Essentials Microdermabrasion Scrub

I had high hopes for this exfoliant but I will not be purchasing it again. The beads are made of aluminum oxide, and I am not convinced that this is a safe ingredient. There are conflicting reports about the safety of aluminum oxide and until these are resolved I will steer clear of using it on my skin. Also, I think that mechanical exfoliants can cause damage to the skin, by breaking capillaries or small veins underneath the skin's surface. I have a few of these little veins / blotchy red areas and I don't want to increase them. Fortunately I switched to AHAs as an exfoliant and have found that this works a lot better for me. No safety or skin damage concerns. I am using Derma E's anti-wrinkle cleanser which is a glycolic cleanser. It exfoliates my skin well and somehow manages to be moisturizing into the bargain.

One of the best scrubs I've tried. It has the perfect texture -- like fine sand in a cream -- and my skin looked more clear and radiant after one use. I have used this all over my body in addition to my face. It's great on hands! I use it on my T-zone a few times a week, and on my whole face once a week. I am having better results with this than with chemical peels. I already have a little stockpile to make sure I won't run out. It has the scent of natural lemongrass oil. It's not too heavy, and it's not artificial.

This is a very, very nice scrub. Yes, it has that Lemon-Pledge-y scent to it, but by using it before I wash my face, I've eliminated that problem (I can tolerate it for the short time it's on my skin). When I saw that it had pumice in it I thought it might be harsh, but it's quite smooth and the scrub particles are miniscule, so it exfoliates thoroughly without injuring the skin. I remove it with a linen washcloth and wash my face afterward, and my skin feels as smooth as glass. I'm not a jar-o-phobe, so I don't mind the packaging except that it's heavy and can be slippery if your hands are wet. After having used almost the entire jar, I started having one or two huge, painful, cystic blemishes popping up on my face within a day of having used it (and I haven't broken out in at least 10 years). Since I've changed nothing else in my routine, this must be the culprit. In the interest of complete disclosure, I must admit that I tend to scrub way too hard with manual exfoliants, so the fault may be mine. At any rate, this is a great product, but it's not for me, and I will not repurchase.

I found this at TJ Maxx for $6.99, and after using it once, I went back and bought the last 2 they had left. This is a pretty fabulous product. I' m 48 yo, combo skin, no acne or acne marks. I am starting to feel like my face looks great for my age as far as no wrinkles, but it just seems "dull", and not as vibrant as it was say 5 years ago. I have been using this twice a week for the last 4 weeks, and it has made a difference in overall clarity/tone, and fresh faced look. I feel like it's just given my skin that extra oomph of brightness... Not sure if this is a discontinued product since it was at TJ Maxx, but I bought 3 so I'm good for awhile.. Gonna check online for availability. Definitely recommend.

Of all the microdermabrasion-esque scrubs I’ve tried (approximately 10, ranging from high end dermatologist branded to drugstore chic range) this had the quickest efficacy. Immediately after I used it in the shower, I was able to see visible brightening and renewal on an overall, but nothing specifically for discoloration or spots. That was just my first look when I stepped out of the shower. It made my skin perfectly prepped for my nighttime routine and skipped the toning just because I didn’t want to aggrevate the baby day-1 skin that I revealed post-pat dry. The products went in smoother and this scrub made me feel so fresh, not just my face, but my whole vibe! I did use the scrub as a spot treatment on a couple other areas on my body while I was showering. Anyway, in the days following my scrub i can attest that this product for sure increases the effectiveness of other skin care products and makes your skin more sensitive to them, as well. So whatever you use, just use a little less or maybe even cut out a product or two just because you don’t want to inadvertently irritate your new baby day-1 skin with too many products. So for me, since I was @ the tail end of a pre-menstrual caused breakout, I skipped toning on night 1, but applied La Mer lotion, a drop of eye cream, and MB buffing lotion and drying lotion on active spots. Next morning I wiped my face with bio Derma micellar water and applied la mer mattifying lotion and my skin looked better than it’s looked in a while. Fine lines were gone, better and more even toned, and overall brightness increased. Dark spots were less pronounced and some of the less intense ones were gone pretty much. So I’m not sure if this product was the miracle worker or if this product just made it possible for my existing products to work their miracles, but either way, it was essential to the magic. I recommend it if your skin care products are already lit, if so, your face will thank. If your products are shady then I don’t think this product will do anything on its own.

I absolutely LOVE this scrub. My face used to be marked with scars from cystic acne break outs and this product helps tons! It's so worth the price since you don't use a lot of product. I use it every other night because my skin has a tendency to build up oil and dirt. It keeps my face looking so soft and glowy! It doesn't smell the most best, but that doesn't matter since it's so great. I highly recommend for anyone having break out problems!!

I agree with other MUAers. This is a very effective exfoliating scrub with fine crystals, which in my opinion are much better than larger grains in other products. It leaves my skin feeling fresh and polished. But the smell is a real turn off. It smells like citrus household cleaner and is really strong. I got this product in my Birchbox, but won't be purchasing the full size because of the scent.

I got this for free from Ipsy after they made a small shipping mistake on my account. I was so excited to try it because I have been curious about this brand. This is definitely the BEST manual exfoliator I have ever used. My skin was much smoother and brighter after using. When I run out I will definitely by more!

I purchased this after my trusty Neutrogena Deep Clean face scrub was reformulated and no longer did the job, and I am so glad I did! As far as manual exfoliators go, this is the best one that I've ever tried. The granules of sea salt are super fine, and you can really feel it working as you are massaging your face. It is abrasive, but just enough to really get a deep clean - I have sensitive skin and I don't have any issues with irritation. It has really helped with the texture of my skin, and leaves it glowy and smooth afterwards. I use this 1-2x a week to keep my skin in check. I got this for about $30 CAD at my local general health store - you only need a tiny bit per application so the cost per use is very reasonable. Derma E is a little harder to find on the mass market but they're available on Amazon if you can't find it locally. Would 100% recommend!

It took me almost a year to find this product!!! It's been out of stock for so long that I thought it was phased out. After using it, and I was applying a serum, I was like, wow, my face is sooooooooooooo smooth but I thought, maybe it's just my hands because it's been scrubbing my face but on the 2nd day, my face still feels the same and I asked my mum to use it and when I touched her face, it was smooth!!