Review Dr Hauschka Almond Soothing Body Wash

Dr Hauschka Body Wash

UPDATE 2022 - Dr Hauschka Almond Soothing Body Wash is no longer available, please visit their website for further information

Dr Hauschka is a popular natural brand and over the years many people have recommended their products to me. I think price has been a factor for not purchasing and none of their products really scream to me "buy me". They have recently launched new body washes and I found myself attracted to the Almond one. I had some vouchers burning a hole in my pocket, so I decided to treat myself. In my mind this product was going to be similar to my beloved Dr Bronner's Almond liquid soap, a subtle aroma of marzipan and reminiscent of Battenberg cake. How wrong I was though, as when my order arrived I opened up the bottle and was hit by the overpowering fragrance of ylang ylang. I think it's fair to say I am bitterly disappointed and should have paid more attention to the description on website. 

“A vanilla base is mixed with delicate floral fragrances including ylang-ylang to calm and invoke a feeling of harmony. Combined with almond, this body wash offers a refreshing and soothing start to each day.” 

Interestingly, if you were to pick the bottle up in a store the label does not indicate ylang ylang in the description. I realise now why I have resisted the temptation to buy Dr Hauschka. It’s their labelling that annoys me. Although they use essential oils to fragrance products they hide behind listing “parfum”.

Ingredients - Water (Aqua), Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Coco-Glucoside, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Alcohol, Pyrus Cydonia Seed Extract, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Xanthan Gum, Perfume*, Prunus Amygdalus Amara (bitter almond) kernel oil, Citronellol*, Linalool*, Limonene*, Geraniol*, Farnesol*, Benzyl Benzoate*, Citric Acid, Hectorite (*from natural essential oils) 

You will notice ylang ylang is not in the ingredients list, as sadly fragrance is protected by trade secret laws, so who knows what exactly is in the “perfume”. I'm not saying you have to worry about nasty ingredients but it can be important from an allergy perspective. It winds me up when a product claims to be “soothing, calms and balances” but is overpowering in fragrance. A natural essential oil is still an allergen and sensitive skin is susceptible to reactions. In fact ylang ylang may irritate those with sensitive skin and it is not recommended for inflammatory skin conditions and dermatitis. 

Of course not everyone will dislike the fragrance of ylang ylang. In the case of this body wash I think the calming and balancing label refers to the benefits of ylang ylang on the mind. 

What are the Plant Properties? Anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, antiseptic, anti-depressant, vasodilating, regulates heartbeat, anti-diabetic, tonic and sedative. What are the Documented Uses and Benefits of Ylang Ylang Oil? Anxiety, depression, diabetes, insomnia, hair loss, skin conditions (oily skin, acne and blemishes, stimulates new cell growth, smoothes, wrinkles, pre-mature aging), releases facial muscle and tension, arterial hypertension, reduce hyperpnea, palpitations, tachycardia, cardiac arrhythmia, intestinal problems and increase libido (men and women).(source - experience-essential-oils.com)

Whilst I am on the subject of allergies, Dr Hauschuka does use common food allergens in their product. I have samples of the hand cream and Spruce bath and between them you will find lactose, peanut oil and wheat germ oil. 

Another ingredient to note in products is Alcohol as it seems a popular ingredient among the German natural brands, Weleda and Lavera also spring to mind. Of course not all alcohols are bad but it is not an ideal ingredients for those of us with sensitive skin.

Dr Hauschuka is a natural cosmetic brand and I have no issue with their ingredient policy but this blog post is about raising awareness from an allergy perspective. As for whether the body wash is nice to use, I cannot tell you. All I will say is I'm £12.95 lighter in my pocket and lets hope one of my friends likes ylang ylang as this won’t be coming anywhere near my body. I guess I shall be learning from this mistake and need to take my own advice about reading labels.

If you have anything to add about Dr Hauschuka, their labelling or ingredients, then please leave a comment below.

Sarah x

Instagram

Sugarpuffish. Theme by STS.