SBC 5 Piece Shower & Gel Collection - Review

Bonjour!

SBC (Simply Beautiful Collection) is a British company who have actually been around for 25 years, creating products for salons and therapists using many natural and botanical ingredients.  Their range of prescriptive gels, moisturisers, serums, polishes, cleansers and bath and body essentials which they describe as 'fuss-free, practical, effective, affordable pampering' are available on their website here or on QVC here.  Being a bit of a QVC addict ... as you may know ... I couldn't resist ordering the SBC  5 Piece Shower and Gel Collection when it was on offer a while ago ... I think it was around £38 and on easy pay so each of these whopping 500ml sizes worked out at around £8! 

Collagen Skincare Gel - I think we're all aware of the benefits of a good shot of collagen -  we all want a piece of it don't we ... especially when we get a bit long in the tooth!   This water-based gel contains marine collagen and is a great product to add into a regime, to address dry or de-hydrated skin (face or body) and help with the look for fine lines and wrinkles as a 'quick-fix'.  It  leaves  the surface of the skin plumped, hydrated and silky and sinks in so easily with no greasy or  tight feeling. It has no particular scent that I can detect but just smells 'clean and fresh' if that makes sense!   I've mainly applied to my neck/decolletage area (either on it's own or layered over the top of another neck cream) and also on the tramlines on my forehead.  It can also be used as an  overnight face mask or plumping hand treatment and also on the lines around ones eyes or as an under make-up primer - I'll definitely be giving these a go and will report back!  A bit of a multi-tasker then and this large size is so cost effective - I love that you can use a pump here and a pump there without having to save it for a treat!

Propolis Bath and Shower Gel and Skincare Gel - I've known for a while that Propolis is said to deliver a variety of health and skincare benefits but reading about it has honestly fascinated me.  A complex extract created by bees, used to seal the hive and help keep the inside environment free from bacteria and disease etc, it's been used way back by ancient civilisations for it's medicinal properties and is today acknowledged as naturally anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal. I use the Propolis bath and shower gel for a super-gentle cleanse when my skin is feeling a bit stressed, dried out and irritated or on the verge of an eczema flare up.  The skincare gel can be used as a serum for problematic skin - apparently you're meant to use a fine layer on the appropriate area and smooth on rather than rub in - you can then follow with a body lotion if desired.  I've used the gel on patches of eczema on my arms, on dry cracked areas on my feet, after shaving underarms - as this area can get a bit sensitive and on my young daughter's t-zone to help clear up hormonal blemishes - rather than turning to a harsh spot treatment which may only dry her skin out.  It soothes and calms the skin and just seems to be a great all rounder for all the family with a subtle scent of honey.

Arnica Shower Creme and Skincare Gel - Arnica appears to be another 'oldie but goodie' - a traditional herbal remedy used to help relieve aches and pains, muscular tension and as a treatment for bruising and swelling. This is the duo I reach for after a session at the gym or a hefty body pump class when things tend to ache and groan - it's not meant as a cure but to help relieve tension and tightness. The shower creme has a pleasant, warming aroma to it and soothes my tired old body!  I try to massage the gel into any knotty and tense areas, seems to be my shoulders, biceps and quads after a class but I've also used it on my lower back if that's been aching a bit!   I have a feeling the Arnica duo will really come into it's own during the colder Winter months when my muscles seem to seize and tighten up all the more.

I love this kind of skincare - yes it's very nice to have a fancy bit of pretty packaging but for me it's what's inside that counts and I would rather pay for an effective product in a simple package rather than the other way around! The skincare gels can all be layered or mixed with other products either within or outside of the SBC range (I've layered a different body lotion over both the Propolis and Arnica gels) so you can really tailor the whole she-bang to meet your needs! I almost daren't look too closely at all the different formulas available on QVC (never mind the actual SBC website!) there are so many and being me I'll want to try them all!

Have you tried out any products from SBC? Which one would you be tempted to go for?


Jen x