About a year-and-a-half ago, my skin first started properly freaking out for the first time in years. I was completely unprepared for the whiteheads, blackheads, oily t-zone and cystic acne which ensued and spent hours reading blogs and product reviews to find a magic cure.
It turns out there is no magic cure, but there certainly are products and ingredients which can help you on your way to much clearer, brighter, happier skin. Incorporating these into an appropriate skincare regime can dramatically reduce the pain and embarrassment of blemished skin.
One range in particular has seen me through these bad times: Botanics All Bright. These products have natural hibiscus extract, which promises to "brighten and smooth all skin types". This gentle exfoliating effect is essential for congested skin. Combined into a regime, the overall effect is astonishing for such a cheap range of products. They really help overcome whiteheads, clear out most blackheads and leave skin much more refined in texture.
Although they are brilliant, they're not miracle workers - I am still left with cystic acne (which is hard to treat with topical on-the-skin products anyway) and I do get the odd blemish every few days. The exfoliating action from these products alone is not quite strong enough for me, and I do incorporate other products (especially glycolic masks and toners) into my routine.
Keep an eye out for special offers on all of the Botanics products. Currently, there's up to a third off selected Botanics skin care. I wait until these offers appear then stock up on refills (although I wouldn't stockpile too far ahead as the natural ingredients may not keep for too long). I've included the full prices in this post but it's very rare you'll catch them not on offer.
Top performers for me include:
1. Botanics All Bright Gentle Cleansing Cream - £3.99
2. Botanics All Bright Cleansing Toner - £3.99
3. Botanics All Bright Refreshing Eye Roll-On - £8.99
4. Botanics All Bright Cleansing Face Wipes 25s - £3.49
Yes, I've put the face wipes in there. Just to clarify: I absolutely do not *wash* my face with the wipes. They are for make up mishaps or moisturiser/serum dramas (ie. get it off my face NOW moments). You must cleanse your face properly with a face wash, preferably morning and night, preferably use a face cloth, preferably use a decent cleanser (I haven't tried the face wash from this range because I am married to my cleansing balms and to my Origins gel, but it looks okay from the ingredients). I'll wash my face with one of my cleansers, warm water, and a flannel. Then I'll sweep a bit of the All Bright cleansing cream over, and then a sweep of the toner.
Another word of warning: the Soothing Eye Make Up Remover is awful. Dreadful. It hated my eyes. My eyes hated it back. Straight in the bin - there was no way I was giving it to a friend or family member. The day and night moisturisers are okay I guess... I think this is one area you need to put a bit of money into. I have an Origins moisturiser in my regime which I absolutely could not live without, it is £34, the moisturisers from this range are less than a fiver, so I guess in this instance you do get what you pay for.
Last word on the All Bright range (and Botanics in general): it is incredibly refreshing to see the ingredients printed online (that's why I haven't included them in this post). I spend hours looking for ingredients lists online and if I can't find any, and if I don't have access to the physical product, I'll just pass it by - no matter how much love it's getting on blogs and in magazines. So good on Boots for providing these details and saving their customers the hassle!
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