Venus body scrub is exactly what it states: a body scrub. I got the unscented formula because I happen to be sensitive to those kinds of things and I'm really sick and tired of all the coconut, lemon, rosehip and vanilla frangrances flooding the market. They've just never been scents that appealed to me.

What's in it?

Dead Sea Salt, Pumice, Aqua (water), Tea Lauryl Sulfate- a cleansing agent, Propylene Glycol - alcohol, Carbomer, Oleth 20 - Nonionic surfactant, Glycereth 26 - thickener, Fragrance, Benzophenone 4 - possible irritant/allergen, Methyl Paraben - preservative, Propyl Paraben - preservative, Imidazolidinyl Urea - preservative, Triethanolamine - more alcohol, Disodium EDTA - chelating agent that helps diminish reactivity of metal ions; May Contain: FD&C Yellow 5, FD&C Yellow 6, FD&C Red 33, FD&C Blue 1

Basically a hot mess of chemicals is what's in it. Lots of preservatives and alcohol.

Aroma and Taste and Color:

Do not put this in your mouth. Or anyone else's, for that matter. It doesn't smell like anything, really. It doesn't even smell like soap, it's just there. While it says it contains dyes, it remains virtually clear.

How Does It Work:

I have a pretty high standard when it comes to my exfoliant and by high I mean it has to be affordable and do it's job very well. I hate dry or flaky skin, who doesn't really? For the last fourteen years, I have been using a St. Ives product called Apricot Scrub. It's intended to control blackheads and blemish breakouts, which I suppose it works in that area because I don't have very many of those. But, I like to use it on my legs, stomach, elbows and derriere. It's never failed me.

Here it is just out of the tube:
I like the consistency and I like the way it smells, it's just crushed walnuts and apricots with a little salicylic acid (aspirin) and is free of parabens and phthalates. And the Venus Scrub doesn't even begin to hold a candle to my beloved exfoliant.

Here is the Venus Scrub. I added food coloring so you could see the consistency a little better.

As you can see, the exfoliating particles are much smaller with a larger liquid suspension base. The difference between the Venus and the St. Ives is that one is meant to be used as a dual exfoliant slash bodywash and the other is meant to be thinned out to the user's liking. Can you guess which is which?

A little goes a long way with the Apricot Scrub, while I have to use a ton of the Venus Scrub to feel like I've gotten all of those dead cells off. I have to use at least what's in the Venus dish to get anywhere and it just doesn't feel very abrasive, whereas I only have to use a third of what's in the Apricot dish for my face and the rest would go on my body. I also don't recommend using the Venus scrub on your face. It's too hard to control. I don't feel like it does nearly enough of a good job to warrant $14.99 for it. Dead sea salt? Is that what you're paying for here...probably. Just another fad gone wild, in my opinion.

The bottle itself is kind of clever if not completely useless when your hands are dripping wet. The design on the inside of the cap is in such a way that it won't leak if you tip it over. I let it lay on it's side for the ten minutes it took me to type out the ingredient list and find the subsequent information about said ingredients. But, it's not a flip-cap so it's kind of pain to get open in the shower. My suggestion is not to close it too tightly.

It really just doesn't have the exfoliating power that I've come to expect from more concentrated products, but it might be good for those who don't like to feel as if they've taken a sander to their skin.