** The product **

Orange Flower Botanical Body Wash is another product from the extensive Liz Earle range. Like most of the Liz Earle body care products, it contains natural ingredients such as pure plant extracts and essential oils and does not contain animal extracts. This body wash boasts extracts of organic oats and yarrow as well as rose-scented geranium and natural vitamin E. It promises to soften and smooth the skin as well as cleansing it, and is described as "heavenly" on the back of the bottle.

The body wash costs £10.75 for 200ml or £7.75 for 100ml (or a little less if bought in bulk) and can be bought online at www.lizearle.com The website also lists the other places it can be bought, including the London Liz Earle shop (Duke of York Square) and selected branches of John Lewis.


** Packaging **

The body wash comes in a pale blue, very fresh and pure but rather dull-looking recyclable plastic tube with the sliver Liz Earle logo and a silver band.


** My experience **

The gel is transparent, slightly yellowish in colour and rather runny and sticky. I really had to use a lot to get it to lather up properly, even when I used a massage mitt in the shower. It rinsed off fairly easily and left my skin feeling clean if not particularly softened or moisturised.

What really annoyed me about this product was the fragrance. It smells very strongly of... well I'm not sure! It has that penetrating 'botanical' perfume that a lot of Liz Earle products seem to have. I think it must be the 7 essential oils it contains! It's far too penetrating for me: musty, musky and old-ladyish rather than sweet or fresh, and it gives me a headache. There is no hint of anything citrussy (so don't fooled by the name Orange Flower - it definitely doesn't smell anything like oranges). The only good thing about the fragrance is that it doesn't last and disappears along with the foam when you rinse it away.


** Conclusion **

Not a great product. You need to use a lot of it to get any foam and the smell is really off-putting. It may have natural ingredients but in my opinion it's unpleasant and very overpriced. Back to the drawing board with this one, I think!