Following on from last weekend, when I had the chance to try out the Lush Shower Jelly birthday gift, I had the opportunity to try out the Lush Olive Branch shower gel today.

Although it was quite runny to begin with, which is tricky in a shower, since the water is running, you have to keep the shower gel away from the water before using it. It did however, produce a lovely fine lather, which left my skin feeling soft and feeling refreshed.

The smell is heavenly and reminds me of standing somewhere in a Mediterranean garden full of oranges and olives, like the time we were on holiday in Spain.

I love the fact that scent has a way of transporting you back to somewhere or reminds you of a memory and this is a bottle for me that is wonderfully reminiscent of a sunny afternoon spent in Seville.

Since trying the product, I’ll be honest, I wasn’t all that convinced that the ingredients are all natural, or hand made as the label described.

So many brands make these claims, and yet when you dig a bit deeper, you find that the natural ingredients represent such a tiny amount, that I think wherever possible its better to try and make it yourself, to get the full benefit or full potency of the ingredient you like.

That is, after all what happens when we select ingredients to cook with.

So I did a bit of research about Lush and came across this YouTube film:

It has me convinced that most of the ingredients are natural, because here, you can see all the ingredients being mixed together, just as you would in your own kitchen. Obviously, they have to do this on a commercial scale, but its reassuring to see it all in action. So now, I know it really does contain Bergamot, Orange Blossom, Vine Leaves and Olive Oil and in large quantities too.

I love the scent and their ethics. Definitely will be a repeat purchase – I will just have to exercise a lot of self control when I enter the Lush store next time I’m in Wimbledon.