Product Review: Alsatian Soaps "Knitters Hands" and "Harry & Louise" Lotion Bar

This product has put this song in my head for the past two weeks so in order to get the full multi-sensory experience of this blog entry please click play before reading on!:

I first discovered these wonderful hand lotion bars from Alsatian Soaps when I was out at a party with my good friend Aoibhe Ní (for anyone into crotchet and crafts please check out her blog here: http://www.aoibheni.com/blog.htm). Now Aoibhe is somewhat of a mini-celebrity in the world of crochet, being published multiple times, flow to London to teach etc. so when she opened her handbag that night and took out her "project bag" I gave a peak over to see her pulling out a tube of something to rub on her hands. Barbers and crocheters share a similar problem of having dry hands, and trying to keep them properly moisturized can be a pain. I have worked through countless hand creams trying to find "the one" so, not recognising this one at all, I asked her what it was. Aoibhe raved about this product and kindly gave me a tube to try. So, after going through the whole tube and pretty much exclusively using it for over 6 weeks, several times each day... well, as the song says: 
"Is this love, that I'm feeling? It this the lotion that I've been searching for?"
(yeah sing along in your head, or out loud, you know you want to!)


So a bit about the company. I contacted Kathy at Alsatian Soaps to tell her I would like to write a review of her lotion bar having used up the one Aoibhe gave me and was eager to try the other scents. She's a lovely, very helpful woman and, when I asked is she could send me out sample discs of the scents to review, and so I could plan my next order, she kindly send me out this haul!

It contained 5 Knitters Hands lotion bars in tubes (one of each scent available) and two of her Harry & Louise lotion bars in re-usable tins. I should noted that my love of the product had already been formed before receiving these and, as always, I keep my reviews unbiased and as my personal opinion.
It was the Knitters Hands tube that won my heart originally and I find it so handy to be able to pop it into my bag and just bring it everywhere with me, I can put it on my hands without having to handle the bar itself so I can close it back up again before rubbing it into my skin. However, as Kathy pointed out (being an environmentally conciousness lady that she is) most people will bin the tube once the product has run out. This is why she developed the Harry & Louise range. They are the same product in gorgeously shaped pucks (you can see the celtic heart one I have in the photo above) and they are packaged in reusable tins which you can buy refills for.
But stop the press! I'm a traditional wet shaver, and what's the one thing I see being asked about time and time again in shaving forums? It's how to store your shaving soap sticks! Well once you are finished the Knitters Hands tube it is the PERFECT size to mill or shape a shaving stick into (44ml/1.5 oz) and voila! No more popping the stick into an old pill bottle or something. You can easily clean these out and they come with a lid and everything so they are perfect for your travel shave bag too! 


So back onto the review. Regardless of if you buy the puck or the tube, the results are just fantastic. Rub a little on your hands and the heat of your skin will do the trick to melt this and just rub it into your skin. At first it feels a bit oily and greasy but this doesn't stay at all, it rubs in well and actually leaves your hands feeling protected and like they have a good barrier on then with no residue (the last thing I want it to grease up my clippers or scissors). My hands are softer and better protected than they have been in a long time and I finally found a bar that's not too creamy/thick/oily/etc. It has great hydration power without having to be caked on. A little will go a long way. With fantastic natural ingredients like beeswax, shea butter, cocoa seed butter and natural oils this product is just perfection.
They come in a variety of fragrances, including fragrance free, and can be bought for $9 a tube, or $10 a puck in a tin (with $7 refills) from http://www.alsatiansoaps.com/index.html
Here is a short review of all of the scents I was sent, however more are available on the website, including the intriguing peppermint and eucalyptus mint!
Aloe: This is my favourite. It's a fresh, juicy, plant-like smell. Would suit either gender well.
Apricot: Perhaps it was just the one I got but this was the least fragranced out of the lot in my opinion. Just a hint of apricot. A subtle scent of fresh fruit. 
Apricot Freesia: This reminds me of those candy peach rings you can buy. However it's not sickly sweet, it's more peach-like then apricot to my nose.
Sandalwood Vanilla: Sandalwood take dominance in this scent with just the lightest addition of vanilla to prevent it from being too heavy as an overall frangrance.
Tahitian Vanilla: A nice warm vanilla with a sweetness to it. Like vanilla mixed with milky candy and just a hint of a floral undertone. 
Verbena: Lovely, light and musky. Nothing too heavy, with a warm, fresh, slightly spicey scent. This scent works very well with body heat and really comes to life when applied.


Now it's time to get back to my air-guitar!
- BE