Lush It's Raining Men Shower Gel

Lush ‘It’s Raining Men’ shower gel
What is special about Lush?

I cannot imagine that anyone reading this has not heard of the lovely cosmetic/toiletry company called 'Lush' that started way back in the 80s as 'Cosmetics to go'. They make the most wonderful smelling and exciting things for pampering and they are very keen to support Fair Trade and eco ingredients. All their products are free from nasty additives and not tested on animals.

Lush state :

"We believe in making effective products out of fresh fruit and vegetables, the finest essential oils and safe synthetics, without animal ingredients, and in writing the quantitative ingredient list on the outside.

We also believe in buying only from companies that test for safety without the involvement of animals and in testing our products on humans"

What did you buy THIS time?

Just back from my latest holiday and as I was walking through the Westfield Centre in DerbyI ventured once again into the wonderful aroma filled shop Lush .I went in to buy some Pied de Pepper foot cream but saw this shower gel ‘It’s Raining Men’ and having had a sample a few weeks ago I decided that as I had liked it and this was a limited edition for Valentine’s Day I better buy it before they all went.

Golden liquid but no men,

The gel is a rich, custardy creamy colour and it is quite thick in consistency. It smells quite strongly of honey and caramel and is quite a sweet smelling one really so if this does not appeal then avoid this one. This gel is a limited edition and only available for the short time around this Valentine period so if you do like the sound of it head to your local Lush store or order on line from their site www.lush.co.uk as soon as possible.

On the front of the bottle this is how Lush describes their Valentine gel;

" Hallelujiah ! God bless Mother Nature for all the sensual honey and exotic flowers we squeeze into bottle. Get absolutely soaking wet and lather up with this Honey I washed the Kids scented shower gel”

This lovely creamy shower gel is similar to the scent of the ‘Honey I washed the Kids ‘stuff in Lush and is very much based on the scent and goodness of honey.
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‘It’s Raining Men” Shower Gel comes in three sizes with prices of 100ml = £4.25, 250ml = £7.95, 500ml = £14.25. Not a cheap gel but you really do only need a tiny amount to get a good lather. The bottles have the usual 'packed by' sticker on it and a use by date but I don't get too worried by these dates as I am not eating it after all. It comes in the standard Lush bottle with a flip top lid - at present these are not recyclable through Lush which their tubs are but hopefully they will do this in future.

What is it like bathing in honey and cream then?

This is a lovely rich colour but slightly more caramel in colour than honey, more like creamed honey than the clear one. The gel is thick enough that when I pour about a 10p sized amount in my hand that creates a lather enough to clean the top half of my body. It feels lovely and creamy and the scent is sweet and creamy. It foams up nicely and makes my skin feel nice and soft as well as quite moisturized. There is no tightening of my skin after my using it. The scent is quite gentle and doesn’t linger on the skin for too long afterwards but does leave a nice hint of clean and creamy after my bath which I really love.
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The smell is wonderfully creamy, caramel with a hint of orange which comes from bergamot and sweet orange oils. The gel is actually made from real honey, lotus flowers, orange oil and bergamot and smells like a toffee fudge or a creme caramel cooking.

There is evidence that honey contains antibacterial, antiseptic, antioxidant and antifungal substances. Honey has been used as a skin ointment for over 2000 years as it is a natural, gentle moisturizer.

Now for the not so great:

This is a full contents list and while most of these are indeed natural there are a few worrying ingredients.

Honey (Mel), Rosehip, Lotus Flower and Tiger Lily Infusion (Rosa canina, Nelumbo nucifera and Lilium tigrinum), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Water (Aqua), Perfume, Propylene Glycol, Sweet Wild Orange Oil (Citrus Dulcis), Bergamot Oil (Citrus Aurantium bergamia), Titanium Dioxide, *Limonene, *Linalool, Benzyl Benzoate, Methylparaben

Lush do somewhat gloss over the less great contents. I have done a bit of research and have discovered that some of these so called natural contents are anything but.

Linalool: See this site http://fscimage.fishersci.com/msds/21702​.htm this appears to be a rather unpleasant chemical which is an eye and skin irritant as well as other undesirable potential health effects.

Methylparbens: see this site http://www.ehow.com/about_5453218_danger​s-methylpa raben.html These seem to be equally undersirable and can cause skin problems as well as possible links to male infertility and breast cancer!

Sodium Cocoamphoacetate: this is a coconut based foaming agent and actually not actually harmful according to

"The Personal Care Products Council, an industry trade association, found that sodium cocoamphoacetate was less of a skin irritant than SLS, even in larger doses than found in most consumer products. It was found to not irritate the eyes even in concentrations of 28.1 percent, like those found in shampoo"

So in short, not all good but not all bad, so it is up to the individual person to make up their own minds whether they are happy to risk the two nastiest ingredients I have mentioned.

Summary

This is a lovely sweet smelling creamy shower gel from Lush I really love the smell and am prepared to overlook the two nasty ingredients as they are in most shower gels and shampoos that you buy anyway. You just need to be aware that if you do have sensitive skin you may get a reaction from these ingredients. If you are interested in trying this then get down to your local Lush and buy some quickly as Valentine’s Day will be here and gone so quickly.

Thanks for reading. This review may be posted on other sites under my same user name.

©Catsholiday