Not many skincare products from The Body Shop thrill me. I used to use their Vitamin E cream but it did not work out for me after a while. So, when I first read about how effective The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost was, I was quite sceptical. So sceptical in fact that I only checked it out in the store and put it back because I wasn’t sure the silicone feel would work for me.
A couple of years later, I came across this glowing review on the Vitamin C Skin Boost on Beetrice’s Reviews and something in me snapped. I had to try it!
What this Vitamin C Skin Boost does is to give a boost to the skin of your face. It promises to brighten the face, improve elasticity, neutralise free radicals and soften skin and restore suppleness and strengthens the skin’s natural defence system. All very lofty claims indeed. But what is it really?
I treat the Skin Boost as a treatment serum. The bottle doesn’t really have much information on it and it doesn’t even tell you the order in which it should be applied on your face or what it even is. I’d have liked information that says whether it should go on before moisturiser or if it is in itself a moisturiser. Online, it says it can be either.
I treat it as a serum so I apply it straight onto cleansed and toned skin day and night and then apply my moisturiser on top of it. By itself, I don’t think it offers enough moisture for the skin. It doesn’t feel any oilier with moisturiser on top of it which is nice.
The bottle is really quite small. 30ml in a glass bottle with a pump. The serum is a clear light gel texture with a strong citrus smell. The prevailing smell is that of oranges which is very rejuvenating and uplifting for me especially in the morning, and again in the evening after a long day. It doesn’t last though if you are sensitive to fragrances.
Only very little is really needed to cover the whole face as I find the serum very easy to spread. I’ve found that when I apply it on my skin, it leaves the skin looking quite matte and feeling very smooth. I find that there is a cool feeling on the skin too, rather minty and if I happen to get some Skin Boost on my lips or around my lips area it tingles a little.
I did wonder if the “boost” factor was due to the glycerin based gel which made the skin feel so smooth and nice. If so, the effects would be only temporary.
Only having introduced this one new item into my daily routine, I noticed after 3 weeks that my skin seems to be looking better. I was not having a lot of skin problems before, but my skin colouring did tend to be quite uneven, with redness on the cheeks and nose area. Just before I started with Skin Boost, I was also having some upheaval with my skin where it was breaking out in parts.
After 3 weeks, I found that my skin was feeling substantially smoother and looked clear and more even toned. I have some old acne scars and some uneven skin texture around my cheeks but in the 3 weeks I was using Skin Boost, the skin had cleared up. There was even a bit of a glow which was definitely not attributed to oiliness! Because my skin was now more radiant and felt more supple, my acne scars and pores actually looked less prominent than before! My skin tone was clearly more even – I did not have to use as much concealer or foundation in the day – and my skin was just generally looking so much better than before.
The clincher was when I went for my monthly facial and had my facialist tell me that my skin was looking very good and better than when she saw me last.
I knew I was onto something good!
Some information on Vitamin C
Vitamin C by itself is supposed to be a good antioxidant and has anti aging effects due to it fighting free radicals. In terms of skincare, I have been aware for a long time about the benefits of Vitamin C for the skin – healthier stronger more radiant skin and better collagen production resulting in more supple skin. In fact, due to its antioxidant properties, I’ve read recommendations for the Vitamin C serum to be applied on the skin before sunscreen to boost the protection of the skin. I’m no expert though so I cannot confirm this.
However, I also know that Vitamin C is sensitive to light and oxidises very quickly in the air and turns yellowish when it does. So, when you buy a product which says it contains Vitamin C this is something to note. I would guess that this is why this Vitamin C Skin Boost from The Body Shop comes in a glass bottle that is covered completely by the orange plastic label to protect it from the light. This has its down sides because you can’t really tell how much is left. I did unscrew the top of the pump to check and even after 3 weeks of daily use it still looked pretty full.
