Does Shea Butter go with Ginger? (Radox Nourish Bath Therapy)

Member Name: Munchkin2009

Product:	Radox Nourish Bath Therapy
Date:	13/07/09 (75 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good consistency, plenty of bubbles, economical, effects on skin

Disadvantages: The smell, the colour, proven to relax claims

INTRODUCTION

I'm mainly a shower person as it is more convenient, but I do like a nice long bath as an occasional treat or to relieve aches and pains. There is nothing like a nice long soak being surrounded by bubbles and a gorgeous aroma.

A LITTLE ABOUT RADOX

Radox has been around for over 100 years, and started off life as Radiated Oxygen bath salts. Today the brand is owned by Sara Lee, which puts me in mind of chocolate gateaux. The Radox range now contains a vast array of toiletries which contain numerous herbs, plant extracts and essential oils.

WHY I BOUGHT RADOX

My first memories of Radox was a dark green bottle, which coloured the bathwater bright green and smelt like pine toilet cleaner. Radox has changed a lot over the years and have produced some gorgeous smelling shower gels, so I decided to give the bath range another go. Oh alright I admit it, the fact they were £1 each in Boots was an influential factor, I can't resist a bargain! So I chose the Moisture Soak and Nourish which is the product I am reviewing today.

As I understand it, Nourish replaced the Replenish bath foam and shower gel when it relaunched it's range of products a couple of years ago. I loved the fragrance of the Replenish shower gel which smelt like peaches and cream, and left my skin feeling moisturised so I have high expectations from the Nourish herbal bath.

THE PRODUCT

=Packaging=

The product comes in a clear plastic bottle that looks very traditional, and oozes quality. It has the word 'Radox' embossed on the side, which gives it an old fashioned feeling, it can be recycled minus the cap. The Nourish variety has a cream cap to match the cream liquid inside it.

I'm aware Radox has revamped it's product line since I bought my bottles of Radox, and Nourish now features in the Bath Therapy range. The information on the bottles is pretty much the same, but the picture is different. The blurb on the front of the bottle shows the Radox logo, along with the variety I'm using. In this case it is Nourish and it will help me care for my skin, and that it contains a blend of natural herbs and minerals. I'm not keen on the colour, and I felt it didn't stand out as well as other products in the Radox range, some of the bubble baths are gorgeous shades of blue and purple.

The back of the bottle gives some more information about the product, and explains why Radox have chosen the ingredients in question. Shea Butter has been chosen to leave my skin lovely to touch, and ginger for added spice. Now, the Shea Butter I can understand as it is widely used in skincare for it's moisturising properties, but I'm perplexed about the use of ginger in a bath product. I admit I am more familiar with ginger as a culinary spice, but medicinally it's used for colds, coughs and stomach problems such as nausea. I'm then invited to lie back, close my eyes and take in all the good stuff once I am settled in my Nourish bath. Radox goes on to claim that this product is proven to relax me, and instructions on what to do if I ever get this product in my eyes, along with the ingredients list and contact details.

=Price, size and availability=

As I said, I paid £1 as part of a special offer in Boots, but it normally retails for £1.60 for a 500 ml bottle. I've seen it priced towards the £2 mark in other places. You'll find Radox on sale in most supermarkets, chemists and places such as Wilkinson. It's frequently on special offer such as buy one get one free and the £1 offers so that is a good time to stock up.

WARNINGS

The product doesn't give any warnings, but anything can cause an allergic reaction. As it contains essential oils it is a good idea to do a skin patch test first. I would also recommend seeking advice if you are pregnant, take medication or suffer from any serious health issues in case any of the essential oils aren't suitable.

MY OPINION

=Opening the bottle=

The bottle has a cap that twists off, and it is easy to open and the bottle feels comfortable in my hand. Once the bottle was opened I had a sniff, and was greeted with a rather strange odour. I was expecting a warm, sweet, spicy fragrance with the addition of ginger. While I got a hint of ginger, there was a woody scent there that I didn't like. That said, it is the smell in the bath that counts, I have known products to redeem themselves once in the bath or in the shower.

=Pouring and bubbles=

I am impressed with the consistency of this liquid, it pours beautifully. It isn't so thick that it is hard to pour and not so thin that before you know it you've used the entire bottle. I used three capfuls and got plenty of thick and creamy bubbles (though not as many as the Moisture Soak one), I live in a soft water area so you may need to add more of this product in a hard water area.

=My experience=

In terms of a bubble bath, I really can't fault it. In terms of the quality of the bubbles, it is one of the best brands I've tried in terms of creaminess, and staying power. I was in the bath for just over half an hour and the bubbles stayed put the entire time.

The packaging claims that a bath containing this product is proven to relax me, but not for me it didn't. Generally I am sceptical of relaxation claims made by products such as this, and for me is not an influential factor in making a purchasing decision.

I didn't like the smell, while it faded somewhat once in the bath I still didn't like it. In my view I felt the ginger fragrance just didn't work, or it is one of those things that's an acquired taste.

After I had dried myself, I noticed my skin was lovely and soft and I didn't need to use a body lotion. That said, I have used other products containing Shea Butter and have had similar experiences in terms of soft skin. I didn't experience any skin irritation.

If I could suggest some improvements to reformulate Nourish, I would definitely keep the Shea Butter, but I would bring back the fragrance and the colour of the Replenish shower gel which smelt lovely.

I have awarded this product three stars because it is a good quality product, economical and left my skin feeling soft, but sorry Radox, I just don't like the smell. I wouldn't buy Nourish again unless the fragrance was improved, and I would give the Nourish shower gel a miss as it is the same fragrance.

Also on Ciao under membername Munchkin2009

Summary: Good quality product, shame about the smell!