I avoid body wash that doesn’t feel medicinal and gravitate towards bottles with boring packaging, no added fragrance, and drugstore pricing, and that’s worked for me. Sticking to my two hero brands — Vanicream and CeraVe — and swapping a loofah for a silicone scrubber has done wonders for my skin, decreasing the frequency of my bacne breakouts from frequent to practically nonexistent. And why fix something that’s not broken, right? I never thought I’d deviate from that exact shower routine, ever again, even if it was a bit boring.
That was until I caught a whiff of Sol de Janeiro’s Cheirosa ’62 fragrance. With notes of pistachio, vanilla, salted caramel, and sandalwood, it was love at first sniff. I was spellbound. I was a sailor and this perfume was my siren. And when I realized that the Brazilian 4 Play Moisturizing Shower Cream-Gel had the same scent, I knew the time to brave new waters had arrived.
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This cream-gel wash envelops your shower in a sweet-but-not-too-sweet aroma that lingers on the skin for hours, but what’s most impressive is the formula. It has a beautiful lather, despite its sulfate-free status, providing a squeaky clean feel that doesn’t strip your skin of natural moisture — and in a wintery world where I can see my own breath and my face feels dry after 3.7 seconds of contact with the wind, that’s imperative. Acai and coconut oils effectively brighten and hydrate while fatty-acid-fueled cupuaçu butter supports elasticity and locks in moisture; all three ingredients deliver on their promise of a super-soft complexion.
Now, for the final and most important verdict: does this product make my chest and back break out in hives, redness, rashes, pimples, etc.? The answer is an unequivocal no. I’ve been using this wash for nearly two months and my breakout count has been zilch — though I do recommend purchasing the 3.6-ounce size for $10 before committing to the full bottle. Another perk to note: the squeeze bottle ensures you can use every last drop of product, a.k.a. I was able to stretch those 3.6 ounces for nearly a month. I follow up with my normal moisturizer (Vanicream and Ancient Greek Remedy Oil when my skin is extra dry).
To summarize, the pistachio, almond, and salted caramel scent of Sol de Janeiro’s Brazilian 4 Play Moisturizing Shower Cream-Gel can best be described by the phrase “nectar of the gods” — but it’s the hydrating ingredients that keep your skin soft, supple, and breakout-free that are the real stars of the show here.
