I've polished myself! (Molton Brown Ambrusca Body Wash & Polish)

Member Name: sweetpea01

Product:	Molton Brown Ambrusca Body Wash & Polish
Date:	06/07/09 (38 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Refreshes the skin

Disadvantages: The price! Not that moisturising.

I suffer terribly with dry skin and in the summer when I can finally stop hiding behind tights and trousers I like my skin to look soft and smooth. I have tried over the years loads of exfoliating products and they all seem to work initially but then you notice that there really hasn't been a difference at all, only the first few hours after use does your skin look great!

Now and again I revert from using Lush to Molton Brown purely because I can get quite bored of Lush and Molton Brown seem to do more ranges of products which all sit nicely together. One item I have turned to this Summer is from the Purify range and recently I have been using is the Ambrusca Body wash and Polish

*~*~* The Packaging *~*~*

The Ambrusca Body wash and Polish comes in a beautiful bright peach coloured tube (if that's what you call it, but it's hardly a bottle!) and has the Molton Brown logo in green and white. Molton Brown's packaging is always minimal and on the front you have the item name and on the back the usual blurb, barcode, ingredients etc.

Molton Brown always colour code their ranges, so all of the "Purify" range will be in orange.

*~*~* The Item *~*~*

Ambrusca Body Wash and Polish is a generally meant to detox and purify the skin. It cleans and cleanses the pores. It contains quite a few ingredients which boost your circulation and basically gets the skin glowing again! The body wash and polish has a decent consistency, it's not too thick and not too watery so making it ideal to go on your hand or sponge.

*~*~* How to Use *~*~*

Easy peasy! Basically for use in the bath and the shower! Apply to wet/ damp skin and massage in, you can either use your hand or ideally on a sponge and massage in a circular motion (this really gets the blood moving!). Then just rinse off!

*~*~* The Scent *~*~*

This is a really hard one to pin point! Ambrusca is full of fragrance essential oils, so there is quite a bit going on! Baies Rose goes well with the pepper and ginger fragrances as they are both quite crisp and spicy but also gives off a warm feeling. Overall this body wash does not have that purifying scent you probably think it will have; it has a more an earthy, warming fragrance which has a deeply cleansing note to it.

*~*~* The Ingredients and Their Uses *~*~*

Baies Roses (fragrance essential oils) - This fragrance has a sparkling top note with green mango and fresh lime themes which has clarity and consistency of the spicy accord.

Pepper (fragrance essential oils) - It has a crisp, fresh peppercorn aroma. It's known for its energising properties as well as a host of other health benefits including the following:

* Increases circulation to the skin thereby minimising bruises and restoring proper functioning of the skin in general. (commonly used in massage blends for just this purpose)

* Increases the warmth of the body and the mind - offsetting chills and fevers in the body (when used in small quantities).

* Relieves sore muscles and joints - providing relief from pain caused by rheumatism and aching limbs. Also known to help muscle tone.

* Boosts the immune system - helping the body ward off flu, cold and other nasty bugs

Ginger (fragrance essential oils) - It is well suited to help ease colds and flu, nausea, motion sickness, morning sickness, muscle aches and pains, as well as poor circulation and arthritic pain. Its warming qualities are good to use for feelings of loneliness and winter depression, and its energising properties make it a good aphrodisiac.

Argan Kernel extract - It is recognised for its antioxidant and moisturising properties, which help support the skin's natural protective barrier. It is high in linolenic acid, a natural substance which can help lighten and even out skin tone. The oil also helps keep cuticles supple and nails flexible, reducing breakages.

Lychee Pericarp Extract - contains significant amounts of polyphenolic compounds and exhibits powerful antioxidative activity.

Olive Seed Powder - has astringent properties which assist in drawing impurities out of the skin, helping to soothe and reduce puffiness. Its natural antioxidant and antimicrobial properties also improve skin condition

Grape Leaf Extract - is now known to contain a range of valuable substances, including flavonoids, which can help keep leg veins healthy. Grape leaf may reduce inflammation and have astringent effects, which could help stop bleeding and diarrhea.

*~*~* Price & Weight *~*~*

Again with a Molton Brown product normally comes with a hefty price tag for something which ultimately goes down the drain! A tube of this body wash and polish (200ml) will cost you £20.00! Fortunately I was lucky enough to receive a sample/ travel size before hand so I could see whether it worked or not.

*~*~* What Molton Brown say *~*~*

Part of our new Purify body therapies range.

A new lease of life for dull and listless skin. This body wash & polish exfoliates old skin cells, deep cleanses, stimulates and boosts circulation.

Ambrusca grape-leaf from the Ardèche region of France is packed with antioxidants; olive stones exfoliate old skin cells to relieve your rough and listless-looking skin.

Achieve smooth, enlivened and deeply cleansed skin.

*~*~* My Verdict *~*~*

I'm quite glad I only had the sample size! Although my skin felt soft and smooth after use I couldn't see any noticeable difference. The scent does linger on your skin but only for a while and I did find the spicy, peppery scent a little too much. This product is easy to use and the consistency is not too watery and it does lather up pretty well but I just wasn't taken by it. My skin felt moisturised for only a few hours and I found that I need to re-apply a moisturiser which was a bit disappointing. Maybe this would work better on someone who doesn't have such dry skin like me.

Summary: A great body wash but not worth the price