Oat Solid Naked Liquid Hand Soap

Sometimes Lush don’t help themselves and the confusion they cause, when they seemingly release products without explaining the concepts or the purpose behind their decisions. Such is the case when they held a two week Naked marathon in the Lush Kitchen, which saw a range of brand new exclusive products making themselves known for the first time - most of them without much of an introduction to coincide with there release.

At the same time, rumours were circulating about a range of naked shower gels that were featuring in the up-and-coming Christmas collection, and consumers were already worried that the seasonal gels were being replaced by 'glorified soaps'. When Oregano Solid Liquid Naked Soap appeared on the menu, alongside the likes of The Olive Branch and Happy Hippy Naked Shower Gels, fans were even more confused, and perhaps a little apprehensive about their beloved company.  

Shaped like a soap dispenser, Oat is one of three limited editions that came out towards the end of the Lush Kitchen reign, and were re-released a few weeks ago as part of the debut #lushlabs experiment. For those unfamiliar, this new concept sees a small range of products being released on the 29th of each month for fans to buy, try and then leave feedback. Lush want consumers to be a part of the process - from how a product is made; what it looks like; and even how it’s promoted to the world. Oat is one of the first products to be placed in the spotlight.

To put it simply, a naked liquid hand soap is basically a solidified, package-less version of a liquid hand soap, hence why the product is shaped like a soap dispenser. Used just like a normal soap would be, this limited edition in theory should harvest the same softness that the liquid version should, so it shouldn’t be as drying as I find regular soaps to be at times.

One thing I should state is that the design of Oat (and the other Naked liquid soaps) is definitely far better than the naked shower gels and creams. While the former is perfectly carved, smooth to the touch with a wonderful silk finish, I find that the gels are usually oddly shaped, different sizes and often rough and bobbly on the outside. Although I appreciate that the hand made approach means that products aren’t going to be as polished as non-Lush alternatives, the design of these naked soaps just look a little more professional in my eyes. 

Sharing its scent with Mrs Whippy Bath Bomb, Oat Solid Liquid Naked Soap is a beautiful and very gentle smelling product. Containing both soya milk and oats, the base of this soap is a gentle one that leaves your skin feeling really silky smooth and soft to the touch. Inside, the soap is packed full of oats - not to the same level as Porridge Soap mind, but there appears to be more, the more you use it. These oats act as a gentle exfoliator, which was a wonderful touch to the soap, and helps to soften your hands even further if you choose to use this as a regular hand soap.

While Lush have described it as being part of the Mrs Whippy scent family, there is something about this soap that stands out to me as being far more robust in fragrance. Oat is definitely stronger overall; less powdery as well, which is expected as it isn't a bath bomb. To my nose, there is something more creamy and far richer about this naked soap which I really enjoyed, and the fact that the smell stayed on my skin afterwards improved my experience even more.

While Yummy Mummy is perhaps my favourite scent family from Lush, I really appreciated the fact that there was something different about Oat that stopped it from being a direct replica of the shower cream, or any one of the products that host the same fragrance. The tonka gave the soap that rich, almost caramel-like element to the smell, but there wasn't much in the way of a fruity note like you would expect in most of the Yummy Mummy range.

Furthermore, cinnamon is also a feature in the ingredients list, and you can definitely detect a gentle spicy note in the overall smell. This added an extra layer of warmth to the experience of using this naked soap, and again set it apart from the other products that are listed as sharing the same fragrance.

Initially, I was expecting this soap to behave in the same way as Oregano. However, I was really impressed when I realised that both soaps are very different in the way they behave and the outcome you experience. Whereas Oregano is designed to work on getting rid of bacteria and offering a lather that soothes and strengthens the skin, Oat works much more like you'd expect a regular liquid soap to.

Upon stimulation under warm water, this solid liquid naked soap produces a very generous lather to clean your body with - one that appeared rich and creamy and incredibly moisturising. My skin immediately felt smooth and soft after coming into contact with this lather, and it almost felt like I was applying a combination of soap and a body conditioner all at the same time. It was that softening!    

Furthermore, the array of naturally gentle ingredients meant that those with delicate skin would benefit a lot from using this as a regular soap. The inclusion of soya yoghurt, oats and oatmeal, and oat milk mean that this won't irritate your skin at all: instead leaving it feeling beautifully nourished and like it has been kissed by nature itself.

Much like Oregano, this soap does not last as long as a regular soap, even when drying it in between uses, so it does work out a little more expensive than some of Lush's other variations. However, the immediate results from using this means that your hands will stay soft and moisturised after every use, which is something I don't find happens often with me and Lush soaps.

I love the fact that the tonka and the buchu were strong enough to leave an impression during use, as well as on the skin for a short while after application. If I was able to afford the luxury, I think I would use both Oregano and Oat as my daily hand wash combination: to eradicate the bacteria on my skin with the former, and then pamper my hands with the latter afterwards.

Despite all of the above, all of Lush's solid liquid naked soaps can be used as regular soaps, as opposed to just being hand soaps, so I'd definitely recommend this one for anyone a little pessimistic about soaps always being too drying. I really enjoyed using this one and feel that it would proved far more popular if Lush had marketed this concept a little better. I only hope that my review will tempt a few more people to give them a chance.

Quantitative Ingredients: Oat Milk, Propylene Glycol, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Water, Organic Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Soya yoghurt, Perfume, Oatmeal, Oat Flour, Titanium Dioxide, Glycerine, Cocoa Absolute, Tonka Absolute, Almond essential oil, Buchu Oil, Fair Trade Organic Cinnamon Powder, Citric Acid, Sodium Bicarbonate, Alpha-Isomethyl ionone, Benzyl Benzoate, Coumarin, Eugenol, Limonene, Linalool.

Vegan?: Yes.

2018 Price: £6.95 for 135g.

Year Of Original Release: 2017.