Glorious Mud Bar

The texture is incredibly crumbly and it is likely to make a fair amount of mess when trying to break it into two for better value. In fact it is surprisingly boring looking for a Lush product, with no glitter or sweets to tempt the young. In fact it resembles a block of soil. A sniff reveals that it does indeed smell like Crème Anglaise (a pleasant vanilla orange scent).

The lush description of this product is: “Rub our dynamic, fizzy cube of rhassoul mud all over your body to cover and cleanse. The aloe vera extract is soothing, and the mix of sesame and vanilla will moisturise.” It does sound very soothing and appeared to be the perfect choice for skin attacked by mosquitoes.

How to Use Glorious Mud

It is advisable to turn off any shower jets, and only use an overhead showerhead at a slightly lower speed (if possible). This will minimise the mess as the mud will not end up everywhere. Using the product is pretty simple; just massage it all over using while it fizzes away while cleansing the skin. Let the bar immerse in water and be prepared for the oddest sensation as it fizzes and almost forms a paste. With a slight gritty feel it seems to provide a light exfoliating effect, and it doesn’t fizz away too quickly so there is time to spread the mud all over skin. It is strangely fun to apply it and look dirtier than when entering the shower, and swamp thing is a fairly accurate description!

It is best to let the mud absorb into skin for around ten minutes and then wash it off. The major plus point is that Glorious Mud dissolves to a fine powder easily and washes down the drain with little effort. It is nowhere near as messy as Cacas.

Results on Skin After Use

As this contains Rhassoul Mud (high in magnesium, iron, sodium, potassium,silica and calcium) and is anti-microbial it is ideal for detoxifying problem skin. The mud draws out impurities and toxins in the skin while also getting rid of dirt, oil and dead skin cells. This is all done while gently moisturising the skin and skin is left a lot smoother without dryness or flakes.

Sesame oil is highly rated in Ayurveda and hydrates the skin, leaving it nice and soft (and apparently balances Vata dosha). Aloe Vera is a fabulous moisturiser and soothes sore skin. After patting dry, skin is nice and soft. The vanilla scent is quite subtle and later had a hint of coconut, it did last for a couple of hours.

Value

For £3.95 this is a pampering treat rather than a daily staple product. It is far cheaper than going to a spa and surprisingly effective. However it didn’t make my skin feel as amazing as Sugar Babe (despite the muddy novelty factor). I would recommend Glorious Mud to anyone who likes the scent of Crème Anglaise, likes a softer approach to exfoliating and wants to gently detoxify skin. I just prefer a more hardcore approach to body scrubs!

The Sell

Ice Blue has been around quite a while I believe, but I took a long time getting round to testing it as it didn’t entice me until the hot summer began. Lush describe Ice Blue as “the intense and tingly peppermint soap.” They also claim “Peppermint has this amazing quality of making you feel cool when you’re hot and warm when you’re cold.” Now this sounds rather refreshing so I am keen to test it to see if it is true.

The Soap

Those of you who have been to Lush will know that all the store’s soap are huge round slabs which you can have cut down to the size and weight you desire or you can chose one of the pre cut slices on top of the slab which are covered in paper with a label stating the weight and price. Ice Blue always appeared to be more of a male product and it often pops up in the male Lush gift sets.

It will not shock you when I say the soap is blue in colour- and what a pretty vibrant blue with a purplish tinge! My piece must have been cut from the edge of the block because it has a white almost marbled pattern (which gives it a cool icy appearance). I’m not sure if this is intentional but it looks nice. The soap is solid for a Lush soap, and not as melty as Honey I Washed the Kids.

The Results
The fragrance is definitely unisex, with no floral scents to put off men. The soap contains coarse sea salt, sweet wild orange oil, bergamot oil and peppermint oil. I mostly smell the peppermint and oddly a hint of menthol but now I realise it must be the citrus hint that tricked my nose. I do find the scent pleasant despite the fact I would never choose it as a fragrance. Like many Lush products it isn’t so much about how it smells but about how well it works.

The interesting thing about the soap is that it hardly lathers up at all. This doesn’t bother me but it may be an issue with others who like plenty of suds. I particularly recommend Ice Blue for pampering your feet when they are feeling hot, sweaty and swollen- the peppermint is extremely revitalising.

