St. Ives Blemish and Blackhead Control Apricot Scrub Review

Blackheads. They’re the bane of my existence! Well, not really, but it’s incredibly annoying how they just keep popping up on my nose and on the sides of my mouth. They’ve been a big problem lately, along with dry, flaky skin on the tip of my nose. I was over at my in-laws’, when I saw a tube of St. Ives Blemish & Blackhead Control on my sister-in-law’s bathroom shelf and decided to try it. I bought my own tube a few days later.
st ives apricot scrub
6oz/170g tube of St. Ives Blackhead and Blemish Control Apricot Scrub

Product claim:
Oil-free, with 2% salicylic acid, dermatologist tested and contains 100% natural extracts, this scrub gently cleans pores and helps stop breakouts before they occur.

Key ingredients:
Apricots, which are known to contain one of the highest levels of carotenoids (think Vitamin A) and super effective antioxidants. All of this natural power might seem, well, too powerful, but they are actually quite gentle and nourishing and they help make fresher, more nourished skin beautifully possible.
ingredients
Ingredients list

Corn kernel meal, which is actually flour ground from dried corn, and is a soft, but gently powerful all-natural exfoliant that promotes cell turnover and regeneration. Cornmeal makes softer-feeling, fresher skin possible.

Walnut, known for its hard shell, but when it’s ground, it becomes an amazingly effective, all-natural exfoliant ingredient in our scrubs. Not only are walnuts plentiful on the planet, they also help newer, healthier skin come to the surface.

A glob of the scrub on my arm
st ives apricot scrub swatch

What I like about St. Ives Blemish & Blackhead Control Apricot Scrub

• It does clean my huge pores well. After scrubbing this on my nose, t-zone, and all around my lips, the skin on those areas feels really smooth, soft, and is mostly blackhead-free. I only see a few remaining when examining my face very closely after washing. Took care of the flaky bits of dry skin as well!
• It didn’t make my sensitive skin feel irritated or super dry after use. I also did not develop any pimples after using this. I can’t comment on the blemish-prevention effect of this product because to start with, I have not been getting any blemishes at all lately (just dry skin and blackheads). My husband has been using it for over a week though and it hasn’t given him any pimples so far.
• Has a zesty, but mild scent of apricots and oranges which makes it feel refreshing to use in the shower.
• It’s in a tube which is how I prefer my facial skin care products to be packaged. I’m a bit of a germaphobe!
• For those who avoid parabens, this product does not contain any. Personally, at the moment, I don’t mind if a product has parabens.
• It’s inexpensive at just around $4 for a big 6oz tube. This should last me many months because I only use it 2-3 times a week.

What I don’t like about St. Ives Blemish & Blackhead Control Apricot Scrub

• While it didn’t leave me feeling extra dry after use, the scrubby bits did feel a sort of harsh on my sensitive skin. They didn’t feel to sharp or too big while scrubbing, but I’d notice that after use, my skin was soft but it felt a little raw as well. And I don’t rub the product incredibly hard on my skin, I just apply a teeny bit more pressure than I do with my regular cleanser. So I don’t dare use it on my entire face. My husband, on the other hand, who has normal skin and uses this as often as I do, has no problems using it on his whole face.

Overall, this product is pretty good for its price and works well at removing my blackheads. I’d suggest this to those who want a simple, affordable exfoliating product that can remove most blackheads with each use, although I’d recommend trying it on a single area before scrubbing it over the entire face, to see if it’s not too scrubby and mild enough for your skin.

