Philosophy Kiss Me Exfoliating Lip Scrub Review, Photos
Gentle Lip Exfoliator: Philosophy Kiss Me
Philosophy Kiss Me Exfoliating Lip Scrub
($15.00 for 0.5 oz.) is a very thin, sugar-based scrub with a strong peppermint scent (and the tingle that comes from it).
This works when it works, but it needs to be stored with the cap facing upwards, and you might have to squeeze the tube around. The oils separate quite a bit from the rest of the product, which means you’ll end up squeezing out mostly oil and very little sugar–rendering it way less effective as a scrub. The sugar crystals are incredibly fine, so if you have sensitive lips, this might be an option for a lip exfoliator as compared to more traditional sugar scrubs, which definitely have thicker, grittier crystals.
The peppermint oil in it is the most noticeable scent of the product, and it also makes lips tingle–but it’s not a painful tingle, just a sort of minty-fresh tingle. I find that it doesn’t taste so hot, and I think it might be due to the peppermint oil (I’ve never found any lip product that has peppermint oil in it to taste good!), so I usually rinse it off rather than simply blot with a tissue or paper towel (as recommended).
I think this product needs a better delivery system, because the existing packaging is too finicky and prone to providing less-than-stellar results. I can imagine people purchasing this, squeezing out a bunch of oil, and being utterly confused as to why this is called a lip exfoliator. Even though the packaging disappoints, the product is decent and the price tag makes it affordable.
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- Product: 25/30
- Value: 8/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 2/5
Recommendation: If you’re willing to work with the squeeze tube a bit, you might get a nice, gentle exfoliator out of this product. It’s particularly nice for those who find traditional sugar scrubs too thick/gritty for their lips.
Availability: Sephora
Christine – How do you exfoliate your lips? Have you found a product you love or do you use the toothbrush method?
Hey Dusty,
I use Sara Happ’s Lip Scrub. Prior to that, I loved Peter Thomas Roth’s Lip Kit (it had a clay lip dealie, a lemon-y sugar scrub, and the most amazingggg balm), which doesn’t seem to exist any more. I’m too lazy to make my own, because it’s more on an as-used basis vs. having a lip scrub already ready to go, so I can use it whenever I need to–plus, seeing it on my counter reminds me, “HEY! USE ME!”
I’ve always found the toothbrush and washcloth method too rough for me – like they both seemed to redden and plump up my lips in a more “thanks for irritating me” kind of way. It takes me eons to finish a lip scrub, so $20 for something I’ll use and will last me a year or longer (with a clean spatula!) is totally worth it. I also like that you can either rinse or blot it off with a tissue, so some of the more moisturizing base lingers and doesn’t leave my lips parched either.
Thanks! I will check out the Sara Happ one, they look cute 🙂 I have tried the washcloth and the toothbrush method and found the same thing you did – That they just irritated my lips and left them feeling scratched up and dry.
So appart from a good snogging session – (Which I find to be the KEY to soft lips – LOL!) I’ll give these a shot and see how they work 🙂 Thanks again! Hope you’re enjoying the weekend! I’m off to pick up a HUGE bag of dog food and enjoy not having to dump it in the passenger seat 😛
Haha, love it! Yes, strange what works, right? 😉 Ah, well, way more fun than a lip scrub.
Happy to hear you’re enjoying your new car — hope your back is getting a bit better!
Yes, the oil/sugar separation is ANNOYING! Such a waste when I’m squeezing out and wiping oil away with a tissue trying to get something out that will scrub!
If you store it with the cap facing up and squeeze it around before you open it up, it seems to make it better — I also noticed that the more I used it, the better i got — like at first, I was totally confused as to what this product was supposed to do!
Does this really do the job that much better than brown sugar, or even a toothbrush?
This lip scrub? No, not really, but the crystals in this are so much finer than the sugar in my cupboard. I personally use Sara Happy’s Lip Scrub on the regular. I find a toothbrush to be a little too irritating on my lips, though sugar seems fine (I think it might be that it’s always sugar + some other base, so it glides better).
I’m sorry, but why bother buying things like this when you can make your own at home, or just use a wet towel?
Personally, I’d rather have a lip scrub that’s pre-made for me — I feel more confident in a brand’s formula than me making my own (which is why I’m not much of a DIYer), and it saves me the time from making my own. Not everyone wants to buy a lip scrub, but there are certainly those who would prefer to purchase it rather than make it.
I totally agree with you. I don’t know why they insist on adding irritating ingredients like peppermint oil! It tastes bad, and it’s not even good for you! Is it meant to be an irritating plumper too? Because it’s just going to make raw lips flare up! And this is especially bad, because you’re in the process of scraping your lips anyway, so why add an irritant? I understand people have a built-in misconception that “minty” = fresh and healthy, but straight up peppermint oil is just going to hurt and taste awful!
Peppermint oil is actually one of those oils that’s generally non-irritating to the skin. It’s moisturizing and can reduce redness and can be used as an “anti-itch” oil. It IS irritating to the body’s mucous membranes so you shouldn’t use it around your eyes and… Don’t put it in a bath with you 😉
You’ll often find it most used (topically) for it’s cooling properties though… For sore muscles, etc. Internally it’s great for the digestive system and I know some people that use it in aromatherapy for mild depression and fatigue.
Wow. That was probably more than you wanted to know, huh? LOL! Most essential oils don’t taste super-cool (because they are so concentrated), but yes, as a skin irritant, this is one of the more mild oils you can find.
I bought a C.O. Bigelow sugar/peppermint lip scrub from Bath and Body Works, like 10 dollars cheaper than the Philosophy one… I personally like using gentle face scrubs better than lip scrubs, I find them to be too sticky, or they have that Vaseline feel, and it’s hard for me to remove that feeling.
I really need to find a great product to exfoliate my lips. I have the worst chapped lips.
Just reading the description to this reminds me of my Smashbox lip scrub! At first use oil came out.