Cosmetic Trials

Starting this week, I’m making a conscious effort to buy more natural skincare products. I have found myself reading the ingredients of everything from food to soap and am often surprised by the long lists of additives and colourings of things, even more so at the ingredients of things touted as “natural”. I don’t plan to go all hippie and exclusively only use products I’ve manufactured in my kitchen, but I am starting to be much more aware of what I’m putting onto and into my skin.

With this in mind I went into Lush for the first time a couple of days ago. Lush is somewhere I usually stay well aware from because the strong citrus smell you experience when you walk within ten feet of a Lush store is a bit too abrasive on my nostrils and puts me off. Plus the whole image is a bit more “greenpeace” than what I would normally be attracted to and I like a bit of marketing polish. Of course the marketing doesn’t affect whats actually in the tub but I’m a sucker.

I was looking for two things in particular- deodorant and cleaner and I found both. I wasn’t particularly impressed with the range of deodorants as they all smelt very um…. hippie. One whiff of the Patchouli one and I felt like I’d momentarily time travelled back to Woodstock. I wanted something quite floral and girlie and even though that option wasn’t available I was determined not to leave empty handed and settled on the Sandalwood and Lemon variety….

…. which just doesn’t have the same visual appeal of a can of Dove really, does it? Despite its very unappealing appearance it works really well. I’ve not had the chance to really put it through its paces with a stint at the gym or a day out in the summer but there was no odour from me and I wasn’t overwhelmed by the sandalwood smell either.

In addition to the deodorant I also bought the Ultra Bland cleanser which was recommended by the assistant who helped me out.

This was the thing I thought I would be the happiest with but its not at all. Its heavier than I thought it would be and greasy. Once I’d applied it to my face I had to really lather up my palms with soap to get it off my hands. Not quite as impressive. The directions instruct you to apply with your fingers and remove it with damp cotton wool but I found I had to apply a bit more pressure than I wanted to remove it and I didn’t feel too refreshed afterwards. Also, I had hoped that maybe I could just wash it off but that doesn’t work. I’ll use it up now that I have it but I won’t buy it again. I would still go back to Lush but certainly not for this cleanser.

Can anyone recommend any good natural beauty brands? I’m looking for body lotions, cleansers and hair products in particular and would love your help.