JO Hair Reduction Serum

December 4th, 2014

JO Hair Reduction Serum
$16.99 from Amazon

Shame and exhaustion are the two things I feel when I think about how much time I must spend removing hair or even just thinking about it. I am not a fortunate person with wispy blonde hairs. I have dark, coarse hair. The older I get, the more I have. I shave practically every part of my body to deal with these hairs, save for my arms. This is the one place on my body where it doesn’t seem like a cardinal sin to have hair.

I settled on shaving because it’s the compromise between expensive salon waxing or even more expensive hair removal and touchable skin. I’ve tried any number of at-home creams and waxes, none to much success. Coarse hair isn’t so easily dealt with when it comes to those chemicals. Tweezing works well, but the only epilator I’ve managed to use wasn’t very good, either. Shaving it is.

And it becomes quite quick once you get a routine. There are places I won’t go without shaving every day. Those are the places where women don’t even talk about having hair. I’m less worried about places where it’s “okay” to shave because we shouldn’t have hair there — legs, underarms, pubic region, thighs. Those areas are truly the least of my worries.

With so much hair to worry about, I’ve thought about ways to complement shaving or even permanently remove hair. Since laser removal is out of the question, I started considering creams that would help with hair. I’ve seen a few reviews about products designed to slow growth, make hair more fine and reduce the necessity to shave. I was hoping that some of those more obvious areas that I hide shaving would react well to System Jo’s Hair Reduction Serum, then.

To put it bluntly: it didn’t. After weeks of daily application — you’re supposed to put on the lotion after you remove hair. It says it works with “all” hair removal types but only listings shaving and waxing. Um, okay, then.

It might have even been over a month, and I’ve noticed nothing. All the places I was shaving on a daily basis still require daily shaving. The hair is no less dark or thick. Stubble feels exactly the same.

I mean, i guess it’s a good thing there are no negative reactions. The thin lotion has a light scent, like just a hint of vanilla, and it causes no ill reactions. It seems to moisturize and doesn’t add to any discomfort of shaving sensitive areas, but it also doesn’t do much of anything, either.

I really wish this product worked better — at all? — than it does because I so enjoy the scent. There’s no reason to continue buying it once I run out, however, because I’ve got plenty of scented lotions, and who needs an extra product? I’m still interested in lotions like this, but System Jo’s option isn’t it.

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Categories: Reviews, Sexual Health and Beauty

JO So Fresh! Hygiene Cream for Women

November 5th, 2014

JO So Fresh! Hygiene Cream for Women
$15.39 from Of Sex and Love Store

I generally like System Jo’s lubes and massage products, but my experience with their bath and body products has been hit or miss. For example, their feminine spray? Pretty good. Their shaving cream and pheromone deodorant? Meh. I was excited to hear about some of their new products and reached out to see if I could do a review. The folks over there kindly said, “Yes.” Thanks, guys!

One of the products I received was the Hygiene Cream for Women. The site describes it as a product that ” delivers long-lasting moisture control and comfort wherever you need it most. Use daily on hands, elbows, knees, armpits, groin area or anywhere else you experience chafing or irritation.”

This talc-free product is designed to help combat moisture and side effects caused by moisture. Think chafing and smell. Now, the feminine spray already does a decent job when it comes to smell on a hot, summer day, but I am always looking out for something to prevent chafing, especially after I shave.

This cream is one of those cream-to-powder products. It comes in a pump bottle and comes out like a gel, but it turns into a powder once you rub it in. It’s like Monistat’s anti-chafing gel like that. In fact, it leaves marks on clothing and fabric like a powder. I noticed this on my black sheets.  So keep that in mind when it comes to getting dressed and wearing dark colors.

I experienced no ill effects from this product. I didn’t notice anything about the smell either. It’s pretty light.

But does it work?

