Tea & Tonic : Bright Awakening Halen Môn Body Scrub

Has your year started with a stressful January? Then it’s time to treat your mind and body, as well as you treat your face. At The Amazing Blog, we have a new self-care suggestion: Tea & Tonic’s Bright Awakening Halen Môn Body Scrub. An exfoliating salt scrub rich in minerals, omega fatty acids and antioxidants awakens, brightens and revitalises the body and mind like no other. While the unique Halen Môn salt softens and tones, the nourishing plant oils hydrate and smooth skin, saving you time from further moisturising.

Having worked with luxury lifestyle spa brands for nearly 20 years and natural skincare and wellness brands for the past 12 years, spa insider Sarah Strang founder of Tea & Tonic, demonstrated a passion for inner and outer wellness. The stress in Sarah’s busy day-to-day life contributed to her wellness journey, leading her to realise that to achieve health, balance, and brightness in skin and self; we need to strengthen our resilience to everyday stress. It was when she discovered adaptogen super herbs to support her high-paced life that everything came together. In a recent interview, she said, “The approach to stress-relief felt a little bit one dimensional, like those de-stress massages and oils in spas.” She went on to say, “stress is at the heart of how we look and feel. I wanted an approach to a range of products that really focused on inner and outer wellness, through creating products with an adaptogenic complex that brings out the best, with the best of the best.” With the help of medical herbalist/aromatherapist Jane Wallwork and biologist/elite athlete Helen Hall, she created Tea & Tonic; a stunning and effective range of skincare and teas that serve as a true tonic for mind and body. In Female First Helen commented, “As an athlete, I am always looking for natural ways to aid recovery, and was already aware of adaptogens and their benefits,” she also added, “however, most products I came across containing adaptogens were in supplement form where you don’t fully know the ingredients and ultimately on discovering Tea & Tonic, what better way to get your Adaptogen fix than through the enjoyment of your favourite cup of tea?”

Tea & Tonic is part of WIld Brands Ltd, which provides holistic therapies and luxury natural skincare to various world-class spas and wellness spaces. In a nutshell, they are a British super-herb apothecary. All products are hand-blended and 100% natural, with a range of skincare, bath and body collections as well as everyday teas to encourage brighter skin and self. All products are responsibly sourced and sustainably packaged. Best of all, they are based on the millennia-old tradition of medicinal herbs; adaptogens, which are clever botanicals that adapt to our system’s needs and stresses at the time. Adaptogens improve one’s resistance to stress, support the immune system, and promote skin health and overall wellness. Tea & Tonic’s unique adaptogen complex comprises 11 adaptogens that synergistically work together for maximum benefit and resilience against daily stressors. Examples include amla, one of the richest sources of vitamin C and phytonutrients with vitamin B5, B6 and copper; gotu kola, a skin healing plant, and schisandra berry, the fruit of longevity.

The Bright Awakening Halen Môn Body Scrub is filled with hand-harvested Halen Môn Salt from Anglesey using pure charcoal-filtered seawater. The key ‘scrub’ ingredient is sea salt. We were interested to learn that the Halen Môn sea salt boasts high concentrations of potassium, magnesium and bromide, and possesses well-reputed therapeutic and skin conditioning properties. And Tea & Tonic is the first-only spa and skincare range where you can experience this exclusive Halen Môn mineral-rich salt. They also carefully trace the actual source and person who hand-harvested and packed the salt, ensuring full transparency. At the forefront of their mind are freshness, sustainability, quality, mileage, and environmental production methods. 95% of these ingredients are grown on UK farms, and refills for this mighty body scrub are also available.

We discovered this body scrub when it was entered into The Beauty Shortlist 2022 Eco Awards and won Best Zero Waste Product (Self Care). It’s a 100% natural and cruelty-free body scrub, with carrier oil ingredients that include lavender, sourced from a third-generation family farm in the beautiful Cotswold Hills. Lavender has remarkable healing and uplifting adaptogenic properties and is a good source to aid sleep and deep relaxation. The crambe abyssinica seed oil is an emollient and omega fatty acid rich for skin softness and anti-ageing. Hemp seed oil restores the skin barrier while retaining moisture; safflower seed and calendula oil are both non-comedogenic and anti-inflammatory oils. The beeswax is a humectant and natural exfoliator, and finally, the yarrow extract adds its soothing, therapeutic, antimicrobial and pain-relieving qualities.

