Body Shop Drops of Youth Review

I am sure many people may have come across one of the latest offerings from Body Shop- Drops of Youth Collection.  I was sent some products to try out last month and I have diligently used them so I can share my thoughts on them. You may have already seen it featured in my January 2016 Favourites because I really enjoyed using them all. I received the Drops of Youth Essence Lotion* (new), Drops of Youth Concentrate Serum* and Drops of Youth Cream* (new). You can find the entire range here if you want to check out other products they have including the Drops of Youth Sleeping Bouncy Mask. Right let’s dive into the review…

Overview of the Drops of Youth Range

The Body Shop Drops of Youth range has been around since last year, I believe but they recently expanded the range to include some new products including - The Drops of Youth Cream and the Drops of Youth Essence Lotion. I am pretty sure they refreshed the formula and packaging of the other products within the range and they all look fantastic. There is something about green packaging that draws me to these products especially in the morning. One thing that resonates within the range is that they have incorporated Three Plant Stem Cells into the products and these include: Criste Marine (from France), Sea Holly (also from France) and Edelweiss (from Italy). These plant stem cells are believed to aid in the youthful appearance of the skin hence the name- Drops of Youth. Majority of the ingredients used in the range are 99% natural and they are responsibly sourced as you would expect from Body Shop. They are designed to give the skin a helping hand before the signs of ageing start showing up.  You can check out the entire range here

Packaging

First off, can we just give a round of applause to whoever is designing Body Shop’s latest packaging? I am absolutely in love with their new skincare packaging and they looks so luxe and more expensive than they are. I love the green colour they used as it is quite vibrant and really adds some oomph to my dresser/cabinet. They are also super sturdy and I just love how they look. The Drops of Youth Cream comes in a glass tub which is slightly heavier than you would expect so it is not the best to travel with. I just usually decant this in a small tub. The Drops of Youth Concentrate comes in a glass bottle complete with a pipette and I love the combination of green and white utilised in this packaging. The Youth Essence Lotion is a plastic bottle but it looks like glass and it just looks so lovely on my dresser. I absolutely adore the packaging of the entire range particularly the newer additions with a black lid.

Drops of Youth Essence Lotion*// Link // £14

When I first opened the packaging, I was a little confused as to what this product was.  I have never tried any product like this but I have fallen hard for it. Body Shop describe it as a unique gel to water essential first step after cleansing. It promises to deliver smoother skin, refined pores and replenishes the skin with moisture. I have to agree with majority of the claims. Just like the other products in the Drops of Youth range, it is infused with the Three Plant Stem Cells as well as Ginger, Aloe, etc. I use it straight after I have used my cleanser and a toner and it feels super refreshing. I wonder why I have never tried any product like this as it is absolutely beautiful. I just pour a decent amount on the palms of my hand and tap it into my skin (I just cup my face in my hands and let it sink in). If you are the kind of person that skips a toner, you would also really enjoy this product as it helps refresh the skin. You can use it with a cotton pad as well but I prefer to use it directly from my hands. It replenishes any moisture my skin may have lost during cleansing and prepares my skin for the rest of my skincare routine.  It really works on my pores and improves their appearance which helps my makeup look so much better. It sinks in really fast because it turns into a liquid form once it hits the skin and this adds to the refreshing feeling it provides to the skin.  I do have to mention that it contains alcohol which I was surprised to find that it did but thankfully,  it does not irritate my skin at all.  I think the alcohol content also gives it a slightly strong scent but I don’t really mind because it feels super refreshing on my skin. I think it is a fantastic product and I know it is one I would repurchase when it eventually runs out (it’s a decently sized bottle).

