Claims from the manufacturer:
The Klairs Gentle Black Sugar Facial Polish is a premium face scrub with natural moisturizers including black sugar, shea butter, and cranberry oil to smooth the skin
Removes Dead Skin cells and excess sebum
Containing an abundance of black sugar, this aids in the removal of dead skin cells and blackheads
Directions from the manufacturer:
Mix an adequate amount of black sugar polish with 2-3 drops of water. Gently massage the scrub in circular motion on the face and rinse thoroughly with warm water.
Ingredients:
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Black Strap Powder, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Petrolatum, Glycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Candelilla Wax Esters, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Polysorbate 20, Microcrystalline Wax, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Powder, Fragrance, Carapa Guaianensis Seed Oil, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Seed Oil
My experience:
Dear Klairs gentle black sugar facial polish is a mechanical exfoliator that works as a standard scrubbing solution that removes dead skin cells off your face by friction motion. What makes this scrub extra lovely is it’s color and the texture. It reminds me of caramelized/burnt sugar and has a pretty brown color. It is almost like it’s base is made of crystallized honey. The exfoliating parts are actually sugar crystals that start melting when they come in contact with water.
The texture is very rich and thick and has some spreadability issues. Make sure you wet your face in order to ensure a better glide over your skin. Otherwise with dry skin you will be doing more scratching than exfoliating. You can also use something like a cleansing oil or a cleansing cream to thin the texture out a bit. I did use it solo and combined it with my Skin 79 cleansing oil and I do prefer the latter combo.
In terms of scent it smells like caramelized sugar As for the results. My skin is surprisingly soft and not depleted of moisture. A lot of scrubs tend to do that to my face so I was pleasantly amused by the finish on my skin. Does it remove dead skin cells? Yes. Does it feel harsh on the skin? Absolutely no. It is not as mild as exfoliating peel that pills on your skin, but it is definitely comparable to it. The granules of the sugar resolve fast enough leaving the nutritious goo on my face. If you want your skin to feel more nourished you can leave it on your face for 5 minutes before rinsing it all off.
If you are wondering wether to include such product into your skincare routine. Definitely do it at least once. Plenty of brands such as Aromatica and Skinfood have similar products in their arsenal so any of these will do. In my opinion these three are quite comparable to each other. IF your skin is super reactive to mechanical exfoliants, proceed with caution and thin the solution out. If your skin is normal, oily, dry orcombi, give it a go as it is.