Fresh Mint Scrub Cream

A mint scrub cream sold under the Starky name, from its skin care range. It comes in a clear plastic jar with a turquoise screw lid, so you can see the cream itself: green, and full of fine grains. The front of the jar, in English and Arabic, calls it a fresh mint scrub cream with mint extract that renews the skin, and shows a sprig of mint leaves. It does not give the size, the maker's address or the ingredients.

What it is for: a scrub cream is massaged over wet skin and rinsed off. Its fine grains lift away dry, rough surface skin, so the skin feels smoother and softer afterwards; that is what the label means by renewing the skin. 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: the front of the jar does not say whether it is meant for the face too, so if you try it there, use very little, very gently, and keep it away from the eyes. 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 size, 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. 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. Mint can tingle; if your skin stings or turns red, rinse the cream 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. Creams count as liquids at airport security: a jar of 100 ml or less can fly in the cabin inside the clear liquids bag; a larger one goes 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 fresh mint 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.