Pre-warning - this has turned into a bit of a long post and I may yet turn it into two!
I was contacted by Essential Care at the beginning of February to see if I would like to try anything from their new Odylique range.
Essential Care have been going for about 30 years, creating a range of products based on natural ingredients that are loved by people all over! Over the last few months they have launched Odylique - an eco-luxe range of organic skincare. Some Essential Care products have been revisited and updated and others are completely new.
I was contacted by Essential Care at the beginning of February to see if I would like to try anything from their new Odylique range.
Essential Care have been going for about 30 years, creating a range of products based on natural ingredients that are loved by people all over! Over the last few months they have launched Odylique - an eco-luxe range of organic skincare. Some Essential Care products have been revisited and updated and others are completely new.
I was kindly sent the Tea Tree & Green Clay Cleansing Bar and the Tea Tree & Herb Shampoo to see how I got on with.
I was keen on trying the Tea Tree & Green Clay Cleansing Bar* as you can 'use this on face and body for the ultimate deep cleanse. It also provides a silky shave experience'. A multi-purpose soap then! The soap's ingredients are very clean - with olive oil for hydration, coconut oil to create a rich lather and also to hydrate, green clay for purification, and tea tree and lemon grass for their antimicrobial properties.
The soap is an earthy green colour and you can really smell the tea tree & lemon grass which I love. I've been using it in the mornings to wash my face and I feel that it's done a good job. It cleanses and refreshes the skin without drying it out, which I always worry about with a bar. The tea tree and lemon grass work a treat on my oily/combination skin.
I have to say though, it really comes into it's own when using it to prepare the skin before shaving. I have incredibly sensitive skin under my arms and have historically found that mainstream shaving gels would only irritate it further.
I've found this Cleansing Bar lathers beautifully (thanks to the coconut) which allows a very smooth shave without pulling or snagging the skin. The skin gets added hydration and a bonus cleanse from the tea tree oils, without drying it out or further irritating it.
The one thing I will mention, and it may just be because of my tiny, steamy bathroom, is that the bar got bit slimy after the first few uses. This isn't a huge problem, it just means it sticks to the soap dish and requires a bit of effort to remove!
Overall I'm really happy with this cleansing bar and I think for £6 it is a bargain. I would certainly buy this again.
The other product I was sent was the Tea Tree & Herb Shampoo*.
If you are on a journey to use more natural products, then shampoo is generally considered to be a difficult one to master. I know I've tried about 5 different ones over the last couple of years and none of them have really wow'd me.
I've been using this shampoo for a few weeks now and to be honest I'm still trying to find a fault with it because so far it ticks all the boxes.
The shampoo lathers well, although I do still need to double wash due to the amount of hair I have. The scent is perhaps a little medicinal due to the ingredients, which might not suit all but wasn't really an issue for me.
The texture is a little funny and much thicker than conventional shampoos but I appreciated the pump action as I was able to get what I needed without using too much.
The idea with this shampoo is that is acts as a bit of a conditioner too. Once massaged into the scalp, leave the shampoo on for a few minuets and then rise it out. This ensures that the herbs and oils have chance to work their magic.
My scalp is free from flakes and feelings healthy again. My hair is not particularly any softer or shinier than my previous shampoo BUT what I have noticed is that my hair stays cleaner for longer. I usually wash my hair every third day - with this shampoo I'm washing it every four days and that is still without the need to dry shampoo on the last day. I suppose the tea tree and rosemary oils are combating my oily scalp?
Whatever the reason, I'm smitten with it. It costs £11 for a 200ml bottle which is perhaps a little steep, especially when my previous shampoo was about £8 and was for 400ml.
You can view the Odylique range on the Essential Care website here.
Have you tried anything from Odylique yet?
The shampoo lathers well, although I do still need to double wash due to the amount of hair I have. The scent is perhaps a little medicinal due to the ingredients, which might not suit all but wasn't really an issue for me.
The texture is a little funny and much thicker than conventional shampoos but I appreciated the pump action as I was able to get what I needed without using too much.
The idea with this shampoo is that is acts as a bit of a conditioner too. Once massaged into the scalp, leave the shampoo on for a few minuets and then rise it out. This ensures that the herbs and oils have chance to work their magic.
My scalp is free from flakes and feelings healthy again. My hair is not particularly any softer or shinier than my previous shampoo BUT what I have noticed is that my hair stays cleaner for longer. I usually wash my hair every third day - with this shampoo I'm washing it every four days and that is still without the need to dry shampoo on the last day. I suppose the tea tree and rosemary oils are combating my oily scalp?
Whatever the reason, I'm smitten with it. It costs £11 for a 200ml bottle which is perhaps a little steep, especially when my previous shampoo was about £8 and was for 400ml.
You can view the Odylique range on the Essential Care website here.
Have you tried anything from Odylique yet?
*PR Samples
