by Elizabeth Kelly

Created on: November 07, 2008   Last Updated: January 27, 2009

In their quest to find the perfect facial cleanser, women should know that all skin is not created equal. What works for one woman's face may cause serious damage to another. Even a product that works miracles on your teenage face may turn out to be damaging as your skin ages or changes. St. Ives Swiss Formula Apricot Scrub is a case in point. For my particular skin, for example, it was terrible in my youth, miraculous in my twenties, and to be used sparingly as I've aged.

The Apricot Scrub has been a staple of St. Ives' products since I was a teenager, and I was attracted by its natural-looking packaging and the fact that a sample tube was only 99 cents: a teenager's dream when some of the nicer products sold for three times my allowance. What I found was that the scrub was good when my skin was already good, but if I had any of those pesky breakouts, it made them worse. The abrasive exfoliants irritated my pimples and caused them more damage.

It should be noted that St. Ives markets the Apricot Scrub as part if its blemish care line, but skin experts maintain that abrasive scrubs are the opposite of what blemished skin needs. Take it from the mythbusters at Skin Myths, Etc.'s website, who say decidedly that: "Acne sufferers should steer clear of products with a grainy texture, usually marketed as scrubs." They explain that the particles found in scrubs can cut blemishes and keep them from healing as quickly.

On the other hand, as I aged and my skin became less oily, St. Ives Apricot Scrub did the trick. As long as I didn't use the scrub too vigorously, it was just the right amount of abrasion to exfoliate the dead skin cells and make my skin look and feel smooth and fresh. I could swear it almost had a rosier glow. The apricot smell made me a full-on addict, and I began to buy and use the product several times weekly, resulting in the best skin of my life.

Now that I am over 40, my skin has again changed, and so has the way I use the scrub. Constant use is not a good idea for older skin, as the ingredients in the product are drying, which is natural because it is made for blemished skin. Older skin needs more moisture, though, and while exfoliating is useful too, more than weekly use of this product will dry out your skin. I continue to use St. Ives Apricot Scrub no more than once a week, combining it with a moisturizing regimen.

The reason for the dryness is the inclusion of harsh drying chemicals. One of the selling points of St. Ives products is its promoted use of 100% natural ingredients. What consumers need to know is that, while St. Ives Apricot Scrub contains nifty-sounding botanicals like walnut shell powder and sunflower extract, chemicals are also found in nature. Some of the "natural" ingredients in St. Ives are things like Cetyl Acetate, Alcohol and Sodium Chloride, all of which are harsh on the skin.

St. Ives Swiss Formula Botanical Scrub has advantages, not the least of which is smelling delicious enough to eat. Whether or not it is right for you depends on your skin needs and your age. Proceed with caution, though. You may find that, like myself, your skin's need for it can change over time.

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