Friday Favourites: Body Care Products

When The Amazing Blog did a quick beauty poll amongst some friends, it seems that body care products are something frequently overlooked. We all take great care to moisturise our faces, but what about our poor hard-working bodies? Today we have reviewed some of our #amazingfinds for the body, which we hope will tempt even the most sceptical or lackadaisical among you.

Let’s begin with Lavera, a brand that we know and love (see here for more). Lavera never fails to live up to our expectations with their 100% certified organic ingredients, all of which are dermatologically proven, vegan and with all the free-froms. We like a good multi-tasker and with their Firming Body Milk we have found just that. Not only does it help to moisturise, but it also works to firm up the skin too. Lavera claims that when used every day, there will be a noticeable difference in your skin texture within two weeks – quite a claim, but one we can justify! Gently fragranced, the use of key ingredients, organic green coffee bean and green tea, help to stimulate the skin, for a soft and smooth finish. On the other hand, the use of rosemary and grape help to leave skin feeling silky-soft. It is lightweight to use and absorbs quickly, thankfully leaving no sticky residue. They suggest exfoliating first (Lavera has a rather lovely Smoothing Body Scrub) and applying daily. Whether you’re looking for body firming or not, we really liked the fragrance, feel and texture. Sensibly priced at £10.95 for a 200ml tube , it is available here.

Next, we have CeraVe’s Moisturising Cream, an impressive hyaluronic acid and ceramide based barrier cream, suitable for use on both the body and face, and gentle enough for eczema-prone skin. What are ceramides, I hear you ask; they are lipids that not only help to form the skin’s barrier and retain moisture but also protect against environmental pollution. This body moisturiser is particularly suitable for anyone with dry or very dry sensitive skin. CeraVe is a US brand developed in tandem with dermatologists, they have over 70 products to offer and what makes their product unique is their revolutionary delivery system: MultiVesicular Emulsion Technology (MVE). This technology releases moisturising ingredients over a 24 hour period, layer by layer, to help keep skin soft all day long. Ingredients are not natural, but they are fragrance free, non-comedogenic and hypoallergenic. CeraVe are also quick to point out that they have received more Seal of Acceptance awards from the National Eczema Association than any other brand, which makes them a very tried and tested brand. Available from Boots or Superdrug, this is an economical product, £8.50 for 177ml.

Our third body moisturiser is from the award-winning British brand PHB (Pure Handmade British) Ethical Beauty which is stuffed to the gunnels with delicious superfoods. This 2-in-1 Hand & Body Moisturiser has had us all cooing and oohing. We’ve been long-standing fans of PHB Ethical Beauty and have reviewed several of their products (and we hope many more) - see here. So when given the opportunity to try their new Hand & Body Moisturiser – we leapt at the chance! This brand is very special with 20% of their profits going to The OneLove Foundation (founded by PHB Ethical Beauty in 2015). All their products are made with ethically harvested and responsibly sourced ingredients that are 100% natural, vegan, cruelty-free and alcohol-free (Halal certified). They call this a “no-nonsense moisturiser” and we couldn’t agree more. It absorbs quickly and comes with a list of simple, natural and certified organic ingredients that perform; it feeds the skin with a pure and powerful blend of mango, shea butter, apricot and pumpkin seeds – we love both the fragrance and simplicity. It is available on the PHB website here for £16.60, in a 150ml recyclable tube.

Our final discovery are Liquid Body Washes from Fil Blanc (meaning “white thread” in French), perhaps best known for their high-quality Hammam Turkish cotton towelling (we have our eye on their multi-coloured hand woven bath robe). The brand’s inspiration is taken from Mediterranean luxury living, with a touch of bohemia thrown in. Fil Blanc is based in historical St. Nicholas Market at the Exchange Hall, Bristol where they started three years ago. All products are sourced or designed by the founder Gulsum Gok. She very kindly sent us two of their body washes Relaxing and Orange & Jasmine. All body washes are 99% natural with a 81.98 % organic base, also vegan, cruelty and paraben free. Again they come with a very simple list of ingredients: Relaxing is made with essential oils of geranium, lavender, orange and ylang-ylang; whereas Orange & Jasmine has only these. Both contain honey and aloe vera with an Argan oil base. At a reasonably priced £12 for 259ml you can purchase both here, or alternatively make a visit to their Bristol HQ.

