Element Brooklyn Wild Pear Hand Soap Review

I definitely have been meaning to get this post up- basically all week. Also been trying to catch up on sleep most of the week and failing at that too. I did fall asleep really early last night- but then I woke up and basically did nothing productive because I was trying to get back to sleep. 

Anyway, I like to splurge on a nice hand soap every once in awhile. I don't remember where I first heard of this brand but they make dupes of luxury brands like Byredo, Jo Malone, Aesop, etc. I haven't tried much from those brands but I have tried enough to know that I don't think this is a very good dupe.

Element Brooklyn claims: 

Still home to wild pear trees, southern England’s woodlands inspire this sensuous soap. Delicate notes of pear, bergamot, and lily of the valley are balanced by soft whispers of musk. Rouses the senses and imparts a sure-footed sophistication.

Made in New York 

I don't come across a lot of pear scented things- so I was intrigued by this. Ultimately it's supposed to be a dupe for Byredo Suede. Which I don't think I'll be trying out anytime in the next few years so I won't be able to tell you if this is truly a dupe. 

But I don't think it is. To me it reminds me of the generic dupes that you can get sometimes at Aldi/Lidl. It seems to be the exact same quality as those. It has the "cheap" hand soap scent to it. It really doesn't smell anywhere near the value of what it costs. I would think this package should cost $10.00 or less.

It doesn't smell like any pear I've ever smelled. Pear Where? Not here. Also claims notes of bergamot, lily of the valley and musk. It mostly just gives generic and forgettable. It does stick to the hands for awhile tho.

I'm not impressed. I think it's massively overpriced.

You do get a lot though. And it lathers ok and rinses clean. It doesn't dry out my hands. It does what any hand soap does. 

One thing that I do like about this brand is that it saves on plastic. It says that it is certified plastic negative- in a world where we are surrounded by plastic and producing so much plastic waste...that's good to see.  I have various hand soap bottles that I have saved through the years so I just used this as a refill for those. Currently using this in an old Aesop bottle. 

The ingredients seem,,,basic. It does have Petitgrain, Orange, and Cypress essential oils. I always love seeing those. I wonder if the Byredo soap has them but I'm a little too lazy to look it up.

Ingredients:

Water, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamide MIPA, Glycerin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Coco Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Fragrance, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Petitgrain Oil, Orange Oil, Cypress Oil, Yellow 6

Overall, I'm not a fan. I am still curious about the candles and other dupes but I have a feeling they won't measure up.  I might still give the brand another go anyway. Mainly I'm not a big fan of brands that "dupe" other brands but in this economy......

Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Lavender Hand Soap Review

 I've got some more hand soap to review today...Mrs. Meyers Clean Day in Lavender. I used the Verbena scent up a few months ago. I usually only grab for the liquid soap occasionally and most times I just grab a little bar of soap I mostly keep to wash makeup brushes. I just feel like it works better than liquid but I like keeping this stuff around too.

Mrs. Meyers claims:

• Hardworking, nondrying soap for busy hands
• Hand Soap made with essential oils, aloe vera, olive oil and other thoughtfully chosen ingredients
• Mrs. Meyer's products are made with cruelty-free formulas and are Leaping Bunny certified
• Garden-fresh Lavender is an original and clean floral scent

I've used a few things from Mrs. Meyers. Mostly the spray hand sanitizer because it was the only one that came in a "fun" scent in the local store I visit most often. I still have a few bottles kicking around that I still use. 

It says Lavender but it doesn't smell like Lavender at all. It's a floral scent, very fresh and has something very pleasant that diffuses through the air.. I'm not sure how to describe it except now that I've accepted it doesn't smell like Lavender- I really like it. It's very strong and lingers on your hands too which is nice. 

I don't really like the texture though. This stuff likes to slide right off my hands and I really have to pay attention to make sure it doesn't. Other than that it works. Not much lather...easy to rinse. Doesn't dry my hands. 

I like seeing that there is actual Lavender Oil in the ingredients- I've seen some drugstore soaps claim it and then not include any Lavender whatsoever. It also has a few other goodies.

Ingredients:

Water, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate, Glycerin, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Fragrance, Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate.

Overall, not bad. I like a few things about it...I don't see myself purchasing again though as there are so many hand soaps/scents to try. I think I would really enjoy this in the cleaning spray so maybe that's what I will try next. 

Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Lemon Verbena Hand Soap Review

 

I've been watching a lot of video's that are recapping how Black Friday has been disappointing the last couple of years and I have to say I agree. The sales are just regular sales that come around every holiday...or  seasonal sale. They mark things up so they can then mark them down and most of the time everything is still priced higher than it was. That being said, I did manage to grab some sweaters and a coat. Polyester free sweaters- so that way I can replace the plastic sweaters (polyester) in my collection with something much higher quality  

Mrs. Meyers claims: 

• Hardworking, nondrying soap for busy hands
• Hand Soap made with essential oils, aloe vera, olive oil and other thoughtfully chosen ingredients
• Mrs. Meyer's products are made with cruelty-free formulas and are Leaping Bunny certified
• Garden-fresh Lemon Verbena has a light, refreshingly mild citrus scent

The first thing I read about this brand is that it's green-washed. Claims to be environmentally friendly, sustainable, made with earth friendly ingredients, biodegradable - and all that jazz. I can't tell you if it is or isn't. I know it's owned by a larger company (SC Johnson)  and most of time that type of stuff is greatly exaggerated. I do see some things I like on the website though- they do garden grants etc. And I see they have a refill cleaning concentrate that comes in glass and aluminum. Could they do better? Probably. But it's good to see they are trying.

The bottle is a thick plastic made with at least 30% post consumer plastic (wish it was more) . The bottle is refillable. So if you like it- you can buy the big jug and keep refilling this bottle. The refill will fill the pump bottle almost 3 times. I don't know how much plastic it really saves- but it does save you money to do it that way. 

As for scent-I don't really like Lemon Verbena. I had the bar soap a couple years ago and I really hated the scent. It smells a little better in this version- not an exact replica of lemon verbena. It kinda smells like a masculine citrus type of scent. It's not bad. I don't love it though and I wouldn't repurchase it again in the hand soap...although I might try some of the cleaning products in this scent. 

I also dislike the texture. It's one of the those gel textures that I find wants to just slide right off my hands. You get used to it though. Lather is OK. It rinses clean and doesn't dry my hands too much.

It does have some essential oils- lemon peel, lemongrass, and pine. I don't see the Olive Oil.... Nor do I see any Lemon Verbena oil which is a little odd that it's missing.

Ingredients: 

Water, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Methyl 2- Sulfolaurate, Glycerin, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus (Lemongrass) Oil, Pinus Sylvestris (Pine) Leaf Oil, Fragrance, (Alpha-Isomethyl-Ionone, Benzyl Benzoate, Citral, Eugenol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate

Overall, it's OK. I bought the Lavender hand soap so I'll probably be reviewing it very soon and then I'll be giving the brand a little break. 

Rituals The Ritual of Sakura Rice Milk and Cherry Blossom Soap Refill Review

 I have been waiting for a soap refill that saves on plastic forever. I'm not plastic free by any means- but I try to recycle and reduce plastic use when possible. Which is really hard. But it's important because we have been polluting the earth to the point that most of us are  filled with microplastics. Look at how much of our food comes in plastic- it's really crazy. Anyway, this soap still comes in plastic- but it saves you a little bit since it's a refill that you add water to. Which is always nice. More companies need to do this.

Rituals claims: 

Reuse your hand wash bottle over and over again with our innovative concentrated refill formula. Because refilling is better for your wallet and saves on packaging materials. Simply mix with water to create a lush, nourishing lather.

Rice Milk & Cherry Blossom

Throughout Asia, rice milk extract is used in skin and body care to soften the skin and give it a healthy glow while delicate cherry blossom is often included to help soothe and even out skin tone. The wonderful cherry blossom in this collection is surrounded by crisp, zesty green notes and soft, milky undertones.

Made in Europe 

This is definitely a pricier soap. The bottle was a bit over 10 Euro. Once you add water you get about 300 ml of soap.  Purchasing the refill vs the regular bottle will save you about a euro. And also saves some plastic. I don't have the original bottle but we all have an old soap bottle that we can use...I tend to save my bottles from the fancier brands so I used this old Jo Malone one. 

