Reader question: What happened to Tesco's Vitamin E range?

A while ago, I reviewed the whole of Tesco's very budget friendly Vitamin E range (click here to have a read).

Since then, time has passed (way to state the obvious..)  I have purchased the face wash countless times and it was the closest to a HG facewas that I had.

However, for the past few months, I've been going to my local Tesco (it's a big one) and I have never ever come across anything from the range.  Now if my branch was a smaller one, I'd just assume that they didn't stock it but this Tesco is massive and they always had it before.  I just assumed that this particular branch had stocking issues.

Then I got an email from a reader a few weeks ago now and she asked me whether the range had been discontinued becuase she'd not seen it for ages either.

So, I asked the PR for Tesco and she confirmed that the range has indeed been discontinued.  I'm a bit miffed about this because I can't figure out why they'd discontinue something that didn't cost the earth.  Even when they DID have this instore, they were always selling out but the other Tesco ranges were still taking up shelf space.  I've been told that it was done via consumer something.  I can't remember the exact word because it's Sunday and my brain is tired.  Basically, it was discontinued because there wasn't enough demand for it or something.

However, Tesco do have a Cucumber range and a Sensitive range which are along the same price points as the Vitamin C range so there is still something there.  It's just a shame that they got rid of the Vitamin E range, I loved those little wipes..

I have some bits from both the Sensitive and Vitamin C range which I'll be reviewing on here once I get my life back from the anti-trust devil who is currently holding it hostage.

Review: Tesco Vitamin E range

Remember this post?

I think I've been using the range long enough to give a decent review, so here we go.

Just a heads up, this review is LONG. You know how long a review for one product usually is so this is about six products in one.

The one point I can make about all the products is the smell.  There is a tangy (yeah, tangy) smell from all the products, it's not offensive and smells quite light.

The cleanser.

I haven't used a cleanser for quite some time and I can't think why.  Actually, I can.  I don't subscribe to the whole "cleanse, tone, moisturise" malarky.  If your skin is behaving itself and you haven't cleansed and toned, then leave it be.  My skin was behaving so I didn't cleanse..despite having about 5 cleansers that I could have used.

The directions for use are standard, put the cleanser on with your fingers, wait a few mins and take it off with a cotton wool pad.

I can tell if a cleanser has worked if my skin feels softer and looks cleaner.  Did my skin look cleaner? Yes.  Did it feel softer? Yes.

I didn't have to use much either.

Purchase?
I'm personally on a no-buy but I would buy this when I've used up all my cleansers.  It cleanses and doesn't leave me really tight skin afterwards. 

The toner.

I've always had problems with toner.  If you get a gentle one, it might not clean the skin and the harsher ones strip your skin of all oil and make you even greasier so it's a hard balance to strike.

I liked the toner, it cleaned, didn't sting or have a horrible smell (you know that smell that some toners have).  However, I had a patch of dry skin show up on the right hand side of my mouth/right cheek but I think that's to be expected with a toner.  Plus, I moisturised afterwards and all was good.

I've used this when my skin was really greasy and when it was behaving and it worked well both times.  It makes your skin feel really nice and soft.

I do have one semi negative point to report, it's a very gentle toner.  I don't know how best to elucidate this point but I will try.  It's very gentle so if you have really oily skin then you may have to use a fair bit.  I've been using this since Maskgate and it's brought my skin back up to its normal type.  Can you believe I still felt the after effects of that incident more than a week after it happened?

Purchase?
I'm quite impressed with how well it worked and for the price, I'd deffo buy it.

The liquid eye makeup remover.

I don't like liquid eye makeup removers because they tend to sting me so I stay clear.  I decided to bite the bullet and get on with it...all in the name of science and all that!

If you use just mascara and a neutral shadow, it works well.  However, if you wear a heavier eye then you need to use a fair amount of the product to get it all off.  I wore two shadows from my Sleek palette and the remover struggled.

Purchase?
I wouldn't buy this because I really don't like liquid removers.  It's great if you don't wear a heavy eye, if you do however, I'd give this a miss.

