St Ives Vs Aapri - Battle of the scrubs

One of the most controversial products I’ve ever reviewed in the past if probably the St Ives Apricot Scrub. This isn’t because of anything I said but because there are so many different opinions about this product, perhaps the Marmite of scrubs; you either love it or you hate it.

Having been a devout St Ives fan from day one, I’m shocked that I even bothered to try another scrub. Wait no, not just any scrub – another apricot scrub. St Ives are the biggest brand of apricot scrub by far, if you Google that in, every single link is pretty much related to St Ives apart from one small link on the side which links to a company called Aapri.

You may have seen it before in the drugstores modestly sitting on the shelf and while I don’t know about you but up until a few months ago I had not even noticed this product much. I’ve been using this product for a long while now and I can finally reveal to you what I think of the ‘Aapri skin clarifying blackhead clearing scrub’ and how it measures up against an old favourite.

Firstly let’s remind ourselves of what the St Ives scrubs are all about. Previously I had given this product a 5/5 and while a mass load of us loved it, it also had a fair share of people who hated it. St Ives has three types of ‘apricot scrubs’ including ‘blemish fighting’, ‘gentle’ and ‘invigorating. I adore all of them and I use the gentle daily and the others alternately once or twice a week. These scrubs help make skin brighter, cleaner, clearer and softer and the best part is that the product is that its easy to come by and is at drugstore price. Let’s not forget that these scrubs are also award winning too – so surely there is no point looking for an alternative?
Some have complained to me that St Ives scrubs can be too abrasive (excluding the ‘gentle’ type). The abrasive material used in the scrub can sometimes irritate sensitive skin and while it gives others a good polish, others have said it rubbed their face raw. It’s also been said that these scrubs can make microscopic cuts into the face and cause infections and blemishes. With this said it’s always been known not to force scrub your face and you shouldn’t exfoliate blemished areas but some are adamant that this scrub works against them. However they are still looking for a scrub that doesn’t dry out their skin, has enough abrasive ingredients to give an exfoliating scrub but not remove their skin.

Perhaps their answer will be the scrubs from Aapri. I’ve personally only used their ‘Blackhead clearing scrub’ so this review and comparison is only based on my experience with one Aapri scrub and all three St Ives scrubs.

Aapri Clarifying Blackhead scrub is of creamy consistency yet it has similar gritty ingredients as the St Ives invigorating. However what may actually make this scrub slightly more appealing is that it contains less exfoliating particles therefore it won’t be too harsh on the skin.

Here is my review for the Aapri Clarifying Blackhead scrub

The Low Down
I’ve already gone through pretty much the profile of the product and really what is there to say about a facial scrub?

But I want to draw your attention at the pictures below and just compare the scrubs by consistency, smell and texture. Aapri definitely is creamier and lighter and looks a lot less intimidating. It has a lighter fragrance and in many ways due to the packaging and feel, it’s a lot more pleasant to use.

St Ives 'Invigorating' apricot scrub , Aapri Clarifying Blackhead scrub, St Ives Gentle Apricot Scrub

And what do they claim?

“SKIN CLARIFYING
blackhead clearing scrub

Suitable for all skin types

Removes those unsightly blackheads.

Aapri blackhead clearing scrub not only clears away the blackheads you have now, but also helps to prevent any future ones appearing.

Helps to unblock pores, and refreshes skin, so with regular use your skin will be healthier-looking and less prone to spots.

Fantastic results from the first application:

Visibly clearer and smoother skin
Irregularities and blemishes smoothed
Radiant skin and a healthy glow
Skin less prone to future spot and blemish breakouts”

- Aapri website

How you can use the product
As with my usual routine I will wet my face in warm water to open up the pores, then I apply a small amount on my finger tips and work in a circular motion on my face for about two minutes, making sure I avoid the eye area and work gently.

Then I will rinse my face with warm and cool water, pat off with a towel and continue with my facial routine.

How did it work for Cherry?
I would probably say that this scrub makes me feel very safe. Why? Sometimes when I used St Ives Invigorating, depending on the mood of my skin, it would give me a minor dry irritation and yes sometimes if I had sensitive skin it did feel a bit too much. But this is precisely why I use the ‘Gentle’ version daily and this has always agreed with me. Aapri gives me the same feeling as the St Ives Gentle scrub but the only difference is that St Ives comes in a bigger bottle with more product in the bottle. My skin feels smooth after applying Aapri and what I do like is that my skin does look brighter afterwards.

And much will this cost?
While I can’t seem to find it at either Superdrug’s or Boot’s website, I know I purchased this from Boots. I know it’s not expensive and was around £5 – a good competing price for St Ives.

Cherry’s final verdict?

As I am comparing the two products I do have to say this; St Ives bottles come in 150ml while the Aapri I believe is a 75ml bottle. Therefore the Aapri scrub is a lot more expensive for the amount of product you’re buying. However I have to say that my skin seems to love Aapri and it never dries out when using it. Also a little does go a long way with this product and it has lasted me for over three months.

The question is, would I choose Aapri over St Ives Gentle? The answer is, probably not – not because I dislike the product but because of the product size and amount. If St Ives discontinued the Gentle scrub from their range I would use the Aapri blackhead scrub daily and still continue to use the St Ives Invigorating once or twice a week.

I might say that I prefer the exfoliating particles in the Aapri scrub over the St Ives spherical beads; this may also be the deciding point for you too. I would choose the Aapri if you do not like scrubbing beads and if you through the St Ives Invigorating was too harsh. Aapri is the happy medium between the too harsh and the too gentle. We may have found something just for you.

I would give this product a 4/5