I Tried £196 Olaplex Products and There’s a Clear Winner
I Tried £500 Tropic Skincare and Here’s What I Thought
Tropic Skincare is the beauty brand on everyone’s lips right now. Affordable, cruelty-free, sustainable and with responsibly sourced natural ingredients. No wonder searches for the product, and the brand’s smart skincare routine finder – which gives you the perfect routine – are on the rise. But is it worth the hype?
From targeted serums with powerful ingredients like exfoliating lactic acid, to masks with cleansing and hydrating ceramides, the range rivals popular brands like The Ordinary, REN Natural Skincare and Pai. And while it may not have gotten a lot of attention, it’s quickly become popular.
But what does one skincare-obsessed beauty editor think? Click through for an honest review of some of Tropic Skincare’s best-selling products and how to incorporate them into your routine.
Tropic Skincare, Smooth Clean Complexion Purifier, £20
This reminds me of Liz Earle’s Cleanse & Polish, £18. It’s creamy, smells lovely and makes makeup disappear. My skin and eyes are sensitive to fragrance though, so it would be nice to have an unscented version,
before you try it.
Tropic Skincare, Clear Skies Cleansing Powder, £20
Powdered beauty products are booming at the moment as brands consider their impact on the environment. With just a few drops of water, it turns into a blue paste and then a white foam, perfect for a second cleanse after removing makeup. Mine
Skin feels clean but not unpleasant. Make sure to close the cap tightly to avoid the powder spilling out.
Tropic Skincare, Clear Slate Deep Cleansing Powder, £20
This minty powder turns into a deep cleansing foam in water and my oily skin loves it. I use it at night after my skin has been exposed to makeup, pollution and daily grime. I also find it lasts longer than my usual
foaming cleansers. Here too, it’s important to keep the cap closed or else the powder will easily escape. If you’re travelling with it, I’d recommend securing the lid with tape.
Tropic Skincare Juicy Greens Exfoliating Toner, £18
This toner contains a blend of polyhydroxy acids and alpha hydroxy acids to gently exfoliate the skin and help it absorb product residue. Honestly, I didn’t notice much of a difference other than it helped my tired skin
help recover at the end of the day. I loved its subtle cucumber scent, though.
Tropic Skincare, Morning Mist Soothing Toner, £18
In my opinion, toner isn’t a necessary step in skincare. It hardly ever works for me, except in the summer when I need to cool off at my desk. Honestly, I didn’t notice much of a difference in my skin when I did it after cleansing.
I used a pre-moisturiser but it was really refreshing and prepared my face for makeup, so maybe I’m just a convert. If your skin is very dry and tight, adding hydrating hyaluronic acid and hydrating squalane oil might help.
Tropic Skincare, Peel Peel, £44
It contains lactic acid, AHA (or alpha hydroxy acid). It gently exfoliates the surface of the skin, leaving it looking brighter, smoother and softer. It left my skin glowing over time. The only real downside is the formula
It has a very strong fruity scent, which I can smell on my skin for a while after application. It does fade throughout the day, but if you’re super sensitive to scents like me or they irritate your skin, this might not be for you.
Instead, try The Ordinarys Lactic Acid 5% + HA, £5.50, for a more subtle effect.
Tropic Skincare Glow Berry Brightening Serum, £48
I was surprised at how lightweight it was, considering all the great ingredients (10% glyceryl ascorbate, vitamin C and glycerin, antioxidant super berries and skin-repairing kangaroo paw flower extract). This stuff paints really quickly
into the skin. I’m not sure if it actually brightens that much, but it does leave my face feeling soft, hydrated and plump. I think it’s a great addition to your winter skincare routine.
The only downside is the smell. Don’t get me wrong, it smells amazing
– like summer squash, to be honest. While I enjoyed drinking it, I found it a little underwhelming when I applied it to my face.
Tropic Skincare Rainforest Dew Hydrating Serum, £44
Another serum from Tropic; another success for the brand. As well as ultra-hydrating hyaluronic acid, your skin will be infused with a dose of soothing, anti-inflammatory periwinkle fern extract and elasticity-boosting botanical peptide treatments. This is definitely the right choice for anyone with dry skin that suffers from central heating in the autumn and winter. The smell (a light grassy scent) isn’t all that overpowering, which I really appreciate.
Due to the botanical extracts in this formula, a deposit often forms at the bottom of the bottle. Don’t worry, this is natural. You just have to shake the bottle well before use.
Tropic Skincare, Elixir Brightening Omega Oil, £28
What I really like about Tropic serums and oils is that you get a lot of product for your money, and this is a bigger dropper bottle than any I currently own. It’s a little heavy for my acne-prone skin, but mature, dry skin can live with it. It’s packed with omega fatty acids to nourish dry areas and soften the skin.
Tropic Super Greens Nutrient Boosting Oil, £44
It smells exactly like you’d imagine, given all the green goodness in it: like a green smoothie for your face; powerful and earthy. I’m not too keen on the scent, but I love what it does to my skin. After a few weeks of use
I’ve noticed some changes – my skin looks noticeably brighter and fine lines are less noticeable. I also like the idea that the vitamins and nutrients (from cold-pressed broccoli, kale, and avocado oils, regenerative green coffee oil, and fatty acid-rich tamanu oil) can protect me from damage caused by pollution and other daily irritants.
DQH Knowledge drop: In your 20s, your skin cell turnover decreases. (Cell turnover is a key component in keeping your skin youthful.) You know what else slows down? Your collagen production. Starting in your 20s, collagen decreases by about 1 percent per year. Should you want to prevent fine lines and wrinkles, start by eliminating behaviors that contribute to premature aging. “If it’s bad for you, it’s bad for your skin,” says dermatologist Michel Somenek.