I honestly do not know stable the Vitamin C in Skin Boost is but as the gel pumps out everyday in a clear form, and my skin continues with its upward trend of radiance, I’m fine with it. 🙂
A bottle of Vitamin C Skin Boost retails for RM79.00 for 30ml at all The Body Shop stores. It can seem quite pricey, but I can see that this one serum will remain in my skincare regime for a long time to come. I don’t have a before and after picture but you can check out Beetrice’s Reviews for her picture testimonial on this product that sold me on it. I recommended it to my sister and she too has experienced a marked effect after just 1 week. She has sensitive skin and has not experienced any problems using Skin Boost so I reckon its alright for sensitive skins too. For those interested in ingredients, the key ingredients are Lanolin, Vitamin C and Orange Flower Water.
Pros: Light texture, Evens out skin tone, Skin is more radiant and clearer, lovely citrus scent
Cons: Not enough information on how to use on the product label, can seem pricey to some
[rating:4.5/5]
Update 2011: This was a good product while I was using it. I no longer use this because I have found it contains too much silicone for my preferences. I now use other serums. Reviews can be found here.
prettybeautiful says
July 2, 2008 at 10:05 ami hopped over to see beetrice post and i had the shock of my life. really worked that well??? I have tried the capsules one before but it did not do me anything good other than leaving it feeling matte. i think i want to go for this after finishing my clinique moisture surge
Nikki says
July 2, 2008 at 11:19 amMy friend gave me a bottle before but I guess she had it with her for quite sometime and she gave it to me like late…because it smelled FUNKY and it’s just not working!!! I guess after reading your post about this, I have to give this a try!
Andie Summerkiss says
July 2, 2008 at 11:37 amAahh I have always wondered how it really performs. I think I will get it for my neck especially. I just realised that I have been neglecting it for a while now …
ParisB says
July 2, 2008 at 11:38 amPrettybeautiful: Yes, it does work that well. For me anyway. This is a serum not a moisturiser so it’ll work under moisturiser.
Nikki: It should smell really orangey and lovely. Do try and see.
Andie: You have a lucky neck! 😉
Tine says
July 2, 2008 at 11:56 amI used this, it worked for a while and then stopped working. Guess it doesn’t work for all, but glad it did for you 🙂
beetrice says
July 2, 2008 at 2:29 pmthanks for the pimp! 🙂 glad to know it worked for you and Pinkelle too…hmmm, I’m wondering now if I should start asking Body Shop for sales commission…hahaha…
sesame says
July 2, 2008 at 3:15 pmInteresting! I noticed the Vit C they’re using is Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate which is considered as more stable and pretty promising. Hmm…I may like to try this too. I’m currently using John Masters Vit C Serum and it’s good, but rather ex. I’ll see how this compares.
ParisB says
July 2, 2008 at 3:36 pmTine: Hmm… I’ll have to see what happens after a bottle.
Beetrice: Well, we put PE’s bottle on your card! 😉
Sesame: Wow! I’m so glad you are so knowledgeable about ingredients coz I had no idea what its contents were! Thanks for letting us know 🙂
Ms. Blacklace says
July 2, 2008 at 5:30 pmOoooo I wanna try…..
Nothing beats citrus smelling skincare.
Oh yes… You should check out http://www.thursdayplantation.com . They sell 100% pure tea tree oil and it’s cheaper than the body shop. A 50ml bottle of 100% pure tea tree oil costs like… S$31.90 and I’m currently using it as a toner because I finsihed my apple cider vinegar.
Because putting undiluted pure tea tree oil on your face can dry and irritate it, I make a 5% solution by using the ratio 1:19. So like.. 2.5ml tea tree oil + 47.5 distilled water. From what I read, if it is lower than 4%, it won’t really help. So I guess 5% is okay.
Anyway, using it as a toner, the down side is that you have to splash your face with water after using it. It will sting a little bit when you apply it. On areas that are clear, there is no feeling. But on areas that have clogged pores, it has a slight burning sensation. But it goes away after rinsing.
