnut shell powder for those days when I feel my skin needs a real good cleaning. I don't know how much it actually "toned and firmed" my skin but I did notice glowy results when I used it on those days my skin needed extra love. I guess you can associate the glow as my skin being toned and firmed, hah.

Should you buy it? At $4 or less, I say go for it if you're curious. But I would definitely not recommend it for those that have sensitive skin and cannot tolerate a rougher-than-most scrub. Although it not nearly as harsh by comparison to the regular Apricot Scrub, it does contain the same scrubbing properties. The Renew & Firm however is much more soothing because of it's lotiony consistency.

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Product Review: St. Ives Elements Microdermabrasion Scrub

I've always had such a soft spot for St. Ives products. From face scrubs to hydroxy masks to body washes, when something new comes out, I'm just compelled to try it.

St. Ives has a new line of products known as St. Ives Elements which are each formulated to help rejuvenate skin using natural elements. The new line is paraben-free for those that are trying to do right by their skin but aren't ready to completely go all natural.

So, we've all probably heard the words muttered before either through a television commercial or from a friend of a friend. And that word is, Microdermabrasion.

What is Microdermabrasion you might ask? Microdermabrasion is a painless and invasive procedure in which the skin undergoes a series of resurfacing treatments. The treatments are meant to thoroughly exfoliate the top layer of the skin diminishing fine lines and wrinkles, fading age spots and acne scars, as well as refining pores, in order to return your skin's natural glow.

Professional Microdermabrasion procedures were initially administered by plastic surgeons. As time progressed, day spas incorporated the procedure into their services and now you can find different OTC brands expanding their skin care products to include Microdermabrasion kits and scrubs.

But while there are a handful of people (including yours truly) who cannot afford to successfully undergo consistent Microdermabrasion sessions at $75-200 PER SESSION (and it's advised to attend sessions every couple weeks!), Microdermabrasion kits are available at your local drugstores. They can range in price from around $10-40 depending on brand and whether or not the kits include tools or other products useful to the procedure.

So, like most people, I've opted for the lighter at-home version to get my feet wet.

Here enters St. Ives Elements Microdermabrasion Scrub.


St. Ives Microdermabrasion Scrub $7-8 USD

"Smooth away fine lines with our Microdermabrasion Scrub. Rich in natural Vitamin E anti-oxidants, the fine mineral crystals exfoliate and deep clean to even out your skin's texture. While chamomile delicately soothes your skin, to leave you feeling moisturized and renewed. Powerful, yet gentle enough to use every day. Now that's amazing." ~StIves.com

PRICE
I got a 4 oz tube for less than $10. Compared to a lot of other OTC Microdermabrasion kits, that is rather affordable. Although I haven't tried the other ones BECAUSE of the price, I'm led to believe that the other brands probably have additional products included with the kit if not a tool that helps.

In comparison to other St. Ives products, you do get less product with the Microdermabrasion Scrub than their other facial scrubs and it does cost more.

PACKAGING
It comes in a squeezeable tube like majority of St. Ives facial products. I actually prefer this packaging than having it come inside a tub as I hate sticking my fingers into containers and getting product under my fingernails. But one thing you do have to deal with in this type of packaging is when it gets down to the bottom of the tube. I'm sure everyone has experienced the bending of the corners in 20 million different directions to ensure you've used ALL the product. Of course your can snip the container and scoop out what's left, but call me lazy. I'm a bender, hah.

SMELL
The smell is sooo heavenly! Chamomile not only appeals nicely to my sense of smell but it's anti-inflammatory properties help soothe my skin after using it.

PRODUCT CONSISTENCY
St. Ives Microdermabrasion Scrub is comprised of very fine mineral crystals while the overall formula has a cleanser-like consistency that lathers slightly but is not sudsy. The feeling of the fine mineral crystals is so soft to the skin and when being spread throughout the face, the feeling of exfoliation is more so apparent than other scrubs of the St. Ives line. The mineral crystals distribute more evenly when using this product because they are milled so finely.

As you can tell by the picture below, the scrub does start to crystallize when left to dry so always be sure to do a thorough rinsing when using this product.


WHAT I LIKE
- I love the smell of the Microdermabrasion Scrub!! Oh that Chamomile is very pleasing to the senses.
- The fact that the crystals are very fine yet soft is amazing. This makes the exfoliation part of the process almost seem deep cleaning without the harshness or worry of scraping the skin.
- Unlike most scrubs, the fine crystals feel like they cover more ground on the skin and distribute more evenly.
- That the scrub slightly lathers. Something about lathering just makes me feel more clean about what I'm doing.
- My skin feels softer and glows a little better after using the product.
- The scrub is soft enough to be used on a daily basis.
- I see mild improvement on it smoothing out my fine lines.

WHAT I DISLIKE
- I was hoping that the pores on my nose would diminish even with concentrating the product in that area, but unfortunately I haven't seen much difference.

