It's always great to receive customer reviews on our products. But in many ways, it's even more interesting and valuable to hear the views of independent testers.

Our customers will usually know our products and like what they offer. For many independent reviewers, it will often be the first time they have have tried them. And they will also be comparing them to a whole range of similar products - with a particularly critical eye.

All three of the products we entered for the 2014 FreeFrom Awards won silver. We were told they all missed out on the top prize by just one or two marks. But since we won 'Best Brand', we really can't complain. Here's a selection of the independent testers' comments on our Revitalising body polish: (View the product on our website.)

"Great morning shower product but a real luxury too! In my opinion it was just right; the crystals are said to penetrate deep into the skin and stimulating tissue. I would say this is a very accurate account. Sometimes beads or crystals can scratch the skin - this one didn't! No irritation or sensitivity experienced. I would buy this product.

"I would also buy it as a gift for someone as I know it would make an excellent birthday or Christmas present for someone who doesn't normally treat themselves! Gorgeous ingredients! Shea butter, lemongrass and ginger essential oils. You expect to pay a higher price as it is certified organic. The packaging is plain but attractive. It looks like a premium product!

"Researching the product is interesting reading as you realise what goes into it and what it is made to do! More advertising probably needed to make everyone aware of the company - as I had never heard of Botanicals until now."

"I really liked the fragrance. It doesn't smell of much in the pot, but as you rub it into the skin it smells nice and fresh. Didn't need too much; it had plenty of 'grit' in it. It left the skin a bit oily, but in a nicely moisturised way. It felt clean and fresh and exfoliated. I loved the scent, and I think it would make a lovely present."

"Absolutely gorgeous fragrance - the citrus and ginger is a winning combination. I could smell the fragrance for a while afterwards and it scented the bathroom as well for a short amount of time. Considering this is meant for the body - and I used it on legs, shoulders arms and even my face (although the instructions said it wasn't suitable) - the recommended teaspoon of exfoliator did indeed go a long way."

"It felt lovely - the granules were not too hard or scratchy. It felt quite gel-like to me - and it rinsed off well - mainly because, very cleverly, the granules dissolve. Using it is a very pleasurable experience. My skin felt invigorated - although I think this was in part due to the fragrance. Skin also felt very clean, but not dried out at all."

"I love the fact that the granules dissolve so you're not left rinsing the shower as well as the skin. The dry skin on my legs definitely disappeared after using this product - it does exfoliate very well."

"I really liked this exfoliator - I think it's lovely. The ingredients and fragrance are completely natural and organic. It's effective and the smoother, more invigorated feel to the skin after use, is really pleasant. The whole experience is quite uplifting.

"I know the instructions say not to use on face, but I used it on my slightly oily 'T' zone, and the skin on my face felt really good afterwards - not dried out; just cleansed and very fresh. The product definately has value for money as well."

What's not to like?

"What's not to like? A really effective and healthy option to improve the appearance and texture of my 'mature' skin."

"It performed well. It scrubbed and smoothed even the roughest areas - like the soles of my feet. It rinsed well and didn't leave any residue. Made my skin feel amazing, super soft and smooth. I didn't need to use a moisturiser afterwards and the smell was amazing. You could tell it has really scrubbed my skin well even the soles of my feet were smoother."

"I like the wide jar designed with a metal screw top lid which ensured the contents stayed safe. The label was great - had an old fashioned, Victorian-designed - which looked good in the bathroom."

"Lovely lemony ginger smell which stayed on my skin. A little went a long way. It's quite solid. My skin was very soft and moisturised after using this product. It felt more nourished than cleansed. You do not need to use cream afterwards; this was so moisturising. They are small granules but seem to be very effective. There are plenty of them in each sample so you don’t need lots of the polish to do a good job."

"When using this product you feel that it is really exfoliating well. I had no skin reaction with this product. This is a brilliant exfoliator and I would definitely buy this again. Labelling was good had a apothecary look to it. I liked the dark colour of the jar."

Quick links

Click here to view a product profile of our body scrub. And click here to view Botanicals organic body scrub on our online shop (which also contains some glowing customer reviews!). FreeFrom Skincare Awards Tester comments reproduced with kind permission: More details.