Formula 239 Toothy Tabs

After the amount of attention I've given my teeth this month - reviewing nearly thirty brand new oral care products in the process - it's probably for the best that I saved the tabs designed for sensitive teeth until near the end. I have honestly lost count of the number of times I have brushed my teeth each and every single day over the last thirty days: sometimes up to four times which seems completely excessive.

Therefore, Formula 239 Toothy Tabs came at a pinnacle moment: when my teeth just wanted something simple so that they could take a break for a few days. No strange tastes; no foul aftertastes; and definitely not something that was going to heighten their sensitivity in any way.

In fact, what is interesting about these Liverpool exclusive toothy tabs is that feature the ingredient, neem, which is actually known for its natural teeth-protecting and oral caring properties. Scientists believe that it may help to maintain the alkaline level of your saliva, which prevents acidity from wearing away the enamel of your teeth. In addition, it is also effective against plaque formation and gum infections, which is an amazing way to keep your mouth healthy.

From the bottle, my nose first picked up the aniseed element to it, which was very fresh and slightly clinical-smelling. You could tell that this would also be the key component in the taste of these tabs as well, so if you're not a fan of aniseed or liquorice flavoured/scented products, I wouldn't venture into trying these at all. 

Alongside the aniseed, there is also the faint note of both tea tree and thyme. The former ingredient gives Formula 239 a very fresh, cooling smell about them,  whereas the latter ingredient adds a little herbal twist at the end. Both the lemon and the juniperberry oils add their own fruity notes, but they're both very light and almost slightly sour as opposed to citrusy. Ultimately, I would describe these tabs as being very light and crisp in scent and their fragrance definitely gives a good indication of how these are going to taste.

What I will say about the taste is that it is very refreshing and cooling, without there being any sign of a mint taste at all. All of the components come out and offer a very clean and clinical flavour, with the aniseed definitely being the strongest dynamic. However, the aniseed is not at all as 'spicy' as I was expecting it to be, and offers something a little more like fennel than liquorice.

To use them you simply pop a tab into your mouth, crunch down using your front teeth, wet your toothbrush and begin to brush your teeth as normal. The powdery mixture reacts with the water and the cream of tartar creates a foam that freshens your mouth and cleans away any stubborn pieces of food that may be lingering around. Unlike some of Lush's other tabs I have tried, this one melts almost immediately upon contact with moisture and you won't need to crunch these at all.

Once you've brushed your teeth with one of these tabs, your mouth feels super clean and really refreshed, and your teeth will feel amazingly smooth and shiny. In fact, out of all of the toothy tabs I have tried so far, these by far made one of the greatest impressions in my mouth afterwards. Furthermore, these beauties eradicated any bad smells or tastes that I had in my mouth after eating and my breath remained fresh and clean for hours afterwards.  

As with all of Lush's new toothy tabs, these particular tabs feature a number of ingredients that I was unsure about and had to research before trying them out for myself - not only to understand how and why Frostbite work but also to educate others about the benefits they possess. Firstly, these tabs feature  dicalcium phosphate anhydrous - the main component used to help supplement the body's calcium intake, not to mention preventing the build up of tartar in the mouth. Sorbitol is also used - a natural alternative to sugar which allows Lush to add flavour to this product without adding anything that'll rot your teeth; Lauroyl Sarcosine not only helps the product to foam up in the mouth, but is also used to remove unwanted bacteria that may cause problems in the future.

Despite these tabs appearing rather boring-looking when compared to the array of colourful, sparkly alternatives, Formula 239 were actually one of the better variations for me. They offered a pleasant taste that didn't burn my tongue or leave a horrible taste afterwards. Yet, equally they did clean my teeth and mouth very well and I did enjoy how refreshed my mouth was afterwards. 

These would definitely be ones that I would want to buy again and I can imagine that they'll probably become a favourite amongst the Lush community. Although I don't have sensitive teeth, so I cannot really comment on how these tabs help to support sensitive teeth when in use, both the ingredients list and the way they performed for me suggests that they'll work wonders in this area as well.

Quantitative Ingredients: Dicalcium Phosphate Anhydrous, Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream Of Tartar (Potassium bitartrate), Sorbitol, Lauroyl Sarcosine, Xylitol, Sicilian Lemon Oil, Aniseed Oil, Chamomile Blue Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Davana Oil, Juniperberry Oil, Thyme Oil, Stevia, Neem Powder, Limonene.

