Raw Naturals Review
Reviewed by Alexis Randall
I was asked to review two items from the Superdrug “Raw Naturals” range. I chose to try the Pale Ale shower gel, priced at £9.99 for 300ml and also the Imperial beard oil, priced at £12.99 for 50ml.
The claims of both products are quite bold but I don’t want to discuss them together so I’ll start with what I know best. Beards.
The Imperial Beard Oil
The oil comes in a plastic bottle with a rubber topped glass dropper to make dispensing the oil easy. At this price point I expected a glass bottle and also given what the “Raw Naturals” brand is trying to be, I’d suggest plastic is not the best choice. I’ve never had a need for a dropper before as it usually gets rubbed into my hands before being applied to my beard, but on this occasion I found it quite useful to use the dropper to get to my skin underneath, requiring a lot less effort.
I can’t help but feel it is very expensive for what it is though. The brand seem to be trying to build on its name “Raw Naturals” but there are a barrage of ingredients on the rear of the bottle that I would struggle to pronounce. I found it smelled clean but I’d struggle to pick out any other scent that identified it as something special. I was struggling so much to describe it that I even made my daughter bury her nose in my beard and sniff deeply in the hope that I was missing something, she could only describe it as smelling like “soap”. As with all oils the hair is greasy, but the skin underneath isn’t flaking and it does quite a good job of keeping the stray hairs under control and giving my beard some shape. I notice that there is a current offer of ” buy one, get one half price” currently and at nearer £9 for a bottle this represents better value, but if you’re looking for a scent that gets you noticed or something pleasant for your significant other then I would not recommend this oil.
Pale Ale Shower Gel
The shower gel was promising at first. It again comes in a plastic bottle, but I wouldn’t expect this to be glass for practical reasons. It also has a dispenser at the top so you can squirt out the desired amount straight into your hand without trying to get a bottle top back on. This was a nice touch and I did find it much easier to use. Upon applying the shower gel, it lathered up easily and produced a thick creamy lather that smelled quite good. I was worried at first that it would leave me smelling like a drip tray of a 1980’s working men’s club but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it smelled quite sweet. It was almost like a mix of ale and lemonade, like a shandy. It did a stirling job of removing grease and dirt and my skin feels clean and refreshed but the smell doesn’t linger like I would expect it to. I have been out of the shower 10 minutes and already, while I can smell that I’m clean, I’d struggle to identify what it was that I’m smelling.
Given the price point, I expected better. Even if they were cheaper I find the bold claims at the front of the packaging are a stark contrast to the ingredients at the back. I’m sure some are necessary to make sure I’m clean and soft but I can’t help but feel deceived. If you’re thinking of this as a Christmas gift then it may be suitable if the person you’re buying for likes a clean fresh product with a straightforward honest smell but maybe not for those who would like something where the fragrance is still present many hours later. It’s not for me and I would rate both products as 3 stars.
Rating: 3/5
Available to buy from www.superdrug.com.
