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.

Products mentioned in article

The Body Shop French Lavender Massage Oil

Marlen Elliot Harrison

Dr. Marlen Elliot Harrison’s journalism in the fragrance industry has appeared in international print and online publications such as Playboy...(more)