Review of LUSH - Coalface Facial Cleanser

Sick and tired of greasy skin? Done with breaking out? Finally had enough of your high school skin still effecting you in your older age!? Well I did too! And if I knew that I could have gotten rid of my pimples and greasy shiny looking face with such a simple product, I would have been using it for years.
Lush though has been a recent discovery of mine, and ever since I have been a devoted customer. I love that their products are all natural, vegetarian, and that they do not test on animals. I don't mind spending a little extra on products that I know are chemical free.
However, when I buy items from lush, usually I only buy soaps, but on a recent transaction I decided on a facial cleanser. They have facial cleaners for all types of skin, but seeing how my face is oily, and prone to break outs Lush recommended Coalface.
WHAT IS IT!?
It looks like a bar soap, but this soap is not designed for your body, unless you want it to be. It could rid your body of acne if that is where you suffer from it. However it;s primary use is for the face. It is a solid black bar that you wash your face with. I cut my bar into slices so I could use one small piece at a time. One small piece in the soap dish will last almost a month.
Lush claims that licorice and coal are the ingredients used to calm and cleanse the skin. I found it odd for them to add coal into a facial bar, but I was more than willing to try. I was sick of my mirror like shine of a forehead. I was willing to try anything.
PACKAGED:
Coalface came packaged in a standard brown box, with the Lush logo on it. It was sealed up with black tape that read, 'sealed with a kiss'. My bar was tightly wrapped in a clear plastic with a deli sticker with Lush's logo on it. On the sticker Lush sometimes will add an expiration date, and the name of the employee who made you soap.
Thats right, MADE YOURSOAP! All of Lush's products are handmade with fresh ingredients.
STINKY POO POO POO!
I enjoy the scent of licorice, and was excited to get my first big whiff of Coalface. When I tore off the plastic seal though I was blown away with this ones scent. It wasn't very much like licorice at all, as a matter of fact it sort of reminded me of farts. My bar smelt like it had a lot of sulfur in it, because it sure did stink!
Even with the not so pleasant scent, I was willing to give it a go.
I rinsed my face, and slowly rubbed the bar around my skin. It slid easily, and I could detect a bit of exfoliation coming through. The coal is actually what causes the mild exfoliation. Usually I hate anything gritty on my face, but I was glad that it didn't hurt or leave any odd sandy particles behind.
OUCH!
I got a bit of Coalface up my nose while rinsing, and let me tell you it burned like hell. So be careful when you are using this bar, and make sure you avoid your eyes, I have yet to get it in my eyes, but I have heard from others that it's pain like no other.
MY SKIN:
After drying up my skin felt very tight, but not too tight as to where I couldn't blink. My face also felt very dry, but this is a good thing when you have oily skin. The soap didn't dry out my skin as to where it was peeling, but left it feeling smooth and soft. If I had normal skin, most likely my skin would have peeled, so when I say this is for people with oily skin, I mean that!
After just one use, I felt an immediate difference, and not only that I saw one. My skin did not shine up once for the entire day. I am now sold for life. A true Coalface fan till the day I start needing face lifts.
LONG TERM USE:
I used Coalface every single day for a week when I first got it, and let me tell you this is by far the best cleanser I have ever used. My skin does not shine by mid-afternoon, my pimples are gone, and I have yet to get a break out since using it.
After about 3 weeks, I only had to use the bar once every other day to achieve the same results. My skin is left much softer, clearer, and even has a frigging glow! Hot diggity dog!!!
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY:
You can obtain Coalface at any local Lush store nearby, or you can buy it online at www.Lush.com for $10.45 for a 3.5oz bar. Let me tell you though, if you cut this bar into soap dish sized pieces you can have it for months. It's a harder soap compared to most of Lush's soaps, so it does not melt quickly at all.
If you order online expect your order to arrive in 12-15 days. Not only that if you order online Lush throws in 2 samples of their products. I also enjoy ordering online because rumor has it, they ship out ingredients that are fresh, compared to in store good, where the products may be a lot older than you'd want.
HOW LUSH MAKES COALFACE:
Liquorice Root Decoction (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Propylene Glycol, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Sodium Stearate, Rosewood Oil (Aniba rosaeordora), Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Powdered Charcoal, Sandalwood Oil (Santalum album), Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Perfume, Silver Edible Lustre (Potassium aluminum silicate, Titanium dioxide, Iron oxides and hydroxides)
OVERALL:
I am willing to forgive Lush for it's rancid stink, because it works so well.
RECOMMENDATION:
Heck yes, everyone with acne prone/oily skin should give this one a try. It may not be everyones solution, but it has saved me from embarrassing break outs, and I usually react badly to anything that goes on my face.