Herbal Earth: Sheer Tinted Lip Balms

As chilly mornings are still with us, we thought we’d share some new natural lip protection, with these Sheer Tinted Lip Balms from Herbal Earth. These four hydrating balms keep lips moist, are long-lasting and taste delicious! Regular readers of The Amazing Blog may be familiar with the name brand, as we reviewed their much-loved No 42 Antioxidant Facial Oil here.

Driven to find natural products with quality ingredients specifically formulated for even the most sensitive skin types, Nancy O'Reilly founded the Irish skincare Herbal Earth Skincare in 2017. Herbal Earth is a small-batch indie skincare range that, in her own words, "combines the best of nature and science to create advanced natural products for sensitive skin." Like many of us, Nancy became frustrated that even though many creams and serums made claims to be formulated for all skin types, they still caused irritation. This spurred her on to create Herbal Earth, a brand that aligns with being: "Natural. Gentle. Honest." Nancy graduated in Organic Skincare Formulation from Formula Botanica, where she has utilised her knowledge and expertise. According to an article by EMPOWER Female Entrepreneurship, "The brand is targeted at women aged between 35-55 who have sensitive skin, and are into wellness and natural products.” All products are handmade, vegan, cruelty-free, natural, and suitable for every skin type. They were a recent finalist in the 2022 Irish Made Awards and a 2022 Beauty Shortlist Mama & Baby Awards winner. It’s also important to note their commitment to sustainability, where consumers can order refill pouches of products which reduces waste, plus all packaging is recyclable or biodegradable. Future plans are to power their production using renewable energy from wind and solar technologies, enabling them to implement new initiatives to further minimise their environmental footprint and support Mother Nature.

What we love is that these Herbal Earth Sheer Tinted Lip Balms offer subtle and sheer pops of colour in a range of four colours: Perfect Plum, Deep Rose, Sangria, and Guava Lava. Perfect Plum has a purple hue, while Deep Rose has a deep pink. Sangria has a rich red tint, while Guava Lava is a softer coral. Warm reds and coral always look good on skin with a warmer undertone, while deep purples and pinks complement a cooler skin tone. Their Perfect Plum and Deep Rose echo the shade ‘viva magenta,’ Pantone’s 2023 Colour of the Year described as a "bright, crimson red, it balances boldness with a feeling of fun", a shade we’ve already spotted on the cover of Vogue and the 2023 spring/summer fashion runways.

These Sheer Tinted Balms contain hydrating ingredients such as calendula infused in rice bran oil and castor seed for shine. The candelilla wax offers a protective barrier and is a popular alternative to beeswax in vegan products. There’s also cacao and cupuacu seed oil, which gives this lip balm a delicious aroma and taste. Then there are the colours, they use varying amounts of manganese violet, for its purple or violet shade, and iron oxide for its red hue used to create the orangey/red tones.

All have the naturally occurring white pigment titanium dioxide, increasing the colours' brightness and opacity. Mica is present, too; it’s an ethically sourced and naturally-occurring mineral used for its light-reflecting properties, adding a touch of sparkle and shine to the balms. It also gives a smooth, clump-free texture and improves skin adhesion, helping the tint to last. Combine the mica and titanium dioxide, and they offer a glossy, pearlescent effect. These carefully selected ingredients are all-natural, vegan and contain no essential oils. Finally, they’re housed in simple wind-up polypropylene plastic tubes, which are 100% recyclable.

Something to note is that a tinted lip balm is not the same as lipstick or gloss. Formulated with translucent pigments, they have more natural hydrating oils or waxes and are primarily designed to provide lip nourishment instead of colour. Did you know that lips are 100 times more sensitive than fingertips? They have more than a million different nerve endings and have only 3 to 6 layers of cells, compared to the 16 layers elsewhere in the body. The lip’s blood vessels are close to the surface, which gives the lips their rosy pink/red hue. Red lips are perceived as more sexually appealing than pale ones, which is why the use of red lip pigments throughout the ages has always been so widespread.

These are brilliant and affordable sheer lip balms, and another of our #amazingfinds; they feel smooth and silky and can be reapplied as and when needed. Individual lip balms are £6.56 (€7.50) for 4.5ml, and a multi-pack including all four colours + a clear moisturising lip balm is £26.27 (€30.00). All Herbal Earth Sheer Tinted Lip Balms can be purchased here.

