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6 May 2015

Sunflower Deodorant


When it comes to solid deodorant, I love the concept but have yet to find one that works with my body. Whether it's because I sweat more than the average person or because my expectations of what a deodorant should do is greater than most people, I am unsure. However, it is the one area of Lush's extensive cosmetics range that I just simply do not get on with. Until this week that is. 

Sunflower Deodorant was one of the first products to greet me upon entering the Oxford Street store for the first time. Stacked up in huge blocks, this strange but alluring looking product was probably not the first port of call for most people visiting the shop on the opening day. Yet I can see it being one that builds up a repertoire quite quickly with the regulars and becomes a firm favourite for many.   

Described as a cold-pressed floral deodorant, this new product is one that for many people, will need to grow on them over time. Containing a concoction of cleavers and chrysanthemums, you would expect this deodorant to give off a green, grassy and very strong floral aroma. However, with the inclusion of witch hazel, orange juice, mandarin oil and lemon oil, the scent of this product is very difficult to describe and one that can be a little off-putting to begin with. 

An initial sniff definitely showcases the orange juice and various citrus oils, but the inclusion of the chrysanthemums creates a fragrance that almost clashes with the other elements and gives off a strange, sweet, waxy smell - I suppose a little like sticking your nose into a flower arrangement. The inclusion of witch hazel adds a sort of medicinal, chamomile-eque note which doesn't make Sunflower smell terrible but doesn't give it a particularly enjoyable smell either. While I would have probably left this on the shelf had it been a shower gel, I was intrigued to see whether or not this would work as a deodorant, and it did. 

Cut into 100g pieces, this product can be a little fiddly to use, but definitely a lot easier than the likes of T'eo, Greeenich or Aromaco. I would suggest that you divide your block in half as I found it a lot easier to use a small square than the entire piece, and it also makes it easy to slip the product into a pocket or make-up bag if you wanted to it to travel with you. 

To use, simply rub the bar under your armpits and after a few seconds of your body heat warming up the oils, you'll notice that it gives off a slightly waxy sheen that wets the skin. This dries after a minute or two and you're left with a gentle floral smell that stays with you for hours after initial application. Furthermore, the inclusion of the witch hazel means that your armpits will feel lovely and smooth and overtime will become softer. 

While this deodorant doesn't mask smells after excess exercise, and I wouldn't say that it's strong enough to last the entire day, it definitely left me feeling much cleaner and dried for longer. Whereas my usual Nivea has all but vanished after a couple of hours and can sometimes transfer onto my clothes and leave embarrassing wet patches, Sunflower is the perfect balance between Lush's dry deodorants and the liquid shop-bought variations. 

Furthermore, having used my 50g piece since the day I purchased it, I have noticed very little change in the size. This means that I can expect my 100g block to see me through 4-6 months worth of use. This equates to roughly £1 per month, which is much better value than any that you might purchase in the local pharmacy. 

Even better is the fact that this solid bar is free from preservatives and all of the nasty metallic ingredients that you would expect to find in normal deodorant. These unnecessary ingredients rely upon clogging up the pores and glands to stop sweating - often creating a build-up of dirt and grime that can leave you with pretty nasty looking armpits. 

Although I wouldn't appreciate the smell of this in any other format, this product is definitely a firm favourite from the Lush store and one I will continue using regular. Lush have finally developed a solid deodorant that works for me and this is really exciting.  

Quantitative Ingredients: Propylene Glycol, Cleavers, Witch Hazel and Chrysanthemum Infusion (Galium Aparine, Hamamelis virginiana, Chrysanthemum Indicum), Fresh Organic Orange Juice (citrus Aurantium dulcis), Sodium Stearate, Water (Aqua), Sodium Bicarbonate, Fresh Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum Indicum), Lemon Oil (Citrus limonum), Orange Oil (Citrus sinensis), Mandarin Oil (Citrus reticulata), Citral, Limonene, Linalool, Perfume. 

Vegan?: Yes. 

2015 Price: £4.95 for 100g. 

Year Of Original Release: 2015. 

15 comments

  1. Hey Jen! I was just wondering if there were any new perfumes at the lush oxford store. I thought that I saw somewhere that they had a new perfume that smelt like Calacas.

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    1. Hey Rachel - I've been downstairs the Spa/Perfume section three times now and had a good look and I've not seen any new perfumes as of yet. They have released Furze and Princess Cottongrass in spray format and released a new spray called Uptown Funk but nothing Calacas-scented.

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  2. Would love to try this deodorant out, especially because the smell you described. Also the new Deo Your Bo seems intriguing. Had a thought though about Nivea...Don't they have a factory in China and there the law requires products to be tested on animals..so is it vegan friendly..

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    1. Hmm - well I'm glad I now have a reason to not use Nivea ever again! Thanks for the heads up - my research obviously failed me there! Grr! This new deodorant is lovely - you should definitely try it out. As for Deo Your Bo, I didn't buy it because I knew this one would last me a good many months but I will pick it up next time so I can compare.

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    2. I'm pretty sure this has not been the case for Nivea for years. It's true they used animal testing in the past, which is also why they don't feel comfortable being on lists that label them as cruelty free, since they still use formulas that have once been tested on animals. They haven't done any testing on animals for over 10 years now, if not longer, if my sources are correct.

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  3. Ooh I have aromaco and while it works, it does stink :/ This seems a better option. My aromaco shrank quite quickly, am guessing bc it gets warm and 'sweats' Do you know the best place to store them? Perhaps a tin? I keep it out of my bathroom and in my sock drawer ATM :) any tips?

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    1. Just my opinion that I wouldn't store it in a tin if it contains aluminium (not even the Lush tins). Rather keep it in a grease proof paper or a left over lush plastic pot.

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    2. Agreed with not keeping it in an aluminium tin - I find it works best to keep it wrapped in the paper it came in or in an old Lush pot.

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    3. Thanks xx

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  4. Hope they start selling this soon in the other stores :)

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  5. I got a wonderful sample of this and I'm in love. It smells like chamomile tea on first sniff.

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  6. Hi, I was just wondering, do you take solid deodorants around with you? if so how? they don't seem to be products you can just chuck in your bag like you usually would with a deodorant. do you putt on a plastic bag/container? does it melt slightly on hot days ? i really love reading your reviews ! thank you so much.

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  7. i hope they release this online at some point or powder puff (i mean i want to go to the oxford street store but thats not going to be happening any time soon unfortunately) because i'd love to try it. I've just bought a bottle of Greeeench and its working better than my last aluminium free deodorant but then I don't currently have a job so aren't exactly doing much. it'll be interesting to see how it holds up once I have one again and implement a workout routine! You make this one sound like the best so far though so i wish i could give it a go :)

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