Friday 20 February 2015

Speed Review: The Body Shop Vitamin E Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes


When I had a Saturday job in my local branch of The Body Shop as a teenager, I would make use of my staff discount to stock up on the Vitamin E skincare range and in particular, the bestselling Vitamin E Moisture Cream which was my go-to daily moisturiser back then. I haven't revisited the range for years, preferring to spend my earnings on higher end and results driven skincare. However, I've recently been testing the Vitamin E Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes and thought that I'd share my thoughts.

I'd never tried these before. It's hard to recall a time when cleansing wipes weren't offered by practically every brand- after all, they're so popular now- but when I was a teen, this wasn't the case and they weren't included within The Body Shop's Vitamin E range back then.

As tends to be the case with most wipes, The Body Shop Vitamin E Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes are presented in a plastic packet and this is the same signature pale pink as the rest of the Vitamin E range. The fastening is a sticker and regular readers will know that I prefer the functionality of a clip fastening on wipes as I find that these are more secure and better at preventing wipes drying out. This is particularly important to me given that I only use wipes on those occasions such as travel or when I'm too tired or worse for wear to perform a full cleanse. I liked that the packaging includes a "Use By" date and I was also pleased to note that they are highlighted as being 100% biodegradable.

The wipes themselves felt rather flimsy and didn't pass my standard "tear test". I was disappointed that the wipes weren't as satisfyingly moist as I'd like which meant that, even for wipes, I didn't feel that they were particularly effective at removing my makeup. Indeed, I needed to use a couple of wipes for this reason meaning that they're not the best value for money. They weren't at all effective at removing heavy eye makeup and I was concerned that the lack of moisture in the wipes meant that I was rubbing at my skin.

Having said this, I found the scent- which is the signature, fresh Vitamin E fragrance- to be pleasant and it made me feel nostalgic. My skin didn't feel dry or tight following use and this is likely owing to the fact that Glycerin is the second ingredient.

At £6.50 for 25 wipes, The Body Shop Vitamin E Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes are more expensive than many on the market and I'd don't feel that the results justify the price. If you're looking for a quick & effective cleanser from The Body Shop, a much better option (& better value) would be The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil, reviewed here.
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Wednesday 18 February 2015

Speed Review: Avene Cold Cream Hand Cream



Today's review is of Avene Cold Cream Hand Cream. I've tried facial skincare products from Avene previously but as this was my first foray into their other products, I was intrigued to check it out.
 


In keeping with the French pharmacy branding, the packaging is minimalist to the point of appearing clinical. It probably wouldn't jump out to me on a shop shelf. Having said this the tube is functional, with a flip top dispenser (the flip top is plastic wrapped as opposed to an outer box packaging) and I appreciated the handbag size of the 50ml tube.

The cream itself has a medium formula- it's by no means the richest I've tried, nor is it the most lightweight. It has a fresh floral scent similar to a light perfume, which I found to be quite pleasant.
I was impressed to note that it didn't leave a greasy residue on my hands.

Avene Cold Cream Hand Cream wouldn't be suited to those who favour natural products and whilst I'm not personally strict in my approach, I'd have preferred if the fourth ingredient wasn't listed as mineral oil.

It's designed to protect and soothe dry and damaged hands.  I'd agree with these claims as it does appear to protect against moisture loss (there is no SPF protection) and felt soothing to apply. Having said this, I think it's important to emphasise that whilst it offers some conditioning benefits, I don't feel that they are sufficient to nourish very dry hands & if this is your concern, then there are other hand creams which would be more beneficial (one such example being The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector).

Avene Cold Cream Hand Cream costs £6.50 for 50ml, which I feel is a reasonable price.
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Tuesday 3 February 2015

Speed Review: Kiehl's Amino Acid Shampoo

I've been more adventurous in terms of trying haircare and in particular, shampoo over the last year or so. My go-to remains La Biosthetique, which has been my most repurchased shampoo for more than five years. It's the one I come back to time & time again but nonetheless, I've been enjoying switching things up a bit and trying out other products- so expect to see an increase in hair product reviews here on Skin Deep. Recently, I've been enjoying Kiehl's Amino Acid Shampoo.


As with all Kiehl's products, the packaging is effortlessly cool and I was happy to have it on display in my shower. It's a functional bottle and I found it easy to control how much was dispensed, avoiding wastage. I liked that the bottle is transparent so I could tell how much product was remaining.

The shampoo itself has a clear gel texture. It produces an incredibly generous lather and as such, a little goes a long way. In spite of this, it felt like a mild, good quality shampoo and I was impressed that it didn't irritate my sensitive scalp.

I tend not to like coconut scented shampoos (it reminds me of cheap hair products & feels a little dated) but the coconut scent in Kiehl's Amino Acid Shampoo is a soft scent that didn't smell synthetic and I actually found it to be rather pleasant. I didn't notice the scent in my hair once it had been dried & styled.

The shampoo was easy to rinse out and following use, I found that my hair was left looking and feeling healthy.

Kiehl's Amino Acid Shampoo costs £16 for 250ml which is approximately what I was expecting based on my knowledge of the brand. I'd be prepared to repurchase at this price.
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