I have suffered for dry skin for years. I find there are many lotions and potions that claim to nourish dehydrated skin, but few that actually do what they say on the tin.
A few weeks ago I popped along to the Body Shop's launch of their Wild Argan Oil bath & bodycare range with my friend and fellow bloggers Em Sheldon and Scarlett London.
Argan Oil is rich in essential fatty acids - including linoleic acid (Omega 6) and natural tocopherols, making it a superior skin-noushing ingredient and earning it the title the “Queen of Oils”
Wild Argan Fruits
Dried Argan Fruits
This oil is produced in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco and the Body Shop ensured we were immersed in Moroccan culture to give us a real feel of the story behind their newest fair trade community project. The event was held in Momo's in Central London, a Moroccan themed bar & restaurant, we could get our names written in Arabic, and we were served Mojotos and an array of food to dip into Argan butter, which was surprisingly delicious.
Momo's
Ashley in arabic
There was a belly dancer who performed, and taught us the art and techniques of this beautiful & exotic dance method.
Argan Oil made its appearance in the beauty industry as a hair oil, but the local Berber women have been using argan oil on their hair and body for centuries, traditionally as part of their hammam beauty rituals to protect and nourish their skin from the harsh Saharan winds and fierce sun.
We were educated about the opportunities this fairtrade project has created for the women of this local community. It was incredibly touching and eye opening to hear how the project has created employment for the women in the area (girl power and all). I don't know about you guys, but I've never taken time to consider the amazing work the Body Shop does (or fair-trade work in general) but it has made me an even bigger fan of their products. I’ve attached a video created by the Body Shop so you can watch it if you are interested in learning about the process:
I was given a few of the products in the range to take away and try for myself, so I have taken the time to use them and see how they work on my body so I can give you a full review. NB. I have not been paid any money ever by the Body Shop (or asked to write this post) - the reason I say this is because my review of these products is so positive I didn’t want you to think I’ve been incentivised to do so!
The products smell like a mixture between almond butter and marzipan, so they’re delicious and natural.
Wild Argan Oil Rough Scrub
I put this scrub onto my arms, legs, and hips using my hands. The exfoliation beads are fine but very rough. After scrubbing my body with my hands, my hands felt moisturised after which is rare for an exfoliator. As a dry skin sufferer I have tried nearly every exfoliator and scrub under the sun and this is 100% my favourite one ever due to it’s ability to both exfoliate and moisturise simultaneously.
Wild Argan Oil Body Butter
You may know from my monthly favourites that I’m a long-term fan of the Body Shop’s body butter range. When I was younger I’d always want to try different ones but I had to stick to the ones for very dry skin (Shea butter or cocoa butter). This Argan Oil has to be the godfather of intense body butters, but it’s still easy to rub into your body.
Wild Argan Oil Miracle Solid Oil
I am currently using this oil on the soles of my feet before bed as I’ve just had a pedicure and am trying to maintain that silky softness and it is brilliant. Word of advice, don’t use it on any part of your body as it really is a concentrated oil (as my boyfriend discovered), but it’s amazing for anywhere you’re suffering from dry patches: elbows, knees, hands, feet.
Wild Argan Oil The Radiance for Body and Hair
I haven’t used this spray on my body, but I have been using it on my hair. It’s taken a while for me to figure out quantities when using this product but it really has transformed my hair.
I dye my hair blonde so it’s always dry at the bottom and using this product has made it look and feel so much healthier.
I usually use the L’Oreal professional mythic oil serum and use about three pumps in my hair. I used a similar amount of the spray everywhere and my hair was oily so I had to rewash it. I was impressed though as it shows how concentrated and effective it is.
There are other products in the range including: solid oil for lips, shower gel, body lotion, and bubbling bath.
All the products are out TODAY so let me know if you end up purchasing any of them, or have any questions!
Until next time… x
