Circulove : CALM Face & Eye Serum

At The Amazing Blog new skincare ingredients always pique our interest, and when we learnt about this CALM Face & Eye Serum by Circulove, with its biotic actives designed to deliver probiotic benefits directly into the skin – we knew this was a must-try! 

Circulove is a Scandinavian brand that was founded in Finland in 2020. Where a group of designers, natural cosmetics chemists, beauticians, nurses and lifestyle professionals have come together to create this brand to help people live a “more sustainable and purposeful lifestyle while enhancing their natural beauty.” The idea of a circular lifestyle is the basis of Circulove. The concept of circularity focuses on cycles in the sense that things should be reused and recycled. Circularity considers entire ecosystems, like social, cultural, natural, and human capital, and the benefits of these systems. With this ideal in mind, their goal from day one has been “to create clean, biotic skincare products with no compromises.” Päivi Paltola, the founder of Circulove, was concerned with the increased occurrences of greenwashing and began investigating circular design principles to try and create “more purposeful beauty.”  Circulove is committed to following the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s), which are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a blueprint for achieving a better and more sustainable future. Anyone can see their commitment to these values and goals, with toxic-free products and less waste; they use 30% ocean waste plastic for their recyclable mono-material bottles and organic by-products from the food industry for ingredients. The plastic used is recycled waste plastic collected from the Java Sea, meaning Circulove contributes to the ocean clean-up movement. They also promote up-cycling and transparent supplier networks, scrutinizing their own carbon footprint, by using 85% of Finnish or local Scandinavian ingredients in their products. Paltola says it best, “we know we are on a lifelong learning journey, and we believe that every action counts.” They are also FI-NATURA certified.

The CALM Face & Eye Serum hydrates, soothes and protects the skin. What makes this serum ‘different’ is that it combines vegan prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics with eight luxury plant extracts and oils to help reset the skin taking it back to its original and natural state. Prebiotics are compounds that induce the growth or activity of beneficial microorganisms and may help improve the skin’s barrier function. Applying topical prebiotics and probiotics to the skin is the most effective and direct way to affect the skin’s microbiome. Postbiotics include enzymes, peptides, and cell surface proteins and are a by-product of the fermentation process of the probiotics. The ingredients in this serum are fermented for 3-5 weeks, which is the chemical breakdown process of the prebiotics and postbiotics. Following the fermentation process,the plant extracts and oils are then added. The CALM Face & Eye Serum helps reduce redness, creates long-lasting moisture, protects against free radicals, and balances the skin’s pH and oiliness. The beauty of this serum is that it is suitable for all skin types, and can significantly help those with sensitive, rosacea, couperose or atopic skin. The CALM Face & Eye Serum contains a few other key ingredients. The antioxidant and flavonoid plant extracts are derived from lady’s mantle,  blueberry and lingonberry. The pure oils here are raspberry seed, jojoba and sunflower, hemp, and rosehip all of which are rich in essential fatty acids such as omegas 3 & 6, vitamin E and antioxidants. The vegan prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics come from fermented oats and tapioca; the slow fermentation process ensures that these ingredients stay nutrient-dense. Beyond these ingredients, Circulove has provided a detailed ingredients list that includes the country of origin (the list can be found here ) where the brand delivers full transparency for each product - and we’re obsessed! In their efforts to create sustainable products, the packaging is airless, designed specifically for their all-natural skincare, and this design lets you use every last drop of the product since the bottom of the packaging rises as you use it. The simple white opaque bottle ensures that the natural ingredients retain their integrity. Each of Circulove’s products are free from mineral oil, parabens, phthalates, sulphates, silicones, chemical sunscreen, nano zinc oxide colourants, added perfumes and GMOs. 

To use the CALM Face & Eye Serum apply to clean skin on the face, under the eyes and around the lips - both day and night. NB: We found that the airless pump required a quick 5-10 pumps to activate before using. It can be used alone for combination or oily skin, or if like us you have normal to dry skin, then use it prior to moisturiser or face oil. The fragrance gave us a delicious hint of berries combined with green tea. It felt like a lotion to apply and absorbed quickly as It’s light to the touch, but super-hydrating once on the skin, and yes, we’d say it’s yet another of our #amazingfinds. The 30ml CALM Face & Eye Serum is available for purchase directly from Circulove’s website here for € 59.00.

