In an ideal would, I would be able to rely on Lush for my every cosmetic need; from my face and body to my haircare. That way I could guarantee that, firstly, every product in my collection was 100% vegan and 100% cruelty free. Secondly, I would know that I was supporting a company that are doing at least something to help the reduction of waste and the sustainability of the environment. Finally, I would be proud that I was supporting a company who advocate and promote important welfare messages to an audience that may not otherwise have access to such information.
It is a shame then that there are still aspects of my toiletry and cosmetics collection, that I am unable to revert. One such product is the 'deodorant'. Annoyingly, 'deodorant' is amongst one of the few words in the English language that I always misspell, making it a rather unpopular word to begin with. It doesn't help that my little experience with Lush deodorants so far, have been somewhat negative, so when I began using Aromaco, I was already very skeptical.Aromaco comes in small cream-coloured blocks and is priced at �4.70 for a 100g slice. This is obviously a lot more expensive than a usual bottle of anti-perspirant. However, if it works in a similar manner to Lush's solid shampoos, a block could last upwards of 6+ months, making it incredible value for money.
The deodorant contains witch hazel and chamomile vinegar to help tighten pores rather than block them, which is supposed to help you to keep cool and fresh. Lush have also included bicarbonate of soda to absorb odour and cooling patchouli oil to give your armpits a lasting earthy fragrance. Aromaco claims to absorb body odour and leave you smelling as fresh as a daisy. So does it work?
Firstly, I found it was rather difficult to use. You're supposed to rub the block under your armpits, following a shower to keep you feeling fresh and dry throughout the day. However, I found that whether I used it on dry or slightly damp skin, very little smell or product rubbed off onto my armpits. This meant that I felt very naked throughout the day, something that I'm very conscious about at work; nobody wants a smelly co-worker! It's not as fiddly and messy as T'eo, but it's certainly more hassle than using a normal roll-on deodorant.
Secondly, the scent it gives off is a little less than desirable. I recognise that witch hazel and patchouli have been used specially to target bad odours and smother them, and I can't deny that it doesn't do this to some extent. However, the smell is very poignant and not something I want to be using regularly. Finally, the deodorant did absolutely nothing to help keep me dry or prevent as much sweating occurring as normal. In fact, I found that the deodorant made things worse. Whereas before I was sweating fairly odourlessly, I now had to contend with a mixture of sweat and patchouli - something I wasn't very happy with at all.
To conclude: I recognise that Lush are trying to come up with new concepts and products to help reduce their carbon footprint, use fresher and sustainable natural ingredients as well as cater for a large range of consumers. However, this is one product that seems to have very little use at all.
I recognise that there are others out there who seem to really appreciate Aromaco, and have perhaps started using it regularly with pleasing results. However, I suspect that a large percentage of these people seldomly sweat, which is why they've yet to see it's flaws. For someone like myself, who works out 6 days a week and has a full time job which involves moving around a lot, I don't think this deodorant is conducive at all.
Quantitative Ingredients: Witch Hazel Infusion, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Stearate, Chamomile Vinegar, Sodium Bicarbonate, Patchouli Oil, Citral, *Limonene, Perfume.
Vegan?: Yes
2015 Price: �4.95 for 100g.
