I first read about these face cloths on MakeupAlley, and initially I was skeptical, but they received many rave reviews, and I have been looking for an exfoliating washcloth for a while, so I thought I’d try them out. (I couldn’t find any other cruelty-free gentle exfoliating washcloths — you would think more companies would make these, but no. They only appear to make painfully harsh exfoliating loofahs or chemical exfoliants instead.) My skin always tends to become more bumpy in the summer — especially on my forehead and forearms — and normal washcloths don’t really help with that.

According to the Body Shop website, these cloths are useful to mildly exfoliate and deep cleanse the skin, while boosting circulation. Use them daily for regular and effective deep cleansing and circulation boosting.

I bought these washcloths a few weeks ago at my local Body Shop in the face cleaning area (not the loofah/scrub brush area).  You get 3 for $9, which is kind of expensive, but I figure they’ll last a long time, so they’re a good value.  They are very thin muslin cloths about the size of a normal washcloth. You could probably make these yourself by buying a yard of muslin and cutting it out into 10″ squares and hemming the edges, but I’m not very talented with a sewing machine, so I’m much happier to just buy them pre-sewn.  I know they won’t unravel at the edges if I don’t sew them!

I’ve been using one of these cloths daily for a few weeks, and I just love it! It gently polishes away any bumps I get on my forehead and forearms, and my skin has never looked so clear or felt so smooth.  And I don’t have to use any strong chemical exfoliants that dry out my skin and then cause breakouts! It’s also really useful on my elbows and knees — I can polish off any roughness and it leaves my elbows and knees silky smooth. I’m really looking forward to traveling with one of these as well — they are very lightweight and dry almost immediately in the shower, unlike normal washcloths. The only problem I have with these face cloths is that they are made by the Body Shop, which is owned by L’Oreal, and I HATE buying anything from L’Oreal since it is evil and seriously tests on animals — so I’m taking a star off for that. However, I figure that by buying Body Shop products I am actually encouraging L’Oreal to stop testing on animals — I am, in effect, giving L’Oreal money to refrain from testing on animals — and I think that’s a very good thing for me to do. I’m rewarding L’Oreal for its good behavior! So yes, I have mixed emotions about buying stuff from the Body Shop. (The Body Shop is certified by the Coalition for Consumer Information in Cosmetics, so you can be sure anything you buy from there is 100%-animal-testing-free.)

A pack of three Body Shop Facial Muslin Cloths is available for $9.00 at your local Body Shop.

Categories : 4/5 stars, The Body Shop, cruelty free companies