I know my local Boots store like the back of my hand, I can tell you where every counter is and what is on every aisle - I'm like the rain man of chemists. I pride myself on being able to recommend products to all my friends and family (and of course tell them where in store they will find such hidden gem), and yet up until recently I was not all that familiar with Boots own brand skin care. I have no real reasoning other than I do have a penchant for expensive skincare brands. Snobbery at it's finest, especially when there are several great budget own brand finds to be had at Boots and other stores too for that matter.
Have you tried the Boots Botanicals range? If not you are really missing out - an affordable line up that consists of natural and organically sourced products all of which are entirely affordable, not to mention created in collaboration with the Kew Royal Botanical Gardens. If you are on the look out for gentle yet effective skin care this is the Boots skin care branch for you. I personally recommend the Boots Botanicals All Bright 3-in-1 Micellar Water (£4.49), a deeply cleansing water that doesn't sting the eyes nor irritate the skin yet is powerful enough to remove the bulk of make-up and mascara too. It is a great travel companion and can even double up as a make shift facial mist (you will have to decant a little) should you wish. I would also like to put forward Boots Botanics Radiant Youth Eye Cream (£5) which is a wonderful find for all age types, it deeply hydrates the eye area without clogging the pores and plumps fine lines too. If you are new to eye cream regardless of your age bracket this is one I would recommend picking up - it does offer anti-ageing benefits but concentrates more on nourishing the skin which in turn will prevent damage and further signs of ageing.
For those on the look out for a great day time moisturiser that is not only suitable for sensitised skin but also contains an SPF, may I recommend Boots Simply Sensitive Protecting Day Moisturiser SPF 15 (£2). A snip at £2, this thick yet quickly absorbed facial moisturiser quickly hydrates and protects the skin without overwhelming nor leaving behind a greasy film making it a great budget choice for the majority of complexions - drier skin types may require a little more hydration. My two teen sisters use this religiously and sing it's praises to all that will listen, combined with an additional daily SPF (at least for the Summer months anyway) I would deem this one of the best budget day time moisturiser within the UK.
My favourite Boots skin care find has to be Boots Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Deep Cleansing Facial Scrub (£4.59), a charcoal based facial treatment that both deeply cleanses and exfolaites in one quick step. If you don't have the time for a weekly charcoal mask but would like to reap the benefits this is the product for you. Not only does the charcoal element help to remove trapped oil, dirt and general impurities but the additional Tea Tree and Witch Hazel calm and treat existing blemishes, encouraging them to heal a little quicker. If that is not impressive enough this is also a natural facial scrub (walnut grounds) to smooth and polish skin, revealing brighter and clearer skin with each use. If you try one thing from this post let it be this. As a side note should you wish you can leave this on the skin for up 10 minutes before rinsing off to really reap the charcoal benefits - much like you would a traditional face mask constructed of the same ingredient.
For those seeking a more traditional blemish buster, Boots Skin Clear Ultra Rapid Action Spot Gel (£4.99) is a great option. Again this utterly budget friendly and works by targeting any trapped bacteria within the pores to visibly reduce the size and redness of an existing blemish, with salicylic acid being the core ingredient. You can also apply it to the face should you feel an under the skin blemish forming to stop it in it's tracks. Yes it is a little drying but none more so than any other blemish treatment I have used in the past and I would deem it to be fairly comparable to Origins Super Spot Remover Gel (£15).
What are your best budget skin care finds (Boots or otherwise)?
This post contains press samples.
The charcoal scrub sounds amazing!! I love the Botanics All Bright range, so many wonderful, affordable products - the cleansing toner is brilliant!
ReplyDeleteJess xo
http://just-jesss.blogspot.co.uk
The tea tree scrub looks lovely!
ReplyDeletemakeupmusicbooks.blogspot.com
The Tea Tea scrub is one that I want to try!
ReplyDeletewww.angerawrs.co.uk
I love the sound of the Charcoal Scrub and given I really want to Origins one, it would make sense to try this first x
ReplyDeleteBoots have great own-brand products and are so affordable! As well as the Botanics range, I love their Vitamin D products
ReplyDeleteAliya x
thecatandthegirl.blogspot.co.uk
Tea tree is amazing for oily and sensitive skin like mine, I have heard about the wonders of charcoal but not used it so far. This product is on my wish list now! ;) Thank you!
ReplyDeleteWith Love,
Anna || Curly Scribbles
I would really like to try the cleansing water! Sounds good as it doesn't irritate the skin! x
ReplyDeletehttp://whiteshirtchic.blogspot.co.uk/
I really like the fact that Boots skincare products look super professional, it really makes you want to try them out - unlike the Sephora skincare range, which I always see but that I'm not tempted at all to buy! The miscellar water here sounds really good.
ReplyDeleteJulia xx
Check out my last OOTD on the blog: http://juliaspeaksbeauty.blogspot.fr/2015/07/floral-ootd.html
Ahhh wish we had Boots here in Canada! Sounds fantastic.
ReplyDeleteErin | Erin and Katherine Talk Beauty
I love budget buys like these (:
ReplyDeletePhilippa - ByPhilippa
I need to try more of the Boots Own Brand as so many of the products sound amazing x
ReplyDeleteEmma | Emmys Beauty Cave
The charcoal scrub sounds really good, I'll definitely have to try it out!
ReplyDeleteCiara x | Ciara Pocket
We truly need a Boots here in Canada :(
ReplyDeleteI wish I'd seen this before I went on a Boots spree earlier! Just bought a face scrub but now I want the charcoal one!
ReplyDeletehttp://laurenslittleblogs.blogspot.co.uk/
I love the Botanics range from Boots, I feel like they're so underrated x
ReplyDeleteBlushhx
Loved this! The states could definitely stand to have a Boots or two. I love the Aztec healing clay, it costs around $8 and is the best mud mask that I have ever tried :)
ReplyDeleteBeautyosaurus Lex
I've just recently discovered the Botanics range and have the radiant youth cream and looove it, definitely will grab the eye cream next time I go too! I'm definitely a bit of a skincare snob too so I was surprised at how much I loved this cream!
ReplyDeletecottonandcandie xx
Gosh, everything sounds so wonderful! I don't live in the Uk so rarely have access to Boots products, but I'll definitely be trying a few when I'm next here!
ReplyDeleteWhoa!!I love your skin care tips. Yes, a nice shower gel really can make a difference to our daily routine. My skin is soft, touchable and glowing with Sakare’s body shower.
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