Icy Blue (Lush Ice Blue Soap)

Member Name: Butterfly-Wings

Product:	Lush Ice Blue Soap
Date:	29/06/09 (89 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Smells great, moisturises, softens skin

Disadvantages: some people may dislike the scentq

Lush are a company which I had never heard of before until I read a few positive reviews about some of their different products on review sites. I really liked the sound of their products so I decided to have a look on their website to see if there was a Lush store near where I lived and luckily there were two in Glasgow. I travel into Glasgow most weekends to do some shopping and I was amazed that I had never spotted the two Lush stores on my frequent visits to Glasgow. I must walk around Glasgow with my eyes closed or something to have never noticed the bright green and yellow lush sign above the shop door. However when I entered the Lush store I was like a kid in a sweet store as there was lots and lots of products to choose from and some more appealing than others.
For those of you whom haven't heard of Lush before they are basically a company which produces bath and body products which contain pure essential oils and safe synthetics. One of the best things about Lush is the fact that they are really against animal testing and only use vegetarian ingredients in their products, so basically their products are quite safe for most people to use especially those whom have sensitive skin as there are no harsh chemicals in their products. Another thing about the Lush company is the fact that they use very little or no packaging with their products which is also good for the environment. I think that the way Lush manufacture, make and package their products is fantastic and more cosmetic companies should take a leaf out of the Lush book and do the same as there are far too many cosmetic products being tested on animals.

As I mentioned above there are lots of different Lush products to choose from which are mainly highly scented, brightly coloured and have really funky names. You really do have an awful lot to choose from when you enter a Lush store and could easily spend a small fortune, I normally set myself a limit of £30-40 maximum otherwise I could easily spend double or treble that amount in the space of a few minutes. Normally when I'm choosing a new Lush goodie to try out I am drawn to the products which are either bright pink or purple in colour; mainly because pink and purple are my favourite colours and they look all girly and feminine. As I have tried most of the pink and purple coloured Lush products in the range I have now started trying out other products which have nice scents which appeal to me. I mostly opt for the sweet and fruity scented Lush products which smell good enough to eat.
There are lots and lots of different products available in Lush stores or online, so you are sure to find a product which suits you. If you are unfamiliar with the sort of products Lush sell then I would advise having a look online as they sell solid and liquid shampoos, bath bombs, bubble bars, etc. Some of the Lush products however aren't available to buy in store; you have to buy these particular products online from the Lush website. The products which are solely only sold online at Lush are called Lush retro products and there are quite a few of them to choose from, some of my most favourite Lush products are from the Retro range
Lush Ice Blue a soap which is a bright ice blue colour with flecks of bright white around the edges of it; I think that the colour of the soap is really vibrant and bright. The soap has the same sort of feel and appearance to normal soaps which you would purchase from the chemist to get washed with. The only apparent difference between the lush soap and other soaps is the fact that the Lush soaps are a lot bigger and are more of a rectangular shape. I think that the colour of the soap is relatively nice and it really stands out from all of the other soaps in Lush as Ice Blue has a really vibrant appearance. However the appearance of the soap isn't really important as long as it cleans your skin and doesn't dry it out and irritate it is all that's important.

The piece of Ice Blue Soap which I bought from the Lush cost me £2.90 for a 100g slice of the soap. £2.90 for a slice of soap is fairly expensive compared to some of the other Lush soaps and some of the others which are sold in the Lush Retro range. Some people may think that £2.90 for a bar of soap is quite expensive considering you can purchase bars of soap priced between £0.40-£0.80 in the shops however I think that the price for the Ice Blue soap is excellent and money well spent considering there are no harsh chemicals or preservatives in the ingredients list. Most other soaps contain an ingredient called Palm Oil, where as Lush doesn't add Palm Oil to their soaps, they have found an alternative ingredient to use because the Palm Oil is obtained from Palm Trees in the Rainforests and lots of Rainforest areas are getting damaged because manufacturers are wanting to get the palm trees for the palm oil. I think that using an alternative to Palm Oil is great and more cosmetics companies should start looking for an alternative to add to their cosmetics products like Lush.

Using the Ice blue soap couldn't be easier; all you have to do is basically use it like you would do with any other soap you would normally buy from the shops or chemists. One noticeable difference about the soap when wet is the fact that it is really slippery, and it produces a lovely thick and creamy lather really quickly. One of the main reasons the soap is as slippery is the fact that it contains essential oils and generally oils are quite slippery especially when your hands and the soap are wet. When washing with the soap the lather produced was really thick and creamy and it felt as if it was actually moisturising my skin as well as cleansing it. Normally when I have used soaps in the past I feel as if they are tightening and drying my skin out but I didn't get any of this feeling when using the Ice Blue soap, which I think is due to the amounts of essential oils in the soap bar. I was so pleased with the soap that I decided to use it on my face, I would never use soap on my face but as Lush soap doesn't contain any harsh chemicals or synthetics I decided to try it out and to my surprise it was just as good as my facial scrubs and cleansers, and it didn't leave my face feeling greasy, oily, tight or dry. In fact it left my skin feeling silky smooth to the touch and not tight feeling either.