Now there is no excuse not to implement a little body pampering!

Harmonising Body Wash & Harmonising Body Cream - Primavera

Whether it is cold and rainy, or hot and muggy, a good long shower is often the only thing that can lift your spirits. Washing away all the sweat, pollution, or rain seems to wash away the stress and negativity you can carry around. Not only is it relaxing, but having clean and nourished skin, we would argue, is the ultimate refresher and quick pick me up. As such we, at The Amazing Blog, were thrilled after being introduced to Primavera and their fantastic Harmonising Body Wash and Harmonising Body Cream.

Both products made us feel perfectly relaxed after the hustle and bustle of the day! With the cleansing scent of Rose and Osmanthus, we felt completely clean, ready and composed for the day and evening ahead. The mild foam of the Primavera Body Wash gently, but efficiently, removed dead and dry skin cells, as well as dirt, leaving our skin feeling fresh and healthy. The Body Wash contains plant oils and protective vitamins to help hydrate skin. We would recommend using Primavera’s, rich and luxurious, Harmonising Body Cream after your shower. The cream locks in moisture, leaving skin looking and feeling more revived and radiant all day long. The Organic Essential Rose Oil and Osmanthus Essential Oil promote cell renewal for an even tone. The Shea Butter and Organic Sallow Thorn Oil, which is rich in Vitamin E and pro-Vitamin A, both help to restore and maintain skin health, while also protecting it from developing wrinkles. We found that both products, but especially the body cream, were excellent at helping to sooth sunburn.

Both products smell amazing and are 100% natural, so you don’t have to worry about any harsh and drying chemicals. You can purchase the Harmonising Body Wash here for £13.00 and the Harmonising Body Cream here for £25.00. While you are on their site, have a little look at some of the other products they sell. Primavera offers a wide range of luxurious natural and organic skincare products, based on aromatherapy principles to help balance your body and your mind. 

Wild Rose Bath and Shower Gel and Wild Rose Hand and Body Lotion - White Swan

At The Amazing Blog, we like nothing more than to have squeaky clean and silky soft skin. We were thrilled to be sent White Swan’s Hand & Body Lotion as well as their Bath & Shower Gel. This brand is one of our great finds all the way from the USA. 

The motto of this company is to “Remember, there is more than one way to come out smelling like a rose.” Oh yes and they are so right... Unlike other rose perfumed body products that we have recently tried, which generally had a much sweeter and more artificial scent, these products left us smelling like crushed wild rose petals all day. We are happy to report that the products are all paraben, SLS and gluten free. We've found that the White Swan products are a deliciously natural way to complete our routine of moisturising and nourishing.  So much so we certainly came out smelling of roses!

With the weather never knowing what it’s doing, going from hot to cold to rainy to muggy all in a short space of time, it can be so hard to keep that fresh and clean feeling throughout the day. However, with the help of White Swan’s Hand & Body Lotion and Bath & Shower Gel as part of your bathroom routine, that certainly won’t be the case anymore. In particular, the Hand & Body lotion left our skin feeling silky smooth and fabulous all day!

Although White Swan is based in the USA, their products start from $7.50 and you can purchase their products here via PAYPAL.

Manuka Cleanser & Manuka Hand and Body Cream - Natural Being

Manuka Honey is usually in our go to list of ingredients for our skin care routine. Here at The Amazing Blog we had the chance to try a couple of Natural Being products formulated with Manuka Honey and we loved them!

Out of the 9 products in the range, we have tested the Manuka Cleanser and the Manuka Hand and Body Cream. They are both formulated with authentic, certified and natural Manuka Honey. This active honey possesses strong antimicrobial and antiseptic properties, it is rich in anti-aging antioxidants and naturally hydrates, protects and rejuvenates the skin.

The cleanser has a gentle and creamy texture that left us with a clear and refreshed skin and without a dehydrated feeling. The Manuka Honey helps soothing and maintains moisture, added to the Manuka Oil that ensures skin is clean and glossy. The cream works as an all-over moisturiser also infused with botanical oils. When we tried it, we definitely loved how easily it absorbed into our skin, leaving it soft and protected.

If you also enjoy Manuka Honey in your skin care, you can get the Natural Being cleanser here for £13, the cream here for £13.50; or any other products from its range here.