Juicy Chemistry : Saffrose

Winter wreaks havoc on our skin, and whether you’re dealing with greasy, ashy, or scaly “lizard” skin, a little TLC could work wonders. I cannot emphasis this enough but exfoliating the skin on a regular basis is important for skin maintenance and will help with the natural skin cell turnover. Skin cells replace themselves every 30 – 40 days and while most of the skin cells will naturally just fall off, some will need a helping hand. Having dead skin cells stay on top of the skin means that your skin will start to look dull and even flaky.

Sugar scrubs are great to use in the winter, as exfoliating the top layer of skin helps moisturizers penetrate more deeply and hydrate longer.

ABOUT THE BRAND

To learn more about Juicy Chemistry CLICK HERE!

KEY INGREDIENTS & THEIR BENEFITS

• Demerara Sugar &White Granulated Sugar:  Sugar is a natural humectant, meaning it draws moisture from the environment into the skin. So when you apply products with sugar or sugar derivatives, they'll actually help hydrate your skin and keep moisture within (1). A natural source of glycolic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that penetrates the skin and breaks down the "glue" that bonds skin cells, encouraging cell turnover and generating fresher, younger-looking skin (1). Sugar's small particles make an excellent topical exfoliant. White sugar will yield a finer scrub, while a rougher sugar, like Demerara, will be more exfoliating (2).

• Sea Salt: Natural purifiers that remove the toxins that block the pores of the skin. It helps the skin breathe easier, promotes better circulation, tightens the skin and improves skin texture (3). The minerals in sea salt help to promote circulation, reduce the inflammatory response, and act as a detoxifying agent and general muscle relaxant (3). Salt is much more abrasive than sugar, so we believe it is more beneficial on rough areas like heels and elbows (4).

• Saffron: Saffron has anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant properties which make it an ideal ingredient for treating acne (5). Rich in exfoliating properties, saffron helps lighten scars and spots left behind from old wounds, cuts or acne eruptions (5). It also improves the quality of your skin by removing the dirt and impurities and tones the skin (5).

• Saffron Infused Sunflower Oil: Sunflower seed oil improves skin hydration by spurring the production of ceramides and cholesterol, two key components of healthy skin cells: Having more ceramides equals softer, smoother skin (6). Infused with saffron, the oil provides beneficial qualities of saffron and sunflower oil.

• Grapeseed Oil: Rich emollient properties, grape seed oil is easily absorbed by the body, and it can be used for reducing age spots, sun burn, wrinkles and stretch marks (7). It has astringent properties and therefore, can tone and tighten the skin. The linoleic acid found in grape seed oil can be very beneficial in skin conditions like, acne, dermatitis and eczema and help  soothe and nourish the skin, and help it to repair (7). Vitamin E on the other hand, keeps the skin firm and smooth.

• Vitamin E Oil: Rich in antioxidants, vitamin E oil prevents the damage of collagen helping repair the skin and improves collagen production (8). Vitamin E oil has anti-inflammatory properties that calm sensitive skin while its moisturising properties soothe dry skin and helps heal damaged tissue (8).

• Rose Petals: Has antibacterial and anti inflammatory properties that can help treat acne and acne prone skin, reduce swollen spots, redness and has skin calming properties (9). Rose is especially beneficial for sensitive skin because the sugars in its petals create a soothing feeling.

• French Pink Clay: Can be used to cleanse and detoxify the skin, remove dead skin cells and treat acne and other skin ailments such as poor blood and/or lymph circulation and sun damaged skin (10).

• Essential Oil Rose: Perfectly balanced between the omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids (EFAs) – essential in keeping skin hydrated and firm. EFAs help to eliminate damaging and aging inflammation redness associated with scarring and broken capillaries while also renewing cell membranes and regenerating the skin (an anti-aging key) (11,12). It also contains transretinoic acid (a form of Vitamin A) responsible for skin smoothing wrinkles, rejuvenating skin, as well as lightening age spots and stretch marks. It can also help with itching skin, it’s antiseptic properties help treat acne and other skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and wound healing (11).

• Essential Oil of Geranium: Has hydrating properties and is beneficial in the treatment of acne, dermatitis due to its antibacterial, anti-fungal properties (13). It helps purge out toxins, dirt, grime, dead cells and will calm skin inflammation by promoting blood circulation (13). 

The product comes in a signature Juicy Chemistry 75 gm plastic container with an inner lid to prevent spillage and a transparent screw on top. Upon opening the lid, a potent fragrance of  sweet rose and saffron mesmerizes you! I adore the smell of roses, so this doesn't bother me but the same might not be the case for someone with a sensitive nose.

The rose, saffron and French pink clay body polish, is a reddish pink color with a powdery, slightly granular texture.  Granulated sugar and saffron strands are clearly visible upon closer inspection.

To use, I scoop a whole spoon full (the spoon provided by JC) of the product, add a spritz of Oilcraft Naturals Panch Pusph facial mist to bring it to a paste like consistency and apply it to my dampened face and very gently massage it until I no longer feel the sugar/salt crystals and then rinse it off after leaving in on for a while.

Though Juicy Chemistry markets the product as a face/body polish, I found it to be ineffective as a body polish. The product wasn't exfoliating enough for the body, in my opinion. I like my body scrubs to be a little grittier. However as a facial polish, it exceeds all expectations.

The sea salt is extremely fine and the sugar crystals dissolve in the water rendering the polish mildly abrasive and ideal for my sensitive skin.The polish doesn't seem very moisturizing during application but after rinsing the skin feels cleansed, hydrated, plush, glowing and I know this because any serum/facial oil I apply after using this product gets quickly absorbed. I generally follow up with a rose masque and the results are spectacular!

Over all this polish has an impressive ingredient list, a fragrance to die for and delivers well as a facial polish both in the summer and winter months. This is my go to product every time I want an effective exfoliation.