Essentials Crate is a monthly subscription featuring healthy and eco-conscious lifestyle items for day to day life. This includes 4-5 full-size home, personal care, beauty, and/or wellness products from local artisans, small businesses, and bigger household brands.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Essentials Crate
The Subscription Box: Essentials Crate
The Cost: $44 a month. Save with longer subscription commitments.
ACTIVE DEAL: Get 15% off your first order!
CODE: MSA15
The Products: 4-5 full-size home, personal care, beauty, and/or wellness items focused on eco-friendliness and health.
Ships to: The U.S. for free.
Essentials Crate December 2020 Review
Essentials Crate sends product information via email rather than description cards. For this 'Keep Clean & Carry On' themed box, we received clean items to protect against germs. A portion of the proceeds from this box are donated to Direct Relief, a charity providing aid to people affected by poverty or emergencies.
Now, on to the items!
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Puracy Disinfecting Surface Cleaner, 25 fl oz - Retail Value $15.98 (currently out of stock)
I actually had a disinfectant spray on my shopping list for this week. The last bottle we had that can kill both bacteria and viruses was a Chlorox brand with a tropical smell that I absolutely detest. Disinfectants like this are becoming easier to find on my store's shelves, but pickings are slim if you are particular about scents (which I AM). That being said, unless you are used to cleaning with white vinegar, you might not like this scent either. I associate that smell with a clean home because I grew up with a mom and nana who use it. The actives inside are peroxyacetic acid and hydrogen peroxide. I thought it was cool that this stuff was also safe to use on produce!
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YIELD Organic Castile Liquid Hand Soap in 'White Sage', 8 oz - Retail Value $20.00
I like getting a fancy handsoap in boxes. It feels like a special treat because I would never, ever spend this much on soap ever, but even I am not immune to the magic of a great scent and a gentle lather. This one is going straight into my kitchen because the scent feels incredibly clean and fresh. I like herbal scents in my home as we get closer and closer to spring, and this one certainly has me in a warmer mindset. I can't wait to grow herbs in my window boxes soon! This soap arrived in a glass bottle with a minimal design and it is a very gentle castile soap. I used this sort of soap for my hands and even my art brushes!
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YIELD Hydrating Hand Sanitizer in 'Lemongrass and Jasmine', 1 oz - Estimated Value $9.33 (buy a three-pack for $28.00)
While I am not normally a lemongrass fan, I absolutely love jasmine. I was a little confused since there actually is no jasmine on the ingredients list, but there is something floral here. It smells both perfumy but also super clean and bright thanks to the other notes of citrus, cedar, and basil. This sanitizer in its glass bottle is a great size for my purse, and I know it won't last too long since literally all I do these days is wash my hands and use sanitizer. Ok, that is a bit of a stretch, but it feels like it sometimes, right? It is 70% alcohol but also has softening ingredients like glycerine and coconut oil.
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Brass Door Opener Tool No Touch Tool, set of 2
These were quite common last spring and while I tried to make them a habit, I found I was always forgetting this tool was on my keychain and I just didn't love using it because once you toss your contaminated keys back into your pocket or purse, the germs land there too, making it feel a little less useful. These are made from antimicrobial brass alloy (the copper in brass means germs don't last as long on its surface) but my concern is just tossing those germs onto something where it will live a nice long life anyway. These are totally for someone who is more careful than I am.
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Custom Linen Face Mask with Filters and Storage Pouch
My final item is a really lovely and beautifully made linen face mask. Seriously, it is so pristine and pretty that I am scared to dirty it! Because it has adjustable ear loops, it was easy to get a close fit that worked well on my face. I was also happy that there wasn't any sort of flexible nose piece because those give me a little bit of trouble. These masks were handmade in New Jersey (out of Turkish linen) just for this box. Also included was a linen storage pouch and a trio of filters you can slide inside the mask itself.
The Verdict: I am curious to see where Essentials Crate goes in the coming months. This box felt more like a gift box one might have bought for someone last spring than a subscription box. And, hey, that isn't a bad thing. It has lots of really great items to help out while we are still riding on that pandemic wave. Pricing this box was hard. Undoubtedly the linen mask is worth something. It is so well made and just beautiful. I also had a hard time coming up with a value for the brass tools because they are all over the place price-wise. The remaining items I could price land at about $45.31, which is a little more than the cost of this subscription. This box really needed an additional item or two to really get me there but I loved the curation!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, your first box will be the January box.
ACTIVE DEAL: Get 15% off your first order!
CODE: MSA15
Value Breakdown: This box costs $44, including free shipping which means each of the 5 items costs an average of $8.80.
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
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