Tropic Skincare Review: Is It Worth Buying?

Looking after ourselves shouldn't mean compromising the planet

I have a little bit of news to share.

After years of using Tropic products myself, I have decided to become a Tropic Ambassador.

Those of you who have followed The Grow Up for a while will know that I am quite particular about the brands I work with. I want to understand what a company stands for, how its products are made and what impact it is having beyond simply selling us something.

And the more I have learned about Tropic, the more I have realised just how closely its values align with mine.

For me, looking good and taking care of ourselves shouldn't have to come at a cost to the planet.

A beauty company doing things differently

One of the things I love about Tropic is its story.

Founder Susie Ma started making a body scrub at her mum's kitchen table when she was just 15, inspired by a recipe from her grandmother. She poured those first scrubs into recycled jam jars and sold them at Greenwich Market.

What started at a kitchen table has grown into an enormously successful British beauty business, but Susie is still at the helm. In fact, she regained full ownership of Tropic in 2023 and today remains its Founder, CEO and sole owner.

I love that.

Tropic also freshly makes 98% of its range here in Britain at its Surrey HQ, where its Innovation Lab, Product Kitchen, packing and dispatch teams are all based.

But it's the company's wider philosophy that really resonates with me. Tropic calls its mission its "Infinite Purpose": to help create a healthier, greener and more empowered world.

Its products are vegan and cruelty free, its packaging is designed to be recyclable, refillable or returnable, and the company is certified CarbonNeutral®. Tropic also donates 10% of its profits to charities and good causes around the world.

This is beauty with a bigger purpose, and that is something I am very happy to get behind.

Why sun protection matters to our gang

There is another reason Tropic feels like such a natural fit for The Grow Up.

We are outdoor people!

We're the people gardening, growing vegetables, walking, swimming, travelling, cooking outside, pottering around the allotment and saying, "I'll just do ten minutes in the garden", only to discover two hours have disappeared.

All of that time outdoors is wonderful for us, but it also means we need to take protecting our skin seriously.

Sun cream isn't something that should live in the suitcase waiting for our summer holiday. If we spend lots of time outside, it needs to become part of our everyday outdoor kit.

And if we're a gang who care about nature, surely it also makes sense to think about what we're putting on our bodies and what washes off them when we swim in our rivers, lakes and seas?

Tried, tested and taken sailing

I recently spent a few wonderful days sailing around a protected marine and nature reserve in France, which gave me the perfect opportunity to properly put Tropic's Great Barrier Sun Lotion through its paces.

Lots of sunshine. Lots of time outdoors. Lots of swimming.

And I didn't burn.

Of course, no sun cream is a magic shield and it still needs to be applied generously, reapplied regularly and used alongside sensible sun protection. But I was really impressed with it.

Great Barrier provides broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection, is water resistant and uses reef safe sun filters. It also carries the Protect Land + Sea certification.

And it feels lovely.

There's aloe vera and hyaluronic acid for hydration, alongside green algae extract, coconut extracts and vitamin E. It sinks into the skin beautifully without that heavy, greasy feeling or chalky white finish I associate with some high protection sun creams.

For someone who spends as much time outside as I do, that matters. If I actually enjoy putting something on, I'm much more likely to remember to use it.

Protect your skin. Protect what you love.

I think that's really the message I want to share.

Looking after ourselves and looking after the planet don't need to be two separate conversations.

We can question what we buy. We can support businesses trying to do things better. We can think about ingredients, packaging and where products are made. And we can choose products that work brilliantly without forgetting the world we're ultimately washing them back into.

I'm genuinely excited to become part of the Tropic community and to start sharing some of the products I've been using and loving with you.

And don't worry, The Grow Up isn't suddenly becoming a beauty blog!

We'll still be talking tomatoes, compost, flowers, outdoor cooking and muddy knees. But looking after ourselves is part of enjoying this outdoor life too.

Because if we're going to spend our lives outside growing, harvesting, cooking and sharing, we need to look after the skin we're doing it in.

And if we can do that while being a little kinder to the planet at the same time, even better.

Click here to treat yourself