Ehhhhh. I noticed no real protection from chafing. I tried it on a sensitive spot and it didn’t prevent additional chafing nor do it help to soothe the existig irritation. Nor do I think this absorbs moisture enough to be better than some sort of body powder or, you know, regular deodorant. At $15, you could get a couple of tubes of Monistat’s anti-chafing gel, SHE Aftershave Oil or go for Jo’s Feminine Spray instead.

I really wanted to like this product. I will certainly keep using it as long as I have it, but I can’t really recommend it. Perhaps it tries to do too much. Perhaps the gel to powder formula isn’t the right one.

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Categories: Reviews, Sexual Health and Beauty

Natural Feminine Personal Spray

August 25th, 2013

Natural Feminine Personal Spray

Natural Feminine Personal Spray

This product may be discontinued, but you can still buy it at Lubezilla.

I didn’t know when I requested to review the Natural Feminine Personal Spray that it was so close to AfterTrace. Blame it on the vague name. However, this does mean that I have two similar products that I can compare, which is useful.

The product description says you can use it for quick “clean” up, but the directions on the bottle say to spray on your body. There’s no indication of removal or actual cleansing; furthermore, the bottle states that it’s perfect for after a shower, so it’s not exactly a cleanser, now is it? However, that’s more semantics than anything else.

According to the description, this will reduce odors, absorb moisture and soothe skin, so there’s nothing you can really complain about there. I can, however, complain about the scent of this spray. While AfterTrace is herbal like all the other SHE Aftercare products, this one smells like fake blueberries. It reminds me of those freeze-dried, overly-sweetened berries you’d get in cereal. It’s really weird for spraying on your body. Now, the scent does fade to a more neutral, sweet/fresh smell after a while, but the initial smell is kind of a turn-off.

This spray also differs in that it’s less fine and wetter than AfterTrace. It doesn’t affect performance in my opinion, but it might not necessarily feel good if you’re already sweaty. I think these products work best when you’re fresh and dry. an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure, right? Like I said in my AfterTrace review, this isn’t going to do much if you’re getting back into sweaty panties and clothes.

I did a quick search for this product to get the ingredients list so I wouldn’t have to type it up, and I found a review stating that the ingredients had discolored someone’s clothing. This is definitely something you’ll want to watch out for; although, I haven’t had that issue yet.

The bottle advertises all natural ingredients like aloe, witch hazel, patchouli, vanilla, lavender and tea tree oil, and the entire list is as follows:

  • Witch Hazel
  • Aloe vera gel
  • Clary Sage Oil
  • Patchouli oil
  • Geranium Oil
  • Vanilla
  • Tea Tree
  • Fragrance
  • Oregano Leaf Extract
  • Thyme Extract
  • Cinnamon Bark Extract
  • Olive Leaf Extract
  • Rosemary Leaf Extract
  • Peppermint Leaf Extract
  • Lavender Flower Extract
  • Goldenseal Root Extract
  • Citrus Medica Limonum
  • Lemon Peel Extract
  • Purified Water

The list is definitely more natural than AfterTrace if that’s your thing. But does it work any better?

I don’t know. Neither products are miracle cures. I feel fresher if I spray it on. They’re good for a quick fix if you have no time to shower, too. However, Natural Feminine Personal Spray seems to be more about making you smell sweet/fresh than reducing odor. The scent sticks around longer. This is okay if you’re a fan of it, but it’s such an odd scent that I can’t imagine everyone will be.

This spray is a little cheaper, though, so it might be worth trying out for that reason alone.

