LUSH Handcare Kit: Clean and Fresh As

 No, you can't eat them, but they smell so good the thought may cross your mind! 

This is not an ad, nor am I affiliated with LUSH, proper, (although I did work there for the holiday season in 2018 as a stock person and wound up staying almost a year). I saw this kit on the LUSH website just before I found out I would be going back to work with my music groups, and it's been perfect. It includes two soaps, one small pot of lotion, and one moisturizing hand serum. These aren't anti-bacterial soaps, so you'll still need hand sanitizer, but in terms of washing and then moisturizing, you get two options for each act! When I worked in service I always seemed to wash plenty, but without a decent moisturizer or serum, my hands got dry, cracked, and red. I really love the products in this kit and thought I'd chat about them.

The box is small, but sturdy enough to keep everything in there safely once in use. I do this, although I dry each soap off once I'm done with it so they don't get slimy inside. LUSH also sells the metal tins with covers to store their products, but I've found that if you don't dry the stuff off (and when kids are using them, they usually don't), everything turns to mush and you don't get as many uses out of your product. Same goes for the shampoo and conditioner bars and naked shower gels. DRY THEM! 

The soaps in this kit are two of the most popular ones LUSH sells, Bohemian (yellow) and Outback Mate (swirly blue). Bohemian is has an extremely bright lemon aroma and could double as either a kitchen or bathroom soap; my family has been stealing this for showers and then I need to dry it off and hide it in the box again. MINE! Although I suppose I'm just happy most of them care about hygiene, which wasn't always the case.

Outback Mate is a little more complex but equally bright with eucalyptus, lemongrass, and peppermint. This soap is perfect for bathroom use, where the aromas really pop in a steamy shower, especially the peppermint. All those scents together make for a sharp, almost piney experience. Very clean smelling. When I worked in the shop, this was by far the most popular soap, and it came in huge pieces that we then got to cut up, weigh, and wrap. I don't know if they're still cutting soaps due to COVID and all the unnecessary touching that would require, but you used to be able to ask for any sized pieces you wanted, or even a tiny sample, and we'd happily hack it up for you. Cutting soaps was by far the best duty on a shift at LUSH. I kind of miss it.

The Handy Gurugu is the potted hand lotion, made with rose water, shea butter, almond and cashew butters among several other aromatic ingredients. I don't exactly get a nutty vibe from this one, smell-wise, but it's very rich and still fresh, and goes on your hands without a lot of leftover grease or oil.

The hand-shaped bar is Tiny Hands hand serum, which smells very almondy and creamy. It's a bar of solid serum that you apply directly to the skin (as with the naked facial oils or Little Pot of Energy) and as long as you're not in a hot, humid climate, holds its shape without melting. A little bit goes a long way, so you'll likely use up everything else in the box before this, but I've started using on my elbows and forearms and it really does last the entire day. The softness from this serum is unlike anything else I've ever put on my skin from LUSH, and I've tried everything. The box's instructions encourage a soap-moisturize-serum regimen, which is fine, if you want to be complete and you have the time, but I usually just pair the two together, Bohemian/Handy Gurugu or Outback Mate/Tiny Hands. 

The kit is one of three different assortments offered and is priced at $32.95. This is kind of an investment for just a box of soaps and lotions, but the softness of your hands is definitely worth it, especially if you have sensitive skin, and the smells do a lot for boosting mood and energy. Everything LUSH does is made with fair-trade ingredients, and each of the items in this box is vegan. 

SUPER GOOD FIND!