snowberry nourishing exfoliator

Reviewed by Reader on July 21, 2014

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by Melissa

I’m a sucker for a good exfoliator, so I have to admit I was excited for the opportunity to review the Snowberry Nourishing Exfoliator (NZ $51 or about $45 USD). I am in my mid-30s, live in the South and have semi-acne prone skin that I typically exfoliate twice a week. The instructions for this product say to use it once a week, so my first thought was, “Wow, this must be some serious stuff!” Unfortunately, as far as exfoliating goes, it’s not. The “exfoliators” in this product are not the fine, obvious granules we may all be used to. The Mother of Pearl and jojoba used for exfoliating are very gentle.

At first use, it was actually a little strange, as I am used to more defined granules, but after completing the scrub and feeling my skin, I was very pleased. My skin was very soft and smooth. After a couple more uses, I realized my skin was not in fact exfoliated but rather very, very moisturized. Now, this is not such a bad thing; I love a soft face. However, typically after exfoliating my face over the course of the next few days, it remains bright and smooth. After using the Snowberry Exfoliator, my skin did not remain smooth as expected but rather (while soft, yes) it was as it normally would be if I skipped my usual exfoliate night. After researching the ingredients in this product, the reason for this became apparent. The majority of the ingredients such as neem, meadowfoam, and illipe butter, are moisturizing/skin conditioning agents and carry other wonderful nourishing properties (anti-aging, anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, etc.).

I used this product by following the instructions exactly and also by gently scrubbing and leaving on my face as a mask for a few minutes. Both methods resulted in moisturized skin but not exfoliated. After realizing this product really wasn’t serving that purpose, I decided to try it as a cleanser after coming in off the beach. I really enjoyed using it this way. It left my skin feeling clean and super soft after a day in the sun and surf.

I question the use of both “fragrance” and “parfum” in the ingredients. I’m always leery when seeing these, as they can include various different chemicals without specifying exactly what they are. This product smells great — very light and floral-like, and with the inclusion of jojoba, honeysuckle and rosemary, one would think the addition of any additional fragrance would be unnecessary.

Overall, I’d say I recommend this product for the nourishing and moisturizing abilities but not for the exfoliating that it's named for. So, if you’re looking to add significant moisture to your skin, this would be a great buy.