Vegan?: Yes. 

2019 Price: £6.50 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.

Khoomei Mouthwash Tabs

Although it doesn't happen very often, there are moments when my mind goes completely blank when it comes to a familiar scent or taste. Especially when I know that a particular aroma comes from a product outside of Lush, it's near on impossible to narrow down where exactly I might have experienced it before. When it comes to Khoomei Mouthwash Tabs, I have spent near on a month trying to hunt the smell down, but to no avail as of yet...

What I will tell you about these Liverpool exclusives is that the smell they offer is near on identical to that of a regular chewing gum that you can purchase in licensed shops and supermarkets across the UK. They both smell and taste super delicious and are easily one of my favourite flavours from the extensive solid mouthwash range.

Containing lemongrass, cucumber, tea tree and spearmint, these tabs are super crisp and refreshing without being too potent, or indeed too overly minty. From the bottle, you get a sweet combination of lemongrass and spearmint, with the cucumber resting underneath, offering it's fresh and rather cooling aroma alongside the other notes. Interestingly, the lemongrass has lost quite a bit of its 'grassiness' in this format, so the smell of these tabs is a little more fruity than you might initially expect.

Alongside these notes, the inclusion of the coconut oil rounds off the smell with a delicate powdery note - which I think is what makes the fragrance of these mouthwash tabs so wonderful. You cannot actually taste the coconut at all here but its presence is definitely welcomed, and if you get a chance to try them you'll be able to recognise how this ingredient makes an impact.

Unlike many of Lush's minty oral products, Khoomei is not as potent on the senses and doesn't leave your mouth feeling at all scorched. However, what it does do is leave you with clean, fresh breath; wonderful shiny teeth; and a sweet, lemon-esque note that resides in your mouth for a good while after using one of these tabs.

As soon as you grind one of these between your teeth and add the water to rinse and swish, the wonderfully sweet, fruity and delicately minty taste fills your mouth and begins to work immediately. While all of the components I described above come out in the taste of the tab, there is nothing overwhelming about the taste of this mouthwash at all. In fact, there is something rather delicious about these little beauties that will leave you salivating (and perhaps a little hungry) afterwards.

For those who have never used a mouthwash tab before, you simply crunch the tab between your teeth (I prefer to do this with my front teeth), take a slurp of water and begin swishing as you would a bottled mouthwash. Once you've finished, you spit the water into the sink and you're ready to brace the rest of the day without worrying about smelly breath, or the food from your lunch remaining stuck between your teeth. Lush recommend that you keep the mouthwash swishing around your mouth for a good minute before spitting it out, as this allows the ingredients to get to work at cleaning the mouth and deodorising the tongue so you get the maximum results possible.

As you would expect from Lush, the ingredients that have gone into making Khoomei have also been carefully crafted and serve a purpose. Firstly, they contain sodium bicarbonate, which is a natural softening ingredient that is also known for its ability to clean and deodorise at the same time. This is a key component that will help to clean your tongue, gums and teeth when you're swishing, and will help to rid your mouth of any strong odours that might be present at the time, freshening your breath in the process.

Each of the mouthwashes also contains xylitol, a natural substance that is found in certain fruits and vegetables and is used in foods and cosmetics as a refined sweetener. This ingredient has been proven to cause none of the harmful effects that sugar can have on the teeth; is perfect for diabetics as it doesn't effect blood sugar levels at all; yet offers the sweetness to help give these tabs their interesting but enjoyable flavours.

Whether you're popping out for a day at the beach; making a weekend trip to see the family; or jet-setting off to somewhere exciting, these 45g bottles can be tucked away with the assurance that you wont arrive at your destination with either soggy luggage, or with the lingering smells of your breakfast still festering on your tongue. Furthermore, they're also alcohol-free so these beauties wont cause you any issues when you're going through customs. No matter the length of your journey, these are handy to use at any time of the day: before you head out on your adventure; after a meal; or anytime you feel you need a little freshen up.

