~Biotherm Skin Ergetic Concentrate~
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After a visit to a larger retail store which had a number of beauty promotions on including free samples, facials and consultations I was lucky enough to come away with some very nice well sized sample products which were given to me to allow me to try out a number of products, some of which were from the Biotherm range. Having used my Biotherm freebies daily and made subsequent purchases based on having used them, I felt that it may be a good idea to review the items I have used here on Dooyoo. I suggested the Biotherm Skin Ergetic Concentrate as a review subject here, as it is something that I have enjoyed using which seems to be different to many other skin care products I have tried in the past. As the items I suggested have been added to the database today I am now able to share my thoughts about them. I went on to purchase a nice starter kit which included the concentrate and some extra skin care items which compliment the range at a special offer price, as I felt that the items I had been using had shown some benefits.


~Why use the concentrate?~
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The Biotherm Skin Ergetic range is something that is being promoted in some stores at the moment as it offers a new and different take on reducing skin fatigue by using natural ingredients from a range of 'freshly mixed' skin care items. The use of the concentrate should, so I was told be something that will provide best effects when used along side other products that suit your own skin type from the Ergetic range. After discussing my needs and skin type I was shown how to use and apply the products from the range and provided with enough of each product to be used morning and night for 8 days, which I was more than happy with. The idea of using the concentrate is that it can help to reduce the effects that tired skin can have on your complexion by way of a special formula of natural ingredients that can help to boost radiance and re awaken your skin leaving it looking stress free and more radiant.


~What I like about the product presentation~
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As soon as I saw this product it caught my attention and I liked the way that the product was presented in its simple stand out green glass bottle, complete with sleek product label and quirky looking lid which incorporates a squeezy top. The top piece of the lid is part of the dropper stye applicator that is built into the product lid and this picks up a small amount of the concentrate from the bottle, which you drop onto your skin or onto a clean finger in order to apply the product where needed. The product comes in a small yet neat looking box which has the Biotherm branding on it and it protects both the applicator bottle and the extract capsule (which comes sealed into its own little pack) from damage before use. I found it easy to use the product and mix the two parts of the concentrate and extract together when needed, by simply fitting on the capsule twisting it in place, pushing down lightly to release the extract and then giving the bottle a gentle shake to mix everything ready for use.

Once mixed the concentrate has a nice even texture with it being more of a liquid than a cream or serum. I feel it is similar to a light slightly thicker than normal facial skin lotion in terms of how it appears when mixed, which means it can be dropped onto the skin via the built in dropper once out of the bottle and used sparingly. The feel and texture of the concentrate is light and oil free and applying some of it onto the skin with the built in applicator that comes on the lid of the bottle is easy to get used to. There is a space left on the label attached to the bottle with a panel for you to write in the date that you first activated the concentrate by adding the extract, which I feel is useful as you do need to keep an eye on how long you have had the product in use once the boosting complex has been added.


~In store advice about preparing the concentrate~
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In store I was able to discuss the use of the concentrate and its special skin boosting capsule, which is part of the two part system that the concentrate uses and the Biotherm consultant was able to show me how the capsule was fitted onto the concentrate and twisted into place to release the skin boosting extract that it held, which is part of what makes the product so special. This meant that when I bought my own full sized bottle I was able to work out how to use it and add in the extract with no worries about whether I was doing it correctly. I feel this little bit of extra help and information given out by the Biotherm consultant was useful when it came to me setting up my own first bottle of the product ready for use. One thing I was told was that as soon as the concentrate is 'activated' by the mixing in of the extract, the product then has a shorter life span of just 3 months, where as when it has not been mixed it can remain opened and in use for up to 1 year. I was advised that the concentrate doesn't have to be stored in a fridge or similar place once mixed, although I feel it may be best to store it out of direct sunlight which is what I have done to ensure everything stays as fresh as possible.


~Key ingredients~
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Broccoli extract ~ is the active ingredient within the concentrate once mixed, which Biotherm say is a super effective ingredient that can help to ease skin fatigue and tiredness that can make you skin look dull over time. The use of the broccoli extract is meant to be able to help stimulate your skins self defence mechanism thus improving your skin cells reaction to external triggers. I found that I couldn't smell any broccoli when using the concentrate which I was pleased about.

Botanical cells ~ are used in the concentrate which are taken from a combination five fruits within the Ergetic range. In the case of the concentrate apple cells are used to help stimulate and re-energise your skin cells. The scent of apples is quite dominant in this product and I think it is very pleasing and easy to get along with when using this.

