2011-08-27

Aesop Geranium Leaf Body Scrub review/ swatch

Apparently the Aesop Geranium Leaf Body Scrub is the first Aesop body scrub made. I was of course eager to get this when it was out in 2011. It retails for 21 pounds in UK or around $45 or 50AUD in Australia (for 170ml)

According to Aesop, this is:
An invigorating, gel-based body scrub for all skin types.


Aesop's first body scrub is a much-anticipated addition to our Geranium Leaf body care range. Geranium Leaf Body Scrub uses two 'soft' abrasive agents blended in a precise ratio for ideal exfoliation. The scrub detoxifies and cleanses the body – sloughing away dead surface cells and deeply ingrained grime – without scratching or damaging the skin.

Ok I would like to clarify- I didn't ruin this tube- it is the crappiest design I've seen to date for any skincare for the last 3 years, especially for a body scrub.  It's in a foil sort of feel toothpaste tube with a plastic flip top opening.  Which means it will NEVER stand upright in the shower, and the tube wrinkles easily, and once you put too much pressure on the tube, the product just ooozes out (remember the MAC eye paint in the old days? this is like as annoying as a giant paint). I have only used this like 5 times and it looks like this already!



170ml for a body scrub that is very close to like 40-50USD, you would expect far better designs.

Leaving the packaging aside, here's the product, it is a translucent sheer green gel base with scrubbing beads suspended inside. The particles are apparently 'pumice and bamboo'. To put it into perspective it feels a bit like grounded almonds or something, but not as coarse and rugged edges as the original St Ives apricot scrubs.


Add some water and it does emulsify a bit (but doesn't give much foam), and the scrubbing beads feels mild on the skin (would not be using this for the face, since it feels slightly too scratchy for my inner wrist already, but fine on the arm). The exfoliating pumice and bamboo beads do not melt away or anything. In fact a little stretches a long way with this scrub. With the quantity above I was able to do my whole lower arm.


Rinsed off and pat dry:

This feels more like a body wash and exfoliant in one, I would say you wouldn't need a separate body wash when using this, which makes it rather convenient.  It is a medium strength scrub, thinking back to other things I've used I would say this is slightly milder than St Ives apricot scrub (the original version).

I love the scent though, I cannot quite pinpoint it, maybe it's the geranium leaf scent? It's very fresh and slightly zing/ sour in a good way, not tangy like oranges or lemon but does have almost a citrus note (without that annoying sting on the nose like a lot of citrus scents tend to do). It is nothing like other citirus bodywashes I can think of.

As for exfoliating properties, this is just right for my sensitive skin. I usually do a full body scrub just once every week or fortnight. (Used to be more but over time my skin is quite sensitive and I get eczema outbreaks during changes in seasons). I have not found this body scrub to irritate, or leave my skin tense and dry, but  I always follow with a separate body moisturiser.

Overall 4/5 for the product. It's a nice body scrub, pleasant scent, easy to use, rinses off clean and doesn't leave skin taught. However for the price it is really very steep. (As mentioned before, a little goes a long way so a 170ml size here probably translates to other brands body scrub in 300ml sizes).

As for the packaging- omg whoever in Aesop decided this packaging should really wake up.. I cannot recall how many times it's dropped on my shower floor since it won't stay upright properly (and way too bulky to be placed horizontally on my shower tray), not to mention the oozing which makes quantity control difficult! and all the scrubs sort of get left stuck in the cap. Packaging gets s 0/5 from me.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

To be honest, I like this packaging.. it's very arty.

Very different from the rest of it's competitors.