Sol de Janiero – Coco Cabana (Cream)

Online Description:

What it is:

A coconut-sugar-infused oil-in-water gel-cream that transforms dry, dehydrated skin into luscious, bouncy skin, providing up to 72 hours of moisture—drenched in deepest hydration, this is you go-to for super dry skin.

Skin Type:

Dry

Skincare Concerns:

Dryness, Redness, and Dullness and Uneven Texture

Formulation:

Rich Cream

Fragrance Family:

Warm & Spicy

Scent Type:

Warm & Sweet Gourmand

Highlighted Ingredients:
– Fermented Sugar: a natural humectant; draws moisture from the air and when applied to skin, our bodies just drink it in; purified for deeper concentration and richer in body-loving nutrients.
– Coconut Oil: Melts deliciously into the skin to soften, condition, nourish, and moisturize.
– Cupuaçu Butter: Helps to lock in moisture and restore skin’s elasticity.

Ingredient Callouts:

Free of sulfates SLS and SLES, parabens, formaldehydes, formaldehyde-releasing agents, phthalates, mineral oil, retinyl palmitate, oxybenzone, coal tar, hydroquinone, triclosan, and triclocarban. This product is also vegan and cruelty-free, and uses recyclable packaging.

What Else You Need to Know:

This intensely hydrating blend absorbs gradually to drench your skin with the deepest, most delicious benefits. The go-to for super dry skin. In Brazil, people give their bodies the same love and attention their faces—if not more. Sol De Janiero’s Coco Cabana Cream is enriched with a coconut-sugar blend of fermented sugar and coconut oil—a skin-transforming moisture magnet that draws, holds, and hugs moisture close for dewy, touchable skin. This intensely hydrating blend absorbs gradually to deliver maximum moisture and the most delicious benefits. You can’t rush the body love—and this is body love at its best. The more often you use it, the more complete and longer lasting the hydration. It comes in a coco-luscious scent for the sweetest temptation.

Suggested Usage:
-Apply generously to the body with love.
-The more often you use, the deeper the benefits and the longer lasting hydration.

My Thoughts:

I received this product through my Boxycharm subscription as a mini-size and I was pretty bummed about that since the last Sol de Janeiro product they sent was the travel size, yet the company promises full-size products when you sign up for the subscription. When I first opened this, I was worried I was having a stroke, but after reading other reviews, I found that I’m not the only person who thought this smelled like popcorn, and not coconut. I know it may seem weird, but the savory smell is one of the main reasons I really love this product. That probably makes me sound like such a creepy foodie, but this smells so delectable, I want to use it forever! I think once we pass a certain age, we embrace whatever makes us weird, and I am completely content with accepting that wanting to smell like this delicious popcorn-cream makes me weird.

If that wasn’t an easy assumption that this is something I’ll be shopping for once I’m out, let me break down why this cream is so awesome:

Performance/Wear:                                  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★/5

So, yes, it does have a unique smell, and I understand that may be a deal-breaker for some, but there are people like me who are completely in love with the scent and will continue to purchase this until the company stops making it. Aside from the yummy scent, the formula itself works wonders. I have pretty dry skin and I usually have to reapply lotion throughout the day on my hands and forearms because of consistent hand-washing or because a product I’m trying isn’t working hard enough and leaves my skin dry and itchy. That repetitive chore is no longer an issue with this cream and it feels so breathable on my skin, too! One way I test out products is how they hold up during and after exercise. Most products leave my skin feeling suffocated and like they product just sits on my skin, and then will coagulate with my sweat and pill off. Yeah, it is as gross as it sounds. Luckily, I don’t have to deal with that mess with this cream. Yes, I still shower after working out, but I don’t have the worry about my clothes or car getting all gross before I can get home to shower it off.

