Relaxation In A Jar

System JO's latest line Dona features 20 sensual bath and body products designed to be used as either part of a relaxing 5 step ritual or as part of your daily routine. The products range from relaxing bath and shower products to lotions designed to keep your skin silky smooth and incredibly soft and so much more! The scents in the Dona line are named for the aphrodisiac that they're infused with and the bath salts are available in the following scents: Camu Camu, Pomegranate, Goji Berry, Acai, Mangosteen and Blue Lotus. The first Dona bath salts that I purchased were the Goji Berry but after finding the scent overwhelming I purchased the Camu Camu and was underwhelmed by the scent so I will be reviewing and comparing both. Add a generous amount of these bath salts to warm running bath water and prepare to relax as you soak in a nice hot bath. I know that "generous amount" is very vague so more specifically, I use 3 large spoonfuls of bath salts in my baths. 3 Seems to be the magic number for me, it's what I use for my Dona bath milk and it works out for the bath salts as well. I recommend that you start with one spoonful and work your way up until you're happy with the amount that you've used. You can always add more but you if you use too much, well then you've already wasted sine product and obviously you can't go back from there. These salts do not come with any type of scoop to dispense them into the bath, a spoon will work just fine for this. I also don't recommend tilting the container to dispense these salts into the bathtub because you could easily dump the whole container into the bath. Bath salts are a unisex product, anyone with a bath tub can use these and if you don't have a bath tub Dona does make several shower friendly products. These salts can be used occasionally in a hot bath to unwind after as long day or if you really love them you can use them whenever you have a bath. I don't always have the best of luck with scented products, it seems to be hit or miss on whether or not they will make my skin itchy and fussy but I have not had any trouble with anything in the Dona line. These bath salts are a nice way to soften your skin and if you really enjoy the scent of the bath salts you can follow up with a lotion or body butter in the same scent to keep the smell lingering on your skin!

Camu Camu:

Goji Berry:



The bath salts may vary in size depending on what scent you have. For example, my Goji Berry salts were large, a lot larger than I expected them to be and larger than any bath salts that I've used before. The second bath salts that I purchased were the Camu Camu bath salts and they were the exact opposite of the Goji Berry salts. The Camu Camu bath salts were much smaller in size and closer to what I was expecting of a bath salt. The bath salts have no added dyes but when it comes to the color of them, they aren't pure white. Instead they appear to be a cloudier white and they are not clear. Because they have no added dyes you don't need to worry about them staining your bath tub or your skin. They're very hard but of course they dissolve in the water and when I did scoop some out of the jars with my hand, they did feel a little oily but nothing too bad and definitely not greasy. I didn't bother to rinse my bath tub after using these...I didn't need to because they don't leave your bath tub slippery at all which is definitely another big plus! As I mentioned above, instead of pouring these in the bath tub, I keep a spoon handy but I have also scooped the amount that I want out of the jar with my hand and sprinkled it into the running bath water that way.
Size comparison picture: (Goji Berry is on the left, Camu Camu is on the right)

These bath salts aren't flavored because they aren't meant to be edible so please don't eat these, they could and probably would harm someone if they were ingested. First I'll describe the Goji Berry and the Camu Camu and then I'll compare them. Let's start with the first Dona bath salt that I purchased: Goji Berry. I wasn't sure what to expect with Goji Berry but I had assumed that it would be light and sweet, I couldn't have been further from what I experienced. Goji Berry did have a sweet smell to it but I am still really on the fence as to what else it smelled like. I recognized the scent and I'm sure that I have smelled it before in shampoo, it isn't an unpleasant smell at all. Now onto the strength of the scent, Goji Berry is really strong! I cannot stress this enough, I have a very small bathroom and the Goji Berry salts smell strongly enough that I leave the bathroom door open now when I use them because if I don't, it becomes too much for me to handle and the scent is far too strong. While I like that the scent fills the room, the intensity of it is too much for me and I only use 1 spoonful of the Goji Berry because of how strong it is. I wouldn't recommend Goji Berry to anyone who is scent sensitive and easily gets headaches or migraines from scents because this one may bother you. The nice thing is that that scent doesn't linger on the skin as strongly as it lingers in the air after use. The scent of Camu Camu wasn't noticeable on my skin after using the Camu Camu bath salts however the Goji Berry was still lingering on my skin after I used the salts, not too much but it was noticeable. I have tried every scent for the various products in the Dona line except for Blue Lotus and the Goji Berry is by far the most intense. Goji Berry is a pleasant scent but because of it's strength, it hasn't been my favorite. Now onto the Camu Camu bath salts which were the exact opposite of the Goji Berry salts. I have many Dona Camu Camu products and this one is the lightest when it comes to scent. With the Camu Camu bath milk (and all of my other Camu Camu products for that matter), I have picked up a nice light tropical scent, it smells like a nice sunscreen lotion. Camu Camu in general in my experience is light, not overpowering at all and it just seems to be a nice realxing scent. The Camu Camu bath salts were very lightly scented and at first I thought that it seemed that way because of how strongly the Goji Berry salts were scented. I compared my Camu Camu bath salts to the other Camu Camu products I own (bath milk, linen spray, pheremone perfume gel, chromotherapy bath and body wash) and the bath salts are the most subtle when it comes to their scent. I do wish that they were a bit stronger so that they left my skin and the air lightly scented since I feel that they would be more relaxing that way but at the same time, it's nice that the smell doesn't linger on my skin so that I don't have to worry about it interfering with my perfume.

