Tropic Skincare Review — “Pretty Good Stuff”
Skincare is a very personal thing, what works for one may not work for another, it’s about experimenting and getting a feel for what your skin responds well to.
Even certain elements of ingredients may work well for some and not for others, rose extracts seem to respond well to my skin as it’s great for sensitive skin and soothing, but everyones different.
It’s all about experimenting and being in tune with your skin type. Just like certain foods, our skin is an organ too, so treating it with that same attitude is the only way to go if you want to dramatically improve it.
How My Skin Seems to Work
I have a very strange skin combination, where it’s dry in most places, but then I struggle with acne in mainly the chin and cheeks (I used to the forehead as well) and then it’s also quite sensitive too — the combination of all these elements mean choosing skincare can be tricky.
My skin has always been one of my main self conscious factors, it got so bad that it would almost determine my mood for that day, it was that awful feeling in the morning where you go and look in the mirror for the first time and see how many new arrivals have appeared overnight.
This lasted most of my high school years and used to really get me down every single day. I tried all sorts of off the shelf and doctor treatments to try and clear it up and nothing seemed to work.
I got so desperate that I went to a dermatologist to try and help me, however I ended up having a huge allergic reaction to the chemicals, where I looked like I had burnt my forehead with blisters all over.
It was one of the most painful experiences with one of the worst aspects was not being able to wear an ounce of make up on it when I felt so self conscious anyways.
Crying on the school bus was one of my lowest moments, if not the lowest with my skincare. But this would not make me give up, if anything it gave me more determination to find something that would work for my skin.
After healing and in the constant search for something else, it was then in my early 20’s I discovered ‘Tropic Skincare’. This combination of 100% natural skincare products and eating clean and good foods has changed my life in so many ways, with the change in my skin being the visible factor.
Discovering Tropic
After a LOT of research it was then that I stumbled across Tropic. A company started by a lady named Susie Ma, who grew up in Australia.
With a passion stemming from her grandma, she found a love for all things natural being surrounded by fresh and natural plants, such as aloe vera plants and exotic fruit trees.
Susie started making natural hand made body scrubs in her kitchen where she then sold them at Greenwich Market, London.
Fast forward a few years where Susie was a contestant on the apprentice in 2011 and where her tropic business really took off.
She came 3rd and after the apprentice she had the opportunity to supply Sir Alan Sugar’s wife with some tropic products, and the rest they say is history!
Sir Alan Sugar and Susie Ma are now 50/50 business partners and continue to spread the word on natural skincare. Tropic is currently the fastest growing cosmetic company in Europe, specialising in skincare, hair care, bodycare, mens skincare and recently a vast range of natural makeup.
Using fresh, premium, natural ingredients like nourishing seeds butters, juicy fruit extracts and aromatic essential oils, all sustainably sourced from the amazon rainforest, Polynesia and Australia.
Susie’s mantra comes from the belief that plants and fruit that flourish in challenging tropical climates are the most nutritious and beneficial for the skin, makes sense right?
They strive to be at the forefront of natural ingredients research. Their formulations are supercharged with innovative ingredients such as plant ceramides and encapsulated vitamins, all made right here in the UK.
I am by no means a science whizz, but the formulas that go into these amazing products had me hooked.
I liked the idea of supporting local and buying into a product I believed in. I feel so many people, including myself, can get brainwashed by the marketing of other big well-known brands that they are natural and kind to your skin, which I don’t doubt some are, but for a lot you only have to look at the ingredient list to realise they are not all they are claiming to be.
The top ingredient in most cosmetic products will be aqua — you are basically paying for water and if like me you don’t fancy spending £20 on water then I suggest looking at ingredient labels a little more.
Another great tip to look out for is the rest of the ingredient list, a lot of additives you will see are in latin, this is so you can’t easily recognise them. Tropic was one brand that I liked, because they replace water with ingredients like rose water or aloe vera.
Like I said there is so much that goes into skincare, that doing your homework can really pay off sometimes. There’s a really good app that you can download too, called ‘Think Dirty’ — now I know what you’re thinking, but it’s clean I promise!
This clever little app lets you scan products to see how clean they are and what potentially harmful products are contained in your everyday beauty products.
I was horrified to see what my everyday foundation contained and came out at 9 for harmful chemicals! — give it a go and see what you discover.
I know what you are thinking, UK and natural, it must come with a fairly hefty price tag? But just like I thought, I was surprised how reasonable their products were.
