I Tried Lush’s Magical ‘Sleepy’ Lotion and It Knocked Me Out in 15 Minutes

My arch nemesis? Sleep. I’ve tried melatonin chews, magnesium drinks, magnetic bracelets, white noise machines, eating less before bed, eating more before bed, bedtime stories for adults…the list goes on and on (and on).

So when Lush’s lavender-infused “Sleepy” lotion ($20) started flying off the shelves, at first I didn’t think anything of it. I’ve already tried dabbing lavender essential oil on my pillowcase approximately eight billion times. Sure, lavender is soothing. Everyone knows that.

But then the buzz about this so-called magical lotion kept growing. Originally intended to be a limited edition, the demand was so great that Lush committed to offering it on an ongoing basis. Reddit threads started popping up, and it quickly became a cult favorite. So I finally broke down and tried it. And yes, it’s as glorious as everyone says.

Here’s the deal: On a particularly sleepless night, I slathered a bit of the ultra-thick, purple cream on my chest, arms and neck. There is a bit of that standard lavender scent in there, but it’s not quite like any other lotion or oil I’ve smelled before (probably thanks to the addition of oatmeal, almond oil and jojoba oil). First reaction? It’s so soothing. And it doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin, like scented lotions typically do. But truthfully, there wasn’t a ton of time to observe, because I was completely zonked out within 15 minutes.

This has to be a fluke, I thought when I woke up the next morning, totally refreshed. So the next night, I used it again. And again. And again. I tried it for seven nights in a row. And every night, I fell asleep within minutes of putting on the lotion.

Is it a placebo? Possibly. Will it work for everyone? Probably not. But is this amazing-smelling lotion really soothing and worth a shot if you’re a rough sleeper? Absolutely.