Product Review: The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost

I have very oily skin, and the tropical climate in the Philippines only exacerbates the oiliness. That is why I have to choose my skin care products with utmost care to control my skin's sebum production.

I've been searching for the best moisturizer (even oily skin needs to be moisturized), and just stumbled upon this product from The Body Shop - Vitamin C Skin Boost. It's a serum, meaning it has a concentrated amount of key ingredient - in this case, Vitamin C - not a moisturizer, but I still decided to get this product as an addition to my beauty arsenal.

Product: Vitamin C Skin Boost
Price and Availability: Php 1,450.00 (The Body Shop), USD 22.98 (Amazon) / 30ml 
Ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane (Skin-Conditioning Agent/Emollient), Dimethicone (Skin Conditioning Agent), Cyclohexasiloxane (Conditioning Agent), Dimethicone Crosspolymer (Emulsion Stabilizer), Synthetic Fluorphlogopite (Viscosity Increasing Agent), HDI/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer (Anticaking Agent), Fragrance (Fragrance), Ascorbic Acid (Antioxidant), Bertholletia Excelsa Seed Oil (Emollient), Tocopherol (Antioxidant), Glycerin (Humectant), Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate (Skin-Conditioning Agent/Emollient), Polysilicone-11 (Film Former), Linalool (Fragrance Ingredient), Limonene (Fragrance Ingredient), Silica (Absorbent), Benzyl Benzoate (Solvent), Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract (Skin-Conditioning Agent), Water (Solvent/Diluent), Hexyl Cinnamal (Fragrance Ingredient), Citronellol (Fragrance Ingredient), Mica (Opacifier), Titanium Dioxide (Colour) 

Remarks: According to the cosdna.com database, none of the ingredients from the list are highly comedogenic and irritating.

Vitamin C Skin Boost says:

Directions for product application:

Yes, if you have oily skin, you can simply use a serum instead of a moisturizer. It's more lightweight and less greasy. Serums costs more than moisturizers though because of the high concentration of key ingredients. I chose Vitamin C as my serum's key ingredient because I wanted an ingredient that will even out my skin tone and reduce my acne scars.

I'm not into applying a lot of layers of skin care products onto my skin. So whenever I use this serum, I skip my moisturizer. It's enough to keep my skin moisturized anyway. 

The product comes with a pump and a translucent cap. The rest of the bottle is hidden by the labels so I have no idea how to monitor the content left inside. I've been using it since two months ago, and hopefully it will last long.

Here's how the container looks like:

Vitamin C Skin Boost has of course, a citrus smell. I love it because it somehow rejuvenates my senses. It has a moderately thick consistency (it's not runny, that is), and can be easily spread across the skin. I only use a single squirt to cover my entire face. Here's how I apply the serum: I put a small amount on the palm and use my finger to dab it on different spots on the face, concentrating on the dark spots. Then, I spread everything else to the rest of the face, using my fingers in circular motion (just as the product's label indicated). I end the application by tapping my skin using my fingertips to help the serum set in.

What I really really love about this product is the smooth base it provides on the skin. I use this before applying my BB cream. It makes the BB cream spread easily. Without the serum, the BB creams would sometimes leave visible pigments especially around the nose and uneven surfaces of the skin. With the serum as a base, I don't have to put much time and effort to even out the BB cream. 

Also, I noticed that my skin tone has evened out after using the product, though the improvement is not very dramatic. My acne scars are still visible, but less noticeable. I will continue using the product to see better results.

So in a nutshell, here are the pros and cons:

PROS: 

• Acts as a smooth base
• Non-greasy feel
• Noncomedogenic
• Refreshing citrus smell
• Contains Vitamin C - an antioxidant that can even out skin tone 

CONS:

• Too much silicones (Learn about why silicones may be bad for your skin.)
• Expensive
• Contains fragrances and pigments - not good for sensitive skin

Overall, I love this product because it lubricates the skin without making it appear greasy. It doesn't break me out and the smell is very refreshing. The only gripe I have is the very expensive price and if I were to find another great product with a cheaper price, I would go for that.

UPDATE 1:

I used to just apply the serum once a day only. After trying to use it twice a day, I noticed my skin becoming itchy and reddish. My negative skin reaction must be due to a possible sensitivity to the highly potent form of Vitamin C in the formulation.

I cut back to once a day again, and my skin became less irritated. However, there are no further improvements with regards to my skin tone and skin's smoothness. I also started using my moisturizer with the serum in order to prevent irritation.

UPDATE 2:

I have stopped using this product. Not only is the price a big turn-off, the high concentration of silicones worries me. I am currently using a bleaching gel from my dermatologist for my acne scars.

Last Updated: August 24, 2015