Autumn Body Care Inspired by L’Occitane: Eucalyptus and Honey

I have two body care products from L’Occitane to share with you today beauties – their new Rebalancing Black Soap (permanent) and Shea Melting Honey Ultra Soft Body Cream (limited edition, unfortunately). The Shea Melting Honey range is actually showing as out of stock on their website BUT I’m seriously hoping they get some more in and make it permanent, because it deserves it and I’d like to try more of the range! I love both of these products for their rich scents and divine textures (something L’Occitane specialises in). When the weather starts getting cooler, I feel like I need that extra pick me up, just to keep me going (otherwise my natural tendency is to hibernate). So let me tell you about these goodies 🙂 <3

Aromachologie Rebalancing Black Soap

Let me tell you about soap. I love soap. It makes me feel clean and oh so fresh! It’s also so nostalgic, who didn’t use soap growing up! Granted, they can be drying, but formulas are so much better these days (plus, I always moisturise after a bath or shower anyway).  Hence I was so intrigued by the sound of this ‘black soap’ which comes in a tub  – what the! I had to have it! Now take note this is not Black Tar Soap (there is also a Black African soap which I suspect is very similar, though it contains a few other distinct ingredients like tamrind extract and palm ash). If you have ever come across Black Tar Soap, you will never forget it. It is the most potent and putrid smelling body product I have ever come across. It was developed in 1860 and literally comes from coal. Liquid tar anyone? Lol! Originally, it was called Sapo Carbonis Detergens. Just to satisfy your curiosity (you know you want to!) ask your local chemist/pharmacy if they have it (Cincotta Chemist carries it in Australia). Luckily, for the general public and I, L’Occitane’s Rebalicing Black Soap is based on olive olive! It’s called ‘black soap’ because it is made from black olives 🙂 The olive oil is also highly rich in vitamin E.

An olive oil based body soap paste to cleanse skin and rid it from impurities. Its formula helps to refine skin texture and leave it soft and silky.Recipe made with: Olice oil, eucalyptus essential oil. 

The Rebalancing Black Soap looks a little like a thick honey and has the same texture of honey, without being sticky. Because you are meant to use it during a hot bath or shower, the heat and steam from the water should soften the soap, making it easy to scoop out and apply (and then it feels like a jelly on the skin). The reason for using it during a hot shower or bath, is so your pores open up, allowing the eucalyptus to ‘refine’ your skin. A little bit of a ‘detox’ if you will 😉 I love the scent of eucalyptus and it’s very Australian, so it smells very familiar and comforting to me. As you apply the soap, you are meant to massage it into the skin as much as possible and then rinse it off, also massaging as you go.

As you rinse the black soap off, it foams up a little, leaving the skin feeling super soft and clean. It does feel like you’ve used soap if that makes sense, probably because it gives your skin that ‘deep clean’ feeling. It’s not black on the skin by the way, it just looks super dark in the tub. It’s more of a deep golden shade, which doesn’t transfer to the skin in any way (so no issues in regards to discolourations etc.). I do find that I still need to moisturise after my shower, despite the soap being based on oil olive and containing glycerin.

As the soap is made using traditional methods, it can crystalise in the tub and harden, but as I mentioned above, it softens when heated. You receive 170 grams for $28.00 and I can see it lasting a while. As it’s part of the L’Occitane Aromacholgie line, which is big on natural essential oils, it does have a strong scent, so it’s not for the faint hearted. I’m definitely a fan!

Shea Melting Honey Ultra Soft Cream

Containing 10% shea butter and honey, this light cream still packs a punch in regards to hydration!

By combining a high concentration of nourishing shea butter (10%) and softening honey from Provence, this silky smooth, light-textured body cream “Melting Honey Ultra Soft Cream” helps to nourish and protect the skin, while enveloping it in the delicious scent of melting honey.

Very often the Shea Ultra Soft Cream’s come in a tin and this cream is no different (I always keep the tin after finishing off the product!). If you like the scent of the Body Shop’s Honeymania Body Butter, you will loooove the scent of this body cream! It’s quite sweet, but it still has a very strong ‘undertone’ scent of honey, which smells really authentic. The cream itself is super creamy and light, but is oddly super rich at the same time. It may take a little time to work in, but using less is more in this case. This makes it that little bit more economical, even though it’s definitely a ‘luxe’ product 😉

Shea butter usually turn solid when cool, so it is pretty amazing that this body cream stays so light and fluffy. The addition of honey, sunflower seed oil and glycerin, keep your skin soft for the whole day after application. It does leave a little bit of a residue on your skin, like any rich body cream will, but it’s not sticky. Because the sent of the cream is quite strong, you definitely don’t need to wear perfume on a day out.

I wish you could have a smell of this gorgeous cream and maybe your local L’Occitane store will still have it, so it’s worth checking out! It puts me in a good mood whenever I open up the tin because it just smells sooo good (and delicious!). It is perfect for combating the current dreary weather…. It comes in at $35 for 100ml and is of course, made in France. Let me know if you have tried any of the other honey products from this range!

Just a note on body care – if you’re not used to moisturising after ever shower or bath, I can’t recommend that you do so, more highly. You will notice the difference in your skin over time, to the point where you can’t imagine not moisturising! It’s so easy to forget about our bodies, when really, they put up with a lot every day. It keeps your skin healthy and protected most of all and so it will look better over time. Are you a body moisturiser fan? What about soap? What are your favourite body care products at the moment?

Catch ya next time beauties!

Beauty Bee~

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