Get Scrubbing This Summer

Even people like me who are usually low maintenance when it comes to body care like the weekly scrub down, because there’s only so much your shower gel or bar soap can do to maintain soft, supple skin. In general, I prefer sugar and coffee based scrubs over salt because the latter leaves my skin too raw. I have a couple of body scrubs in my current rotation and would love to share the results with you. John Masters Organics Sweet Raspberry & Orange Body Scrub* ($20/4.8 fl oz) – I am a huge fan of JMO, and every time I see their products on display at my local Whole Foods store, I have to stop myself from purchasing more items. I love how easily accessible their products are, across various online shopping sites, as well as local health food stores. A lot of their products are USDA certified organic, and very reasonably priced, considering the high quality of ingredients. I was super pleased to find out about their new body scrub releases. This particular scrub, true to its name, smells indulgently sweet, just like a Raspberry and Orange popsicle would. This USDA certified organic sugar scrub is extremely moisturizing and nourishing for my dry skin, due to the generous quantities of organic oils, such as, Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, and Sunflower Seed Oil. The sugar bits are completely submerged in these oils – just the way I like it. I’m super impressed by the addition of a mile long list of essential oils, all of which are great in providing antioxidant, antiseptic, antibacterial benefits as well as assisting in cell turnover – Raspberry Seed Extract, Valencia Oil, Neroli Orange Blossom Oil, Geranium Flower Oil, Clary Sage, Ylang Ylang, Lavender, among many others. The end result is skin that is super soft, hydrated and rejuvenated. I like to scoop some scrub with my hands, and then apply to damp skin. The abundance of base oils makes it easy to spread this product. After massaging for a couple of minutes, I rinse it off with lukewarm water. Initially, my body does feel a little oily, but after a couple of minutes, the moisturize is fully absorbed, and I can usually skip on body oils after this. I like the well moisturized feeling, so I don’t follow up with a shower gel and/or soap. Those of you who have oily skin or don’t like residue might want to use body soap (either before or after). This body scrub is very reasonably priced for the high quality of organic ingredients and the generous quantity provided and I would definitely recommend it. SW Basics Body Scrub ($22/4.75 oz) – S.W. Basics has mastered the art of making very simple products, using only the bare minimum in terms of ingredients. Their USDA certified body scrub is no exception, and is made of only three ingredients – Organic sugar, organic extra virgin coconut oil, and organic coconut flakes. Since pure coconut oil remains in a solid state at temperature lower than 76F, the texture of the scrub is dry.  The mixture is a little hard to spread due to this dry texture, although I did notice that the heat in the shower combined with my body temperature helped liquefy the coconut oil a bit, thus providing for an easier slip. The sugar based scrub has granules that are large enough to provide good exfoliation; however, I found myself using much more per application because it’s hard to maintain a good grip without having most of the particles fall off. The scrub does leave the body soft and adequately moisturized. The S.W. Basics website mentions “lots of people have told us they like it just fine as dessert for their faces… and mouths” and I couldn’t agree more! I’m guilty of eating this scrub, and had to literally force myself to stop. The combination of sugar and coconut is so yummy – you’ve got to try it yourself! Anyway, coming back to the main point, I can see this scrub working fabulously for those who are sensitive to essential oils and fragrances in general. Since the ingredients list is super short, this body scrub could be a very simple DIY using the ingredients in your kitchen, and for this reason, it’s hard to justify spending money in a store bought version.

Splurge Skincare The Rub “Spring” Body Scrub ($27/12 oz) – This brand was a recent discovery, after entered and won an Instagram Giveaway. I chose the seasonal variation, “Spring”, since it’s most befitting considering the soaring temperature outside! I love the super generous quantity of scrub for the price. I don’t think the picture does it any justice, but this is a super huge tub and will last you ages! Apart from sugar (obviously), the scrub has many moisturizing base oils, such as, safflower oil, meadowfoam oil, organic cocoa butter, organic shea butter, and even aloe vera juice. The fragrance leans towards citrusy, and is quite subtle. I do wish all the ingredients used were organic; however, this isn’t a deal breaker for me.

The sugar granules are the perfect size, and they provide the right level of grittiness, they don’t melt too fast, and are also very easy to hold in your palm. The scrub itself is moist enough with sufficient amount of base oils. I really found this scrub easy to work with, and found myself using very little product per application. My body did feel well moisturized and soft, but if you have super dry skin like me, you might need to follow up with a separate body oil and/or body lotion. I would highly recommend this scrub if you’re looking to buy something that’s reasonably priced.

*Indicates PR samples