Value

Ice Blue soap is available for £2.65 per 100g. I think it is worth every penny as it has helped to deal with the heat. I really look forward to discovering whether the soap works in the cold weather to warm the skin as Lush claim. Overall I would recommend it as a summer staple and I will be taking it with me when I go on my travels to warmer pastures…

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The Heavanilli Massage Bar

Lush describe the bar as a “deliciously fragrant bar” that easily melts onto the skin and is a “sweetly sensual, tactile experience”. The scent is of jasmine, vanilla and tonka – Lush’s new Vanillary scent and yet I have found all products in the range smell slightly different. Heavanilli is arguably the most sickly sweet smelling one out of the range, with the lotion having a citrus edge and the bath ballistic has more of a toffee scent.

The massage bar is a pale cream colour and has a pink coloured Lush banner on it that can stain clothes and may also put off male users. I would cut the pink part off if this is an issue, but it is easy to be mindful of what you’re doing to avoid any staining.The bar is vegan and contains cocoa butter, shea butter and extra virgin coconut oil to provide a deep moisturising treatment. The resulting scent of these combined oils is rather sweet and will be a favourite among women who favour “pink” scents.

One issue I had was that my massage bar had been packed with the lovely but rather strong smelling Sexy Peel soap. This resulted in a bar that smelt almost exactly like Sexy Peel- a citrus scent with a slight undertone of vanilla!

How to Use

Heavanilli is possibly the most easily melted bar I have ever used. It is a dream to use when short on time as it is quickly absorbed by my skin.  The best way to use it is to hold it in your hands for a few seconds and then rub the  bar directly onto skin. Once it feels like enough of the skin is coated, massage and smooth into skin with your hands. Skin isn’t left greasy like with some of the other massage bars that Lush do.

Results

I am impressed with the results of this massage bar- it works very fast and I love that skin is left moisturised without feeling greasy. It is a good buy in the summer and particularly good on knees and elbows. I find using the pink part as a lip balm is a good way of using it up (and avoiding staining my favoured white summer clothes). The scent of Heavanilli is actually too sweet for me sometimes and I am unsure if it is me. If this bar had the scent of Sugar Babe I would have stock piled it already!

Value

Heavanilli is £5.10 for a 55g bar and is pretty expensive for something that will be used up pretty swiftly. I suspect my The Soft Touch hand butter will last longer. I would recommend it to anyone who likes sweet scents but personally I think I am still on the hunt for a bar that has a scent that has a fragrance that I adore. The scent of this is too much for me.

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Faith in Nature

Faith in Nature was launched more than thirty years ago by Rivka with an aim to produce products from natural sources which are kind to the environment and the user too. Faith in Nature do not conduct animal testing and are on the BUAV list (Leaping Bunny Standard).

As a brand Faith in Nature put a lot of emphasis on the fact that all their products are vegetarian and most are vegan. They do not use genetically modified ingredients, synthetic colouring, SLES, SLS and parabens. They claim to have honesty at the heart of their brand and list all their ingredients (though this requires clicking on a further tab which not everyone will do).

The Deodorant

It is understandable why a consumer would trust this brand and buy a deodorant without worrying about safety issues- especially when it is clearly labelled as a “pure natural rock crystal” and that it contains no aluminium chlorohydrates. Faith in Nature describe their solid crystal deodorant as eliminating odour-causing bacteria and “allows perspiration without body odour”. The deodorant is vegan and has the Vegan Society logo, and controversially (in my opinion) doesn’t say on the website that it is made from pure ammonium alum. Interestingly it is marketed as a natural product free from toxins.

The unscented deodorant on first sight looks just like a normal roll on deodorant, though on closer inspection through the clear lid you see the crystal rather than more plastic. This is often the point that you discover the deodorant contains 100% ammonium alum if you purchased online as it isn’t mentioned at many of the popular sites that sell it. I myself didn’t wasn’t aware I was buying a product containing ammonium alum as I just read pure natural crystal and bought the deodorant in good faith (oh the irony!).