Ultimately, Khoomei Mouthwash Tabs are one of my favourites from the Lush range so far, and they are definitely a product that I will continue to use on an almost daily basis. These exclusives offer the perfect balance of taste and freshness and they're a genuine pleasure to use. Despite the rather boring demeanour that they offer, Khoomei are easily one of the most vibrant smelling and tasting oral care options from Lush. They step outside the box enough to bring something new to the table, without taking us too far from what we're looking for from a mouthwash.

Quantitative Ingredients: Dicalcium Phosphate Anhydrous, Sodium Bicarbonate, Silica, Citric Acid, Glycerine, Sorbitol, Malic Acid, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Stevia, Xylitol, Menthol Crystals, Fine Sea Salt, Tea Tree Oil, Cucumber Extract, Lemongrass Oil, Spearmint Oil, Citral, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Flavour. 

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £6.50 for 45g.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.

Tang-O Toothpaste Jelly

When I first heard about Lush's latest invention, my first initial thought was 'seriously, whatever next?' As an avid traveller, I'm all for a naked product to take with me, as most of them trump anything that comes out of a bottle when I'm journeying around the globe. However, I couldn't imagine exactly what the advantage of a toothpaste jelly was going to be over that of the popular toothy tabs, of which Lush have only just released another ten flavours to try in their Liverpool store.

Upon doing a little research however, I discovered that over one billion empty tubes of toothpaste end up in landfill every year, making toothpaste - as we know it - not very sustainable at all. Providing consumers with an alternative that's not only as close to the consistency of their usual paste but also arrives in packaging that can be reused and recycled, is a step closer to a less harmful way of living, which I'm all for. 

One of ten brand new inventions, Tang-O is currently only available in two of Lush's biggest stores, although I can imagine that these will be branching out to other stores within a matter of months. Self preserving, and with an array of ingredients unique to this particular 'flavour', Tang-O happened to be the first toothpaste jelly I used. And wow!

Tang-O Toothpaste Jelly contains a combination of aloe vera gel and tea tree oil, which offers up a gorgeous and very refreshing herbal blend to brush your teeth with. The latter component is definitely at the forefront of both the smell and taste, and while it doesn't taste like mint, there are similarities that make this toothpaste jelly good for cleaning the palette and leaving your mouth feeling truly invigorated afterwards.

This toothpaste jelly would appeal to those who want to air on the side of caution and begin with a flavour that isn't too far off that of their original toothpaste. From the tub, you can definitely smell the strong notes of mint and tea tree. In fact, the fragrance is very reminiscent of Viks Vapour Rub that you would rub into your chest before bed to help clear your airways. It's a very strong, almost overpowering smell that will make your eyes water if you hold it too close to your face. However, when you begin using this toothpaste jelly, you'll find that the ingredients are less intensive as they first appear to be.

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. 

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.

After rinsing my mouth out, I found that Tang-O left my teeth, tongue and entire mouth feeling really clean and refreshed. My teeth felt glossy and healthy and this sensation lasted just as long as a regular tooth paste would do. In fact, I feel as if these new inventions actually provide a much longer experience than that of many of Lush's toothy tabs. Furthermore, you don't have to worry about the occasionally lump of tab appearing in your mouth, or having to crunch any sort of tab to begin with.

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.

While Tang-O is probably the most unattractive of the brand new toothpaste jellies, there is no doubt in my mind that Lush fans will enjoy the taste and experience of this one for sure. In fact, despite not being one of my favourites, I definitely think that this will end up being one of the most popular, for the sheer fact that it's not so removed from 'regular' flavoured toothpaste and will hopefully initiate consumers gently into trying the more interesting flavours on offer.

Despite its high rating, I would probably not buy this again, only due to the fact that some of the other flavours are far more appealing to my tastebuds. However, this does not take away how effective this jelly is at cleaning your teeth; leaving your breath smelling refresh and delicious; and doing all of this whilst helping the environment as well. This was definitely a very positive beginning into my toothpaste jelly journey.

Quantitative Ingredients: Fresh Aloe Vera Gel Extract (Aloe Secundiflora), Sorbitol, Glycerine, Silica, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Xylitol, Stevia (Stevia Rebaudiana), Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca alternifolia), Agar Agar (Gelidium cartilagineum), Carrageenan Extract (Chondrus crispus), Menthol crystals (Menthol), *Limonene.