Some of the more unusual botanicals in the body scrub are brahmi, a leaf used in Ayurvedic medicine for enhancing the complexion. A trio of ginseng, starting with red ginseng, a warm stimulant which oxygenates skin; white ginseng, that’s cool and restorative and works with red ginseng to bring balance; Siberian ginseng, a skin strengthener rich in eleutherosides and complex polysaccharides. Holy basil is a plant with anti-inflammatory, cooling and soothing properties. There are adaptogens which include gotu kola, amla and schisandra berry (mentioned above). Also, essential oils such as juniper berry, rosemary and bergamot all possess anti-bacterial, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Red clover helps to preserve a youthful skin texture while reducing redness; sweet violet treats stress, fatigue and insomnia; and cypress restores skin’s hydration and eases dry skin. Vitamin E delivers the finishing touches by creating an antioxidant-packed natural barrier to keep moisture in your skin.

It’s a treat to use, either in the bath or shower. Begin with a generous scoop and massage in circular motions onto wet skin. We found the formula both rich and hydrating with a fragrance that enlightens the senses and calms the mind without being overpowering – thanks to its aromatherapeutic blend. Salt crystals are always our preferred base, as they detoxify the skin as they scrub, and this left skin soft and smooth, particularly our dry upper arms. It’s an unequalled adaptogenic charged scrub and is another of our #amazingfinds.

To purchase a 200g jar of Tea & Tonic’s Bright Awakening Halen Môn Body Scrub for £39, click here. Or for a 200g refill at £36, click here.

CBME : CBD infused dried fruit packs

We always try to find that unique little CBD 'something’; be it edible, topical or more recently, home fragrance. Well, today at The Amazing Blog, we’ve found these CBD infused dried fruits - which, as you can imagine, really piqued our interest! Created by CBME, a CBD wellness company, they’ve recently launched this range of three CBD infused dried fruits with Uplift, Relax, and Relieve.

CBME came to life thanks to Bhavin Morjaria, the founder and chief product creator. As a registered pharmacist with over ten years of health and wellness experience, Bhavin created CBME to provide his customers with everyday food products, for a ‘personalised CBD experience’. The primary mission of the brand is to try to redefine CBD to make it more adaptable. The CBME idea started when Bhavin noticed that he and his mother were using the same CBD products, but to relieve different issues. He was using the CBD to help reduce stress and improve his wellbeing, whereas his mother, Mina, was using the CBD to relieve her joint pain. Although Mina still takes other prescription medications, she has since taken a lower dose of her prescribed painkillers by using CBD.. This inspired him to develop products that are tailored to tackle specific issues more effectively. Bhavin said, “We saw that the same CBD products were being recommended no matter who you were. We are all not the same, so why should our wellness product be the same? So we went on our mission to create and personalise our CBD products.” He further harnesses this with a more holistic approach using CBD as the key ingredient. However, by adding other minerals and botanicals to enhance further the positive effects of the CBD, it offers more amplified effects of wellbeing. Using his pharmaceutical knowledge, he has combined CBD and Ayurvedic medicine to make these first CBD coated dried fruit packs. The three blends, Uplift, Relax and Relieve  (see our review below) are all made with organic broad-spectrum CBD distillate, CBG, and natural terpenes, to optimise the full plant energy. The dried fruit packs are vegan, have no allergens, and are THC-free. These Uplift and Relax dried fruit packs have added sugar or sweetener whereas the Relieve dried fruit pack is sugar and sweetener free. CBME want to offer consumers a natural and healthier alternative to the other high-calorie CBD infused edibles available. Apart from selling CBD edibles, they are also committed to educating people about the benefits of hemp and CBD through short informative videos, which can be found here, and have a CBD dosage calculator here to help the consumer determine how much they should take. All the hemp used is grown and sourced from Columbia, and 3rd party lab-tested in California.

