Organic skincare and beauty products typically have a higher price tag than their chemical laden counterparts. There are several reasons for this price hike – shorter product shelf-life, higher quality ingredients sourced from smaller organic farms, and they are manufactured in smaller batches.

So, when I spotted Dr Organic Rose Otto Skin Lotion on the shelves at Holland & Barrett’s, I was lured by the price and the quantity - £8.49 for 200ml. Plus, I’m a fan of rose oil. I love it. It was a no-brainer purchase.

Dr Organic was a Welsh owned business that was started by entrepreneurs Fred Whitcomb and Steve Quinn in 2008. Their range of products has been highly successful which led to a takeover by American company Nature’s Bounty Co in 2015. This is the second time that Whitcomb and Quinn have built up a business and negotiated a takeover – they are astute businessmen and their triumphs are highly impressive.

The Dr Organic Rose Otto Skin Lotion is an all over non-greasy lotion set to intensely moisturise, rejuvenate and revitalise the skin. It has an impressive list of bioactive and organic ingredients to instantly hydrate and tone your skin. So, is Dr Organic Rose Otto Skin Lotion as good as it’s price tag?

What’s Inside?

The Rose Otto Oil Skin Lotion is 70% organic and free from the standard nasties – parabens, SLS, synthetic colours, phthalates and more. The hydrating moisturiser is a rich emollient cream packed full of ingredients to keep the skin supple and soft. However, Dr Organic has dominated the Soil Association’s greenwashing companies list of brands that have misled consumers by using the term organic on their labels when they shouldn’t have.

I’ve written an article about how to spot greenwashed products, and the Rose Otto Oil Skin Lotion appears to tick the boxes of what to look out for. You can read the article by clicking here. Have a read and make your own mind up.

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Extract

Aloe Vera contains over 200 biologically active components and has been used for its medicinal and healing properties since records began. Roll through the centuries and Aloe Barbadensis is now a popular addition to cosmetics and beauty treatments for its many qualities:

Rich in skin enhancing Vitamins C and E and beta carotene which is a precursor to Vitamin A (vital for maintaining skin condition)
Anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial to reduce skin’s redness and protect from infection
Contains gibberellins and polysaccharides that stimulate new growth and cell repair

Rosa Damascena Oil

In Iran, the Rosa Damascena is called the Gole Mohammadi – the flower of the Prophet Mohammad such is the esteem that this plant is held in for therapeutic applications. Rosa Damascena flower oil contains a complex array of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that work together to benefit the skin:

Helps to moisturise and nourish dry skin giving it elasticity and softness
High Vitamin C promotes even skin tone and reduces the appearance of skin imperfections
High Vitamin A content increases cell rejuvenation and reduces wrinkles

The molecules of Rosa Damascena oil are small, so they pass through the skin easily and get the vital ingredients where they are needed in the dermis. However, while this is great news for those of us who use organic products, if Rosa Damascena oil is an ingredient in a skin care product that is non-organic, you may be exposing yourself to toxic chemicals to a greater extent! Just because a product contains a natural ingredient, doesn’t automatically mean that it will be doing you good – check out the other ingredients!

Flower Oils for Skin

The Dr Organic Rose Otto Oil Skin Lotion also includes an extensive list of other botanical ingredients including:

Apple fruit extract: rich in antioxidants and Vitamin C that benefits oily, dull and aging skin.

Geranium oil: promotes cell renewal, stimulates healing and reduces inflammation.

Clove flower oil: contains eugenol which has rejuvenating and stimulating properties to give a radiant complexion.

Passionflower extract: pumped full of omega 6 fatty acids and is 80% linoleic acid, passionflower extract reduces scaling on the skin.

Calendula flower extract: organic calendula flower extract stimulates collagen production and diminishes dry skin.

Olea Europaea

Olea Europaea, or olive oil as it is more commonly known, has a long history of being used as a homemade skincare product. The Egyptians used it as a cleanser, moisturiser, and antibacterial agent. T Ancient Greeks used it as a massage to prevent muscle fatigue and sports injuries. It’s been a staple of beauty regimes for centuries, and for good reason.

Olive oil acts as an antioxidant preventing the production of free radicals which damage the skin’s cells. Antioxidants help to prevent premature ageing – big tick for me. It also contains a wealth of Vitamins that are helpful to skin: A, D, E and K.

How do you use it?

The Dr Organic Rose Otto Oil Skin Lotion is suitable to be applied all over the body. Considering how rich an emollient it is, it does absorb quite quickly, however, there is a delay between slathering it on and being able to get dressed.

Be warned: it has a powerful scent, so be sure to allow time for the Rose Otto Oil Skin Lotion to be absorbed sufficiently before you wear any perfume.

Is it worth the money?

Hmmm. That is the million-dollar question.

The online reviews for Dr Organic Rose Otto Oil Skin Lotion are glowing – in the main. Lots of 5-star reviews. For me though, I am unable to rate it so highly. I’m put off by the link to greenwashing and can’t endorse a product that is produced by a business that has questionable ethics. However, that’s not the only reason. I found the perfume to be so overpowering. The Rosa Damascena flower oil is way down the ingredient list – there is more perfume added to it than this key ingredient. Organic products typically have a gentle fragrance derived from their ingredients – the aroma of the Rose Otto Oil Skin Lotion is the equivalent of a plug-in air freshener.

Using the Dr Organic Rose Otto Oil Skin Lotion gave my skin a slight reaction – a tingling. Sometimes my skin is sensitive to Aloe Vera, but while I was researching the ingredients, I came across this Wikipedia page about olive oil. It refers to olive oil not being good for adult skin, especially those who suffer with atopic dermatitis. I think this is the research Wiki refers to about topical use of plant based oils – section 3.1. Something for you to consider if you suffer from atopic eczema or atopic dermatitis.

I also came across this interesting blog post.

On paper the Dr Organic Rose Otto Oil Skin Lotion is a bargain, it contains some fantastic ingredients that can hydrate and nourish your skin. But, and this is a big BUT, writing this review has made my heart sink.

It’s mass produced which is fine – it’s the sign of a popular product – but the brand lacks the authentic passion of other organic skin and beauty product brands. For example, the Dr Organic’s website does not state that the Dr Organic Rose Otto Oil Skin Lotion is vegan friendly. Holland & Barrett’s website states that it is, so I telephoned Dr Organic’s head office to clarify. They confirmed that it vegan friendly, but I think this highlights where Dr Organic fails. It doesn’t seem to know what matters to the organic beauty crowd. It’s important that we know whether its vegan!

There are things that I like about the Dr Organic Rose Otto Oil Skin Lotion. I like that it is a cheap organic skincare product – price is always a huge influencing factor on the purchases that you make. Plus, it is stocked in Holland & Barrett and on Amazon making it an accessible option for people who are perhaps just starting to delve into the world of organic and natural skincare. But again, the greenwashing issue overrides all.

Now I’ve got that off my chest, do I think it’s worth the money? No - there are too many red flags for me.

Is it suitable for a gift?

What kind of gift do you like to give? The main thing is to buy something that the recipient will use. Yes, the Dr Organic Rose Otto Oil Skin Lotion would more than likely be a welcome present, but the branding is more like something that you would buy for yourself – there’s nothing special or wowee about it.

What have your experiences been of Dr Organic’s Organic Rose Otto Oil Skin Lotion? Perhaps I’ve been harsh in this review, but it feels very much like entering a pit pony into the Grand National – yes, it would finish the race, but it doesn’t really stand a chance against the thoroughbreds.

Review: Dr Organic Rose Otto Skin Lotion