We reviewed Garnier’s budget body care launch, and this is what we thought
It’s the brands first body care launch in seven years
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Your support makes all the difference.While we all pile on the vitamin C serums, moisturisers, retinol creams and countless other products to our face, we’re willing to bet that very few of us pay the same attention to our bodies – guilty as charged.
Garnier is looking to change that, releasing its first body care range since 2015. “Skincare shouldn’t stop at the neck”, is the motto for the new product, with the four scents of body creams, named body superfood, launching a few weeks ago.
So far, they’ve received rave reviews online in quite a short space of time. So, in true IndyBest fashion, we set to work to find out exactly what all the hype was about.
The body superfood claims to hydrate up to 10 layers of skin for up to 48 hours with fast absorption and instantly visible results, which certainly sounds impressive. It’s made from around 96 per cent natural origin ingredients – depending on which flavour you go for – and has a great price point of £8.99 for quite a sizeable 380ml tub.
While the avocado and omega 6 flavour wowed our tester in our best body cream round-up, we thought we’d shine a light on another fragrance from the range.
Read more:
How we tested
Following Garnier’s guidance on how best to use body lotion, we slathered this on after showering each evening for one week. According to the experts, this is apparently the best time for your skin to absorb the product when warm and slightly damp. Ease of application, feel, scent, formula and result were all on our testing checklist, and we’ve detailed our findings below.
Garnier body superfood, moisturising and soothing body cream, aloe vera and magnesium 380ml: Was £8.99, now £4.49, Boots.com
The good price point was one of the reasons why our reviewer loved the avocado and omega 6 moisturiser so much, and rated it the best buy in our best body moisturisers round-up. Now at 50 per cent off it’s even better, coming in at less than a fiver. If that tempts you even further to give it a go then we don’t blame you – just be sure to opt for the fragrance that will suit your skin best.
For what Garnier classifies as normal skin, the watermelon and hyaluronic acid formula is best (£4.49, Boots.com). Anyone with very dry skin should opt for cacao and ceramide (£4.49, Boots.com) and for dry skin the avocado and omega 6 option is for you (£4.49, Boots.com).
We tested the aloe vera and magnesium flavour a go, designed for normal to dry skin.
Ease of application
In a large 380ml recyclable tub, ease of application can’t really be faulted as every last drop can be used and the lid is easy enough to screw on and off as needed. Lightweight and liquid-like – rather than a thick butter or mousse – the first thing to note is that this cream is incredibly fast to apply with one to two generous handfuls covering the entire body.
After about two minutes it was touch dry, not greasy and you can pull your jeans on without that sticky damp feeling.
Feel and scent
The main ingredient in this cream is water, and that’s exactly what it feels like. With a water-based gel-like texture, it’s not creamy or silky which likely aids its quick absorbing nature. Scent-wise, there is certainly a smell, but it’s giving more fresh, aloe vera notes than anything overpoweringly fruity or floral.
Formula
Of course, the key focus ingredients within this version of the body superfood are magnesium and aloe vera. The latter is no stranger when it comes to beauty products and heavily features in aftersuns and moisturisers, but magnesium is a little more of a rare spot.
Aloe vera – listed in the ingredient list as aloe barbadensis leaf juice powder – hydrates skin while soothing sunburn and skin injuries. It’s also been said to reduce dark spots, acne and stretch marks too. Since 2019, Garnier has sourced its aloe vera from Campeche, Mexico, and has a solidarity sourcing project that introduces organic aloe farming to communities helping to protect the environment and biodiversity while providing families with a fair and secure income.
Magnesium – listed in the ingredient list as Magnesium-PCA – also has soothing properties. Magnesium is already an important mineral in our body supporting energy production and muscle and nerve function, and in skin care it helps to protect the skin barrier, boosts hydration and maintains the skin’s moisture balance.
When it comes to the other ingredients in the list, it’s a bit more of a controversial story. While shea butter and glycerin are both known as core moisturising ingredients commonly used in thousands of skin care products, another heavily featured ingredient in this cream is alcohol denat. And for those who haven’t heard of it before, it is quite the controversial product to include.
While considered safe to use, acting as an antibacterial agent, it’s commonly recommended that those with sensitive skin avoid this ingredient as it can cause redness, itchiness and dryness as it can strip skin of natural oils. However, there are reports of those with oily or acne-prone skin getting on well with this ingredient because of this trait, so be sure to do a patch test first.
Result
Our tester holds their hands up, they weren’t a regular body moisturiser user before, but after one week of daily use that has now changed. The body superfood left them with softer, supple and healthier-looking skin, so they will definitely be leaving their old ways and paying more attention to their body care.
Whether the skin would’ve had the same results using any moisturiser daily is a big question. But, given the impressive price (even when it’s not on sale), size of the tub and the very summertime-apt aloe ingredient it’s just as good as any to give a go.
The verdict: Garnier body superfood aloe vera and magnesium 380ml
Overall, the Garnier body superfood did exactly as it said it would on the tin. It moisturised our skin, leaving it looking and feeling healthier and hydrated after just one use. And, at under a fiver, we see why so many people are loving it.
Noting the alcohol denat, we would encourage anyone with sensitive skin to do a patch test 24-48 hours before use and keep an eye out for any irritation – always best practice before using any new skincare ingredient.
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