Okay if you don't mind smelling like a pizza! (Lush 13 Soap (Unlucky For Dirt))

Member Name: FairyG

Product:	Lush 13 Soap (Unlucky For Dirt)
Date:	15/06/09 (119 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lovely complex smell and nice colour

Disadvantages: Oregano smell is dominant, and can be a bit overpowering.

I use Lush soaps all the time as they're so kind to my sensitive skin, so I'm always intrigued when a new one comes out. This one sounded so unusual I had to give it a try. According to the Lush Times paper, this one gets its name from a 1931 Hollywood film about a soap company. In the film the son advertised a soap that didn't exist but demand was so high his dad had to make it!

Lush developed this soap after been asked by nurses for soap made with oregano because, according the University of the West of England, oregano kills MRSA bacteria. It contains the following ingredients:

Oregano and Rose Petal Infusion (Origanum vulgare and Rosa centifolia), Propylene Glycol, Rapeseed Oil; Sunflower Oil; Coconut Oil (Brassica napus; Helianthus annuus; Cocos nucifera), Water (Aqua), Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Honey, Perfume, Sodium Hydroxide, Manuka Honey, Sodium Stearate, Oregano Oil (Origanum vulgare), Rose Absolute (Rosa damascena), Geranium Oil (Pelargonium graveolens), Sodium Chloride, Geraniol, *Limonene, Colour 18050
* Occurs naturally in Essential Oils

The colour is a lovely translucent burnt orange and looks quite attractive and tempting to use, always a good thing when trying to get my granddaughters to wash their hands properly! They are very taken with some of the Lush soaps I use and will spend ages washing their hands with some of the more colourful, deliciously scented ones.

This one doesn't foam up a lot when used, but does form enough of a froth to shower with. It's also quite gentle on sensitive skin, although it's not one of the really rich and moisturizing Lush soaps. For that reason I wouldn't want to use it frequently in the shower, as I do like a moisturizing soap.

Another thing that puts me off using it as a shower soap is the smell. Although I can detect the rose notes coming through, and the sweetness of the honey, the oregano smell is the dominant one. Now I do like the smell of oregano but I'm not sure I want to go around smelling of it all day. It's a lovely, complex scent, but not exactly feminine. However, as a hand soap it's excellent, especially knowing that the oregano could help kill MRSA. If I had to go in hospital I would certainly take this with me.

This soap currently sells at £3.50 per 100g. There is no use by date on the packaging but it does say 'best used fresh', which applies to all Lush products, as they are made from fresh ingredients. However, being a solid soap it does seem to last quite well, and I've still got some left after two weeks, smelling just as lovely as the day I bought it.

Summary: A lovely hand soap.