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Dona is a brand new line from System Jo that offers aphrodisiac-infused sensual body products to the consumer who loves to pamper themselves. This Camu camu bath milk carries an amazing scent, but in practice needs a little encouragement by coupling it with another product, to do what it promises. Still, at least it smells great!
Upon unscrewing the lid of the wide-mouthed jar this comes in, Dona presents to you a lumpy powder. Sifting a finger through it is pleasant, especially for someone who enjoys playing in wheat flour - it is soft, though does have a little bit of drag, like chalk. It is not as smooth as flour, but nearly.
I did find a couple magnesium sulfate pieces amidst the powder. The first time I found it, I just discovered a hard, clear crystal much like sea salt, lodged deep inside one of the clumps of powder floating in my bath. I found it by squishing the little lumps floating around the tub... a reasonably entertaining bathtime activity. I was surprised to find the crystal, but after doing some research on the ingredients, I'm not so much anymore. Still, though I've so far already gone through 3/4 of the jar, I've yet to find more than the three crystals.
Tapping the side of the wide-mouthed jar while holding it at a 20-degree angle results in a light cascade of the powder into a running bath. It falls in lumps, same as wheat flour would.
In the bath the powder clumps quickly. Some lumps fall to the bottom of the tub and sit there, a lump of pizza dough, squished together. A few float lazily on the surface, and I found myself instinctively reaching to pop them all. Rubbing them between my fingers felt identical to when kneading bread dough. The bath milk behaved just like wetted flour; the edges slick and sticky, the inside dry upon breaking apart the mounded material.
Isn't it funny how a scent can bring back memories, take you like a good book on a journey back in time, or to fantasy lands? Camu camu takes me straight to a beautiful sexy beach. The scent is light, tropical, almost like honey, and really unlike anything I've ever smelled. It's not tropical in the more cheap-smelling way, nor in the fruity sense. It smells elegant. It's downright delicious.
The scent is not overpowering in any way and I certainly can't imagine one finding it offensive. It is feminine without a doubt, and reminds me of tropical shores - warm sun on the sand. That is very sexy!
I'm confused by the addition of fragrance as an ingredient here, as I'd like to think the fragrance is that of the camu camu. As the fragrance ingredient is present, however, I think my olfactory nerves are being tricked. The light green appearance of the powder mixed with the natural aroma lead me to believe I was smelling the camu camu fruit.
I don't recommend tasting this at all. It's not made for consumption! But just because I love you, I did taste a little. Not bad. It tastes like it smells - exquisitely tropical and sweet. Still, don't eat this delicious powder - no matter how good you think it smells!
The camu camu fruit, pictured above, is sold as a health regimen, in pill form, powder form, and even made into yummy drinks in some places. It's highly revered for its antioxidant qualities. I was pretty excited to have such a helpful fruit floating in my bath. Still, its performance was a little lacking.
A fair amount of this (1/8th of the jar) was used for each of the 5 baths I've used this in so far. It pours easily into the tub, but one must be careful to keep the powder far enough away from the running tap so as to not clog the jar with damp powder.
You can also use a flour sifter to sift the powder before placing it in your bath. This will ensure that little to no clumps form when they hit the surface of your warm bath water.
As soon as it hits the water, the powder clumps together, floating on the surface like oatmeal or flour would. A few lumps sink to the bottom and are later discovered smushed together. The lumps are fun to play with as they float around, and I like to squish them between my fingers. They're slick and break apart easily, revealing the dry powder inside.
As it dissolves in the water, it lives up to its name, and turns the water milky. Adding more powder would result in a much milkier water, but certainly significantly shorten the lifespan of the powdered milk. As I've used it, it will last a total of 8 baths. If one is to increase the usage a bit, it may last 4-6 baths. That's kind of disappointing, but at this price it's not bad.
After the first several times I used this, I was disappointed. I couldn't smell the camu camu while in use, nor on my skin, nor did I feel my skin much softer after using this. Determined to keep trying, I gave it a fifth try recently, adding a bath fizzy of another brand and scent to the bath. This upped the power of the scent in the bath quite significantly, and I could even feel my skin protected by a slick layer of yummy moisture while in the bath. Upon stepping out of the bath, my skin was soft and moisturized, and I didn't even use lotion. I could smell the camu camu on my skin, however lightly, as I readied myself for bed.
I'll have to lend the amplification of the staying power of this bath milk to the addition of the bath fizzy, as I didn't experience these results at all with the first four baths. That being said, I recommend adding a bath fizzy of your chosen scent to the bath with this milk - it seemed to work for me!
The 8 ounce jar is very beautifully designed. Despite being made of simple plastic, the packaging made me smile. A light green accent with the scent name 'camu camu' was the tape that held the jar sealed before opening.
The screw-off lid tops the jar, whose lace-pattern design is sensual, modern and appealing.
The packaging is not so discreet, as the words 'aphrodisiac' and 'sensual' are apparent, but they aren't emblazoned in large bold letters or anything of the sort.
Perfect for traveling, the smallish (~3" around) jar is not going to leak if screwed back together properly.
The only directions for usage on the package are to 'add generously under running water into bath tub.'
The tag line used on the jar is 'Discover Cleopatra's secret.' This was totally enticing to me when I first received the bath milk. Apparently many body product lines carry a bath milk named for or used in honor of the Ancient Egyptian priestess. Not only does it smell good, but that sexy beast Cleopatra used the same stuff to get her beautiful skin glowing? I was hooked. Until I used it.
