A vegan skincare brand with millennial pink packaging? It’s no wonder Skin Proud is a brand loved by celebrities like former Love Islander Kady McDermott.
And one of their products in particular - which can go in the freezer - has been going viral on TikTok for its unique gel-to-ice texture.
I tried six of the 19 products available in Boots stores across the UK to see if, beyond the Instagrammable packaging, the affordable brand lived up to the hype.
Firstly, the packaging is colour coded into products that should be used only in the morning, only in the evening, or both AM and PM.
Another thing that stood out to me was the affordability of the range, starting at £7.95 with every product coming in under £17 each.
First I double cleansed with the Skin Proud Velvet Cloud Cleanser (£13.95), which is a whipped mousse cleansing foam.
With this product, one pump goes a long way. I massaged the foamy cleanser into my damp skin and found that, while it successfully removed my makeup, it wasn’t as sensitive around the eye area as I’d have liked - however, it did remove stubborn mascara and didn’t leave behind any redness.
I followed the cleanser with the Skin Proud Detox Tonic, which is a daily exfoliating tonic with a price tag of £14.95.
The tonic uses AHAs to gently chemically exfoliate the skin morning, noon or night, and can be used every day with a cotton pad.
This has a really gorgeous fruity fragrance of green apple and aloe vera, and I really liked the pump-top dispenser, too.
Other active ingredients that work to balance and hydrate the skin are niacinamide and hyaluronic acid - which have both become beauty buzzwords of late.
If I were to compare this to a similar product, I’d say if you like the Pixi Glow Tonic, this could be a cheaper alternative.
The Skin Proud Sleep Hero can be used as a regular facemask, or as an overnight sleep mask for deeper hydration.
I’m not too keen on sleeping in my skincare, so I opted to leave the £14.95 mask on for the suggested 15 minutes.
This moisturising mask has a very berry scent thanks to the raspberry extract and cranberry seed oil, with a thick jelly texture perfect for smoothing on to skin.
After 15 minutes, the mask really felt to have quenched my thirsty skin and left me feeling fresh faced.
Next I used the Skin Proud Bright Eye cream, which is a gel-cream that aims to hydrate the delicate skin under eyes.
It’s infused with superfood pomegranate extract, known to be rich in vitamin c and antioxidants, costing just £14.95.
The shea butter gives it a really nice texture that melts into the under eyes without feeling tacky.
My first time trying retinol came in the form of the Skin Proud Recharge Serum, which contains 0.5% retinol - with experts recommending beginners start at 0.3% - 0.5%.
This should only be used in the evening, and blends hyaluronic acid, rosehip oil and retinol to help even skin tone and promote cell renewal, whilst gently removing dead skin cells.
I’ll be interested to see how, over time, this product affects my old acne scars and if I’ll see an improvement in them with the £13.95 serum.
Finally, the star of the show had to be the viral Skin Proud Frozen Over Gel-To-Ice Hydrat.
The most expensive product in the range at £16.95, the moisturiser is enriched with hyaluronic acid.
However the secret is to put it in the freezer for about three hours, activating the gel-to-ice texture for a real cooling effect to combat tired, dull or puffy skin.
The cryotherapy treatment is launched as ice skincare, or skin icing, has proven popular in recent months due to its supposed skincare benefits. I’ve even got a gua sha and roller to keep in the freezer for instant redness reduction and soothing.
Kady McDermott from the second series of Love Island dubbed it a ‘skin care must have’ last year, showing off the products slush-like texture after being popped in the freezer.
This was by far my favourite product from the range, and felt instantly refreshing - perfect for morning or evening applications.
Overall I think that Skin Proud are a really affordable and accessible brand with gorgeous packaging that looks great in anyone’s bathroom. I love that it’s vegan and cruelty free, and clearly labels its products with when best to use them, taking the stress out of skincare.