We received all three CBD dried fruit packs, Uplift (pineapple), Relax (papaya), and Relieve (apricot). These CBD snacks are unique, where each pack contains a blend of different ingredients designed to target a variety of needs. These dried fruits are enhanced with other ingredients; so let’s start with the ones they all share. There is CBD broad spectrum distillate in each fruit, meaning it is THC-free and the whole plant is used to retain full-plant synergy. All the combined terpenes encourage the ‘entourage effect’, which allows the consumer to get the maximum benefits from the CBD. All the dried fruit are coated with CBD, which they claim will enable it to be absorbed faster, promoting its effectiveness. While they all include this kind of CBD, the fruits are also fortified with CBG, another cannabinoid found in hemp plants. This natural CBG cannabigerol has several extra enhanced health benefits known for reducing pain and inflammation and also acting as an anti-depressant. Many CBD products contain only a tiny quantity of CBG, so we were pleased to see a more substantial presence in all these dried fruits. Each pack has a different mix of natural flower derived terpenes, minerals and botanical elements, that when added with CBD, enhance overall wellbeing. 

In Uplift, there’s a combination of dried pineapple and ashwagandha root. Each piece has 35mg CBD and is designed to help regulate stress hormones and relieve anxiety. Ashwagandha is a revitalising herb that’s known to ease anxiety and promote calmness. It is an adaptogen, a substance known to help your body adapt to everyday physical and emotional stressors. This product is also infused with what they call ‘happy terpenes’, which are derived from a flower strain rich in limonene and myrcene. Limonene is a very energising terpene, and myrcene has antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties. The organic stevia found in Uplift contributes to its sweetness giving this triangular pineapple slice an almost candied-like appearance. Another very important ingredient are the probiotics, which are here to help improve gut health and balance the natural microbiota. CBME recommends eating one of these rejuvenating pineapple slices to help get your day off to a good start!

Next, we tried the Relax pack, which also has 35mg of CBD, infused into each papaya piece. These are aimed to help inspire calm, with the infusion of botanicals and relaxing plant terpenes working together to recharge and aid sleep. The other addition is magnesium, an essential mineral that is crucial for keeping balanced levels of GABA, a neurotransmitter that relaxes the brain and encourages restorative sleep. There are also hops that are closely related to cannabis sativa, and include xanthohumol, an antioxidant that helps induce a deep sleep.  Finally, the griffonia seeds, with natural 5-htp an element that increases serotonin which is known to improve mood and increase levels of calmness. And also raises melatonin production levels, the hormone that is connected to our sleep-cycle.  They also add back any of the natural terpenes that are lost during the extraction process, so in this pack they’ve put back the ‘relaxing terpenes’ high in linalool and terpinolene. Linalool has soothing and sedative properties, and terpinolene, can help treat insomnia. Again, like the pineapple pieces, these papaya slices look like candied fruits, although these have cane sugar instead of sweetener. The brand explained to use why they have the addition of either sweetener or sugar in both ‘Relax’ and ‘Uplift,’ “The sweetness in the pineapple and papaya is because without the added sugar they would become super sour when dried. So need a bit of sugar at curing, the ashwagandha and the other ingredients are very bitter so the added sweetness keeps them palatable.”. We like the idea of eating a piece or two to relax at the end of a busy day - but if taking before going to sleep, be sure you brush your teeth!

Lastly, Relieve, where each dried apricot has 50mg of CBD, and been infused to help ease aches and pains, or sore joints. To meet its purpose of naturally reducing inflammation or pain, the dried apricots are infused with turmeric, black pepper and soothing terpenes from ‘pain-relieving flower strains.’ Turmeric is a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. The compound, curcumin, found within turmeric are known to aid conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and support anti-inflammatory issues. As for the black pepper, it increases the body’s absorption level of curcumin by up to 2000%.  The anti-inflammatory terpenes that the apricots contain are rich in beta-caryophyllene. Beta-caryophyllene has several health-benefits like decreasing cholesterol levels, reducing anxiety and pain, and bringing down inflammation. These are great for combatting the sore muscles after a workout, or for relieving any arthritic or joint pain, and were our favourite of the three. Mainly because they’re the only the natural fruit with no added sugar or sweetener, and also in this cold damp weather, we notice more joint pain and these have the more relevant benefits for us.