The scent of the Goji Berry salts only seemed to weaken around the 30 minute mark but it was still pretty intense. Of course since the Camu Camu scent was extremely light, I didn't even pick up on the scent to begin with so of course I didn't notice when it started to weaken. The bath salts have seemed to make my skin softer, I wanted to write a review right after I tried them but I decided to give them several test runs without following up with lotion or anything else to see if they worked. I find it very relaxing to have these in a nice hot bath and to sit and soak while reading a good book. As I mentioned, my skin feels softer and these salts have also not caused any reaction or irritation to my very sensitive skin. Everyone is different though so what may not cause a problem for me, might not work out as smoothly for you but I can say that I have very sensitive dry skin with stubborn Keratosis Pilaris and I had no issues whatsoever. I should also mention that after soaking in these I do not bother to rinse off because I feel that I don't need to and that hasn't presented me with any problems. I also don't rinse out my bathtub immediately after and this product has not left any noticeable film or residue on my bathtub and it also hasn't made it slippery which is a big plus for me!

I find the packaging for System JO's Dona line to be extremely classy and attractive and of course the bath salts fit right into that as well. The bath salts come in a 9oz recyclable see through hard plastic tub with a twist off black plastic lid. The lid has a tamper proof seal with the scent of the bath salts written on it and upon removing the lid I noticed that the tub itself does not have a seal inside to separate the contents of the jar from the lid. The only instructions included are printed onto the label of the jar and simply state: "Add generously under running water into bath tub." The label is very attractive, the front of it has "DONA by JO", with the product scent and name on the front as well as "an aphrodisiac infused ritual". The label features a black lace pattern over a magenta background. The packaging would be convenient for travel, it would also make a wonderful gift and it doesn't look sexual or suggestive at all. When traveling I would recommend storing this in a plastic bag separate from clothing just in case of spillage. It'd way easier to retrieve spilled bath salts if they're all contained in a bag than if they are scattered all over everything else! As I mentioned previously, this does not come with a scoop to dispense product into the bath tub but a spoon or your hand will work just fine for that.

