The Body Shop Drops of Youth, Youth-Essence Lotion

I've said it before and I'll say it again (one more time for those at the back), that essence (as in the skin care product) is something I truly believe everyone should use, and a new beauty category that will take the industry by storm. My guess is that by the end of the year a bottle of essence will adorn beauty shelves globally. Maybe I am wrong but if you are looking for a little extra skin hydration that is light,non-greasy and won't break the bank - you need to a bottle of skin essence. The good news is that it couldn't be easier to embrace the trend, with many UK accessible brands adding their own version of skin essence to the market. One I fully recommend trying out is The Body Shop Drops of Youth, Youth-Essence Lotion - a snip at just £14.

With most of us only just getting to grips with Korean beauty products (myself included), it is very easy to become overwhelmed, so let me briefly explain just what skin essence is. Essence more often than not, particularly in the traditional sense is a light, weightless liquid (think similar to Micellar Water) that you apply before serum or moisturiser. I must stress that essence lotions are not cleansers nor toners; rather think of them as a quick, splash-on additional step within your beauty routine. A step that refreshes the skin, adds a gentle and additional layer of moisture, as well as helping fight the visible signs of ageing. Sold yet? You will be.

The Body Shop Drops of Youth, Youth-Essence Lotion

To use and this is true of just about every bottle of essence, you simply dispense a few drops into the palms of your hands and gently massage onto freshly cleansed skin. Afterwards you can then apply your serum and/or moisturiser of choice; a lot like most skin care products for optimum results you should use daily, ideally both day and night. As essence is so easy and enjoyable to apply, I promise you will become hooked in no time.

Now that we have that cleared up, let me share my thoughts on The Body Shop Drops of Youth, Youth-Essence Lotion - a little different from its Korean counterparts due to it's almost gel-like texture. This doesn't hinder application nor skin absorption, if anything it adds an additional cooling element which is rather enjoyable. Texture aside, this does all you want an essence lotion to do and then some, as you'd expect this gentle water-weight moisturiser hydrates the skin, plumps, smooths and soothes. However as this is part of anti-ageing range, aimed at the first signs of ageing to smooth out fine lines using plant steam cell technology.

The Body Shop Drops of Youth, Youth-Essence Lotion

Fairly impressive ingredients aside, I would recommend The Body Shop Drops of Youth, Youth-Essence Lotion to anyone concerned with the signs of ageing: be that fine lines or deeper set creases - this is the additional anti-ageing step you need. A few quick drops of this gel-lotion applied both night and day, will visibly soften the appearance of any lines and encourage your other anti-ageing products and general skin care for that matter, to work a little harder. As a little goes a long way, the large 160ml bottle will last forever and a day.You really couldn't ask for more and if like myself you are in your twenties, the entire The Body Shop Drops Youth range is a great investment - effective, gentle and entirely affordable.

The Body Shop Drops of Youth, Youth-Essence Lotion £14/160ml via The Body Shop -link.