Vegan?: Yes. 

2019 Price: £? each.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.

Giant Lavender Bombshell

It's 2019 and it seems to have become a regular occurrence for companies to bring out giant-sized bath bombs for people to indulge in. While there are times I wonder just how consumers justify to themselves while £15 for a bath product is reasonable, I'm over here purchasing them all for myself as well, so I have no leg to stand on.

Yet, over the last six months, Lush have brought out a few limited edition Bombshells that have actually made the large investment worth it, and I will happily admit that I'm now a lot less cynical when it comes to the company's bigger, and more expensive, releases.

Giant Lavender Bombshell is one of four enlarged balls of sodium bicarbonate that are currently available on their website to purchase; and is easily one of my favourite ones to date. While it doesn't looks as colourful or as exciting as some of the others, this one certainly makes up for it when it comes to how it performs in the bath. 

Containing a combination of rose, chamomile, tea tree and lavender, the scent of this is a beautifully gentle, slightly sweet and delicately herbal aroma. To my nose, the latter ingredient offered the most presence but you could also detect hints of the other three ingredients as well. 

While not the strongest of smells, this is actually the point of this bombshell, and the aroma is still robust enough to see you through your whole experience; not to mention on your skin afterwards as well. This is the perfect bomb to use before bed, as it calms you down so much, and I could feel my eyes struggling to stay open before I'd even left the bath.

Easily the most impressive element to Giant Lavender Bombshell is the fact that it features oat flour, which I genuinely believe should be featured in near on every bath bomb that Lush produce. This magical ingredient creates a sort of 'milky froth' when the product is dissolving, and only serves to make the water even softer than your average bath bomb.

Upon hitting the water, this bombshell immediately began to send out a huge wave of creamy, white, bubbly foam across the surface of the tub. Unless you saw it for yourself, you wouldn't quite believe how quickly the bath filled up with this fragrant froth; it was super impressive. 

After a few seconds, the bomb opened up to release not only an entire dried rose head, but a load of sprigs of lavender and dried chamomile flower heads as well. These all floated across the surface during my bathing, and I then had to scoop them out afterwards before pulling the plug. 

What I will say is that these additions do make this bath bomb rather messy; especially the lavender sprigs that tend to break off into little pieces and litter the surface of the water. For those who don't want to be covered in dried plants during their soak; or those who don't want to spend their day unblocking the plug after their bath, I would highly suggest you take these additions out before using the bath bomb.

While I could have heeded my own advice, as I found the bombshell a little too messy for my liking, I also like to try the product exactly as it was intended for, so I can experience the full 'package' before writing my reviews. In this case, it was the 'extra filling' that prevented Giant Lavender Bombshell from achieving full marks from myself.

As to be expected, this extra large bath bomb left my skin feeling incredible, and I certainly didn't need to moisturise afterwards. They key components relaxed me enough that I was able to go to bed without meditating, and get a good, deep sleep. This is a bombshell that I would buy again, but this time I certainly wouldn't allow the dried flowers to share the tub with me.  

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Oat Flour, Titanium Dioxide, Rose Absolute, Chamomile Blue Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Lavender Oil, Dried Roman Chamomile Flower, Dried Lavender Sprigs, Dried Rose, Water (Aqua), Dipropylene Glycol, *Linalool, Perfume.

Vegan?: Yes.

2019 Price: £14.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2019.

coming soon!

Tea Totaller Naked Facial Cleanser

At the risk of repeating myself, the few weeks I spent in Africa were tough on my skin. While I didn't go over there thinking about how the climate change would affect my face, it only took me a couple of days to realise that I had made the right choice bringing over an army of facial products to review. The dry heat, intense sun and dusty atmosphere meant that my pores were battling by the minute to retain their moisture, and I won't begin to describe just how much grime I removed from my face on an almost hourly basis.

Tea Totaller Naked Facial Cleanser was an absolute godsend during my time over there, not only because it was super compact and could be taken anywhere during the daytimes, but because the ingredients used to make it were just what my face needed, and continues to need even to this very day.