System JO Dona bath salts are natural, free of petrochemicals, paraben free and cruelty free. The ingredients are printed on the label, I have researched them and included a brief description of each ingredient and a link to where the information was obtained. This information has not been reviewed by Eden Fantasys or System JO, the descriptions of the ingredients are from my own research.
Goji Berry Ingredients:
Sodium Chloride: Common table salt, it has softening properties, it can act as an antiseptic and in personal care products it can be used as a viscosity increasing agent.
Magnesium Sulfate: Epsom salts. Soaking in epsom salts can help with reducing inflammation and in personal products it can be used to dilute other solids or to increase product volume.
Silica: Silica and hydrated silica are minerals frequently used in beauty and personal care products. Silica has a wide range of uses that include being used as an abrasive, a viscosity increasing agent, an absorbent, a bulking agent and a skin conditioning agent. Upon contact with the skin, silica is not an irritant. Silica is often found in packaging contained in a small packet, this is because silica can absorb moisture from the air. Silica is most commonly used in cosmetics and personal care products as an abrasive to remove and buff away dead skin cells.
Maltodextrin: An additive produced from starch and commonly used as a additive in processed foods. Maltodextrin is absorbed rapidly as glucose when digested and ranges from moderately sweet in taste to flavorless.
Sodium Hyaluronate: A creamy powder in appearance, this is approved to be injected under the skin to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and to smooth skin. It's used in beauty products to enhance the appearance of dry or damaged skin by reducing flaking and giving the skin a more supple look. It is also used to thicken the water content or cosmetics and personal care products.
Beta Glucan: Beta Glucan is derived from oats, yeast, barley and some mushrooms and it is used primarily to improve the immune system. Beta Glucan is also used to help normalize cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
Panthenol: Derived from vitamin B5, Panthenol is used as a moisturizer in skin products, it acts as a lubricant on the skin surface and by doing so it gives the skin a soft and smooth appearance.
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein: Produced by boiling cereals or legumes such as soy, corn, or wheat in hydrochloric acid and then neutralizing the solution with sodium hydroxide. It's used as a flavor enhancer in many foods. Hydrolysis is a digestive process that occurs naturally in both the human and animal stomach and also as part of the kitchen cooking process. What does all of this have to do with bath salts? I have no idea, I came up empty handed when I tried to find a use for this in cosmetic products. Because of the high levels of glutamate in HVP, people that are sensitive to Monosodium glutamate (MSG) should avoid contact with products that contain HVP.
Allantoin: A white odorless powder, it functions as a skin conditioning agent and a skin protectant and works by moisturizing skin. It's known to provide healing, soothing, heal wounds and skin irritations and to stimulate growth of healthy tissue.
Aloe Barbadensis: Aloe Vera. Aloe not only improves wound healing and skin inflammation but it also works to enhance the appearance of dry or damaged skin by reducing flaking and restoriring suppleness.
Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Oil: Grape seed oil is pressed from the seeds of grapes and it's what is left over after the wine making process. It is a preferred cosmetic ingredient for it's control of skin moisturization. This oil is light, thin and also used for lubrication with shaving.
Laminaria Digitata (Algae) Extract: Algae found in the northern Atlantic Ocean, this algae was used in the 19th century for the extraction of iodine. It's used in cosmetics and personal care products for binding, thickening and molding.
Lycium Barbarum (Goji Berry) Fruit Powder: Goji berry is native to China and contains an exceptional level of vitamin C (among the highest level contained in natural plants). It enhances both male and female libidos, as people age, their testosterone levels drop which results in a weakened sex drive. Intake of Goji berries increases testosterone levels.
Fragrance: Fragrance is an ingredient found on any scented product, there is no specific definition or description for fragrance other than, it is used to scent products.
Camu Camu Ingredients:
Sodium Chloride
Magnesium Sulfate
Silica
Maltodextrin
Sodium Hyaluronate
Beta Glucan
Panthenol
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Allantoin:
Aloe Barbadensis
Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Oil
Laminaria Digitata (Algae) Extract
Myrciaria Dubia (Camu Camu) Fruit Powder: Camu Camu is a fruit found in the South American rainforest, it grows on small and bushy riverside trees found in Peru and Brazil and those trees take 4-6 years to bear fruit. The fruit is a reddish purple with leathery skin. Known to be a rejuvenator, it has more natural vitamin c than any other known botanical on the planet. Camu Camu is energizing, mood lifting and it strengthens the immune system. S
Fragrance: Fragrance is an ingredient found on any scented product, there is no specific definition or description for fragrance other than, it is used to scent products.

You can use this product by itself or if you're like me, start out with one and end up with nearly the whole Dona collection. System JO has created a ritual for the Dona products that consists of 5 steps which are as follows:
1. Relax:"Slow down and set the sensual tone."
2. Cleanse:"Purify your body using luxurious lathers, exfoliators and gels."
3. Nourish:"Make your skin touchable and kissably soft."
4. Illuminate:"Enhance your natural beauty and space."
5. Engage:"Share the fun with sensual play products."

I can honestly say that there hasn't been a product in the Dona line that I haven't liked and I own a good amount of this collection so far! These bath salts are a reasonable price for the amount that you get and I feel much more relaxed with these in a nice hot bath to relax in at the end of a long day. Because the Goji berry was much stronger in scent, I can still smell it quite a bit after I get out of the bath. The Camu Camu really isn't as noticeable on my skin after I get out of the bath but because I love the Camu Camu scent so much and I want it to stay on my skin, I have several other Camu Camu products that I use after the bath. I'm a bath and beauty junkie (if you can't tell from my reviews) so it wasn't easy to go without my lotions or scrubs for a week but I wanted to give these salts a fair run. So for a week I said goodbye to my scrubs and see you soon to my lotions and gave these bath salts a try. I have extremely dry and sensitive skin that usually reacts to scented products, more specifically scented products seem to effect my legs by making them itch and burn. Since it was the much stronger scent, I expected the Goji berry salts would bother my legs but I had no reaction whatsoever. The bath salts didn't bother my skin at all. After using these for a week, my skin felt soft and I didn't spot any flaky dry skin. My skin didn't exactly feel like it was deeply moisturized either, sure it was soft to the touch but it didn't feel like the same moisturizing that you get from using lotions. I did love these bath salts and I will always have a jar of these in my bathroom, they're great to soak in to relax and unwind. I love soaking in the Camu Camu bath salts, rolling on some Camu Camu pheremone gel and spraying my pillows with the Camu Camu linen mist. Whether you make these bath salts part of a relaxing ritual or decide to try them out just to have something different as part of your daily routine, these are a great addition to any bathroom and they would be a wonderful gift for anyone with a bath tub!