To mix it up you can measure it out- or just do a 2 to 1 ratio. The first fill I measured out to be precise but when I mix the rest up I am just going to eyeball it.

So I'll start with the scent...which I don't like. It reminds of  nail polish remover and moth balls. With a floral scent. I just don't enjoy it at all. It leaves a pleasant scent on my hands though after I wash it off. Maybe I'll have better luck with the other scents but this isn't for me.

As for the soap itself- watery! I pump it out and it wants to slide right off my hands. I like a thicker hand soap. Or really I mostly prefer a bar soap. But I like to keep a liquid around. I only use this one occasionally and mostly use the bar soap I have by the sink so it's been lasting me forever. 

Ingredients:

Aqua/Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Glycereth-7 Caprylate/Caprate, PEG-160 Sorbitan Triisostearate, Magnesium Chloride/Magnesium Chloride Hexahydrate, Parfum/Fragrance, Sodium Chloride, Glycereth-2 Cocoate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Citric Acid, Glycine, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract, Prunus Serrulata (Cherry) Flower Extract, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Salicylate, Linalool, Coumarin, Citronellol, Geraniol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes, Terpineol, Carvone.

Overall, I love the idea of saving some plastic with a liquid hand soap. I just really didn't enjoy the texture or the scent. This is my first time trying the brand- I would try another scent for sure. . But I think there are improvements to be made. 

Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Wash Review

 Spring is loading. The sun has been OUT and it's putting me in such a good mood. I was sick and tired of the cold weather. Really and truly. Also...flu season. I didn't catch the flu but I do know it made its rounds and was particularly horrible this year. So it's important to keep those hands clean. I've been seeing this hand soap heavy on social media. I've heard nothing but good things. So good, I bought two different scents for my Mom as gifts the year before last. I wanted to try it for myself so see what the hype was about so I ended up buying this.

Aesop claims:

A gentle formulation containing oils of Orange, Rosemary and Lavender to effectively cleanse the hands without drying them out.

Skin feel

                                                                       Cleansed, refreshed

Aroma

                                                                    Citrus, woody, herbaceous

Key ingredients

Mandarin Rind, Rosemary Leaf, Cedar Atlas

Aesop has really exploded in popularity. This would be my very first product from them since they are on the pricier side. They are an Australian brand. Even made in Australia. I've never tried anything from Australia so I was excited to get this. 

It's $43.00 for 16.9 oz. Which made it $2.50 an ounce. I could buy an entire bottle of Dial or Softsoap for that price just to put it in perspective. Very expensive. And I don't think it's any more concentrated than drugstore soaps- so I am still going through it pretty quickly. I do wash my hands a lot though.

And...I don't think it's worth it.

First up...packaging. I hear so many people making a fuss over the packaging and I don't really get it. It's a plastic bottle with a basic sticker design and pump. Not even glass!  I've seen similar looking packaging in Lidl. More than likely it was a dupe but not very hard to dupe. I just don't see it for packaging. Not to say the packaging is bad. It's just nothing special. You can buy a "refill". Which basically is the same bottle with a cap rather than the pump. I think they can make a refill that uses even less plastic if they switch to a bag. You do save $2.00 if you buy a refill though. I will probably keep the pump somewhere in case I snag another scent to try.  That way I can save the $2.00. 

Next the scent. It's a nice scent.... very pleasant. And I don't think a drugstore soap would have the same vibe. But I still don't think it's worth that much more. The scent is kinda medical. I smell rosemary and lemon pretty prominently. Then there are some other herbal notes So it does smell very, very herbal. Almost reminds me of something you might use in the kitchen. It's a nice scent. It's not strong, doesn't perfume the bathroom air in any way. Doesn't really linger in a noticeable way on my hands.

It also isn't drying. But I wouldn't call it hydrating either.

The texture is ok. Like any other gel soap. It doesn't make a rich, thick, bubbly lather. It's more gel like and rinses away quickly. 

The ingredients are interesting. It's not a Castile soap which I assumed it was. I don't see fragrance, only essential oils so I believe it is only scented with essential oils. Which is nice. Most soaps are using artificial fragrance. Maybe that's where the cost goes? Even then I still think it's overpriced. 