Firstly, this naked facial cleanser contains castor oil, which is the perfect ingredient if you're looking to add some much needed moisture to your face. Working with the skin's natural oil production, castor oil ensures that there's enough present to keep your skin supple, radiant and smooth, whilst removing an excess oils if the skin is too greasy or oily to begin with. This is not an ingredient that will try to mask the oils already there, so you don't have to worry about using this if you normally have a fairly oily complexion.

The inclusion of the tea tree, clary sage and rosemary oils not only gives this limited edition a clean and slightly herbal aroma, but also offers antibacterial properties that will help to cleanse your pores thoroughly and leave your complexion clear and smooth. There is something rather clinical yet natural about the scent of this naked cleanser, so when you wipe it away with warm water, it leaves your skin feeling much the same as a toner tab would.

What I will say about Tea Totaller is that this is perhaps one of the heavier naked facial cleansers from Lush. While it won't leave your skin feeling particularly sticky or clogged up afterwards, it does remain on the skin for a long while. If, like me, you wish to use this as an intense moisturiser instead, you'll find that there is still a thin film of oils on your skin two-three hours later. Having said that, if you have a very dry complexion like myself, you'll appreciate just how vibrant and pert your face will feel if you choose to keep this on longer than recommended.

The idea behind each of the naked facial cleansers is that you massage the disc across your skin; leave it on for a few minutes; and then wipe away the product with a slightly damp cloth or cotton wool pad. The oils and butters work at not only nourishing your complexion a little, but they’ve been specifically designed to give your face a gentle cleanse whenever you feel the need to refresh your face.

Tea Totaller definitely left my skin feeling moisturised, and my face felt really smooth to the touch. Usually in the winter months I find that my face develops a few dry patches that I need to moisturise daily. However, this cleanser has stopped this from happening so far. In regards to Africa, this facial cleanser helped me to remove so much grime from my pores after a long day out in the dust and heat. I could really feel how much better my complexion felt after using this each evening, and I really feel as if this product stopped me from having an outbreak of spots. 

Overall, I would definitely use this as a regular product - perhaps alongside Sleepy Face as they are both very calming for the skin, without being too heavy or over-bearing on scent. This particular disc has lasted me almost three weeks in Africa, and then another three in England, and I would probably estimate that it's about half the size it was to start with. This makes it good value for money in my eyes, and one that I hope will remain a regular item in the near future.

Quantitative Ingredients: Organic Illipe Butter, Safflower Oil, Witch Hazel Extract, Sunflower Wax, Japan Wax, Lemongrass Oil, Rosemary Oil, Sage Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Thyme Oil, Benzoin Resinoid, Hand Harvested Sea Salt, *Citral, *Limonene. 

Vegan?: Yes.

2018 Price: £4.95 each.

Year Of Original Release: 2018.   

Melt between the fingers before massaging over the skin or simply glide the bar over the face, then wipe away with a damp face cloth. As a bonus, adding water activates a toning phase composed of witch hazel, spring water, and hand-harvested sea salt to clarify and lightly hydrate.

Oaty Creamy Dreamy Oat Milk Shower Cream

When I first bought 101 Salvations at the Lush Summit, I genuinely thought that it was a body lotion: the colour in the bottle suggested so, and I was far too busy grabbing everything exclusive in sight, that I failed to notice my mistake. It wasn't until I got home from the event that I realised it was in fact a shower cream. 

Despite the popularity of both this and Sleepy Hand Cream at the event, I was surprised when months and months later it hadn't revealed itself in any Kitchen menu, or even made an appearance as an exclusive at Lush Oxford Street. However, when the Kitchen menu announced that it would be bringing out Oaty Creamy Dreamy Oat Milk Shower Cream, I just knew that the two had to be related in some way.

Supposedly another member of the Dream Cream family, this limited edition is designed for those with more sensitive skin and does indeed pertain near-on identical traits to that of the aforementioned Summit exclusive. Rumour has it that the name was changed due to the copyright issues surrounding the original release, although how and why the tongue-twisting alternative was decided, I do not know.

Carefully crafted from the best ingredients for healthy, well-pampered skin, this is a shower cream designed for those with more sensitive skin types, as well as for those who prefer the less 'in your face' fragrances from Lush. In fact, I am surprised that something like this has not been made available before, given how popular Dream Cream is.

Despite the absence of both colour and lustre, this product is far more about the soothing, healing properties that it possesses, than looking aesthetically pleasing. It's definitely not as attractive as any of the shower creams to have come before it, but then it doesn't have to be.

