Spearmint Bubblegum Toothpaste Jelly

What I love about Lush is that they always seem to be one step ahead when it comes to both the ethical and creative side of the cosmetics business. While there are times when I may suggest that a new invention appears more as a gimmick than anything else, the company usually proves me wrong by showcasing the thinking process behind said product. Nowadays, I am learning to simply swallow my words before they escape my mouth.     

Having settled into the idea of toothpaste jellies being a 'thing' now, I couldn't wait to try out my second flavour: Spearmint Bubblegum. Sporting a gorgeous shade of green, this naked jelly boasts being both self-preserving and a great travel companion for those not wanting any irritating spillages from ruining their adventures.

One of ten brand new inventions, this exclusive is only currently available in two of Lush's biggest stores: Liverpool (England) and Shinjuku (Japan), although rumours circulating online suggest that it's only a matter of time before they make their way into the Lush Labs release. Ultimately, I hope that these brand new inventions appear on the website and in all stores, because it seems a shame that something this good is limited to so few consumers.

You may be intrigued to know that this particular Toothpaste Jelly contains a parsley infusion as the main ingredient, alongside both spearmint and orange oils underneath as well. Having said this, these ingredients are very obviously placed when you sniff this product out for the first time. 

As its name suggests, this jelly really does smell like spearmint bubblegum. There is something really rounded and slightly sugary about the mint aroma that reminds me of Wrigley's Spearmint Chewing Gum, just without the strong and slightly sharp mint aroma. It's a wholesome and very thick and sultry smell, which is what makes it stand apart from a regular mint-scented product.

What I will say is that you can very easily smell the herbal layer of parsley in this jelly, which sits at the forefront of the paste and makes a big impression on the senses. Strangely however, I think it is this very element that gives the spearmint its 'bubblegum' properties and makes the mint a little more warming and rounded because of this.

Once you've begun brushing, the main taste you experience is a creamy, minty one, with the parsley infusion padding out the taste with a little herbal underbite. There is a delicate shout out to the orange oil as well, although this is more in the fact that the overall taste is very crisp and refreshing. While all three of the main components can be tasted, even if it's just a delicate hint, the overall taste is still very much spearmint bubblegum.

The idea with all of these new tooth jellies is that you simply scoop your toothbrush across the top of the surface of the product and a small amount (or however much you wish to use) will rub off onto the bristles, and this is what you use to brush your teeth with. With all ten of these new jellies, I found that it was very easy to apply only the smallest of amount to my brush: I barely dented the surface at all to begin with, so these little 60g pots will last you a very long time. In fact, I would even say that they may outlast that of a regular-sized 200g tube of toothpaste.

Once I began brushing, I found that it 'lathered up' exactly like a regular toothpaste and at no point did I feel or experience any jelly pieces still in my mouth. The product dissolved very quickly and then worked exactly as you would hope a tooth paste would do so. Furthermore, I was able to spit the paste out multiple times and never once ran out of foam on my toothbrush. These jellies are super generous when it comes to how much foam they produce in your mouth, despite how little product you need to use. Whereas I would normally use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste, I was able to use a piece the size of a grain of rice and yet heed the same results.

What I would say is that as the product is self preserving, it's important to keep your toothbrush fairly dry when you run it across the product. Adding moisture of any kind to these naked cosmetics could reduce the shelf life of the jelly and may open up the possibility of bacteria multiplying over time. For this reason, it's also essential that the lid is left on so as not to attract any unwanted germs. Given that I can imagine one of these pots lasting me a good 3-4 months as a minimum, I certainly wouldn't want the paste exposed to any bacteria, if I can help it. 

After rinsing my mouth out, I found that Spearmint left my teeth, tongue and entire mouth feeling really clean and refreshed, without the intense minty bite that many regular toothpastes can sometimes offer. While there are those that probably enjoy feeling as if they've scolded their mouth of any unwanted bacteria, I really enjoyed the fact that I managed to experience such long-lasting results WITHOUT needing an overwhelming minty taste burning my mouth. 

As I will say in all of my toothpaste jelly reviews, it's also nice not to have to prepare myself for annoying lumps of tab when I rinse my mouth out afterwards. Spearmint Bubblegum simply dissolved as soon as I started brushing and there wasn't any wastage from bits getting stuck in my teeth or falling out when I spat into the sink.

As with most of Lush's new toothpaste jellies, this one contains many key ingredients to actually help this product to act like a toothpaste. Hydrated silica works well as a whitening and teeth cleaning agent: helping to remove the stains from the surface of your teeth without damaging the enamel. Then there is xylitol, which is a natural sweetener that doesn't contain any fructose, so will help to protect your teeth from damage, and will hopefully help to reduce your risk of cavities over time.

If you love the idea of the toothpaste jelly concept but don't fancy moving too far away from the minty genre; or if you're just a big kid at heart and fancy trying something a little more playful, Spearmint Bubblegum Toothpaste Jelly may be the one for you. It's certainly going to be staying in my bathroom for a long time and be used on a regular basis.

Quantitative Ingredients: Fresh Parsley Infusion (Petroselinum carum), Sorbitol, Glycerine, Silica, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Xylitol, Spearmint Oil (Mentha spicata), Brazilian Orange Oil (Citrus sinensis), Cassia Oil (Cinnnamomum cassia), Stevia (Stevia Rebaudiana), Agar Agar (Gelidium cartilagineum), Carrageenan Extract (Chondrus crispus), Menthol crystals (Menthol), Titanium Dioxide, Water (Aqua), Cinnamal, Cinnamyl Alcohol, *Citral, *Limonene, Flavour, Colour 19140, Colour 42053.

Vegan?: Yes. 

2019 Price: £ each.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.