Lavanila The Healthy Body Wash 2-in-1 Shower & Shave Review
Imagine all the time, bathroom space, and money you’d save if you only had to buy one multi-tasking product to both cleanse your skin and prepare it for shaving. Hoping to accomplish precisely this ambitious goal, eco-friendly brand Lavanila recently released the Healthy Body Wash 2-in-1 Shower & Shave ($14 at Lavanila.com), a gentle shower gel formulated without sulfates, parabens, petrochemicals, phtalalates, propylene glycol, silicones, and synthetic dyes meant to both gently remove any dirt and grime, while also lathering enough to create the proper barrier for shaving.
As a cleanser, the Lavanila Healthy Body Wash works brilliantly. By eradicating sulfates and other harsh chemicals from the formula, the body wash saves your skin from potential irritation and inflammation, delicately cleansing skin while also protecting and fortifying its natural moisture barrier. Natural anti-microbials, astringents, and antiseptics like arnica extract and lavender oil help to thoroughly cleanse the skin, while coconut and rose hip oil hydrate, and aloe and chamomile extracts cool and soothe. White tea extract protects the skin from oxidative stress while noni juice stimulates cell regeneration. These botanical ingredients, then, make for a gentle showering experience that’s suitable for even the most sensitive skin and which constitutes an eco-friendly alternative to traditional body cleansers.
Available in five scents — Vanilla Coconut, Vanilla Grapefruit, Vanilla Lavender, Vanilla Passion Fruit, and Pure Vanilla — the body wash creates a delightful aromatic experience made succulent thanks to the creamy Madagascar vanilla notes in all the formulations. That being said, the scent dissipates shortly after your skin dries, so that the aromatic elements are designed to merely enhance the showering experience (similar to, say, Philosophy’s Shower Gels, which come in a bevvy of scents. none of which lingers on the skin).
Unfortunately, the Lavanila Healthy Body Wash 2-in-1 Shower & Shave doesn’t fare quite as well as a shaving cream. When you rub it vigorously onto your legs, you will see a lathering effect but, since the body wash has a clear, lightweight, almost gel-like consistency, it lacks the frothiness and creaminess of traditional shaving creams. The lather forms a protective barrier that allows you to shave without aggravating skin to the point of razor burn, but it doesn’t facilitate a truly pleasant shaving experience since the motion of a razor gliding atop legs still feels a bit too uncomfortable, as if the skin were vulnerable and exposed. To make matters worse, the shaving cream doesn’t allow you to grip hairs as effectively as a top-notch shaving cream.
Our suggestion: use this as a body wash and invest in an EOS Ultra Moisturizing Shave Cream — you’ll still be spending under $20, and you’ll be satisfied with both your showering and shaving routines.
