I was THRILLED!
A company's environmental commitment is important to me. So before agreeing to review their products, I visited Old Man Murray's site. My first impression was that, rather than rushing to sell us something, they were interested in sharing information with readers. There are a number of articles which I found interesting ... one explaining parabens, one about coping with dry skin and another on the benefits of lavender oil. I then clicked on the "About Us" section and learned that they use USDA certified organic vegetable oils, pure essential plant oils, and herbs ... and further that they never use synthetic fragrances, colorants, or preservatives. Under the section about Sustainability, I learned that they not only expect high standards from their own products but require their suppliers to maintain a commitment to the environment as well. Palm Oil is sourced from members of the Palm Sustainability Council. Shea butter is sourced from a non-profit organization dedicated to the empowerment of women in West Africa and it is certified fair trade by the Fair Trade Federation. Everything I read about this company looked good ... so I chose two bars of soap:
(Blood Orange and Bergamot)
Ingredients: Saponified oils of safflower, sunflower, palm, and coconut (with retained glycerin); essential oils of blood orange, bergamot, orange, tangerine, lemongrass, and lime; madder root; rosemary extract
(Lemongrass, Rosemary and Lime)
Ingredients: Saponified oils of safflower, sunflower, palm, and coconut (with retained glycerin); essential oils of lemongrass, patchouli, rosemary, lime, sage, and bergamot; annatto seed; rosemary leaf; rosemary extract
Each bar came packaged in an Eco-friendly cardboard box:
The front of the box
("with love" seems to encompass the care with which each bar is created, packaged and mailed).
The back of the box
(ingredients are clearly featured)
A company's Eco-commitment, the ingredients of their products and packaging are all important factors to consider when buying anything ... but ... how does the soap perform?
When I opened the boxes, I was greeted with delightful fragrances. The Citrus Herb has a refreshing scent ... the rosemary came to me first, followed by the clean fragrance of citrus. The Sanguinello is definitely blood orange first but then the wonderful scent of bergamot comes forward.
Each bar is a generous 4 ounces and is the perfect size for holding in your hand in the shower. It lathers beautifully and feels so nice on my skin. An important feature in any soap is how well it rinses off ... all natural soaps don't leave a residue but rather rinse off completely. Old Man Murray's soaps left me with clean, moisturized and slightly fragrant skin.
Old Man Murray's soap is, indeed, the "finest quality handmade soap".
You can browse their site and purchase products by clicking HERE.
I received products in order to write this review. I received no other compensation. All opinions expressed are mine and mine alone and reflect my honest opinions.