I recieved a tube of Superdrug's Vitamin E Facial Scrub for my birthday, in a hamper of vegetarian friendly toiletries put together by my friends. They chose it because it isn't tested on animals and it contains no animal derived ingredients. [Therefore it is also suitable for vegans.]


WHAT THE PRODUCT IS SAID TO DO

The scrub is recommended for mormal to dry skin. I have classic combination skin - quite an oily forehead and nose area as well as dry skin on my cheeks. Therefore, I often struggle to find products that suit all parts of my face. I want something that gives my skin a thorough clean but I also need something that doesn't make my dry cheeks feel like they have been sand-papered! I tend to find that products aimed at normal or normal to dry skin, such as this one, produce the all round best results for me.

The scrub is said to gently exfoliate, to reveal deeply cleansed, soft and radiant skin. The vitamin E, along with horse chestnut extract, is said to protect your skin against environmental damage. Partly this is because vitamin E is high in anti-oxidants. Oatmeal provides the exfoliating element.


FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The scrub comes in a 100ml squeezy tube, which is a fairly plain design but it suits what is supposed to be simple product made using partially naturally sourced ingredients. It doesn't look a premium product but the tube is user friendly. It is easy to squeeze out just the right amount to use in one session, and when the tube is nearing the end, you can snip the bottom off and use any leftover scrub that is lurking in the bottom. The screw-on cap is easy to open and keeps the product inside the tube where it should be.

The scrub has a thick texture which personally I prefer to the runnier types of product as they are less messy to use. You can see and feel the exfoliating grains in the hand. They look more granular than I expected oatmeal to be, but they don't feel too rough on the skin. It isn't an highly perfumed scrub, which may be a good or bad thing depending on whether you prefer to use scented products or not. I do not like highly scented toiletries myself, and so I am happy to use anything that doesn't actually smell awful. The Superdrug scrub certainly doesn't have an unpleasant scent but it is a slightly unusual one. It reminds me of a musty oat smell, with an undertone similar to lightly perfumed sun lotion.


APPLYING THE SCRUB

You use this scrub much as any other, by massaging it into damp cleansed skin. The packaging does not suggest how often it should be used, so I used it every few days. Experience has taught me that this is a frequency which gives the best results for my skin. I found it pleasant to use and not too abrasive on the skin. There are enough well distributed exfoliating grains to make me feel that my entire face is recieving a thorough cleanse and exfoliation. The thick texture means that a little goes a long way, and massaging it in doesn't take too much effort. The scent is a little more noticeable when you are using the product near your nose, as you would expect, but it is still on the mild side. I found that it was more time consuming to rinse off than other similar products that I have used, probably because it is thicker. When at first I thought I had rinsed my face sufficiently, I realised that my skin felt like it it had a soapy film over the surface. A second thorough rinse soon removes that though.


RESULTS

The scrub left me feeling really fresh faced and clean but I wouldn't say my skin was looking especially radiant. It definitely felt lovely and soft to the touch, and this effect lasts several days. Crucially though, it had no effect on my blackhead prone areas. Although the scrub doesn't specifically mention that it deals with these, it does say it offers deep cleansing which led me to hope that I would have some effect on my pores. I was pleased that it did not dehydrate my dry prone areas, which felt just as soft as the other parts of my face. This makes me feel that it would indeed be likely to suit all over dry skin, as well as "normal" complexions. I didn't suffer any redness or irritation whilst using this product but I do not have sensitive skin so I can't judge how suitable this would be if you do.

As for the anti-oxidant and protection against enviromental damage claims, I think as this damage is largely invisible while it is happening, it is hard for me to judge how effective the scrub is in this regard. I am outside in most weathers, and try and take care of my skin by moisturising and using sun protection. I did not feel the need to do this any less while using this scrub!


WOULD I RECOMMEND IT?

I was happy to use up the tube but I wouldn't buy another one because it wasn't effective enough on my problem areas. I would recommend it to someone looking for a cheap scrub to make the skin soft and clean but not to someone who really needed to deal with blackheads or who was in need of deep cleansing, despite what it says on the tube. If it suits your skin type, it is good value because I found that a little goes a long way and it costs just £2.99. In conlusion it is an O.K scrub that is pleasant to use, but it doesn't deliver the results that I am looking for. I have used other products that do deliver instant radiance, such as the St Ives Apricot scrub, so I feel that my money would be better spent elsewhere.

[This review is adapted from one I wrote on Ciao.]