Jurlique Shower Gel and Body Care Lotion ~ scented body products

Jurlique’s Lavender Hand Cream was one of the first products I ever owned that incorporated natural ingredients into a luxury treatment, and I used it down to the very last bit in the tube. That was a while ago, but when I recently noticed that Jurlique had updated its packaging and added new products, I thought I’d revisit the line. I spent some time browsing the company’s revamped website, which offers information about Jurlique’s organic farms, its use of botanical essences, and its emphasis on “sustainable connections,” before I tried its shower gels and lotions. I haven’t explored the other redesigned product groups yet, but these body products weren’t quite what I expected.

The shower gel, for example, includes several chemical detergents and other not-so-natural ingredients; this surprised me, since Jurlique stresses its commitment to healthy beauty. (Yes, the plant extracts are in there too, but they’re listed after the detergents and surfactants.) In the shower, the gel did feel foamy and gentle enough, but the fragrances left something to be desired. The Citrus had a harsh orange note; it made me think I was smelling the orange-scented cleaning products that we use in our bathroom. On the other hand, I couldn’t smell much of anything at all when I used the Lavender version, which was strange, since Jurlique features lavender so prominently on its website and in its shops. The Rose gel had a light tea rose scent, simple but appealing — although I must mention, pedantically, that the image on the bottle appears to be a peony bud, not a rose.

I also tested the Body Care Lotions in all three scents, and oddly enough, my reactions were reversed. In the lotion, Rose fragrance starts beautifully, reminiscent of Creed’s Fleur du Thé Rose Bulgare, but then it turns unpleasantly sharp and thin. The Lavender lotion is scented with lavender essential oil, and it’s nothing unusual, but it’s clean and true and would work well under lavender fragrances from Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely to Etro’s New Tradition. The Citrus scent pleased me much more in lotion form with its tart lemon heart and its astringent herbal bite, which might be evidence of the rosemary extract in its recipe. I would enjoy partnering this lotion with Fresh Lemon Sugar or any traditional, citrusy eau de cologne such as Acqua di Parma Colonia. These lotions contain safflower seed oil, avocado oil, and beeswax, as well as other botanical extracts; they are lightweight, glycerin-based moisturizers, best for warmer weather and skin that doesn’t suffer from excessive dryness.

All in all, I didn’t feel that these body products could match Jurlique’s classic Lavender and Rose hand creams in quality or scent, and moreover, they’re somewhat overpriced: if I pay more than $20 for a lotion, I really want to be impressed. I just have a feeling that Jurlique’s true forte is its skincare and aromatherapy, and that it would do better to focus on its own strengths. Maybe it will get back to its “roots” next time it reworks its image.

Do you have a favorite natural lotion in a similar scent family? Feel free to mention it in the comments section.

Jurlique Shower Gel sells for $22 for 300 ml and the Body Care Lotion sells for $38 for 300 ml at beautyhabit, saffronrouge, or spalook. You can read more about the line at jurlique.