I'll be the first to admit that I break out regularly, sadly. Finding a product to banish my breakouts has always been difficult for me, since many products don't seem to do what they claim. I discovered The Body Shop back in May and have been eyeing their products longingly. I began buying their products during the summer and really liked them. First, let me just tell you a little bit about The Body Shop. The store has awesome products made from natural ingredients - perfect essential daily products to keep in your skincare routine. I also love that they often do promotions where you can buy 3 items and get 2 free or buy 2 items and get 1 free. #Savings #iLoveGreatDeals! Anyway, the first thing I bought was the Tea Tree Oil facial cleanser, which performed well but I still felt like there was something missing...
On t.v. acne treatment systems are always advertised. It made me wonder what was so great about 3-step systems that include a wash, toner and lotion. But maybe that method works? That's what I figured when I decided to buy the Tea Tree Oil system from The Body Shop. Maybe this is it. Maybe this method will effectively banish my breakouts. I went to the store and sat with one of the consultants who showed me exactly how to use their system and walked me through each and every one of the products. I happily purchased all four products.
The routine I followed goes like this: I washed my face with the Tea Tree Oil exfoliator twice a day. Afterward, I use a cotton pad to apply the TTO toner. I then apply the Drops of Youth serum and finish with the Skin Clearing Lotion. I've been following this routine for nearly two months now and I feel that if there might be any progress, I'd start seeing it now. I realize that all products take time to work (trust me, you don't need to tell me that twice). Here's what I have to say about each product:
1. Tea Tree Oil Exfoliator:
#1 in the system is the Tea Tree Oil Exfoliator, which I paid $15 for. I like exfoliators because they help lift away dead skin cells. This scrub did not irritate my skin at all and always left my face feeling refreshed. Maybe the scent also has a hand in this, but regardless, I always feel energized after using this scrub. A dime-sized amount is really all you need because, as you can probably see from the picture, I am nearly out of exfoliator!
2. Tea Tree Oil Skin Clearing Toner:
Toners seek to balance your skin. They also further clean off whatever leftover dirt might have been stuck in your pores. What makes this toner special is that it contains a special powder formula that leaves your skin matte after application! I was super excited about this because I have naturally oily skin and when I wear foundation, I don't like to see that greasy shine on my face! In order to activate this formula you must shake the bottle well before every application. The scent is as delectable as that of any toner. I definitely felt like this toner had a hand in drying up some breakouts, which is fantastic! I also love that the bottle is rather large. Two months in and I still have about 1/3 of the bottle remaining! I paid $18 for this toner because I got the 13.5oz bottle. There is a cheaper option (8.4oz) which sells for $13.
3. Drops of Youth Serum:
I usually don't try to buy anything that claims to "defy age" or basically anything with the word "youth" in its name but here's what got me to put up the money for this product: The consultant told me that this brightening serum works to fade acne marks. She had me at acne marks. They basically dominate my face and any system that includes a product to fight them sounds pretty good to me. The serum is light and extremely non-greasy. In two months I definitely noticed a positive difference in the appearance of some marks on my cheeks so I'm really happy about that! The only problem I saw with this product lies in the packaging: It's supposed to be a dropper-type complex but you don't squeeze a rubber thing at the top to draw the product. Instead, you press down on a raised section on the cover. This is extremely annoying and ineffective. I feel that a normal pump would have sufficed. I paid $10 for this product because I chose the smaller-sized bottle but this product comes in a larger bottle for about $18, I believe.
4. Skin Clearing Lotion:
I was just a tad bit iffy about putting up $14.50 for this product because I usually don't like applying lotions or creams to my face because I have oily skin and can only see them making my face even oilier. Like the toner, however, this lotion works to mattify your skin after application. It didn't disappoint! A little goes a long way, so beware - if you apply too much you will inevitably see a greasy T-zone by the end of the day. I don't think that the lotion itself does anything to physically clear my breakouts, HOWEVER, I feel that it is an essential addition to the system because the Toner tends to slightly dry out certain areas of your skin. For me, the area around my mouth were beginning to become very dry so applying this lotion saved my skin there!
Overall, I'd say that I like the outcome where my skin is concerned. If you get small breakouts from stress or certain foods or anything along those lines, this system will have your skin revitalized and de-pimpled in as few as three days. However, I breakout hormonally as well and found that this system was NOT effective in treating my big hormonal breakouts. It still, however, managed to make sure that my skin was kept clean at all times, though the hormonal breakouts took a while to subside. I'd like to continue using this system, nevertheless since the overall appearance and texture of my skin has improved.
What's your favorite skincare system?
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