I was recently sent some shower gel and hand soap to try from the Ecover range. The Ecover brand feels that the more 'basic' shower and handwash products have been somewhat left behind of the eco-beauty revolution. Many of the products we use contain nasty chemicals which can cause harm to the environment and can also be harsh on our skin. Ecover’s personal care range is not only kind to the environment but also pH neutral, meaning it's gentle on your skin too. Ecover hand soap and shower gel are biodegradable and, once they go down the plughole, have a minimum impact on aquatic life.
I have to be honest, I'd never heard of Ecover before, but that could be because the brand is better known for ecological household cleaning products rather than personal care products. There are two scents available - Lavender and Aloe Vera, or the one that I chose, Citrus and Orange Blossom. I chose this one because
a) I love citrussy smells, and
b) I need something that will wake me up on these cold and miserable mornings when truth be told, all I want to do is hibernate under my duvet!
First of all, I hate the packaging of both of these items. For the shower gel bottle to have a hook, I'd assume the gel would get dispensed out of the bottom. It doesn't - you have to take the hook off then turn the bottle upside down to dispense some product. It's just not practical to have a hook at the top yet still need a shelf when it's actually in use. It just didn't make sense to me and actually, I was quite annoyed by it.
Also, the design on the bottles would be more suited to something like a fabric conditioner. The smell is nice. It's very citrussy but again, it would be more suited to a fabric conditioner or laundry detergent. It's nice as a hand wash though, so I guess it depends on how fussy you are when it comes to how your shower gel smells!
Aside from the packaging issues I personally have with the Ecover Shower Gel, it does the job. As I said, the smell is quite pleasant and refreshing, and it lathers up brilliantly. My skin doesn't get dry or irritated by it either, which is always a good thing. I love the fact that it's eco-friendly too.Would I repurchase it? Honestly? No, I wouldn't. If you are looking for a very basic, eco-friendly shower gel that is gentle on sensitive skin and smells pleasant enough, then Bob's your uncle, this is for you. If like me, you prefer your shower gels to have that special something, whether it's added moisturiser or exfoliant, or even pretty packaging, then this isn't for you, and unfortunately, it isn't for me.
The Ecover Hand Soap on the other hand is the saving grace. Because I work in a pharmacy, I handle tablets and money and touch sick people everyday, so I am quite religious with cleaning my hands to prevent the spread of germs. Because I wash them so much, I like to use a hand soap with moisturiser, like the Dove one. However, I've noticed recently that when I get to work, I still have foundation in the lines of my fingertips and have to wash my hands again. With the Ecover hand soap, I didn't have that problem. My hands were spotlessly clean and I didn't notice there being a lack of moisturiser at all. In fact, I'd say my hands felt a bit softer because they were cleaner? It lathers up brilliantly with very little water, and of course there's the citrus smell that works really well in a hand soap. I would definitely buy this again. I doubt I'd hunt it down on the shelves, but if I spotted it I would buy it again.
They both cost £3.09 which I think is a great price for eco-friendly products, and are available from most major supermarkets.
Hope you found my reviews helpful. Are you fussy when it comes to shower products?
xoxo
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