This is a gentle daily scrub for all skin types. It has a grapefruit aroma that is refreshing to use in the morning. This scrub claims to clarify, smooth the skin, polish away dead layers of skin and minimize pores.

Directions state to gently massage on wet skin. For more exfoliation you can use on dry skin.

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Diatomaceous Earth, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Glycerine, Symphytum Officinale (Comfrey) Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Extract, Calendula Officinalis (Marigold) Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Algae Extract, Sodium PCA, Lactic Acid, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Peel Oil, Lavandula Angustofolia (Lavender) Oil, Na Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol.

The first ingredient is water, then aloe vera leaf juice. The scrub in this is diatomaceous earth. Diatomaceous earth is made from fossilized remains of tiny aquatic organisms called diatoms. Their skeletons are made of silica that collect in the sediment of rivers and lakes. Many facial scrubs and at-home microdermabrasion scrubs use aluminum oxide crystals, so this is a nice alternative. Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate  is the salt of lauroyl sarcosine (produced by the breakdown of creatine or caffeine), a modified fatty acid. It is a foaming agent and surfactant. Comfrey leaf extract, from Beautypedia; “topical application of comfrey has anti-inflammatory properties, but it is recommended only for short-term use and only then if you can be sure the amount of pyrrolizidine alkaloids is less than 100 micrograms per application…” Matricaria extract (chamomile) has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.  Calendula (marigold) flower extract is used for its anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties. Rosemary extract can be used as an antioxidant. Sage extract is an anti-inflammatory. Algae extract has antioxidants and healing properties. Sodium PCA has high water absorbing properties. Next is lactic acid, a popular alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that helps reduce breakouts, fine lines and other signs of aging. This contains grapefruit and orange peel oils. Grapefruit oil has mood-lifting properties and is an antiseptic to help clear skin. Orange oil is used mainly as fragrance. There’s lavender oil. Carbomers and xathan gum are thickening agents. Potassium sorbate and phenoxyethanol are used as preservatives.

I was worried about using this daily as I tend to think of facial scrubs as harsher, once-a-week treatments, but used this daily for one month. I used about a dime size, added water and massaged in small circles for about a minute. Surprisingly it was very gentle, especially when more water was added. The scrub in this dissolves a bit as it is massaged. I liked the smell and it was definitely refreshing to use in the morning. This product helped smooth the skin and clear the white bumps from my forehead and jawline. I didn’t notice a difference in the fine lines on my forehead or a reduction in blackheads around my nose. I used this scrub while using Retin-A as well. Retin-A causes exfoliation of the skin so there are little skin peelings that need to be taken off gently. This scrub does just that. With enough water added and gentle circles, my skin didn’t feel oversensitive using this refining scrub, as it might have been with something like YBF’s Prep, and the skin’s little peelies were taken off.

This product comes in a plastic bottle with a lid where you push one side and the other side pops up. Over time the lid became clogged, so I ended up having to take the lid off to use it.

I’ve continued to use this, not every day, but a couple times a week and will continue use.