Voya – helping us start the day over.

You know how sometimes changing your outfit can make you feel better. There’s nothing like a pink tulle skirt to lift my spirits. Or my wanna-be cashmere jumper with the red heart. Or a pair of shoes so gloriously high they almost tilt me over the edge I’m already teetering on.

In the same way the perfect yin to the yang of a bad day (and today was one of those days) is to shed my skin, or at least the top layer. It almost feels like starting over. Washing away the day. Hence, I’m a big fan of exfoliators.

For my face I have long favoured chemical exfoliators (such as skin brighteners containing salicylic acid), and for my body I’ve use various physical exfoliators (including exfoliating gloves, towels and scrubs). These products help shed old dead cells leaving skin dewy and smooth. Or at least that’s the idea.

However, of late, I’ve found the physical exfoliator I was using left my skin dry, so I’d reduced how often I used it and ultimately tried a new brand – Voya Body Buff (Time to Shine). I wasn’t familiar with this brand but I liked the fact that the ingredients were organic – made from hand-harvested seaweed.

The scent is certainly natural, almost sea-like but very light, and the consistency is creamy with moderate grains.

When I first lathered it on my skin I thought it was fairly similar to other exfoliators I’d used so my expectations weren’t particularly high. But after I showered and dried I noticed something which made me very happy. My skin was silk to touch without even the slightest hint of dryness. In fact I was so impressed I also used this body product on my face which yielded similar results. I’m looking forward to trying products from the rest of their range.

Price: €10

For full range see: www.voya.ie