Totally Balmy All-In-One-Bar Sandalwood and Bergamot - Family Review

26 September 2020

Brand	Totally Balmy
Product name	Sandalwood and Bergamot All in One Soap Bar
Product purpose	Hair, Body, Shave, Face
Ingredients	Olive oil, distilled water, coconut oil, mango butter, sodium hydroxide, castor oil, essential/fragrance oils, mineral mica.
Weight	100grams
Product retail price	$14
Where to buy	https://totallybalmy.co.nz/product/all-in-one-soap-bar/

Reviewer name, location	Krista, Christchurch	Max, Christchurch	Oscar, Christchurch
Performance reflections	This is an exquisitely fragranced soap. I tried it as a body soap and found it to effectively cleanse without drying out the skin.	This soap bar has a nice, smooth texture, has a subtle scent and lathers really well.	This soap has a nice, smooth texture and a lovely smell. Even though it is an all-purpose soap bar, I just used it for my body.
Rating out of 10 on the “would never buy this again” (1) to “must, must, must have this” (10) scale	9/10	8/10	9/10
Advice for users	If you value fragrance above all else in a soap bar, then this is definitely worth a try. Normally this product would not have caught my eye (I don’t find the packaging and blue colouring appealing) but I am so glad I tried it. It is delightful.	Worth a try.	This soap is worth a try.
Summary of characteristics of reviewer: gender, generation, hair type/skin type, other pertinent factors	Female, mid 40’s. Hair: Fine, shortish, washed every day, not heat-styled or coloured. Susceptible to dry, irritated scalp. Skin: Combination on face, normal on body	Male, age 16 Normal – oily hair, normal – oily skin on face, and shoulders, dry patches inside elbows and knees	Male, 18 years Hair: short and prone to dry scalp Skin (face): oily Skin (body): normal

WE TRY ALL SORTS OF BARS TO HELP YOU BUY BETTER

Bar performance is such a personal thing. Of course, the quality of the ingredients, recipe and skill of the maker really make a difference - but individual skin and hair characteristics matter too. We are not all the same (surprise?!). We don't all like the same scents, textures, sizes and shapes. And we don't have to.

These reviews are a variety of peoples' thoughts on testing a bar for a fair few uses. Enough to give it a good chance to perform at its best. How well they go for the reviewer might be repeated for you - or it might not. No performance promises are being made. The reviews are simply to help you along when choosing in a market that has loads of options.

I select and buy all the bars myself and provide them to reviewers. You'll always get 'straight up' opinions here.

One of the many great things about bars is that it's easy to change to a new one if you have a bar that's not meeting your needs. Many bars can be repurposed to hand soap if they're not cutting the mustard in their original use. Conditioner bars often work for shaving, if you find yourself stuck with a dud.

My plea is that you don't let one misfire put you off using bars. There will be plenty that suit your specific needs, but it may take some casting around to find them. Bars are just like other products in that regard, only with more at stake (for our planet) if you go back to the bottle. And please remember to have fun with them. I'm a big believer in everyday pleasures being a foundation stone for wellbeing, and it's through bars that I get a goodly share of morning joy! They're an easy and low cost way to add some pep to your step for the day.