The Body Shop Spa of the World French Lavender Massage Oil

BEAUTY ALMANAC TESTED

SUMMARY: From The Body Shop's new Spa of the World collection, French Lavender Massage Oil is a richly aromatic relaxing treatment of gentle lavender in sesame and chamomile oils.

ABOUT THE BRAND: The Body Shop is an iconic British brand with a growing global presence. Dame Anita Roddick founded The Body Shop back in 1976 in Brighton, England. It started with the belief that business could be a force for good. The Body Shop has always created innovative, naturally-inspired products. The Body Shop is dedicated to enriching people as well as the planet, working fairly with farmers and suppliers and helping communities thrive through its Community Trade program ( Enrich Not Exploit™). The Body Shop does not test its ingredients or products on animals.

USE: "Focusing on tensed areas, massage onto skin to help relax body and mind" (The Body Shop). In addition to using this as a massage oil, it can also be used after sun, on dry skin, as a bath oil, after-shower, and for weathered hands and feet.

AROMA & TEXTURE: French Lavender Massage Oil avoids the more medicinal facets of lavender's aroma and instead offers a gentle, sweet scent of lavender buds. The aroma is perceptible upon application and lingers for about 25-30 minutes thereafter.

The texture is a silky smooth blend of chamomile and sesame oils that is slow-drying and spreads easily on skin, ideal for massage.

INGREDIENTS: Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil/Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil (Skin Conditioning Agen), Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil/Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil (Emollient), Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil/Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil (Emollient), Lavandula Angustifolia Oil/Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil (Natural Additive), Linalool (Fragrance Ingredient), Tocopherol (Antioxidant), Geraniol (Fragrance Ingredient), Limonene (Fragrance Ingredient), Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil (Fragrance Ingredient), Coumarin (Fragrance Ingredient).

ABOUT THE PACKAGING: The 170ml pour bottle is made of recyclable plastic. Oil is easily dispensable directly onto skin or into hands. The packaging is a simple brown color with black cap that recalls classic apothecary bottles. The product is not accompanied by paper packaging to reduce waste.

WHERE CAN I BUT IT: A 170ml bottle is available for $20 USD from The Body Shop worldwide or at the company's website, TheBodyShop.com.

NUMBER OF TIMES TESTED: For the purposes of this review I've used it as a full body massage oil, hand moisturizer, and as a base for my lavender and vanilla scented fragrances on 5+ occasions from a bottle I purchased myself.

PROS & CONS: I really enjoyed both the pleasant aroma and deeply moisturizing texture, and was pleased to experience no irritation to my sensitive skin. I find some lavender oils to be bitter or harsh but this one is sweetly enjoyable. A little goes a long way and though I was initially concerned about price, I'm not using it up as quickly as I had anticipated. I like that the sesame and chamomile oils are fairly sourced through The Body Shop's Community Trade program.

The price is a little high for a basic massage oil when compared to other brands such as SheaMoisture (240ml for $11 USD).

The Bottom Line: I'm really happy The Body Shop has launched a great range of spa products including massage oils, scrubs, and creams. Being a huge fan of lavender, French Lavender Massage Oil is the perfect, fair trade antidote to stressed muscles and dry skin.