Scent without the Zombies

The Dona arousing herbal bath essence is a little something that can be added to any bath time for a wonderful smelling, relaxing time. While described as "arousing," I don't think the essence makes you aroused itself. However, the scent might make you happy and improve your mood (and maybe make you more open to sexy time... and there's also the placebo effect). The bath essence is a great product for those who want a nice smelling bath but don't really want bubbles (and let's not get into bath salts! No zombies!).

The product is great for anyone who wants a nice scent to their baths. The Mangosteen is lovely and refreshing. The essence is great as for a relaxing bath at the end of the day or after work. Treat yourself to it or invite a partner to join you in the tub. It can help add a little zest to foreplay. Or you can make your partner melt by drawing them a bath and pouring a little bit of essence in as a thoughtful extra.

In terms of allergies: the essence is not used directly on the skin, thus all the ingredients are very diluted when placed in the tub. Basically, ingredients that might cause you a reaction as a lube might not when in your bath. The essence does contain glycerin, which is probably important to note. Overall, the ingredients are pretty natural. There are over 8 different types of plant extracts in this bath essence.

It's important to note that the essence contains Wolf's Bane. It's a plant that is poisonous if you eat enough of it. Touching the leaves can cause skin irritation for some people. If you are concerned about any particular allergens, you can always use a smaller amount of essence and see if your body reacts.

Here's a list of the ingredients:

Glycerin, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Seed Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Paullina Cupana Seed Extract , Ptychopetalum Olacoides Root Extract , Turnera Diffusa Leaf Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Pausinystalia Yohimbe Bark Extract, PPG-26 Buteth-26, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Garcinia Mangostana (Mangosteen) Fruit, Fragrance

If interested, I have done a summary of all the ingredients in the essence in the personal comments section.

The texture of the bath essence is a little thinner than your standard body wash. The most accurate way to describe it would be like a syrup. It flows easily to pour, but it's not watery. Since the bath essence is supposed to land in your bath water, all these qualities suit it just fine. The essence itself is a light golden/auburn color. It creates only a slight tint in your bath water if you fill it up. If you rub a little bath essence between your fingers, it's similar to liquid soap. I assume it would dry on you a bit sticky if you left it on your skin.

The bath essence doesn't leave any greasy, sticky, or residual feeling when you finish your bath. It doesn't make the water feel noticeably different. There is no noticeable difference even if you use more than twice the recommended amount in a standard sized tub. It also doesn't appear to leave any residue or traces in the tub after the water drains.

I think the essence might improve how your skin feels. After using the essence a couple of times, my skin felt a bit softer (this was while using my usual soaps, so nothing else was different).

The bath essence is not edible or designed for consumption. Actually: Do Not eat this, not even for curiosity. The Wolf's Bane extract could make you sick (even though it's in small quantities) and the castor oil is a laxative if ingested. More on that in the personal comments section.

The aroma (Mangosteen) is pleasant and not overbearing. It also doesn't have that fake, artificial scent (it really shouldn't anyway, since they actually use the fruit to make the scent). The directions say to add 1-2 capfuls into the water. As soon as you place it in, the smell hits you. If you want a stronger smell, add more scent, and if you want a more subtle scent, you can add less. The Mangosteen smells like a mix between mango and peaches. It's fruity, sweet, and fresh, but it's not so sweet that is smells just like food. It's not overly done. I would buy other Dona products that have the Mangosteen scent.

If you're like me and tend to use more than the recommended about of bath product, this essence will last you about 6-10 uses. Since I don't have baths that often, this is okay for me, but if you tend to have them more often, you might not think this essence is a good value.

If you pour the essence under under the running water, it will bubble up a bit. After a minute or less, the bubbles will dissipate. The smell doesn't seem to dissipate while bathing. You may not smell it is much if you have other bath and body products that have strong scents.

I do like just about everything about this product, I just wish it wasn't as pricey. I was able to get it on sale for 3 dollars, so it was a good deal. I probably would not have purchased this product if I had to buy it at full price.

The bath essence came in a clear plastic bag that was tied off. I'm guessing it was tied to prevent possible spillage and contain it if it did. The essence itself is in a little, plastic bottle. The side of the bottle also had a long, thin sticker on it that was on the cap and bottle. The sticker had the name of the scent on it. I think it's there to prevent it from unscrewing and to also show the bottle has not been used.

The essence is easy to open and it's like a shampoo cap that you push down on one side to open the other. The bottle doesn't seam to leak if it is closed tightly and is lying on its side. If you do get any essence on the bottle and you want the bottle clean, just dip it in your bath water and dry it off.

Here's a picture of the bottle:



The bottle is somewhat discreet. It does have the words "arousing" and "sensual" on it. You could give this as a gift. If you do give it as a gift, I would buy a couple of other bath products and make a little giftbasket or set. The bottle is suitable for travel since it is small. The bottle holds 6oz. You don't want to take it on a plance, but it can go anywhere else. Still, it's best to put the bottle in a ziploc bag incase it spills.