Containing a base of oat milk and rose water, this shower cream is perfect for those with sensitive skin. The oat milk has a very calming effect on the pores - cleaning them out without making them react to the acidity that is often found in other products designed for the skin. The rose water is known for its anti-inflammatory properties, which can help to reduce prevalent irritation and redness. It's also a great cleanser - removing oil and dirt from the pores and leaving the skin feeling and looking far more radiant.

Alongside this, you have an accumulation of chamomile, lavender and rose absolute. These three components are very reserved in this format: the lavender taking centre stage with it's gentle, relaxing herbal scent, while the rose absolute intertwines itself around this note and offers a light, almost dampened rose smell. To finish it off, the chamomile adds a cool, delicate note of sweetness - giving this shower cream a perfect finish all around.

Despite the ingredients lists being almost identical, what sets Oaty Creamy Dreamy Oat Milk Shower Cream apart from 101 Salvations is the additional note of cocoa butter in the latter. What made me fall in love with the Summit exclusive, and elevate it above its body lotion counterpart, is that when I began using the cream in the shower, I could smell a layer of cocoa butter on my skin that gave 101 Salvations a slightly chocolately element to it. This isn't present in the newly-named version, which was slightly disappointing.

Much like the aforementioned cream, OCDOMSC is one of the thickest shower creams that Lush have ever produced: you could quite literally leave the bottle upside down and there would be no risk of it leaking out. Having said this, it does seem to be very slightly thinner than 101 Salvations, which is a good thing because it makes it a little easier to squeeze out of the bottle. I would say that you still have to put more of an effort into using it, when compared to a regular shower gel. However, this change is still a welcome one in my eyes.

Adding onto this, you do need to use quite a large quantity to produce any sort of lather to clean yourself with. When using a grape-sized amount, I found that it was difficult to manipulate enough of a foam to spread over more than just my arms. For this reason, I ended up using quite a bit more than I would any of the other shower creams, which meant that my 250g bottle went down a lot quicker than I was expecting. 

Despite using more, I still don't think this is a particularly generous shower cream at all, so I wouldn't expect to get almost any sort of lather going when you use this across your body. Yet, I do feel as if when you have rinsed off the thin layer of suds present, you can feel the difference the product has made to your skin.

While it was softening on my body and left a gentle combination of lavender and cocoa butter on the skin afterwards, I didn't feel as if it was as effective at cleaning as many of Lush's other creams and gels. Having said that, it worked wonders on my legs after they had been shaved, and even helped to reduced the redness on the back of neck after a rather gruelling session at the gym.

There is definitely a place for this within Lush's other far more colourful creams and gels. For those who want a cream that is not going to irritate or encourage their skin complaints, this would be the perfect shower companion. I do hope this makes an appearance very soon, because my single bottle is not going to be around for very long when the warmer months begin to make themselves known.     

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glycerine, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Oat Milk, Rose Water, Fair Trade Cocoa Butter, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Stearic Acid, Lauryl Betaine, Rose Absolute, Chamomile Blue Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Lavender Oil, Titanium Dioxide, Tincture Of. Benzoin, Linalool, Perfume.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £11.95 for 250g, 

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

Scent Family:

101 Salvations
Dream Cream Body Lotion
Dream Cream Self-Preserving Body Lotion
Dream On Bath Bomb
Dreamwash Shower Smoothie
Dreamwash Shower Smoothie Roulade
Fresh Farmacy Facial Soap
In The Nude Bath Melt

Oaty Creamy Dreamy Oat Milk Shower Cream

101 Salvations Shower Cream

So overwhelming was the Lush Summit event in February, that after talking to many employees about the exclusive products that were on offer at the time, the next day proved how bad my memory was, as I had remembered next to nothing. In fact, it wasn't until nearly a week after the showcase that I discovered my bottle of 'body lotion' turned out to be a shower cream instead.

101 Salvations Shower Cream is as witty in name as the product is beautiful. Carefully crafted from the best ingredients for healthy, well-pampered skin, this is a shower cream that should have made itself known way before it did. Despite the absence of both colour and lustre, this product doesn't exactly jump off the shelf at you - it's definitely not as attractive as any of the shower creams to have come before it. However, you only need to sniff this once to realise that there is something very special about this product.   

