Give dry skin some serious therapy with Sol Therepe body butters
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Green Monday review: Vanilla & Sweet Orange shea body butter
photos: we heart this
Temperatures are rising in New England, which means sandal weather. But after all those months hiding in boots, my heels look dry and cracked. Not something I want to show off with my bright summer pedicures. So this Green Monday, Sol Therepe comes to rescue with their body butters!
Sol Therepe is a socially responsible company from the San Francisco Bay area that makes hair and body butters in rich scents like gardenia, lavender, vanilla and sweet orange. I always love a company that gives back, and Yvette Ervin, founder of Sol Therepe, gives a percentage of profits to organizations that boost women entrepreneurs.
I got my hands on some pocket size tins of their Vanilla & Sweet Orange shea body butter ($10). Sol Therepe uses organic shea butter, pure cocoa butter, sweet almond oil and sunflower oil to make this moisturizer. When I take a whiff of this body butter I pick up a soft scent of vanilla and cocoa butter though it does not linger on the skin. That means no clashing with other sweet-scented products you might wear.
Sol Therepe’s shea body butter has a texture in between lotion and oil, heating up with the skin but still soft in the tin. One of my biggest pet peeves with body butter is that with some brands, you really have to dig at to get enough to smooth onto your skin. This body butter is easy to reach and melts into the skin, gliding like an oil without leaving a mess behind. You can feel the butter, but no worries about spots on clothing or slippery fingertips on the keyboard.
My favorite uses for this Vanilla & Sweet Orange shea body butter is for heels and tattoos! A strange combination to some, but this butter moisturizes my skin and leaves my inked skin with just a little sheen. Anyone with tattoos knows that ink looks so much better when moisturized, it intensifies the colors and makes them pop.
Sol Therepe’s body butter keeps moisture locked in and doesn’t need multiple applications like other lotions. For my heels I like to slather this on before going to sleep, sometimes topping with socks to lock in the butter. My heels look great in the morning! Along with a pumice stone, this is the best product for my feet.
Sol Therepe’s body butters come in tins of 2, 4, and 8 ounces. These tins range in price from $10 to $35, and a multi-mini pack of all four scents for $25. The price may feel a little steep, but keep in mind that these butters last and don’t need constant reapplication. Oh, and for those with curly hair that needs moisture and management, Sol Therepe also has a shea hair butter with jojoba and jasmine oil.
Pros:
• soft scent
• organic ingredients
• socially responsible company
• stickiness and slippery-free moisture
Cons:
• a little pricey
• would like a little more orange scent (personal preference)
we heartsters – is your skin ready to bare all and face the sun thanks to Sol Therepe’s Vanilla & Sweet Orange shea body butter?
Lucy loves Lady Gaga, lattes, trashy television and anything zombies. She’s a geeky girl who likes tech gadgets, reading tons of books, playing with gender roles and is constantly surrounded by a small army of cats.
Disclosure: This review includes products that were provided by the manufacturer/PR firm for our consideration. For more info, or any questions, please see our disclosure policy.
I love the concept of something being right in between a lotion and oil. This is right up my alley especially since I love citrus scents.
Great Review!
Sounds lovely.. I bet it smells yummy.. Citrus scents are some of my favorites too.. especially for the summer!
Good review, @lucylemonade! The appearance of the product is interesting–it doesn’t look like a body butter. It looks more like a balm or salve (a few of Burt’s Bees products are kind of similar)? My hands have been really dry, but it’s hard finding a good product to use at work, that doesn’t leave my hands greasy. This sounds like it’s perfect, and the small size would be convenient for throwing in my drawer at the office.
I love a good body butter above most things – this sounds incredible! Great review, Lucy!!
This really is not your typical Body Butter. It’s more of a body balm to me, like an oil cream hybrid. The scent is really yummy, but not overpowering like @lucylemonade said – it can blend with any other scent you may wear. It soaks in quickly and leaves you feeling really moisturized. BUT, $10 for a little lip gloss size tin seems really overpriced to me. I’m having a hard time with that aspect. The larger tubs at a larger price seem like a better value to me. 3 stars from me.
I tested a pocket size tin of the Vanilla & Sweet orange body butter and I have to agree with @lipglossandspandex – this balm totally reminded me of a salve. I liked a lot of things about it – the sort of cream, sort of oil really does absorb quickly and is super moisturizing – it helped to banish my dry, flaky elbows – but doesn’t leave a grease or oilyness behind. I also liked the scent – soft and sweet – but I was expecting a bit more of a citrus note to it. Like @Stef mentioned, 10 bucks seems high for the pocket size tin, but I would totally pay the $35 for the big ol’ tin. I’m willing to spend more for natural, eco- friendly and cruelty products – especially when they do their job!
The price does sound high for the amount of product you’re getting… but the scent sounds incredible, and the product is effective, so I’m still tempted. Great review, @lucylemonade !
I love pocket sized tins of moisturizers! Cuticle creams, do it all moisturizers, you name it! They are perfect for dropping into purses and the slim packaging helps a ton. This sounds like something I would love to try.
Sweet orange and vanilla…does anyone else hear creamsicle? It IS summer, ya know. I’d be willing to pay the price…
This is definitely a body balm instead of a body butter–it’s consistency doesn’t really lend itself to all-over application. It’s perfect for heels, elbows, and cuticles, though. I didn’t really get much of an impression of orange from this–I was a wee bit bummed about that because I love all things citrus. This was more of a slightly sweetened vanilla-ish fragrance. That being said, the tiny tin is perfect for travel. I recently went on a hellacious trip “home” to visit family & friends and wore sandals the whole time and did a lot of walking and this was the only reason I was able to show my heels in public. A little bit goes a long way and this is thick enough to mask/heal the driest of skin. It is a bit greasy, so allow some time for absorption. Sadly, the price is a little crazy for the small amount you get. Overall, I’m giving this 3 stars. It was nice, but not enough to warrant the price tag. Also, I wish they’d just call it a “body balm” because “body butter” is really misleading. A little more orange fragrance would be nice, too :)
Looks like a high-quality product :)
Is it greasy? I saw someone earlier said they assumed it would not be.
How long should it last you? You had said it should last a long time, but curious if now that you have used more of it.
No it’s not greasy at all! And since it’s a solid that heats up when you use it, it does last a long time. I’ve been using it off and on for awhile and it’s still in good shape. I mostly use it on my tattoos and heels just for a little extra hydration there.