Scrubs, body butters, and beautiful bar soaps make my brain go fuzzy and any semblance of rational thoughts about what I already have at home quickly fades to gray and I get all giddy inside. Have you been to Sabon? This is the kind of place where such a stupor can occur if you’re anything like me around said body products, especially when this tempting haven for all things body and bath has a new organic line.
It’s not like I didn’t have enough to tempt me while I was in New York this summer (read here and here if you’re curious about what else what I discovered). But there were, and are, plenty of opportunites to stumble across a Sabon boutique when you’re walking the streets of NYC as there are seven locations in Manhattan, as well as one in Garden City, NY (shout out to Roosevelt Field Mall!), one in Boston, and two in Chicago. If you’re not close to one of those cities, no worries, you have access to all of their products via their website.
My two favorites from the Organic Skincare line are the Organic Butter Cream and the Organic Body Scrub. These are made from 98.86% and 100% natural ingredients respectively, and both contain ingredients certified by ECOCERT. The Organic Butter Cream is thick, whipped, creamy perfection. It comes beautifully presented in a glass jar, with elegant wood and curlicues as a background design on the label. A little bird and flower illustrations are extra flourishes, and these things matter, especially when you might be considering them as gifts.Β More importantly though, it effectively moisturizes while not being greasy in the slightest. This is amazing considering it contains shea butter, olive, macadamia, and jojoba oils. It absorbed into my skin immediately, and left a light yet noticeable fragrance of delicate flowers dipped in melted beeswax. The scent wears close to the skin, making it perfect for the office or totally not for the office if you know what I mean.
Moving on to the Organic Body Scrub. If you’ve never stepped into a Sabon boutique, you’ve missed out on a big part of their marketing plan. Dark wood, product lined shelves entice you into the back of their store where a rustic basin awaits, along with a sales associate to massage your tired and weary hands with one of their scrubs. I went for the organic one. It’s lovely. Again, like the Organic Butter Cream, the presentation is perfect; weighty glass jar with silver top, label expertly embellished with dainty flowers and vintage motifs. The scrub itself is utilitarian meets luxury. It gets the job done of exfoliating (you might want to go easy on sensitive skin), and in the process, leaves your skin baby smooth. That’s the first time I’ve used baby smooth on this blog. It’s so over used in advertising isn’t it? But seriously, most apropos in this scrub situation. Sabon’s Organic Body Scrub smells just like the Organic Body Cream, but lighter on both the floral and honeyed notes.
There are other natural offerings at Sabon, without the organic ingredients, but you have to be a bit of a sleuth to find them. Unfortunately the website does not list the ingredients under the individual products, something customer service has informed me they are considering, and I certainly hope they follow through. They use some synthetics and petrochemicals, including aromachemicals, so read the labels if you’re at the store, or contact customer service and they will write you back with the list of ingredients if you prefer to avoid those ingredients.
Aside from the Organic Body Cream and Scrub, Sabon’s Body Butters were my prized find. They are made with essentials oils, shea butter, coconut oil, cocoa butter, and beeswax. I preferredΒ Vanilla Coconut as it is a delectable little brick of moisturizing goodness. One swipe of my finger across the top of the butter bar is more than enough to hydrate my hands and upper arms, and plenty to scent my skin for the entire day. Was there some mention that I didn’t like musk? Did I say that? I need to retract that from my previous posts because Vanilla Coconut Body Butter is definitely on the musky side, and I love it! I don’t know what essential oils they have used to create a white musk/clean musk softness (I’m taking customer service’s word here that there are no synthetics in the body butter), but musk is definitely present to my nose. And major props to Sabon for getting the vanilla coconut blend just right. The coconut avoids that weird plastic accord that plagues many other coconut scents and the vanilla never becomes foody or too sweet. Surprisingly, it works just as well in cooler weather as it does in summer’s heat. It’s cozy and comforting. A “let’s snuggle up” kind of scent.
I’d love to share samples of my discoveries, so leave a comment and I’ll enter you in the giveaway to try samples from my Organic Butter Cream, and Vanilla Coconut Body Butter as well as samples from the store that I have not used; Organic Face Serum, Organic Hand Cream and Organic Eye Lifting Serum. I’ll take comments for a few days and let you know who the winner is at the beginning of next week. The winner is Katy!
