Swirl on Some Sugary Green Goo!
Written: Nov 27 '01 (Updated Mar 11 '03)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Gentle, effective, fragrance free
Cons: Costly per use
The Bottom Line: If what you crave is a gentle scrub that's still effective, this is one to beg a sample of!
|
|
|
| thatsmytake's Full Review: Origins Swept Away |
I am a scrub-oholic. I use facial scrub daily. Even when it's time to set the clocks ahead one hour in the Spring, and I always forget to set mine, and wake up to discover that my morning TV show is mysteriously coming to a close when it should be only just starting, which prompts me to slowly realize that... OH NO, I only have ten minutes to get out the door for work, instead of an hour and ten minutes, even THEN I would not skip my facial scrub after cleansing. Better to arrive at work with hair in a hasty bun than with unexfoliated skin.
Over the years I've tried a lot of scrubs. Cheap ones, expensive ones, gentle ones, rough ones. Origins "Swept Away" is a relatively expensive one.
At $16 for 3.4 ounces, you get a scrub that's quite pleasant and effective, without being harsh. What more could you want, really?
The only real problem I have with it is that because it is so gentle, I tend to want to use a healthy dose each time I scrub, making this a PPPP (a pretty pricey proposition product).
"Swept Away" has an interesting consistency. You know when your kids fix their own cereal, and leave the unwashed bowl in the sink, and you go to wash it and find about a half inch of milk left in the bowl, and the milk has taken on a rather gooey, textured quality because ALL THE SUGAR IN THE WORLD is also in the bowl? Well, that is the consistency of "Swept Clean," but trust me, it's much more appealing in a facial scrub.
The Sugar Analogy Part II: This stuff also smells like sugar! Mmmm... minty sugar! The scent is very light, though, and does not linger at all. And because this is an Origins product, there is no fragrance in it; the scent comes from the botanicals.
Designed for ALL skin types, it works great on my slightly oily, somewhat sensitive skin. It's kept my pores relatively clear, and my complexion bright, without being the least bit irritating or scratchy, even with daily use. What's more, this polishing pro leaves no residue behind, no "coated" feeling whatsover... cool!
What's in it? The exfoliating agent is Jojoba Beads "cushioned" in Oats. Gotta love that Origins copywriter! There's also Nettle to clear pores and Aloe to soothe and Panthenol to protect. Other natural ingredients, including Grapefruit, Mint, Vitamin E, and essential oils appear on the ingredients list, along with a lot of long, multisyllabic chemical compounds, of course.
How to use it? According to Origins, you "swirl" it over moist skin at least once a week, and rinse with tepid water. Yep, pretty simple.
I find it rinses easily, but I still like to use it in my morning shower rather than over the sink; it's just less of a project that way, since I don't have to tie my hair back or bend over and splash and splash. I get tired just pondering at-the-sink scrubbing, don't you?
Now, "Swept Away" is not to be confused with another Origins facial scrub product called "Swept Clean." Let's keep our scrubs straight! "Swept Clean" is a nice product, too, but that's another review.
"Swept Away" comes in a shower-friendly squeeze tube of clear plastic, with a convenient flip-top lid. The packaging is nothing fancy, but I like the scrub's pale green color.
I used to insist that my facial scrub be industrial strength, the grittier the better. No more. Sure, rougher scrubs may feel good and give a false sense that one is "doing something" about dull, clogged skin. But I've gradually learned that in all aspects of skin care, more of a good thing is not always a good thing, and way too much of a good thing is never a good thing. Vigorous scrubbing only leads to irritated skin that's more prone to breakout.
I was recently a fan of plain Arm and Hammer baking soda as a facial scrub, mixed into a paste with a little water. It was as pure and simple as it gets, not to mention dirt cheap. Baking soda also provided me with the perfect consistency and just the right amount of grit. The only down side was that sometimes I felt it stung my skin. Mildly and briefly, but nonetheless it did sort of sting.
I never thought much about that, until one day someone asked me why my skin looked so "splotchy" without makeup. It occured to me that perhaps it was because I was rubbing a form of salt into it every morning! Since I switched from baking soda to "Swept Away," my skin's been more even toned, and less pink.
If you're looking for a no-nonsense, gentle scrub, give this one a whirl... or should I say a swirl. And if you're hunting down a scrub you can use daily without irritation, this is a must try!
I was not "Swept Away" by this product immediately, since I found it hard to imagine that a scrub quite so tame could truly be effective. After all, there's a fine line between tame and lame. But I decided to stick with it, and I'm glad.
Sure, I wish "Swept Away" were more economically priced. I wonder why they couldn't just stick in a few more ounces for our sixteen bucks, that would certainly be helpful! But I get so excited about good scrub that money is almost no object. For a scrub-aholic like me, any concerns about cost tend to fall away as effortlessly as yesterday's skin cells.
UPDATE: Since I've been on Retin-A cream, which makes my skin more sensitive, I've noticed that this product stings my face, no doubt due to the mint. I've switched to using either H2O Plus's scrub, or Clinique's exfoliating scub.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
thatsmytake
|
|
Reviews written: 84
Trusted by: 64 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.