Recently, I won a rather large slab of this soap on eBay. As with most of my Lush purchases, I didn't know anything about the product beforehand, only that it was difficult to get hold of, so I wasn't going to waste an opportunity.
When the mysterious soap arrived, I wasn't particularly enamoured with the smell; a light zesty citrus-y lemon scent not unlike Northern Lights or Bohemian. Neither was I particularly bowled over my it's appearance; a murky mustardy brown colour speckled with flecks of sand and what looked like clumps of glycerine. Needless to say, I wasn't expecting anything spectacular in the shower.
However, this soap not only proved me wrong, but surpassed all of my expectations, and has now cemented itself as one of my favourite Lush products ever!
Sandstone Soap is advertised as an exfoliating bar suitable for use on the face or body. It has a layer of sand to help target rough and bumpy areas, and also features the seductive citrus scent of a caipirinha cocktail, which makes you feel and smell clean and fresh after use.
I put this bad boy to the test one afternoon, while soaking myself in the bath. After shaving, I began to aggressively rub my legs, underarms and torso with a small piece that I'd cut from my slab. Although I did make myself bleed slightly, I immediately noticed the difference to my body. My skin felt taut and smooth, toned and resilient. It really did feel and look as if the soap was removing bumps and blemishes from the surface of my skin. By the third use, my legs looked smoother and firmer and the change in consistency was very noticeable.
Normally in the summer, my legs can get rather dry and I find myself having to moisturise 2-3 times a day sometimes. The problem with this is that when it gets too hot, I find myself sweating slightly, which just makes my legs feel greasy from the different lotions I use.
Having used Sandstone only a handful of times, I find that my legs stay smooth and moisturised for days after use, which means I don't have to mask my skin with any lotions.
I've really enjoyed using this soap. I've found that it lathers up really well in the shower and lasts ages - some Lush soaps are really soft and run out pretty quickly, but not this one.The only negative aspect, is that if it is used in the bath, you tend to get grains of sand resting in the base of your tub, which can make for a rather uncomfortable experience. This is definitely best used in the shower.
With that most uplifting of essential oils - litsea cubeba oil – Sandstone wakes up the mind even before it gets started on the skin. It’s the perfect soap for summer, and the exfoliating sand will get your skin beach-ready in no time. It's an amazing product!
Quantitative Ingredients: Water, Sand, Glycerine, Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Stearate, Perfume, Litsea Cubeba Oil, Coriander Oil, Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Gardenia Extract, *Citral, *Geraniol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal.
Vegan?: Yes