Product review: Himalaya's Purifying Neem Scrub & Fairness Kesar Face Pack

Are you someone who likes experimenting with the products they use on their skin or hair? Or do you like me, tend to stick with brands you’ve had a positive experience with? A while ago, I got my hands on two lovely products from one of my favourite herbal beauty brands – Himalaya. They were:

• Himalaya's Purifying Neem Scrub
• Himalaya Fairness Kesar Face Pack

The products come in 100gm packs in sturdy tubes with the familiar Himalaya logo. Here is a detailed review of the efficacy, texture and fragrance of both products.

Himalaya's Purifying Neem Scrub 

I’m a huge fan of scrubs given that I have slightly oily skin. I love the way good scrubs will soften the skin along with purifying it - something that face wash doesn’t accomplish. Himalaya’s Purifying Neem Scrub smells lovely, doesn’t feel exceedingly rough and has a creamy soft consistency while washing off. The result is soft skin and a smoother complexion. The scrub blends the goodness of anti-bacterial neem and exfoliating apricot.

Efficacy: A scrub is meant to exfoliate your skin gently and leave it feeling fresher, brighter and cleaner than it was before use. Himalaya’s Purifying Neem Scrub accomplishes this with aplomb.

Efficacy rating: 5/5

Texture: The scrub is both creamy and granular, making it a delight to apply and wash off. While washing off, there is a foamy sensation so I think this scrub works as a face wash as well.

Texture rating: 5/5

Fragrance: The product smells really, really good. The fragrance of apricot dominates and dulls the bitterness of neem.

Fragrance rating: 5/5

Value for money: At Rs 130 for a 100gm tube, this product is more affordable than many others in its category and a real steal. You can get the 50gm tube for Rs 70. However, you do need a good amount of scrub for the entire face and neck.

Value for money: 5/5

All in all, I have no negatives to cite for this beautiful scrub.

Total: 5/5

Himalaya Fairness Kesar Face Pack

I don’t obsess over the colour of my skin but I certainly see the benefits of de-tanning and brightening. The Himalaya Fairness Kesar Face Pack does well on both accounts. It smells heavenly and has a thin consistency unlike the thick pastes you end up with while concocting homemade packs. So, it’s easy to apply and dries in mere minutes. Washing it off isn’t a pain either - it’s not like a stringy pack; rather it melts away from the skin, leaving you with a rosier complexion. Along with saffron, the pack contains a wealth of ingredients including turmeric, Indian aloe and walnut.

Efficacy: It’s simple – a fairness face pack should visibly lighten your skin tone immediately after use. This pack definitely does that and the fairness is a becoming glow rather than a synthetic chemical-induced bleaching.

Efficacy rating: 5/5

Texture: This is a fast-drying face pack and the texture is light and thin. Once dry, the pack is powdery rather than plasticky and comes off easily. The only issue is that the pack is difficult to squeeze out of the tube and I think I may have to cut the tube at some point.

Texture rating: 4.5/5

Fragrance: The divine perfume of saffron and walnut infuse this face pack with a mesmerising fragrance. But it’s quite faint and not at all overpowering.

Fragrance rating: 5/5

Value for money: All the Himalaya products are fairly priced and this one is no exception. At Rs 130 for a 100gm tube and Rs 70 for a 50gm tube, the pricing is extremely competitive. And you don’t need too much of the pack for a good glow so it will last a while.

Value for money: 5/5

Total: 4.8/5

There is a face wash, scrub and face pack range in both categories – purifying and fairness. So if you don’t prefer to mix and match, you can get the entire range of one kind depending on your need. If you have acne-prone skin, I suggest you go for the neem-based routine. But if you have great skin and just want to keep tan at bay, go for the fairness range. Either way, you’ll be happy with what you get – that much I guarantee.

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