Forget Palmers, just go to Tesco (Tesco Cocoa Butter Body Lotion)

Member Name: dahlin

Product:	Tesco Cocoa Butter Body Lotion
Date:	05/07/07 (316 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap and does the job

Disadvantages: The lid is flimsy and easily broken

The Product

Tesco Cocoa butter body lotion is priced at £1.43 for a 400ml bottle, and being a Tesco own brand product, is only available from Tesco stores.


Why I Bought It

I was in Tesco looking for a Palmers Cocoa Butter body lotion, as I’d developed some areas of dry skin on my shoulders and have always found Palmers cocoa butter to be very effective on dry skin in the past. However, whilst checking out the different sizes and formulas available, I spotted Tesco’s own cocoa butter body lotion alongside them, and decided as it was much cheaper than all of the Palmers ones I’d give it a go.


The Packaging

The lotion comes in a peach coloured plastic bottle, with a sticker on the front telling us the name of the product, what it’s for, and the active ingredients. The back of the bottle has much more information, including a description of the product and what it’s for, directions, and ingredients. The lid is smaller than the top of the bottle, and the middle section of the lid flips up. This flip-top lid does feel particularly flimsy, and it wasn’t long before the hinge on mine snapped.


The Claims

The back of the bottle claims that this body lotion is ‘specially formulated with cocoa butter and vitamin E to help smooth and soften skin. Non-greasy and easily absorbed, it can be used all over the body.’


Suitability and Warnings

This product does not make any claims with regards to being dermatologically tested, hypoallergenic, or suitable for sensitive skins. It is stated, however, that the products and ingredients are not tested on animals by or for Tesco, so it is suitable for all the animal lovers out there.
The back of the bottle warns to avoid contact with eyes, and states that the product is for external use only.
Once opened, the product should be used within 12 months.


Directions

The product should be applied evenly to the skin using gentle upward movements, paying particular attention to drier areas.


In Practice

The lotion is a light peachy colour, and of much thinner consistency than other cocoa butter products I’ve come across (especially Palmers lotion which is the thickest ‘lotion’ I’ve ever used), being much more like the runnier texture of a regular body lotion. It has that distinctive cocoa butter smell, but the scent is much lighter than that of similar products, which is a bonus for me as I’ve never been keen on the smell of cocoa butter, and often find it overpowering. The scent is much more subtle and delicate, and doesn’t waft through the whole room when you use the lotion.

The runnier texture of the lotion means that it spreads easily over the skin, and a little goes a long way. It absorbs into the skin really quickly, and doesn’t leave it feeling greasy or sticky, but as with most lotions, if you use too much it can take ages to sink in. The skin is left feeling softer and smoother, and any irritation (eg: razor burn, rashes) is soothed and calmed.

After about a week using this twice daily on my shoulders, the dry skin disappeared, leaving lovely soft, smooth, moisturised skin in it’s place. I don’t generally use this lotion every day as I have a tendency towards oily skin and find moisturising too much makes it worse, but I do go through phases of using it every day on my legs, and it does keep them in tip-top silky smooth condition.


The Conclusion

Overall, I am extremely pleased with this product. When you compare it to Palmers cocoa butter body lotion, which costs around £3.20 for 250ml, it’s brilliant value for money. It does as good a job as the Palmers formulas, I find it much more pleasant to use, and you don‘t need to use as much so the bottle should last a lot longer. I’d highly recommend it, and I’ll definitely be considering this the next time I need something for dry skin.

Summary: A great value lotion which does the job as well as expensive brands