The face wash.

I call this "Sir Grease-Away".  I used it in the aftermath of Maskgate and it really cleared the grease away but left me moisturised.

I just dashed it on my face, massaged it in a bit and washed it off.

Purchase?
Yes. I'm going to replace my Clinique liquid soap with this.  I've fallen out with the Clinique because used everyday, it strips my skin so I use it when my skin is in need of a degreasing and it works pretty well but I think it's a bit pricey considering how often I use it.  I'd rather pay for this, use it daily than pay £12 for Clinique and use it sporadically.

The exfoliator.

Very tiny beads.  I like to use an exfoliator that I can feel actually scrubbing my skin.  This didn't really make a difference on my skin.  The only thing it did was remove the flakes of skin but I used just water and that did the same.

Usually when I use a scrub, it makes my skin feel smoother but this didn't do anything.

The consistency of the product was also a problem, it's very runny, even moreso than the face wash.  You know how exfoliators are usually pretty thick when you squeeze them out of the tube? This was the exact opposite.  I had to rub it in a fair bit to feel as if it was exfoliating my skin.

Purchase?
No.  I think the main downfall of this product is the size of the exfoliating particles, they're very gentle..almost too gentle.  If they were a bit bigger, I think the product would work better.

The night cream.

Ingredients:
Aqua, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii, Glycerin, Cylopentasiloxane, Paraffinium Liquidum, Glyceryl Stearate, Cyclohexasiloxane, PEG-100 Stearate, Polysorbate 60, Parfum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin.

I tested this last because I don't really use a night cream because I've never seen any differences when using one.  However, I also decided to use it because my skin was going through a period of unrest after the MG debacle.  It went from super greasy and spotty to super dry..and I mean REALLY dry.  My skin has never ever been that dry before, I'd moisturise in the morning and have massive flakes coming off during the day (sexy!)

The first thing I noticed about this cream was that it was really light for a night cream, most night creams I have used are thick affairs which claim to provide intense moisture during the night.

I've been using this a fair bit and it has helped get my skin back to its normal standard, I don't wake up with flakes of skin on my face anymore and my skin does feel softer in the mornings.

Purchase?
Yes, it's a no fuss night cream, just slap it on and go to bed.  I like the fact that it doesn't break me out in whiteheads overnight as most night creams do.  I'd recommend it for girls with combo/oily skin as it's kept my skin on an even keel once it went back to normal, it's also good for girls with dry skin as it eliminates the flakes.

The cleansing wipes.

I've used these before and I love them. I know on here I say "would repurchase" a lot but the products which I feature in my "products I would elope with" are my key loves, they're the ones I pick when I'm packing a bag.  These made the cut.

They have a really light smell and I feel they're just wet enough to take off any grime (and makeup) and leave your skin feeling soft.  Plus, considering that their counterparts are sold at £3 something, these are a bargain!

Purchase?
Before I had these sent to me, I already had three as backups so the educated guess would be yes.

You can buy the whole range in Tescos (surprising!) here is the price list:
Vitamin E cleanser: 72p
Vitamin E night cream: 72p
Vitamin E toner: 72p
Vitamin E eye makeup remover: 72p
Vitamin E face scrub: 72p
Vitamin E face wash: 72p
Vitamin E cleansing wipes: 72p
Vitamin E hand and nail cream: 72p
Vitamin E moisturiser: 72p

Tescos Vitamin E range

A while ago now, I got an email from Tescos (is it chavvy saying Tescos? Well, I don't care..it's what I've always called it) asking me if I'd like to try their Vitamin E range.  I said yes because there were parts of the range which I'd never seen in shops.

This is what I recieved and will be reviewed on here (in depth) once I've had a chance to use everything for a little while:

I've just realised that I didn't photograph the wipes that I was sent but they've been caught on camera before.

So, if you're looking for a concise review about these items, it's best to look elsewhere but if you want a rambling, tangent filled review..stick around!