Also Read:
St Ives Collagen Elastin Advanced Body Moisturiser
ST.Ives Swiss Vanilla-Advanced Body Moisturizer
St. Ives Advanced Body Moisturiser
St Ives Softening Whipped Silk Body Lotion
St. Ives Apricot Scrub Blemish Fighting
St Ives Apricot Whitening Scrub

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50 thoughts on “St. Ives Blemish and Blackhead Control Apricot Scrub Review

  1. St. Ives products are pretty good na? I have only used their body lotion till date…Though I don’t get black heads, but usually get loads of white heads, which are even more difficult to remove as they aren’t easily visible!! 😛 I’ll give this a try for sure now.. Very nice review Ida!! :bravo: :bravo: :bravo: :bravo: :bravo: :bravo:

    1. Thanks cali! :)) :)) :)) I’ve actually not tried much St. Ives products, but this ine is indeed pretty good. :)) That’s true about whiteheads!

  2. Nice review Ida.. I use the St. Ives Whitening scrub.. nice product.. not sure abt the whitening.. 😉 hehhe..

    Hi Cali, me from Bangalore too! How are you?

    1. haan ankita…. bhot araaam se yar… but make sure u buy from a reliable source….
      u get fake/expired stuff of st ives tooo :pissedoff: :pissedoff: :pissedoff:

  3. i got some st ives scrub and it smelled horrible… :spank: :spank: then i realised it ws an expired product wen i noticed d original date on the crimp was scrapped off :spank: :spank: :spank: .. i finished dat off as foot scrub.. 🙁

  4. My mom has been using the regular st Ives scrub since the 70s or the 80s … when she would get these huge dabbas from over seas … and once it was available in India … theres always a big 500gm Tub of the stuff in my bathroom … But since I have blemish prone skin I tried this one, the anti blemish scrub and I will say I dont think the two are vastly different … and so i think you can use them interchangeably and a lil known fact is that the regular st ives scrub can be used on the body as well ! (no im not making it up … St Ives says so !) 😛

    1. Janhavi, I’ve tried the original St. Ives apricot scrub as well, but that was years ago…now that you mention it though, yeah, I don’t think the two are very different, maybe this one smells more citrusy. I believe you! :)) I think I read from the packaging it can be used on the body as well. :))

  5. i use the Body shop tea tree black heads scrub. expensive but good. have always wondered abt the St. Ives one but never used it. maybe once my TBS scrub gets over..

    i have these terrible blackheads around my nose too..ugly 🙁

    1. Aruna I hate the blackheads around my nose. Ugh, they’re disgusting. :-/ I’ll remember to try the TBS tea tree blackheads scub after I finish this one. :))

  6. I use it as a scrub for my shoulders and decolletage because it’s really harsh for your face. it can overstimulate your glands and can make acne and oil worse. If it is working for you, that’s good but I’d be realllyy careful with it. use it 2 times a week max and dont apply any pressure with your fingers while massaging. 🙂 just a little tip

    1. Sara, I do notice that after use the areas I applied it on seem oilier. It’s really noticeable because I have dry skin. Will use this probably 1-2 times a week now. Thanks for the tip. :))

  7. Since you mentioned that this is a bit harsh for facial skin, this might make a good body scrubs. Such scrubs (i have noticed) help in getting rid of ingrown hair. So you might give that a try. :))

  8. yes yes they do Ratidooo – they are harsh for your face but they are good once in a while.. and by once in a while I mean once in two or three weeks types 😛

  9. St. Ives distribution is so blotchy here.. We get some products and the rest of them, the shopkeepers aren’t even aware of!!! I just don’t get it!

    Nice review Ida… :waytogo: :waytogo: :waytogo:

    1. That can be pretty frustrating Mrunmayee, when they just the popular products and you want to try other stuff from the brand. :-/ Thank you though! :))

  10. No Cali.. I’ve not entered the contest.. Btw, Cali.. do you know of any Oriflame consultants in Bangalore?

    1. No Divya dont use scrub on daily basis, use alternate days if you are using mild scrub and twice a week if you using coarse scrub !!

      1. Its because scrubbing everyday will strip natural oils from your face and will cause micro tears on your skin !

  11. hey guys…its my first post on IMBB..i have ugly n deep blackheads on my nose coz of which my face looks dull.These r not a kinda zit but black spots like dat can be clearly seen..can any one suggest me a good scrub which can make my nose clean????

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