Charity Pot, a newcomer to Lush’s shelves, wears its conscience on its sleeve — or rather, on its lid. According to Lush, all proceeds from the sale of this fragranced lotion will benefit a number of charitable organizations and activist groups, which are identified by stickers on the tops of the containers.
When I purchased a tub of Charity Pot in the United Kingdom last spring, it was designated with the logo for No Widening M1, an alliance opposed to the widening of the M1 motorway in England. Since then, I’ve been curious to see which organizations would be chosen for the North American launch of this product. So far, the list includes Clean Ocean Action, Amazon Conservation Team, Tree People, UNICEF, International Fund for Animal Welfare, and WaterCan. And, like all of Lush’s other products, this one is produced with ecological and environmental awareness, since no animal testing is allowed, limited synthetic ingredients are used, and the packaging is kept as minimal as possible.
What about the lotion itself? Charity Pot is concocted from fair-trade cocoa butter and almond oil, so it provides excellent moisture for the skin, although it does take a while to absorb. Its consistency is a bit thinner than that of Lush’s fluffy Dream Cream, but thick enough to sit easily in its tub-like container. It is scented with essential oils of geranium, ylang ylang, tagetes (marigold), and gardenia, and the scent does last for a few hours if you apply the lotion generously.
At first sniff, Charity Pot’s pairing of geranium and ylang ylang reminds me of Lush’s wonderful, but discontinued (in North America, at least) Black Magic massage bar: it has an unexpected, peppery-sweet twist. I’m not sure what marigold smells like, and I can’t detect the gardenia extract; in any case, the lotion’s fragrance isn’t typically floral. It settles into a blend of leafy herbs and creamy powder, which I enjoy very much, because it is slightly odd yet soothing at the same time. Charity Pot seems like a return to form for Lush, in both its philosophy and its fragrance, although it may not please the customers who have been flocking to buy the company’s recent string of toffee- and marshmallow-scented products.
A final thought: I’ve never heard the expression “charity pot” before, so perhaps it’s a British term. I picture a charity pot as looking something like those kettles that the Salvation Army workers set up on the sidewalks around Christmas-time, when they sing carols and ring bells, and passersby are encouraged to drop cash into the kettles. Lush plans to make its own Charity Pot a permanent addition to its product line, however, so it will still be here long after the upcoming holiday season.
Charity Pot sells for $19.95 for a 7.9 ounce jar in Lush shops and through the Lush website.
Just as an FYI, in the UK a Charity Pot is a jar kept by a till in a shop or pub that customers can put their spare change into. You might also say to a barmaid/barman 'put the change in the charity pot' when handing over a note to pay for a round of drinks that will create just a few pennies in change. It would be insulting to tell someone to keep the change when it's just tuppence.
There isn't a culture of tipping in the UK, apart from in 'proper' restaurants (ie. not in cafes or fast food joints), also Taxis and hairdressers. I've never had a waxing, manicure or facial etc. but I suppose you might well tip your waxer. Well it's only polite, isn't it?
Ah! Thank you for this comment; now I feel better informed! We do tend to tip widely here in the US, although I have seen similar jars next to the registers in Starbucks and similar take-out restaurants here, where we wouldn't have the opportunity to leave a tip on a table. I think we just call them “tip jars”! Thanks. 🙂
Well, I've lived in the UK for 28 years and I've never heard the term 'charity pot' other than in sentences talking about a 'fund', not an actual object. There are moneyboxes on the counters of McDonald restaurants, etc: they look like large, transparent versions of personal moneyboxes, with a slot for coins. The money is indeed sent to various charities (they're not for tips), but I've never heard them referred to as 'charity pots'.
As for tipping, I haven't found any difference between the way the Brits and the French, for instance, tip. We tip waiters, hairdressers, taxi drivers (they get abusive if you don't), etc. and, yes, beauticians too.
Lush occasionally uses phrases in its product names and descriptions that are unfamiliar to American customers (“buck's fizz,” anyone?), but this one really did stump me. There's no explanation on the website or label, and my internet searches only confused me more. Thanks!
Thank you for the great review–I've been curious about this one! It sounds very nice (glad the gardenia doesn't pop out), and a pot of it might find its way into my next order (though more body lotion is the *last* thing I need). The holiday items have shown up on the website, so I'm feeling overdue for a Lush order.
I agree with you…it's nice to see Lush coming out with an interesting, non-candy-scented item. 🙂
Don't worry: it definitely doesn't have a white-floral fragrance! I'm particularly enjoying it as a bedtime lotion. It's very calming!
Lush has discontinued quite a few herby/spicy/floral products to make room for the dessert-smelling ones, so I was glad to find Charity Pot. Still, nothing will console me for the loss of Potion lotion or Skinny Dip shower gel (and no, the Skinny Dip “Buttercream” is *not* just as good, no matter what the Lush staff try to tell me!) 🙁