St Ives Apricot Scrub
Face scrub is one of the important steps in skin care routine to improve skin tone and texture. It provides a deeper level of exfoliation to remove the build up of dead skin cells, dirt and oil on the skin surface. One of the products that I use as a face scrub is none other than, St Ives Apricot Scrub! I’ve been trying it for quite a while so here’s my thoughts about it. Hope you will enjoy my St Ives Apricot Scrub Review Malaysia!
Now, let’s begin!
St Ives Apricot Scrub is America’s number 1 face scrub brand that deeply exfoliates the skin for a glowing and clean appearance. It is also a multi-award winner brand that has won the hearts of many with its 100% natural exfoliants which is walnut shell powder and apricot fruit extract.
It is free of paraben which is a preservative chemical that prevents mold and other harmful bacteria from growing in the skin care product. Paraben is quite a common ingredient found in most skin care products as well.
Some side effects of paraben include itching, dry flaky skin, swelling and bumps. So, be on the lookout and try to avoid cosmetic products that contain paraben.
I like my exfoliation product to work to the extreme. So, it’s deep exfoliation level suits me well. This may differ according to person.
People with sensitive skin should probably go for gentle exfoliation types of face scrub. The coarser ones will be way too rough for them.
Just in case it doesn’t work on your face, don’t throw it away. You can use it elsewhere on your body. It’s perfectly acceptable for your rougher skin areas such as the knee or elbow.
St Ives Apricot Scrub is also oil-free and non-comedogenic. So, it doesn’t clog pores which is what all skincare products should be all about!
The bright green bottle is quite catchy in terms of appearance. It has a plastic cap and a typical squeeze type of bottle design.
I could easily flip it open with my thumb while holding it in one hand!
How to use St Ives Apricot Scrub?
I usually use face scrub after my cleanser. It’s basically the 2nd step in my skin care routine. Once my skin is free of oil and dirt on the surface, it’s time for a scrub for a deeper cleansing.
Here’s how to use St Ives Apricot Scrub
- Dampen the skin with water.
- Squeeze a dime sized amount onto the fingertips.
- Massage gently around the face in circular motion.
- Apply gentle pressure as you massage it around.
- Work with the scrub all around the hairline and jawline area.
- Rinse and pat dry when done.
Each week, I perform my skincare routine 2 to 3 times. So, I am only using the face scrub within the routine as well.
This is my preferred frequency of use. Though, the packing does say to use it 3 to 4 times a week. But, that’s up to your liking and skin type.
Sensation
As soon as I squeezed some of the scrub onto my skin, I could smell the beautiful fragrance that comes with it. This will help in making the skin routine journey much more pleasant!
It has a creamy texture with nude color and little brownish spots that is probably the walnut shell powder. It’s quite thick in a sense that it doesn’t slide off my skin like lotion does.
As I massage it all over my face, I could feel the coarse particles rubbing against my skin. Since the exfoliation factor is deep, I don’t use much strength to massage it around my face.
I focus my massaging on the T-zone and around the nose where it gets most oily. The gentle scrubbing motion gives me satisfaction.
I don’t think it will actually clear the blackheads that are there but it does help to unclog pores. This helps to further eliminate the risk of developing blackheads.
Once I’m done, I rinse it off. The fragrant smell still lingers but faint.
It leaves my skin feeling smooth and soft. The clean sensation after spells wonder. Some products that I know will actually leave greasiness behind. This doesn’t.
Hurray for that!
I didn’t stop just there. I would go on to further clean my face up with extraction, masking and toner mask. Read more about my skin care routine in my blog!
Is it safe to use St Ives Apricot Scrub everyday?
While it is generally safe to use St Ives Apricot Scrub in a frequent manner, it is not recommended to use it everyday. Facial scrub, as the same with any other face scrubs should be done 2 or 3 times a week. More than that will be over-exfoliating. Over-exfoliating the face could cause irritation, burning sensation, breakouts and even increased sensitivity to other skin care products.
What are the benefits of St Ives Apricot Scrub?
Face scrub itself is important as one core step that helps the subsequent skin care product to work its best. Here’s some benefits of the face scrub
- Removes dead skin cells. our skin is a protection barrier against external factors. As a result, there’s often a lot of dead skin cells accumulating on our face. It gives us the dull and dry appearance. Worse, it can even clog facial pores and cause an outbreak of acne. Facial scrub is important to remove these dead skin cells thoroughly.
- Unclog pores of the skin. Our body naturally produces oil that keeps the skin moisturized. Some of you may know it as sebum. Sometimes, the skin produces excessive sebum which can be due to stress, hormonal changes or others. These extra sebum gets in the way of the pores and sometimes could even clog it. As a result, this clog causes the horrifying acne breakout. Exfoliation is what keeps the pores clear and removes these sebum.
- Gives smoother skin. When the dead skin cells are removed, it exposes a fresher layer of skin underneath that is smooth and glowing. So, the skin appears smoother and softer which basically pumps up your confidence high up to another notch.
- Prevents ingrown hair. The face scrub not only keeps your skin glowing smooth but also prevents the formation of ingrown hair. Exfoliation helps to unclog pores and reduce the risk of ingrown hair that can also cause pimple outbreak.
- Promotes skin resurfacing process. The facial scrub helps to reduce dark patches of the skin. It may not fully remove the dark skin but it does lighten it a bit. That’s because a bit of the dead skin cells are removed in the exfoliation process. Hence, newere layer of skin is resurfaced, allowing it to rejuvenate. Therefore, dark patches and even scars become lighter.
Conclusion
I like St Ives Apricot Scrub. It does have a smell that makes the face scrub process enjoyable. It also adds a pleasing experience in one of my stages of skin care routine.
Best of all, it works for my skin. I don’t suffer from an outbreak or irritation from it.
My skin smoothness and texture improves over time. There’s also less clogged pores as the oil heads are removed as well.
It’s also priced at an affordable cost and is available easily. I actually picked this up from a Watson store nearby just to try it out.
The Award Winner stamp of the Reader’s Choice Award by Allure Beauty in 2017 that is quite prominent on the product packaging itself does motivate me. It does make me curious about the hype.
It’s all good by far. My skin tolerates it and that’s super important with my sensitive skin! After I’m done with it, I can’t wait to explore other new products to spice up my routine!
So, if you have recommendations on the next face scrub that I should try, do leave your comments! I might give it a test and write a review about it!
This is the end of my St Ives Apricot Scrub review Malaysia post. If you’ve tried it, let me know what you think about it in the comments! Thanks for reading!
Disclaimer: Kindly note that skin care is a personal thing. What works for someone may not be effective for others. So, kindly try it at your own discretion. Valerie Seow shall not be held responsible for any undesired consequences on using this reviewed product. The content in this post is for entertainment purposes only. Do kindly seek advice from a qualified dermatologist if you have any skin conditions before applying this product.
Valerie, Beauty Blogger
Valerie is a Malaysia blogger living in the city of KL. She has a selective preference for beauty products ranging from skin care to makeup. Join her as she shares her insights as a beauty blogger!
Follow her @valerie.seow on Instagram.
