Spring is coming. There are days when the pure white bells of the snowdrops lift my spirits and assure me that this is true. And I am even more convinced now that I have seen the bright yellow sun of eranthis petals against the richly dark and still cold wet earth, their little green leaves spreading out like a fan around them. But it is still March, and it is still part lion! And even my skin confirms that winter has not disappeared — so I continue to take refuge in an array of body scrubs in the hopes of staving off that late winter sense of 'dried out' blues.

My latest favorite — not least for the reasonable price and eco-friendly approach — is the Hugo Naturals Brown Sugar & Kumquat Body Scrub. It contains brown sugar and emollients such as kukui oil, jojoba ester, kosher vegetable glycerin, and others, and offers a warm and cheering scent without being too overbearing or winter-like. It's perfect for this transition period. It does a fine job of daily exfoliation, and leaves skin feeling smooth and lightly moisturized. I wouldn't say it entirely cuts out the need for additional moisturizer, but it helps my skin feel calmer and less taut.

The brown sugar smells exactly as expected — sweetly warm and mildly molasses-like — and it settles in the package the way brown sugar settles in the box (for those of you who bake). You have to really dig in and get a handful of it, but once you do, it spreads easily. The sugary-earthy warmth provides a perfect foil for the super light mandarin-y green scent of kumquat, enhanced by a wee touch of lemon. The scent doesn't linger too long, but it's very pleasant while it lasts. Metaphorically, it reminds me of the eranthis — bold and bright and light atop a bed of deep dark earth. Perfect for those of us who insist spring is on it's way.

Hugo Naturals Brown Sugar & Kumquat Body Scrub is $14.99 for a 16 oz jar, and can be found at hugonaturals.

Note: image of eranthis copyright Wenja Schmidt, used with permission.