St. Ives Elements Warming Scrub

St. Ives is one of my favorite brands, and has been for a long time. So I was really excited to see how this new product performed, and intrigued by the idea that the scrub would warm up while I was washing my face.

The cleanser did exactly what the directions (and name) indicated that it would. Upon contact with water and my skin, the scrub started to heat up. This is intended to relax pores and help to remove dry skin-cells without the distraction and potential residue of foamy cleansers.

The scrubbing beads were very mild, nothing scratchy or overly abrasive about them. But I didn’t like the consistency of the cleanser very much. It almost felt sticky. Although the warming sensation was nice for a second, I really think that works better for a mask instead of a cleanser.

Image: Drugstore.com

Ingredients:

PEG 8, Glycerin, Glycereth 18 Ethylhexanoate, Sucrose, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Glycereth 18, Glyceryl Caprylate, Jojoba Esters, Fragrance (Parfum), Cetyl Alcohol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Red 30 Lake (CI 73360), Propylene Glycol, Water (Aqua, Eau), Sorbitol, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Primula Veris Extract, Helianthus Annuus Extract (Sunflower), Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract (Matricaria)

In the end, my skin felt clean and smooth, but I don’t think this is going to be a repeat purchase for me. Maybe I’m just too attached to my old apricot scrub. But overall…here’s the good and the bad.

Pros
-Affordable ($7.99/tube)
-Not overly fragrant
-Not too abrasive
-No residue

Cons
-Warming sensation isn’t great
-Sticky consistency