OVERALL
I do like the product. I know that there are probably better Microdermabrasion products out there whose upkeep can replicate actual resurfacing procedures, but for a glorified scrub, St. Ives does fine. I think it does a decent job in regards to Microdermabrasion and I wouldn't mind to keep using it regularly as I really feel it does exfoliate the skin better than their infamous Apricot Scrub. The fine mineral crystals play a huge factor when it comes to reaching surface area which is why I think it does so well at exfoliating. Not to mention the crystals are soft yet tough enough to penetrate the outer skin layer which does reveal smoother skin with continuous use. At least for me it did.

Have you tried other Microdermabrasion kits out there? Do you get it professionally done and upkeep in between sessions with an OTC Microdermabrasion kit? Share your experiences.

Aloha,
Mrs. Lynne

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Product Review: Oils of Aloha's Kukui Oil

Living in Hawai'i definitely has it's perks. You're practically minutes away from the water, the sun is warm, people live the 'aloha spirit', and rainbows are full here. With that said, the island is still not immune to humid days or cold weather during this time of year. Although you won't find Lake Tahoe snow or iced lakes here in December, the cold mornings and harsh winds can do some dirty business to one's skin. Especially when it comes noon time and it's all of a sudden humid.



The island is home to the Kukui Tree and the infamous Kukui Nut Leis (shown above) you see being worn all around and hanging from car rear view mirrors. Availabe in a variety of styles and designs, who would have guessed that the oil of this seed could benefit the skin.

I first heard about Kukui Oil a couple of years ago. My sister-in-law (SIL) had really bad (and I mean BAD) eczema in California because of the dry air there. Prescribed ointments and lotions were the only things she could use on her sensitive skin and even at that, the results were minimal. From there, Wal-Mart's OTC Equate Dry Skin Cream was by far a better solution and eventually replaced all the doctor's prescriptions.

My mother-in-law (MIL) ran across Kukui Oil at a store here on vacation and bought it to try it out on the SIL's skin. Claiming to relieve dry skin, sunburn, eczema, and psoriasis she just had to put it to the test. After continual use of the product, eczema was a thing of the past. Her breakouts still occurred, but less often and definitely not more than what she was used to having. Then when they moved here, my SIL's skin cleared up just from the tropical air!

So if this oil could do wonders for eczema, then what about using it to moisturize?

Now mind you, I have oily skin. To use it anywhere else on my body was fine. But once the thought of using it as a moisturizer for my face presented itself, hesitation kicked in like a natural born reflex. And I'll let you know right now that it took some coaxing and a little extra reassurance to just try out the oil on my face. And even then, I only started using it as a nighttime moisturizer because its night and who the heck cares how my face is! So I took the plunge and tried it. The worse thing that could happen was I'd have an allergic reaction and/or breakout from it. Either way, if after a consistent trial of using it and I didn't start to notice any results (not dramatic results, but just ANY results), all I'd have to do is stop using it and go into recovery-mode. But at least I knew.

But oil on an oily face? You'd think I'd gone mad. Well the mad truth behind oil production is this. Your body secretes oils to lubricate itself. Although you'd think the purpose was really to drive you to your wit's end crazy! When the oils are stripped, your body thinks there's less oil so it produces more to make up for the oil that was taken away. And the more oil you take away, guess what? The MORE oil you're going to produce to compensate. Plain and simple.

So I decided that if I couldn't beat my own body's game at oil production, then I'm going to play game to get it to produce LESS oil, NOT MORE. Herein lies my Kukui Oil.

I have been using this pretty regularly for nearly a month and the results are just as you've seen in my FOTDs and my most recent Oil Cleansing Method (OCM) Tutorial. My skin feels soft and supple, it looks smoother, and even moreso after incorporating the OCM into my regimen, my T-Zone shine is getting under control.

On With the Oil

The oil is very light in viscosity. Not thick like pouring a bottle of Glycerin onto your hand. And although the bottle says "Fragrance Free", the overall smell is just like that of oil.

The Skinny on Application

In order for oil to work, you need to use it on a damp face. After washing up, I fill my prayer hands with water and douse my face with it. Then I scrape the drips off my face with an arched hand. You want your face to be damp not wet. Since my hands are still damp from the dousing, I squirt a TINY bit of the Kukui Oil into them. Tiny should resemble 3-5 drops from a dropper. I then rub my hands together to distribute the oil and then work it into my face. Because my face is damp, gliding the oil across the skin is easy and if you can meditate on good energy, very relaxing. I concentrate on my nose and forehead since these are the areas where I would like the oil production to stabilize. And then keep massaging the oil until EVERYTHING has absorbed into my skin.

When To Use It

I started using this as a nighttime moisturizer until I finally got down how much oil to use. Initially I was using too much oil and the result was exactly what I was afraid of, an oilier face. But after working out the kinks and realizing that 3-5 dropper drops is barely anything, it works like a charm. After bringing the amount to use under control, I've moved up to using the Kukui Oil as a daytime moisturizer as well. And since you barely use much, one bottle will last awhile!

Overall

I can say I've faced my fear of putting oil on my face and am glad I did. The results on my skin are more than I imagined. And I don't say this to boost up my confidence or self-esteem, but only because just like good sale you see going on, you have to share it.

Hope Tuesday is doing it's duty and keeping you uppity UP!

Aloha,
Mrs. Lynne

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