Acai seems to be the hot antioxidant of the moment.  For a while all I saw was pomegranate, pomegranate, pomegranate—whether it was juice, vodka, or scented candle—but now it seems that the more exotic-sounding acai has taken the spotlight as the choice antioxidant ingredient in both food and beauty items.  I’m a fan of acai and granola bowls of deliciousness and acai Emergen-C, but I’ve never used a beauty product featuring it as an ingredient, so I was excited to try Infusion Organique’s Acai Rain lotion. Infusion Organique’s products are Beauty Bunny-friendly because their products are paraben and sulfate free, the company does not test on animals, and their packaging is crafted from “recycled stock.”

Acai berries are indigenous to Brazil, and through its Acai Rain lotion, Manhattan Beach, California-based Infusion Organique aims to “captur[e] the fresh scent and organic power of this magical fruit.”  In addition to acai, this lotion boasts “sparkling organic orange oil” along with “natural raspberry and currant, white peach, fresh greens, and organic vanilla extract,” according to the official website and the back of the bottle.

As I’ve already mentioned, I came in with preconceptions based upon my prior experiences with acai, so I took a guess that it would be somewhat sweetly scented.  I also thought it might be purple or slightly pinkish in color, since the acai berry itself and its pulp is red…or I thought it would maybe be slightly indigo or bluish in color to accentuate the “rain” aspect of the scent.  I was incorrect on all counts.

The lotion is white and is surprisingly quite citrusy—I suppose as a result of the aforementioned “sparkling orange oil” (or the lemon balm flower/leaf/stem extract listed as the second ingredient).  I asked my roommate how he interpreted the scent, and he too immediately picked up strong notes of lemon and citrus.  Rather than sweet, then, I felt as if I smelled clean more than anything else.  The lotion did make my skin super, super soft, without feeling weighty or greasy, and I was able to smell the scent for quite some time.

Infusion Organique highlights three other main fragrances on its website, www.infusionorganique.com: Buddha’s Fig (with notes of fig, rose-geranium, and lemongrass oil, as well as wood and amber), Sands of Morocco (which utilizes vanilla, sandalwood, and warm oak moss, as well as lemongrass oil and ylang ylang) and Indochine (showcasing kumquat, peach, water lily, jasmine, muguet, and vanilla, as well as grapefruit extract, orange and ylang-ylang oils).  I’m curious as to whether the other scents are on the sweeter and/or spicier side of the spectrum, or if they too have a surprise ingredient that steals the show.  To find out yourself, you can locate Infusion Organique’s products in a number of domestic stores listed on Infusion Organique’s website, as well as in one international store (in Hong Kong), three other beauty websites, and the company’s own online store.

You can also get an acai-scented diffuser to scent your home.

Press sample was provided for the purpose of review.

Morgan