I'm going to come right out with the bad news first: this scrub contains phenoxyethanol. Phenoxyethanol is a preservative I typically avoid, but when I was recently given this scrub, I couldn't resist trying it out. I was completely prepared not to like it and therefore intending to pass it on to someone else after one or two uses without so much as a second thought, but that's not quite how things went...
The first thing I noticed was the delicious smell. It smells like a fantastic combination of orange and vanilla that's very reminiscent of a creamsicle. As scrubs go, it's extremely gentle. Though it contains walnut shell powder, which can be quite harsh, that isn't the case here. It doesn't seem to have very much, so there's actually very little grittiness to this product. What you're left with is basically a creamy cleanser with a few exfoliating granules mixed in. It leaves my skin super soft and while I don't feel like it does a good enough job exfoliating to work as my only scrub, as a cleanser, or alternating with other exfoliators, it works great. The flipside of this is that it's probably gentle enough to use on your skin everyday.
Other than the phenoxyethanol, Sukin's products have great ingredients. So, bearing everything in mind, I've decided to hang onto the scrub for now. I figure, it's a product that gets washed off quickly, phenoxyethanol is low on the ingredients list, and since I'm 99.9% sure it's the only product I own that contains this ingredient, I'm not overly worried about its effects. (How's that for justification?)
I'm tempted, but unless the company reformulates without phenoxyethanol, I doubt I'll be trying any further Sukin products or repurchasing this scrub once I use it up. That said, if you're not someone who avoids this ingredient, I definitely recommend checking out the brand. If the scrub is anything to go by, the products are basic, but still quite lovely. They're also super affordable and I gather the delightful orange-vanilla-creamsicle scent is somewhat of a signature for the company and is common across much of their line.
I'm tempted, but unless the company reformulates without phenoxyethanol, I doubt I'll be trying any further Sukin products or repurchasing this scrub once I use it up. That said, if you're not someone who avoids this ingredient, I definitely recommend checking out the brand. If the scrub is anything to go by, the products are basic, but still quite lovely. They're also super affordable and I gather the delightful orange-vanilla-creamsicle scent is somewhat of a signature for the company and is common across much of their line.
Have you tried anything from Sukin? Is phenoxyethanol an ingredient you're concerned about?
Where to Buy: $9.95 from Sukin
Ingredients: Aqua, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Bambusa Arundinacea Powder (Bamboo), Juglans Regia (Walnut) Shell Powder, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil (Rose Hip), Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract (Chamomile), Arctium Lappa (Burdock) Extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Citrus Tangerina (Tangerine) Peel Oil, Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Peel Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Vanillin,Vanilla Planifolia Extract, Linalool,* Limonene.* (*Natural component of essential oils)
I've tried and enjoyed their product. The smell is so lovely right? All of their products have that same scent. As for phenoxyethanol is not an ingredient that I'm super worried about + like I've said before, there will always be ingredients to worry about. I'm sure in a few years they'll say coconut oil (or something else that's been said it's good for you) causes a bunch of internal imbalances. Hate when people say this but..YOLO lol. Great review!
ReplyDeleteIt really is lovely! For me, phenoxyethanol falls into enough of a grey area that I generally feel better just avoiding it altogether, but my face hasn't fallen off using the scrub or anything like that:P I do completely agree with you, everyone should decide what they're comfortable/not comfortable using. I'm certainly not trying to convince anyone not to use products with phenoxyethanol or any other ingredient...I hope this didn't come across preachy! :)
DeleteOmg no, not at all. Clearly I came across making it seem like it did, I'm sorry. Was just trying to emphasize not worrying too, TOO much about ingredients because of the fact that there's always something new to avoid. It's almost overwhelming and exhausting lol
DeleteNope, you didn't, I was a little concerned even before I posted this, lol:) It's very true...I think a lot more people would be more open to using natural products if it wasn't quite so overwhelming when you first start making the switch!
DeleteYay you have tried sukin!! Most of their products generally smell the same, i loove the cheerful and sweet scent. They recently released a body oil it doesnt contain the phenoxythanol ur concerned about. just pure oils and the same scent if im not mistaken. Tempted to get it. Really cheap too!
