REVIEW: The Body Shop's Tea Tree Blackhead Exfoliating Wash

The Body Shop's Tea Tree Exfoliating Wash is available online here for £6.50

I've just finished this product which I've been using as my main exfoliater since the beginning of January. I've enjoyed using it so much that I thought it deserved a review. I have quite difficult skin to manage as it is really very oily on my t-zone, quite dry on my cheeks and sensitive all over. Finding products that don't aggravate my skin is quite difficult, especially products like exfoliaters which in the past have really struggled to get along with my skin. I picked up the Body Shop's Tea Tree Blackhead Exfoliating Wash on a complete whim. I liked the way it looked as it didn't seem too densely packed with exfoliating beads and I love its tea tree scent. This purchase was an incredibly good one on my part. Not only has it lasted me very well, making it excellent value for money, but it has never once left my skin red, blotchy or irritated in any way. I also believe that using this alongside a good cleanser (which for me was LaidBare's DIY Two in One Cleanser and Toner- which I'd highly recommend - until I finished it) made a big difference in how my skin looked and felt. They were a really good combination for my skin!

The product feels like a mix between a gel and a cream, it's pretty light and there aren't loads of exfoliating beads as you can see in my photo above. For sensitive skin this provides a great option for light, gentle exfoliation which effectively exfoliates skin but leaves you very much in control of how rough the process is. The tea tree 'wash' is a really effective cleanser in itself, although when I used this I would always apply it after first using a cleanser. However, it really feels likes its working and on the days that I would use this on top of my cleanser I would notice that my skin looked and felt cleaner, smoother and (although it may have just been to my eyes) brighter. The tea tree element of it is slightly drying but on my oily t-zone it worked wonders for helping improve my skin (and I did see an improvement in my blackheads), I just always made sure to use it in conjunction with a thorough moisturising regime that catered specifically for my skin type. This meant using a toner to finish of my cleansing and exfoliating regime, followed by the application of a serum (on the days I felt I needed it) and then a moisturiser. As a part of this regime, which became second nature to me after a while and now I'm at a slight loss where to turn to with my skincare regime, the Body Shop's Tea Tree Blackhead Exfoliating Wash fitted perfectly and gave me every result I desired from an exfoliater. It it a product I would highly recommend for blemished and oily skin, especially if you also have found other exfoliaters too rough. I've purchased the Body Shop's Aloe Vera Gentle Exfoliater to use next as I was interested in seeing if it's more suited to my skin type, but even if it is I am still really happy to have tried this product.

What's exfoliater are you currently using? Would your recommend it?

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REVIEW: Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub

This little beauty was part of the 'Best of All' kit that I got for Christmas and I'm really glad it was as this is not something that I'd have picked up otherwise. Soap and Glory's Sugar Crush Body Scrub is a big pot of exfoliating goodness and it might surprise some of you but I've never used a product like this before! The exfoliaters I've used before have all been in solid form (like in soaps or exfoliating bars) so using something in a pot like this was quite a novel experience, and I really liked it!

This sugar scrub has the most delicious zesty lime scent to it but remains quite sweet because of the sugar content. I can't get enough of the fragrance, I literally opened it earlier just to sniff it (I'm such a weirdo sometimes, haha!) and in the shower, especially in the morning, it is just such a pleasure to use. 

The consistency of it is quite gel-like and the sugar granules are really fine (you can see this in the photo below). What this means is that you can get a great exfoliation without it feeling at all rough, which if you have sensitive skin like me is essential. I've used this about five or six times and after every use my skin is left really smooth and soft without being irritated. It doesn't moisturise the skin as it exfoliates which might be an issue for those of you with really dry skin or who don't like moisturising after they shower. I do always have to moisturise after using this or my skin feels a little bit taught but those of you with normal skin might be fine.

All I have to say really is that I'm a convert! I'll definitely still be using my trusty exfoliating soaps (especially L'Occitane's Almond Delicious Soap) but this Sugar Scrub is really fantastic for all over body exfoliation and the fragrance has me hooked. I can see myself using this up relatively quickly and I will definitely consider repurchasing this, although I do have my eye on Soap and Glory's other sugar scrub, the Breakfast Scrub.  It's worth noting though that if you like the sound of the lime scent but aren't a fan of body scrubs, Soap and Glory have just released a body butter with the same fragrance. I'm seriously tempted to try it as the scent is just so good.

If you want to get your hands on Soap and Glory's Sugar Crush Body Scrub you can find it in Boots for £8*. I'd highly recommend it!

What's your favourite body scrub?

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REVIEW: L'Occitane Almond Delicious Paste

For anyone who has been regularly reading my blog over the last month you'll have realised by now that I'm having a little love affair with L'Occitane. Today's product review is another gem from their almond range, all of which is just gorgeously luxurious with the most enchanting rich, sweet nutty fragrance.

This particular product is an exfoliating paste that also provides moisturisation which makes it perfect for delicate or sensitive skin. I have quite a big problem with my dry hands, most notably with the skin on my knuckles which always seems to be dry regardless of what I do! I'm currently blaming winter for this.

I've started using this on my fingers, all I do is scoop up a tiny bit of the past and rub it over my knuckles, then over my fingers and, if I think I need it, over the rest of my hand. The majority of the product ends up sinking in the skin really nicely leaving you with soft (albeit slightly sticky) hands which you can either wipe clean on a towel or flannel or if you don't like the feeling you can wash your hands in water. If I wash my hands afterwards I tend to follow this up with a hand cream, I'm currently using the Body Shop's Almond hand cream (a review is no doubt imminent). The result is that my skin is really soft and far more easily absorbs any moisturiser or cream that you'd normally use, and it has vastly improved the feel and look of my dry skin. This has become part of my daily routine and I can see it remaining there for as long as my hands are this dry.

I've also tried this on the length of my arm to see what its exfoliation is like on larger areas and I was really impressed with how little you needed to use to get really smooth skin. I've been using L'Occitane's Almond  Delicious Soap for exfoliation for a while now and it really ticks all the boxes, especially as it's only £4 which compared to this paste is really cheap (the Almond Delicious Paste costs £27 for 200ml). The difference between the two though is that the Paste's is a lot finer and more deeply moisturising than the soap which makes it better areas you specifically want to target- such as elbows and knees (or knuckles in my case). I really do love this product but I'll probably reserve this for my hands as the soap is doing a perfect job for all my other exfoliation needs, but it's definitely worth checking out if you have very dry or sensitive skin!

Do you have any recommendations for exfoliation products?

Angelica

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