Ingredients:

Water (Aqua), Sodium Hydroxypropylsulfonate Laurylglucoside Crosspolymer, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium Chloride, 1,2-Hexanediol, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Peel Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cedrus Atlantica (Cedarwood) Bark Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Coconut Acid, Citric Acid, Tocopherol, Limonene, Linalool

Overall, it's ok. I wouldn't purchase it again...not at that price. I do see a company that has a dupe though at a much more affordable price so maybe I'll give that a try and compare. 

Method Sea Minerals Foaming Hand Soap Review

You know what I've been seeing a lot lately? Low Buy/No Buys for the 2025. Everything has gotten out of control, rent, groceries, insurance,  chicken prices etc. All the while social media is filled with vids like What to Buy on Amazon/Amazon storefronts etc, links to a Tik Tok shop so you check out at the click of a button. No thought behind what you are buying. Leads to a lot of mindless buying. I think my shopping habits are pretty OK. The only thing I tend to buy too much of are soaps/shower gels. BUT I always use them up within reason. The only other thing I buy, buy, buy is eyeshadow. But I've even gotten that under control. It's just a very interesting topic to me, and I have watched many a commentary on youtube about it. 

But back to hand soap. 

Method claims:

• made with plant-based cleansers, leaving hands feeling soft, clean + sublimely scented.
• made without parabens or phthalates.
• cruelty free. tested by people, not on animals.
• bottle (minus lid) made from 100% recycled plastic (pcr)

I usually don't review hand soap. Usually I use up back up bars of soap as hand soaps- plus I had a ton my parents left when they moved back so I had to get through all of that. I just now ran out so I picked up some Method. I LOVE, LOVE their all purpose cleaning sprays so I figured I should try the hand soap.

I don't normally buy foaming hand soap. I like working for the bubbles and lather. But I figured if I get this, I'll have another foaming soap bottle and I will be able to buy refills. Or even make my own DIY  foaming soaps.  

It works well though. And doesn't dry my hands. Which is important, especially in the winter. I've used  hand soaps that dried my hands out so bad they started flaking and looking so crusty and ashy etc. 

Most important is probably the scent. It's one of those fresh scents that reminds me of the Molton Brown Coastal Cypress and Sea Fennel scent. I haven't smelled that one in a long time, so I'm not sure how close they are, they are just the same type of scent. And this is easier on the wallet. 

Ingredients:

water (eau), sodium lauryl sulfate, cocamidopropyl betaine, citric acid, glycerin, sodium chloride, sodium citrate, aloe barbadensis extract, tocopheryl acetate, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, fragrance (parfum), blue 1 (ci 42090), external violet 2 (ci 60730).

Overall, it's probably not the best soap to get because you will use it up quickly and the plastic bottles can build up. But it does come in refills, which is the equivalent of 3 bottles and 35% less plastic. It's not my favorite hand soap scent so it's not a repurchase for me but I would try out their other scents. 

Bath and Body Works Be The Sunshine (Citrus Sunshine) Pocketbac Review

 This has been neglected in my car for the past couple of months until I decided to clean out the little cup and throw out my growing collection of hand sanitizers bottles. Empty because they disappeared/evaporated in the hot weather. I think this will be my very last hand sanitizer from the brand- at least for a little while. I just find that most of their scents are too much of the same or just don't do it for me.

Bath and Body Works claims:

 A fruity mixture of orange, mandarin, apple and sugar crystals

The last one I reviewed was the Peach Bellini one and I really liked it...this is citrus. And it smells citrus-y and very different than most of the other stuff I have tried from the brand...but I don't really like it. It just smells odd to me.Not so bad in the bottle but when you use it, it smells strange. I do get apple, one of the scents does remind me of another scent by BBW that I can't quite remember (it smells like they re-used a scent note). It also does smell a bit like blood orange as well. It smells like notes that seem like they would work together but for some reason they don't.

I really wish Bath and Body Works would start a recycling program. It says 100% Recycled Plastic in Bottle...whatever that means. I want them to start something where you can bring in your packaging and get a discount on your next purchases and they recycle and reuse their own packaging.

Overall, it wasn't my favorite. Glad I am finally getting rid of the bottle! 

Bath and Body Works Peach Bellini Pocketbac Review

 Last night I was up watching a documentary called Fast Food Babies. It was fascinating and terrifying. It's about toddlers/babies that only eat fast food and the journey of the professionals to try and change those habits because of all the damage it could have on their health growing up. The one that will probably live rent free in my head was the man claiming he couldn't control what his 18 month old (I think that was his age) ate. Crazy Crazy. 

