The Body Shop Strawberry Body Butter > Reviews (49)

With summer quickly approaching and the threat of exposed legs, feet and arms I realised with shock what a winter of wearing jeans and long tops has done to me! My skin looks dry and horribly in need of some TLC. I haven't been into the Body Shop for ages. I knew that they had remodelled themselves, and had also heard that they were trying to address the fact that the large majority of their sales occur over a couple of weeks around Christmas time. As I went into the shop I was accosted by a sales person who said that I could join their "Love your Body" club. Bless her she must have been desperate to get people to join up, because the whole reason I was in the shop was because I don't look as if I love my body. Anyway joining this club gave me 10 per cent off all purchases, a free gift if I spent a qualifying amount and further discounts throughout the year.

As I was filing the membership form in I started to talk to the sales lady about my yucky dry skin, and she led me over to the

Body Butter products. There was a super choice of different Body Butter including:-
Almond
Brazil Nut
Cocoa Butter
Passion Fruit
Pink Grapefruit
Strawberry
Vitamin E

I was so relieved that the very kind lady didn't think I needed the Cocoa Butter, for very dry skin, that I didn't think to look at the price of the Body Butter. I chose the strawberry Body Butter out of old Body Shop habit. (I used to love their Strawberry bubble bath).

≈☼≈ What is Body Butter? ≈☼≈
Essentially it is a thick moisturiser made with cocoa butter, hence the butter part of the name. It can be used all over the body and it gets absorbed quickly into the skin without leaving it feeling oily or sticky. It comes in a small round plastic pot, with a screw top lid. The lid has a label depicting fresh strawberries, and states that Strawberry Body Butter, with strawberry seed oil to moisturise, is for normal skin. The strawberry Body Butter is a pale pink colour, and has the texture of (I hate to say it) smooth, spreadable butter. It also has the most incredible strawberry fragrance, which hits you as you open the pot.

≈☼≈ How to use it ≈☼≈
Simple! You scoop the body butter out with your fingers, and rub it into your skin. The body butter is really quite thick so you don't need much to cover a fairly large area. It seems to work best after a bath or shower, especially if skin has been exfoliated first. I guess that this is because the skin is warmer and so the cocoa butter melts more quickly and so is more readily absorbed into the skin.

≈☼≈ Does it work? ≈☼≈
In a word, yes. The Body Shop claim that it can offer up to 24 hr moisturisation. I am not entirely sure how you would test this, but my skin is already starting to look like it may be acceptable for showing off in the summer. It has sorted out the horrid dry patches of skin on my legs, and my skin feels noticeably smoother.

≈☼≈ The smell ≈☼≈
Not surprisingly, it smells like strawberries. It has a less artificial strawberry smell than lots of products, and the fragrance lasts on the skin for hours.

As it is a fresh strawberry smell it is not too sweet or sickly.

≈☼≈ Ingredients ≈☼≈
Underneath the pot is the ingredients list, and what a long list it is, with over 20 items listed. The most important of these are:-
Cocoa Butter ~ which is the moisturiser.
Shea Butter ~ another moisturiser, containing vitamins A and E. These help to soften the skin.
Strawberry seed oil ~ gives the product its yummy strawberry scent. It also provides Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, which are needed to repair the moisture barrier of the skin.

≈☼≈ Anything else? ≈☼≈
It is important to keep the Body Butter in a cool place. I found this out, when I left it on a sun drenched window sill for a while, and came back to strawberry Body Goo. It melts quickly and takes on a very runny consistency when it is warm. However I have found that keeping it in the fridge works wonders, and makes it go that bit further!

≈☼≈ Price and availability ≈☼≈
Ouch, this is the bit where I have to admit to spending £12 (minus my 10% discount, making it the slightly more reasonable £10.80) on a 50ml pot of Body Butter. It is available from The Body Shop and The Body Shop Online, at http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk. It is worth looking out for offers at The Body Shop as they nearly always have free gifts or discounts.

≈☼≈ A quick word about the Body Shop ≈☼≈
The Body Shop is against animal testing, and this product is not tested on animals. They support community trade initiatives and the Shea butter in this product is sourced from Ghana, which the Body Shop claims helps small scale farmers to support their families. The cocoa butter also comes from Ghana, from a fair tradeco-operative with farmers there. The pot is recyclable, and the product is not excessively packaged.

≈☼≈ My opinion ≈☼≈
The Body Shop Strawberry Body Butter isn't cheap, but it does go an awfully long way and it works. My skin is far softer and less dry than it was before I started using the product.

I love the fact that this is not oily or greasy, and that it quickly absorbs into my skin. I am pleased with the results, and I really like the smell. The only problem I have with the product is the price. However a little really does go a long way, and I would be tempted to buy it again.