With many thick, rich creams, spread-ability becomes a major issue. It is as if those products glue themselves to the first section of skin you apply it to and you have to tug at your skin to spread it around. You guessed it, not an issue with this cream. It not only is super rich and luxurious, but its so easy to spread and gentle on my skin. Heads up, this next part might be a bit TMI, but it’s relevant for plenty of consumers. For busty girls, this cream is a dream! Yes, you’ll still get the dreaded boob-sweat, there’s just no way around that, but when it mixes with the product, it doesn’t create a gross smell nor, does it create itchiness that other lotions and creams have for me. I’m not sure if that’s a common thing for other busty girls, but my chest gets so frustratingly itchy after exercise with most other moisturizers, and maybe it’s just a combination of having sensitive and dry skin, but this product works well in that department as well. As far as the smell, we all create an odor when we sweat, that feature does not discriminate, but somehow this scent is not only reactivated, in a sense, but overpowers the sweat smell so I don’t have to worry about offending anyone’s nose when I work out. The scent itself stays light and lingers all day, but it intensifies when pores are opened and I sweat. A common trick used for busty girls when exercising is just applying deodorant in between to prevent chaffing and intense sweating that can ruin clothes, depending how hard your workout is. There’s no need for that here, which I’m all for because using that deodorant trick bugs me because it breaks my skin out since deodorant kind of prevents our skin from “breathing” and when you sweat, your body is trying to get rid of toxins that the deodorant is kind of sealing in.

My only wish is that the company creates a version of this with SPF, while still retaining this scent and not have the smell of sunscreen in it. Living in Southern California, the sun is out 95% of the year, so sun protection is a MUST. I feel like I waste this product when I have to wear sunscreen over it and the sunscreen masks the scent that I love so much. The moisturizing benefits are still there, if course, but the scent is a huge reason why I would buy this over other products that cost the same with different scents. I’ve seen a lot of reviews where people complain that this creates a sticky or tacky feel after application, and although it initially does, that fades within a minute of application. Then again, that may depend on your skin type, considering this was designed for dry skin. So, if you want to use this and you have oily or combination skin, take it with a grain of salt that there will probably be a longer absorption time for you, vs people like me who have Spongebob skin when he went to visit Sandy in her dome. That may be too old of a reference for some of you, but if you Google the reference, you won’t need to watch the show to understand what I mean.

Long term, the benefits are great as well. Not only is this a great moisturizer in general, but after a week of consistent use, I notice a drastic decrease in the visibility of stretch marks, fine lines, the dreaded chest crease, and the overall ashy-ness of my skin. Yes, I get ashy and when that happens, I also get itchy, so I look red after the itching, but because I’m so pale, you can’t really see when I’m ashy unless you’re up close. All my curvy girls know the struggle of stretch marks and this cream answers that call. I know results are going to vary, because the more color you have in your complexion, the more noticeable they’ll be and how long the stretch marks have been there, also comes into play. My stretch marks are noticeable in certain lighting and when I use self-tanner, so it’s nice to be able to pair this up with a self-tanner and feel confident that my legs aren’t going to look like some dusty spider web. The best feature by far is that this product seems to work throughout the day. I can apply this first thing in the morning and my skin will still be soft and smooth when I’m getting unready at the end of the day. Also, that comes along with certain circumstances. I live in a climate that doesn’t ever go over mid-90s, and isn’t ever humid. For people who live in hotter or more humid climates, those results will vary, but just make sure you hold on to the receipt so you can return it if it doesn’t work out for you. Sephora is usually my go-to store for luxury products, but I can understand that not everyone is close to a Sephora (and for that, I genuinely feel for you, because Sephora is one of my upmost happy places and I wish everyone could feel the joy that Sephora brings me and so many others), so online may be your only option. But for those who do have a Sephora near you, you can actually go into the store and ask for a sample so you can try out the product before you buy it to make sure it works to your expectations and that its safe for your skin (i.e. Allergies).

Packaging:                                                  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★/5

I LOOOOOOVVVVEEE that it comes in ta jar. Nothing is more annoying about products for me than poor packaging and I think squeeze-tube packaging is THE WORST. It may be the most sensible for production lines, but it isn’t convenient to use for those of us with hand and wrist issues. They took out the work of me having to move it to a different container and already present it in this uniquely-shaped jar. There is no peel-back film on this product when I twist off the lid, like there is on the Bum Bum Cream of theirs that I previously tried, but there is a protective, plastic cap that works so much better.

