The Product

St. Ives Naturally Clear Blemish Fighting Apricot Scrub is one of a range of different Apricot Facial Scrubs from the UK's number 1 scrub brand. The range is widely available in most places you would expect to find skincare items, and is currently priced at £4.19 for 150ml in Boots.


Why I Bought It

I don't remember a time in my life when my skin hasn't had it's problems, and whilst most of these have come and gone the one constant problem that still plagues me is open, clogged and enlarged pores and blackheads. I HATE my skin for this and for years have searched for products that would actually make a difference. So, after the last scrub I bought tried and failed to tackle my problem skin I scoured the shelves of Boots for another one and came home with this.


The Packaging

The scrub comes in a squeezy plastic tube with a flip-top lid on which it stands. The white plastic of the tube looks opaque but it does have enough transparency that you can see how much scrub is left in certain lights. The flip-top is easy to open and much more convenient to use than screw-tops. The lid fastens securely so I wouldn't worry about it coming open if I were to take it away with me, but the hinge does feel quite flimsy and like it would easily snap if dropped or over-used.

Though nothing special the tube looks nice enough and is not something you would be ashamed to have on display in the bathroom. All the information you would need about the product is written on the tube, including a product description, directions and ingredients.


The Claims

St. Ives claim that this 'deep cleansing Apricot Scrub for oily or blemish prone skin effectively lifts away surface oils and dirt that can lead to blackheads and blemishes'. It uses 100% natural exfoliants and Salicylic Acid to fight blemishes, revealing clearer looking skin. It also contains vitamin-rich apricot extract, Swiss glacial water and nourishing Swiss botanicals to leave skin softer and smoother.


Suitability & Warnings

The scrub has been dermatologically tested to ensure that it's safe for use on delicate facial skin. However, Salicylic Acid is a pretty strong ingredient and can cause irritation and dryness for some people, and is not really suitable for dry skins.


Directions

Moisten face with water, dispense product onto fingertips and massage gently over face. Rinse with water and pat dry. For best results use 3 to 4 times per week.


In Practise

The scrub itself is a thick white creamy textured substance packed full of lots of grains in different shades of brown, which make the cream appear more of a creamy brown colour. The grains are not uniform in size, as is to be expected of natural exfoliants, but all are smaller than a grain of sugar.

The scent hits me as soon as I dispense some of the scrub from the tube. It's a lovely fresh apricot scent with a creamy background, which is strong and very noticeable, but not at all overpowering.

Applied to damp skin the creamy texture of the scrub allows it to spread quite easily, but the grains don't seem to follow quite so well meaning I need to use more than I would have first thought in order to thoroughly scrub my whole face. There is no suggestion on the tube as to how much of this you should use, but I find I have to use quite a lot more than the pea-sized amount suggested with most scrubs.

The grains are very noticeable as I massage this onto my skin and at points they do sometimes feel a little scratchy, but not to the point of being uncomfortable of irritating. I can definitely feel the exfoliating effect on my skin and it feels like it's getting deep into my pores to clean thoroughly.

I find that generally this scrub rinses off very easily, but somehow when I rinse it off I often find the cream ends up going in my nose and I find on looking in the mirror that it's still clinging just inside my nostrils, which is not very pleasant!


The Results

As soon as I rinse this off my skin feels amazingly smooth, even in areas that usually feel a little bumpy or rough. It doesn't make my skin feel dry or tight as is often a problem with face scrubs, instead my skin feels soft and hydrated. I also noticed straight away that the dirt in my clogged pores, particularly on my nose, was looking a little loosened. So far so good.

After using it regularly 3-4 times a week as suggested I did find that my skin was feeling a little sensitive and over-exfoliated in places, so I've since stuck to using it a maximum of twice a week and have not had the same problem since.

Having now used this scrub regularly for a little over 2 months I've noticed a big difference in my skin. My pores, particularly in problem areas like my nose, are looking much less clogged and more refined, and I suffer with far fewer blackheads than I did previously. I also feel my skin looks more even and generally healthier than it did before, and is just getting better all the time.


The Conclusion

Well in all honesty I think I've finally found the blackhead-busting, pore-refining product I've been searching for all these years. I've been very impressed with the results so far and will happily continue using it, firmly believing that there will come a time when my pores simply won't be noticeable at all anymore. And to top it all off it's so reasonably priced I'll always be able to afford to use it regularly. Fantastic!