Palmers Olive Butter (Palmer's Olive Butter Formula)

Member Name: pink_glitter

Product:	Palmer's Olive Butter Formula
Date:	19/10/07 (653 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: absorbs quickly, smells nice

Disadvantages: bottle

I first came across this body lotion after finding a sample of it in a magazine. I loved it, so went straight out and got some.

~About the product~

The brand Palmer’s are most well known for their range of cocoa butter products. They have now brought out a range of products made with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which they call the olive butter formula. They say that this product will ‘penetrate the skin immediately’ to leave it feeling ‘soothed and softened.’ It is also organic.

~About Olive Oil in Skincare~

I first read about the concept of using Olive oil as a skincare product on an internet beauty site. There was an article there written by a woman who had been using it as a facial cleanser for several years and swore that it was better than anything the premium brands had to offer. The concept of applying oil directly to your skin seemed a bit strange to me, and not something I wanted to risk trying for fear of looking like I‘d been dunked in a chip pan. That’s why when I saw the sample of this product in the magazine, I decided to give it a go, rather than throwing it in the drawer with the majority of the other samples I’ve received.
Palmer’s claim that the reason olive oil is so good for your skin, is that it has a unique lipid structure than moisturises instantly. It is also packed with antioxidents which help maintain a youthful appearance to the skin, as well as emulsifying on contact to aid in smoothing the skin.
On looking into this a bit further it seems that it has multiple uses in skin care - there is some research which suggests it is good for smoothing wrinkles, and it is apparently a fantastic after sun. It is also very high in Vitamin E, which is widely known to repair dry, rough skin.

~The Packaging~

In the picture the bottle has a pump-action dispenser. I‘m not sure if the packaging has been changed but my bottle does not have this. My bottle is white with a green label and has an easy-to-open flip top lid. The main problem I have found with this lotion, is that the bottle is very difficult to squeeze. It’s made of a sort of hard plastic, which takes some force to depress, and is even more tricky once your hands are greasy. I think if they are now making it in bottles with a pump dispenser that has to be a good thing.

~Application~

On dispensing the product, you can see that it is an attractive pale green colour. It has a beautiful delicate smell, I can never describe what things smell like for some reason, but I would say it’s quite ‘spring-like’ if that makes sense - very natural and not too overpowering. It contains limonene, which as you may guess from the name is the main odour constituent of citrus and also coconut oil. I was quite surprised by that, as I wouldn’t say this has a citrussy or coconut smell at all.
On applying this to the skin I was amazed at how quickly it absorbs, its quite thin in consistency - very light, and it takes almost no effort to rub this into your skin, unlike some others where you’re furiously massaging it in for about ten minutes! Also, a little goes a long way, you only need to use a small amount each time you use it, meaning a bottle lasts ages and it means it’s cost effective.

~Results~

Don’t you just hate when you apply a body lotion and for hours afterwards your skin feels tacky or greasy? I know I do, and that’s one of the reasons I love this so much. It doesn’t leave a greasy film, and you don’t get that nightmare of getting dressed and having your clothes stick to you! I’m really impressed with how quickly it dries.
I love the way this makes my skin feel. I’m not good at remembering to apply it every day, but even if I’ve gone a whole week without using it, just one application of this is enough to make my skin feel noticeably softer and smoother, and definitely more moisturised.
Lots of body lotions are splashed with claims that they give 24hour moisture, but they rarely do. I checked the bottle to see if this one made the same claim but it doesn’t. I think they need to start writing it on there, because this keeps my skin feeling soft for 24hours if not more. The delicate fragrance lingers on the skin too, which is always a good thing.
I will also note, that I have eczema, and once in a while will come across a product that irritates the hell out of it and causes a big flare up. I’ve had no such problem with this - possibly due to it being organic.

~Price~

I bought mine in Wilkinsons and paid £2.89 for a 250ml bottle which is quite reasonable, or you can also get it from Boots for £3.19

~Overall Conclusion~

When I run out, I will definitely use this again. It hydrates my skin, leaves it feeling soft and supple and has a gorgeous delicate fragrance. The only thing I think they should change is the bottle, otherwise this gets full marks from me!

Summary: Body lotion with olive oil