A cleanser is £18 (2020) for example and should keep you going for around 3–4 months. A Moisturiser is £24 (2020) around 6 months and the list goes on. For similar products on the market you could be looking at twice, if not triple that price.
These products will keep you going for quite a while with them being rich in ingredients, you need to use much less product than your usual off the shelf creams, so in the end could actually work out cheaper.
It’s good to bear in mind too, that with Tropic being natural, these products don’t last for as long — you are looking at between 6 months to a year. However if like me, I use these products now all the time so they never reach the advisory date.
I am also trying to invest a lot in putting good foods in my body (with the occasional pizza and few gins of course!), as this will play a big factor too in your overall skin appearance. Along with good food, it makes sense to spend a little time investing in your skincare too, as your skin is your largest organ in your body and absorbs between 60–70% of what you put on it, so if your using creams with lots of chemicals in, then those chemicals are getting absorbed into your body, with some chemicals staying in the body of years!
Skin care should be just as important as what we put inside our bodies.
What products should I try first?
This wouldn’t be much of a Tropic Skincare Review without delving into the products!
Just like I did, I would start with the ABC collection. These are your staple bread and butter products and a great introduction to a skincare routine. Or you could try the discovery kit with minis of these products in, including a few extras to try.
The minis make great travel sizes too to take with you in hand luggage! The ABC collection includes a cleanser, toner, moisturiser and a face mask of your choice, great for everyday use. You should begin with the cleanser using one pump and wash it off makeup and dirt (it’s great at taking even mascara off too), another pump should be used to properly cleanse and clean.
The next stage is to use the toner, this can be applied to a wet cotton wool pad with a couple of sprays wiped all over the face and neck, ensuring all makeup and dirt has been removed.
The toner can also be spritzed on as a cooling spray too in the summer. With the third step to moisturise. Begin using a very small amount of the moisturiser as it will most likely be much richer than what your skin is used to, as they manage to pack a lot into that small bottle, you’d be surprised!
You will need no more than one pump of the moisturiser to finish off your cleansing routine. The moisturiser makes a great base layer for applying your makeup too, creating a smooth and nourishing feeling. This routine should be done morning and evening.
They have recently brought out the option to purchase the ABC collection as either their original scented formula, or newly unscented.
I began using the normal, but have now switched to the unscented as this is great for a more sensitive skin type, as it does not include a lot of the rich essential oils used in the scented, which also has a great smell too.
Both versions give you great results, again it’s just knowing which skin type you are and which would suit better.
Later should you decide that you want to add a few extra products to your routine a serum would be a great addition. With rather a few to choose from this is where knowing your skin type comes in — there are serums for spot prone skin, ageing skin, dull looking skin, dry skin.
Choose the serum that you would like to achieve with your skin.
For example I went for the award winning ‘Super Greens’ — this gave my dull looking dry skin a boost without causing spots. (Top Tip: a serum should be put on before your moisturiser as the particles in a serum are smaller than in a moisturiser, meaning serums can get further down).
When starting to use a serum use a tiny few drops to begin with, as too often people get carried away using new products and end up having a breakout as they are too rich on the skin — this is the same for all tropic products ‘little is more’!
For peace of mind Tropic offers a 30 day money back guarantee, so you can be sure to love their products.
This was my topic journey and how I came to discover and continue to love the tropic brand, products and everything they stand for.
Gone are the days where I used to be the girl that would get up hours earlier to plaster makeup on before work or just popping to the supermarket, being the only way I would leave the house.
My life, little did I know it, revolved around my face. Fast forward a few years and I have more make up free days than a do make up days! I go to work everyday with just a little mascara on and nothing else, I honestly would not have dreamed to do this.
For me and like many others skin is not just a visual, it’s about how it makes you feel inside and my tropic experience has given me the confidence to make this change.
If you want more information on individual products then I will or will have posted about these on my blog — there’s just too much information to write up in one blog post!
Thank you for reading and let me know how your Tropic journey began.
Please Note: some of the above links might be affiliate links — these are at no cost to you — however I may receive a commission when mentioning my name (Emily Morris) at the checkout, as an a Tropic ambassador. No worries if not, it will just help me to keep producing these blog posts :) Thanks!
Let me know what you think to my Tropic Skincare Review — looking forward to hearing your replies! — Reach out if you have any questions or need any help at skinandgin@gmail.com
