Brown sugar lip scrub by Not Soap Radio - review by ~LaUr3n~

I use lip scrubs a lot. I love them. So when I saw that Eden was now selling one, I really wanted to try it. Maybe my expectations are high because of the products I have been using, but this scrub just doesn't produce what my others do for my lips. It's also not a pleasant experience either. Yes, it does scrub off dead skin from the lips leaving them free of cracks and flakes, but it also leaves them feeling waxy, cheaply covered, and not luxuriously hydrated. I would never recommend this to anyone over any other exfoliating lip scrub I have tried. I feel it is also a really small quantity for the price. At least it has a lot of natural ingredients and a yummy smell.

Ingredients:

Sucrose, Glycerin, Amygdalus Dulcis (Almond) Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Beeswax, Persea Gratissima (Avacado Oil), Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Tocopheryl (Vitamin E), Flavor

-Sucrose: table sugar
-Glycerin: sweet tasting lipid base used in many cosmetics
-Amygdalus Dulcis (Almond) Oil: Oil extracted from the almond kernel, contains vitamin E
-Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil: Oil extracted from coconut palm, used to moisturize skin
-Beeswax: Mostly fatty acids used for shine and keeping in moisture
-Persea Gratissima (Avacado Oil): Obtained by pressing the dehydrated sliced flesh of the avocado pear, used as a skin conditioner
-Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter: Fats obtained from mangos, skin conditioner
-Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter: Obtained from the cocoa bean, skin hydration
- Tocopheryl (Vitamin E): Conditioner

The texture is very grainy due to the granules of sugar. Most lip exfoliates I own or have tried are mostly a balm or gel with added sugar, but this seems to be mostly sugar with not nearly as much base product. The non-sugar part of the lip scrub is very thin and oil like. It's actually not even as thick as canola or vegetable oil. It quickly dries up and gets absorbed.

This stuff tastes and smells amazing! That is its strong point. It smells like brown sugar, as it should considering its name. My boyfriend thinks it smells like maple syrup. Either way, it has a very sweet smell. It also tastes just as sweet. After you rub it on your lips you can lick them and eat the sugar granules.

Getting the scrub out of the container can be a bit tricky. It doesn't sit in the container like a balm. It's sort of loose. Pressing even with slight pressure will push the scrub up on the sides of the container. It's easier to lightly brush your finger over the contents. This should get enough on your finger. Then when you sweep it over your lips you can rub them together moving the sugar granules around. Don't press your lips down too hard. This can hurt when exfoliating. If you want a good result, it probably will hurt a little, though. You can scrub your lips with your finger if you prefer. You can also do it as long as you'd like or until the granules are all gone. I feel a change within about 10 seconds when I use this scrub.

The after effects are obvious. This stuff really does get rid any dead skin. I don't like the feeling of it afterward, though. It feels cheap and waxy which is not how I'd like my lips to feel. I always have to apply a moisturizing balm after, even if it is my trusty Chap-stick - that feels better than this stuff. With my other products, I never have to apply another balm. It's all in one. That's why this stuff is disappointing to me.

The packaging is also disappointing. From the product pictures I thought this looked like it would come in a container similar to Carmex, with a porcelain jar. The jar is actually plastic and is REALLY small! I also expected it to be about the size of Carmex or bigger, but it is much smaller. The top of the container is cheesy and tacky, in my opinion. The design and text make it look like a really cheap item - I guess it fits the feel. The jar only contains 1/3 ounce of the stuff. A cheap sticker on the bottom has the ingredients. Mine is about to fall off. The jar does not leak and is suitable for throwing in a purse.

I am really dissapointed with this scrub. For $8 I expected much better! I use C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Buffer No. 1070 which costs $7.50. It's available at C.O. Bigelow stores and Bath & Body Works (but actually might be on its way to being discontinued). That stuff is my go to for lip treatment and comes in a .5 fluid ounce tube. The quality between that and this is huge. This stuff feels so cheap and gross even if it does get rid of the dead skin cells. Plus, I can make this at home! Here is a quick brown sugar lip scrub recipe:

You'll need:
- 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/4 tsp. brown sugar
- A few drops of another oil (peppermint, lavender, avacado etc.)

Stir the olive oil and sugar together until it is well combined in a paste. Add a few drops of the other oil (I use peppermint). Then store in a closeable container.

That recipe exfoliates just as well, has all natural ingredients, and feels better than this stuff! It doesn't replace my Mentha Lip Buffer No. 1070, but it's less disappointing than this. For all these reasons I've got to give this 2 stars.