Birchbox, March 2014
Second item: Body Repair Balm by Skinfix
Full size: 2 oz., $18.50 ($16.50 on Skinfix website)
What I got (sample size): .28 oz, $2.59 ($2.31)
First impressions: Really clean packaging, bright design,
feels very relateable. A bit less than 1.5” tall, nearly 2” diameter
(guesstimating). Looks like it would be a good size to take traveling. The
product inside is a beige color, and looks to have microscopic granules of
something in it, but that could just be some sort of film over the top. It
smells really interesting – in a good way. It has that thick warm scent I
usually associate with shea butter, and the smell of the almond oil with it
makes a really yummy sweet combination, that for some reason makes me think of
cinnamon-flavored steamed milk. Not sure where that idea came from, but it
seems to be a good representation of the smell.
Performance: The first time I opened this product (which is
touted as an “all-natural balm that quickly repairs and softens severely dry
skin – eczema included”) I decided to do a little test. I put some on my finger
(there is a very very subtle grit to the product that’s practically
undetectable, but it made it feel more natural for some reason – maybe because
I use some Lush products with bits in them) and rubbed it on one of my most “severely
dry” areas: my elbow. Actually, right on the Birchbox card they recommend using
the balm for your elbows. But I only did one. Yup, just the one. It was not
what I was expecting.
While not rough, the balm certainly doesn’t glide on. It
didn’t feel especially moisturizing, more like running a lightly greased hand
over sandpaper. It just didn’t do as much as I was expecting. It left me
feeling as though my elbow was maybe slightly
more moisturized, but it felt as though it was going to dry up in a minute.
Were my elbows just freakishly dry? Maybe they were. That’s why I decided that
the solution was to compare it to my usual moisturizer, Lush’s Sympathy for the Skin. With just a dab of the moisturizer, my other elbow felt instantly
smoother. So no, it wasn’t my skin, this balm really just wasn’t helping much.
The next morning I checked my elbows and found that the balm-ed
elbow was still rough (though admittedly slightly less rough than the day
before), and the moisturizer-ed elbow was still smooth. So it wasn’t a waiting
game.
Today, two days later, my Lush-treated skin was still less
rough than usual, and my Skinfix-treated skin had returned to its original
state. But I wanted to try again, to give it a second chance! So I pulled out
the little tub, and tried just using more. Still, the first rub on didn’t do
much. So I did a second layer. Still disappointingly dry. Better, yes, but still not as good as my usual moisturizer. But the
directions do say “apply generously,”
so on went a slathering of a third layer – so much that I actually had to rub
for a good two minutes to even get the balm to sink in.
Finally, after a load of balm, it was comparable to my other
elbow. Which was moisturized three days ago.
I’m sorry, Skinfix: I tried to give you a chance - I really wanted you to work! - but you
just couldn’t cut it. You do smell nice, I’ll admit that, but my usual moisturizer
smells like pudding, so I’m gonna stick with that one.
So, final thoughts?
Packaging: 5
Scent: 5
Texture: 3 – On smooth skin it still feels weird, as though
it soaks in too quickly.
Function (out of 10): 2 – Better than nothing, but not much
good.
Overall: 15/25 – But I would not recommend it to anyone. Smells good, yes, but I probably won’t
ever use it again. I may try putting it on directly after a shower, to see if
it can redeem itself, but I am highly doubtful.
'Til the next box review!
- BoxxyGirl
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