Buddy Scrub Charcoal review

I really wanted to like this Buddy Charcoal Scrub, as I've had awesome experiences with similar scrubs in the past, but unfortunately this one just did not make the cut for me!

The idea is great - charcoal, sea salt and sugar to exfoliate and nourish skin. The packaging is practical, and the labelling is quirky with its sexy-conversational style. But the product itself simply wasn't that nice.

The scrub is black, as it's charcoal-based, and does feel good on the skin, leaving it soft. However, it makes a total mess of your shower, and also I found it leaves big grey blotches on the skin! Not great. I had to remove these blotches using a loofah and body wash after washing off the scrub. Also, the smell of this product wasn't very pleasant - quite strong, and I just couldn't get past the fireplace-esque scent. Some people would probably love this product, but sadly I'm just not one of them.

I used this scrub last night as i wanted to apply my weekly fake tan and needed to exfoliate before i started. I hopped in the shower and took a few handfuls of the buddy scrub and got to work. It was quite crumbly and hard to get to stick on the skin. So to start with I wasted quite a bit down the shower drain. However the scrub that did stay on my skin worked wonders. I always struggle to remove all my old fake tan off no matter how hard i scrub, I've tried various other body scrubs and even lemon and baking soda. This buddy scrub was definitely the winner there. It removed it with a lot less effort too. When i had finished my skin felt smooth and nourished. You get that slight tingly refreshed feeling from the Pepperment which i quite like. I would definitely repurchase for a great tan removal product and general exfoliator. The only reason it didn't get 5 out of 5 is due to the crumbliness which can make it hard to apply. There was a generous amount in the packet so i think its a reasonable price for the amount you get. It comes in a sturdy resealable bag.

First impression: I liked the simple colours used in the packaging and the personal way the text "talks" to you. Although, it does feel rather like a rip-off Frank scrub type of instructions. Most scrubs now have the sexy way of explaining how to use it and it isn't very original any more.

I really liked how it comes in a resealable pouch so you can ensure no water will get inside it. As it says not to get any water in it, it is very easy to just pour it into your hands.

It doesn't have a very strong smell which I enjoyed as it felt fresh and not laden with chemicals and perfumes.

I was worried about being left with black marks all over my skin which has happened before with a previous scrub but to my relief it washed away perfectly.

It is very grainy which feels amazing when I am rubbing it on my skin. I used it all over (except for my face as I have very sensitive skin) and gradually the big grains in it melted leaving my skin deliciously soft. It felt very refreshing and had a slight minty tingle. I felt very clean and soft.

I would definitely use this again. My skin felt hydrated and moisturized - especially after putting on my favorite moisturizer.

Buddy Scrub's packaging says it is "your friend with benefits" but I'm not feeling the love. Not hating exactly either, just...neutral and lukewarm. I was sent the Buddy Scrub with activated charcoal to trial. First it was going to exfoliate my skin with sea salt and sugar. I was expecting my skin to feel smoother afterwards but didn't notice much difference. Likewise with the supposed wonders to my skin after nourishing with activated charcoal and coconut oil. While the product was a bit moist, there didn't seem to be any obvious oil so I'm not sure where that and the jojoba and grape seed oil were. In the pack there's a slight peppermint musty smell but I couldn't smell anything once it was on in the shower. I had thought perhaps the charcoal would leave a mess in the shower but the consistency is like sugar and washes away easily. I think it could work as a hand scrub after gardening but really didn't see that the claims made on the packaging were true or noticed any difference on my body. Having said that, it isn't unpleasant but I'd rather use a product that did make a difference.

I will start at the beginning- The packaging is playful and a little naughty which I found fun and found reading the instructions more entertaining then most beauty products. Now basically what i assume the instructions said is you wet your body in the shower and rub exfoliating scrub on your body before rinsing off. One problem-it says near the bottom not to let water into the bag. So I grab a small container before my shower, put about 1/3 of a cup in it (why didn't they think of individual packets I don't know). Jump in the shower. Now trying to get this stuff to actually stick to my skin was a bit of a balancing act with the right combination of water to scrub ratio and I lost quite a but down the drain without being used. After the second try I seem to be getting the hang of it. The smell is ok in the shower kind of minty. But there is no smell left on my body once it has been rinsed off. Once I jump out of the shower and dry myself that's when I notice the difference- my skin feels soft, supple and moisturised. I have very sensitive skin on my arms and legs (and face) and this didn't make me react whatsoever which was a very pleasant surprise! I feel like I need to use this more than twice a week to keep my skin feeling refreshed but am following directions (would love to use it every day) as the scrubs moisturising effects only last about 12-24hours. Overall I enjoyed using this product and am keen on trying other natural body scrubs to see how they compare.

This was a product I received to review so thankyou BR. I love body scrubs so was super excited to try out one that was all natural and made close to home (yes australia counts as close to home).

This shower scrub comes in the typical bag packaging which seems to be the preferred choice for shower scrubs. The bag is waterproof which is great for the shower and has a zip lock styled seal as well as a metallic looking lining on the inside.

The shower scrub could be described as a loose, damp sugar. Its a grey coloured sugar (because of the charcoal) and smells like peppermint. From first impressions, I did like how the product looked, but did think it could be a bit wetter (if that makes sense).

