Too Bad It 'Don't' Perform Like It Smells

Dona is System Jo's all-new line complete with bath and body products infused with aphrodisiacs. They aim to cleanse, moisturize, and scent the user, as well as turn the experience of caring for one's body into a sensual ritualistic experience.

Dona prides itself on creating products made from only natural ingredients from renewable resources, not testing on animals, and leaving out yucky ingredients such as mineral oil, petrolatum, lanolin, parabens, sulfates, harsh chemicals, or preservatives.

Per Dona's product descriptions, so strategically obtained by Cookie Monster Mike, aphrodisiacs can not only be ingested for an arousing effect, but also can excite the senses by breathing in the substance or absorbing it through the dermis. To arouse and entice the senses, each product is infused with one of six aphrodisiacs. They are:

Acai - a berry originating in the Amazon, used as an antioxidant and stamina-increasing agent.
Blue lotus - a waterlily originating in Egypt - used for relaxation and euphoria. Meant to deepen a couple's emotional bond by heightening awareness and sense of peace.
Camu camu - a fruit of South America, known to be higher in vitamin C than any other known food. Boosts energy and immunity.
Goji berry - out of China, also high in vitamin C, used to increase testosterone and make you horny!
Mangosteen - an Indonesian fruit, high in fiber, protein, calcium, potassium, and other vitamins. Also a great antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Intended to better one's mood.
Pomegranate - straight from Iran, used for stimulating the sexual senses. This, too is an antioxidant.

The five steps in the ritual of self-care are the following:
1. Relax — to set the sensual tone
2. Cleanse — to purify the body
3. Nourish — to soften and sexify skin
4. Illuminate — to create a more beautiful environment to play in
5. Engage – to enjoy the act of caring for one's body via these products

As part of the five step line, this protein-enriched bath milk is created to nourish your body while providing a place to relax. It's a fine moisturizing bath powder meant to be dissolved into bath water. It provides all the benefits of milk on the skin. The effect of the camu camu scent is intended as a relaxation aid, and it certainly helps with that. The scent is incredibly, but in performance this failed quite a bit. Read on to find out more.

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.