Soy Extract ~ is used in the concentrate as it helps to promote and enhance processes within your skin that can help to energise and boost it to best advantage. I have wondered if this contributes towards the nice softly mixed non greasy formula of the concentrate which is so very easily absorbed onto the skin

AHAs ~ (which in this product come from lemons and sugar) are used to help with surface exfoliation and renewal of your skins cells to give fresher more vibrant looking skin. Whilst this is meant to help with renewal and exfoliation is seems not to be abrasive on the skin in any way and unless you were told that this was part and parcel of the product I really feel that you would not be all that aware of it.


~Did you day there is brocolli in this! ~
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The ingredients within the product are a blend of soy proteins, botanical cells from apples and of course the extract which is made from up to 150 young broccoli shoots. I did wonder about how the product would smell once mixed with the broccoli extract as it isn't perhaps the nicest smelling thing in the world, yet once the items were mixed together the scent was still light and fresh with a slightly fruity and natural over tone that was very pleasant. There is a definite apple tone in the mix that I rather like as it gives the product a soft sweet yet fresh tone that is very easy to get used to. This soft apple scent does fade to nothing after a while and is never so strong as to make you cough or sneeze, yet for the first 10 to 15 minutes or so after applying the concentrate, the scent does remain on the skin before fading away gently over time.


~Is this as natural as Biotherm say it is?~
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The concentrate is both mineral oil free and paraben free, which is useful and important to know for anyone wanting to avoid skin care items which contain those things and this was something that I have found listed on the information about the concentrate as well as being told of by the Biotherm consultant. Over all with all this in mind I feel that what you end up with here is a nicely textured easy to use nearly natural skin care product, that looks and smells good and is a pleasure to use as it glides on evenly and lightly when applied to the skin. On closer inspection of the list of ingredients used I can see there is olive oil, glycerin, caffeine, lemon peel extract, apple extract, soy protein, salicylic acid and of course broccoli used within the blend of main ingredients which give this product its so called anti fatigue properties. There is not one hint of a strong scent of broccoli in this at all as it has a nice fruity scent, which is worth knowing as it would be a little whiffy to apply to your facial skin every day had it been heavily broccoli scented.


~Ease of use and results~
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In use I have found this product is very pleasant to use, as not only does it smell very light and fresh with a lovely apple scented fragrance that is gentle and soothing, it also has a very good light and easy to apply texture making it quick and simple to apply to the skin when needed. I like the feel of the concentrate which is somewhere between a serum and a skin lotion as it has a soft light slightly creamy non greasy feel to it, that leaves your skin feeling super soft and well cared for with no heaviness or any trace of a filmy coating remaining once it has soaked into the skin. I have found that only the smallest amount of product is needed in order to get a good coverage on the skin and whilst the product is meant as a facial care item, I have used it on my hands too as it leaves them feeling super soft and lightly hydrated with no oily or greasy residue. If using this with the day cream I have found that if you use the two too close together there is a slight exfoliation of the skin and the combination of both products can make for a slightly filmy residue on the skin, which then means the whole of the face needs to be washed in cool water, although once this has been done the skin is left super soft and smooth.


~Price~
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As with all commercial skin care products there is a price to pay for each and every item in the Ergetic range and as far as skin care items go I feel the range sits at the mid to high end in terms of what you pay for it, although to be fair it isn't as expensive as many other high profile brands you can buy. The concentrate that I have reviewed here has an RRP of £37.80 which is what you can expect to pay for this if buying straight from Biotherm online. When I bought my bottle of the product it was on sale for £33.60 which was slightly cheaper and at the time I was offered a special deal which included a small pot of Ergetic day cream, as well as the same sized pot of the matching Ergetic night cream, plus 4 other nicely presented Biotherm travel size products which I felt was very good value. Having also had 2 previous Biotherm travel sets which had a £5 off voucher inside each little pouch I used one with this purchase and one on another item making my total spend even less.


~Summary and rating~
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As far as rating the product reviewed here I feel that at between £33 and £38 the product may seem a little pricey although to be fair you are getting enough of the concentrate to last 3 months if used with care. Within each bottle you get 50mls of the product which comes complete with the broccoli extract that you add yourself to activate the product and at the moment there are promotions on this range which means you may be able to bag a few freebies along the way making it an even better deal in terms of value for money. At the moment this range is quite new so I am not expecting any serious reductions in price although this may happen in future. As I have found the product nice to use with it giving good results I would buy it again at the right price and with everything in mind I would like to give the concentrate a 4 star product rating as I feel it is a very nice skin care product that I have enjoyed using.