Using the deodorant is simple and easiest after a shower or bath. Dampen the crystal and apply it under arms to wet skin. Rinse the crystal after use and do not use on broken or damaged skin as it is likely to cause irritation. It may be an idea to wait a couple of minutes before wearing dark clothing to avoid staining. I don’t really sweat much at all, and don’t get any noticeable odour so I may not be the best person to test this deodorant. I found that applying the alum in the morning left my underarms free of sweat even after wearing a polyester shirt all day (the things I do to test products!). A good sniff revealed no odour either, so it does work!

What is Ammonium Alum?

I was not aware until recently but ammonium alum has had a lot of controversy. Ammonium alum stands for “ammonium aluminium sulfate” and is a white crystalline double sulfate (formula (NH4)Al(SO4)2·12H2O for any geeks in the know). The dodecahydrate occurs naturally as the mineral tschermigite and I suspect that is why some brands claim alum is natural. There is no real record of the potential toxic effects of the substance though it has been claimed that the Egyptians used the coagulant alum as early as 1500 B.C. to reduce the visible cloudiness in the water. It has been used in India to purify the water though personally that says nothing in terms of safety. If you’ve ever had the tap water in India then you will know what I mean!

Faith in Nature’s Stand on Ammonium Alum

After contacting Faith in Nature about their reasons for using alum I was delighted to get a reply, yet I was concerned at the quality of response:

“Our ammonium alum is a nature identical form of the natural mineral rock, We understand that it has a very good safety performance. Whilst it is not natural as such, but is a man made product. There is no waste material that goes into the crystal and all .the ingredients are of top quality, made under Good manufacturing practise.”

Eeek well spelling and grammar aside not only have they sidestepped my concern in relation to safety by claiming it “has a very good safety performance” but they also admit that it is NOT a natural product! This makes me question their personal ethics in claiming that they provide products that are both natural and completely safe for consumers.

Deodorants vs Antiperspirants

Antiperspirants are supposed to work by both constricting and blocking your sweat glands. The aluminum used in antiperspirants (not deodorants) are absorbed into your body and broken down, releasing the aluminum. The aluminum in deodorants (usually potassium or ammonium alum) lies on the skin in a thin layer and makes it alkaline stopping bacteria from growing and creating bad odours. It is likely that limited exposure to alum will not cause harm yet I wonder is it really worth the risk?

In the United States the FDA has required a new label on antiperspirants saying that people with impaired renal function (who have trouble shedding environmental toxins) and children should not use these products. Many in the industry are complaining due to lack of scientific evidence, but someone at the FDA seems to believe in “prudent avoidance”!

Is Ammonium Alum Safe?

Ammonium alum is still a form of aluminium though some claim the molecule is too large to be absorbed by the skin. A 1998 study found the use of aluminium-based antiperspirants has been linked with the accumulation of aluminium in the body which increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Later research has linked breast cancer with aluminium-based antiperspirants though a 2008 study claims that no scientific evidence supports the theory that deodorants or antiperspirants increase the incidence of breast cancer. In a nut shell the whole issue is in dispute among the medical and scientific fields.

“Although these are sold as deodorants rather than anti-perspirants – the ammonium alum is supposed to control the growth of bacteria rather than block the pores – “aluminium found in breast tissue is as likely to come from these aluminium-based natural products as it is from conventional anti-perspirants.”

Well I think that is the proverbial nail on the coffin, I’ll not be using this product again!

Value

The Faith in Nature deodorant gives twenty four hour protection and a little goes a long way. Costing £3.45 from the website directly (not including postage) it is a little expensive given that it has a twelve month shelf life. Compared with an aluminium free solid deodorant from Lush that lasts for a lot longer this offers mediocre value at best. Due to the potential risks of using ammonium alum I would not recommend this product and would urge anyone to take a good look at what ingredients are in their deodorant to avoid aluminium altogether. Some of the alum information here is discussed in Is Ammonium Alum Dangerous?

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Grass- The Shower Gel

Lush describe Grass as being ”made with our new Ninja fragrance, antioxidant wheatgrass juice, and citrus oils to bring sunshine to your days again. Lather up and inhale the deep scent of freshly mown lawns.“  Hmmmm well I don’t particularly have a love or hate for the scent of Grass but I am rather intrigued.

