Our beloved Forest Essentials’ has launched a collection of products with Aloe Vera and Neem (AV&N) as the common ingredients.
You can buy the following AV&N products from FE.
(L to R: Shower Wash, Body Lotion, Hair Cleanser and Hair Conditioner)In today’s blog I am reviewing the AV&N body lotion. My go to FE body lotion is Mashobra Honey & Vanilla (MH&V) and I was expecting both products to be almost identical in composition. This is not the case. Here are the ingredient labels for both products
The main differences are that AV&N lotion has less cold pressed Almond oil and Kokum butter than the MH&V lotion. I guess this is why AV&N lotion is slightly cheaper at INR 1,195 (MH&V lotion retails at INR 1,350).
And both have neem extract. Neem is India’s answer to tea tree, as it has anti-septic properties. You can read about Aloe Vera’s skincare properties at this LINK. Quite frankly, there is insufficient Aloe Vera in this product for it to have any of the skin lightening effects that I refer to in this blog.
What did I think of the product
When I buy a FE body lotion I have no concern that it has undesirable chemicals such as parabens or BHT. Therefore, my name concern is rather superficial: its the smell. And its hard not to be biased because I love MH&V and trust me, I have used every conceivable body lotion that you can think of.
Like MH&V this blends in with ease and has the benefit of being light-textured. It is built for the Indian climate especially our hideously hot summers.
It smells like a natural version of Nivea. I kid you not. You know what I am talking about – that indistinguishable floral/very slightly powdery aroma that a Nivea body lotion will fill your senses with. It is therefore impossible to be offended by this smell because its very clearly designed for mass appeal.
Its a pleasant enough smell and I can’t say I dislike but after using it for a week in preparation for this blog, I know I won’t be buying it again.
I will be sticking to MH&V.
Which aloe vera gel should I buy?
I use aloe vera mainly to treat sunburn and for my nuface device. I use Holland & Barrett’s aloe vera gel, which has minimal preservatives, so expires within 6 months of opening. Available in India for INR 699 or the UK for £5/100ml .
This is not an organic product and for me to use it, it does not need to be.