Bath and Body Works claims:

• A delicious twist of succulent white peach, sparkling prosecco & sweet orange in our germ-fighting PocketBac

I just now googled Peach Bellini and figured out they are a drink. Why have I never had Peach Bellini's? They look delicious. The next time I go out and see them on the menu, I am getting one for sure. 

This is one of the Bath and Body Works scents that I like. It just smells nice and how I imagine the drink would smell. A bit bubbly like some champagne, nice juicy and fuzzy peach, with a hint of orange. I'm surprised to say that they nailed this scent. It does have a hint of alcohol come through but I don't mind it at all! 

Other than that, it works as expected and doesn't really dry my hands much.

I really wish Bath and Body Works would start a recycling program. It says 100% Recycled Plastic in Bottle...whatever that means. I want them to start something where you can bring in your packaging and get a discount on your next purchases and they recycle and reuse their own packaging.

 

I am definitely noticing that I prefer the fruity hand sanitizer scents from Bath and Body Works. This one is a top five for sure!  

Also...random but I was looking up the scent on Reddit to see what others thought about the scent and found this rant that is hilarious and crazy at the same time.  She really was about to lose her mind over those candles. Maybe I should pick up a Winter Candle Apple candle...or maybe not.

And the original...cause why not. 

L'occitane Delicious Almond Liquid Soap Review

Meant to write a post yesterday but I got caught up trying to catch up on DC Comic movies. I don't know why but I prefer the Avengers over DC, or at least I used to. Avengers has still been missing the mark for me lately. I have been interested in watching any of their newer movies, although I might just do it cause why not. But back to soap.

L'occitane claims:

Our liquid soaps are made from vegetable oils in accordance with the traditional cauldron method used by master soap makers from Provence. Enriched with almond oil and Shea, known for its nourishing properties, this liquid soap cleanses the skin, leaving it feeling soft and delightfully fragranced with a delicious scent of fresh almonds.

Made in France

I want to try more from the L'occitane brand so when I saw this on a special, I snapped it up. I bought this and the hand cream for around $30 which is a bargain compared to their original prices.Especially when I saw it was in their Almond scent. Years ago The Body Shop had a line of Almond products (not their current line) and it smelled amazing. I wish they still made it. It was Almond Heaven. So I was hoping this would be similar. And it is. Not the same, but still a really nice almond scent that's not too candy or extract like. It really smells delicious...but not in a foody way. I don't know if it tops The Body Shop's scent but it's a close 2nd. 

Unfortunately the scent doesn't seem to be in their original line up, I can't find it on the site for sale. But it is the same scent as their Almond Shower Oil which is on my list to try too.

The soap itself is like a Castille soap. Maybe a little thicker. It lathers nicely- if you use a full pump. Since it's pricey I tend to try only using a half a pump but to really get it going, the full amount is necessary. It rinses clean. And it's a bit drying. So I can see why it was bundled with the hand cream.

I know you can use it in the shower but I haven't tried it as a body soap. It just doesn't seem like it would lather as it should.

The ingredients are a little bit better than most other liquid soaps you find. No Sodium Laurel Sulfates. It has Sweet Almond Oil, Shea Butter Extract, and Bergamot Oil. 

Ingredients:

AQUA/WATER - HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED EXTRACT - COCONUT ACID - POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE - SODIUM CHLORIDE - PARFUM/FRAGRANCE - PRUNUS AMYGDALUS DULCIS (SWEET ALMOND) OIL - BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA) BUTTER EXTRACT - CITRUS AURANTIUM BERGAMIA (BERGAMOT) FRUIT OIL - GLYCERIN - CAPRYLYL GLYCOL - TETRASODIUM GLUTAMATE DIACETATE - UNDECYLENIC ACID - CITRIC ACID - CARAMEL - COUMARIN - LIMONENE

Overall, I really like it. Especially the scent. I don't love the price so I find myself "saving" it and using it when I need a little pick me up. I use my cheaper soaps for all other hand washing. I do wish it was available to buy, but maybe I'll try out the Shea Butter soap refill next time.