Grass is a beautiful bright green colour (though the translucency lends it a somewhat slime appearance). It comes in a clear bottle with a flip top lid and standard black Lush label. My first sniff detects a smell exactly like grass, no lovely essential oils – just pure grass.

Product in Action

In the shower I put a rather large blob onto my shower puff and was delighted to see a decent lather and was pleased with a satisfying amount of lather making it much better value than you would think looking at the bottle.  Even in the shower the gel smells exactly like freshly cut grass. I could vaguely detect the bergamot but I was pleasantly surprised at the neroli that brightened my mood quickly.

Grass cleansed my skin well and left it soft, and the overall smell is invigorating and rather uplifting. I left my shower feeling like I’d spent the day lying on grass watching the clouds go by. My cynical side wonders if I would actually use this once the novelty wears off. My preference for morning showers are citrus based scents, and after a hard day something soothing and calming like The Olive Branch. And there is no way I would use to revitalise myself after a sticky day of gardening.

Value for Money

Grass comes in three sizes, 100g (£4.45), 250g (£8.75) and 500g (£15.95) and is one of the pricier shower gels in the Lush range. Although Lush shower gels do last a long time I am too in love with Sugar Babe to get this in the future. One bonus of Grass is that the scent is unisex so the bottle could be shared with your partner/family.

Sugar Babe – The Scrub

Sugar babe is an exfoliant and rather easy to overlook in the store as it is just a dome shaped mound of sugar- no colour or sparkles. Lush promote the solid benefit of this product- solid as in not liquid and therefore they can be sold without packaging or naked in Lush speak. Sugar Babe contains sodium bicarbonate, cream of tartar, coconut oil and a delightful ylang ylang and mimosa fragrance.

On opening the trademark yellow Lush bag the first thing that hits you is the lovely subtle floral scent of mimosa blossom. I can’t explain to you how fantastically sophisticated and beautiful this fragrance is to me. The scrub is surprising hard and it appears to be impossible to simply break it in half to take in the shower.

How to Use Sugar Babe

Using the scrub is tricky – ensure that you keep it away from water as it will quickly disintegrate. Instead get in the shower and wet the scrub in your hand and rub everywhere making sure you massage it into skin everywhere It helps if you move away slightly from the water while doing this. The scrub quickly melts away so make sure it scrubs your skin before the grains disappear in the water.

The first time I used Sugar Babe I pretty much used it like a soap rubbing the rounded side into skin. When I saw it was quickly melting in the shower I lobbed half of it into the sink. This worked out pretty good and I will continue to use this technique.

Results on Skin After Use

My skin was left feeling absolutely amazing after using half of this scrub, the combination of oils and sugar is perfect and I doubt I could mix up a concoction in my kitchen that does what Sugar Babe does. My skin felt soft, not at all sticky or dry like it can do after using strong exfoliators, and the smell stayed on my skin for hours (which delighted me).

Value

A Sugar Babe scrub will set you back £2.60, which is a tad pricey if you only get one or two uses out of it. I think it is totally worth it, and would love to be able to use half everyday but that is a ridiculous luxury. It is more special as a weekly treat. I have heard that people break the scrub up for more uses but I would prefer two amazing showers than four okay ones. The fact that you can skip moisturing after uses this makes it even more appealing to me. In short I would highly recommend this scrub and would love it if Lush created a fragrance range in this scent (like Vanillary or Karma).

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The Facial Scrub

Ocean Salt comes in the signature recycled plastic black tubs and contains moisturising avocado, organic coconut butters and calming violet leaf absolute. Use it daily on oily skin and drier skins can use it once a week. With British weather going from one extreme to another my skin needs a scrub that can both balance out extra oil and gently treat any dryness.

On opening the tub you are treated to a lovely zingy fragrance from the grapefruit, lime and coconut, and it is not unlike a fresh tropical cocktail. The scrub looks like a random mixture of white rock salt and blue colour sprinkled over the top.

The texture of the scrub looks pretty chunky with noticeable large sea salt crystals on the top of the scrub. It is advisable to stir the scrub so that the salt is not too scratchy on the face.

