On my mission to find more natural and organic products I came across Bloomtown Botanicals on Twitter and they very kindly agreed to send me some samples of their products to try. When they arrived I saw that 3 full sized products had been included and one sample product, which is so very generous of them. Today I am reviewing 2 of the full sized Nourishing Soap Bars * for you guys and (spoiler alert) they're great!!
Bloomtown Botanicals started when Preyanka and her husband Medwin moved to Indonesia and saw for themselves the effects of palm oil cultivation - the loss of forests that are home to endangered species, such as orangutans and tigers. As a result of this they have removed palm oil from their lives and decided to make palm oil free products, as most shop bought shampoos, conditioners and lotions include palm oil. This coupled with Preyanka's passion for aromatherapy and botany created Bloomtown Botanicals, who produce cruelty free and
sustainable products for the body and home. In 2015 they moved to Cornwall, where they hand make all of their products. Bloomtown Botanicals also donate 10% of all their profits to environmental and animal charities. They also have a Jars for Stars scheme where you can return your used jars (as long as they are in good condition) in order to earn points - those points can then be redeemed on future purchases. This is such a great idea to try and minimise waste.
So onto the actual soap bars. I've always been a little sceptical of natural soaps as the ones I've tried in the past have all been very drying on my skin and seem to strip my skin of natural oils rather than moisturising. I've tried quite a few different ones now and none seem to fit the bill - until now. I was very graciously gifted The Grove * and The Spring * Nourishing Soap Bars and I've tried them each for a couple of weeks now.
The first thing I noticed about both soap bars is that they lather amazingly well. I really like a soap that lathers well, as I feel like it's really cleaning my skin - if it just glides over my skin and it doesn't lather up I feel like it's not really getting into my pores. It's amazing how nourishing these natural soaps are and I never get that tight, dry feeling after using them - in fact I find that I need to use less moisturiser after my shower when I use one of these bars. They last really well, as I've used both of these for 2 weeks now and they are only just slightly smaller than when I started and at £4.80 a bar they are such good value for money. All their nourishing soap bars are free from palm oil, animal products, wheat, sulfates, SLSs, parabens, synthetic colours and detergents; so you can be reassured that you are not putting any nasties on your skin. The packaging is really luxurious and can be recycled too, minimising any waste.
The Grove is a Shea & Coconut soap bar with rosehip and sweet almond oil, which really moisturises the skin. I love the blood orange and grapefruit citrus smell and it's especially perfect for mornings, as it makes me feel really energised. It has swirls of clay in it and is a really pretty colour, which looks lovely on my bath. This is definitely my favourite out of the two as it feels so moisturising
The Spring is an unscented soap especially for sensitive skin. I find that the small black bits are quite sharp, but not uncomfortably so, when you get to them in the soap and provide a tiny bit of exfoliation. I personally find that this is a little more drying on the skin than The Grove bar, but only slightly. As this is unscented it would be perfect for people who aren't keen on strong scents in their products or people with sensitive skin.
I love these soap bars and once they run out I'll definitely be ordering some more and trying out some of the other variations that are on offer. There is such a wide range of scents that there is something for everyone. I also really want to pick up their Eco-Friendly Wooden Soap Dishes as they look so cute and they allow the soap to dry out properly instead of just putting it on the side of the bath and it getting stuck to the tub!
I'm so glad that I found such a great brand that are passionate about sustainability and animal welfare and also make such gorgeous and effective products. Keep an eye out for a review of the Bloomtown Botanicals Sugar Scrubs coming soon too. Have you tried anything from Bloomtown Botanicals?
Kayleigh x
Labels: Beauty, Skincare
