| Review | Olehenriksen Lemonade Smoothing Scrub

I am a big fan of exfoliators from physical to chemical and liquid to overnight formulas, I love how they transform the skin. Lately, I've discovered the physical-chemical exfoliator hybrid, which isn't very common but it is such an innovative formula! This latest innovation from Olehenriksen is a beautiful combination of physical sugar particles and AHAs to smooth the skin. 

This scrub was gifted to me through the Influenster program. If you aren't already a member, anyone can join Influenster. You can click here to join Influenster. It is a platform that allows consumers to receive a variety of products for review, testing, posting purposes. They did not ask or require me to write this review but genuinely wanted to review this formula for the blog. 

The Olehenriksen Lemonade Smoothing Scrub retails for $32.00 USD for 3.0 oz and is available at Sephora and other retailers. This scrub is packaged in a medium plastic squeezable tube, which is actually my preferred packaging for a scrub because it minimizes mess and contamination. The tube is soft and easy to squeeze but it feels sturdy. This is a great one to keep in your shower because unlike a jar, water can't get inside the packaging. 

FORMULA 

This scrub is packed with a ton of sugar particles for exfoliating and you really only need about a little larger than a dime-sized amount. The scrub comes out of the tube almost like a slushie texture. I will say that the sugar particles while small, are quite abrasive. I find them a little too abrasive even for my skin, which isn't sensitive at all. My skin has been through some pretty potent treatments and exfoliators and if I feel that this scrub is a touch too abrasive, that's saying something. Since the particles are abrasive, you only need to apply light pressure and scrub in very gentle circular motions on damp skin. 

When you massage this scrub into your skin, you will immediately notice the sweet lemonade scent of this scrub. It smells absolutely delightful and is a wonderful part of the experience. The fragrance doesn't smell synthetic but like lemonade made of real fresh squeezed lemons. 

After you feel you've fully exfoliated your face, about two to three minutes, you are supposed to leave the scrub on the face for up to two minutes. During this time, the AHAs, glycolic and lactic acids, work to deeply exfoliate the pores and smooth the texture of the skin. After you rise this scrub off the face, you can feel that your skin is SIGNIFICANTLY smoother, softer, and glowing! This scrub really gets deep into your pores with both the AHAs and the fine sugar particles. 

You definitely notice any surface texture completely softened and smoothed over. I noticed my skin has a glass-skin finish, which rarely happens with skincare products. My skin definitely feels completely refreshed after using this scrub. I love it for when my skin is feeling really congested and I feel like there may be makeup trapped in my pores. This formula will get rid of anything on or in your skin and have your skin feeling so clean but not stripped!

This formula claims to soothe the skin, which I don't notice at all, If anything, it does quite the opposite because the scrubbing particles are abrasive. I would definitely be careful, especially if you have dry skin, pairing this with other potent formulas, like retinol or even potent vitamin c serums. Like I stated previously, I don't consider my skin to be sensitive at all and I have used very potent exfoliators on it but I notice some sensitivity to my skin after using this scrub. On the positive side, this formula really does help your other products absorb and work more efficiently. 

Keep in mind that the use of a hybrid exfoliator that contains acids will make your skin sensitive to UV rays. You should always be wearing sunscreen but you need to be aware to reapply sunscreen and wearing it when you are using acids to exfoliate the skin. 

INGREDIENTS 

This product is considered "clean" by Sephora's standards but that doesn't mean it is necessarily a clean formula. Everyone has their own standard to "clean beauty" and the only way to determine if you agree is to look at the ingredients. I am not so concerned about using only clean products in my routine but I am more concerned about having quality ingredients in my skincare. Here is the full ingredients list:

Aqua/Water/Eau, Glycerin, Glycolic Acid, Sucrose, Hydrated Silica, Polyglyceryl-10 Dipalmitate, Propanediol, Lactic Acid, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Lactate, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Powder, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugarcane) Extract/Extrait De Canne À Sucre, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Peel Extract, Santalum Album (Sandalwood) Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Peel Oil, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Coconut Acid, Sodium Riboflavin Phosphate, Dimethylhydroxy Furanone, Isohexadecane, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Isethionate, Sorbitan Oleate, Triethyl Citrate, Vanillin, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Limonene, Linalool, Citral.

Some ingredients to note in this formula are: 

Sucrose & Hydrated Silica - Sucrose as many of you may know is just sugar, which composes the majority of the scrubbing particles in this formula. I had no idea what hydrated silica was but after conducting some research, it is often used to thicken many formulas but also as an abrasive ingredient. While it is often used as an abrasive ingredient in toothpaste to remove plaque, I strongly believe it is used in this formula to exfoliate the skin that is why it is in such a high quantity in this formula. As I stated earlier, I found this scrub to be slightly abrasive and I think the hydrated silica may be the culprit. 

Lactic Acid - Known for helping brighten hyperpigmentation and reducing pore size, lactic acid is a milder acid that gently smooths the skin. It also helps prevent and reduce fine lines and wrinkles on the skin by increasing cell turnover. Additionally, it's great at reducing acne and retaining moisture on the skin. 

Glycolic Acid - Found naturally in sugar cane and fruits, this acid penetrates deep into the skin exfoliating without the need the physically scrub the skin. Being in the same family of acids as lactic acid, this acid also helps reduce wrinkles, reduces acne, and helps even skin tone. Glycolic acid is a little stronger and more abrasive than lactic acid. 

Citrus Limon Peel Powder and Fruit Extract - It seems that on top of the AHAs included in this formula a peel powder is included. This explains why this formula is so potent and good at really smoothing and softening the skin. The fruit extract not only provides that real lemon fragrance but also includes a dose of vitamin c to help brighten pigmentation. It also contains antioxidants to help repair and protect the skin from environmental damage. 

FINAL THOUGHTS 

I really enjoy this formula and I highly recommend it! I can't see myself using this formula often because it is abrasive, at most once a week but it is very effective! If you are looking for a really intense and deeply exfoliating scrub, this is the one for you. It will really clear out blocked pores, smooth out rough texture, and even soften the texture of the skin. If you have more sensitive skin, this could work as long as you are gentle when massaging it into your skin.

I personally prefer slightly more gentle physical exfoliating particles and the Alpyn Beauty Wild Huckleberry 8-Acid Polishing Peel Mask (full review here) is my personal favorite hybrid exfoliator. This product contains both large and small exfoliating particles to get deep into pores but also polish the exterior of the skin. It also contains some AHAs for peeling and softening the skin. This one is not as abrasive as the Olehenriksen Lemonade Smoothing Scrub. This peel mask is more expensive and comes with significantly less product than the Olehenriksen and so, if it isn't within your budget, the Olehenriksen is the closest product I have tried to this! 

While I have a personal fave that slightly eeks out this one, this scrub is actually really good and again, I do recommend it! I just don't think it works for everyone's skin type or skincare preferences. However, I can't deny that it does work and it does make my skin look and feel incredibly smooth and soft! I really do love the results that scrub gives me and I can definitely see myself purchasing it. For the days I need a heavy-duty scrub this does the job and makes my skin happy! 

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