Gentil Lentil Solid Shampoo

It was coming up to Christmas time (2012) and I was beginning to get asked a lot, by family and friends, for ideas that they could get me as presents. At the time, I was fairly new to Lush and thought it would be a great idea to ask them to visit their local Lush stores, and pick out a few products that they'd think I'd like. One such product was Gentle Lentil Solid Shampoo.

First impressions weren't exactly great; a cream-coloured block of (what looked like) soap, decorated with brown lentils and wrapped so tightly that you couldn't even appreciate it's scent. Now don't get me wrong - I was far from ungrateful for receiving it; I just recognised that it was not exactly the most immediately attractive product. 

When I enquired into why this particular item was chosen, I was told that it was because 'it incorporated my values about natural ingredients, it's use was suited to my particular hair type and it contained lentils, which they knew us vegan hippies love'. It was a rather touching sentiment, despite the sarcasm. The shampoo remained on my shelf for a good 4-5 months before I decided to try it, and I immediately regretted leaving it so long after my first use...

Gentle Lentil is described as a very soft, gentle shampoo and is recommend for use on dry hair, or those with long, tangled or flyaway hair. It contains lentils, an ingredient packed with protein to help nourish your locks and add shine, and possesses a delicious vanilla ice-cream fragrance, the same as that used in Lush's ever-popular Butterball bath bomb.

Inspired by Indian women who soak lentils overnight and wash their hair with them, this shampoo is super easy to use. Simply wet your hair in the shower and then either rub the wet shampoo bar between your hands and apply the resulting lather to your hair, or rub the shampoo bar straight onto your wet hair. 

This is probably one of the easiest solid shampoos to apply, as it immediately begins to foam when in contact with moisture. I found that I only needed to rub it between my hands for a matter of seconds before I had enough to cover my entire head and then some! A quick rinse under the running water and this solid bar is ready to be stored somewhere dry for it's next use.

Whilst in use, this solid bar really feels as if it's moisturising your hair, and it gave my hair a little extra volume, without making it feel frizzy or damaged. I also found that Gentle Lentil didn't strip the colour from my hair, unlike several other Lush shampoos that have done so in the past. 

Used alongside Veganese, my hair felt noticeably softer after the very first use, and it continued to work it's magic for an entire four months. That's right, this bar is an absolute bargain as it lasts for an incredible amount of time. I wash my hair on average between 3-5 times a week and this 100g bar lasted me for almost 19 weeks! 

Despite it's gentle properties, the shampoo's scent still managed to stay on my hair for hours after use, leading to many compliments from friends and work colleagues. 

I'm really gutted that this product has now been discontinued, and I can only hope that it makes a reappearance in the coming months for Lush's big new venture. If not, I will have to savour my one bar that I managed to grab before it disappeared, and hope eBay offers up unwanted bars. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Stearic Acid, Lentil Decoction, Glyceryl Stearate & PEG-100 Stearate, Cocamide DEA, Lecithin, Perfume.

Vegan?: Yes

2017 Price: £6.25 for 100g.

Scent Family:

Butterball Bath Bomb
Butterball Shower Gel
Butterbear Bath Ballistic
The Ex Factor Bath Bomb
Gentle Lentil Solid Shampoo
The Snowman Ballistic

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