Nurme : Natural Deodorant Mandarin and Orange

At The Amazing Blog we know how important it is to stay fresh while living our busy and sometimes hectic lives. Whether we are running daily errands, going to the gym, or travelling, we all want to feel protected from unpleasant odours. We also love discovering new brands with natural or organic products that are not tested on animals and free from nasty chemicals. And let’s face it, no matter what the activity, we all want to smell our best! Today we are featuring Nurme’s Natural Mandarin & Orange Deodorant.

Nurme is an Estonian brand that has just celebrated 12 years of producing natural cosmetic products. The name stems from the Estonian word Nurm for meadow, a special place from childhood for Marit Tiits, co-founder of the brand. For her a meadow is a place that “always brought me joy was full of surprises, and when needed, offered comfort.” Nurme is a business built and run by a mother-daughteriew, duo, Marit and Luule Tiits, who decided to combine their knowledge, skills and drive to create this business when the financial crisis of 2009 arrived, resulting in redundancy notices for them both. Marit began by making handmade soaps and bath cosmetics in her home kitchen; she created unique gifts for friends and family. Marit describes it best: “At first, I thought that soap is just a nice accessory in the bathroom and never thought of washing myself with it. The excitement was even greater when I realised that I had managed to change the world.” When Marit became a mother herself, it became clear that skin problems affected many people and that your soap choice is the starting point in helping restore your skin. They found that your skin’s condition could improve by 80 per cent with a suitable natural soap.  Nurme strives to create “100% natural and organic products” literally from head to toe. Since 2009, they have been producing handmade and natural products with aromatherapy, body, skin and hair care products; and are also a multi-award-winning brand (see here).

The range of products from Nurme are created using only natural, herbal ingredients that offer gentle ingredients for both skin and hair. This same concept is used to formulate Nurme’s Natural Deodorant, which contains odour-neutralising essential oils and baking soda to prevent the spread of odorous bacteria. The other key ingredients here include cornstarch, which is excellent for absorbing moisture; coconut oil, which is used for its antibacterial properties to help reduce odour-causing bacteria. Plus beeswax, which is used as a natural consistency stabiliser and shea butter which leaves a non-greasy feel while moisturising the skin. Last but not least, Nurme uses sunflower seed oil due to its anti-inflammatory properties, which also benefits dry skin. Marit notes that “it can be said that basically all the oils, fats, waxes, essential oils, and extracts used in Nurme products are skin superfoods.” This natural deodorant is aluminium and paraben-free, without synthetic dyes or fragrances. Nurme’s Natural Mandarin & Orange Deodorant uses mandarin peel oil and sweet orange peel oil to give it the delicious citrus scent. To go along with their natural products, Nurme utilises “zero waste” packaging for their deodorant, made out of cardboard, so that it is environmentally friendly. This deodorant was duly put through its paces with pilates, workouts and brisk walks. It passed our test, as we stayed fragrant with no evidence of any nasty niffs. It's easy to use; just push up at the base of the cardboard tube and apply the balm to your underarms. If like us, you love natural deodorants that smell ‘natural’ and then this one is for you. Plus, it’s already gained worldwide recognition winning a silver at 2021 The Global Green Beauty Awards. Nurme’s 80g Natural Mandarin & Orange Deodorant is available here for €12.60 and also in five other fragrances. 

Berrichi: Travel Set

For the first time in over a year, people are finally travelling again! Whether it’s a quick dash for a weekend getaway or a more relaxing fortnight, everyone deserves a holiday after this tough 18 months. At The Amazing Blog we’re excited to be travelling again, and have been looking for travel-sized skincare that fits neatly into our hand luggage. You many remembered the brand Berrichi (see here).  Well, today we’re talking about their Berrichi’s Travel Set.

Berrichi,  is a natural skincare brand from Estonia, and was founded by Berit Joosep. Joosep’s dry, allergic skin and inflammation caused her to look for help from pure nature, and began mixing creams in her kitchen. Her inspiration first came from herbal medicine books and her grandmother’s wisdom, and then she discovered healing properties of algae after a trip to Bali. After two years of research, algae and super-oils became the key ingredients in the creams — these algae-based antioxidants astaxanthin and furcellaria have been studied, tested, and scientifically proven to give results. The astaxanthin is an extract derived from the green algae haematococcus pluvialis and when compared to other antioxidants, it is an astonishing 6000 x stronger than vitamin C, 3000 x stronger than reservatrol, 800 x stronger than CoQ10, 560 x stronger than green tea catechins, and 500 x stronger than vitamin E!  The red algae furcellaria, found in the Baltic Sea, is a potent neutraliser of free radicals, anti-pollution and removes toxins. Combine these super-algae, and they become very potent botanicals in this skincare. Berrichi is based on the idea that our body can heal itself when balanced. The name Berrichi comes from Berit’s nickname “berri” and the word “chi,” which stands for life, energy, and soul. Therefore, “Berrichi awakens your skin’s natural ability to regenerate, activates your skin’s own chi.” The brand has won many awards, two of the most recent being the Beauty Shortlist Awards 2020 Editor’s Choice. They say, “Berrichi’s products are unique and effective. They awaken the body’s natural ability to regenerate and heal.” They export globally and are recognised for leading the way with ‘clean beauty’ and their unique botanicals. The products are free from parabens, sulphates, phthalates, artificial fragrances, vegan and cruelty-free. They are also dermatologically tested and have and Ecocert COSMOS certification.

This useful Berrichi’s Travel Set includes ten small sachets of their Day-Age Defence and ten small sachets of their Night Powder Age Defence; which, as they say, allows you to “travel in comfort with your favourite creams.” Each sachet has 2 ml of cream, which gives you 40 ml total. Both the Day-Age Defence and the Night Powder Age Defence is suitable for all skin types.and apart from the astaxanthin and furcellaran algae, the other main ingredients in both are aloe vera extract and a selection of oils that include cacay nut, avocado and apricot kernel. Berrichi’s Day Age Defence Cream is velvety soft and fast-absorbing; it really nourishes and moisturises the skin. The cream also soothes irritated, allergic, and inflamed skin giving a radiant and fresh looking complexion as well as a more even skin tone. In addition, the cream restores the skin’s natural balance, prevents and reduces wrinkles, protects from environmental stressors, and can be a makeup base or primer. Berrichi’s Night Powder Age Defence restores hydration nourishing the skin while you sleep. The cream improves collagen production and restores the skin’s natural protective barriers, slowing down the signs of ageing. It also improves the skin’s elasticity and firmness, restores the skin’s natural balance, prevents and reduces wrinkles, and protects from environmental stressors. Again, apart from the algae and the other ingredients (mentioned above) there is also retinol/vitamin A. This is a potent fat-soluble vitamin; it accelerates skin renewal by stimulating microcirculation, which speeds up new skin cell production, giving an anti-ageing effect.  If you, like us, you want to take Berrichi’s Travel Set with you for your next trip, you can purchase it here for 28.00€.