I exfoliate my face every other day, but my body? I forget about it. What can I say? To me, it feels like a chore – one I’d gladly skip.
That all changed when Haus Of Gloi Apothecary Soft Bubbling Scrub entered my life. It’s such a sweet sugary treat that now I can’t wait to hop into the shower and start scrubbing away.
Here’s what makes it special:
What’s In Haus Of Gloi Apothecary Soft Bubbling Scrub?
SUGAR
If you’re a regular here, you know I prefer chemical exfoliants like AHAs (glycolic acid) to physical scrubs like sugar.
Chemical exfoliants are gentler on the skin (when used right). They dissolve the glue that holds skin cells together, so they can slough off and reveal the brighter and smoother skin underneath.
Scrubs, on the other hand, manually remove dead skin cells. You’re literally scrubbing them off your face. What’s the problem with this?
It depends on what you use. A lot of exfoliating particles have rough edges that tear and scratch the skin. Ouch! Apricot kernels are the worst culprits – avoid them like the plague!
Sugar is one of the gentlest types of scrubs. It melts in water and comes in many different sizes. You need a smaller size for milder exfoliation.
Thankfully, the sugar in Haus Of Gloi Apothecary Soft Bubbling Scrub is so small, it doesn’t scratch skin. Phew!
Related: Chemical VS Physical Exfoliation: Which One Is Better?
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GLYCERIN
Glycerin is a humectant. That’s what scientists call moisture magnets.
Glycerin hydrates skin. It attracts and bind water to the skin, keeping it softer and plumper. The extra hydration is much needed here.
It keeps skin soft and hydrated as sugar does it exfoliating job. That’s why your skin doesn’t feel dry afterwards.
Related: The Complete Guide To Glycerin In Skincare
SODIUM COCO SULFATE AND COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE
Don’t let their chemical names scare you. Sodium Coco Sulfate and Cocamidopropyl Betaine are two gentle detergents.
They allow water to mix with oil and dirt, so they can be rinsed away. Plus, they produce lather.
You know what this means? Haus Of Gloi Apothecary Soft Bubbling Scrub cleanses and exfoliates skin at the same time. Talk about multitasking!
Texture
Despite the sugar granules, the texture feels only slightly gritty. A bit stiff. Pretty creamy. It slowly melts when you massage it onto your skin.
Fragrance
Haus Of Gloi describes Apothecary as “Old books, bubbling concoctions, herbs and creaking floor boards! A pure essential oil blend of: Lemongrass, rosemary, blood cedar, sweet basil, lavender and the tiniest drop of vetiver.”
Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? I adore the scent of old books, so I thought this would be a match made in heaven. It wasn’t to be…
On my skin, I can only smell a huge dollop of lemon grass enriched with lavender. It’s herbal and zesty, but it just doesn’t remind me of an apothecary shop.
It’s very pleasant, don’t get me wrong. And lasts long on the skin. It just doesn’t smell of old books like I expected it to.
How To Use It
Apply to wet skin, let it lather and massage it using circular motions. Do NOT use on your face.
Performance & Personal Opinion
I use Haus Of Gloi Apothecary Soft Bubbling Scrub a couple of days a week in the shower. The scrub lathers up a bit when mixed with water, a feat that makes it glide smoothly on the skin.
All the sugar gently removes all the dead cells that have accumulated on my skin, leaving it feeling silky soft and looking brighter. And nope, it doesn’t feel gritty at all.
That gritty feeling is the reason why I rarely use scrubs. I don’t like the feel of rubbing sandpaper all over my skin, you know what I mean? I don’t experience that with this. Phew!
Plus, the scrub moisturises skin a little, too. It’s not hydrating enough for very dry skin like mine, but if yours is normal or oily, you may not need to apply a body cream afterwards. Lucky you.
Who Is This For?
Scrub lovers who are looking for something that’s gentle and smells amazing.
Who Is This Not For?
- If you have sensitive skin that reacts badly to fragrance, this isn’t for you
- If you prefer chemical exfoliants, this isn’t it
Packaging
Haus Of Gloi Apothecary Soft Bubbling Scrub comes in a big jar with a black lid. Not the most hygienic of packagings, but the scrub inside will last you for a while.
Does Haus Of Gloi Apothecary Soft Bubbling Scrub Live Up To Its Claims?
| CLAIM | TRUE? |
|---|---|
| A delightfully scrubby and lightly foaming confection. | Yes, it foams a little and is a delight to use. |
| A blend of two sugars is then folded in, both fine and medium grain for fantastic scrubbing and polish it off with a heaping scoop of shea butter to leave you cleansed and smooth but never dried out. | Yes, the sugar gently exfoliates skin. Plus, the scrub is hydrating enough to leave skin soft and smooth. |
Price & Availability
$8.00 at Haus Of Gloi
Do You Need It?
If you’re into scrubs, you definitely need Haus Of Gloi Apothecary Soft Bubbling Scrub in your life. It’s hands down my fave body scrub.
Dupes & Alternatives
- Herbivore Coco Rose Body Polish ($36.00)
- Ulta Sugared Vanilla Exfoliating Body Scrub ($12.00)
Ingredients
Organic cane sugar, sucrose (sugar), vegetable glycerin, sodium coco sulfate, cocamidopropyl betaine, propylene glycol, sorbitol, stearic acid, proprietary fragrance blend, shea butter, phenoxyethanol (and) caprylyl glycol
Do they ship to Europe? The price is outstanding, but the shipping costs might be outrageous 🙁
Eli, yes, they do, but shipping costs are high. I always make an order with a few friends of mine so we can divide them. Maybe you can do the same?
Thanks 🙂 Hope I’ll find someone as crazy as me for strange beauty brands 😀
Eli, I hope so too. Their products are amazing. Your friends would be crazy to pass up the opportunity to try them. 🙂
Sounds pretty nice, the huge list of pros is pretty impressive.
Kiss & Make-up, it’s a very impressive scrub indeed. Exfoliation used to be a chore, but now I can’t wait to do it.
This sounds AWESOME. And I totally want it. 😀
Trisha, get it, it’s awesome indeed! You’ll love it! 🙂
Not a bad beauty blogger, that’s absurd! 🙂 you are only human. I like that you mentioned it doesn’t smell like an apothecary even though the scent is nice. I love the smell of books as well but newer books perhaps. I must smell the library books haha when I go there.
I’ve tried their scrubs as well and I never knew scrubs could feel so lovely! I feel it exfoliating but it doesn’t scratch my skin like some others I’ve tried. I’m definitely going to get my next body scrub from them. I’m currently using Soap and Glory’s and The Body Shop’s in grapefruit (which is too scratchy to be used in a hurry).
Janessa, I do that too, smelling books in the library. Everyone thinks I’m crazy, but the smell of new books is wonderful, isn’t it? Unfortunately, this scent doesn’t remind me of books at all, neither old nor new ones, but it’s lovely nonetheless.
Their scrubs are lovely aren’t they? I love how gentle they are on the skin, and yet they do their job so well!
Glad you enjoyed it even though it didn’t smell like creaking floorboards and old books! Hopefully in the Spring of the new year I’ll be able to take orders! Obviously I’ll let you know ahead of time! 😀
Annabella, although the scent was different from what I expected, it was still lovely. Thank you so much for getting this for me. And that’d be great, thanks. I can’t wait!