What makes body wash a luxury body wash? We have two criteria: it should be free of some of the harsher chemicals common in mid-shelf cleansers, and it should have a mild but intriguing scent. You’ll note that we don’t really consider price in our criteria.
So far, we’ve found that Crabtree & Evelyn’s body wash satisfies both requirements nicely. We’ve been testing out their Indian sandalwood ($22) and their Moroccan myrrh hair and body washes, and we’re pretty happy. Both are free of mineral oil, parabens, phthaletes, propylene glycol, and sodium lauryl sulphate. Unfamiliar? Well, here’s some bedtime reading on parabens. And here’s more on phthaletes. Unhappy stuff.
Both body washes lather up well, and, as their name suggests, they’re good for both hair and body. We found that they’re good as shampoo in a pinch, but we’re happiest with them as a straight body wash. The Indian sandalwood does, indeed, smell like sandalwood, albeit a milder version of the stuff—which we appreciate. Never smelled sandalwood? Imagine something light, woody, and spicy.
As for the Moroccan myrrh, it does smell a bit like the real stuff (which is a bit damp and rich, like mushrooms and black liquorice), although they add some bergamot and cardamom. And then they make it lighter, since actual myrrh is quite strong.
All in all, we’re pretty satisfied with our Crabtree & Evelyn body wash. And here’s a bonus to our criteria: Crabtree & Evelyn, unlike a slew of recently-founded companies jumping on the more-natural bandwagon, has been around since the 70s, so rest assured that your new favourite body wash isn’t going anywhere any time soon.
