Skincare Review: Simple Smoothing Facial Scrub

The "budget" brand Simple® is one I've seen on a few different YouTube "beauty guru" videos and I've been wanting try their stuff out for a while - On their website, it's explained that "all Simple^® products have no dyes, artificial perfumes or harsh irritants that can upset skin and contain skin-loving ingredients and added vitamins for natural, healthy-looking skin."  I was at the store about a week ago and decided to pick up their facial scrub to give it a shot.

What's in it?

We'll start with the big question - is this product "safe" and devoid of the "dirty dozen" chemicals commonly found in cosmetic and beauty products?  Unfortunately the answer is no.  It contains three different chemicals that I'm not too happy about:

1. Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, which is a formaldehyde releaser,  can cause cancer, and is an allergen.  
2. Methylparaben, an endocrine disruptor that is also a known allergen.
3. Tocopheryl Acetate, which is fine alone and is advertised simply as "Vitamin E."  However, this form of Tocopheryl carries the risk of contamination with Hydroquinone, which is actually banned from use in cosmetics - it's a super nasty compound that can cause organ toxicity, cancer, and allergies.

In the grand scheme of things, is this a product I'd avoid?  Considering what's in most skincare products, this one isn't all that bad.   Many others, like the Clean & Clear Morning Burst Facial Cleanser and the OXY Daily Defense Exfoliating Face Scrub for example, present many more toxins and health risks.  

However, because there are many, many DIY exfoliating cleanser recipes out there that use zero chemicals, I probably wouldn't repurchase this one.  I'm aiming to remove as many avoidable chemicals from my beauty routine as possible, and scrubs a great opportunity to eliminate toxins.

Does it work?

Equally as important as what's in it, does this product actually work?  I'll be honest - It really does work well on my skin.  The packaging instructs the user to only use the product once every few days, and when I used it, my skin was left feeling super soft.  I haven't noticed any increased redness or irritation, which I typically see with store-bought exfoliating products.  The exfoliating beads are also smaller than those found in most other products I've tried, which creates a nice scrub without the "scratchy" feeling.

Would I recommend it?  DIY Options?

Probably not.  Like I said, scrubs are a great opportunity to eliminate toxins.  If you're going to try your hand at DIY skincare, they would be a great start - go on Pinterest and you'll find a million different options, several of which I've tried with a lot of success... and they're typically super cheap and easy to make.  Homemade facial scrubs can even be customized to your skin type, as you can learn here.

 

Image (c) Brit+Co