Marks & Spencer Coconut Milk Hand & Body Lotion: Review

Spring for me brings up images of flowing dresses, summer hats, lazy walks on the beach and of course a good book. Relaxed, laid back and happy. A 12-hour job doesn’t give me the time to experience spring as I’d have liked to, but this Marks & Spencer lotion with its super coconuty fragrance does. After a relaxing luxurious bath, I apply this lotion daily; and just for a minute I’m transported to a gorgeous beach with cool blowing winds, gentle sunshine and the soft waves of the calm sea sounding like rhythmic music in the distance. Happy luxurious thoughts ^_^ 

What Marks & Spencer Claims: The ingredients of creamy coconut, softening milk and sweet warm vanilla have been blended together to create an indulgent fragrant experience. Containing natural extracts of coconut milk, this richly moisturizing Hand & Body Lotion is light to the touch. Blended with the aroma of creamy coconut, milk and warm vanilla, it indulges both body and mind. Not recommended for facial use. 

Price: £1 (approx Rs. 100) for 300 ml 

Shelf Life: Not mentioned. 

Directions for use: Apply liberally all over the body or hands and gently massage to aid absorption. 

Ingredients: Aqua, Paraffinum Liquidum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glceryl Stearate, Propylene Glycol, Sorbitan Stearate, Myristyl Lactate, PEG-100 Stearate. Ceteareth-20, Parfum, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut Milk), Sodium Hydroxide, Denatonium Benzoate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Coumarin, Benzyl Benzoate, Linalool, Butlphenyl Methylpropional, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Ethylparaben, 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1, 3-Diol. 

For some reason, I was always under the impression that M&S products would be a bit expensive (for the stipend I earn at least), but I was surprised to see this available for £1 on the M&S site! Since I liked how it was working for me, I wanted to pick up the other products in the range, but the Marks & Spencer store I visited didn’t keep stock of this range at all :( Online too, it’s hard to come by. It’s available at ebay.in, but for Rs. 450 which I would have found pretty affordable had I not known that it’s also available for £1!  

The lotion comes in a transparent bottle which is sturdy. I like transparent bottles; they tell you how much of the product is left. The new packaging has ‘essential extracts’ written at the top. I think they’ve changed the packaging since my cousin bought this one. There’s nothing special about the packaging, but it’s simple and I like it. The pump dispenser can be twisted and locked to prevent spillage while travelling. The dispenser lets out a tiny quantity each time that is more than sufficient for the hands. 

Like the name suggests, the lotion smells like coconut. The fragrance is sweet and gentle. If you don’t like coconut, you should stay away from this one (M&S has plenty of other fragrances you could try out), but if you do, you’re in for a treat. The lotion in terms of consistency is slightly on the thicker side, but is easy to apply and blend in. It gets absorbed into the skin in under a minute, leaving no oily residue, just smooth coconuty smelling skin. The coconut fragrance lingers for about 30-45 min, after which it fades away. The skin feels smoother, nourished and moisturized after using it. My skin is naturally smooth, so I didn’t feel much of a difference on my hands; but my feet had been feeling particularly dry and rough due to the prolonged cold harsh winter, and this lotion worked wonders on my feet. It won’t happen overnight, it takes a while for the effects to show, especially on the elbows, knees, feet etc. The moisture it provides is gentle and not intense. Since I have combination to oily skin, it worked well for me, but it may not for dry skinned beauties, especially in the winters. But for those in need of a gentle daily affordable moisturizer (who like the fragrance of coconuts), your search ends here. 

Pros: 

• Super affordable 
• Transparent bottle tells you how much is left 
• Dispenser can be locked; safe for travelling
• Dispenser releases small quantities; no wastage
• Coconut fragrance is mild and refreshing
• Blends in and gets absorbed very quickly
• Skin does not feel oily after use
• Makes skin feel smoother and nourished
• Gently moisturizes skin
• Good for oily skinned beauties 

Cons: 

• Availability
• Shelf life not mentioned
• Contains parabens
• Effects take a while to show
• Won’t work for dry skinned beauties in need of excessive moisture, especially in winters
• No SPF
• Not suitable for those who don’t like the coconut fragrance 

My Rating: 4/5 (Minus 1 for availability and parabens) 

Will I purchase it again? For a gentle daily moisturizer, it works very well. And at this price, you can’t really expect anything more. I’d like to try out other lotions in the range, so I won’t be purchasing this again. But I’ll definitely recommend it to all those who love coconuty fragrances (or if like me, you want to escape your grueling routine and head off to a beach - even if it’s just for a minute or two!). You’ll certainly love this one!