Fiini Naturally: Balm To Cleanser - Gentle Oat, Oat & Bilberry Powder Face Mask and Oat Sea Buckthorn Oil Serum

How come so many of us have sensitive skins at the moment? At The Amazing Blog, we've noticed that with this type of skin, there's always something that triggers it - whether it's stress, strong sunlight, city pollution or cold weather. We recently discovered Fiini Naturally, a Finnish organic brand immersed in natural and raw ingredients, who are environment-friendly with products for beauty and home - all are aimed specifically at helping sensitive skins. Let’s tell you more about them…

Fiini Naturally was founded by two longstanding friends Heidi and Essi from northern Finland, who share the same interests and are linked by their appreciation of well-being and nature. Unable to find suitable natural everyday products in their local stores, either for themselves or their pets. This spurred Heidi on to start producing natural formulas for her pets; whereas Essi focused on developing skincare formulas for extra sensitive skins. When the first large-scale trial of their first product the Oat and Honey Cream was successful, this inspired them to explore more regional raw materials and formulas. Eventually, they came up with more product aimed at treating the diverse skin ailments for their friends and family. For the brand, honesty is as important as the ethics. This is why all formulas are kept simple, cruelty-free and with organic ingredients which are mostly INCI certified (marked with an INCI star). Being respectful of the environment, this means no chemical preservatives, additives and all formulas come in large sizes with recyclable packaging. This genuine interest in preserving the environment and responsible business practice has made them a member of the Finnish Eko Entrepreneurs Association, which certifies their environmentally-friendly working methods and processing. They kindly send us three of their products to try, all of which contain their special hero ingredient of Finnish oat oil. 

The first product to talk about is the Balm to Milk Cleanser – Gentle Oat. This is a moisturising and balancing balm and the perfect cleanser for all skin types, it cleanses all impurities, pollution and make-up. In this gentle fragrance-free formula, it’s full of antioxidants, vitamin E, fatty acids, amino acids and beta-glucans. All of which are present in the oat oil to help nourish, protect and relieve the skin and boost its elasticity - while the jojoba oil here works its magic to balance the skin. To use, simply massage gently on dry face, then add water and continue massaging where you will see it transform from the balm consistency to a milky one, and then rinse off. We found it excellent for removing everyday makeup (no eye stinging!) and also for perking up skin first thing in the morning. This 156ml jar of Balm to Milk Cleanser – Gentle Oat was our favourite out of the trio we tried. It’s available here for €38.90.

The Oat & Bilberry Powder Face Mask  is the second product sent. This raw powder face mask was recently a bronze winner at the Global Green Beauty Awards 2020. Again, perfectly suitable for sensitive or atopic skins, it’s more of a treatment where it hydrates and gently cleanses, making the skin feel softer with a more even skin tone. Like the Balm to Milk Cleanser – Gentle Oat, this mask powder contains the same bundle of organic ingredients – the Finnish oat oil moisturises and boosts the circulation and collagen production. This Powder Face Mask is also enriched with ground rice which helps the skin renew its pigment, and the vitamin E here nourishes. The pink clay is here to minimise couperose, and the freeze-dried Finnish bilberries soothe and calm the skin thanks to their anti-inflammatory action. To use, we mixed 2 teaspoons of powder mask with a teaspoon organic yoghurt (or you can use water), plus a few drops of serum to give an extra smooth skin. Mix together until it becomes pasty, then we applied this on to a dry face and let it sit for 10-15 minutes, rinsing off with warm water. We used only once or twice a week, which refreshed and brightened our skin. Again, this comes in a 156ml glass jar and is available for €22.90 here.

And last but not least, the Oat-Sea Buckthorn Oil Serum the third product. In this oil serum, the oat oil once again features helping to moisturise and revitalise. It also stimulates the skin’s metabolism, increasing elasticity, and the production of collagen. This serum contains jojoba and vitamin E, as well as Finnish sea buckthorn oil to ensure maximum cellar renewal. It’s a potent antioxidant that offers a soothing action and reduces inflammation for those with sensitive skins. We enjoyed experimenting with mixing this serum with the Powder Face Mask and also with our regular day and night cream which boosted their antioxidant and vitamin content. This comes in a 30ml tinted glass bottle and is available for purchase at €34.90 here. Initially developed for skins that face harsh everyday conditions, we think Fiini Naturally  will soon become your go-to for all things eco and sensitive skin-friendly orientated. Plus see all their home care products on the website here - we can’t wait to try these next!