Lemon scented marzipan (The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Creamy Body Wash)

Member Name: kerrypanda

Product:	The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Creamy Body Wash
Date:	29/05/09 (65 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: very moisturising, fair trade product

Disadvantages: no lather, quirky scent

When I pop into The Body Shop I always head straight for the Cocoa Butter Body Butter because I like it so much, so when I noticed there was a Creamy Body Wash in the Cocoa Butter line I couldn't resist, and it was only £2.40 for 250ml.

The Body Shop says "Turn bath time into pure decadence with this dreamy creamy wash. Extra softening comes from rich sunflower oil together with Community Trade cocoa butter to moisturise."

I've been using it every day for about a week, and I'm in two minds about this product.

Pro - I have dry skin, and this is very moisturising. Cocoa butter is a fantastic moisturiser (I have used Palmers' for years), and this body wash also contains sunflower seed oil and soya oil which are rich in essential fatty acids, and soften and moisturise skin.

Con - It doesn't lather! You just smooth it on like a lotion then rinse off. I know you don't need a lather to get properly clean, but it's nice!

Pro - It contains Community Trade ingredients. The Body Shops' website says that the sale of the soya oil helps a group of around 150 family-owned farms to continue small-scale organic agriculture, and since 1995, The Body Shop has been buying cocoa beans from the Kuapa Kokoo company in Ghana, a fair trade co-operative with over 30,000 small-scale farmers. The money made by the co-operative enables the development of community projects such as schools and village wells in addition to providing the farmers with income to provide for their families.

Con - The scent. I can't identify it. It's nothing like Palmers' cocoa butter which smells gorgeous, and it doesn't smell like The Body Shop Cocoa Butter either. I would describe it as marzipan with citrus tones, and a cocoa butter smell lurking at the back somewhere. It's not unpleasant, though I have realised it does smell like some antibiotic ointment the vet gave me when Emily the cat had an ear infection! She has been shivering under the table while I have been messing about with the bottle and I just worked out why, bless her!

Conclusion - three stars is a bit mean perhaps, but even though I will finish the bottle and the product itself is very good for my skin, I like lathery nice-smelling bath products, and this fails on both counts! It's not offensive, but I just don't enjoy using it.

UPDATE (Fragrance ingredients list! - Parfum, Citronellol, Linalool, Geraniol, Amyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal, Benzyl Salicylate, Limonene, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Isoeugenol, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Farnesol, Citral, Eugenol, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Cinnamate) This is what it smells of!

Summary: I don't think I'd buy it again