I use this scrub by getting a handful and rubbing it over my skin. If i use this on damp skin, the scrub is slightly rough at first, and then becomes gentle because the sugar starts to dissolve. If i wanted a rougher scrub the whole way through i would use it on drier skin (which isn't something I would really do)

I find this scrub gives my skin a gentle scrub and leaves behind a trace of moisture, but no greasiness which is nice . I do find i have a bit of fallout with this product because it is a loose sugar mix, but its not a big deal and if I am careful its not much at all. I also find the charcoal aspect of this scrub almost.. sticks to my skin so i have to make sure i wash my skin thoroughly with water afterwards. The last negative I have is that this product is a bit on an inconvenience because it says to use dry hands to get the product out of the bag. I understand why because the sugar will dissolve when it gets wet, but c'mon! If i am in a shower using a scrub, the chances that my hands will be wet are pretty high, and I'm too lazy to dry my hands before using this scrub (sad but true).

Overall, this scrub is nice but it didn't do anything amazing to my skin, and its not something I would rush out to repurchase. Great if you are looking for a natural product though

Here we go, another exfoliator - I thought but wow, this stuff is gorgeous. I did it in the shower and it spread well, smelled refreshing (I love peppermint) and the most surprising thing of all was that it was really moisturizing! I have bumpy skin and child related stretch marks and my whole body felt smooth after the shower and for hours afterwards. I didn't moisturize after just to see what would happen and honestly when I find this product Im going to start buying it for bday and xmas gifts. Love it.

I have used many different body scrubs in the past including coffee scrubs and sugar scrubs. However I had never come across an activated charcoal scrub before so I was very interested in seeing how this scrub compared to others.

This scrub comes in a plastic resealable bag and it is 200g which is the same amount as the Frank coffee scrub products. It is also marketed in the same way as the Frank coffee scrubs. I was expecting this product to smell like dirt because of the charcoal in it. But it actually smells EXACTLY like peppermint candy canes, which I absolutely loved and it made me feel christmassy all over again.

I tried using this product on wet skin and dry skin, however I had more success using it on wet skin. If you use it on dry skin, 90% of the product will end up on the floor. I preferred to use it in the shower (without the water running) as the application of this product can get super messy. Your skin should be damp (not completely soaking wet) otherwise the sea salt and sugar will dissolve straight away and it won’t be a scrub anymore.

After using this product my skin felt very soft, well-cleansed and moisturised. I was worried that I would be left with grey patches on my pale skin from the charcoal, but it washed off easily. One problem I found with this product was that my chest and face broke out in tiny pimples a few days after using this scrub. I can’t say with 100% certainty that the pimples were directly caused by the scrub, but I never changed my skincare routine or diet in any other way over this time. When I used this product again I made sure to only use it on areas such as my arms, legs and hips. I never experienced any other problems after I used it in this way.

I’m not sure if this product helped with my stretch marks or cellulite. I think I would need to use it over a longer period of time to notice any difference.

I really enjoyed the peppermint smell of this product and how it left my skin feeling super soft. I would say that I still prefer coffee scrubs to this charcoal scrub. However I would purchase this product again if I felt like switching up my body scrub routine.

Firstly I really liked the packaging of this product, it's an easy to read.. easy to open pouch. You simply open rip off the tab at the top to open, exposing the easy seal ziplock closure which keeps the product sealed from water (as per the instructions on the packaging, you do not want to get water inside) & spills. The contents is vacuum sealed inside so once opened, the contents becomes loose & pliable. The packaging was also very clean, easy to read and I found the font/colour options very attractive and the blurb on the back of the packaging was very witty & playful... Who doesn't want to be called "gorgeous" & be romanced? Buddy Scrub is definitely a friend with benefits. To be honest the first sniff of the product (after opening the packaging) wasn't to my liking, it smelt like a mix of paint & mint, however I proceeded with jumping in the shower and getting wet as per the instructions. I used a wooden teaspoon to remove some of the product and placed it on various body areas using gentle motions, I noticed that the mixture wasn't as gritty & course like other scrubs I had used and the sugar/sea salt/charcoal completely dissolved into a smooth creamy paste that was really pleasurable & my skin felt instantly refreshed like it just took a long cool drink of water. By now the smell had become more bearable, I waited 5 minutes as the scrub worked it's magic... thinking to myself how easy the application was and how it didn't rub my skin raw like other products. I did a bad thing baby, I stepped out of the shower to get something and as I stepped back in I nearly slipped over... I can only assume that it was from the scrub that I had used on the top of my feet which had come in contact with the water as I stepped back in... So perhaps be careful if you have a plastic floored shower like I do. Other than that little accident, washing off the scrub was very easy and there was no mess in the shower to clean up... Obvious that the scrub had completely exfoliated my skin leaving it feeling beautiful & soft, free of any dead skin. I've noticed that my skin has been nourished & softened since using Buddy Scrub, particularly my legs since they are prone to dryness... I haven't had to moisturize them daily and the visible dry lines I had prior have visually diminished. I also used the product to exfoliate my face and have since noticed that my skin has been clearer with little to no blemishes and less oily. I really love that this product is all natural, cruelty free & chemical free as well as having some really gorgeous ingredients like coconut oil, kaolin clay, vitamin E, jojoba oil, grape seed oil... bonus being that is it suitable for all skin types. I would love to give it a solid 5/5 for whether I would use it again, but I don't think I would use this particular "flavour" again mostly due to the fact I can't stand the smell but I can't wait to try Buddy Scrubs other scrubs.. Raw Cacao & Green Tea, they are definitely on my wishlist.