I have recently had a bit of a beauty product blitz and spent a small fortune at Boots. Consequently I have received numerous £5 off vouchers which could be used against the Boots No7 range. I decided having already spent half my salary in the store, spending a little more wouldn't hurt, especially if I received £5 discount. So I decided to treat myself (again!) and perused their some would say rather expensive range of No7 products. Having recently discovered the miracle that is Cliniques anti-blemish range, I decided to indulge my spot free skin and bought the No7 Total Renewal Micro-dermabrasion Body Exfoliator. It retails at £10 for 150ml, so with my voucher I paid £5. A fair price indeed!

So what does this Micro-dermabrasion Body Exfoliator claim to achieve?
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Well reading the blurb on the packaging I was promised instantly younger-looking, fresher feeling skin on my chest, shoulders, arms and hands. Wonderful! Apparently this exfoliator contains aluminium-oxide micro-crystals (very scientific) that sweep away the dull surface cells revealing smoother, radiant skin. It alleges that within 4 weeks dry, rough areas of my skin will feel smoother and tiny bumps wills be polished away. Basically my skin will be refined and renewed!

So how does it look and feel?
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Well I have to say the packaging is rather dull and undistinguished. It comes in a pale blue box, with the product description in small writing on the front and the No7 logo in gold at the top of the packaging. It doesn't stand out from the shelf and would easily win a hide & seek contest as it is that difficult to spot. However all No7 products are packaged in a similar way - very minimalist and understated. I presume they assume the products are so good they sell themselves!

The actual exfoliator is white in colour and quite a thick texture. It appears to be smooth and creamy however rub it between your fingers and you can feel the micro-crystals like very fine grains of sand. It is unscented and hypo-allergenic.

So how do I use it?
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The instructions suggest using this product in the shower 2 or 3 times a week. So far I have been using it every two days. I put a small amount, about the size of a 5p piece, onto my hand and gently massage it in small circular motions across my chest. I repeat this for my back and arms. I can feel the micro-crystals on my skin, not too rough but enough to tell my skin is being exfoliated. I then rinse it off, all the time gently rubbing my skin. My skin is left a little red straight after this but it is very sensitive anyway, and the redness quickly fades.

So does it live up to the hype and promises made on the packaing?
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In my opinion YES! I have been using this product for about 4 weeks now, an average of 3 times per week. The skin on my arms, chest and back where I use the exfoliator feels noticeably softer and smoother. In fact after only using this product a couple of times my partner commented on how baby soft my skin was feeling - RESULT! I have never experienced "tiny bumps" on my skin so that wasn't an issue for me, however I do suffer from large pores and I have noticed that since using this these seem to have gotten smaller and less noticeable, particularly across my chest. However it could just be the result of me paying more attention to my skin care routine as I always moisturise after using this exfoliator. But overall I do feel my skin is looking more radiant and glowing and it is certainly feeling the softest and smoothest it's ever felt and I am very impressed with this No7 product.

In Summary...
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I paid £5 for this No7 exfoliator, a price I feel is an absolute bargain. I would happily pay the full £10 price tag because I feel it delivers on its promises and is a quality item. Only a small amount is needed each time and so it will last a good while offering decent value. Overall I recommend this to anyone who wants to pamper their skin and be rewarded with a fresher, smoother, more even complexion!