Getting Messy with LUSH Herbalism

I love a lot of LUSH’s products so I thought I’d have some luck with their facial cleansers. I’ve been on a tireless search for something that would get my skin under control. LUSH says that “Herbalism is best suited to those who have tried everything under the sun to clear up their oily and blemish prone skin. ” The description sold me so I purchased a slice in July hoping for the best.

Herbalism contains kaolin clay to get down and dirty with oil and clogged pores. Rice bran is used as an exfoliant, and rosemary, nettle and chamomile are added to help calm any the skin. It reminds me of wasabi with a similar colour and texture. It has a interesting smell – LUSH adds perfume to mask the vinegar but I would almost prefer to smell a slight vinegar smell. It’s not offensive, but it took a few washes to get used to.

To use Herbalism, pull off a pea-sized chunk, add water and make a paste. That sounds simple, but I didn’t think it made a paste too easily. I found I wasted a lot of product trying to get a good consistency. Cleansing with it is messy but fun. Even though the product is clearly green, I wasn’t expect it to turn my face green. With that said, it also turned my facecloths green. And left a green mess in my sink. It basically leaves a green trail everywhere. I found it gentle enough to use daily, but my skin responds better to more aggressive exfoliators. My favourite thing about Herbalism is the clean feeling it leaves after rinsing. Unlike other cleansers, Herbalism doesn’t leave a trace of product behind.

Herbalism did a great job of leaving my skin feeling clean, but I didn’t notice any difference in my acne. I can’t say I noticed much of a difference in my skin at all.

I used Herbalism with LUSH’s Vanishing Cream moisturizer, Tea Tree Water Toner and Grease Lightening. I won’t be repurchasing Herbalism, but I would try another cleanser from LUSH. I would recommend Herbalism as an alternative cleanser for days when you want a gentle cleansing, or for someone with oily skin that could benefit from the kaolin clay.

Herbalism retails online for $11.95/100g. My local store has it pre-sliced and each package is about 125g, so about $15. It does not come in the black tub like its showed online, which was a bit disappointing because I was hoping to add it to my recycling collection to cash in for a free Fresh Face Mask.

Have you tried and of LUSH’s cleansers? Which do you recommend I try next?