Ojon’s Tawaka “The Ball” ($65.00) is a cleanser and full-body polish. Inspiration behind the product comes from a 1000 year-old cleansing ball only available in the Tawaka villages in Central America. Ojon’s version contains Savage Cacao (antioxidants), Ojon Oil (restorative), Alula Leaf Extract (anti-irritation), Passion Fruit Oil (Omega-6), Swa oil (moisturizing). Each ball takes two days to produce, and each one contains as many antioxidants as would be found in 2,834 pounds of blueberries.

Now, let me tell you what it’s like!

First, this is not a budget item, and I’m pretty Ojon isn’t trying to fool you into thinking to ditch your drugstore exfoliator and head straight for this. This is a luxury body scrub, and it shouldn’t be confused for anything less. From the packaging to the presentation, this product feels and looks like it could belong at a spa.

“The Ball” comes with a wooden bowl with a metal plate/shelf at the bottom so that you can store the product when you’re not using. I personally think this shows Ojon put some thought into the product, because how else am I going to store this in my shower? Plus, with the metal plate at the bottom, any water will just drip to the bottom. My only problem is I am running out of space to store anything, let alone a bowl, in my shower! I do find that I have to put it in the back of the shower to avoid it getting pummeled by too much water from taking a shower.

The scrub itself is easy to use, and because you have to rub the ball in circles, it gives you a mini-massage. I didn’t find it replaces human hands by any means, but it is a nice bit of early-morning stimulation that gets the blood flowing. The exfoliating bits are not too thick, large, rough, etc. – they’re pretty fine, kind of like sand. Ojon recommends using this all over your body, and then letting it stand for a few minutes for better results. I find that it does a good job exfoliating and leaving my skin soft. What I like is there isn’t any real residue – I don’t feel greasy or oily, just smooth and soft.

It’s a brown ball, so of course, when it washes away, you’ll see mud-brown coming off of you. I really am reminded of mud baths when I use this in the shower! With the cacao in this product, if you aren’t a fan of cocoa/chocolate scents… pass on this. It is a potent scent of chocolate. I can only describe it as “perfume-y chocolate.” Perhaps a sophisticated chocolate scent? The first day I unwrapped this and let it sit in my bathroom (on the sink counter), the whole bathroom smelled like it. After some uses, I don’t find I notice the scent prevailing, but maybe I’ve gotten used to it! Again, it’s not a bad scent (I like it enough), but if chocolate isn’t your bag for scents, you might find this not to your liking purely on a scent basis.

I’ve used this about ten times since I’ve gotten it, and I keep looking to see if I’ve used it up. But no, not at all. I’m not even sure I’ve made a dent in it yet! That’s good news for the price tag, because I recognize most of operate on budgets, so we want our money to stretch and last, especially on splurge items. I do consider this a splurge item for most, including myself. It doesn’t make a bad gift, either – who couldn’t use another scrub? Even on its own, it looks elegant in its wooden bowl next to the sink (hey, offer your guests luxury hands!), and since it’s scented, doubles as some potpourri. But of course, I would totally understand if you kept this closeted in your shower, all to yourself!

Find Ojon’s Tawaka “The Ball” at www.ojon.com and www.sephora.com.