The upside is, you save on pimple cream. Just dab the solution using a cotton bud on pimples and it dries up very quickly! And it smells nice too!
Solution can be used on insect bites, minor cuts and burns including sunburn.
just remember to shake the solution well.
I wonder how long is the shelf life of the solution. Haha.
synical says
July 2, 2008 at 6:47 pmI’ve been using this for a while now too – there’s SOME improvement on my face… too bad I don’t have conclusive evidence (ie, before and after pics) to back that up.
Not stating how to use it on the label is one thing (I’ve been told it’s supposed to be between toner and moisturiser), but now I’m resorting to using the end of the pump to scrape up whatever serum that wasn’t sucked up at the bottom. 😛
Monstro says
July 2, 2008 at 10:25 pmWow this stuff sounds good. And I have been researching a bit on Vit C. If it’s Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, then yes, it’s a more stable version, so that’s good. I’m currently using Skinceuticals AOX eye gel–which is basically a vit c (L-ascorbic acid) serum for the eye area. Only problem with this stuff is that it’s really effective initiallly, but as you get to half way down the bottle the vit c seems to have oxidised and the effectiveness wanes. Such a waste of the rest of the bottle! Must give this Body Shop one a try.
ParisB says
July 2, 2008 at 10:26 pmMs. Blacklace: I’ve seen Thursday Plantation around so thanks for the tips. I’m sure it’ll help many.
synical: So long as your skin feels better, its working. Great tip about when it hits the bottom of the bottle!
Monstro: Thanks for affirming the qualities of this Vitamin C! I hope this one doesn’t oxidise halfway too!
rinnah says
July 2, 2008 at 11:29 pmThis sounds really good! I’m definitely going to try it out.
abby says
July 3, 2008 at 2:16 amAh. Another nice Body Shop product. But, i thought that lanolin is not a good ingredient? Or have people been deceiving me? It works THAT well? Gosh.
ParisB says
July 3, 2008 at 10:53 amRinnah: Yes its definitely worth trying.
abby: I know some people are allergic to lanolin. But somehow, this one seems to work fine.
Jooj says
July 3, 2008 at 1:42 pmi too use thursday plantation tea tree oil! add 4-5 drops to an aspirin + raw honey mask. it stings at first, but really kicks the aspirin mask up a notch or two.
wait, why are we talking about tea tree oil? isnt this post about vit c serum?? sounds like a must-try!
jannie says
July 3, 2008 at 5:26 pmHi sorry that I’m hijacking this thread… I am just wondering if anybody can tell me if this thursday plantation tea tree oil will help to ease insect bite on children’s skin. My daughter has ultra sensitive skin, whenever she has insect bite, she will develop a lump at the affected area. After few scratch due to itch, it gets worst. Will be oil or the cream (i saw the site has the antiseptic cream too) help in her condition?
BTW, I’m also using the vit c skin boost and I love the smell…. And my face feels very very smooth after applying it. Love it.
ParisB says
July 3, 2008 at 6:26 pmJooj:LOL… its ok… I’m compiling all this into a new post which may be more helpful later.
Jannie: As far as I know, tea tree oil is excellent for soothing insect bites. This and Lavender oil but Tea Tree Oil appears to be better because it can be used directly on the skin while Lavender is not advisable to. A cream might be easier to carry around and apply but I would think the oil would be better in terms of potency.
synical says
July 3, 2008 at 6:41 pmAnother heads up: there’s quite a bit of the stuff at the bottom which the pump doesn’t pick up. Also just figured out that if you use a Starbucks splashstick, you could also use that to scrape, but the texture’s not quite the same anymore. Not sure if it’s due to oxidation.
Giddy Tiger says
July 3, 2008 at 11:31 pmSeeing how many similarities we have, I should give this a try too, huh?
I think I did try it before though, but cannot remember exactly.