Lush Ocean Salt Scrub Review

I always look forward to my weekly exfoliation sessions because I feel like I get a new layer of skin after getting rid of the all the dead skin cells that could potentially clog up my pores.

I got hold of Lush's Ocean Salt when I was in Japan. Having heard many good things about it, I bought the smaller size (120g) just to try it out. I was particularly intrigued by the beautiful blue colour and the fact that it's made from mostly natural ingredients.

Lush Ocean Salt Face and Body Scrub is one of Lush's best sellers.

It's an exfoliating cleanser that combines fine and coarse sea salt to physically exfoliate the skin. One thing interesting about it is that it is a lime infused vodka-based cleanser. The vodka acts as an antibacterial agent and is supposed to be great for blocked pores/backheads and blemishes. Lastly it also contains avocado and coconut to rehydrate the skin, leaving it feeling soft and smooth. 

How to use it:

Use 1-2 times a week.

Lush recommends splashing some water on the face and apply about a teaspoonful of scrub using an upward, circular motion to exfoliate. Afterwhich, rinse with clean water and pat dry. Some people prefer to use it on dry skin. I tried out both methods and I think I prefer using it on dry skin as well! Of course since it's also a body exfoliator, it can be used on other parts of the body.

Price: 

S$24 on Lushsg.com

Smell:

I read reviews saying that Ocean Salt smells like margarita? But to me, it smells pretty fresh and quite manly at the same time, like a men's cologne. 

Packaging:

I got this when I was in Japan, thus all the Japanese words. I like how the scrub is packaged in a little tub. I'll definitely keep the container after using up the product and use it to store little things in my room. The Jap words definitely made it 10times cuter than the ordinary Ocean Salt. But yeah, tubs are not very sanitary. 

The product comes with a layer of salt on top, and a thick cream at the bottom. It is recommended to mix everything together before using!

I saw pictures of Ocean Salt online, and some people have a bright blue mixture, while some have something that is similar to mine- a light blue :( I would prefer a bright blue for sure. Since Lush's products are all handmade in each individual countries, it is quite common to have the same products but with slightly different colour/shapes.

So I tried using Ocean Salt just like how Lush recommends, splashing some water onto my face before applying the scrub. I find that the sea salts dissolved really quickly upon contact with water. Even before I could get a good scrubbing session, I find that all I'm left with is a milky watery lotion.

After another attempts with the same method, and getting poor results, I decided to use the scrub on dry skin.

The trick is to be reaaaallllly gentle. Apply as little pressure as possible, using a small circular motion to spread the scrub onto the entire face. After about a minute of gentle scrubbing, add some water to emulsify the scrub. The scrub will turn slightly milky and most of the sea salt will dissolve in no time. I like to continue spreading the milky solution, for another 10-15secs before rinsing it off. I find this method to be the best of the two. Ocean salt is a physical exfoliator afterall, so the exfoliating capability is totally dependent on friction to physically slough off the dead skin cells.

What I like about it:

The avocado and coconut really help in making the skin feel smooth and soft. I like how my skin feels baby smooth after the exfoliation, and I have to say I'm quite impressed. Even though it is a scrub, it doesn't give me that tight/dry feeling.
The skin looks visibly brighter and less dull.
A little goes a long way! Even though it's not cheap, I think the cost could be spread over a long period of time.

What can be improved:

Personally, I feel that an indicator of a good exfoliating product is how well skincare products get absorbed into the skin after a good scrub. Skincare products such as serums and moisturizers tend to sink into the skin and get absorbed faster and better after the dead skin cells are removed. Unfortunately, I did not experience that with Lush's Ocean Salt. I think that is probably because the exfoliation wasn't thorough enough. This is kinda of the deal breaker for me. As much as I like how my skin feels and look after using Ocean salt, I don't think it makes the cut in terms of its exfoliating properties.

Overall, I think Ocean Salt is pretty efficient at polishing the skin surface, but for more thorough exfoliation, I still prefer my Cure Natural Aqua Gel. Ocean salt is definitely a good product, but for me, it isn't groundbreaking. I will continue using it, however I don't think I will be repurchasing it, just because I personally prefer gel exfoliators. I'm used to gel exfoliants (CURE Natural Aqua Gel), which I feel  is a more efficient and gentler form (because it is non-abrasive) of exfoliator compared to physical exfoliators.
I think if they make a facial cleanser (at a cheaper price lol) with the exact formula, just without the salt, I'll definitely buy it!

I bought 3 different products from Lush in Japan, and Ocean Salt is the only one that left me feeling   slightly underwhelmed. The other 2 are absolute HITS! I'm so glad I got to try them out, and rave reviews of those 2 products will be coming soon!

Ingredients: