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!

We’re fans of goat’s milk and one of us here at The Amazing Blog drinks it regularly on a daily basis. Did you know that unlike cow’s milk, the enzymes in raw goat’s milk aids the digestion process? Thus making it more tolerable for not only humans but dogs too! So, we’re pleased to introduce you to our latest #amazingfinds with Chuckling Goat and their Kefir Lotions. These are a series of four different skin lotions which are good for using on the face and body that contain the same award-winning kefir and raw goat’s milk.

It all started when the founders Shann and Richard Jones were trying to find new ways in which to help their son Benji, who was suffering from eczema and chronic bronchial infections. This is when they discovered that by feeding him goats milk it helped his allergies, and so they went and bought their very first goat! The rest, as they say, is history and in 2014 Chuckling Goat was born. They have found themselves being hailed as gut health specialists, and now have 23 team members, 15 barn cats, 50 goats, and more than 200 000 pleased customers from 56 different countries from all around the world. They are a UK market leader in the production of raw goat’s milk and kefir which for those of you who are new to kefir, it’s a great immune booster and contributes to functioning the nervous system. Not only that it maintains the normal function of bones and skin and also reduces fatigue and tiredness. We love that Chuckling Goat has already donated more than £100,000 worth of their products to the NHS as part of their appreciation to those on the frontline. These Chuckling Goat Kefir Lotions are all handmade, cruelty-free, and suitable for pregnant women and children over 3 years old. All products are unisex and are primarily composed of goat’s milk, kefir, Finnish oat oil, rice bran oil and olive oil, and are either pure or with a specific essential oil. They are made in small batches by hand on the farm and made from food-grade ingredients.

First, we tried the Sensitive Kefir Lotion. Made with their raw goat’s milk, it contains valuable minerals, enzymes, and vitamins that help nourish your skin. Its key ingredients are goat milk, kefir, oat oil highly concentrated in antioxidants, and vitamin E, it softens and smoothens the skin. It also contains water and olive oil, this natural oil helps to decrease acne, hydrate, and moisturise the skin, and also contains antioxidant properties, therefore fights the bacteria along with other vitamins such as vitamin B5. This Sensitive Kefir is the only one of the lotions not to contain any essential oils (in case of skin sensitivity).

Next up, we have the Soothing Kefir Lotion this has the inclusion of a rosemary essential oil that acts as a refreshing astringent that helps the skin cells contract and also balances the skin tone. It has an antimicrobial benefit on the skin which helps prevent future breakouts, as well as vitamin B5. The smell is a very subtle rosemary.

The third product to try is the Calm-Down Kefir Lotion which is differentiated from the others because it contains lavender oil. The latter works to kill bacteria on the skin and therefore fights acne and other skin breakouts, it also is known for its ability to soothe eczema and help with dry skin conditions thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties. This amazingly fragranced lotion is ideal dry skin and was our favourite with the lavender fragrance which is so calming.

Last but not least, Break-out Kefir Lotion contains the divine tea tree oil which is known for its focused anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties that can help to reduce swelling and aid in giving a smooth and crystal-clear skin. This fourth Kefir Lotion contains thyme essential oil, a true skin fortifier which offers itchy-skin relief. Studies have shown it to be was more effective against acne bacteria, than the chemical ingredient benzoyl peroxide. The tea tree oil is also believed to be highly antibacterial and is commonly used to treat acne, athlete's foot, lice, nail fungus and insect bites.

With all these lotions having raw goat milk and kefir, it makes them ideal for keeping the right pH balance of the skin with the added benefit of the good bacteria. Let’s not forget to mention that these are free from phthalates, petrochemicals, parabens, dyes or artificial perfumes. These four handmade all-natural Chuckling Goat Kefir Lotions, each comes in 2 different handy sizes, 50ml and 150ml, and cost £8.95 and £17.95 respectively. Or you can buy the full set of four here for £26.95.