Budget Cruelty Free Skincare? Superdrug Vitamin E Range Review

Superdrug is my saviour any time I need them. Despite being cruelty free for over 2 years, it's STILL a difficult journey at the best of times. Made more difficult again by being, first a student, and now unemployed. Sucks to be me. A heinous lack of funds means that experimentation is impossible and I'm limited with the brands I can afford to use.

So, not sure what toothpaste to use? Superdrug own brand. Ran out of shampoo last minute? Superdrug own brand. Can't afford a new facial cleanser? Superdrug own brand. I bloody love them. Not saying all products are OMFGTHEBESTEVER but they do in a pinch and some are fucking awesome. 

My skin was, in a word, BLOODY AWFUL. (Soz ok 2 words). Big, painful breakouts all around my chin/mouth/lower face and I had a huge amount of texture on my cheeks, my face was constantly discoloured and I had vicious dry patches all around my nose and mouth. Don't I sound a gorgeous picture? I tend to get oily up between my brows and around my nose with dryness around my mouth and chin so I find skincare hard to get right at the best of times, especially on a budget.

I've used six different products from the range with varying results. All products I used were £2.99 and I think all products are around the same price. Read on for a little review of each product and whether I would repurchase.

Toning Facial Mist - I used this as I use any toning sprays, after cleansing and  miceallar water but before my moisturiser/oil and eye cream. This one feels nice and refreshing on the skin and didn't break me out, but it also didn't really do anything else... Will probably be nice to use in the summer to take away any icky sweaty face feeling but other than that I'll pass. I'm in a committed relationship now with my old fave, the Tropic Skincare Vitamin Toner*. Would definitely not repurchase.

Night Cream - This is a weird one because I don't find it as rich as I normally find a night cream BUT I really like it. It's not too heavy and I don't find myself waking up with a lot of excess oil as I often do (ew?). I really like how it makes my skin feel but I can't say it did much for my dry patches. If you're looking for intense hydration ONLY I'd probably pass but otherwise I love it and have already repurchased.

Micellar Water - This is one of my favourites from the range. I haven't been wearing a lot (if any) make up recently so this has been enough to clean my face in the evening. It removes make up pretty well - not as well as the Garnier one, but using an extra cotton pad worth is a small price to pay for an affordable cruelty free option! It leaves my skin feeling soft and clean and quite hydrated. I didn't use it for a few days (because I ran out of cotton pads and I'm disgracefully lazy) and my skin really broke out, I have had only a very small number of spots since using this so it's obviously doing something right. Have already repurchased! 

Eye Cream - I really begrudge using my pricier eye creams for a bit of moisture before concealer so thought I'd try this one out and it's okay! I can't say I notice a difference in the appearance of my eye area when I tried using it before bed as part of my skincare but it works well enough before concealer (particular quite thick ones like the Collection Lasting Perfection that had a tendency to look a bit cakey on me). I have quite mixed feelings about this, and actually feel a bit indifferent so I'm not sure I'd bother repurchasing but not a definite no.

Facial Scrub - I'm not going to beat around the bush here. This is my favourite exfoliator I have ever used. Ever. I love how thick and coarse it is with the oatmeal like texture, but it still manages to feel soft and moisturising as you rub it on. My skin feels like silk after using it and it worked well with the moisturiser to clean up marks and blemishes from previous spots that had been there forever. I HIGHLY recommend this and I will 100% repurchase.

Radiance Moisture Cream - Where has this been all my life? This is a much newer purchase than the rest so I'm still playing around but it is bloody beautiful. It's a bit like what I imagine MAC Strobe Cream to be like but obviously I haven't used it before. It is stunning alone on the skin to brighten your complexion on a no make up day, or underneath foundation for a bit of radiance. It leaves my skin feeling SO soft and pretty. It is a massive winner for me and I can see it becoming a real spring/summer staple. I know it's early days but so far I would absolutely repurchase

Overall, I'm pretty impressed! There are a tonne of options and I think there are probably a few hidden gems if you have a little rummage around. Even though I wouldn't necessarily recommend or repurchase some of my choices, none of them were actually *bad*. I'd say the range is absolutely perfect for a student or someone without problem skin that doesn't particularly like/need to spend a lot of money on products. It's also almost ALWAYS on offer for buy one get one half price or 3 for 2 so you can get a few products for a around fiver. Bargain! 

Quick side note: I know not everyone classes Superdrug as cruelty free because of their parent company, but if you've read any of my previous posts about deciding to go cruelty free and information that you might find useful, you'll know that it's my personal choice to support brands that are cruelty free even if their parent company is not. So that's up to you.


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