“Cigarette smoking reduces blood flow to the skin and causes premature wrinkling and a dull skin texture. Making the repeated pursed motion to inhale can also cause smoker’s lines. Alcohol and recreational drugs are toxins for the skin that damage its cellular structure and DNA,” Somenek tells us. “The faster you eliminate vices while you are young, the better chance your skin and body have to recuperate.” Also, adopting an anti-aging routine in your 20s is key. After all, the best offense is a good defense. We spoke to Somenek and experts Joshua Ross and Audrey Kunin to find out more.
Keep reading for the best anti-aging products for your 20s, according to skincare professionals.
Sunscreen
“We all know that the sun is the number one cause of skin aging and starting the prevention in your 20s is very important,” Ross says. “The majority of your sun damage won’t start to appear until you’re in your 30s, so don’t wait until you see it surface or you’ll be behind the curve. Stay ahead of it with a good-quality zinc-based sunscreen worn daily.”
Farmacy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen
An invisible sunscreen with SPF 30, plus botanical extracts meant to protect skin with tons of antioxidants. Bonus: It’s clean and fine to use under makeup.
Bareminerals Complexion Rescue™ Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30
Although we recommend you use your SPF and moisturizer separately, we also understand moments when you don’t have time or energy for that extra step. For those times, this bareMinerals moisturizer is a great thing to have on hand.
Vitamin C Serum
“A great introduction to anti-aging is to start with a vitamin C serum in your morning skincare routine,” Ross says. “It’s a powerful antioxidant that will neutralize free radicals and brighten the skin.” He adds that it’s a great way to counteract the effects of the sun’s harmful rays, which, as previously mentioned, are among the biggest causes of premature aging.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma™ Vitamin C Day Serum
The Drunk Elephant C-Firma is a lightweight serum that promises to give skin a glow by combining the brightening powers of vitamin C with ferulic acid, l-ascorbic acid, and vitamin E. The included sodium hyaluronate is meant to replace hydration loss, so you shouldn’t have to deal with any irritation.
Sunday Riley C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum
This potent serum is jam-packed with vitamin C (15 percent, to be exact), which means it’s a potential superstar at both brightening skin and dousing it in antioxidants.
Peptides
Using peptides on your skin has many benefits, says Somenek. “The skin barrier is what defends the body against pollution, UV rays, bacteria, and toxins. It can be damaged by several everyday factors. Using topical peptides aids in building a stronger barrier,” he says. “Peptides comprise elastic fibers, which are a type of protein. These fibers help to make skin appear taut and firm. Peptides can also help repair damaged skin, relieve inflammation, and even out skin tone. Some peptides can kill acne-causing bacteria that is common in 20-somethings.”
Kunin agrees, saying, “Peptides are an excellent entry point for supporting collagen.” She recommends looking for face and eye treatments that contain these collagen-boosting powerhouses.
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue Cream
This Charlotte Tilbury super-emollient eye cream has a base of coconut oil and shea butter (read: it’s incredibly hydrating). Botanicals plus peptides are meant to help reduce dark circles and boost collagen, respectively.
This creamy moisturizer serves up potent collagen-boosting peptides and pycnogenol, and antioxidant-rich vitamin C. “Instead of sitting on top of the skin, peptides penetrate the outer layer so they go deep. The ‘signals’ they send tell the cells to produce elastin and collagen, which are needed for youthful-looking skin,” explains Somenek.
At-Home Peel Pads
Remember that skin cell turnover fiasco we talked about earlier? One way to help support it is by exfoliating. “Exfoliation is important to help keep skin fresh and luminous,” Kunin says. She recommends using at-home peel pads as an easy and effective way to exfoliate.
“The goal in your 20s is to fight the slowing pace of cell turnover. It is wise to use products that gently exfoliate, yet still remove oil and other impurities. Products that have Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) or Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA) are a good choice.”
According to Somenek, you should only exfoliate two to three times a week. “People of all ages are guilty of over-exfoliating and that can be too much of a good thing,” he says.
Dermadoctor Kakadu C Intensive Vitamin C Peel Pad
A few swipes of this Derma Doctor powerful peel pad promise to leave your skin glowing and smooth, thanks to the seven (yes, seven) types of chemical exfoliants, including AHA and BHA. It also contains vitamin C via Kakadu plum extract for added brightening and antioxidant protection.
KEY INGREDIENTS Kakadu plum extract is sourced from the Kakadu plum, a fruit grown in northern Australia. It contains vitamin C, which restores the skin’s natural barrier, increases collagen production, and soothes irritation.
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel Pads
These are the gold standard of peel pads, with a cult following and over 900 five-star reviews on Sephora. They’re easy to use and contain a blend of anti-aging exfoliating acids.
Emollient Night Cream
“In your 20s, you need to start upping the hydration in your skincare routine. You may have been cautious of over-moisturizing because of acne in your teens, but as you enter your 20s, your skin transitions and becomes drier,” Ross says. “I recommend an emollient night cream added into your evening skincare regimen.”
“Twenty-somethings need to make sure that they are not using creams that will clog their pores and cause excess oil production,” says Somenek. Opt for non-comedogenic products.
Cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream
One great choice is the CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream, which is a non-comedogenic night cream that leaves skin soft and glowy. It combines the moisturizing powers of ceramides and hyaluronic acid.
RoC Retinol Correxion Max Hydration Creme
“The best night cream ingredients contain retinol, benzoyl peroxide, and/or salicylic acid or hyaluronic acid. The goal is to moisturize, yet remove excess oil,” says Somenek. This Roc Retinol Correxion cream fits the bill as it contains both hyaluronic acid and retinol so it promises to moisturize while also being non-comedogenic.
