REVIEW: Purity Body Wash's All Natural Daily Exfoliating Scrub

Living in a camper is really living the dream. A dirty, filthy dream. We do have a shower—that is, when we have water, which isn't all that often. The shower itself is basically a bucket with a hose. I'm being a bit dramatic here, because there isn't a much better feeling than, after no way to bathe for a week or two besides baby wipes and dry shampoo, standing in a plastic basin with water spraying into your chest and rinsing it all away into a drain. It took until Arizona to fix our plumbing issues, and we now have both running water and a working shower, but the water is fairly limited, compared to a house shower, and the hot not cold water lasts for only three minutes.

That said, I was beyond excited when Purity Body Wash sent me a sample of their body scrub to test and write a review. Anything that can make the #camperlife shower experience more pleasurable is a welcome addition to by bathing ritual, and the email came right when the shower was fixed and we were parked at Sentinel Peak RV Park to work the nearby Gem Show with no other shower options but our own. Even luckier, I was invited to use a shower in a house with hot water, so I took this scrub for a test ride in a more likely situation for you, my readers, to translate into your own lives. Wow, real running, hot water. Must be nice. And oh, IT WAS NICE.

SCENT

The first thing I noticed when I opened the bottle was the refreshing smell of oranges. Unlike some other cleaners and room fresheners, this smell was light and almost effervescent, like real citrus. I was reminded of orange sherbet. Right in the middle of the list of ingredients, one can see why: Citrus Sinesis and Sweet Orange Peel Oil. There's something about real oranges, that smell sends me into a heightened state of alertness while also calming me. According to THE INTERNET, essential oil of orange can be attributed to "anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, antispasmodic, antiseptic, aphrodisiac, carminative, diuretic, tonic, sedative" benefits. So maybe what I am experiencing is the combined antidepressant and sedative properties. Or maybe I just really like oranges. Whatever it is, the fresh smell of oranges in this scrub had me sold.

TEXTURE

Have you ever used a body scrub that left you feeling like you just peeled off a body-sized scab that wasn't yet heeled underneath? Or possibly worse, that doesn't feel like it's actually scrubbing but instead just doing a chemical peel? Or just does nothing at all and you're like, how am I even dirtier than when I first hopped in the shower, covered in sweat and bike grease?? Maybe that last one's just me. Anyway, my guess is you weren't using this wonderful scrub. Purity Body Wash's Daily Exfoliating Scrub really does have a great balance between invigorating exfoliating properties and skin nourishing botanicals. The scrub itself is made of walnut shell powder, and the grain is fine enough that is it noticeable without being abrasive.

CONDITIONING

Yo. I'm in Tucson, transplanted from a place with 100% humidity. The dryness is real. I can't be messing with anything that dries of my skin more than necessary, and moisturizer is a daily requirement. I'm guessing it's the aloe front and center of the list of ingredients, the tapioca starch and coconut oil that are directly below the orange essences, as well as the essential oil of sweet orange, that make this such a luxurious joy of a wash. Just using it in the shower, my skin felt moisturized and clean. When I washes in my own cold shower, I didn't need to moisturize afterwards. With the hot shower, I did, but again—Tucson. 

CRUELTY FREE, NATURAL INGREDIENTS

The first label I look at when buying beauty products is the price (I am a writer living in a travel trailer, let's be real here). But the second label I always check, and the one that touts all others, is whether or not a product is tested on animals. If it is, then it might as well be a bottle of battery acid. Sometimes, it isn't tested on animals and it practically *is* a bottle of battery acid, with all the chemicals in it. And not just like, Propanediol, which is derived from corn. All of these ingredients are naturally derived and vegan. It does contain Cocamidapropyl Betaine, which is derived from coconut oil but which I've also read some mixed reviews about (here's another link, which I *think* is mainly about ethic sourcing and labeling, but it's hard to tell), but I'm not very knowledgable and need to do more research, and even these sites seem pretty foggy in their information. I certainly wouldn't write off Purity Body Wash just for this ingredient, especially since it's in just about every wash.

Final verdict, I love this body wash and would recommend it to anyone, pending an allergy to Cocamidapropyl Betaine, and feel like it really left my skin feeling nourished and read to face another day of hard labor.