I have used Lush bath products in the past, and some of their body products, this was my first foray into their facial skincare range. Ultra Bland, with its uninspiring name, is a facial cleanser.

The packaging is simple and recyclable - what's not to like here?! I hate the waste you get with so many other products; I recycle lots and get frustrated with all the wasted packaging that goes straight in the bin. If you save the pot along with others you can return them to Lush stores for a free face mask. The simple pot design means it is easy to access the product also, no wastage as you try any scrape your finger round the 'shoulder' of a bottle to coax the last bit of lotion out. On the bottom of the pot you have an ingredients list and a sticker showing the chap who made my product and his name. I think this is a nice touch, to me it says their staff are part of their team and valued. The cleanser is made in England.
The cleanser is quite think and slightly greasy to the touch - it reminds me a bit like Vaseline but not so sticky, and thicker. I found it quite easy to scoop out of the pot and eight times out of ten I reckon I got the correct amount. In spite of its thickness it was easy to get an even coverage when I put it on my face and it went on smoothly and I ensured I rubbed it around the awkward nose area too. The product also smelt nice - a bit like scented candles and I could pick roses out of the subtle floral scent. Directions on the pot suggested removing with damp cotton wool, however I never feel properly cleansed unless I have put water on my face so tend to wash it off with warm water and a face cloth. I did try using the cotton wool, but quite a lot was needed to get all the cleanser off, a face cloth was quicker and more effective. I haven't used the product on my lids to see if it removed eye shadow, but I suspect it would. I use a separate eye make up remover for that as I usually have eye liner to get rid of, and I wouldn't want to get this product in my eyes. As a cleanser I found it very effective and easily removed my make-up, and left my skin feeling clean. It didn't dry it out either, it just felt (and looked) nice and clean, whilst not looking dull. I didn't use a toner after mostly (usually due to laziness) but my skin didn't seem to be any the worse, I still applied my normal night time moisturiser afterwards, the cleanser is not so great as to moisturise as well, and I wouldn't expect it to.

As many will know, Lush is a respected ethical UK brand. They don't test on animals and source their ingredients from companies with the same policy, much of them being vegetarian friendly and natural. I am not going to list the ingredients in full but those of note include peanut oil (maybe an issue for nut allergy sufferers), beeswax (maybe this is why I think it smells of candles, but means this is not suitable for vegans), rose water (which I could also smell) and parabens (methylparaben, propylparaben). I have to admit I did not expect to see parabens in a Lush product. I am no expert, but media hype would have you believe that parabens are Evil (with a capital E) and you do not want to have them in your skincare products due to links with breast cancer (specifically when in deodorants), however subsequent scientific studies cannot prove a direct link between parabens and breast cancer. I decided to look a bit more into this and discovered parabens can occur naturally in food products, but generally skincare/cosmetic parabens (including Lush's) are synthetic. They are used as a preservative to increase the shelf life of the product, and in Ultra Bland's case it lasts for 14 months which should be more than adequate. Lush claim that the ones that they use are the safest they can find and that they don't use any preservative in over 70% of their products, and when they do, they use the minimum amount possible to ensure their products remain mild. I figure that if parabens that have been scientifically tested, weren't used, then the cosmetic industry would have to find an alternative, and that could easily turn out worse, if not fully tested, and in this case there is only a minimal amount present. A case of better the devil you know maybe, but I am not a molecular biologist, so it is up to the individual to decide for themselves.

In summation, I find this a very good product, my 45g pot retails at £6.45, and I have been using it for 3 months and still have some product left, I use it about 6 times a week (I use a scrub on the other day) and it is gentle enough for daily use as well as being thorough. I think this is a good price for a product that works so well and I will definitely be purchasing it again. Compared to other products on the market, ethically and naturally, whilst not perfect, it seems to be as good as you will get.