No.1 Seed Soap

No. 1 Seed is a rather strange name for a soap; that is until you observe more closely and realise how many different seeds are actually present in this unique product. Sesame, linseed, poppy, fennel, pumpkin and rosemary are all featured and their presence helps to create a fresh, natural smelling savoury soap. 

Firstly, this soap is not much to look at. It's a translucent pond-green colour with black and brown seeds scattered across the surface and within the entire piece. Most prominently are the strips of glycerine that are threaded throughout the block and makes this soap look a little like Demon In The Dark. 

To use, I chose to cut a slice from my 100g block and this allowed me to utilise the seeds that were inside the chunk. These seeds are fantastic exfoliators and when I rubbed this soap across my body, I could feel how smooth it made my skin feel. In this sense, No.1 Seed has a similar consistency to Sandstone and Porridge, albeit a little more gritty than the latter.

Unfortunately, very much like Porridge, this soap has far too many seeds to carry out it's job properly. I found it almost impossible to lather it up and I ended up having to use a shower gel in it's place. When I used a piece that contained less seeds, I did find that it produced a little more foam, but it still wasn't enough to make me feel clean. 

In it's favour, this soap lasts a very long time and my small piece stayed with me in the shower for close to four months - this was with me using it once or twice daily. This makes it exceptional value for money as a scrub. However, if you're looking for a soap that will wash and exfoliate at the same time, this one is not for you. 

When describing No.1 Seed Soap, one of my friends explained that it was a little like 'sticking your nose in the stalk trimmings of fresh plants'. The soap contains essential oils such as coconut, linseed, galbanum, cypress, pine and fennel, and it is the latter three that make up the most part of the fragrance. Lush describe this soap as smelling like 'the outside' and does smell like you're foraging around on the forest floor. It's a refreshing and natural herbal scent but one that you have to experience yourself to really under the complexity of it's aroma. 

The seeds do come out of the soap and at first I was worried that it would decorate the sides of my bath tub and cause more mess than it's worth. However, they're small enough to be washed away down the plughole relatively easily and it doesn't effect the usage of the product.

Overall this soap is a fantastic exfoliator and has a natural smell that will attract fans of products such as Grass and Tramp Shower Gel. It's not one that has a particular feminine or masculine smell so would appeal to anyone. Furthermore, it didn't dry out my skin at all and left a gentle scent on my body. However,  I didn't find it that effective at cleaning my skin and I feel there are far better investments to be had. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Vegetable soap, glycerine, propylene glycol, linseeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, fennel seeds, cypress oil, pine oil, galbanum oil, perfume, pumpkin seeds, rosemary seeds.

Vegan?: Yes.