Beurre Corporel (The Body Shop Body Butter)

Member Name: Whizz11

Product:	The Body Shop Body Butter
Date:	21/10/08 (564 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lovely fragrances, thick, moisturizer

Disadvantages: None

In my opinion some of the best body lotion/moisturizers around are the range of Body Butters from The Body Shop. We are all aware of the ethical beauty store, The Body Shop which was founded by Anita Roddick in the 1970's. It now has over 2,000 stores in 54 countries and is the second largest cosmetic franchise in the world.

It is known for its global issues around the world and makes sure that its products are not tested on animals, defend human rights etc. Apparently by the end of 2008 65% of their products will contain community traded ingredients. In 2006 they actually spent over $12 million on Community Traded ingredients. Their Body Butters definitely follow this philosophy which I think is an added reason to buy these products over other normal moisturizers. I will get onto that point later but first I will explain a little bit about the product.

Body Butters are moisturizers intended to nourish, protect and soften the skin. The product comes in handy plastic tub/disc with a screw top. The lotion is extremely thick and in my opinion very luxurious. I think it is called butter because it really does look like a butter and is thick and creamy like that. I think the name also comes across as fairly decadent as if you can imagine smothering yourself with butter it sounds very exciting. The lotion has quite a sheen to it, almost like a glycerin sheen which I think also increases the thickness of the lotion. The butter's come in a number of different flavours which all provide a natural fragrance for the skin. The following are the different products in the range:

Japanese Cherry Blossom
Cranberry
Mango
Strawberry
Satsuma
Psssionfruit
Papaya
Pink Grapefruit
Coconut
Vanilla Spice
Vitamin E
Moringa
Cocoa Butter
Shea
Brazil Nut
Olive
Hemp

I like the fact that there is a fruity section as I love fruit smelling body products but also if you don't want something that sweet and sort of sickly then I like the fact that there are more natural smells such as olive, hemp and vitamin E.

I have tried a number of the different products and I also find it quite amazing that they all smell pretty much exactly like the product they are meant to be, the Body Shop have really captured the fragrance and packaged it well. The smells are also very potent and stay on your body for a long time. I like this because sometimes you use a nice smelling body lotion as a perfume for the day but the smell fades fairly quickly but with these Body Butters this doesn't happen. I think because of this though you do really have to like the smell and want to smell like it all day because they do linger.

Each of the products contain shea butter and cocoa butter. The Cocoa butter works as a moisturizer and actually melts at body temperature and is meant to leave the skin feeling soft and silky smooth. Due to the fact that it melts at body temperature when I use the butter I like to scoop some out of the tub with my fingertips and then I warm it up a little in my hands before I put it on so it melts a bit and then rubs into the skin perfectly.

The shea butter has a high level of antioxidant vitamins such as A, E and F which help to protect and nourish the skin The Vitamin E body butter is extremely good for this and definitely a good one if you are looking for a plain smelling lotion that will get your skin really soft.

Now, here's where the ethical part of these products come in. The Shea butter is sourced from Ghana where Ghanaian women have been using it for centuries. Apparently they use it to protect their skin from the fierce dry winds from the Sahara desert. Now, I'm sure if it can protect from these winds, a little cold British wind would stand no chance! The Body Shop get this ingredient from the Tungteiya Shea Butter Association of Northern Ghana which consists of approximately 400 women from 10 villages who use the money they receive to build water pipes in their villages and better housing, medical supplies etc to give themselves and their families a better way of life. A very ethical thing to do in my opinion and obviously a very good ingredient to begin with so why not buy it from a great source.

The Cocoa Beans are sourced from the Kuapa Kokoo Company, also in Ghana which is a fair-trade co-operative of over 30,000 local farmers. This again enables them to build better facilities for their families and in the end a better way of life.

The Body Butters come in two different sizes. There is a 50ml pot and a 200ml pot. The 50ml pot is hay because it is handbag size and I generally use this one as a hand lotion because it is not that big and will not last very long if you use it for an all over body lotion. The 200ml version is much better for all over use. They are fairly expensive. The 50ml tub cost from £5 to £6 and would probably last a few weeks of daily use. The 200ml one costs between £12.50 and £15 depending on the flavour you buy. The tubs are quite pretty looking too and I think that is part of the product that you are buying. For example the Pink Grapefruit version comes in a bright pink tub with pictures of a lovely, juicy, fruity grapefruit on the front. All the other smells follow this packaging depending on what they are and they really make the products stand out and look attractive.

All in all a great product that will really make a difference in the world and possibly make you feel a bit better about saving the world a little bit at a time.

Summary: The Body Shop Body Butters