What to absolutely get from The Body Shop?

June 26, 2013 2:06 PM

I have a $20 gift card to Body Shop. What do I absolutely have to get? So I have a gift card thing that expires in two days. I thought I'd go down there in a few hours and use it.

I'd like to try something from their skin care line. I have combination skin and get acne only when I'm going to get my period. I do have a teensy problem with folliculitis on my upper thigh.

Is there a cleanser, mask, exfoliating scrub, or lotion that I should absolutely get?

posted by discopolo to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (20 answers total)

I love their tea tree concealer for spot-treatment - that should use up half the gift card.
posted by pammeke at 2:09 PM on June 26, 2013 [1 favorite]

My cousin works there, she gets me stuff all the time.

Ask for a consultation, the folks there will know what to recommend.

I'm kind of nuts about the salt scrubs.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 2:11 PM on June 26, 2013

Best answer: Sweet Lemon Body Scrub. I love it, and so does my boyfriend. I like other scents of their body scrub as well, including the coconut & the grapefruit, but we both love the lemon one. He uses it when he shaves his head in the shower, and loves loves loves it!
posted by janey47 at 2:15 PM on June 26, 2013 [1 favorite]

They have (or had, it's been awhile) a peppermint foot lotion that's amazing.
posted by xingcat at 2:30 PM on June 26, 2013 [1 favorite]

I had a groupon from there, and I liked the tea tree toner, but my favorite is the seaweed matte primer/moisturizer. I don't like wearing makeup foundation, but with the seaweed matte primer and a BB cream, my skin looks and feels pretty good. They have tiny samples of stuff for $2-3, so you could get a bunch of little things to try and pamper yourself, too.
posted by shortyJBot at 2:30 PM on June 26, 2013 [1 favorite]

I'd be wary of most of their skin care, but the aloe line is decent - try the Aloe exfoliator. It's labeled as for sensitive skin, but you don't have to have sensitive skin to use it.

Otherwise I would probably focus on body products (especially the shower gels and body butters), and if you wear makeup their makeup and brushes are really nice.
posted by payoto at 2:33 PM on June 26, 2013

You didn't mention hair care, but since most people don't know about this product, and I love it so much that I bought 20 bottles last month when I heard a rumor it was being discontinued: Ginger Scalp Care Shampoo. If you have seborrhoeic dermatitis, or a sort of oily, scaly strain of dandruff, this is a must-try product. There are four or five ingredients that are used to fight this stuff and the Body Shop is one of the only companies that uses one really good one in particular, piroctone olamine. (But only try it if you think you have SD or related issues-- it won't do anything if you have normal hair).
posted by acidic at 2:40 PM on June 26, 2013 [8 favorites]

Seconding the peppermint foot lotion.
posted by scruss at 2:46 PM on June 26, 2013

I have never used their facial care products but when I still used scented body products (I'm too sensitive now) I loved body butter and their body scrubs.
posted by radioamy at 2:59 PM on June 26, 2013

Yeah, their tea tree stuff is excellent for skin, if a bit drying.

The hemp hand protector is amazing, but is more of a winter product.

Their peppermint foot lotion is really nice! I'm glad to see that recommended here.

I like their pink grapefruit body wash a lot, too.
posted by k8lin at 3:03 PM on June 26, 2013

I don't know if Body Shop lines are the same the world over, but if they have the Coconut Beautifying Oil in the US - that! I don't know if I was, um, beautified, after using it, but it smelled UH-MAZING and my skin was soft for days.
posted by t0astie at 3:04 PM on June 26, 2013 [1 favorite]

There's some type of hemp lotion that my husband and I both enjoy. It's serious lotion, thick and it smells refreshing.
posted by kat518 at 3:12 PM on June 26, 2013

i don't know if they have this in the US, but the Rainforest range of shampoo and conditioner are good if your scalp reacts to sulphates (if it itches for no apparent reason, it probably does).

The body scrubs that come in tubes are best - I have the Ginger Sparkle one in the shower just now - but they tend to be seasonal. However, if the sale is on (it is in the UK) they tend to bring out leftover seasonal stuff.
posted by mippy at 3:14 PM on June 26, 2013

Their aloe calming toner is really nice, and the only toner I've ever used that it's irritating or worthless. I've heard good things about the rest of their aloe line too!
posted by sonmi at 3:46 PM on June 26, 2013

Seconding the ginger scalp care shampoo - I have a flaky scalp and this stuff really works. Also smells great.
posted by pintapicasso at 4:48 PM on June 26, 2013

Check makeupalley and see what the people there like. They used to make an amazing and quick-absorbing almond hand cream but I think it was discontinued.
posted by Lycaste at 5:28 PM on June 26, 2013

the hemp hand protector is serious hand creme. one of the best i've tried. the almond one is nice too but not as heavy.
posted by wildflower at 7:07 PM on June 26, 2013 [1 favorite]

My makeup routine has been improved immeasurably by their Matte It skin primer. Takes away any gloss on your skin. They also do a tea-tree oil version that also minimizes pores, but I like the plain better.

Also their blotting papers are great for de-greasing when you've opted to forego makeup.
posted by Jilder at 2:38 AM on June 27, 2013

Milk Bath is lovely if available over there (and you have a bath)
posted by h00py at 4:33 AM on June 27, 2013

Response by poster: Man, stuff there is expensive. The primer and BB cream are so tiny and cost so much. They had a 3 for $30 deal on the salt scrubs so I got 3 lemon ones.

Now I can exfoliate like crazy, just like I always dreamed of doing:-)
posted by discopolo at 4:07 PM on June 27, 2013