Lush Fresh Farmacy > Reviews (30)

I went on a massive Lush spree recently (I always seem to be on Lush sprees these days) and realised that I hadn't tried many of their cleansers. Lush are the only company, with the exception of Simple, whose products don't irritate my skin, so I thought I might as well give something a try. The product I chose was Fresh Farmacy.

Fresh Farmacy is described by Lush as a "cleansing chamomile and calamine bar for troublesome skin". Calamine powder is supposed to calm red blotches and blemishes, while chamomile also has calming properties. The cleanser also contains tea tree, which is antibacterial and antiseptic and is meant to help with spots, as well as rose and lavender essential oils which are also supposed to calm. The product is suitable for vegans. The cleanser is a solid product that is dusky pink and comes in the shape of a flower, similar to Coal Face, which is then cut into wedges to be sold. 100g of Fresh Farmacy costs £4.15, which sounds like a lot, but it lasts for ages - I got a piece just over 100g in weight, cut off a piece consisting of less than half of the wedge I bought, and even after using it twice a day haven't finished it in four weeks.

Fresh Farmacy smells of rose and tea tree and lavender - a very fresh and floral smell and one that's slightly old-fashioned - it makes me think of the Victorians which is no bad thing as far as I'm concerned! I always feel rather luxurious using this product. To use it, I wet my face, wet one end of the cleanser and rub it over my face, creating a little creamy lather. I then rub it into my face, rinse and apply toner and moisturiser. The cleanser is very effective at removing makeup, including eye makeup, but it unfortunately causes my eyes to sting massively! This hasn't been a problem since as I just make sure the cleanser doesn't go near my eyes. However, it doesn't irritate my sensitive skin in the slightest.

After using this cleanser for a month, I've noticed that I have fewer blemishes and my skin is more even-toned, with no dry bits. It hasn't stopped me getting a few spots, and it hasn't really made my shiny skin more matte (though I didn't really expect it to), but on the whole I'm happy with it. I'm using it twice a day, and it can be slightly drying but I'm using Ultralight at night to counteract this, which is fine. I'm not sure I'd be able to use it in the winter, as my skin is dry then, but I might be able to just use it in the mornings.

This cleanser would be excellent to take away for a weekend, as you only need a tiny bit - you could keep it in an old lip balm tin, or a Lush shampoo bar tin or black pot. It would be great for hand luggage on the plane too, as it's solid.

Overall I'm very impressed with this cleanser. It's good value for money, doesn't irritate my sensitive skin and leaves my skin generally clear and even and free from blemishes. I'm happy with it and would also like to try more cleansers from Lush!