Supermarket Skincare - The Skin System For ASDA

Last time I did one of these "Super Market Skincare" posts, I found a couple of nice products that I'm still using and enjoying to this day that were super affordable. With that in mind I figured it would be a good idea to bring it back and scour a different supermarket for another exclusive, affordable brand and let you know how it fairs, and today we're looking at The Skin System range from Asda.

The Skin System range is quite bitty in terms of product selection, there were a couple of products for a dryer skin type but only the oily skin type range offered a serum or moisturiser so I gave that sub-range a try. The products in the range are super affordable at £1-£2 a product and you get a good amount of product in there too. I also think the packaging for the range is nice with a colour coding system, green for their "Tea Tree" range, pink for the more nourishing range and they also have products packaged in blue which seem to be radiance enhancing.

Naturally, the first product I picked up was a cleanser and the one I chose was the 3 in 1 Mask, Scrub and Cleanser, the range did offer a foaming cleanser but it contained SLS so I promptly put it back on the shelf and went for something else. The 3-in-1 cleanser contains glycerin as a main ingredient and also has salicylic acid in which are both ingredients that my skin get on with and the 3-in-1 claim intrigued me. The product also has a light minty fragrance which isn't overpowering during use.

If you're intending to use this as a cleanser, I'd apply it to a slightly damp face as it's a bit too thick in consistency to work into a dry face and this would be your exfoliation step as well. I mainly use this as a second/morning cleanse because the scrubby particles make it no good for removing makeup. To use as a mask I'd use it exactly the same way but leave it to set before removing, it will dry down on the face like a clay mask. I think this cleanser would be best to maintain blemish free skin rather than get rid of spots you already have, the scrubby particles will just spread the bacteria in any current spots around your face and potentially make the acne worse. That being said, as a relatively spot-free person, I've enjoyed using this product and will continue to use it.

The second product I tried was the Overnight Blemish Serum. Again the product contains salicylic acid but a notable mention on this one is that the alcohol content is high, it's got the nice light minty fragrance that the 3-in-1 cleanser had, but you can smell the alcohol content coming through. The product is cooling on the skin but does leave a sticky sensation on the skin which doesn't completely disappear even after applying a nourishing oil over the top.

Also, the packaging on this product recommends that you "Apply a thin layer cleansed face or affected areas, avoiding delicate eye area", which is not something I'd do. Due to the high alcohol content, even when used under and oil and a moisturiser overnight it left my skin so dehydrated that my skin would drink up the moisture in my foundation the next day. If you are going to us this product, I'd recommend targeting your application to blemishes.

Finally, I tried the Light Mattifying Moisturiser. The glycerin and salicylic acid in this product are a little further down the ingredients list and I found this the most difficult to give a fair review of. The light mint fragrance is nice and the moisturiser has a lovely cooling sensation on application but for me the hydration levels weren't enough. I think the product would be great for it's targeted oily-skinned users but even those with combination skin will more than likely find this to not be quite enough for them.

Exfoliation For Face

So part 2 is finally here! This time it's all about the face. Again I've got 3 types of formulas to show you, so let's get cracking.

The Manual Exfoliator

So this is the formula I'm least likely to use of the 3. The manual exfolitor is the most abrasive option for the face and I'd only use a manual exfoliator once a week. That being said, they're good for deep exfolation if you have very dry skin and are a good option for people who can't/don't want to use acid-based facial exfoliators. One manual exfoliator formula that I love is the Clarins Gentle Refiner Exfoliating Cream with Microbeads. The smell is pleasant and the scrubby particles aren't too abrasive but still leave your skin feeling properly exfoliated.

The Acid Toner

So the only type of exfoliator I'd use daily (twice daily if needed) is the acid toner. These are liquid toners that are made up using acids that gently exfoliate the skin. Usually these toners will be made up of fruit acids or glycolic but a range of acids are used in different formulas. My favourite is another Clarins option, their Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner. I like this formula because, like the Soap & Glory sugar scrub from last week's post, the formula contains glycerin so it's hydrating as well as exfoliating.

The Radiance-Boosting Mask

So I have 2 options for this one, depending on your taste. The radiance mask is essentially a combination of the above, an acid-based formula that can be used as little as once a week to work. If you want a quick hit of both manual and acid exfoliation, the REN Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial is your mask. You put it onto dry skin and it feels slightly grainy on the skin, then add water and it smoothes out, leave for a minute and rinse. So easy. My other favourite is Oskia's Renaissance Mask which is good for when I want the exfoliating mask without the manual exfoliation element. I use them interchangeably depending on how my skin is and what my time constraint are.

Bodycare 1-0-1 - Exfoliation

So this is another 2-part-post. Today we have exfoliation for body and then next week I'll be putting up exfoliation for face. Now for body, there are 3 categories of exfoliators I incorporate into my routine on a regular basis which I talk you through now: The basic scrub, the sugar scrub and the coffee scrub.

The Basic Scrub

So first and foremost, my most-used formula is the basic scrub, and my favourite product from this category is the Soap & Glory Pulp Friction Foamy Fruity Body Scrub. The formula is quite thick so it sticks to your skin in the shower unlike lots of other formulas. The basic scrub exfoliates using gritty sandy-feeling particles, suspended in a shower gel/cream formula. These types of scrubs are the most abrasive and I would only recommend using these 1-2 times a week.

The Sugar Scrub

Much like the little pots you can get for your lips, the sugar scrub uses sugar granules as the main exfoliating element to them. Another shout-out to Soap & Glory for my favourite from this category with the Sugar Crush Body Scrub. Firstly, it smells amazing but the main reason I like this is that the sugar and other exfoliating elements are all suspended in a glycerin-based formula, meaning that you get a ht of hydration along with your exfoliation. Sugar scrubs are less abrasive on the skin as the sugar starts to dissolve when it gets wet so they're a good option for people who want to exfoliate every time they shower rather than 1-2 times a week.

The Coffee Scrub

So this is a very new-to-me formula, but recently I tried the Mr Bean Coffee Bean Scrub and it was very... Interesting. The most gentle of all 3 formula's, I think this scrub would be best for a sensitive skin type or for someone who only wants some subtle exfoliation. The one I got contains coconut oil so, again, it's really moisturising on the skin and it's a generally nice scrub. But I have 2 main issues. Firstly, the smell. It smells strongly of coffee, unsurprisingly, but the scent really lingers. I washed it off with a scented body wash and then layered up with scented moisturiser and could still smell it slightly and I'm not a massive fan. Secondly, while most scrubs leave a bit of mess in the bath, this left the worst mess of all the scrubs I've ever used. I think because the product is black maybe it just looks worse than other formulas? Either way, after my nice relaxing bath I found myself having to do a thorough clean of the bath.