Psychoactive ingredients in this soap?

Question

Could any ingredients from this product be psychoactive in some people, if the are sensitive to them? https://www.lush.co.uk/products/honey-i-washed-kids

I have found the product to be relaxing as advertised, but more so that I would expect from a nice scent alone.

Answer 1

None of the ingredients listed would be classified as a psychotropic substance. However, many of the compounds, when studied in mice, do have effects on brain activity and behavior characteristics. For example,

• rapeseed oil (in a mixture with other vegetable oils): "the rapeseed oil group exhibited much higher locomotor activity than that expected from the alpha-linolenate/linoleate ratio. Additionally, the rapeseed oil group exhibited unusual behavior patterns, including higher ambulation and rearing activities, faster acquisition of the water maze task and slower habituation behavior as compared with the control group. Susceptibility to pentobarbital anesthesia tended to be higher in the rapeseed oil group." abstract link
• bergamot: "produces dose-dependent increases in locomotor and exploratory activity that correlate with a predominant increase in the energy in the faster frequency bands of the EEG spectrum" abstract link
• linalool: "Inhaled linalool showed anxiolytic properties in the light/dark test, increased social interaction and decreased aggressive behavior" abstract link

So I am not surprised to read that when used in combination they have a noticeable affect on you.