Why I Love Lush Shower Gels

There is huge amount of choice when it comes to shower gels with most of them making wonderful promises, most of them mood altering.   Flying Fox has been my favourite for the past 6 years, with very few exceptions, even taking 2 large bottles with me for my year living in Vietnam!

What’s the Difference between Shower Gels?

The vast majority of shower gels will all share the 3 following main ingredients at the very top of the label ie water, SLS/sodium laureth sulphate (cleaning/foaming action), cocamidyl betaine (to reduce irritancy of the sodium laureth sulphate).  If you are looking for shower gel that will get you clean with a pleasant fragrance, than there is no need to spend more than £1.    As there will be very little difference between most shower gels, and because the contact time with your skin is very quick, a shower gel will not be able to deliver anti-ageing, anti-cellulite promised etc.  If there is a deviation from those top 3 ingredients, than I would say its worth paying more, especially if contains a lot of botanical ingredients.

SLS/ SLES free?

In an ideal world no shampoo or shower gel would contain these, and it is possible to produce without, but a price, and the risk of losing foaming activity.  I do think Lush are very serious about using as few chemicals as possible, and the fact they use such a high level of natural ingredients, for me, balances out the use of SLS.

Skin Affinity

Shower gels are by nature rinse-off’s and are only in contact with the skin for a short period of time, therefore if a product does contain anything for anti-ageing, anti-cellulite it will be in at minuscule levels and give very little effect.  Sodium laureth sulphate is harsh on the skin, but is very cheap <80 p / kg and is gives the squeaky clean feeling with bubbles; therefore a betaine is always included as a co-surfactant to give mildness.

TIP: Use a puff for milder shower gels, as this increases foaming and makes the product last a lot longer.

Flying Fox Ingredients

The 1^st 7 ingredients are natural – so there’s a big difference already, and the next difference is having a higher quantity of the milder co-surfactant than sodium laureth sulfate.  It contains 15 natural ingredients (included 3 types of honey) compared to 6 chemicals, this ratio would be the opposite with most shower gels.

Rating

Value for money – more expensive than other shower gels, with prices ranging from £4.50 (100g) up to £15.75 (500g) however, not comparable with other shower gels. 
Effectiveness – contains the essential ingredients to be a shower gel with more than your average natural ingredients
Pampering factor – the heady fragrance of jasmine absolute and ylang ylang is divine
Highly Recommended – if you want a truly indulgent shower gel with essential oils
Available from Lush stores and online.

Happy Hippy Ingredients

The 1^st 4 ingredients are natural, followed by sodium laureth sulphate, and 2 milder co-surfactants and then 5 natural ingredients and have a ratio of 8 natural ingredients vs. 6 chemicals.

Rating

Value for money – less expensive than other Lush shower gels, with prices ranging from £3.25 (100g) up to £10.25 (500g). 
Pampering factor – wonderful combination of grapefruit, frankincense and bergamot essential oils