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Exfoliation and St. Ives Acne Control Apricot Scrub

Exfoliation and St. Ives Acne Control Apricot Scrub

Today I would be talking about exfoliation, give a quick review on this physical exfoliant from St.Ives Acne Control Apricot Scrub I have been using lately, and some insights on both chemical and physical exfoliants, and AHAs and BHAs for you to decide what you would want to use according to your skin type and concerns. So let's read on Exfoliation and St. Ives Acne Control Apricot Scrub.


EXFOLIATION

Why do we need to exfoliate

Exfoliation helps soften the texture of the skin, clears congested and clogged pores i.e. whiteheads, blackheads, and moderately reduces oil production. It buffs away any dullness caused by excess dead skin cells i.e. the top dermal layer of the skin, hereby giving better light reflex and a glow. It also reduces fine lines and wrinkles, and decreases pigmentation.

Difference between Physical and Chemical Exfoliation

Physical exfoliation includes exfoliation with a mechanical/digital exfoliating device, a microfiber cloth or pad, or apricot seeds. And exfoliating chemicals are known as AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid), BHA (Beta Hydroxy Acid), and PHA (Polyhydroxy Acid), such as lactic acid, glycolic acid, citric acid, salicylic acid, azelaic acid, mandelic acid, kojic acid, galactose, gluconolactone, and lactobionic acid, etc. 

I covered an AHA and BHA product in my previous post.

Characteristics of AHAs and BHAs

AHAs are water-soluble, have lower pH from 2 to 4, improve surface hydration of skin, suitable for dry skin, stimulate collagen, and exfoliate the top dermal layer of skin, but cause sun sensitivity. 

Whereas BHAs are oil-soluble, anti-inflammatory, decrease enlarged pores, suitable for oily skin, and cleanse and exfoliate deep down till the epidermis, but do not cause sun sensitivity.

Physical Exfoliation Pros and Cons

Physical exfoliation gives immediate results with less chance of any irritant reaction (redness, flakiness, rash), which makes it good for sensitive skin. But, it only works on the upper dermal layer and may cause skin damage if scrubbed too hard. It is recommended for the newbies to start with physical exfoliation first to understand their skin threshold, and then move on to chemical exfoliation.

Chemical Exfoliation Pros and Cons

Chemical exfoliants exfoliate till the epidermis. Chemicals increase skin turnover. The safest chemicals to use are citric acid, azelaic acid, and kojic acid. These acids often have indirect benefits. But, it takes about two weeks to give results, causes photosensitivity, and irritant reaction due to the low pH. For sensitive skin beginners switching from physical to chemical exfoliation, it is suggested to go slow, avoid over-exfoliating, and use low concentration.


You need to consider one thing in exfoliation. Decide first to choose between physical and chemical exfoliation. For chemical exfoliation, there are many brands offering AHAs. Many brands are offering physical scrubs as well which also includes sugar granules. But I would be reviewing the St. Ives scrub in brief. Another thing I would like to inform you about is that I would mostly curate products especially relevant to my skin type and concerns. I have dry and acne-prone skin. If my family members love any product relevant to their skin types I would definitely refer to those too.


St. Ives Acne Control Apricot Scrub review

ST. IVES ACNE CONTROL APRICOT SCRUB REVIEW

One of the two top-selling and considered the best exfoliating apricot face scrubs of St. Ives, and also award winners are this one and St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub. I bought the former to address my acne but if that is not your concern, definitely try the latter one. St. Ives Acne Control Apricot Scrub has a deep exfoliating factor and is also considered one of the best facial scrubs for combination to acne-prone skin, and which Gigi Hadid also used to swear by. 

 

How to use St. Ives Acne Control Apricot Scrub

St. Ives says to take a dime-sized amount and massage onto damp skin, by putting gentle pressure all over the face and neck in a circular motion for about a minute and then rinse. 

The brand says to scrub the face three to four times a week, but I say that you only need to scrub your face once a week. Over-exfoliation is also bad for the skin.

 

Key Ingredients

Key ingredients in the scrub include natural physical exfoliants and extracts; i.e. walnut shell powder and apricot fruit extract, and a chemical exfoliant for deep exfoliation as salicylic acid. The scrub is oil and paraben-free, and also non-comedogenic.

 
Does St. Ives Acne Control Apricot Scrub work

The scrub does work on acne-prone skin. It is among the most popular acne treatments. This scrub in particular does two jobs. It is not only a physical exfoliant, it has a chemical exfoliant salicylic acid in it too. While it is exfoliating the top dermal layer, it is also penetrating the epidermis to clear the pores. Salicylic acid is also a good recommended 2% dose to reduce breakouts, prevent acne and blackheads, minimize pores, reduce blemishes, clear the skin, making it smooth and glowy. 

It is quite an affordable product. The fragrance is also light and not overpowering. The scrub is suitable for dry, normal, oily, and combination skin, but not for extra dry skin. As for sensitive skin, definitely do a patch test first. Although I have not seen anyone with sensitive skin type complain about it, because physical exfoliants are usually considered tolerant than chemical exfoliants for this skin type.

