M+E Shelf: RICE & CLEAN by Plant Apothecary

Before I start, you have to know that the products I will tell you about in this series are the ones I actually use. So here are three things about me:

1. My skin types is dry (think desert dry), with the occasional blemish and a tendency for hyperpigmentation after scarring
2. my hair is pretty much the same and prone to frizz except for when I’m in Miami where it seems to behave…(Note to self: buy an ocean side vacation home in South Beach)
3. I’m a minimalist when it comes to skincare or haircare i.e. you will NOT see me pre-poo, co-wash, deep condish, rinse, LOC, etc… If there are more than 3 products involved in one sitting, I’m out.

While I'll be sharing products I am using; I will continue to welcome reviews from bloggers, YouTubers or other lovely customers for all other products.

This is what my shelf currently looks like…

For the longest time I’ve love a strong, deep facial exfoliation, the kind you get from coarse apricot kernel scrubs.  As my skin is aging and I realize the damage these brillo type scrubs can do, I'm gravitating towards much finer, gentler scrubs. Come RICE & CLEAN by Plant Apothecary, this product was carefully chosen when we decided to sell Plant products. It got amazing reviews and was recently nominated by Refinery29 in their Beauty Innovator Awards, more details here.

One of the judges said "A pinch of this powder mixed with water creates a paste that makes your skin feel like it was frolicking with a herd of cashmere-wrapped kittens." So of course, I had to try it.

RICE & CLEAN is made with only three ingredients

• Rice Bran is the star ingredient, it contains gamma oryzanol, which studies have shown to both soften skin and protect it from UV light damage. Rice is Japan's secret to smooth, soft and clear skin. Geishas traditionally used water left over from washing rice in the bath, for soft skin.
• Organic Chamomile flowers  are soothing and anti-bacterial.
• Vitamin E keeps skin looking youthfuls.

My first thought was that this product requires a little practice…too much water and the product runs through your fingers, too little and you end up with a doughy ball.  Once you've got the perfect consistency, which is similar to baby cereal, it is amazing. 

 

So here’s how you RICE & CLEAN? take a little scoop of the powder, mix with water in the palm of your hand and apply to a wet face in circular motion. The rice bran provides a gentle scrub while the chamomile and vitamin E hydrate, soothe, and smooth!!! Then rinse, and you are left with velvety soft skin. The first time I tried, I could not keep my hands off my face!

Another way to use it, is to dip moist fingers in the jar and scrub the feathery powder on your wet face. 

Given that this is a dry product, it makes a great travel companion…Bonus!

Note: whenever I try a new product, I try it on its own to see how the actual product works and to make sure I don’t have any skin reactions from it. After rinsing RICE & CLEAN, my skin did not feel dry or tight as with other cleanser, which means that it does not overly strip your face of its natural hydration…Another bonus!!!

You should definitely try this product, I promise you will love it. It's like nothing you've ever tried.

 

À bientôt!

 

D.