A little further north from where I live is the federal state of Thüringen. Somewhere there, legend has it, a mill exists, called the “Old wives mill”. If you have grown old and tired and want to be (and look) young again, you approach the mill, get thrown in at the top and leave at the bottom, all fresh and crisp. Rumor has it it doesn’t even hurt!
Is there a downside? Sure there is. Before entering the mill, you have to sign a list of all the follies you have done so far and promise to do each and every one again! Which is why the mill is sitting there, unused, as time goes by…
Now I don’t know about your (long) list of follies or if you would do all of them again, but I decided long ago I would rather stick to skincare than a magical device, and turned to The Body Shop Nutriganics Drops of Youth Concentrate, promising to take me back to younger looking skin.
What The Body Shop claims:
This innovative concentrate helps to enhance surface skin condition, leaving it looking smoother, fresher and healthier. Instantly hydrating. 99% of ingredients are of natural origin.
Facts:
The product is housed in a green glass bottle, containing 30 ml of product at a price of 26 € in stores or online. In Germany this is the only size available, if you check out the UK site, there are 50 ml at a price of 32 GBP as well.
I started using this serum in May 2015, and while I haven’t used it religiously every morning, I used it at least four times a week. There is still a tiny bit left in my bottle, so a little really goes a long way.
The serum itself is of a liquid consistency, colorless and has no distinguishable smell. A dropper is used to take out the product, and while I usually am a fan of these as they are pretty hygienic, I have to say this one didn’t work for me at all. It picked up barely any product, so I ended up using another one from an empty serum bottle I still had. Great thing I keep my trash for empties posts!
Favorable ingredients (horizontal line = third of ingredient list):
– Glycerin: Moisturizing
– Chondrus Crispus powder: Soothing, Calming
– Sodium Hyaluronate: Moisturizing
– Fagus Sylvatica Bud extract: Antioxidant
– Aloe Barbadensis Leaf juice: Antiinflammatory, soothing
– Adenosine: Improves cell communication
– Chrithmum Maritimum Culture filtrate: Plant stem cell, protective
– Babassu Seed oil: Rich in essential fatty acids, moisturizing
– Buddleja Davidii extract: Smoothing
– Malva Sylvestris extract: Soothing
– Thymus vulgaris extract: Antioxidant, can be irritating
Unfavorable Ingredients:
– Alcohol: Right up on part two of the ingredient list
– Fragrance
Does it live up to its claims?
Some of them.
It really feels hydrating when applied, is soothing and smooths out my skins appearance. As far as long-term benefits go in “enhancing the surface skin condition” I am not convinced. Despite the immediate plumping effect of hydration I didn’t notice any change.
Will I rebuy?
I don’t think so.
There are lovely ingredients and it works well at hydration, but I would prefer something with less alcohol. While I don’t mind alcohol in general, I want the product containing it to really impress me, and that one didn’t.
Who do I recommend it to?
People interested in hydration and preferring organic skincare. But only if fragrance and alcohol aren’t an issue.
If your skin is sensitive, ask for a sample first.
Overall, I should probably consider to start looking for the mill after all!
Would you repeat every single one of your follies for the sake of being young again?
Or would you rather use the Drops of Youth range?
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