I have been a Lush fan for not longer than a year. Honestly said, while the shop is always colourful and lively, the heavy smell of soaps you get as soon as you walk by on the street makes many reluctant to enter, even out of curiosity.
Another clear point also is that oe needs to have at least a small idea of what you are interested in, or what you would be willing to try. With a very big range of products (soaps, shampoos, conditionners, shower and bath bombs, cosmetics, toothpaste, body cream) available in a big range of options (solid, zero-waste, liquid, sprays, powders...), the choice is too big to go freestyle, unless you are curious and have some time before you.
So far the advice I have received from the ladies working in the shop have been top-notfch, and I have restrained myself from buying a lot and instead focus on my actual needs.
Deodorant: I am a hug fan of the zero-waste / zero-packaging, hard deodorant Aromaco. With a block of 100g I am generally lasting half a year, which is a big change of practice compared to one roll per month approximatively. Of course you need to get use to the stucture of the block, and you might have to shave off a little layer of the block to smoothen it as it is naturally rough and dry. I have been keeping it in a jam jar in my bathroom and haven't had any issue so far with it. It sustained and supported hours of office work, unnecessary long train commutes, and the 2019 heatwave. Price-wise, I feel like I have saved a good amount of money not buying rolls anymore, and haven't produced any waste for a year.
Hard soap: The Seanik version has been a big plus so far compared to the regular bottled, liquid shampoos from various brands. Pregnancy and postpartum have hit my hair big time, and it took me some time to be fully satisfied with my routines, especially after I cut my long hair to a healthier length. Seanik has been keeping my hair strong and light over the past months. Do not be afraid by it's flashy colour, it obviously does not turn your hair blue! It also foams greatly, which is sometimes a point that one needs to get used to when working with dry, powdered or hard shampoo bars. It is easy to use, by applying on your wet hands or directly onto your wet hair (what I do), and rince as normal. I like my head extra foamy but it is not necessary. After use, let it dry properly.
Conditioner: I did try the Jungle hard conditioner bar the first time after the Seanik shampoo, but the effect was not fully satisfying. I was then advised to look into the items you can find in the Lush signature black pots (not zero-waste but recyclable in the shop) for a different experience, and Retread has been the chosen one since then. It is creamy and rich without leaving an oily feeling afterwards, and seriously nourishes my hair nicely. I leave it a few minutes, then rince it normally. Its smell has also been weirdly comforting compared to more fruity creams - you do not smell anything after your hair is dry, though.
Scrub: the Scrub Scrub Scrub! exfoliating cream was actually a present from the shop as their sales campaign, but it is now part of my pampering routines. Despite a very sensitive, dry skin, this sea-salt based scrub has been a pleasure to use and rince. You might need to be little careful with your shower, as the blackberry-charcoal mix does leave black stains on shower curtains...but no traces of course on your skin.
Shower bombs: we do own a bathtub, but for ecological reasons (combined with absolute boredom) I do not take bath at home. I discovered however that Lush has developed a range of shower bombs to complement its large range of bath bombs. They are not planned to be disolved in the water, but instead to foam with water and turn into creamy soap on yourself. I got the Comfort Zone and Sleepy ones as presents, and the experience I have to say has been very pleasant. However the price per piece (5,5 and 6,5 CHF) makes it quite an expensive shower time...so I will pass in the future and focus on the absolute necessary items.
Toothpaste: The Boom tablets have been THE absolute surprise of all. I had tried menthol tablets as a test a while ago, and found myself very confused by the texture, the flavour (it was like brushing your teeth with gum without being able to swallow it) and the size of the tablet. In this case, the Boom ones leave a very nice, fresh impression, and of course charcoal makes it also fun to use: try not to laugh in front of your kids with a totally black mouth. Be aware however that it might leave stains on your tubs and clothes and toothbrush, so make sure not to laugh too hard, then.
Lip scrub: another one that was not bought but part of the sales gift, that I wouldn't have chosen voluntarily but ended up being a good surprise, too. I got a pumpkin spice lip scrub based on caster sugar - closest friends will know that this is a flavour that I hate, I guess it was a limited Halloween edition or something. The website however shows various other flavours, and it is nice to see that most ingredients are natural. Despite its flavour the feeling is actually quite fine, leaving then smooth lips without hurting them. It is something that I will keep on doing once a week, especially during winter time. The container is however quite small for its price (14 CHF) so it is something that I might not repeat in the future, but focus on natural lip balms instead.
Conclusion
I used to be a full Body Shop fan for my daily routines - I am still trusting the brand with regard to their cosmetics that I have been using for years (and because I am also very afraid to change the make-up items as they have worked perfecly for my skin). However I am very, very happy with Lush which has allowed me to remove big brand's products and packaging from my routines, and surely also save some money and space in our storage.
What comes next?
I received an amazing starting pack from Comme Avant from of my most inspiring friends that includes a shampoo and a soap bars, powdered deodorant, a shea butter cream bar, powder toothpaste and soap flakes to make my own cleaning products.
Another friend has given me as well a sample of Ghassoul (or Rhassoul) clay powder that she has been using for a while now as shampoo. Her comments have been extremely positive so I am willing to give it a try at some point.
The tests will also be documented here!
*As mentioned in the TRY AND SHARE section's introduction, this post is not supported nor sponsored by the brand.
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