Despite it being a bit of a mouthful, pun very much intended, this is easily one of the greatest but equal weirdest sounding products to be released from Lush. Although they cannot take credit for the rather wonderful sounding name, which serves as a reference from the classic book Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, they can take credit for the original product that lives inside the bottle.
Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster is one of three brand new, innovative solid mouthwashes that Lush have designed and unleashed upon the world. Being the first of its kind to ever grace the cosmetics world, these tabs have a lot to live up to, and Lush have made sure that there's more behind these tongue-twisting names than just a novelty concept.
One of the reasons for Lush's release and expansion of their solid hair care, oral care and solid perfume ranges is to support the growing need for products that are compact, clean and effective and can travel well. With the ease in which people can and do travel around the globe, there is a much larger demand for products that can withstand being thrown around in a bag or suitcase, and definitely ones that can fit inside people's hand luggage and avoid them having to empty their pockets before boarding.These solid mouthwashes are great for this very reason. Whether you're popping out for a day at the beach, making a weekend trip to see family or jet-setting to somewhere exciting, these 45g bottles can be tucked away with the assurance that you wont arrive at your destination with soggy luggage. Furthermore, they're also alcohol-free so these beauties wont cause you any issues when you're going through customs. No matter the length of your journey, these are handy to use at any time of the day: before you head out on your adventure; after a meal; or anytime you feel you need a little freshen up.
As you would expect from Lush, the ingredients that have gone into making all three of the mouthwash varieties have also been carefully crafted and serve a purpose. Firstly, they all contain sodium bicarbonate, which is a natural softening ingredient that is also known for its ability to clean and deodorise at the same time. This is a key component that will help to clean your tongue, gums and teeth when you're swishing, and will help to rid your mouth of any strong odours that might be present at the time, freshening your breath in the process.
Each of the mouthwashes also contains xylitol - a natural substance that is found in certain fruits and vegetables and is used in foods and cosmetics as a refined sweetener. This ingredient has been proven to cause none of the harmful effects that sugar can have on the teeth, is perfect for diabetics as it doesn't effect blood sugar levels at all, yet offers the sweetness to help give these tabs their interesting but enjoyable flavours.
Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster is unique in the fact that it contains menthol crystals, lemon and aniseed oil. From the bottle you can immediately smell the menthol - its crispness intertwines with the bright, fresh lemon oil and forms a light but almost medicinal smell. They remind me a little of cough sweets in a way, with a slight warmness from the aniseed oil in the background.To use, I found it easiest to take a sip of water and then pop a single tab into my mouth - nibbling it with my back teeth before swishing, gargling and spitting out. Adding the water first meant that I didn't get any bits of tab left in my mouth during or after the experience, and this saved me from having to carry out a second swish to clear these bits between my teeth.
It's recommended that you keep the mouthwash in your mouth for a good minute. This allows the ingredients to get to work at cleaning the mouth and deodorising the tongue so you get the maximum results possible. I should warn you that these tabs do have a bit of a bite to them so you may find that you'll feel the menthol getting to work while you're using one. However, I should point out that this mouthwash was not as harsh on my senses as some of the big-branded ones I have tried from the supermarket.
After using Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster, you are left with a combination of all three flavours in your mouth. The lemon is the least prominent but it does work wonders at making your teeth look vibrant and feeling squeaky clean. The menthol takes a back seat post-swish and the aniseed comes through a little more. However, the taste is not overly strong, and while it's recommended that you don't eat for 30 minutes afterwards for 'ultimate oral health', I found that if you do decide to eat, the taste does not overpower the flavour of your food.
It's important to note that you should try to avoid rinsing your mouth out with water after using one of these tabs. This could stop the mouthwash from being as effective as you'd be removing the traces of ingredients that would have otherwise been working on keeping your mouth as clean as possible.One of the interesting side effects of this mouthwash is that it stimulates the production of saliva, which is owed to the inclusion of the xylitol. Whereas other varieties of commercial mouthwash often contain alcohol and will dry the mouth out because of this, Lush's solid tabs do the very opposite - just another way that they support a healthy mouth.
Although I haven't had a chance to try this yet, taking these with you on a night out would probably be really beneficial for your oral health. As I mentioned above, alcohol drys out the mouth and overconsumption on a night out could lead, amongst other things, to you feeling parched and with perhaps unsavoury breath. Giving a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster Mouthwash Tab a whirl would definitely perk you up and give your mouth a much-need spring clean.
Overall, I was really impressed with this product. I loved the taste - I found it very different from the generic mint varieties you can buy in pharmacies and it really did leave my mouth feeling super clean and refreshed. My gums and teeth felt super shiny and this stayed with me for hours, even after I had consumed food.
While these tabs were released in limited numbers in both the Lush Kitchen and Lush Oxford Street, I hope they become permanent members of the Lush family soon. I for one see myself using these regularly, and while two days ago I wouldn't have even considered making a mouthwash part of my daily routine, I now can't imagine going anywhere without a bottle of these beauties to boldly go wherever my life takes me.
Quantitative Ingredients: Dicalcium Phosphate Anhydrous Sodium Bicarbonate, Silica, Citric Acid, Glycerine, Malic Acid, Stevia, Xylitol, Menthol Crystals, Lemon Oil, Aniseed Oil, Gardenia Extract, Sorbitol, Quinine, *Citral, *Limonene, *Linalool, Flavour.
Vegan?: Yes.
2016 Price: £5.95 for 45g (toughly 80 tabs)
Year Of Original Release: 2016.
