Berries Salt Scrub, 300 g

A salt scrub sold under the Bobana name. It comes in a clear plastic jar with a black screw lid, so you can see the scrub itself: pale pink salt crystals with small darker red bits. The label calls it a berries salt scrub, and in Arabic a Bobana salt scrub with wild berries; it gives the weight, 300 g, and shows a drawing of green leaves, and the top of the lid repeats the name. It does not give the maker's address or the ingredients, and it does not say what kind of salt it is or what the red bits are.

What it is for: a salt scrub is massaged over wet skin and rinsed off. Its salt crystals lift away dry, rough surface skin, so the skin feels smoother and softer afterwards. The usual places are rough elbows, knees and heels, and the arms and legs before a moisturiser. It is a cosmetic: it works on how skin looks and feels.

Scoop out what you need with dry fingers before you step into the shower, so no water gets into the jar. On wet skin, massage it in small, gentle circles for a minute or so, giving most attention to elbows, knees and heels, then rinse it off well with lukewarm water and pat the skin dry. Once or twice a week is enough; follow with a moisturiser. Use it on the body only: salt crystals are too coarse for the face. If the directions on the pack differ, follow them.

The difference from an unlabelled tub in a bazaar is what you can check for yourself: a brand name and a printed label. It reaches you unopened, at the price on this page, with nothing to haggle over. When it arrives, look on the pack for the ingredient list and the expiry date.

It is for external use only: do not swallow it. Try a little on the inner arm first and wait a day before using it more widely. Salt stings on any cut or graze, so do not use it on broken, sore or irritated skin, on skin that is red from the sun, or straight after shaving or waxing. Scrub gently: rubbing hard does not help and can redden the skin. If your skin stings or turns red, rinse it off with plenty of water. The front of the jar lists no ingredients, so if you have allergies, read the label on the pack before you use it. It is not a sunscreen, so in the Egyptian sun you still need one. Keep it out of the eyes and away from small children, and take care: it can make the floor of the bath or shower slippery.

Keep the lid screwed on and the jar out of direct sun and heat, and keep water out of it: wet salt clumps and dissolves. A scrub counts as a liquid at airport security. At 300 g it is over the 100 ml cabin limit, so it cannot fly in hand luggage: pack it in checked baggage. Tape the lid, seal the jar in a zip bag and wrap it in clothes in the middle of the case.

Who it suits: anyone with rough, dry skin on the elbows, knees, heels, arms or legs who wants a simple scrub for once or twice a week, and anyone who likes a salt scrub in the shower. Skip it if your skin is very sensitive, if scrubs tend to irritate it, or if you have allergies and cannot check the ingredients first.