Body Shop Vitamin C Exfoliator

Body Shop Vitamin C Exfoliator

As it moves into the colder months my skin starts to get extremely dry – especially on my face. Probably because this is the main area of my body which still has to brave the cold. So this is normally the time of year where I need to turn to more hydrating products, but also I start using scrubs and exfoliators to ensure my skin stays smooth and soft. So this is where The Body Shop Vitamin C Microdermabrasion comes in to save the day.

Where to Buy

| Amazon | The Body Shop |
Vitamin C Microdermabrasion

Alternatives:

Ingredients

Aqua/Water/Eau (Solvent), Solum Diatomeae/Diatomaceous Earth/Terre de diatomées (Absorbent/Bulking Agent), Glycerin (Humectant), Aluminum Silicate (Abrasive), Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil/Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil (Skin Conditioning Agent – Occlusive), Dimethicone (Skin Conditioning Agent), Butyrospermum Parkii Butter/Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter (Skin Conditioning Agent – Emollient), Cetearyl Alcohol (Emulsifying Agent), Glyceryl Stearate (Emulsifying Agent), PEG-100 Stearate (Surfactant), Phenoxyethanol (Preservative), Polysorbate 60 (Surfactant), Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer (Stabiliser/Viscosity Modifier), Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Xanthan Gum (Viscosity Controlling Agent), Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Antioxidant), Parfum/Fragrance (Fragrance Ingredient), Sodium Hydroxide (pH Adjuster), Disodium EDTA (Chelating Agent), Linalool (Fragrance Ingredient), PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate (Emulsifying Agent), Trideceth-6 (Surfactant – Emulsifying Agent), Limonene (Fragrance Ingredient), Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract (Skin Conditioning Agent), Citral (Fragrance Ingredient), Citric Acid (pH Adjuster).

Ingredient Benefits

Cetearyl Alcohol is used as an emolllient and helps soften your skin.
Dimethicone is a type of silicon that aids the product to glide onto your skin and also acts as a barrier after application. Dimethicone is used to protect mild skin irritations, dry patches or healing wounds, and is effective at locking in moisture thanks to its larger molecules.
Glyceryl Stearate is a naturally derived fatty acid, most often used as an emulsifier. It gives the skin a soft and smooth appearance as it acts as a lubricant as well as creating a barrier reducing water loss.
Glycerin promotes skin cell maturation which can help fight effects of skin problems such as psoriasis whilst improving the appearance of skin in general. It is a humecant and helps the skin maintain it's moisture which in turn makes the skin look healthier.
PEG-100 Stearate is used as an emollient, emulsifier and moisturiser although PEG stearates are usually known to clean the skin.
Shea Butter is naturally soothing and has moisturising properties. It contains nutrients such as Vitamin A, antioxidents such as Vitaman E and also piluphenols and phytonutrients which makes it anti-inflammatory.
Water acts as a solvent and enables multiple other chemicals to work much better than if they were without water. As water is water, it is also suitable for all skin types and won't be over-drying or make skin oilier.

How To Use

Get a small amount on the tips of your fingers and slowly massage onto your face.

Ensure you focus on problem areas and dry patches.

Rinse off thoroughly with warm water and pat dry.

Make sure you moisturise and continue with your skincare routine.

Step in Skincare Routine

1. Cleanser
2. Masks and Exfoliators – Use your face scrub on clean skin for best results and continue with skincare routine after use.
3. Toner (+exfoliating toner)
4. Treatment Products (acne, antioxidant serums, acids, retinols/retinoids)
5. Mists
6. Serum
7. Moisturiser
8. Eye Cream
9. Oil

See Skincare Routine Guide

First Thoughts

The Body Shop's Vitamin C range has always had good reviews as Vitamin C is meant to brighten your skin to create a more radiant complexion. So when I first bought The Body Shop Vitamin C Microdermabrasion, I was expecting good results. I lucklily was not disapointed either (spoilers!).

Vitamin C Microdermabrasion has fine exfoliating micro particles and crushed garnet stones. This acts as a manual exfoliation when you're applying with your hands or a cloth, and needs work to correctly exfoliate. Manual exfoliation immediately made me think that it would be a good exfoliator to get rid of dirt and excess skin, however I was worried it could damage my skin as it could be quite rough and cause small tears if not properly treated.

From the ingredients however, it contains multiple emulsifiers and skin conditioning agents. This made me have a bit of a sigh of relief, as it's a harsh scrub but it has ingredients which work to hydrate and soothe the skin. The hydrating element can make up for the harshness when getting rid of dead skin cells, and helps hydrate the skin cells below.

During Use

As soon as I started using The Body Shop Vitamin C Microdermabrasion I could feel it working on my skin. The particles are really fine, and it makes it feel rough in terms of texture and is similar to a sugar scrub. However, when massaging into your skin you can feel it buffing away the dead skin cells, and immediately after rinsing my skin always felt smoother and cleaner.

I personally prefer exfoliators to feel a little bit rough, and like they working but I understand other people wont. It actually doesn't feel as rough as other products I've used like Sand&Skys Australian Clay. The product doesn't act like just a face wash either, its a scrub through and through. So because of this, I definitely think it was removing dead skin cells and helping to clean my skin even more.

And whilst is a bit rough, my skin didn't feel sore or itchy after use. It doesn't even look that much redder! The other ingredients for moisturising and soothing helped keep my skin looking clear but heatlthy. This was great as I felt it had multiple benefits as a face scrub, rather than just removing dead skin – plus I didn't need to purchase extra products to help the skin after this scrub. Although I always use the Body Shop Drops of Light after to give a bit of an extra boost too.

After Use

I've already mentioned that my skin felt clearer, clean and smooth which are the key benefits to exfoliation in general. For The Body Shop Vitamin C Microdermabrasion, one of the key selling points was around smoother skin. My skin did feel smoother, and especially around my forehead where dry skin was building up. My skin immediately after use did look slightly red (but not as red as other products!) – but then this returned to normal, and I found that even irritated areas such as spots looked better too.

I'll be honest with you, I didn't find my skin looking "brighter" but I rarely find my skin looks this way for many products that claim it. I don't know if that's just my skin (maybe I always look bright enough?) or whether it's me not being very observant. But this is one of those claims that I think sounds good in the long-term but may not show visible results.

I also found that when I use exfoliators in general, my blackheads and blemishes in general reduce. With The Body Shop Vitamin C Microdermabrasion, this was definitely the case too. My skin looked clearer if I scrubbed my face a couple of times a week.

Would I Re-Purchase The Body Shop Vitamin C Microdermabrasion?

I've actually been purchasing this scrub on and off again for a couple of years now (but kept forgetting to take photos for the blog!). So yes I think I would still re-purchase The Body Shop Vitamin C Microdermabrasion.

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Body Shop Vitamin C Exfoliator

Source: https://www.uptownoracle.com/the-body-shop-vitamin-c-microdermabrasion-review/

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