Wednesday 23 November 2011

Bubble and Balm Handwash and Soap Review

In addition to sending their bandana bibs for us to review (see review here) Funky Giraffe kindly sent us some Bubble and Balm products to test and review.



Bubble and Balm sell soaps and handwashes and was the 1st UK bodycare company to achieve fairtrade certification across all of their products being 100% fairtrade certified.  They are a down to earth company who run their business on ethical principles, who believe that their products should be gorgeous, with great packaging, be produced ethically and be honestly priced and their mission is to continue and develop as a dedicated fairtrade business and produce luxury bodycare products with “beauty in balance” in mind.  Their ethical approach also includes using recycled materials for packaging and manufacturing their products in the UK which helps them ensure high quality production and fair working conditions are maintained as well as reducing their carbon footprint.  Even though the company has expanded from when the company founder made the products in her kitchen to a bigger and more sophisticated production Bubble and Balm maintain their values and ethical beliefs.

Their products are made in the UK using natural plant based ingredients and are free from synthetic ingredients, phthalates, sulphates and parabens.  Their products are suitable for vegetarians and vegans, no animal derived ingredients are used where the animal is harmed to obtain the ingredients and Bubble and Balm oppose animal testing for cosmetic purposes. 


We were sent Bubble and Balm Anti-Bacterial luxury handwash to test and review.  This luxurious handwash is a naturally formulated blend of enriching glycerine and essential oils.  The essential oils anti-bacterial formulation is effective against MRSA, E-Coli and other germs and nasties.  This handwash is free from artificial colours and fragrances and does not contain triclosan or sulphates and it is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.  It contains fairtrade sugar from Malawi which acts as a mild cleaner and skin softener.

My first impression was that it looked like a luxurious handwash with it being in a stylish silver pump bottle.  As this handwash is an antibacterial formulation I have been using it in the kitchen as dealing with food it is essential to keeps hands clean and using this handwash makes me feel reassured that it is effective against germs and bacteria.  It’s also great for washing my hands after messy dirty nappy changes and I feel reassured that by using it my hands are clean for dealing with Tristan.  The pump is easy to use and the soap squirts out with ease.  The soap is thinner than other liquids soaps I’ve used regardless of this it does foam up really well.  I think it should last quite well but as the bottle is not clear you can’t see how much is left; a little bit of the handwash is all you need though as even a small amount foams and cleans so well.  What I like most about this handwash is that it smells fresh and clean without smelling clinical, and the fresh smell lasts on your hands.  I love the fact unlike a lot of soaps and anti-bacterial products this handwash doesn’t dry my hands out or irritate the slight eczema I suffer from on my hands, instead my hands not only feel clean but soft as well.

I would recommend this handwash and I like the reassurance it provides by being effective against bacteria and germs.  The 200ml bottle can be purchased on Bubble and Balm’s website for £4.99.  It is a little more expensive than other handwashes but I believe it is good value for money for the reassurance it provides and it is a luxurious, high quality handwash; also I think it’s worth paying more for the fact that it contains natural and fairtrade ingredients.  


We were also sent Bubble and Balm’s Citrus soap in a tin to test.  This soap is described as “Pure clear glycerine soap with an uplifting blend of essential oils including lemon, mandarin and grapefruit” and it contains fairtrade sugar from Malawi.  It is free from artificial colours, fragrances and sulphates and it is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

I really like the aluminium tin that the soap comes in, not only is it stylish but it’s also great that it doubles as a watertight container which means no soap residue left on sink if just left on the side uncontained and it provides convenience as you can just pop the tin in your bag when going away.  I also love that the tin is made from recycled aluminium, which is kind to the environment.  The soap itself is round and thick and smells lovely, it did take me a few goes to get use to the shape but now I think it’s great.  The soap foams up brilliantly and it is lasting really well, even after using it numerous times a day it still looks like new.  I think this soap will last better than the handwash.


I love the soap’s smell, it smells zesty, fruity and fresh and it reminds of fresh lemon zest.  I also love how the soap leaves my skin feel moisturised, soft, clean and alive, it doesn’t irritate or make my sensitive skin dry.  I think this soap is brilliant as hand soap and as bath/shower soap.  It leaves a lovely lingering smell on your skin and the bathroom smells stunning. 

This 85g Citrus soap can be purchased on the Bubble and Balm website for £4.99.  I think this soap is great value for money especially with how thick it is and I think the fact that it contains natural and fairtrade ingredients justifies spending more on it than ordinary soap.  I also love the fact that it is a handmade soap which makes the soap more appealing to me.

I really like their products, they feel like a luxurious treat and I love that they contain natural and fairtrade ingredients knowing this makes me feel better about pampering my skin with these lovely products.  I love the idea of Bubble and Balm, reading their website it is clear that they are very passionate company who strongly believe in their products and I admire their values.

All of Bubble and Balm’s products can be found on their website.  Join them to keep up-to-date with their products.

* Funky Giraffe kindly sent us these Bubble and Balm products to review for free, despite this I have written an honest review that contains my own words and opinions and is 100% my own *

7 comments:

  1. I like the idea of a soap in a tin, more hygienic then leaving the soap out loose on the sink. It sounds like it smells divine too!

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  2. Not seen this product before, looks appealing.

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  3. ashleigh allan21 July 2012 at 07:07

    looks great x

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  4. Thanks for a great review! I'm constantly looking out for new handwashes as, like yourself, suffer with dry skin on my hands. It's great to know there is one out there that will work and keep my hands soft! I will be getting some of this when it's payday!

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  5. Great Review I am always interested in ethical and fair trade products and try to use them where ever possible.
    These look really good and I would def give them a try. :-)

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  6. I'd love to try the liquid hand wash, i've switched over to natural hand soap a few months ago as I have a habit of washing my hands too often which causes dry skin on my hands. The links for the website, Facebook and twitter pages are not working.

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    1. Thank you for letting me know about the links, it seems that unfortunately Bubble and Balm where affected by the economic climate and have recently ceased trading which a huge shame as they made some gorgeous products.

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