GirlPaint Say Relax

Posted by girlpaint | Filed under body, gifts, holidays, skin care

In order to perform a side-by-side test, I climbed into a nice, warm bath and sampled two “relaxing” body washes…here are the results of my test.

I started on my left side with Aromatherapy Associates Relax Body Wash. Low lathering Relax is completely clear and features essential oils of petitgrain, lavender, ho wood and ylang. This distinctive wash also contains natural seaweed extracts and aloe vera juice. And could I ever tell! After I rinsed, my skin felt nice, soft and very smooth. The scent is a little on the masculine side for my taste, but it was nice and lingered on my skin…subtly. At $32.00 for 6.7 oz., it’s a little pricey, but Aromatherapy Associates is definitely a luxury item. With its blue packaging and aromatic scent, I consider it a perfect pampering post-workout body wash. It would make a great gift for that wonderful guy in your life.

Next up: Molton Brown Relaxing Yuan Zhi Moisture Bath & Shower Therapy. Molton Brown states, “Yuan zhi, a wild South China plant, is used traditionally to balance energy (Chi) and soothe the spirit.” This bubbly (yet not heavily lathered), cool purple wash contains essential oils of vanilla, rose and ylang. I used Relaxing on my right side and again, I rinsed and found moisturized, smooth and soft skin. The scent is soft and powdery–definitely feminine. At $25 for a generous 10oz. bottle, Molton Brown is a better value, considering the quality is equal to Aromatherapy Associates.

My last test for these two relaxing (and quite moisturizing) washes was the shave test. Guess what? They were nearly identical. They both offered a fabulous, smooth shave with a cushion-y feel. Great for me because I almost always end up with some razor bumps–not this time, from either wash. At this point, it comes down to scent preference. Since I tend to prefer a softer, more Oriental-based, scent, I favor Molton Brown’s Relaxing wash. But for those of you who like a brighter, more “bracing” scent, Aromatherapy Associates Relax is the one for you. Either way, you cannot go wrong.

Special thanks to Maura at SpaLook for the samples. Thanks, Maura.