Holland & Barrett 'Herbal Authority Tea Tree Oil Soap'

I remember using pure tea-tree oil on my spots when I was about 11. My dad swore by it, and whenever I got a spot or an insect bite, he would be there dabbing it onto the affected area, telling me about the antiseptic properties. The magical thing was that the spot would be dried out and nearly gone by the morning! But that was before I suffered with the acne that I still tend to struggle with to this day!

I have never used tea tree oil on my current acne, I never even thought of it to be honest, I just think about AHAs, BHAs, retinoids, fruit acids, glycolic acid etc. I wandered into Holland and Barrett a few weeks ago, and saw this soap. I remembered all those times that my insect bites/spots had disappeared overnight, and bought it immediately. It was another route to go down in my acne management!

Using it on my oily skin, it foams up beautifully and leaves skin really baby soft and not dried out at all. It cleans so well, it removes every single trace of makeup from my skin, leaving it so clean, but without feeling tight. In regards to my acne, I would say it has definitely helped. I am still on my medications, but whereas the medications help from the inside, the soap helps from the outside, removing all grime and grubbiness and also acting as a antiseptic. It's fantastic.
When I used the soap whilst using my Retin-A at night, I did find that the soap really stung my skin like hell and left it feeling so irritated and full of rashes. I learnt the hard way!
In light of this, I would say that if you do suffer from acne but have really sensitive skin due to medications or whatever, steer way clear of this because it's not worth all the soreness. Use something a little bit gentler.

I would say if you are using the soap, make sure you are using products which moisturise and hydrate your skin well, since tea-tree oil does have a tendency to dry out skin and we are getting into colder weather which will give your skin a bit of a beating too! Personally, I always use Aquaphor overnight, which is an extremely moisturising and hydrating face balm and sort of counter-acts the drying action of the soap but doesn't impede the anti-bacterial properties!

It does smell quite strongly of tea-tree oil, so if you don't like the smell of tea-tree or any strong fragrances, don't get this!
Personally, I quite like the smell, it really makes me feel so fresh and invigorated.

It only cost me £1.49 for 70g of soap, which I think is a fantastic little bargain.

I will definitely repurchase because when I'm not using my Retin-A, this soap is fantastic at cleaning skin without drying it out completely. It's cheap and easily accessible (if you have a Holland & Barrett near you!). And it seems to keep my acne at bay! Win!

Korres 'Milk Soap' and 'Calendula Soap'.

Actually, the products are called 'Milk Soap for Stressed Skin', and 'Calendula Softening Soap', but I thought that would make the blogpost title far too long.
I bought the soaps off Feel Unique here, and, after a little bit of a palava, they arrived. Basically, I bought two things, my Darphin cream (which I blogged about here), and the set of the two Korres soaps. I was made aware that they would be dispatched seperately, to which I wasn't bothered about at all. My Darphin cream arrived quickly, however after about three weeks I still hadn't recieved my soaps. At this point my boyfriend emailed them (it's his account) asking what the problem was. They replied saying they would send out another pack of the soaps, and I finally got my little mitts on yesterday! Hopefully the other pack of soaps is just lost in the post, and finds it's way into my hands as well into the future (wishful thinking, a tramp in Sweden is probably enjoying washing his bits with them).

(I used these products straight away, and I didn't really want to take a picture of used soap, it wouldn't be the most appealing thing in the world, so I stole this photo off the Feel Unique website)

I had never used Korres before, but I knew they were a well-respected brand. As per usual, I never did any extensive brand research before ordering, but only when writing up this blogpost. I didn't want to let any pre-judged opinions get in the way of making up my own mind about the product!
But I did read the packaging inside the soap container, and that gave me all the background knowledge I needed to know; they use natural ingredients (win), they are clinically tested (win, but what are the results?), they are reasonably priced (win) and they are pleasing to the senses (win).

I don't normally use a soap on my face (apart from in a definite emergency where Dove soap will suffice for the occasion), and normally use a foaming facial wash. However, I was intrigued when some innocent window-shopping led me to the Korres soaps, which can be used on the face and body.

Normally facial washes get used really quickly in my house (my little sister uses insane amounts of face wash on a flannel, it makes me wince), and the attraction of a soap was that they normally last longer than facial washes in a tube.
The 'Milk Soap for Stressed Skin' is described on the Korres website as

"Milk has been used as a cosmetic since antiquity for its moisturising, purifying and nourishing properties. It is still considered an invaluable skincare ingredient due to its rich composition and skin compatibility. Thanks to their excellent absorption and water-binding ability, milk proteins have excellent moisturising properties, offering more than 40% essential amino acids that cannot be synthesised by human cells. They play a vital role in the maintenance of normal cellular metabolic activity, participating in the synthesis of collagen, elastin and keratin. They have a high affinity with the skin’s natural components and are acknowledged to be true epidermomimetic substances, remarkably biocompatible, and therefore perfectly well tolerated. "

It didn't sting, and that's when I used it on my Retin-A ravaged skin (I overused it this week, definitely feeling the effects of that!). It left the skin soft, comfortable and without that 'tight' feeling soaps can often give. However, despite it being very gentle upon my skin it cleaned my skin effectively, removing all traces of mascara/cream/dirt and grime from my face.
Although it doesn't sting the skin, if you get it in your eyes then may the Lord be with you. It hurts like hell.
As far as any sort of routine goes, I wet my face with warm water, lather the soap up on my skin, and use my 'Mia' to whizz over my skin, giving it a nice deep clean.

Unfortunately I couldn't find a product description for the Calendula Softening Soap on that wesbite, but I found one on the Feel Unique website...

"A glycerine-based mild soap suitable for both the face and whole body. Calendula possesses emollient and mild antiseptic properties, while vitamin E protects and conditions the skin."

Out of the two I don't really have a favourite, I am in total love with them both! I haven't been this excited about anything skincare related since I got my Clarisonic 'Mia' in January!

I also really love the plastic container they arrived in. It is so handy, especially when you're going places and need to take your soap with you! I love it, practical things like that really make me happy! It's a lot more compact, smaller and thinner to put in your suitcase/handbag/holdall that a fat tube of facial wash.

I paid £4 for the pack of two 40g soaps, and I really feel it's worth it. That's about the price you'd pay for a standard-sized tube of facial wash, plus the soaps will last longer. And I can never forget the girl at Lush say to me many years ago 'think about all the chemicals that help keep soap liquid, cause soap is naturally solid'. Whether true or selling-spiel, those words are always at the back of my mind, and now that I have found a solid facial soap, I am never going back!
So YES YES YES, I am definitely going to re-purchase these, and I would possibly like to try the others, maybe the 'Wheat Face Soap' or the 'Echinacea Soap for Oily Skin'.

Any other products from Korres I should try?