The fragrance which the Ice Blue soap leaves on my skin is fairly bold and awakening; it has a really fresh and vibrant fragrance. The main fragrance in the soap is that of a really minty fragrance quit similar to that of peppermint - the peppermint is complimented by a very light zesty fragrance which is similar to that of oranges and lemons - I think that this Zesty aroma adds a really fresh and vibrant aroma to the soap.

After bathing you notice a huge improvement in the condition of your skin; it feels hydrated, smooth, and soft and smells gorgeous. Every time I have a bath or a shower I always apply a moisturiser to my skin as I feel that I need the extra moisturising; despite using moisturising shower creams, bubble baths etc. But with the Lush Ice Blue soap I didn't even feel the urge to apply a moisturising lotion as my skin felt moisturised enough after soaking in the tub and washing with the Ice Blue Soap. The fragrance which lingers on your skin is really bold and vibrant, and smells really fresh and awakening, I would say that the scent of the Ice Blue Soap lingered on my skin for approximately 3-4 hours or so before it faded away completely, which is quite good considering some of the other Lush Soaps which I have used in the past lingered on my skin for a shorter length of time and had fainter fragrances.

One of the good things about the Ice Blue Soap is the fact that it doesn't leave a murky mark, residue or a stain in and around the bath tub after you have used it. One of the other lush soaps which I used in the past left a stain in the bath as well as some coconut pieces which meant I had to scrub at it with some bleach to remove the stain. However I was quite pleased with the fact that I didn't have to repeat the process using this particular soap. There is only one problem with the soap and that is the fact that it leaves the bottom of the bath feeling very slippery and oily when you are using it which is partly due to the essential oils again.

As I mentioned earlier in this review the Ice Blue soap contains some essential oils which are not only good for your skin; they are also good for you mind and well being as they have aromatherapy uses as well. The Essential Oils which are in the Ice Blue soap are as follows ~

Orange Oil ~ has a really fresh and summery fragrance which isn't at synthetic or sharp smelling, it is also good for balancing your mind as it is said to have a stimulating and uplifting effect. As for skin benefits the Orange essential oil is said to refresh and hydrate your skin.

Bergamot Oil ~ has quite a fresh citrusy aroma which has slight floral undertones. In aromatherapy Bergamot essential oil has many different uses and purposes which include helping combat depression, anxiety and stress. As for health and skin properties Bergamot Essential oil can be used to help prevent and treat Acne, abscesses, boils, cold sores, cystitis, halitosis, itching, loss of appetite, oily skin, and psoriasis.

Peppermint Oil - Has quite a sharp fresh minty aroma which can be quite overpowering if too much is used. It is particularly good for use with people who suffer from Acne and Dermatitis - as well as people who suffer from Colic and nausea to name a few.

Coconut Oil - Coconut essential oil is sweet smelling oil which has slightly creamy undertones. Coconut Oil is extremely high in antioxidants, and it helps to protect the skin from damaging and potentially harsh elements such as sun damage and chemical damage. Coconut Oil contains an anti ageing property which aids in keeping skin firmer looking and more toned. It is great moisturising oil for cracked, dry or chapped skin and provides instant hydration and moisture to the skin.

I was fairly pleased with the results achieved by using the Ice Blue soap; as it did leave my skin feeling noticeably firmer, softer and more hydrated after the first use and after continued daily use my skin felt even softer every day. The only thing which disappointed me about the soap was the fact that it didn't have as much of a strong aroma compared to all of the other soaps in the Lush range.

If you like the sound of Ice Blue soap then you can purchase it online or in store from Lush. A 100g piece of the soap will cost you £2.90 and you should expect this soap to last you approximately 3-4 weeks if you are using it on a daily basis. The soap lasts really well and doesn't dry out and start to look really tired and old after a few uses, it retains its colour and its scent really well after each use.

More information about Lush and their range of products can be obtained from the website which is www.lush.co.uk

Alternatively you can obtain more information by the following methods ~

Unit 3,
19 Willis Way,
Fleets Industrial Estate,
Poole,
Dorset
BH15 3SS
United Kingdom
Telephone ~ (01202) 668545

E-mail ~ customer service@lush.co.uk
Thanks for reading
: o) Lisa

© just.bcoz
2009

Summary: An Iceberg in your bath