Soap Sod

For someone who barely uses soap, I have amassed rather a large collection of the stuff - mostly due to Lush's insistence on releasing old and reformulated versions in the Lush Kitchen most weeks. And while I try to convince myself that I don't need any more, the allure of trying something new and retro from my favourite company is too strong to resist. Do I even have any willpower? 

Soap Sod is an odd name for a slab of scented glycerine - a soap that immediately entices the senses when it comes to both the fragrance and the design of each block. Presented in an almost fluorescent shade of green, with a generous collection of dried Roman chamomile flowers decorating the surface, this old-school product is beautiful to look at. 

Not only this but the scent is one that leaves an immediate impression on the senses, and whether you appreciate the smell or not, theres no denying that it doesn't grapple with your nose and hold your tastebuds hostage. By no means subtle, its pungent aroma combines the smell of green, leafy plants with the sting of fresh nettles and a heady and rather sweet chamomile note to boot.

Described as smelling like both 'a newly mown lawn' and an 'Alpine meadow as the sun peeks over the mountain tops alter a shower of rain', this old-school soap is one for the natural scent lovers amongst us - a soap that creates a clear divide between Lush fans. While some describe it as smelling like wet grass and stinging nettles, others compare the aroma to decaying shrubbery and gasoline - a contradiction if there ever was one.

To me, Soap Sod smells like freshly mown grass intertwined with dry pressed chamomile and a gentle layer of fresh lavender as a base note. While it is definitely not a horrible smell, it was one that I had to grow accustomed to, and I wouldn't say it's anywhere near as delicate as the likes of Grass Shower Gel, Green Day Bubble Bar and Fox In The Flowers Bath Bomb are.

Despite how stagnant the smell is and how overpowering it is in both the packet and in the shower, there is something rather two-dimensional about it that prevents the different elements from really making their mark on your senses. While it's definitely not a terrible smell, it's one that is needlessly strong and would probably be more enjoyable if it was more subtle, like Pea Green Soap.

Having said this, in the shower, Sod Soap is very easy to lather up - producing a thick and rather cream foam that glides over the skin with ease. The scent is strong enough to overpower anything else you may be using at the time, and you can detect the fragrance on your skin for a while after exiting the bathroom. 

As my chunk was rather soft and squidgy out of the packet, I was expecting this soap to shrink rather rapidly when it came into contact with the water. I was rather surprised then to find that my 100g chunk lasted a good five weeks in the shower - rivalling that of some of the sturdier soaps available from Lush and demonstrating that it didn't bleed out liquid in between uses like I was expecting it to.

While the lather was rather thick and deliciously creamy, and it did leave my skin feeling clean and clear after application, I wasn't overly impressed with the scent that I managed to yield from using this product. For this reason, Sod Soap would not be a soap that I would buy again. Although it is not offensive in any way, I think it's very much an acquired taste, and doesn't quite match up to what I was hoping for.

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Glycerine, Gardenia Extract, Sorbitol, Lavender Absolute, Lavender Absolute, Nettle Absolute, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Stearate, Dried Roman Chamomile Flower.

Vegan?: Yes.

2015 Price: £4 for 100g.
2017 Price: £4.25 for 100g.

Year Of Original Release: 2005.