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Categories: Reviews, Sexual Health and Beauty

Why Dona Pisses Me Off

April 10th, 2012

Since I do a lot of shopping online, I like to know as much as I can to determine that I actually want to buy what I’m looking at. I want to know about size and fit and strength, and I do not want to have to send something back, because shipping is inconvenient and frequently expensive. However, System Jo seems to want to make it harder than ever to shop. “How?” you ask. I’ll tell you. They come out with an entire line of products that uses descriptions that any normal consumer would think refer to their scents but, no, these are the aphrodisiacs with which each product is infused:

  • acai
  • blue lotus
  • camu camu
  • goji berry
  • mangosteen
  • pomegranate

Never mind the fact that aphrodisiacs are a bunch of BS or that the company’s official statement is to refuse to describe the scents, because they want consumers to experience it for themselves. Boy, have we been doing that. None of the Dona products I’ve tried smell anything like the aphrodisiac and most of them have smelled down-right awful. I would have saved a lot of time and frustration if I had known that the pomegranate products smell nothing at all like pomegranate.

I find it difficult to believe that I am the only one who feels this way, either. It’s like System Jo is actually making it harder for consumers to find a product that suits them. However, if they had at least tried to describe scents, we’d have a much better idea about which product might suit our tastes, or smells as it were. Now, I’d pretty much have to assume all consumers should stay away from all of Dona’s products because they can’t be sure if their powerful smells will be agreeable or cause them headaches. Plus, $10 is a lot more than your$2.50 bottle of body wash from the local drug store, which you actually can smell before you buy.

Good news is, I have a bunch of Dona products that I don’t really like and I wouldn’t have to deal with, if it weren’t for this brilliant marketing move.

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Categories: Everything Else

System Jo H2O

January 26th, 2009

System JO H2O
9.99 from Of Sex and Love Store

System Jo H2O is a quality water based lubricant which aims to mimic the slickness of silicone based lubricant while remaining odorless, tasteless and tack-free. In these pursuits, I think System Jo H20 has performed admirably.

Packaged in a clear bottle with a fairly minimal silver and blue design, System Jo H2O comes off a bit futuristic to me. It’s not entirely discreet nor does it scream “lube.” A person would likely be able to determine just what this bottle contains by its general shape but it’s not so gaudy that it would be necessarily embarrassing to have out. Complete with the narrow, push-top style cap, as opposed to the flip top styles of many lubes, I find using this lube less messy. The cap style also helps to control how much lube is dispensed and I feel it’s very secure when closed; flip tops tend to leak if a bottle should tip. However, it’s not as easy to use as a pump.

When it comes down to it, System Jo H2O is a very good water based lube. It’s not as thick as some I’ve used, like ID Glide, so it may not be great for anal sex (System Jo does have an anal lube as well). However, it is very slippery and feels more like silicone lube. Despite being a bit thin, I’ve had great experiences with it so far. It’s all I’ve used when inserting my rather well endowed Passion Wave Stimulator which has a circumference of 5 1/4″. This is definitely bigger than any other toy or penis I play with so I feel extremely confident than System Jo H2O will meet all my needs.

Although my sessions with the Passion Wave tend to be quick, they are hard and heavy with many quick thrusts. This lube has worked wonderfully. I have not had to reapply any time I have previously used it. Furthermore, the application doesn’t leave my hands sticky and goopy. This is one lube which comes through on its promises that it will not be tacky. For review purposes, I applied lube to my palm and rubbed my hands together quickly until the lube wore away. While it did not absorb completely – my hands felt slick, still – it did not become dry, clumpy or uncomfortable. I would recommend washing away any excess lube or the remains of the lube after play (soap and water will do the trick).

I have no experienced any negative results with System Jo H2O. It has been odorless and tasteless, as advertised. Although there is no ingredient list on the bottle except for Vitamin E (or on the website, it seems) I have had no bad reactions.

System JO H2O has proven to be a slippery lubricant which rises above other water-based lubes. It contains no oils or silicone, making it perfect for play with toys or partners and it’s completely safe for use with latex condoms. The System Jo line of lubricants includes warming and anal lubes as well. Based on the high performance of System Jo H2O, I would likely consider System Jo over other lubricants if I were shopping and I will probably stick to System JO H2O when it comes to water-based lubes..

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Categories: Lube, Reviews

Image © MisterUnlucky; used with permission.