Ohh, coconut

Finally, I finished off the JASON body wash, which taught me a good lesson. When testing out a new product, I really shouldn't opt for the large, family size bottle because it's a better value. Because it really takes far too long to empty it. But empty it I did, and eagerly purchased a new body wash. It's really remarkable (and encouraging) to see how many companies are now making body wash and other personal care products that aren't tested on animals. So, I scanned the shelf of body wash choices and one immediately caught my eye. A body wash (shower gel, technically) by Shikai, a company whose products I'd seen on the shelves at Whole Foods, but never purchased. There were a number of different scents available, which made the selection process a little tougher, until I saw that they had a coconut scent. Mmmm, coconut. There's something about the coconut scent that just feels like vacation. Maybe it's reminiscent of those suntan lotions that have the same scent, so I'm immediately whisked away to a beach somewhere. And with temperatures outside hitting the freezing level, that little mini tropical vacation is a welcome departure.

So, I made sure that it was indicated on the label that Shikai does not test on animals and the little happy jumping bunny logo was present along with the statement they don't conduct animal testing, nor does the product contain animal ingredients . Price-wise, it's a fair amount more expensive than Alba or JASON, but not outrageous.

I could hardly wait to use it and experience that smell and, as I lathered it on, it was fantastic. The scent of coconut wafted up from my little sudsy shower puff, though certainly not overpowering. In fact, I wouldn't mind if the smell was a bit stronger. It moisturizes as it promised, leaving my skin feeling, well, moisturized. All in all, the Shikai is a very nice shower gel, and I'm eager to try their other scents. Though if I weren't in this testing mode, and I was purchasing products based on both quality and price, I can't say that I'd choose it over one of the Alba body washes, as I feel those are equally as good as the Shikai, if not better, and they're less expensive. But that's certainly not meant to be a criticism of Shikai. I get the impression that they're a much smaller company and likely have higher per unit production costs. So, I'm not going to recommend that someone purchase a product based on price alone, because that kind of mentality ends up being very disadvantageous to the smaller companies that are trying to make great products, ethically. With that said, check out Shikai's shower gels, whether it's the coconut or one of the other scents (I, personally, can't wait to try out their vanilla one, and their gardenia one).