Javelina's Full Review: The Body Shop Body Shop Body Butter Coconut
Preparing for another brutal winter and implementing a stricter pre-wedding beauty regimen, I browsed in the Body Shop for some products. I soon found the Body Shop’s Body Butters, which come in a variety of scents. Coconut is a very appealing scent for myself and my fiancé, so it didn’t take much time to pick it out over the other scents, which include Mango, Nut, Sesame, Shea, Cocoa Butter, Olive, Papaya and Grapeseed. Sample containers were available to try in each kind, so I sniffed a few and tried some on my skin.
There are two size containers. There is the smaller 1.7 oz container, which costs $7.00 and the larger 6.9 oz size (which is what I bought, for $17.00). (As the saleswoman said in her pitch, “You know, the larger size is 4 times larger, for only $10 more”!) The containers are brown plastic (corresponding to the coconut scent), with a lid that screws on. There is a picture of a coconut on the top, and the bottom of the container has other information like ingredients and so on.
The “butter” is very thick and is a solid off-white color. When I got my container, it been sitting on the shelf on it’s side, so when I opened it, the butter had settled to one side. Over time, it shifted back, once it was sitting upright again for a period of time. The butter isn’t soft like a lotion but isn’t hard like a salve or lip balm – it is kind of in between. I can shake the container hard and the butter won’t move, but it is soft enough that it doesn’t take work to use. To apply, you can just wipe/dip your fingers on it. Like salves and other products, however, it is harder in cooler temperatures and softer in warmer temperatures. The warmth of your skin temperature makes it especially easy to apply, as it “melts” on.
The scent is certainly coconut. It is very reminiscent of a sunscreen. The smell is sweet and warm, and doesn’t have a perfumed sort of fragrance.
“Scoop out with your fingers and massage into your skin, as often as required.”
My Thoughts & Experiences
I love my Burt’s Bees Hand Salve, but I was also interested to try something else when I was running low. I generally use something on my hands and other dry skin at night, not really caring if it is greasy or thick. The salesperson at the store told me to just use this body butter sparingly, to avoid greasiness, but that I would like this.
I like the consistency, which is thick but easy to apply. It is a thick cream, but not hard, and obviously not too liquid.
My skin really likes this stuff. I have had no problems with it whatsoever, and no irritation. I use the Body Shop Coconut Body Butter just about every night, and honestly, my hands stay gorgeous. My skin is smooth and feels great, especially considering everything I put them through. Either it is winter dryness, or handling paper and boxes all day at work, or going hiking/camping. The butter provides relief where needed and keeps my hands smooth. The best part is, it really is not greasy. I get a slight “tacky-ness” if I apply too much, but my skin absorbs the butter pretty well.
As for other areas, I use this on my legs, especially my lower legs, where my skin really dries out (I can probably thank my space heater on the floor under my desk at work for that). I try to apply it after shaving, and not only does it feel soothing, it looks great. My skin feels hydrated, not itchy and dry. I have used the Body Shop Coconut Body Butter for problem skin, like after getting some sun (whether or not I burn, I like to moisturize), using lots of cleaning products, or other situations where my skin takes a beating. There are also the usual things that I attend to like dry elbows or knees. My fiancé uses it too, and likes it as well.
Lastly, I can’t go without mentioning the scent. The coconut scent is just dreamy. Scent is supposed to be a strong sense in terms of moods and memories, and the coconut smell really reminds me of sunscreen, and then of course, summers and tropical places. It is a wonderfully pleasant, warm kind of smell. I love using this in the winter, and I count down the days to my honeymoon every night when I put it on! It lingers a little bit, in terms of strength of smell. I can detect a faint bit of coconut in the morning when I get up, and I can smell it a few hours later if I have put any on in the morning. If anything, catching a whiff of it is great. This is great for in the workplace, where I try to avoid perfumed things, or at least those that are heavily fragranced. (Although they are probably wondering why I am wearing sunscreen in February when it is 10 below 0 and we haven’t seen the sun in 3 months…!)
The Body Shop is known for being animal friendly, and not being involved in animal testing. “The Body Shop is against animal testing on cosmetic products and ingredients. We do not test our products or ingredients on animals. Nor do we commission others to do so.” The container is labeled that this company is Against Animal Testing, and I am glad to see a company that really takes pride in being responsible.
I have a really old Body Shop lip balm, and the container says to bring it back to the store when finished, to recycle. I don’t see that on my body butter container, but it does have a recycling symbol on the back.
Any Downsides?
The only issue I have with this item isn’t even the butter itself. The only thing I would change is that the lid of the container is wide and has no texture to it, so sometimes after I have applied the body butter, it is hard for me to twist the lid back on or off. Since the larger size butter has a large lid, it is even harder to grasp it. Not a huge deal, but if the lid were at least a little contoured or had texture to it, I would be able to get a better grip.
Overall Thoughts
Once I tried the Body Shop’s Coconut Body Butter, I was hooked. I use it almost every night (I forget or am too tired at times!), and it really maintains my skin well. Now that I went with the large size, I’m going to buy the smaller size as well, to keep in my desk at work.
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