The Body Shop Tea Tree BB Cream

I hadn’t tried anything from TBS’s Tea Tree line yet. That was until I bought this BB cream. Since the Tea Tree line is formulated especially for blemish prone skin and my skin is anything but blemish prone, I had never really looked into it. That changed when I was looking for a product for a friend and then stumbled upon a BB cream. I was intrigued and when the lady in the store told me she was wearing it too, I decided to pick it up. Today I’ll be letting you know how I got on.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream 01

The first reason why I wanted to have this was the price: at only €9 this could make an excellent, affordable base. A downside is that it is only available in three shades of which I picked the lightest. One of the reasons why I had never tried a TBS base product before, was because I had never been able to find my shade match. I’m extraordinarily fair, and hence I also need an extraordinarily fair foundation.

The packaging is pretty straight forward. This BB cream comes in a simple squeezy tube that is fuss free and easy to use. It is hygienic too, which is an even bigger plus for this product. What’s more, this product promises to take care of blemishes while giving coverage and a shine free look.

Ingredients:

LIGHT :- Aqua/Water (Solvent), C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate (Emollient), Alcohol Denat. (Solvent), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (Emollient), Glycerin (Humectant), Cetearyl Olivate (Skin Conditioning Agent), Cetearyl Alcohol (Emulsifier), Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2 (Emollient), Dimethicone (Skin Conditioning Agent), Sorbitan Olivate (Emulsifying Agent), Myristyl Myristate (Emollient), Butyrospermum Parkii Butter/Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter (Skin Conditioning Agent – Emollient), Phenoxyethanol (Preservative), Caprylyl Glycol (Skin Conditioning Agent), Glycine Soja Oil/Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil (Emollient/Skin Conditioner), Polysorbate 60 (Surfactant), Cetyl Alcohol (Emulsifier), Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil (Skin Conditioning Agent), Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil/Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil (Natural Additive), Xanthan Gum (Viscosity Modifier), Sodium Glycerophosphate (Oral Care Agent), Disodium EDTA (Chelating Agent), Myristyl Alcohol (Emulsifier/Emollient), Stearyl Alcohol (Emollient), Limonene (Fragrance Ingredient), Citral (Fragrance Ingredient), Sodium Hydroxide (pH Adjuster), Citronellol (Fragrance Ingredient), Leptospermum Petersonii Oil (Fragrance Ingredient), Citric Acid (pH Adjuster), Tocopherol (Antioxidant), CI 77891/Titanium Dioxide (Colorant), CI 77492/Iron Oxides (Colorant), CI 77499/Iron Oxides (Colour), CI 77491/Iron Oxides (Colorant).

The first thing I noticed in the ingredient list is the fact that this contains quite a bit of alcohol. If you’re very dry or sensitive then this might be a product you’d want to stay away from. I’ve been using this on and off for week now and have had no allergic reaction to this though. The tea tree oil comes in roughly in the first half of the ingredient list as well as some silicones, other types of alcohol and glycerin. Looks promising enough, though I doubt this truly is the type of BB cream that can replace an actual day cream or moisturizer.

One thing I noticed immediately after swatching this was the cooling effect this has on the skin. When you blend this in, it leaves a very cooling sensation. Not tingly or cold per se, but very refreshing and awakening. On the face, that makes for a very great effect when you apply this early in the morning. It’s a great early morning pick me up!

The consistency of the cream is just that: a cream. Slightly thicker than most foundations I use and most similar to a day cream. A little goes a long way: it blends nicely and has enough pigmentation to cover any redness and unevenness I might be struggling with. The finish on the back of my hand is mostly matte, however, applied to the face I find this gives off a more dewy look.

Left: just brows
Right: with BB cream

To compare the before and after, I just applied an even, thin layer all over my face. I am graced with really good skin if I may say so. I have the occasional sun spot on the high points of my cheeks and there’s some redness around my nose and chin area. There’s a big pinkish/red splotch above my brow which has been there since forever and my main concern are my under eye bags and dark circles.

I feel this BB cream applies very nicely to the skin. The finish is very natural and very skin like. Unlike the promises, I feel this isn’t very matte at all, but has a more dewy texture. If anything, I think this can be best described as a satin finish. It covers my redness very nicely and even takes away some of the darkness underneath my eyes. It makes my skin look more even and flawless, just as it promises to do.

Would you be surprised if I were to tell you that I am currently using this yet again as my daily foundation? It may not officially be foundation, but ever since the weather has started to heat up a little bit, I’ve been putting this to good use. It is much easier to apply, stays on nicely throughout the day and feels much nicer than a foundation now that summer is finally approaching. This is a true hidden gem. Highly recommend!

What is your favorite BB cream?