Time to get down to business - its massage time! (Lush Business Time Massage Bar)

Member Name: Sarccyslayer

Product:	Lush Business Time Massage Bar
Date:	24/06/09 (115 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Smells wonderful, good for relaxing, easy to use, soft skin

Disadvantages: None whatsoever

One of the best products to ever come out of the whiffy shop known as Lush are their massage bars. They are one of my favourite products to buy and whenever something new comes out and I spot it either on their website or in the Lush newspaper 'Lush Times' you can guarantee I have bought it within the next few days.

So why do I obsess over massage bars? I don't really have an explanation or an excuse, I just happen to think that they are a great product which do exactly as they say they are going to do, whether that is relax you and take away the days stress or simply moisturise your skin to make it all soft supple, every Lush massage bar I have used has not left me disappointed. They do have one added bonus and of course that is the fact that it takes two to use... I don't think I need to say more than that!

So what did catch my eye in Lush... well a new massage bar titled 'Business Time' massage bar which retails at £3.87. So this massage bar is not one of the more expensive one but it is new, it smelt nice and that was my justification for buying it. However, prices for each massage bar do vary depending on which ingredients are used to make it but they do last a very long time, so for me they are definitely worth their money. The Massage bar came wrapped within a clear cellophane wrapper clearly displaying the Lush logo.

The 'Business Time' bar is nothing exciting to look at, to me looks like an ordinary piece of nice soap (see picture) which could be sat in anyone's bathroom and this is perhaps a little disappointing when you consider that it isn't brightly coloured as other Lush products but it is in keeping with the colourings of similar products within this range and that I would describe as a the cocoa butter colour. It is circular in shape, more like a Frisbee shape and on the top of the massage bar are lots of star shaped patterns engrained upon it.

Okay now using one massage bar is very much like using the next massage bar and if you have used one of these things before then you know what I am going to say and if you haven't, well I will explain all. To use your massage bar is really simple; you pretty much mimic the actions of using a bar of soap. To melt the bar you simply rub it between the palms of your hands, this helps to loosen the essential oils and butters (if you look at your hands they will appear slightly greasy) used within product to enable you to massage much easier so that your fingers glide over the skin. One tip however, whatever you do make sure the person massaging you has warm hands when they begin to massage you, there is nothing worse than a cold handed masseuse to make the shivers set in.

After using any of the massage bars you may need to towel off any excess oils because as good as it is at absorbing itself totally into your skin, I have always found there to be parts that have been missed and unless you want to leave any stains around your home, always double check that it has all been massaged into your skin or that you do towel yourself off afterwards for double checking.

I have already said that to look at this massage bar is exceptionally boring it does smell absolutely fabulous and for anyone who is an avid fan of Cocoa butter or almonds then you will certainly enjoy the smell of this. Firstly there is a combination of both Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Coconut oil and almond oil all of these are known to moisturise the skin thoroughly to leave it feeling soft to the touch, smooth and supple and all four oils are especially kind to people like me who suffer with sensitive skin because they do not bring about adverse reactions. The one reason that Lush use Cocoa Butter as the main ingredients for their massage bars is due to the fact that they it melts at just above body temperature which makes it much easier to use.

When it comes to further ingredients within this massage bar we have Lavender Oil, for those people who are not a fan of Lavender as a smell then you don't have to worry because within this massage bar it isn't a smell that clearly stands out, however as an oil Lavender is well known to help calm, relax and de-stress the nerves and is also used to help combat insomnia and headaches. Next comes Fennel Oil which is extremely kind to the skin and it has both a cleansing and toning effect on the skin, helping to sort out overly oily skin and it also helps to fight wrinkles in more mature complexions and removing cellulite. Finally there is Rose Absolute which like Lavender helps to calm and relax the mind whilst being a really good moisturiser to the skin and helping to keep it hydrated and it is said that Rose absolute is particularly beneficial for people with dry, mature and sensitive skin. There are also many other ingredients contained within this massage bar and they can be found at www.lush.co.uk

As for the smell, well it reminds me of Palmers Cocoa butter but with a slight twist due to the combination of the coconut oil and almond oil added in. As you rub the massage bar between your hands a wonderful aroma once it is released and it does remind me of hot summers on the beach when almost everyone you walk past has used suntan lotion. I personally love the smell and it does linger on your body for a good few hours after using and it with the Cocoa Butter and Coconut and Almond Oils being the dominant smells.

To get a good use from this bar I would suggest massaging your body (or should I say, get a loved one to massage it for you) for a minimum of 30 minutes and in that time you can ensure your whole body has been thoroughly covered right down to your feet. After using this product I did find that my skin was feeling really soft and totally moisturised and had a healthy glowing effect. You can also use it in a morning or in the evening as a moisturising cream on areas of the body which are quite dry such as the elbows, knee's and the shins because it works really effectively in this way and this is what I currently do, as well as using it as a massage bar.

When it comes to storing the massage bar, I would suggest purchasing a massage bar tin to store it in because that helps to keep it fresh and prevents it from drying out. If you don't want to purchase the tin then I would suggest storing out of direct sunlight and somewhere cool.

So do I recommend this product? Well you won't be surprised to learn that I would recommend this bar to anyone who loves a good Lush product and even one that is quite ordinary looking. It does what it claims to do and is cheap for the length of time it seems to last, in my case a good few months and I use it a few times a week if I can get my own way and most importantly it really does help me relax and wind down after a stressful day or week in the office.

**Extra Information**

If anyone wants to investigate Lush further to see what ingredients are used for this or any other products then you simply go to www.lush.co.uk which will give you the UK version of their website.

Summary: A Lush massage bar which is good for relaxing