How to Use

To use the facial scrub: dampen your face with warm water and then take a small blob (about the size of three peas) of Ocean Salt and rub gently into fingertips then massage your face using a circular motion. Go gently with the scrub as the sea salt chunks can hurt if you are to heavy handed. Finally rinse face thoroughly with warm, clean water. Gently blot skin dry with a towel. The prime benefit of using Ocean Salt over Dark Angels is that it is far less messier, and I confess I do sometimes lick my lips to taste this yummy concoction and it is as good as it smells!

The Results

After the first time using Ocean Salt the skin around my mouth (where I have dry patches) burned a little. Close inspection of my skin showed no redness or flakiness. The good thing about this facial scrub is that it gently unblocks pores, removes dead skin cells and doesn’t leave skin feeling greasy or overly dry. 
Ocean Salt is one of my favourite summer products, it smells divine, and leaves skin soft and fresh.

It does surprise me that the citrus doesn’t aggravate skin and as long as the scrub is used carefully according to skin type it is unlikely to irritate skin. Even people with mild eczema and acne have positive experiences with Ocean Salt. Ocean Salt is suitable for the whole body and the larger crystals are more suited for this so I tend to save them for scrubbing my legs, knees and elbows. A lovely rich treat for the body is a mixture of Ocean Salt and Lemony Flutter that forumites lovingly refer to as Oceany Flutter.

Value

Lush Ocean Salt comes in two different sizes- 120g for £6.10 or 250g for £11.20 which may on first sight appear rather pricey for what it is and I suspect some will say it is easy to make a similar concoction for a lot less. I get the 120g tub in spring so it lasts me until the next summer. Which isn’t really too bad as a little of the scrub goes a long way and it usually lasts right until the expiry date. In terms of results this is the best scrub I’ve used whether judging results, scent, longevity or versatility. Definitely a summer must have!

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The Cream

Lush market Dream Cream as a “body lotion for troubled skin” and claim “chamomile and lavender calm irritations, reduce redness and banish blotches. We also use oat milk, too, which has traditionally been used on troubled skin for centuries”. comes in the signature Lush black tub- complete with label and sticker of the lovely creator who made the cream. I am pleased to report the cream is vegan. Dream Cream also contains tea tree which is antiseptic and soothing (and responsible in part for the herbal scent).

On opening the tub the cream is an off-white colour (similar to Smitten) but thinner in consistency. In fact it is more of a lotion than a cream. Though the Dream Cream contains lavender and rose it doesn’t really smell floral though I can detect the lavender. To my nose the first scent is of the tea tree and overall it isn’t offensive and quite comforting, though I won’t be requesting that Lush create a fragrance with the smell. The smell is quite strong and there appears to be a mixed opinion on whether the scent is pleasant.

Product in Action

Once applied to skin the scent disappears quickly, ten minutes after using I don’t really smell it at all. 
The lotion is very gentle and I used it today on some dry flaky skin in between by fingers and it worked without irritating the already sensitive skin. A little goes a very long way with this product and it is wonderful on legs, especially if you shave them. I find it really fantastic as a hand cream if you are short on time as it is absorbed by skin quickly, unlike Smitten which can leave an oily residue on skin if you don’t rub it in adequately. For no obvious reason I suffered from an incredibly itchy flaky scalp a few weeks ago and I rubbed a handful of Dream Cream into my scalp and left it overnight. The relief from itching was immediate, and though it took a while to wash it out the next morning it was worth it. The cream is also a boon on cuts grazes, insect bites and sunburn. Keep it refrigerated in the summer to make it feel even more refreshing and soothing on skin.

Value for Money

A 240g pot of Dream Cream costs £9.85 so it isn’t exactly cheap. However it is one of the Lush bestsellers for a reason- it works so well on problem skin. Due to the natural ingredients Dream Cream has a limited shelf life which is fourteen months from the date of manufacture. I tend to use up a tub in less than a year so this isn’t an issue. I have seen a lot of people with eczema raving in the Lush forums and in the reviews section here about how well Dream Cream works for them. If you are struggling with eczema I would advise you pop into Lush and ask for a sample.

