A Body Shop strawberry soap review

They use misleading advertising and marketing! They actually use the written word against you. Sadly, this means that very few people are able to decipher what is really being said. The following is off the Body Shop website, and I have analyzed and decoded what they are really saying.

The Body Shop = Strawberry Soap

"Best if you want to: Condition and cleanse your skin using a vegetable-based soap bursting with the sweet, fruity fragrance of fresh strawberries."

the indigo earth = 1. "vegetable-based" - this means the base is vegetable, doesn't mean the whole thing is. 2. "sweet-fruity fragrance of fresh strawberries" - the fragrance of fresh strawberries does not mean that there are any strawberries, only that it smells like fresh strawberries. This product does contain strawberries, but continue reading.

The Body Shop = "Best for: all skin types, how it works:

* Strawberry juice is rich in vitamin C and antioxidants to protect and nourish skin, as well as pore-cleansing salicylic acid; provides natural strawberry fragrance and red color. * Glycerin is a water soluble moisturizer that enriches foam and lather."

the indigo earth = "strawberry juice is rich", etc - sure it is, but that doesn't mean that there is enough to provide any of these benefits. Note that they mention a natural fragrance and natural color, more on that below. About the "glycerin", it does not state if it is a vegetable glycerin or one derived from petroleum.

The Body Shop = "About product: The Body Shop® difference: Good to eat and good for your skin. Our Strawberry range lets you have some good, clean fun while enjoying the amazing, sweet fruit scent. Strawberries are packed with skin-loving nutrients, such as vitamin C and antioxidant compounds, and they are rich in salicylic acid, which has excellent pore-cleansing properties. Strawberry seed oil provides omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids that help to prevent moisture loss and promote elasticity and suppleness for softer, smoother skin."

the indigo earth = above: what is that motto implying? "Good to eat and good for your skin"?. Major implication that their products are made from edible ingredients. "Strawberries are packed with skin-loving nutrients", etc? sure they are, again this doesn't mean that there is enough in here to do anything. Same goes for the "strawberry seed oil". Realize that each sentence is making a statement, and one statement doesn't really have any magical abilities to make another sentence true. It is your assumption that one statement is connected to the other. Insert a "stop" between each sentence and re-read.

the indigo earth = Take a look at the key ingredients vs. the actual ingredients below. I assure you that if listing real ingredients was not required by law, they wouldn't put them on.)

The Body Shop = "Key ingredients:
natural strawberry extract - conditions the skinglycerin - is an effective moisturizer which helps improve softness and maximize hydration."

the indigo earth = re above: "natural strawberry extract" - sure it does, but again it is also about sentence structure and product claims. Yes, the extract will condition the skin, but they are not saying that this soap with the strawberry extract is conditioning your skin. Same on the glycerin.

Now for the real ingredients:"ingredients: Sodium Palmate, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Water, Glycerin, Sorbitol, Palm Kernel Acid, Fragrance, Fragaria vesca (Strawberry) Juice, Limonene, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Linalool, Citral, Red 4, Red 33."

Let me translate:
Sodium Palmate - Palm oil
Sodium Palm Kernelate - Palm Kernel Oil
Water - Water (quality unknown)
Glycerin - Glycerin (vegetable or petroleum, unknown)
Sorbitol - A sugar alcohol known as a thickener and moisturizer
Palm Kernel Acid - one of the acids found in palm kernel oil
Fragrance - this means synthetic and chemical scent
Fragaria vesca (strawberry) Juice - natural strawberry juice
Limonene - for scenting, created and heavily processed from natural orange peels
Tetrasodium EDTA - a chemical preservative
Tetrasodium Etidronate - a chemical that softens water
Linalool - a natural sourced sweet scent derived from woods
Citral - a natural scent derived from a variety of citrus fruits
Red 4 - this is when you wish it were a chemical, this coloring agent is derived the the squashed bodies of cochineal beetles
Red 33 - D&C Red 33 is a synthetic dye produced from petroleum or coal tar sources, and also known as 5-amino-4-hydroxy-3-(phenolazo)-2,7-naphthalenedisulfonic acid.

From the "body shop strawberry soap review" to some more label deciphering . . .

Or how about a moisturizing oil that is 100% natural and good for you . . .