We think these dried fruit packs are perfect for each of their intended purposes. We know what you’re all dying to ask; how do they taste? Like dried fruit (or candied fruit) with a slight hemp tang as an after taste, which is probably why some have been sweetened. For us, as CBD aficionados they tasted delicious, but for the uninitiated, they might take a little bit of getting used to. If you are looking for a day with reduced stress, take an Uplift piece in the morning to kick off the day. And if you want to give your body a break and unwind for a good night's sleep, then the Relax papaya piece might do the trick. Or for those days when muscles are sore, or you’re suffering from the after-effects of a big gym workout, then try a Relieve dried fruit piece before sleep. NB: The FSA recommended dosage of CBD is 70mg per day - so bear that in mind if you are tempted to eat the whole packet in one go! We were sent the ‘Try Me’ packs which you can buy here which contain 5 pieces for £13 for the Uplift and Relax, and for £15 for the Relieve.

CBME are also happy to offer 30% off your first purchase exclusively to our readers, all you have to do is enter discount code AMAZING at the checkout. - valid until 31/02/22.

Mokosh : The Ultimate Nutritious Starter Pack

With so many different skincare products to choose from, mixing and matching products can often feel like trying to solve a puzzle! So, today at The Amazing Blog, we thought we’d keep it easy by featuring a set of products that work together in perfect synergy. Meet The Ultimate Nutritious Starter Pack, a sample-sized 4-step routine created by the organic skincare brand Mokosh.

Former medical scientist, veterinarian, and pathologist Marion O'Leary founded Australian brand Mokosh in 2006 after discovering many of the mainstream skincare brands she used contained toxic ingredients. She worked with her friend Jayne Bland who introduced her to the Indian science of Ayurveda, which focuses on working with the body's natural healing systems. The result is 10 years of research and experimenting, refining, and perfecting an organic skincare range that doesn’t compromise on ingredients - using the purest and most beneficial. Marion was determined to make "the world's cleanest skincare range" by creating Mokosh. She wants to target the root cause of skin imbalance and restore the skin's equilibrium with products that are potent, healing all made with simple botanicals. All products are formulated without water, or the skin-disrupting emulsifiers and preservatives. As a waterless brand, Mokosh products have a higher concentration of healing, natural ingredients that don't disturb the skin's microbiome or barrier. In addition, all Mokosh products are free from synthetic ingredients, fillers, palm oil, and artificial fragrances. They're cruelty-free, certified organic, and packaged only with refillable or recyclable materials. Mokosh offers a skin-match quiz on their website to recommend products based on your skin type, concerns, and needs. With natural products that are suitable for any skin type, it's no wonder that Mokosh is a multi-award-winning brand and recently received the "Most Revolutionary Skincare Brand" Award in the Luxlife Health, Beauty, & Wellness Awards 2021.

Mokosh sent us their Ultimate Nutritious Starter Pack,  a set of four different products designed to meet the needs of dry and mature skin. These products focus on hydration, replenishing the skin's protective barrier, removing dead skin cells, rebalancing skin pH, and delivering potent nutrients to promote collagen production and enhance elasticity. The first product in the pack is their Facial Cleanser, Exfoliator, and Mask,  a 3-in-1 formulation that removes superficial cell debris, clarifying, refining, and renewing the skin. It delivers humectants, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory molecules, minerals and α- and β- hydroxy acids that promote cell regeneration and collagen growth. It contains aloe vera gel powder to soothe and moisturise skin, meadowsweet leaf and flower powder which contains salicylic acid to exfoliate naturally, and pomegranate fruit juice powder to provide hydration and deposit vitamin C in the skin. This Facial Cleanser, Exfoliator, and Mask comes in a powder form, so to use it, take about ½ to 1 teaspoon of powder and add water to make a smooth paste. To cleanse, gently massage the face and rinse, and to use as a mask, apply it to the skin and leave for 15-20 minutes before rinsing. We liked using this product in the shower to make it easier to mix and rinse, but be careful not to allow water into the jar!

