Japanese Aid Soap

Japanese Aid Soap was released in 2011 to raise money for Peace Boat - an organisation that at the time were trying to aid Japan following a devastating earthquake. Peace Boat is a Japan-based international non-governmental and non-profit organisation that works to promote peace, human rights, equal and sustainable development and respect for the environment. It seems fitting then that Lush chose to promote and raise money for an organisation, who at the the time, were transporting foods and cooking hot meals for those most in need. 

Shaped like the Japanese flag, this soap shares it's scent with the much-loved I Should Coco Soap - a creamy coconut and vetivert offering that hasn't been seen in quite a long time. While the latter soap is crammed full of desiccated coconut, this soap is much smoother, although that's not to say it's any less creamier. 

Packed full of rapeseed, coconut, sweet orange, vetivert and coriander oil, this soap is a highly moisturising and gorgeous smelling product. Although the natural sweetness of the coconut and orange are present in the smell, you can also make out the vetivert and coriander in Japanese Aid, which gives it a strange and unique aroma. 

The soap has a gentle but long-lasting fragrance - a sweet, warming scent that intensifies in the shower and makes for a very comforting experience. The addition of orange oil adds a slightly uplifting, citrus element to the scent, but it definitely doesn't upstage the coconut. There's also a hint of the coriander oil present as well, which I feel almost takes away from the creaminess of the coconut very slightly.   

With all of these oils present, this soap is super easy to lather up in the shower and produces a creamy lather that coats your skin and leaves you feeling and smelling gorgeous. Unlike I Should Coco, this soap cannot be used as an exfoliator but it does mean it cleans better and you get better usage out of this than it's older brother. 

Japanese Aid leaves your skin feeling well-pampered and radiant and the coconut essence stays with you and your bathroom for hours after you've used it in the shower. Although it looks like a soap that will diminish very quickly under water, I was surprised to find that it's quite sturdy. A 100g chunk of this soap will last you a good 3-4 weeks, but I would recommend that you pat it dry between uses.

I actually prefer this to I Should Coco and hope that Lush chose to bring it out in this format rather than it's older design. I find that the shredded coconut prevents I Should Coco from cleaning your skin properly whereas this one does wonders at making it feel smooth and look refreshed. If you love coconut, but are perhaps looking for something that's slightly different from your usual coconut-smelling cosmetics, this may be the soap for you.  

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, Rapeseed Oil; Coconut Oil (Brassica napus; Cocos nucifera), Sodium Stearate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Titanium Dioxide, Perfume, Glycerine, Sweet Wild Orange Oil (Citrus sinensis), Vetivert Oil (Vetiveria zizanoides), Coriander Oil (Coriandrum sativum), Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Colour 14700, Colour 17200, Limonene, Linalool.

Vegan?: Yes.

Year Of Original Release: 2011. 

Scent Family: 

I Should Coco Soap
Japanese Aid Flag