The Body Shop Vitamin E Range

The Body Shop is one of those shops I used to waste all of my money in when I was in my early teens. I used to love their body butters so so much, and I bought my second ever eyeshadow there- it was a black one, because I was an emo like that. In the years that followed, I didn’t really go there anymore- their prices just seemed to go up every time I blinked an eye and I just didn’t really like the products anymore. But last year, when I was visiting Amsterdam, my skin just wasn’t looking that good and I decided to shake up my skincare routine, so I impulsively went in there and bought their tea tree skincare line- face wash, toner and moisturiser. I loved it, but when I finished the products I just didn’t repurchase. I have also tried the Aloë Vera range, which is absolutely briljant for sensitive skins, but I also didn’t repurchase that. So when my mom pointed out that she really liked the Vitamin E moisturiser, I decided I wanted to try it. There was actually an offer; you could get the face wash, the toner and the moisturiser in a nice little set and it would only cost €2 more than the moisturiser on its own. So what do I think of the range?

The Vitamin E Gentle Facial Wash aims to remove makeup and impurities, whilst still protecting the skin and not drying the skin out. It contains wheat germ oil, which is supposed to help condition the skin and protect it against dryness. Together with soya oil, the wheat germ oil aims to provide the skin antioxidant protection. The Body Shop recommends massaging this into your skin, then rinse off and to avoid the eye area, so it’s not supposed to be used for removing your eye makeup.

The facial wash contains SLS, paraben conservatives and perfume, so if you avoid those ingredients, this might not be for you.

The product is a thick liquid which can be massaged into the skin very easily. It doesn’t lather up so much, but I don’t really mind. A thing I don’t really like about this is the smell; it smells really soapy. After rinsing, my skin feels soft and supple. It doesn’t dry my skin out, but sometimes I do feel like it hurts my skin a little and it stings my nose a little, which I think is because of the perfume in it. All in all I really like this product, as it removes makeup perfectly and leaves your skin really clean without getting that squeeky-clean feeling that makes your skin feel so thight.

The Hydrating Toner is the next product in the range, and I really really like this. The substance is thicker than your average toner, almost like an oil really. I put this on a cotton pad and then sweep it gently over my face. It doesn’t leave my skin feeling dry and thight, as most toners do, although I do find that this has the same soapy smell as the facial wash. This does also contain perfume though, so it might not be suitable for really sensitive skin. This doesn’t sting my skin as much as the facial wash though! It also doesn’t contain alcohol, which is something I really like in toners.

Then on to the star product in the range; the Vitamin E Moisture Cream. This is a moisturiser which can be used both day and night and provides the same antioxidant protection and moisturisation as the other products in the range. Although this is aimed for dry skin, it says that it’s ‘light, easily absorbed and promotes a healthy-looking complexion. This has the same smell as the other products but it’s less noticeable. The smell off these products isn’t bad I should add, it’s just a really soapy smell that makes you kind of expect that the products dry your face out, which really isn’t the case!

The moisture cream is really moisturising but sinks rapidly into my normal to oily skin. After sinking into the skin, my skin doesn’t feel dehydrated at all; it feels soft and supple, and if I apply this in the evenings I wake up with really plump and hydrated skin. I worry for those with dry skin though, because I think that it’s not moisturising enough if you’ve got dry skin. It’s worth getting a sample first if you’re planning on buying this!

After all, I really like these products. Because my skin can get quite oily, I do think that I will get a lot more use out of these in the winter, when my skin is a little bit dryer. I also adore the packaging- light pink! The products look really adorable in your bathroom and are incredibly nice, quick and easy to use. The range also contains an eye cream, a serum, a facial mist and I think a couple more things. I do recommend the Aloë Vera range for those with more sensitive skin though, because these products do contain quite a bit of perfume! Have you tried these products? What are your favourite The Body Shop products?