The North Polar Bear Left The Tap On Soap

Perhaps the strangest name for a Lush soap yet, The North Polar Bear Left The Tap On is a brand new exclusive for the Christmas 2018 collection, and comes in two different colour variations to choose from. While tempted to grab one of each, because they’re both equally stunning, I opted for the green, yellow and blue design.

Influenced by the Northern Lights phenomenon, this limited edition is simply stunning to look at, and is perhaps the biggest and most heaviest soap of the season. If you’re looking for a soap that will last you a good couple of months in the shower, and even longer as a hand soap, this would be the number one choice in my opinion.

Back in 2012, the company brought out a soap called Northern Lights, which although happened to be one of my least favourite soaps in terms of fragrance, was one of the most stunning looking creations that Lush have ever conjured up for a Christmas range. The North Polar Bear Left The Tap On is definitely an improvement when compared to this aforementioned retro seasonal product: the shape, colour and scent of the soap is definitely far more appealing in my eyes. 

What is great about this soap is that it’s designed to be an individual piece, so when you order online or buy in store, you can rely on the fact that you’re get a 'complete’ slab. This makes it a great option for stocking fillers or general gifts, as each piece showcases both the full array of colours and the complete pattern etched across the front.

Scent-wise, this seasonal soap offers the same delicate aroma as the Sex Bomb Bath Bomb: a gentle combination of jasmine, clary sage and musk. While it’s not a smell that I dislike, it’s certainly not one that has ever inspired much of a reaction from me to be fair. In fact, for that that very reason, I believe that this soap works much better as a hand soap than one for the whole body. The scent isn’t strong enough to make much of an impression in the shower, or indeed on your skin afterwards, so it doesn’t offer an experience as memorable or as intense as a Lush shower gel or cream.

Light notes of both the jasmine and the ylang ylang create a pretty floral layer in the composition of The North Polar Bear, while the musk adds a delicate sweetness alongside this. Together, you get a light but rather warm floral aroma, with a sweet layer of musk that compliments the jasmine and adds a little playfulness to the fragrance as well. There is something rather delicate about the smell of this soap that makes it very non offensive, but at the same time probably wouldn’t incite any strong reactions from people either.

I'll be honest and say that lathering up in the shower did prove a little more effort than I would have liked. The size of the soap, as well as its shape, does make it a little difficult to massage across the body as easily as a 100g cubed piece of soap would. However, this could be easily rectified by cutting the soap in half to begin with. 

In regards to the lather it creates, it's quite a stubborn piece to begin with and tends to produce a much better lather when used in the bath. However, after massaging it between the palms of my hands, I found that The North Polar Bear Left The Tap On does create a very thick and wholesome lather, that coats and softens the skin.

As far as soaps go, I don't find that any of them are as moisturising as a shower gel or cream would be. However, this seasonal special does leave your skin smooth and soft, and I felt as if it added a little suppleness to my hands and feet as well. If you're a fan of soaps, you'll probably appreciate this one, as it's great value for money and will last you an awfully long time - without the piece going soft or decorating the bath with sticky lines of colour after each use. 

As a hand soap, this would look wonderful in your soap dish, and certainly inspire a few conversations between your guests during Christmas. As a companion for the shower, this limited edition will clean your skin nicely but you will need to use a body conditioner or lotion afterwards, to replenish a little of the lost moisture.

Quantitative Ingredients: Propylene Glycol, Lingonberry infusion, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Water (Aqua), Organic Rice Milk, Organic Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Perfume, Jasmine Absolute, Clary Sage Oil, Ylang Ylang Oil, Glycerine, Gardenia Extract, Cornflour, Citric Acid, Titanium Dioxide, Synthetic Musk, Sodium Bicarbonate, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, *Limonene, *Linalool, May contain:, Colour 14700, Colour 42090:2, Colour 45350, Colour 42090, Colour 17200.

Vegan?: Yes.

2018 Price: £5.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2018.