And yes, despite the lawsuits the company has faced, it is absolutely safe to use apricot scrub and walnut shell powder on the face! So don’t worry at all to use it. :)


If you liked the post, Pin it, and share it with your social media friends. I hope you enjoy your time on my blog and find it helpful. Find me on PinterestInstagram, and Twitter. Stay updated on my blog. Check my other posts and get caught up. If you have any questions at all, please comment down below. I also have a dedicated skincare board on Pinterest. Let me know your thoughts, and what you would like to see in the upcoming posts. Thank you so much. Stay safe. Bye. 


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Comments

  1. I don't use this product on my face but I do like it when I need a good scrub - usually before a spray tan!

    Love all of the detail in this post!

    Rosie

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    1. Yea its also good as a heavy duty one time product too, for some. Glad you liked it! Really Appreciated. <3

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  2. I'm honestly so fascinated right now because I thought this would be another article bashing this product for peeling your face off or something haha. I've only heard negative things about this scrub for YEARS (though, mind you, when I was in middle school it was all the rage and I used it religiously for quite some time). It's so interesting how there's such a divide about it! But when someone finds what they like, that's definitely an item to stick with!

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    1. Stephanie the divide has been mainly more of a debate of using apricot scrub for your face or not, and yet the company still make the product. They don't sell it for nothing. :) But overall, according to dermatologists I have checked with "around the globe" say that physical exfoliators including this one are safer for sensitive skin. And mine is all dry, acne prone, and sensitive. So that's why decided to try change the perspective. Hope you liked it. Thanks for the love! <3

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  3. I've heard a lot of good things about this scrub, fab review! Also loved how you included so much info about exfoliating xx

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  4. i feel so honored you loved the review :D thank you so much! <3

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  5. I've never tried this scrub before, just because I've seen so many mixed reviews, but it's nice to see a positive one! I'm glad it works so well for you :)

    Anika | chaptersofmay.com

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  6. I love this scrub. I have used it for many years.

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    1. nice to hear you loved it too. thanks for the <3

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  7. This is such an informative post! Unfortunately I have very sensitive skin and can only use physical exfoliation about twice per week (I’ve had a sensitive skin facial and it burned within a few seconds). Thanks for sharing.

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    1. ohhoo. Btw i'll dm you on sensitive skin suggestion. but thanks for liking my post and reading <3

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  8. Although I don't use any of these products, I like your review!! It answers possibly all the answers a potential buyer should ask. It's concise and direct to the point. I'll tell these benefits to my cousin who loves using these haha. Thanks for sharing!


    www.lifebeginsattwenty.com

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    1. i feel honored for the kind of praise i got from you. thanks a lot! glad you liked it <3

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  9. In the “battle” of physical vs chemical exfoliation, I think I lie somewhere in the middle. I tend to use my AHA/BHA once a week all over my face (and, wow, it really brightens things up) but I still use a mild physical exfoliant on my nose as that’s where I get the most congestion.

    Each to their own, glad you’ve found a product that works well for you!

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    1. thanks for the in depth feedback. loved knowing your skin routine. <3

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  10. I never used this scrub, but used another body one from St Ives and found it worked quite well. Thanks for sharing all the infos about exfoliating x

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  11. I used to use the St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub when I was a teenager, and stopped using it for fear of it not being safe for the environment, but good to see it is! Maybe I should pick it up again

    Katie | katieemmabeauty.com

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    1. also suggest me your exfoliating regime <3

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  12. Very informative post about exfoliation! I've heard great reviews for St. Ives products and I'd love to try some too but it's a bit pricey in our country. Haha. I use kojic acid and my skin's okay with it too although sometimes it makes my skin dry. Thanks for sharing this! xx

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  13. really, in PH? then i guess you also have dry skin like mine right? glad you liked it and thanks for the love <3

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  15. I’ve got acne-prone skin and it can sometimes really bother me. I like the sound of this product and have used other St. Ives stuff before (but not this one). Thanks for the info and review!

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    1. Glad you liked the post Molly! Is your skin dry and acne prone, or oily and acne prone? It seems your skin bothers you from time to time, so your issue seems perpetual. You need to first decide between chemical or physical exfoliation, then choose likewise. I would suggest you try something on daily basis to treat that, and no one can exfoliate on daily basis. If your skin is on the oily side, then i would suggest you try using The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% daily. You can even add a chemical exfoliant AHA of some brand twice a week. Let me know how your skin feels after 2-3 weeks in case you follow my suggestions! :D <3

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  16. My 16 year old son has been struggling with acne on his face and back for around 2 years. I bought many things but none have worked. I'm going to try this. Thank you ��

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    1. Hi there! since anonymous (so i can't directly address). Your son is in his growing stage being a 16 year old. I can't tell the physical look of his acne condition but I would suggest you to see a dermatologist for that. In case his acne is severe there could be abrasion from any type of exfoliating product you use for him. Hope this helps! <3

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  17. I liked this exfoliator! It always made my face more smooth after using it 😄 but since I get pimples sometimes I try to be careful since if I go too rough it might cause it to get worse! Thanks for sharing all this information about this product!

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  18. I didn't know the difference between physical and chemical exfoliants. I guess I never really thought about it before, but I would prefer physical if I had the choice. When necessary, I use chemical ones. Thank you for the info!

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    1. glad i could inform Heidi. thanks for reading <3

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  19. My daughter has acne. Thank you for sharing. THanks for explaining to me why to exfoliate. I didn't know it was this important, I'm almost 40! Gotta keep that young looking skin! :D
    https://michellescrazybusylife.net

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