St Ives Ultra Gentle Apricot Scrub......


This is actually one product type that I have been using for a long while as I think it is absolutely essential for anyone (male or female) to exfoliate on a weekly basis. I tend to get fairly dry skin therefore I use a lot of lotions and potions and after a while there is nothing better than to give the skin a good exfoliation and get to feel like a snake who has just shed their skin!

In actual fact though I don't usually use the ultra gentle or sensitive version of this St Ives Apricot Scrub. My skin is slightly sensitive but I still find that the original version of this product does such a great job and does not really make my skin feel anything other than slinky and new. It was by mistake that I picked up the "Ultra Gentle" version and when I realised I had picked up the wrong one I was pretty annoyed but considered giving it a go anyway.


Price and Packaging
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The whole St Ives range was on a half price sale in Tesco's last time I popped in and possibly might still be. This is a particularly good offer as although the St Ives range are not as expensive as some product ranges out there they still are a luxury to me especially as there are cheaper alternatives available.

This squeezy tube of 150ml came in at £1.95 pence in Tesco so normally it would cost £3.80 pence (given that it was half price). I think this price is about standard for high street shops but I do believe if you shopped around online that you would find it a bit cheaper (if indeed the few pennies difference would be worth it).

The bottle itself is rather like a large version of a toothpaste tube with a flip top lid, which I find easy to get on and off especially if using in the shower. The colouring of the bottle is peach and white obviously to represent the apricot ingredients. I am sure the original has less white on and I guess perhaps the whiter it has the gentler version you are buying.

The tube itself stands up well in the bathroom and because it is standing up you are literally able to get every last drop of product out when it comes to nearing the end of use. The design of the bottle is thought out well and does look both very classy and inviting.

Smell and Look of Product
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Of course what you expect the product to smell like it actually does and probably nicer than you would think. The main ingredient of the product is of course apricot and this is indeed, what the strong aroma is that hits you on first opening the flip top lid. It does have a rather distinct smell to it and as well as smelling strongly of apricots is has another fairly distinctive aroma that I just can't put my finger on. The smell is one that is highly fragranced of flowers and sweet fruits and to me this is really appealing.

The smell seems to get stronger when it is used and applied to the skin. I often find after I have used it and rinsed it off the fragrance lingers around. This obviously is no problem to me because I like the smell where I think if you did not like the way it smelt you might like actually want to use it because the smell is rather strong.

On squeezing the product from the tube, you can see a lovely pale thick cream. The cream is far lighter than the original version that looks rather grey in comparison. I would think that because the exfoliants that are in this product are much finer and fewer than that in the original the product has a cleaner look to it.

The texture of the cream is so very thick and this works wonderfully when applying it to the skin, as it is able to cling on and rub in well. You can still see a good amount of the exfoliant beads inside the product and these speckle the appearance of the scrub showing black or red in the soft creamy colour product.


Directions and General Use
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The directions are simple to follow and are stated clearly on the back of the tube. They say "Moisten face and neck. Gently massage into skin avoiding eyes. Rinse well, dry and apply moisturiser as usual." This is exactly what I do but sometimes I will use the product in the shower as I find it easier to make sure all of the exfoliant beads are washed away.

You need to apply the exfoliater onto damp skin because applying it to dry makes the beads rub harder into your skin and they feel far more scratchy but not at all in a good way.

The part where you need to massage the product into the skin is the important bit as this is where you are cleaning away all the old skin cells to make way for the new ones. Here is where I noticed the difference between the original one and the extra gentle one in as far as the beads did not seem to work as strongly or as fiercely as the original one I usually have. This I suppose would be good for people who need that extra gentle type because of really sensitive skin but for me I found I needed to use more of the product to get the same affect.

This product is so light that it states it can be used every day as part of a beauty regime. The original one however that I am used to using is a lot harsher and would only be advised to use once a week. The once a week is something I find a lot easier to keep on top of because to use this every day would add more time onto my already limited beauty regime time!

Although I am overall dissatisfied with the general use of this product it did still have a fairly good outcome. It may not have felt like I was sandpapering off my skin (which I quite like) but after rinsing away the beads I was left with a rather smooth and taught face. You certainly need to moisturise when using this product as your skin is left all stretched and tight feeling. This however is soon resolved once moisturiser is applied.

My skin however felt nourished and cared for in the same way as when I use the original. I felt it worked just as good but just did not feel as good when using it. The outcome was in the end just the same. I think when using it on my legs and other body areas I would prefer to use the harsher original one but for my face, I think in the long run this is the better buy. Where it is so gentle, it is probably far more better for my skin than using the more abrasive one.

Conclusion
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Considering this product was bought as a mistake I would say that it is not the worst mistake I have ever made! It does its job well and maybe just as good as the original version while being kinder to my skin. I think you probably don't need to feel like you are being sand blasted to have the end result of smooth silky skin.

The outcome of using this product is wonderful and if you want to have silky smooth flawless skin then I think this is a wonderful product for you. The great thing is that even people with the most sensitive of skins can use this and get the silky smooth skin feeling. The oil included nit the ingredients make the scrub not so harsh that you are left with red inflamed skin but give you a fresh new vibrancy.

To rid yourself of a layer of skin cells is a good thing and when a product seems to give great results seeming effortlessly then it is an added bonus. I would highly recommend this product and a five star rating is exactly what it deserves.

*Hypo-Allergenic
*Over 95% naturally derived ingredients
*Dermatologically tested
*Promotes healthier looking skin
*Gentle enough to use everyday

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

St Ives Gentle Apricot Scrub is simply the best and cheapest exfoliator I have ever tried. It contains over 85% of plant extracts, so you can be assured that it is doing good. The creamy formula left my skin baby-soft and smooth and it wasn't a tiny bit oily. Absolutely amazing, and I am a convert now.