Sharing its scent with the Dream Cream family, it's a wonder that Lush didn't bring this out years ago, as the market for products designed for more delicate skin types are always in demand. And despite the fact that this has currently only made itself known for the exclusive event last month, there is no way that this wont be making an appearance in the near future: it would be cruel not to.

Containing a base of oat milk and rose water, this shower cream is perfect for those with sensitive skin. The oat milk has a very calming effect on the pores - cleaning them out without making them react to the acidity that is often found in other products designed for the skin. The rose water is known for its anti-inflammatory properties, which can help to reduce prevalent irritation and redness. It's also a great cleanser - removing oil and dirt from the pores and leaving the skin feeling and looking far more radiant.

Alongside this, you have an accumulation of chamomile, lavender and rose absolute. These three components are very reserved in this format: the lavender taking centre stage with it's gentle, relaxing herbal scent, while the rose absolute intertwines itself around this note and offers a light, almost dampened rose smell. To finish it off, the chamomile adds a cool, delicate note of sweetness - giving this shower cream a perfect finish all around.

What makes 101 Salvations Shower Cream so special is the inclusion of the cocoa butter. While it also features in Dream Cream Body Lotion, it acts as more of a base ingredient, so it's there to improve the condition of your skin rather than add to the aroma. In this exclusive beauty, you can clearly detect a creamy, chocolately layer while using it in the shower, which just adds to its appeal and makes it far sexier than any of its predecessors. 

In the bottle, this is one of the thickest shower creams that Lush have ever produced: you could quite literally leave the bottle upside down and there would be no risk of it leaking out. For this reason, it does prove a little tricky getting it out of the bottle, as you have to give it a good squeeze, and even then this only heeds a string-like consistency. 

Adding onto this, you do need to use quite a large quantity to produce any sort of lather to clean yourself with. When using a grape-sized amount, I found that it was difficult to manipulate enough of a foam to spread over more than just my arms. For this reason, I ended up using quite a bit more than I would any of the other shower creams, which meant that my 250g bottle went down a lot quicker than I was expecting. 

While it was softening on my body and left a gentle combination of lavender and cocoa butter on the skin afterwards, I didn't feel as if it was as effective at cleaning as many of Lush's other creams and gels. Having said that, it worked wonders on my legs after they had been shaved, and even helped to reduced the redness on the back of neck after a rather gruelling session at the gym.

There is definitely a place for this within Lush's other far more colourful creams and gels. For those who want a cream that is not going to irritate or encourage their skin complaints, this would be the perfect shower companion. I do hope this makes an appearance very soon, because my single bottle is not going to be around for very long when the warmer months begin to make themselves known.     

Quantitative Ingredients: Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glycerine, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Oat Milk, Rose Water, Fair Trade Cocoa Butter, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Stearic Acid, Lauryl Betaine, Rose Absolute, Chamomile Blue Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Lavender Oil, Titanium Dioxide, Tincture Of. Benzoin, Linalool, Perfume.

Vegan?: Yes.

2017 Price: £5.95 for 100g, 

Year Of Original Release: 2017.

Scent Family:

101 Salvations
Dream Cream Body Lotion
Dream Cream Self-Preserving Body Lotion
Dream On Bath Bomb
Dreamwash Shower Smoothie
Dreamwash Shower Smoothie Roulade
Fresh Farmacy Facial Soap
In The Nude Bath Melt

Oaty Creamy Dreamy Oat Milk Shower Cream

  

Ugai Solid Mouthwash Tabs

Lush are great at catering for a large market, which is perhaps one of the reasons why they have such a diverse yet equally loyal customer base. Instead of creating products that mimic other big sellers within the cosmetics industry, they go above and beyond to create and release items that the public may not initially recognise as what they want, but items they fall in love with after they've given them a chance.

At risk of repeating myself, I wont digress into the strange and unique concepts that Lush have brought us over the years, but I will say that often their releases could easily see them falling backwards off of a cliff - flailing their arms in a pointless gesture before they become well-acquainted with the ground below. Yet they seem to land on their feet each and every time, leading me to believe that they really DO know what they're doing.