The contents will last the heavy-handed user who prefers quite milky baths a total of approximately 4-5 baths. A user such as myself who uses a moderate amount of product will be able to go 7-9 baths before this is all gone.
The jar is recyclable anywhere that type '5' plastics are accepted.
The ingredients used here are interesting: some make me smile and feel safe, and a couple others make me raise an eyebrow. For the most part, however, they're natural.
I've done a bit of research on them, and by clicking each ingredient you can find more details on an external website regarding the ingredient.
The ingredients are: Dry Milk Powder, Magnesium Sulfate, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Camu Camu Fruit Powder, and Fragrance.
Milk is a nutritious food, rich in proteins, minerals, fats, vitamins and enzymes.
Magnesium sulfate is a natural anti-inflammatory, and used as Epsom Salt. It has an ability to temporarily reduce skin wrinkling caused by extended submersion in water, such as during a long bath. It has long been used in beauty products and is highly revered.
Hydrolyzed collagen is the first ingredient on this list that made me squeamish when reading up on it. It's made from collagen found in the bones, skin, and tissues of animals like cows, fish, horses, pigs, and bunnies. To extract it, the hides of these animals are put in a lime slurry pit for a few months, loosening the collagen bonds. Then the hides are washed and the collagen extracted in boiling water. Pretty gruesome!
Camu camu is revered as a superfruit, containing high levels of vitamin C, as well as antioxidants, phytochemicals, amino acids, and many vitamins and minerals like beta-carotene and potassium.
Fragrance is a culmination of many chemicals, and most companies will never give out their exact recipe for their specific blend. Fragrance is notorious for causing allergies, usually due to its being sprayed in the air. The ingredients are not nearly as highly regulated as they should, and I tend to try to stay away from products that list this as an ingredient, if for no other reason then simply because one never knows what exactly it consists of from product to product.
Fragrance is also the ingredient that makes me a bit wary of using this in the bath, as a woman with a vagina whose natural balance is often thrown off easily. The fragrance could cause yeast infections or bacterial very easily.
Thanks to the ever-studious Cookie Monster Mike, I was given access to the manufacturer's own product information files - outlining the marketing strategy, product summaries, etc.
Through this I found that Dona was named for the Italian word for 'woman,' which is in fact 'donna.' This small yet easily-avoided error disappointed me. If System Jo had done just a bit more research, this female-oriented product line would be aptly named. Instead, they showed a lack of care in their marketing tactics. Alas. Still a great product line.
Luckily, I did not get a yeast infection from this, even after my third bathing with it. Still, I don't recommend this for gals who are prone to yeast infections/bacterial infections because of the presence of fragrance, which could cause an imbalance in the delicate vaginal flora.
It is also disappointing that this is not vegan-friendly, though it claims to be. The hydrolyzed collagen is an animal by-product.
I'm giving this three stars. It contains unfriendly-to-vaginas-ingredient 'fragrance,' doesn't smell during or after use, requires alot of product to create an effect, and the effect is mere oatmeal lumps in my milky-colored bath.
At least now I know that I love the camu camu scent by Dona, and can collect the rest of their bath products, which I'm betting perform better than this one. The nature of a bath milk doesn't lend much in the way of lasting fragrance, and the simple addition of milk did not indulge my skin, personally. Creams and room sprays are likely to be more successful.
Comments
cool
yummy
Sounds lovely!
like
I'd like to try this, but I'm afraid it'll make me sneeze all over the place.
:3
Bath milk doesn't come in milk scent?
This would be great
this looks really cool
I don't know.
i want
I hate to sound like a negetive nancy, but all i think when i think about using this is a yeast infection..
Love
Dona makes me want to take more baths.
sounds good
hm...
Sounds nice!
I wish I took baths more so I had more of a reason to get this. I'll probably get it, anyway! I love Dona!
Ooo wow
Might be worth a try.
Just ordered one of these with the sale... hope I like it
want
Ooo just wish I had some idea what some of the scents smell like.
Looks luxurious!
The berry smells have me interested. I love fruity scents.
I love milk baths, I want to try this!
really interesting flavor choices!
Interesting!
Bath milk? Interesting.
Aaah want!
This sounds amazing
neat
love it
This looks heavenly!
I wonder if it adversely effects people with lactose intolerance...hmm
What a weird product.
I'd love to try this.
This looks SOOOO good. It's on my WL!
I want this
definately want to try this.
I'm going to try the pomegranate for sure.
the flavors are amazing
Can't wait to try this.
Cool
sounds awesome
Can't wait to try mine out!
i want to try all the different scents but i really want this in camu camu, it sounds so yummy
Can't wait to try this myself
want to try this
got the camu camu - it's amazing. such a delightful tropical light scent. incredible. love the ingredients, and it's so soft and inviting. can't wait to try it in the bath.
Want to try
Wish I knew the scents more. Want one tho.
cool, this looks neat, minus the fragrance ingredient. hope it's not irritating and smells good! getting it as a description review. cant wait.
love it
Cool.
i think i might try this I love hot baths so this might be good
Just ordered this - love the price and I can't wait to try it. I'm just curious what they smell like.
Got to have it!!
They look like such a great deal!
Love the affordable bath products.
Bath MILk too! Wow! I haven't even started trying the last bath products yet. Lol. I better get to buying some of this stuff. I love the sound of these!
Such awesome prices for that big of a size.
oooo
Likeing these alot
Good deal!
I love that these are all natural!
Excellent prices!