The second product in the pack is the Pure Hydrosol Toner made with a blend of damask rose and lemon balm hydrosols. Hydrosols are made by distilling fresh flowers, leaves, fruits, and other plant materials. They're water-soluble and contain as many nutrients as essential oils but are much gentler on the skin. Rose hydrosol is a mild astringent, so it controls sebum production, tightens pores, and balances skin pH. It also maintains moisture in the skin, delays the formation of wrinkles, and has anti-inflammatory properties, decreasing redness and repairing irritated and damaged skin. Lemon balm Hydrosol also soothes inflamed skin, tightens pores, and reduces the appearance of wrinkles. Both of these hydrosols also have aromatherapeutic properties, helping to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. You can spray this onto your face and neck after cleansing and before applying the serum. We also liked using it throughout the day, as it’s a refreshing pick-me-up.

The third product is the Raspberry and Pomegranate Beauty Serum, a hydrating concentrate that Mokosh designed for normal and dry skin. The serum is a blend of ten organic botanical seed oils that work together to protect dermal elements and plump and soften the skin to reduce signs of ageing. Pomegranate and raspberry seed oils contain high concentrations of antioxidants and essential fatty acids that fortify the skin's barrier, as well as Vitamin E, C, and A that provide deep moisturisation that helps to restore damaged skin and fade scars. After cleansing, warm about 3 to 4 drops of this serum in your hands before patting gently into your skin.

This routine's fourth and final product is the  Rich Face Cream formulated for mature or dry skin types. It's an award-winning and best-selling cream that delivers potent botanicals and nutrients that protect collagen, build the skin's protective barrier, and support cell growth. This cream contains ten oils mixed with shea butter, including rosehip, avocado, pomegranate, neem, and prickly pear oils - all rich in fatty acids and antioxidants, triglycerides, and vitamins. These nutrients nourish and repair skin, and help to reduce inflammation, and even skin tone. As the last step in your routine, take a half pea-sized amount, warm in your hands, and pat onto skin. It smells amazing and feels luxurious, almost balm-like in texture, and best of all, very little goes a long way. Being small and compact this Ulitmate Nutritious Starter Pack could also be a very good travel companion for a weekend away. To experience the benefits of the Mokosh Ultimate Nutritious Starter Pack, you can purchase it here for $45.00AUD.  

Suneeta London: Cleansing Pack (Combination Skin)

We believe that to find some the best skincare, it doesn’t always have to be expensive. Today at The Amazing Blog, we’d like to introduce you to an artisan skincare and zero-waste brand Suneeta London with their Cleansing Pack, which has everything you would ever need to cleanse your skin - without having to spend too much.  

Suneeta London is a family run business launched by Suneeta Dinraz in 2019. They sell hand-made, natural and fresh skincare, deodorants, hair and body care products for all skin types and ages. Their formulas are based on the Ayurvedic principles, which are known for enhancing well-being, combined with an original twist to make skincare products fun and easy to use. Suneeta believes that families should use products that they trust are safe to use. Don’t we all?  To increase this trust, Suneeta is working to raise awareness for natural ingredients and inspire future generations to take care of what they put on their skin. By purchasing their products, you’re helping their campaign against the use of unnecessary chemicals and animal testing. They recently won an award for Best Inclusive Beauty Product in the 2020 London Pure Beauty Awards; and Suneeta holds an incredible passion for keeping high ethical beauty standards: “There is definitely a double standard in what we as consumers in the west deem to be ethical. Frustratingly, we know more about animals being harmed for our cosmetics than we do about black and brown workers supplying ingredients. Luckily more and more businesses are making it easier to make the right choice.”  The brand also focus on creating zero waste skincare and accessories - which we love!  

