July 16, 2014

Emerald&Ash Cuticle Oil Experiment, Review & Giveaway

Disclaimer:  This product was offered at a reduced price or at no charge to manicuremanifesto.com in exchange for published reviews.  All reviews are fair, honest and reflect my personal opinion.

Today I have a different kind of review for you.  Ashley and Nate over at Emerald&Ash sent me three cuticle oils a month ago to review.  Here's a little bit of info straight from the makers themselves:

"Our nail oils are hand blended and mixed to order. None of our oils sit with scents premixed into them. We use a unique blend of oils that include Fractionated coconut oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, meadowfoam seed oil, tea tree oil, vitamin A oil and vitamin E oil.

We created a nail oil that we love and want to use. We wanted something that was fast absorbing, moisturizing and that didn't leave a greasy feeling behind. It's a cuticle oil that can be used as often as needed, while also using it frequently to help get your nails and cuticles into better shape.

We offer 85 scents in both essential oils and fragrance oils. Those 85 scents can also be blended into an even larger selection of scents. Along with that we offer unscented, sellers choice where we choose the scent and a scent of the month that is offered at a discounted price."


I could have instantly told you that they felt very nice and smelled delicious but I wanted to go deeper.  I decided to do a full out experiment with treatments and controls (the statistician in me is making an appearance :P). The goal was to see what difference the cuticle oil actually made in the long term.  My fingers were already in pretty good shape... but I did know where to find some not so nice cuticles: my toes.

Experimental Design


  • My right foot is the control.  It will get all the same treatments (creams, scrubs, etc.) as my left foot except it won't get any E&A cuticle oil.
  • My left foot is the treatment.  It gets E&A cuticle oil applied to cuticles and dry spots 1-2 times a day.
  • Wait four weeks and see if there are any differences between the two feet.

  • Results
    The following photos are unaltered except for the addition of a watermark and labels.  They were taken in natural lighting.  No cuticle oil was applied before taking the photos.


    The first apparent difference is the dry spot under my big toes which I call the flip flop zone.  This is where the strap from my flip flops sit and it is perpetually dry and ugly.  On my left foot on which I applied the E&A oil is a lot less dry that the same spot on my right foot which didn't get any E&A love.


    The next problem spot are my 'toe knuckles'.  This is the first joint from the end of the toes.  Mine tend to be dry and slightly flaky.  After a month of cuticle oil application the toe knuckles on my left foot look much improved compared to their right foot counterparts.


    Finally the primary use for these awesome oils - cuticles!  It's easiest to see the difference looking at my big toes.  On the right foot with didn't get any oil you can see that the cuticle is dry and flaky and the skin on the left side of the nail is dry too.  On the left foot the cuticle on the big toe looks moisturized and smooth.

    Conclusion
    The results speak for themselves.  I absolutely love these cuticle oils and they really do make a difference.  I have tried four scents so far:

    - Cool citrus basil
    - Blood orange and honeysuckle (blend)
    - Fresh cut grass
    - Fresh raspberry and lime (blend)

    My personal favorite is the fresh raspberry and lime blend.  It's so fresh and crisp and tempts me to lick my fingers.  The fresh cut grass scent is quite light and not at all overwhelming.  Cool citrus basil and blood orange and honeysuckle are lovely as well.  E&A offers the option to blend any of their scent options to make a one of a kind cuticle oil too which means the possibilities are virtually endless.

    You can find Emerald&Ash on:

    emeraldandash.com
    Facebook
    Instagram
    Twitter

    And finally, here's your chance to try E&A cuticle oils for yourself!  I have two $20 E&A gift certificates for two lucky winners.  Enter using the rafflecopter below.

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

    Happy polishing,

    Michelle

    2 comments :

    1. I too bear the mark of the flip flop. It is the price we pay for having such cute feet. :P

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      Replies
      1. Flip flops are the comfiest things ever. They are my staple summer footwear.

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