Therapium BALNEA™ Hand & Body Wash — Grapefruit

The sharpest of the four scents — a bright grapefruit wash for hands and body, and the only one in the range built on citrus oils.

The cleansing comes from coconut-derived surfactants, with betaine for softness and organic blueberry fruit extract in the formula — the other three scents use quince. It lathers generously without leaving the tight, squeaky feeling that cheaper washes do, which is what makes it usable on hands several times a day as well as in the shower. The 490 ml bottle is sized for a family bathroom or a kitchen sink.

Which of the four scents — and the difference that matters

All four share one formula and differ only in the fragrance. But the fragrances are not equivalent on the label, and that is the thing worth knowing before you buy:

• Grapefruit — this one. It declares seven fragrance allergens: Benzyl Alcohol, Limonene, Citronellol, Citral, Benzyl Salicylate, Geraniol and Linalool. That is the trade-off for a citrus scent built on essential oils rather than a synthetic accord.
• Peppermint & Dark Cedar — cool and dry. One declared allergen: Benzyl Alcohol.
• Ginger & Smoky Cardamom — warm and spiced. One declared allergen: Benzyl Alcohol.
• Patchouli & Amber Vanilla — sweet and resinous. One declared allergen: Benzyl Alcohol.

If you know you react to limonene or linalool — the two most common fragrance allergens in cosmetics — one of the other three is the safer pick. And if you would rather avoid the question entirely, the SERAVIA™ Face & Body Cleanser is the low-fragrance option in the same size, though note it contains hydrolysed wheat protein.

How to use

1. Apply to damp skin, hands or body.
2. Lather, then rinse off thoroughly.

What's in the bottle

490 ml.

Key ingredients

• Betaine — a humectant that keeps the wash from stripping.
• Organic blueberry fruit extract — the botanical in this scent, where the other three use quince.
• Coco-glucoside and cocamidopropyl betaine — mild coconut-derived cleansers.

Scent

Bright and citrus — grapefruit, with the sharp lift you would expect from it.

Good to know

• For hands and body.
• Vegan.
• Seven declared fragrance allergens — Benzyl Alcohol, Limonene, Citronellol, Citral, Benzyl Salicylate, Geraniol, Linalool. The other three scents declare one.
• What "fragrance free" actually means explains how to read these names on any label.

Full ingredients (INCI)

Therapium Ltd, company number 16471805 · 71–75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9JQ, United Kingdom