Ugai is perhaps the strangest of the three brand new, innovative solid mouthwashes that Lush have designed and unleashed upon the world this summer. Being the first of its kind to ever grace the cosmetics world, these tabs have a lot to live up to, and Lush have made sure that there's more behind these tongue-twisting names than just a novelty concept.

While Creme De Menthe is for the classic mint lovers and Pan Galactic Gargle Blasters are for those who enjoy having their mouths scorched with aniseed, Ugai is the tame one of the trio. Influenced by the ancient customs of Shinto, Japanese culture believe in ridding the body, the mind and the living environment of impurities and uncleanliness. One way that they do this is by gargling a few times a day - before and after meals and sometimes after being outside, all with the intent of ridding the mouth of harmful bacteria that could cause cavities and/or illness.

Usually, a lot of this gargling is done with water, however it is also common for salt water to be used - the salt acting as a natural antiseptic as well as working to prolong fresh breath. These solid mouthwash tabs have been created with that in mind - offering a flavour that is definitely not a Westerner's idea of 'normal' but one that plays homage to a country that has enough evidence to demonstrate that they must be doing something right when it comes to their oral health.

Made from a combination of sea salt, tea tree oil and green tea powder, Ugai is a strange experience from the start. Whereas you'd expect a mouthwash to feel almost like it's wrestling each and every strand of bacteria in your mouth, this one doesn't do this at all - instead leaving an almost non-existent aftertaste while still leaving you feeling clean.

While I was initially worried at first about the use of sea salt as the key ingredient (most people who have had to gargle salt water before will probably not speak highly of the practice), I didn't find the experience unpleasant at all. The salt doesn't have its strong, salty taste at all, and although you can taste it during the gargle, it is not at all horrible. 

Strangely, it is the tea tree that embraces your sense of smell upon opening the bottle. Yet despite its prominency in the initial smell, you can barely taste it at all during use. In fact, neither the salt, the tea tree or the green tea was particularly strong in my mouth and I found the experience pretty uneventful. My mouth did feel clean after use and I could no longer detect the taste of the food I had just eaten.

As with each of the other two mouthwashes, Ugai contains xylitol - a natural substance that is found in certain fruits and vegetables and is used in foods and cosmetics as a refined sweetener. This ingredient has been proven to cause none of the harmful effects that sugar can have on the teeth, is perfect for diabetics as it doesn't effect blood sugar levels at all, yet offers the sweetness to help give these tabs their interesting but enjoyable flavours.

To use, I found it easiest to take a sip of water and then pop a single tab into my mouth - nibbling it with my back teeth before swishing, gargling and spitting out. Adding the water first meant that I didn't get any bits of tab left in my mouth during or after the experience, and this saved me from having to carry out a second swish to clear these bits between my teeth.

It's recommended that you keep the mouthwash in your mouth for a good minute. This allows the ingredients to get to work at cleaning the mouth and deodorising the tongue so you get the maximum results possible. I should warn you that these tabs do have a bit of a bite to them so you may find that you'll feel the menthol getting to work while you're using one. However, I should point out that this mouthwash was not as harsh on my senses as some of the big-branded ones I have tried from the supermarket.

Overall, I found these solid mouthwash tabs to be pleasant but not something I would really want to be using very often. While the taste of them was very mild and they were far less potent than either of the other two varieties, I think I am one of those who needs a little more 'kick' to feel like a mouthwash has worked. I found with both Creme De Menthe and Pan Galactic Gargle Blasters left my teeth, my tongue and my entire mouth feeling very sleek, shiny and throughly clean. However, I didn't get the same confident feeling when using Ugai. 

I can see why these will appeal to a lot of people, and if you're someone who wants something gentle to clear your palette after a meal, Ugai would be the one to go for. If you're someone such as myself that like a strong mouthwash to blow away those cobwebs, I suggest you try one of the other variations.   

Quantitative Ingredients: Dicalcium Phosphate Anhydrous Sodium Bicarbonate, Silica, Fine Sea Salt, Citric Acid, *Glycerine, Sorbitol, Malic Acid, Tea Tree Oil, Green Tea Powder, Xylitol.

Vegan?: Yes.

2016 Price: £5.95 for 45g (roughly 80 tabs)

Year Of Original Release: 2016