Cindy Joseph BOOM SCRUB

RRP: $45

--What does the promo say?—
“BOOM SCRUB is a simple and effective deep pore cleanser and light exfoliant that is safe to use every day. With a quick five-minute mask application, this scrub gently strips away the dull, lifeless skin from your face and reaches down deep to release all excess oil, dirt and make-up from your pores, leaving your skin simply radiant. Each ingredient in our new scrub has been carefully formulated to our highest standards, sustainably sourced and chemical free. While other scrubs use crushed sugar or bran that can led to micro-tears in your skin, BOOM SCRUB features small round oak kernels that gently roll across your face. With no harsh peeling abrasion or chemicals, BOOM SCRUB will give you vibrant, healthy skin every day.”

--Packaging--
As with all BOOM products, presentation is minimalist and clean-looking with white being the  prominent colour. BOOM SCRUB comes in the same type of bottle as BOOM CLEAN, with a lid that flips up to dispense the product through a small nozzle. The BOOM logo on the label has been altered to a sandy colour to differentiate it from BOOM CLEAN. The bottle is opaque so you cannot see how much is left whilst using it, although the decreasing weight of the bottle gives you a fairly good idea. I have never had reason to criticise BOOM packaging in the past but I’m afraid that I would have preferred the SCRUB in a tub (as for BOOM COTTON, BOOM SILK…) rather than the squeezy bottle, as I find the product extremely difficult to extract. The bottle won’t stand upside down on its top (so that gravity might help this thicker product descend) and you have to squeeze really hard to get the product out through the small nozzle. Cutting the bottle in half towards what I think might be the end of the product will definitely be necessary in order to avoid severe wastage. As the plastic bottle is considerably harder than the tubes normally used for this type of product, I hope I don’t stab myself with the scissors in the process! Please can we have this in a tub, BOOM?

--Application--
Boom scrub can be used over the basin or in the shower. It should be applied generously to a clean and moisturised face. Allow the scrub mask to penetrate your skin for five minutes for a deep pore cleansing and light exfoliation. Rinse thoroughly with water.

--Appearance--
BOOM SCRUB is a light sand colour and is thick and opaque with small granules of oak kernels evenly distributed throughout.

--Scent—
BOOM SCRUB smells slightly lemony. The scent is enough to make you feel refreshed without being invasive.

--Texture and consistency--
A thickish paste with tiny pieces of oak kernels that provide a delicate and gentle exfoliation.

--Effects on the skin—
Only a small amount is required to scrub the whole face. The scrub mask spreads easily over the face. It rinses off easily leaving skin feeling fresh, deep-cleansed and silky to touch.

--Value for money--
I was given this product free to trial for Bianca’s Beauty Blog (thank you, BOOM!). At $32 for 4oz, this may seem an expensive product but as so little is used it lasts ages. I am finding that the combination of BOOM products on my skin has definitely improved the texture and quality of my skin tone so I would purchase this for myself. With the gradual addition of its new products, BOOM is now providing for nearly all your make-up and cleansing/moisturising needs. Am definitely a BOOM convert, even though shipping from America needs to be added to the cost; sometimes it is worth placing a bulk order with other BOOM products to increase value for money. The international flat rate shipping charge costs $30 and it takes between 7 – 15 working days to arrive. Be sure to
select this flat shipping rate option, or you may be faced with additional customs charges when your package arrives. 

perfect partners
BOOMSTICK GLO, from $27 (or as part of the TRIO for $76, saving 6%)
BOOMSTICK COLOR, from $27 (or as part of the TRIO for $76, saving 6%)
BOOMSTICK GLIMMER, from $27 (or as part of the TRIO for $76, saving 6%)
BOOM SILK all-over face and body moisturizer, from $27
BOOM COTTON shine control moisturizer, from $32
BOOM MASK rejuvenating, cleansing and moisturizing mask, from $42
BOOM NECTAR skin serum, $54
BOOM CLEAN, from $32
BOOM CALM, $44

by Sarah Cross

Post-Stoptober beauty

For those who are valiantly slogging their way to the end of Stoptober, or Sober for October - well done!

Afterwards is arguably most important, though. Stoptober is not meant to be a virtue-signalling month where you quit the cigs or booze for 30 days and then return to your old ways. The question is how to sustain it.

This should be a holistic approach that involves mind, habits, and body.

If you have given up alcohol this month, then this probably involves having quite a few drink-free days a week, and/or alternating alcoholic with non-alcoholic drinks when out, in a bid to reduce your overall consumption. For ex-smokers, it might involve having something to hold or fiddle with when you would normally smoke, or taking up a new hobby that will engage your hands. For both groups, it may involve reconsidering how much time you spend with certain friends, changing your route home from work, or finding coping strategies for stressful situations that would normally send you reaching for a corkscrew or lighter.

The power of mindfulness - extending to techniques such as hypnotherapy - is also surprising for its capacity to calm and rewire your mindset. This is easy and quick to do, and often free. Having prepared for birth using the iHypnobirth app, and used the Surf City Sleep Well app to improve sleep quality, I have seen noticeable results in terms of feeling calm, relaxed and prepared, as well as being able to develop clear strategies to help me fall and stay asleep more consistently. As you can imagine, there are plenty of apps to help you quit smoking or eat mindfully.

Wellness is just one part of health and beauty. Some people also like to continue the good work they have started in Stoptober using commercial products - such as whitening toothpaste to improve nicotine-stained teeth, or face creams containing vitamin C and antioxidants to boost skin quality (sagging and lines are just some results of smoking). You could also consider nail kits and nail whiteners to help reduce staining.

The effects of alcohol consumption (and, let's be honest, most Brits drink unhealthy amounts, even if this falls within social norms) are perhaps not as immediately or obviously visible physically, but they are there. Rosacea, for example, can be linked to alcohol consumption, as can obesity.

As a result, we should remember that beauty also starts from within. Consider drinking more water (alcohol dehydrates the skin), improving your diet and exercise plan (alcohol is just empty calories, after all), or even taking supplements to help detoxify (from a reliable retailer, of course), as alcohol deprives the skin of vital vitamins and nutrients. Some of the products linked to above can also help with this.

None of this is said to be preachy. None of us are perfect. And I know it isn't always that simple. I've tried every acne-busting product under the sun (well, nearly), been a clothing size 10 to 14, consume minimum dairy and have even given vegetarianism a go, but that hasn't stopped my face and body being plagued by spots from the age of 10. I'm now 32. (Thanks, PCOS!) The only thing that has improved my skin even remotely has been pregnancy! But we all have to do what we can. So if you've started with Stoptober - why not keep up your good work?