Suneeta’s three-step Cleansing Pack (Combination Skin)  contains the Mandarin & Calendula Cleansing Balm, a toner specifically chosen for your skin type and a sample size of the Aloe & Jojoba Facial Scrub with Sandalwood. Also included here’s are a small hand tooled wooden spoon, an organic cotton cloth and cotton bag.  We started by opening the Mandarin & Calendula Cleansing Balm   it is a light anti-ageing balm suitable for removing even the most stubborn mascara, make-up or daily impurities from the skin. The unrefined virgin cocoa butter softens the skin and works as an antioxidant to prevent ageing signs and reduce scarring. The calendula stimulates collagen production to promote skin healing, and the mandarin essential oil maintains moisture balance in the skin to boost cell production and immunity. It smelled incredible and was super easy to use. We gently massaged a small amount onto dry skin, and then used their cotton cloth (provided) damped with warm water to gently wipe away the daily grime. Next, we tried the sample size Aloe & Jojoba Clay Facial Scrub with Sandalwood which is a gentle grainy scrub made with natural jojoba beads and Fuller’s earth which mildly exfoliates away dry skin. They recommend using this scrub once or twice a week but it can be used as often as you like. We found that it stimulated the skin and made a good pore-cleansing facial scrub and left skin soft and fragrant from the sandalwood oil here. Finally, there’s the toner. This varies in the Cleansing Pack according to skin type, we were sent Orange Blossom & Aloe Vera Skin Toner which, as they say, is an excellent cooling and hydrating toner for combination skin. It contains cooling aloe vera, healing orange blossom water and a refreshing peppermint essential oil to help reduce oiliness while also soothing and healing the skin. After cleansing, we sprayed the toner onto a cotton pad and gently sweep across the face and neck to ensure removal of any further impurities. We also liked to spritz this during the day to boost skin hydration - from living with too much central heating! The other toners available are Organic Rose Water  designed for normal skin, or the Frankincense & Lavender Toner  which is for dry or sensitive skin and made with natural flower hydrosols. We were impressed with both the performance and affordability of this Cleansing Pack, and to purchase Suneeta’s Cleansing Pack for your skin type at £20.00, see here.  

Vedic Botanicals – Alk-Align Toning Mists

During these colder months, skin hydration is more important than ever. Going between the extremes of the chilly outside world and central heating plays havoc with our skin. This is where for us at The Amazing Blog we’ve been regularly ‘spritzing’ our faces with these Alk-Align Toning Mists from Vedic Botanicals, best of all, we’ve found that they’re stopped our skin from feeling tight and dehydrated. 

The Vedic Botanical’s founder Rachel Warnock has always had a desire to do what’s right by the environment and the people around her. After gaining a master’s in Vedic Science and Ayurvedic Medicine, the global 2008 economic crisis happened… Unsure of what to do, or where to go, she started working mediocre jobs to get by. However, dissatisfied with what she was doing, she decided to follow her passion by making her own products and thus started the brand with the motto of: “From soil to skin, only goodness goes in!”. Vedic Botanicals has created a variety of organic Ayurvedic body and skin care, hair serums and mists. Warnock is committed to using environmentally friendly practices where her products are certified organic and cruelty-free. Their packaging is reusable and is made from compostable plant-based plastic. They use eco-friendly practices wherever possible and compost any products past their sell-by date and have a workshop which is 100% solar powered. One of the more unique aspects of this company is their ‘empty jar guarantee’. If at the end of using one of their products you’re unhappy, you can simply return the empty to them and receive a full refund! We applaud Vedic Botanicals for their ethos and have quoted here from an interview with Warnock and Conversations with Kim: “We believe that profit made at the expense of the Mother Earth is not worth making. It only robs future generations along with the other species sharing this planet with us.  We vet the companies we source our herbs, oils, and packaging materials from choosing companies with eco-friendly practices to maintain sustainability top to bottom.” 

These are now some of our go-to winter products, the Alk-Align Toning Mists which come in two different blends has alkaline water and are one of the first toning mists to have a pH level of 9 (see the recent feature here where we talk about pH levels in the skin) There is the Ourika or the Kamogawa blend, both of these mists are created as multi-taskers they can hydrate, balance, cleanse, or tone the skin. We’ve been using these by spritzing onto our face and letting it absorb on makeup-free skin (at home in lockdown!) or as a cleanser/toner using these either end of the day.  Both mists contain oxygenated water which promotes hydration, detoxification and blood circulation. The Ourika mist, which is named after the Ourika river in Morocco, is created to help with your dry or oily skin with a spring-like floral scent. The key ingredient here is the frankincense which is known to help hydrate dry skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Whereas the Kamogawa mist, which is named after Duck River in Kyoto, it addresses uneven skin tone and has a more autumnal earthy scent. The white rose hydrosol here is a popular toner often formulated for dry skin. The helichrysum hydrosol is good for calming and correcting redness or dryness helping to balance the skin. We like how both these are pocket-sized at 30ml – making them easy to keep with you to spritz on the skin throughout the day.  Keep your skin nice and hydrated throughout these cold weeks and purchase your Alk-Align Toning Mists for the Vedic Botanicals here for $18.47 each.