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The Company Ethics

Pukka Herbs is a relatively new company founded in 2001 and seems to be growing in popularity. The word Pukka is Hindi and means genuine or authentic- the company incorporate this philosophy into their products and everything they sell is 100% organic, fairly traded, sustainable as well as being carbon neutral. As you may have guessed this resonates with my personal ethics and I am keen to support a company that invests in renewable and sustainable energy projects. I am also happy that Pukka create Ayurvedic blends to balance doshas and would advise anyone to go and do the quiz on their website if you are interested in Ayurveda.

The Tea

Three Mint combines peppermint, spearmint and fieldmint. Pukka describe it as having a “distinct sweet and fresh flavour with a real hit of cool mint!” I would say the tea has a subtle taste compared to Tetley’s Peppermint Punch, and this is indeed preferably. I may be in the minority but I am put off when tea tastes very strongly of mint. It is almost like drinking warm mouthwash. This tea by Pukka is more complex (maybe because of the field mint) and tastes refreshing and one to drink in the summer. If you want to know more about how field mint is harvested by Pukka read Ben Heron’s page.

Certified organic by the Soil Association, this tea comes in a pretty green box (I suspect I will be collecting these to store my bits and bobs as I adore the patterns). Each tea bag is individually wrapped which concerns me as not being very green. I also like Pukka’s Three Ginger tea which is a daily treat to keep me balanced and inflammation at bay.

Why Mint?

With the numerous teas available from Pukka alone you may wonder why Three Mint is a good choice. Well mint tea improves digestion, controls muscle aches and pains, eases congestion and even fights stress due to its naturally soothing properties. Three Mint makes a good relaxing tea especially if you have an upset stomach. The taste is also nice and freshens breath or to quote Pukka: “refreshes the palate”.

Value

A box of twenty tea bags cost £1.99 on the Pukka website and can be found in most large supermarkets and health shops. This is is less than 10p a bag and the tea bags have enough strength to last a top up of water. I would highly recommend this if you like herbal teas- you will not be disappointed!

The Raw Chocolate Company

The Raw Chocolate Company was founded in 2006 and is a relatively small company with ten people (and expanding). Founder Linus has a fascinating job history from tree-surgeon to childcare worker and became a raw chocolate expert after numerous experimentation with raw cacao. Linus is supported by Sara (a designer and artist) who helps get the chocolate out of the kitchen and get it out to shops.

All of the companies printed material is printed with vegetable based inks on either 100% recycled or a mix of recycled fibres and pulp from FSC managed forests. I was surprised that the bar had a plastic wrapper inside the paper label (is it biodegradable as neither the website nor wrapper mention it?!).

The Raw Chocolate Bar

This is my first taste of a ready-made raw chocolate bar as I don’t really like eating processed ready-made foods and much prefer making food from scratch. I figure as it isn’t a ‘cooked’ item I am allowed, and I am very intrigued by this bar that is made in Sussex.

The chocolate is made using raw cacao butter which is a good source of essential fatty acids and is less likely to cause weight gain compared to hydrogenated fats. 
 
A look at the ingredients reveals Algarroba (South American carob) which is rich in minerals and protein. 
 
The bar I received states “improved recipe” on the label and doesn’t have mulberries in the ingredients unlike the website description. Vanilla and sea salt add a little flavour to the chocolate though it is a shame that they switched away from
 Himalayan rock salt (which apparently contains all minerals and trace elements found in the human body).

The Taste

My first rather greedy bite into the bar reveals that the texture is pretty similar to non-raw chocolate and it provides a satisfying bite. The first flavour that hit my taste buds is a slightly bitter and salty taste. I regret that there is too much salt for my palate, though I have always disliked salt and much prefer none in food than too much. The odd thing is I still like the chocolate and I actually cannot explain why. I suspect it is the nutrients that make me go back for more.

Speaking solely in terms of taste I cannot recommend the bar if you are not a fan of salt and it also has a rather hefty price of £2.98. If you are intrigued go to The Raw Chocolate Company and check out the explorer bars in the shop priced at a more sensible 99p each (grab them while you can!).

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