As a huge Lushie, I have been meaning to try out one of their cleansers for a while now. Once I used up my last cleanser (St. Ives Green Tea Scrub, which you can read a full review of
HERE) I picked up a block of Herbalism, their cleanser for oily and/or acne-prone skin, on my last trip home to visit my parents. We don't have a Lush where I live, so I always like to stock up on all kinds of goodies at Lush whenever I'm home!
Herbalism is made with nettle, rosemary and rice vinegar (a natural astringent) to cleanse oil, acne-prone skin without causing irritation. It also contains whole rice bran and ground almonds for effective exfoliation that isn't overly harsh or gritty. It comes in a clear, resealable plastic container for easy storage.
The smell is quite different than most cleansers I've encountered. It's got a bran and vinegar scent to it, which makes sense considering those are two of the main ingredients. I wasn't sure about it at first, but by the second or third time of using Herbalism, call me crazy but I actually came to like the smell. Maybe it's because it started to remind me of freshly baked bread or maybe it's just that I came to mentally associate the smell with having soft, clean skin.
In addition to the smell, how you use this cleanser is also different from most cleansers. You pinch a small bit off the larger block of cleanser (the amount of cleanser you use will depend on your desired consistency, with more cleanser creating a thicker paste) then close your hand in a loose fist around the piece of cleanser and run it under warm water.
This is around the size I typically use for one application. It doesn't take much!
Once the cleanser's wet, you pinch and roll it around in the palm of your hand until it forms a paste, which you then spread and rub across your face. It's not as complicated as it sounds, but it is a bit of a change if you're used to soap-based cleansers, due to how you apply it and the fact that it doesn't foam up. It can be a bit messy, so I find it easiest to use in the shower rather than over the sink.
Here's the paste!
I use another cleanser (usually Philosophy Purity) to take off my make-up, since Herbalism isn't really designed for that, then follow up with Herbalism to keep acne and oil at bay. It leaves my face feeling very clean and provides gentle but effective exfoliation. One of the things I like most about it is that my skin feels extremely soft afterwards and it doesn't leave your skin feeling tight like so many cleansers for oily or acne-prone skin do.
Speaking of skin, mine seems to love this new cleanser. I haven't had a major breakout since I started using it and I barely have any acne at all, in fact. The minor redness I had on my cheeks has calmed way down too. I'm starting to think my skin is more sensitive than I thought, because it really reacts well to gentler, all-natural ingredients. I've been using Herbalism in tandem with another Lush cleanser, Dark Angels, and it has done wonders for the look and feel of my skin!
I most definitely plan on purchasing another block of Herbalism! Price-wise, the block I bought cost about $11 (I'd already been using it for about two weeks by the time I took the shot above, so it was originally a bit bigger), but one of the many nice things about Lush is they'll create custom portions for you if you want a bigger or smaller amount and they're also very generous with samples if you are looking to try something out. I'd guesstimate that with daily use, the portion I got will last me around three months or so. Lush's cleansers are all made without preservatives, so you're supposed to use them up within five months anyways.
Have you ever tried Herbalism? What are some of your favorite Lush products? I'm loving my experiences with their skincare, but I'm a huge fan of their soaps, bath bombs and bubble bars too!
