Obiqo is a line of skincare products made in New Zealand and formulated for women over 30 with normal-to-dry skin. I definitely fall into the latter category, and I prefer skincare products that incorporate natural ingredients, so Obiqo—with its New Zealand sea kelp and various botanical oils and extracts—checks all the boxes for me.

The official description for Obiqo’s Gentle Face Scrub reads, “Natural jojoba beads gently polish away dead skin cells to reveal your complexion’s natural radiance. Sweet almond oil and apricot oil massage skin, while nutrient rich sea kelp and sea lavender provide an antioxidant boost.” I prefer physical exfoliants (ones that use particles to slough off dead skin cells) to chemical exfoliants (alpha- and beta-hydroxy acids, etc.), especially since my skin reacts terribly to the latter type.

Obiqo’s scrub, which squeezes out of a flip-top tube, is a creamy white paste. Its particles are so small that I can’t see them and I can barely feel them at the touch of a fingertip. It’s only when I start spreading a small amount of this product to my face and carefully massaging it into my skin that I can feel the actual scrubbiness of this scrub; it’s such a fine, yet effective exfoliant that it feels like a home version of micro-dermabrasion. Lastly, this product has a light, pleasant scent like cucumbers and lavender.

At this time of year, when the humidity and the temperature are dropping fast, I only exfoliate once a week. I’ve been adding Obiqo to my Sunday-night regimen, following it with my usual cleanser (to make sure that all my makeup has been removed) and then applying my usual serum and moisturizer. I wake up on Monday morning with smooth skin and no irritation or redness. It’s a good feeling.

I’ve tried many facial scrubs in the past, but I’ve found many of them to be too scratchy for my complexion (in which case they are relegated to the shower for elbows, etc.). Obiqo’s Gentle Face Scrub really feels designed for dry skin, as long as you use a light touch—which you should do with any facial scrub, regardless!

Here’s the complete ingredients list: Water, caprylic/capric triglyceride, sweet almond oil, hydrogenated jojoba oil, glycerol stearate, glycerine, cetearyl alcohol, aloe vera extract, apricot oil, sodium stearoyl glutamate, phenoxyethanol (and) ethylhexylglycerin, hydrolysed sea lavender, kelp extract, wheatgerm oil, comphrey extract, fragrance.

A 2.5 ounce tube of Obiqo Gentle Face Scrub sells for $13.99 at Shopping MOA, where the coupon code 3QJ8LTV2 will give you an additional 20% off a purchase of 3 or more items (through the end of 2013).

Product source: I received a this product as a press sample for review consideration.
Bottom image: Woman drying her face, 1959, via Corbis.