Posted by ~Trish
These sound good Trish…please enter me in the drawing. I think there used to be a Sabon in Brentwood, CA but it closed so sadly I can’t plan to go there when I visit family. You must have had a blast in NY!
NY was fun, a mix of family on Long Island and fun scent scouting in the city.
Too bad about that Sabon closing, it’s always sad to see that happen. Will enter you in the drawing of course!
~T
I would love to try some samples!
Excellent! You’re in the drawing lucky girl π
~T
This post makes me want to immediately jump on a plane to Sabon! Please enter me!
Dabney
If you really want to go to their home base, fly to Israel π They are an Israeli company and use Dead Sea salts in their scrubs!
~T
Thanks for scoping out the more natural/organic products in the Sabon line. I like their rustic countryside aesthetic. I’ve been lured in for the hand scrub treatment before, and it was nice, but I still found the synthetic fragrances too overwhelming. I’ll have to give them another chance with the essential-oil-fragranced stuff. No need to enter me for samples — I have a local store to check them out at — save the samples for someone else.
OK, but let me know if you change your mind!
~T
Trish~I’m not trying to cheat & get entered twice π but I wanted to know if you tried out their organic face cream & what your thoughts were. I’m on the hunt for a good, preferably natural, anti-aging face cream for the day. I feel like I’ve almost tried them all! Thanks!
Joy, I didn’t try that one. The body cream and scrub are the only ones from the organic line I have tried (I bought the full-size). I wanted to save the samples I got for a lucky reader.
I know many over at MUA have been pleased with MyChelle’s anti-aging line.
~T
site looks great. you’ve put a lot of hard work into it!
so far i really enjoy the john masters line.
here’s to smellin’ good!!!
-k
Thanks Kates,
Have you tried the John Masters neroli detangler? It is awesome. Holy grail conditioner, for real.
Good luck in the drawing sistah π
~T
PS: Your site is lookin’ killer!!
i love viewing your site at the end of a long day… feel refreshed just reading it… i’ve been to Sabon in NYC many times– after a long subway ride ( they used to have a shop right near 72nd street). it was the perfect place to “pop”into for a feast of the senses and for a great hand scrub! thanks for bringing back that memory for me. please enter me in the drawing for some samples.
JBE
J,
I had a feeling you were fully aware of Sabon. I’m sure we’ve even been there together back in the day!
Thanks for reading and best of luck in the drawing π
~T
i just stumbled across your site through the sabon update on facebook… love your site! and, i LOVE, LOVE LOVE sabon… can i stress that any more? (not trying to talk you into giving me the samples by the way) i fell upon my first sabon store in boston, ma… really had no intentions in buying anything but, of course that wash basin and hand scrub won both myself AND my husband over! these products are really the best i’ve ever used π i get to visit sabon about twice a year (not really close to one… so sad, i know) and always leave with something… i’ll be in NYC next week though! so excited! sabon, here we come! π
June,
Thanks for stopping by! You are automatically entered into the drawing for the samples just by leaving a comment π
Enjoy your time in NYC and good luck in the drawing!!
Best,
~T
I have never been to Sabon, but my husband just went to NYC and brought me some night and eye cream. Love Them!!! I am ordering their lavender and rose hand cream right now from them…I really want to try it all. Sure wish we had one here in Florida. Doug said it was the best scent in the world in there…He said it was my dream come true!
Just peeked at your blog π You would indeed love it….country cottage chic Sabon is!!
How lovely that your husband is so thoughtful to pick out goodies like that for you. What a sweetie π
Good luck in the samples drawing!
~T
Please enter me as well, if it’s not too late! Thanks. I can always use some moisturizing goodness but especially as the seasons change.
Not too late! Just in time in fact π
Will post the winner shortly.
~T
Sabon is not as natural as they would like you to believe. First of all they do not list their ingredients which is quite fishy for a company that claims to be natural and organic.
I’m sure you are correct, it’s never a good sign when ingredients aren’t listed on the website. The items I reviewed here are all natural though, except the butter cream which is 98% all natural.