Review: SKIN1004 Tea-Trica Collection

AD info | All of these products (except the spot patches) were sent to me by SKIN1004 with no obligation to review. Gifted products are marked with an *. As always, opinions shared in this post are honest and my own.

Last year SKIN1004 sent me three products from their (then) new Tea-Trica skincare line.

I’m already a huge fan of the brand and I love so many of their original Centella products, so I was excited to see how this new line would compare. If you’re interested, you can check out my complete review of their Madagascar Centella range here.

I wanted to give these a fair shot so I’ve been testing them for quite a few months. Honestly, it’s taken me a little longer than expected to get round to reviewing them! But I’m hoping my review will be extra thorough since I’ve had the opportunity to test them for an extended period of time and gather my thoughts.

If you want to find out more about the SKIN1004 Tea-Trica collection, scroll through my review down below!

What is the Tea-Trica line? And how is it different from the original Centella line?

The SKIN1004 Tea-Trica line shares many similarities with the original Centella line – cica is of course still one of the key ingredients! However, the Centella line is very much geared towards dry, sensitive skin, while the Tea-Trica line has been specifically formulated to treat acne-prone skin.

Tea tree is one of those controversial skincare ingredients that some people love and some people hate. Tea tree oil is an essential oil that, when undiluted, can be quite irritating to the skin. However, when this ingredient is properly incorporated into skincare products in smaller concentrations, it does have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiseptic benefits.

Tea-Trica BHA Foam*

The SKIN1004 Tea-Trica BHA Foam is much like the Centella cleansing foam in terms of texture and foaminess. It comes out of the tube as a thick, mint green paste but quickly lathers when you add a splash of water. This does have a distinct tea tree smell. However, it’s not overpowering and, once the cleanser is washed off, the scent is barely noticeable.

Naturally, this a tiny bit more drying than the Centella cleansing foam since it not only includes salicylic acid (a BHA that helps exfoliate the skin), but also Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate (a surfactant that removes dirt and buildup).

As the centella concentration is significantly lower, it’s perhaps missing out on some of those soothing qualities that the original has too: this Tea-Trica foam contains 0.2% centella asiatica while the original Centella foam contains 33%.

That said, there are a couple of beneficial plant extracts in the Tea-Trica BHA Foam that can’t be found in the Centella Ampoule Foam. Neem Extract and Cacao Extract, for example, have antioxidant properties, and Chamaecyparis Obtusa Water helps protect the skin barrier.

Overall, this foams well and doesn’t leave my skin feeling overly stripped or squeaky clean. I only use this once a day (just because washing with this morning and night feels like it could cause some sensitivity), but you definitely could use it more often if your skin is more hardy.

Tea-Trica Purifying Toner*

Tea tree toners were a skincare staple when I was at school. In fact, I’m pretty sure that – at one point – my entire skincare routine was made up of Boots’ Tea Tree & Witch Hazel skincare line (which impressively they still sell).

Perhaps my skin was more sensitive when I was younger, but I always felt that the tea tree toners I tried were much too harsh and drying. I expected the SKIN1004 Tea-Trica Purifying Toner to be the same, but I was really surprised by how gentle it was.

It contains 9.8% Centella Asiatica extract (the Centella Toning Toner has 84% Centella for comparison), as well as Methyl Gluceth-20 which helps to moisturise the skin. SKIN1004 have also added their own plant-based complex which combines Tea Tree Leaf Water, Cypress Water and King Pine Leaf Extract to reduce inflammation.

Like the Tea-Trica BHA Foam, this contains salicylic acid to control excess oil production, slough away dead skin cells and reduce texture. Despite the BHA content, this doesn’t feel like an exfoliating toner. My skin actually feels pretty plump and hydrated after I use it.

I’d say it’s slightly more viscous than the Centella Toning Toner but it’s still very light on the skin. Out of all three products, this has the strongest tea tree scent but the smell does dissipate quite quickly as you continue with your skincare routine.

I didn’t expect to like this toner but I do – even my sensitive skin approves!

Tea-Trica Relief Ampoule*

The SKIN1004 Centella Ampoule is one of my favourite skincare products of all time, so the Tea-Trica equivalent had some big shoes to fill. The USP of the original Centella Ampoule is that it contains just one ingredient: Centella Asiatica. The Tea-Trica version of this ampoule still contains a significant amount of cica (55%) but there are some additional ingredients in here that make it more suited to oily, acne-prone skin.

Of course, there’s tea tree oil and tea tree extract which naturally reduce inflammation and aid wound healing. But this ampoule also contains a few other hydrating ingredients, like Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract and Methyl Gluceth-20, that nourish and soothe the skin without causing congestion.

This is equally as watery as the original Centella ampoule and it feels just as light on the skin. It’s not sticky or greasy, it sinks in very quickly and layers beautifully with other skincare products. Honestly, apart from the tea tree scent, this doesn’t feel that different to the Centella ampoule – even though it contains lots of extra ingredients!

If you’re looking for a calming yet hydrating ampoule that controls sebum and reduces redness, I highly recommend this one. I was initially concerned that it would be harsher on my skin than the Centella ampoule but that’s not the case at all. This is incredibly gentle for an acne-fighting skincare product!

Tea-Trica Spot Cover Patch

These SKIN1004 spot patches come in a pack of 22: you get twelve 10mm patches and ten 5mm ones. I like that there are a couple of different sizes but it would be great to have even more variety. I’d also love if they did bigger packs – you only get one sheet per pack and I used it up so quickly! They could definitely fit a couple of extra sheets in there.

I’ve been wearing the Starface spot patches quite a lot recently, so using these SKIN1004 pimple patches (which aren’t that noticeable on the skin) has been quite a nice change. They’re not completely invisible but they aren’t the first thing my eyes are drawn to when I look in the mirror!

These are also really comfortable. I don’t really feel them throughout the day, and they’re thin and small enough not to cause any tugging when I move my face.

The only weird thing about this product is that, despite being part of the Tea-Trica collection (at least according to the SKIN1004 website), it doesn’t actually contain any tea tree at all. The back of the packet lists the ingredients as: Polyisobutene, Cellulose gum, Hydrogenated Styrene/Methylstyrene/Indene copolymer and Pectin. This is pretty much the makeup of most spot patches, so I was surprised to learn the SKIN1004 ones don’t have any added tea tree benefits!

Despite this, I still think they’re really effective. They stop me from picking at the spot (and causing further infection!) and they seemingly reduce inflammation and redness when left on overnight.

Have you tried anything from SKIN1004’s Tea-Trica line yet? Which SKIN1004 collection is your favourite? Let me know in the comments!