A friend and I went to peruse our local mall on a crummy day and she HAS to take me to this store full of bath bombs. I am not the type of person who wanders into a bath bomb store. I mean, come on. When does anyone actually have time to take a bath? That seems like such a foreign idea. So as I am mentally fighting about what the heck a bath bomb store is I see that my perception was all wrong. (I swear. Just hang on, this is NOT a bath bomb article!)
As I am looking around I realize they have more products, but there are three I specifically want to discuss. Those of us on a tight budget probably do not have money to blow on bath bombs or hand crafted soaps, which was my first impression of the store. It seemed like it was full of frivolousness, but I soon came to love the store Lush when I saw that they made their own brand of deodorant. It piqued my interest as I was looking for an alternative to antiperspirant as it is known to have ingredients linked to breast cancer. Although I was skeptical of natural deodorants from back when I had tried Tom’s Natural deodorant when I was younger, but it did not really work for me. I ended up caving and getting a chunk of their Aromaco deodorant for about $7. It lasts quite a while and is an excellent product. I was pretty much sold on using their store from now on. It may not be for you if you prefer the applicator packages that mainstream deodorants come in; a plastic sleeve package with the dial on the bottom which raises the product. Please do note that all natural deodorants work best when re-applied if you are going out for the evening too.
To be fair I also, I did try Native brand deodorant, and it was also a great product. Native also has many more scents available than the one kind of hippie scented Lush product. They cater to both sexes and have it packaged like mainstream deodorants. Recently, Target has begun carrying the Native brand on their store shelves so there is quite a bit more access to it as well. The best scents are available via the Native website, and they also run sales that are really great deals.
2 Other Products We Love from Lush
There are two other products that I have tested at Lush that I also think are worth the money and the trip to a mall or worth the shipping of an internet order. These skin products are incredible and reasonably priced. They also are very nourishing for your skin, which is after all your biggest organ and deserves a little pampering.
Naked Cleansing Balms
Lush has a series of facial cleansers but the one that is the most economical and useful are their Naked Cleansing Balms. The balms are about the size of a silver dollar but maybe a half inch thick. They seem solid, but the warmth of your body heats the oils as you rub it on your face. (I do remove eye makeup prior to using the cleanser). I prefer to leave the oil on for a minute or so and then wipe off with a warm face cloth. My skin is never dried out an flaky in the morning like it is with soap and at under $6 a disc, it is worth the price to take care of your skin properly. They have many different styles, and many more seasonal scents in stores but if you have to order online, the Gritty Polliti style is my my favorite of the online offerings.
The Charity Pot
The last product I found at Lush that, to me, is worth the money is their Charity Pot. It contains skin lotion that genuinely heals cracked and damaged skin. I was so amazed at how quickly my overworked and undernourished winter cuticles healed pretty much overnight after using the cream. I let a coworker who had cracks in her hands use some and she immediately ordered some for herself. Lush has no idea I am writing any of this, and I assure you I get nothing out of promoting this stuff. It just works really well and is worth the few dollars more than the CVS stuff. Another aspect of the Charity Pot is that the proceeds of the $7.95 pot go to fund ethical and humanitarian projects around the world. They do also sell a much larger pot for $27.95, but I like the small package of the smaller container. It fits my purse or jacket pocket. The scent is very light and I believe they even source the raw ingredients ethically.
So for about $25 you can get amazing, yet cheap, skin care products that are ethically sourced and good for the skin. No matter your gender, Lush and Native both have products that will suit your needs and preferences. While these products do cost more than the mainstream brands, they are not so overpriced or expensive that they are out of reach to the average consumer. When considering healthy living at a low cost, these products are worth the slightly higher price.
Queen Bee Living 