 Drops of Youth Concentrate Serum*// Link // £25

As the name suggests, it is a serum which is aimed at providing a youthful glow to the skin. It comes in a beautiful glass bottle with a pipette and I love serums with a pipette. Now, I am going to start with things I don’t like about this particular packaging. For some bizarre reason, the pipette in this bottle does not work at all which makes it quite tricky to dispense the product. I am hoping it’s just this particular one as it would be a shame if all of them were the same. Having said that, everything else is fantastic and I enjoyed using it so much that I totally forgot the annoying pipette. The Youth Concentrate is infused with the three plant stem cells already mentioned above and Babassu Oil. I am sure you are wondering what Babassu Oil is – It is essentially extracted from the nuts of the wild Babassu Palm tree found in the Amazon Rain Forest in Brazil.  The serum is also made from 99% natural ingredients and 20% organic ingredients and the serum is silicone and paraben free. The Youth Concentrate Serum promises to boost surface skin cell renewal, provide moisture and keep the skin feeling softer. You can imagine how curious I was to see how this would work on my combination oily skin.




The texture is a gel-like one which is easy to apply on my skin (when I got over the pipette malarkey). It gets absorbed quickly which I like and it has a slight firming action on my skin after it is absorbed. It has quite a distinctive smell (a little like alcohol) which prompted me to quickly scan the entire ingredient list and I found that it does indeed contain alcohol. However, it is organic alcohol derived from Organic Sugarcane and I guess that’s why it did not irritate my skin at all. If you are concerned about this, be rest assured that it should not irritate your skin although everyone’s skin is different. After using it for almost four weeks, I noticed that my skin did feel quite firm to touch and smooth which I really like. I think this was my most reached for product in the range and I am already half way through the bottle. I used it both day and night and I really looked forward to using it in my skin care. I felt that it was able to leave my skin fresh and smooth even in the winter when my skin seems very lack lustre. I have read reviews where some people said the serum balled up on their skin but I did not experience that at all. I used it under a couple of moisturisers apart from the Drops of Youth Cream and it performed really well so I have no complaints at all.

Drops of Youth Cream*// Link // £20

I was really excited to try the Drops of Youth Cream because I really enjoyed the Glow Boosting Moisturiser which is on its last leg. They both have the same packaging and they look so beautiful together although the Youth Cream has a glass tub so it is slightly heavier than the Glow Boosting one. Body Shop describe the Drops of Youth Cream as a lightly air whipped face cream which provides a velvet soft finish to the skin. It also has the same plant stem cells infused in the entire range and It promises to make the skin feel smooth, hydrated and pores tightened. I was very interested in seeing if it delivers these claims. The texture is true to its description as it feels exactly like something that has been whipped and it is a treat to use in the morning. It goes on really smoothly on my skin and I love the way it gets absorbed while still keeping my skin hydrated.



It has quite similar hydrating properties to the Glow Boosting Moisturiser but it feels a little more hydrating. I really like the Youth Cream a lot because I need just a little for my skin (and it goes a super long way). I have used it both in the day and in the night and it performs really well. I feel like it works even better when I use it after the Youth Concentrate Serum and they are definitely made to go with each other. My skin felt really clear and I did not have any breakouts and I know this is due to its Salicylic Acid content. It also has Caffeine which helps give the skin a more perked up appearance. I can’t fault the Youth Cream at all and I feel like if you have acne prone skin and combination oily skin like me, you would really enjoy it. I am pretty sure it would be suitable for other skin types and it is a proper all-rounder in my opinion.

Overall Thoughts

I have absolutely enjoyed using the entire range and I think I may try some other products within the range particularly the eye cream. I love the new packaging  and the green and black design really captures the essence of the range. I feel all the products used together in a skincare routine work in a synergistic way with each other. However,  if you only wanted to buy one product, I would strongly recommend the Youth Concentrate Serum because serums generally pack a punch as they are more concentrated than other forms of skincare products. I am really pleased I got a chance to try them out and I think they are worth checking out. That’s pretty much my review. Have you tried the Drops of Youth Range?

*PR Samples + Affiliate Links used, read my full disclaimer here