Herborist Scrub and Body Lotion

A few weeks ago I did a little haul at my neighborhood supermarket. The haul consisted of two brands, Herborist and Wardah. I’ll review the Wardah items in another article; here I’m going to discuss Herborist scrubs and body lotions. FYI, all pictures are clickable for your viewing pleasure. 😀

The Scrubs

They’re actually called “Lulur Tradisional Bali”. There’s a few of this type lulur Bali items if you look around; Lulur Sekar Jagad is one that is most popular.

Whereas Lulur Sekar Jagad is made in Bali, the Herborist brand is actually made by PT Victoria Care Indonesia, a company whose factory is based in Semarang. If you glance around their website, you’ll recognize some of the new brands in body care that are also manufactured by them.

The size of the tube is the same with Sekar Jagad; the cover also features Bali icons. I tried the Kiwi and Strawberry variants. They both smell similar, and not unlike Sekar Jagad, there is a heavy dose of a jasmine fragrance. The texture of the scrubs are also similar, albeit Sekar Jagad’s are a bit more runny, I think.

Overall, this scrub is nothing special, very similar with what is already in the market, and I daresay even somewhat copy-cat-ish. They’re not bad products; I just wish the company had been more creative with the ingredient, texture or scent. I’ll probably not buy this again.

The Body Lotions

The body lotions are, however, interesting. There were three types in the store, and I bought two of them (I think the one I skipped is Papaya–I don’t like the scent of papayas).

What first caught my eye is the picture of bananas. Now, bananas are my number one favorite fruit, but I can’t recall ever coming across a body product touting the scent of bananas!

So, first about the scents. Both the mango and banana scent smell artificial, but not in a bad way, I think. The mango is very, very sweet. The banana is very subtle, you only get a whiff of that creamy banana scent on a bed of bubble-gum sweet smell. If you dislike the scent of either of these fruits, you should pass on these products. Upon application on skin, I do think that mango scent linger longer than the banana scent.

What next caught my eye is the promise of ultra violet (UV) protection, as noted in the front of the tube. I’ve noted previously how difficult it is to find reasonably-priced sunscreen in Indonesia, so something touting UV protection will definitely get my attention.

Upon further inspection, both tubes do contain Octyl Methoxycinnamate, an active ingredient which, if present in sufficient concentration, can protect from both UV A and UV B rays. So there is, indeed, UV protection.

On application, both the mango and banana lotions don’t feel sticky at all, and seem to be absorbed directly by the skin. I don’t detect any difference between the two in terms of texture or feel upon application; the lotion color is also the same, milky white. Looking at the ingredient list, the only different is that one contains mango extract and the other, banana extract.  In terms of their whitening impact, I’ve heard licorice root extract (listed as ingredient) has whitening benefits, but since I’m never in the market for whitening (unless it’s for my teeth), I don’t really notice these benefits. But if you are, then it’s worth a try.

Overall, this is a good product that I’ll probably buy again. It’s just a shame that the level of UV protection is not clearly indicated. So I would not recommend this as sunscreen for those undertaking outdoor activities. But if you need something pleasant to use around the house, with quick trips outdoors to move the car/clean the windows/play with the dogs, whatever, then this is lotion is probably sufficient to protect you from UV rays in addition to being moisturizing. If I have to guess, given that the active ingredient is listed pretty early in the list, I’d guess this to be at least SPF 8.

Note: I have seen the scrubs being sold at many hypermarkets/supermarkets, but the lotions I’ve ever only seen at the place where I bought mine, a neighborhood supermarket, for less than Rp 10,000 each (sorry, I lost the receipt).