Wardah is an Indonesian cosmetics and skin care brand that touts itself to be halal and safe. I’ve known about this brand for quite some time, and I’ve even toyed with some of their products at the counter, but it’s not until my favorite salon uses this line as their default facial and body treatment, that I was interested in trying them out. So when I was passing by and saw a 20% off sign at a Wardah counter, I could not resist picking up a few pieces to try.
The items I came home with were the Olive Soft Scrub, Lip Palette and Pure Olive Oil. Below is my review for the scrub and olive oil; the lip palette I’ll cover later (complete with swatches!).
Olive Soft Scrub
The Olive Soft Scrub tub is BIG. Below you’ll see a comparison with the Herborist scrub discussed previously, 240 gr vs 100 gr. The volume is reflected by the price though, Rp 24,000 (versus around Rp 8,000 – Rp9.000 for the Herborist scrubs).
But here’s the deal, I like Wardah’s scrub much more than previous local brands I’ve tried, for several reasons. First, the grit is just the right size and texture (note, I prefer my scrubs to hurt a little).
Second, no annoying fragrance! There is some scent but not overpowering and does not last (compared to the strong smells of the Herborist and Sekar Jagad scrubs). Third, a little goes a looong way! I was quite surprised that I probably needed only one small tablespoon of scrub for my whole body! (And those who know me, know that there is a lot of ground to cover :p). Fourth, it’s moisturizing. After using this scrub, I didn’t feel I needed to slap on moisturier (although I do anyway, out of habit).
Overall, the Olive Soft Scrub is a 5-star product that I’ll definitely be buying again. I’ve also tried it as a lip scrub and as a foot scrub, and it works great. One of our Female Daily Forum members have even used it as a facial scrub, to much success.
Pure Olive Oil
The Pure Olive Oil is prescribed for the face. Wardah also has Olive Oil for Message housed in the same cute green bottle but larger sized.
As you can see, it’s pretty pure, containing just olive oil, butylated hydroxytoluene (a kind of preservative) and some fragrance. Sorry for the blurry picture, but I just want to show the very short ingredient list. The Wardah beauty advisor became quite alarmed when I tried to peel the bottom label (to reveal the ingredients), even though it clearly showed an arrow as direction to peel/turn over the label. They were surprised when I showed them the list, ha!
Anyway, the tube has a small opening on top that dispenses just the right amount of oil, so it’s very easy to use (as opposed to the virgin olive oil bottles designed for use in the kitchen, which if you’re not careful can tip over and drench your feet).
The oil is transparent in color, and is absorbed quickly into the skin. There is a light, floral fragrance that quickly disappears.
Now you see it….
…now you don’t.
I’ve tried it as a cleanser, to take makeup off my face. It doesn’t work well for this purpose, I think the oil is absorbed to quickly by the skin before it had a chance to lift the makeup. Then I tried is as a night cream, and it works fine as a moisturizer. But I really much prefer using a dedicated night cream, with the anti-aging, anti-oxidant blablabla properties, if only to make me feel better lol. So, I’ve ended up using this oil on my neck, mixed with Burt’s Bees Repair Serum (which is essentially oil in a bottle). Call me in … err 10 years to see how the neck is doing 😀 For Rp17,000, I think this is good stuff; I just need to explore a bit more to see what else I can use it for. I think my hair will be the next target.
Overall, great products and a good introduction to Wardah. I’ll be looking forward to trying more from this brand.
Note: Wardah is sold at local department store chains, supermarkets, and at cosmetic shops in the traditional markets. I’ve also seen it being sold online by resellers. I bought mine at a neighborhood supermarket.
