I’ll admit. I’m not an organic-all-natural-for-sensitive-skin-only kind of chick. I don’t mind chemicals. In fact, I’d have to say that chemicals, pills, synthetics — all manner of man-made goodness — have made my life better thus far. I grew up popping antibiotics for my chronic tonsilitis. My coffee addiction goes hand in hand with my addiction to first Sweet N Low, and then Equal, and now Splenda. And read the ingredient list on any of my must-have beauty products, and you’ll find enough dimethicone, glyceryl stearate and propylparaben to make your eyes cross.
So I was a bit skeptical when the Lush Coco Lotion came across my desk. Sure, the packaging — a little ice cream pint container with a twist off lid — is adorable. And the press kit tells me the hand and body lotion contains extra virgin coconut oil harvested from Nias, a small Indonesian island that was devastated by the 2005 tsunami. (Lush’s support of the island’s new sustainable coconut farm is helping to build preschools there.) OK, so I’m definitely intrigued. But it’s a lotion. I’ve tried a million body lotions here at Audrey. And unfortunately for my dry skin, nothing really works unless it’s oily, greasy and sticky.
What really threw me off was the ingredient list. It reads, and I quote: “Ingredients: Spring Water, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Mandarin and Rosemary Infusion, Pimento Berry, Nutmeg and Star Anise decoction …”
What the? Where’s my cetyl alcohol? Cyclomethicone? Isopropyl Isostearate? I was confused.
But like a good editor, I tried it. I slathered it on after a shower one night. Not much fragrance. Went on smoothly. Not sticky. Not greasy. Good luck, I thought wryly.
I woke up this morning, bright and early at 7 on the dot. (Thanks, jet lag.) My face was inexplicably dry (another little betrayal, in addition to wrinkles and adult acne, of age … more on that later). But my arms … and my legs … were inexplicably soft. Seriously. Soft. Not sticky. Not greasy.
After that discovery — and the fact that I swear my eyelashes grew lusher after drinking Indian whole milk for two weeks — I’m seriously giving organic-all-natural a second look. Maybe Mother Nature knows a thing or two after all.
Lush Coco Lotion, $19.95, www.Lushusa.com.
Related Articles
Erica Kim, a graduate from Parsons, founded the popular clothing brand Lush in 2003. Since then, Lush has provided chic and stylish clothing for young women everywhere. With an average price point of $50, Lush offers high quality garments at an affordable price. Coming off of a stellar Spring/Summer collection, which featured Asian American bloggers [...]
I’m pretty indecisive. Whether it be picking a place to eat for dinner or choosing what color socks to wear, I like having plenty of options. That’s why I always hated it when I only had one type of lotion to wear. Why would I want to be stuck with the same scent on me [...]
In our Winter 2010-11 issue, I raved about ecoStore‘s All Purpose Citrus Cleaning Spray. Not only is it all natural (literally, five ingredients in its ingredient list, including palm and coconut based non-ionic and anionic surfactants), but my cleaning lady raves about its efficacy. I’ve personally become a huge fan of ecoStore products, and the [...]
By now, it’s a no-brainer that sun protection must accompany your trips outdoors. People are always telling you, “Be sure to wear your sunblock!” or, “You don’t want to get sun damage!” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 70 percent of adults do not apply sunscreen regularly and more than one-third of [...]
In our Must-See Shows: Summer TV post last week, we highlighted contestant Doreen Fang of season 6 of The Next Food Network Star, airing on Sundays at 9 pm on The Food Network. Well, we forgot to mention Aarti Sequeira, a contestant who is of Indian descent! The 31-year-old Los Angeles native was born in [...]
