hmmm...something I realized today about Lush

Hey there folks, it's Old Favorites Monday again.  Since its the start of the official Christmas season in my house (the roomie loves her some Christmas) I thought it would be appropriate to dig out some Snow Fairy Shower Gel by my friends at Lush. 

I know I have been kind of down on Lush lately and, while I prefer soaps from small hand made soaps, I really do love Lush.  It's the first place to show me that soap went beyond Dove and that things made by people's hands are preferable to things made by machines.  And while I find Lush's continued use of SLS to be disturbing, I suppose SLS is not some evil baby-stealing ingredient that makes you insane.  In fact, many of you reading this may wonder what my problem is and why I keep harping on the evil's of SLS.  For those of you, I encourage you to click here and read a blog post written by Victoria, BC based Rocky Mountain Soap Company for a little more detail on why SLS is not our best friend.  The bottom line is that it just isn't natural and therefore has no real place in a product that touts itself to be handmade and natural.  It's just an opinion, but one that seems many of my sensitive skinned kindreds share.

But moving right along. 

I'll tell you the good first.  I love Snow Fairy.  It's FUN.  It's pink.  It smells like bubble gum.  It sparkles...it calls out to the Debbie Gibson loving tween I was not so terribly long ago.  It foams, it bubbles and the smell sticks around long after the shower, something I also like.

However, while showering I discovered something interesting.  I was perusing the list of ingredients and saw the following:

Water (Aqua), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Lauryl Betaine, Perfume, Sea Salt (Sodium Chloride), Lactic Acid, Synthetic Musk, Cocamide DEA, Titanium Dioxide, Iridescent Glitter (Polyethylene terephthalate and Acrylates copolymer), Benzyl Benzoate, FD&C Red No. 4, D&C Red No. 33, Methylparaben, Propylparaben


Who with the what now?
 
So I get the synthetic musk because real musk is an animal product.  Water I know.  SLS...yuck...
 
But WHAT is the rest of that crap?  Fortunately, Lushopedia answered some of it but seems icky.
 
Is it just me or is nothing in there really that natural sounding.
 
Now, here are the ingredients for Honey, I Washed the Kids:
 

• Honey Water (Mel Aqua),
• Propylene Glycol,
• Rapeseed Oil,
• Sunflower Oil,
• Coconut Oil (Brassica napus; Helianthus annuus; Cocos nucifera),
• Water (Aqua),
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate,
• Sodium Stearate,
• Sodium Hydroxide,
• Perfume,
• Beeswax (Cera alba),
• Sweet Orange Oil (Citrus dulcis),
• Bergamot Oil (Citrus bergamia),
• Aloe Vera Extract (Aloe barbadensis),
• Sodium Chloride,
• Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides),
• Titanium Dioxide,
• *Limonene,
• *Linalool,
• *Benzyl Benzoate.

Is it just me or do those seem more recognizable?  I checked out lots of Lush products and Snow Fairy seems the most chemically.  Am I totally off base?

I still love Snow Fairy, though.  It's like being Barbie for a few brief moments.

Happy Monday!