The jar itself is pretty thick and sturdy so it gives the illusion that there is more product inside that there really is, but I’d rather have a sturdy casing with a little less product, than cheap casing that will cause more product to leak or be wasted somehow. I like that the lettering on the lid of the jar is lightly protruding so it gives it a subtle, yet trendy vibe to it, which enhances the beach vibes that this product intends. What’s funny is this mini size product is only 2.5 oz, which is under the TSA travel requirements, which make this great for travel, yet there is still plenty of product in it that makes it feel like more than a mini version. The only concern you may have when traveling with this product is that the dogs may linger around your bag because the cream smells so delicious. I’m only kidding! Those dogs are very well-trained and know their stuff. Just remember to still put this product in a bag so that way in the off-chance that the lid does twist off, because we all know how abusive TSA agents are with our bags, you can still salvage the product and not have other items in your bag ruined.

Another big plus for me is that the product ingredients are on the product itself, not just the box or the online description. I didn’t receive this in a box, so I’m not sure if it’s sold in one, but that isn’t how they sent it to me. Less waste, in my opinion, so I’m not bothered by it at all. I enjoy having the ingredients on the product itself because its an easy reference if I’m trying to compare products with something else and figure out what is it in that will react the same. I don’t know about y’all, but I’m always looking for a good deal, so if I come across something that is identical to another, but costs a fraction of the price, you better believe I’ll be the first one pouncing on it to purchase.

Price:                                                           ★ ★ ★ ★ ★/5

So for around $5.50 per ounce, I can see how the price seems steep for product you could buy at a drugstore at a fraction of the price, but hear me out. There is a reason the saying “Quality Over Quantity” is still so commonly used, and simply, it’s because it remains relevant. We see it every day, especially with our food. When you want healthy, non-GMO food, it costs more than the food that has had pesticides and unsafe fertilizers used on the land. The same thing applies everywhere, from cars, homes, personal care items, you name it. I’m sure you’ve also heard that your body is a temple, and that also remains relevant because it is the only thing you carry with you throughout your entire life. So, you need to care for it as best as you can. Money and products can be replaced, you cannot. I know I sound all righteous at the moment, but that’s not my intention. I’m just trying to explain that this, along with other products that help you better take care of you are worth the investment. You can pinch pennies your whole life, and end up with a broken body that you’re unhappy with for one reason or another, or you can invest in yourself, because you’re the only one who is obligated to. This product is pricey, but your skin will thank you for it, and once you start seeing the results, you’ll be glad you invested in yourself, as well.

Ingredients:

Coco Cabana Body Cream is made with delicious gourmand fragrance notes that love to mingle. As they do, a slight color change may take place over time. Like all gourmand fragrances, color and scent may deepen and we wouldn’t dream of using additives that alter this experience. This is body love at its fullest.

Water, Propanediol (Fermented Sugar/Sucre fermenté), Dodecane, Parfum (Fragrance), Saccharide Isomerate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut/Noix de Coco) Oil, Theobroma Grandiflorum (Cupuaçu) Seed Butter, Euterpe Oleracea (Açaí/Açaï) Fruit Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Sodium Phytate, Bisabolol, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger/Gingembre) Root Extract, Sodium Carboxymethyl Beta-Glucan, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzyl Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide.

Pros:

• Delicious popcorn scent (your preference may consider this a con)
• Jar packaging
• Sturdy packaging
• Plastic cap for leak-proof protection
• Sizes available for travel
• Packaging can be repurposed
• Doesn’t leave residue feeling behind
• Absorbs quickly
• Works all day, no need to reapply
• Skin feels breathable, yet moisturized
• Minimizes look of stretch marks
• Minimizes look of chest crease (normally a busty girl problem)
• Spreads easily
• Doesn’t create bad reaction with sweat after exercise

Cons:

• None, this stuff is seriously amazing!

Texture:                                        Cream

Scent:                                            Popcorn

Recommend?                               Yes

Repurchase?                                 Yes

Retail:                                            $45.00

Size:                                               8.1 oz.

Want to try this for yourself?

• Sol de Janiero *
• JCPenney

I’d love to hear about your experience with this in the comments!! 😊

(*) = Affiliate Link – I make a commission off purchases made from following the link.