American Cream Pressed Conditioner

So lost have I been with the excessive amount of new products coming out across the globe, I wasn't even aware that Lush had brought out a vegan version of American Cream Conditioner until I saw it plastered all across instagram. While perhaps not the format I would have liked it to have been in, I was still really excited to give this one a go. 

What I noticed when it first arrived was that the scent was slightly removed from the regular American Cream that we all know and love. To my nose, there was still the wonderfully warm and mildly fruity presence of the strawberry; coupled with the vanilla absolute to give it the 'milkshake' fragrance that this aroma is famous for. 

However, I immediately noticed that the presence of the clary sage was far more dominant than it has been in perhaps any of the other variations that Lush have released over the years. There is something more herbal about the smell that this conditioner bar radiates, and I can imagine that this fact may upset a few loyal fans. 

Yet, I happened to really appreciate this change. With one bath bomb, two shower gels and two body conditioners released with this scent over the last few months, it was a pleasant change to try something a little different. Ultimately though, the scent was the least of my worries; how it performed on my hair would be the ultimate test of its worth.

For those who have never used a solid conditioner from Lush before, you need to understand that the bar won't lather like a shampoo disc will. In fact, when you're using this in your hair, you may even think that it isn't working due to how little 'product' you can see being transferred, and this may tempt you to revert back to a liquid conditioner as a back up plan.

What I will say is that this bar doesn't release a lot of lather at all, and it's not a product that you can really feel in your hair once it's been applied. However, I can vouch from experience when I say that the results you will heed are incredible. A little bit of faith goes a long way...

I found that the best way to use this bar is to rub it between my wet hands first, where you'll find that American Cream Pressed Conditioner will release, what I can only describe as, a thin cream-like gel. This can then be massaged into your locks, starting with the ends and working your way upwards. Less is definitely more in this case, and I can tell you now that you won't feel the presence of this once its been applied. However, rest assure that it is working and doing its job.

Once I had left the conditioner on for a few minutes, I rinsed my hair under the shower hose and set about letting it dry naturally. Firstly, what I found was that my hair was suddenly far more manageable  Although still heavily frizzy by nature, my hair sat in a way that felt more controlled, which doesn't happen very often with my hair.

Secondly, I found that my natural highlights were a little more intensified and there was a wonderful shine to the outside of my hair. My hair also happened to feel really soft and smooth, and appeared in much better condition than it had been before. Finally, the curls that usually sit around the crown of my head, and make it look like I have permanent devil horns, seemed to settle after using this conditioner only once. To me, I could see an improvement within minutes.

What I will say about this pressed conditioner is that it certainly doesn't leave a wonderful scent on your hair afterwards. Unlike the non-vegan liquid counterpart, this one left all but nothing in the way of smell afterwards, which is not a problem for me but may be a priority for others. 

After using this three times already, I can safely say that the small little bar is going to last me a lot longer than the liquid conditioner would do, if I was able to use it. This is definitely an amazing introduction into possible future hair care items from Lush, and I'm super excited to see if more pressed conditioners, like this one, make into stores real soon.  

Quantitative Ingredients: Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Polyquaternium-81, Polyquaternium-88, Guar Gum, Perfume, Water (Aqua), Behentrimonium chloride Cetrimonium Chloride Ethyl Macadamiate Propylene Glycol, Vanilla Absolute, Clary Sage Oil, Lavender Oil, Benzoin Resinoid, Fresh Strawberry Juice, Fresh Orange Juice, Organic Agave Syrup, Titanium Dioxide, Hydrolyzed Wheat Gluten, Tin Oxide, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Coumarin, Colour 77491, Colour 45430:1, Colour 17200, Colour 45380:3, Colour 45410:1.

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £8.50 for 55g.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.