Finder Beauty Fave: Sand & Sky Australian Emu Apple Enzyme Powder Polish

If the cooler weather has your skin looking dry and dull, this gentle exfoliant is here to help.

When your skin is both dry and sensitive, finding a good exfoliant can be a bit of a nightmare. While most of my friends can't get enough of chemical peels and AHAs, I and my overly-sensitive skin have learned the hard way to steer well clear.

Which is why, when A-Beauty brand Sand & Sky this week announced the arrival of an Enzyme Powder Polish, I had to give it a go. Potent, yet non-abrasive, enzyme-based exfoliants are a much friendlier alternative for those of us with easily irritated skin.

Now that the cooler weather has hit too, I've been in desperate need of something that will slew away dead skin without giving me a rash. Luckily for me, Sand & Sky did not let me down.

First impressions

As with all of Sand & Sky's products, the packaging for the Enzyme Powder Polish is super user-friendly. Featuring a screw on lid and a coverable hole to prevent spillage, it's easy enough to pop in your cosmetics bag and take with you wherever you go.

It's also incredibly easy to use and is much less time consuming than the brand's Australian Pink Clay Porefining Face Mask, making it really simple to incorporate into your skincare routine.

Once you've cleansed your skin, all you need to do is pour half a spoonful of powder into the palm of your hands, add a few drops of water and rub your hands together to create a foam. From there, massage onto your face and neck for around 15 seconds and rinse off.

Alternatively, you can switch out the water for 6-7 drops of Sand & Sky's Australian Emu Apple Dreamy Glow Drops to add an extra hit of hydration.

As soon as you apply it to the skin, the foam dries down in a similar way to the Pink Clay Mask, though unlike the Clay Mask, it becomes near invisible. While this makes it much less Instagram-friendly than the Clay Mask (I tried to take a photo – it didn't work), it does mean that it's a lot easier to wash off.

The first thing you'll notice upon application is just how gentle the product is. Unlike some other exfoliants, there are no harsh, abrasive elements that can tear at the skin. Instead, it feels just like a gentle face wash that leaves skin feeling nice and smooth.

As an added bonus, the product is also packed with native Aussie ingredients that are full of antioxidants and vitamin C, leaving the skin looking visibly brighter.

Verdict

Ultimately, the Enzyme Powder Polish gets the tick of approval from me. Not only did it rid me of any flaky skin, but it did so without irritating my skin or making it red, which are side effects that I am all too familiar with.

I did personally prefer to use it with the Dreamy Glow Drops rather than water, as the combination gave me additional hydration that my skin desperately needed. Overall, I'm very happy that I discovered this just in time for winter, as I can definitely see me relying on it quite a bit over the coming months.

Affordability

Retailing for $72.90, the Enzyme Powder Polish is quite luxe in price. Given that it is a 60g tub though, and that you only need a relatively small amount of powder each time, it is a product that will last you for quite a while.

If your skin doesn't respond well to harsh exfoliants, or if you're looking for a quality, natural exfoliant option, the powder is certainly worth the investment. However, if the price tag is a little out of your wheelhouse, there are certainly other options on the market.

If you do want to use it with the Australian Emu Apple Dreamy Glow Drops, you can save yourself around $30 by picking up the pair in the Mega Glow Kit for $118.20, instead of buying each product separately.

Where to buy

Currently, the Australian Emu Apple Enzyme Powder Polish is exclusive to the Sand & Sky site, though it is set to drop into usual Sand & Sky stockists like Myer and Adore Beauty at a later date.

Tune in every Friday for our Finder Beauty Fave. We go hands-on to find the best beauty buys, testing out new products and old favourites to see what's really worth your money.

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Images: Lauren Chaplin