The bath essence is advertised as an aphrodisiac. It does have ingredients that are known to be aphrodisiacs, but I don't really notice it. I tend to relax more than anything when taking my bath. It does have ingredients known to relax, so it does work in that way.

If you are buying this product specifically as an aphrodisiac, you might be disappointed. If you view it more as an additional benefit and are happy with the product for its scent, then you should be more than happy with this product.

Here's a more detailed ingredients summary if you're interested. All data comes from either MSDS (material safety data sheets), wikipedia articles, or random notes from chemistry classes.

Glycerin: a sugar that is common in a variety of products, especially lubricants. As a sugar, it can upset the balance of the vaginal ecosystem, especially if your have a sensitive vagina. This is more the case with lubricants, since it goes directly on/in the lady bits. In general glycerin helps makes things soluble in water (essential for a bath essence) and hold water, or help the product last. It's clear and odorless with a slight sweet taste.

Panax Ginseng Root Extract: Ginseng extract. Panax is just the genus of the Ginseng used. Panax is asian Ginseng. Ginseng is known for a variety of purposes. It is traditionally used (orally) as an aphrodisiac, a stimulant, and to alleviate symptoms sexual dysfunction in men, to name a few. I'm assuming the extract is used for both scent and as an aphrodisiac in this product.

Ginkgo Biloba Seed Extract: an interesting ingredient. The Ginkgo tree is also known as the Maidenhair Tree, which is a unique tree that doesn't have any close living relatives. The tree itself is extremely hardy when it comes to tolerating poor soil conditions and insects. The Biloba seed has been used as a memory enhancer and to help those with dementia (it's also supposedly yummy to eat in some traditional asian dishes). It also has a scent described as pleasing. There's also some claims that the extract can improve blood flor throughout the body, but this has not been verified completely.

Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract: this little plant is a medicinal herb. The herb is known as mildly antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. It's also known to help prevent the formation of ulcers and aid in treating anxiety. There seem to be other uses for the plant, but the antibacterial and anti-anxiety properties are probably why it was used in the essence. It might help the essence keep longer.

Paullina Cupana Seed Extract: a nice way to say guarana. This plant is related to the maple tree. It is a common ingredient in energy drinks because it is a stimulant that contains a lot of caffeine. A lot of studies are still going on with this seed, but it appears it has anti-bacterial and antioxidant qualities.

Ptychopetalum Olacoides Root Extract: as you can see, the trend is to put the latin name for the plant species on the bottle. This is a plant the grows in the amazon. The effects of this one are not official, as all the claims are still being studied. It is claimed that the extract is a stimulant and can aid in sexual function.

Turnera Diffusa Leaf Extract: this shrub is used in central America as a relaxing component in some teas. It also is said to be an aphrodisiac. This has been studied, and seems to have more evidence than many of the other ingredients on here.

Arnica Montana Flower Extract: this plant goes by many other names, and you my know of it as wolf's bane. While eating this poisonous plant can cause some serious sickness, the extract, when diluted and used topically, can have some (possibly) beneficial effects. It has anti-fungal properties and the extract can be used as a preservative. Still, I don't know why they put this in the bath essence. While it has been used medicinally for a long time, there are no concrete studies on its beneficial properties.

Pausinystalia Yohimbe Bark Extract: this extract is widely used and prescribed as an aphrodisiac. It's a stimulant and has been used to help treat erectile dysfunction (ED).

PPG-26 Buteth-26: a common ingredient in a variety of cosmetic products. This ingredient is known to help with dry or damaged skin. It is used as a conditioner and also as an emulsifier (helps blend a mixture nicely). While good topically, this stuff should not be ingested. While in low concentration, it's best not to get this stuff in your eyes since there have been reports that PPG can cause soem organ issues if inside the body.

Hydrogenated Castor Oil: oil from the castor bean. It has been used as a lubricant (and a potential bio-diesel! Yay green!). Castor oil is used over the counter as a laxative. Castor is present in a lot of items and is probably used in the essence as a possible preservative.

Garcinia Mangostana (Mangosteen) Fruit & Fragrance: essence!

I've used the essence more when I'm looking for a relaxing bath than when I'm with my partner. It may be because our tub won't fit both of use comfortably. Either way, it is a great way to enjoy a nice scent without bubbles (I do love bubbles, though).

The essence has motivated me to take the time to have baths more often. I usually only have a bath a few times a year (if that). Now I try and have a couple a month. It's nice because my partner will usually keep me company in while I'm in the bathroom. It's not sexual (not usually) but it's nice to have company and chat while I'm enjoying a soak in the tub. So while the bath essence doesn't give me the urge to jump my partner, it's presence has motivated me to take more baths, have time for myself, and enjoy a closeness with my partner.

All in all: a win.