ReplyDeleteYup, I've held off for years because of the phenoxyethanol, but I'm glad I finally tried something from them! I haven't seen the body oil here yet, or any of their body products for that matter, butI'll definitely keep an eye out for it. The smell really is lovely :)
DeleteI'd love to try this brand but it's not available in my country:( And about phenoxyethanol it depends on certain products, if it's in face cream i don't like it but if it's in shampoo i don't mind :) Great review:) xx
ReplyDeleteThanks! I agree, it seems a lot worse in products that get left on your skin, like a face cream or lotions. Sukin is pretty widely available here, it's too bad you can't find their products where you are :(
DeleteI haven't tried Sukin, but I am not too strict when it comes to phenoxyethanol for lot's of reasons, I do feel like I have given up enough and I don't want to give up brands like REN too, I am cutting back especially in body lotions etc.., I wouldn't apply it to any broken skin but in products that wash away I am not worried at all. I do agree that there are always things to avoid and I worry that a lot of what is written on the internet about this ingredient is actually pretty inaccurate, I am not a chemist though so it is difficult to know what to believe! With regards to how high up it is on the ingredients list I also find this confusing, because it is perfectly possible for it to be half way up but still less than 1% because things like essential oils are usually present in quite small percentages and anything under 1% is no longer listed in order of biggest amount to smallest, so there is no way as a consumer of know what percentage is in a product just from reading the label. It's a complicated issue and I am always interested in reading about others opinions on it so this review was great! :) x
ReplyDeleteThanks! I agree, there's a lot of mixed information on phenoxyethanol (and other ingredients), plus in most cases, I think more research is probably necessary to get any kind of conclusive answer. I've always just erred on the side of caution with this one. REN is another brand I've avoided for this reason, though so many of their products sound fantastic otherwise! :(
DeleteYou make a good point about percentages too - there is no way of really knowing how much of anything is in a product. When I was looking for a new body lotion recently, I came across ones that basicaly read "water, oil, phenoxyethanol, butter, oil" etc., which I do find a little worrisome. When it's that high up in the ingredients, I do wonder, but otherwise I definitely get what you're saying!
It's great to hear different opinions on things like this...thanks for weighing in, Ana :)
I know many US regulations are different from European ones so I wonder whether a higher percentage of phenoxyethanol is allowed in your products? Again different cosmetic regulations in different countries is something that fascinates me and I would like to do more research on. My preference is for Soil Association organic products because they seem to be the best in terms of ingredients although they do allow a small amount of phenoxyethanol under certain circumstances most SA brands don't use it. x
DeleteI don't know the exact regulations either! There's the European ones, the US ones, and then Canada has different ones again. And even with the regulations, I don't think companies are being checked up on to ensure rules are being followed. At least in Canada/the US, there is very little actual monitoring of cosmetic companies. I usually go strictly off the ingredients, not any kind of certification.
DeleteI reviewed a Sukin product and mentioned the phenoxyethanol. They replied with a blog post that they have written and are using less than 1% in their products. Another blog post on this topic can be found here
ReplyDeletePhenoxyethanol, children – and adults
Sadly phenoxyethanol is the least of my worries when it comes to this brand as they put orange oil in everything and it's one of my allergens.
Thanks for the info! Sukin directed me to their blog post as well. I'm glad to know it's a low percentage, but with all the mixed info circulating on this ingredient, I still feel best avoiding it for the most part. It will definitely be interesting to see if the allowed percentages get reduced, although I wonder how that will affect the efficacy of phenoxyethanol as a preservative....will companies need to start using something else in combination with the phenoxyethanol, I wonder?
DeleteI agree that it's hard to keep up with all the ingredients to avoid. I just pick and choose what I feel comfortable with. When i was 1st trying to find more natural products I about drove myself crazy researching different ingredients and what to avoid. It can be overwhelming, which is why blogs like yours have been a great resource.
ReplyDeleteWhat scrub do you recommend? I've been looking for a new one cuz the one I'm currently using has started irritating my face. Darn sensitive skin!
That's definitely true...it can be so overwhelming when you first start making the switch! I've been enjoying Devita's Gentle Aloe Scrub. It's gentle, like the name suggests, but it still does a fantastic job of exfoliating :)
Delete