L’abeille : Hyaluron-3 Hydration Essence

Some days, our erratic British weather feels like it’s constantly drying out our skin. So, at The Amazing Blog, we're always on the lookout for a serum that will help with skin hydration and luminosity. And today, this is another of our #amazingfinds with the award-winning Hyaluron-3 Hydration Essence by the South African beauty brand L’abeille, which collected an Editor’s Choice, and we were lucky enough to judge for the 2022 Beauty Shortlist Awards.

Karen Potgieter officially founded the South African brand L'abeille in 2017. Her first foray into the world of skincare began with her first range Bee Pure in 2013. However, four years later, Karen decided that she wanted to produce a more high-performance natural skincare line to work on a cellular level and with more scientifically proven claims. After lots of research and studying, she created L'abeille. Karen told Formula Botanica, "I am very fortunate to have a well-equipped lab on the farm in South Africa, and am able to work from home. It all started after our first honey harvest. I started researching all the amazing benefits of honey & the use of beeswax in skincare." Being of French descent, Karen decided to combine her love for both Africa and France. The brand uses high-performance actives found in African oils, some botanicals harvested from the coast of Brittany, France. The honey and floral extracts in L'abeille come from her bee colonies on the farm. These colonies are vital to sustaining their flowers. This is also why they chose the name L'abeille which translates to "the bee" in French, and the brand has a clean beauty ethos. "From our raw material sourcing to the production lines, we are committed to providing luxury skincare of unparalleled excellence and revolutionary results. Our ingredients are carefully selected locally and abroad from trusted and honest suppliers." L'abeille uses quality ingredients that are sustainably sourced, environmentally friendly, and cruelty-free. The brand also promises full transparency between the company and the customer. It includes bio-based/bio-available and bio/nature-identical ingredients to optimise skincare benefits without compromising on their ethos. With a constant commitment to research and development, all products are scientifically engineered and this is where they aim to stay at the forefront of the clean beauty movement. . Their packaging is in Miron glass, the violet glass is an excellent all-natural, high-vibrational frequency container that can preserve and protect from UV damage and enhance the quality of ingredients. The brand is no stranger to winning awards, see here.

We loved using this Hyaluron-3 Hydration Essence; it’s made with three different molecular weights of hyaluronic acid and sodium PCA (hence the name). These enhance hydration and make skin appear firm and plump. The key ingredients here are pentylene glycol, polysiphonia elongata microalgae extracts, niacinamide and ectoin. These combined to help to significantly improve the skin's quality, density and dullness for smoother, brighter, and more luminous skin.

Let’s look at those key ingredients; hyaluronic acid, as well all know, has many skin benefits. It's excellent for skin hydration as it locks moisture into your skin. The sodium PCA, in essence, has humectant properties. This attracts moisture from the air and retains moisture in the skin. Sodium PCA also has anti-ageing, anti-inflammatory, and skin protectant properties. The pentylene glycol is sourced from sugarcane and corn and is a by-product. It’s also known for its hydrating properties and solvent to aid penetration of other ingredients, helps improve the formula’s texture and is a mild preservative. The polysiphonia elongata microalgae extracts claim to help with ageing signs such as fine lines or wrinkles. This red species of microalgae extract improves and brightens the complexion, aiding in hydration whilst revitalising and toning. What interested us is that these algae in vitro studies show an extraordinary collagen increase of up to 35%! It’s full of essential vitamins and antioxidants that protect skin and repair previous damage, protecting the skin against harmful free radicals. The ectoin is an active cell protector (against pollution). It’s hailed as a revolutionary nourishing ingredient with a patented cell protection booster that protects skin from environmental stressors and photo-ageing, which is done by binding molecules and forming hydration shells around skin cells. Niacinamide is (AKA vitamin B3) along with being one of the best ingredients for anti-ageing, niacinamide has lots of other skin benefits. Vitamin B3 is known for helping with fading hyperpigmentation. Because it also produces ceramides and elastin, this ingredient also helps strengthen the skin's natural protective barrier. This allows it to fight against free radicals that cause DNA damage from everyday pollutants. Lastly, niacinamide is safe for all skin types, including those who have a sensitive skin.

Other ingredients present are jojoba seed oil, vanilla planifolia, lavender and jasmine oil. Vanilla planifolia fruit, commonly referred to as vanilla bean, is a source of catechins (also known as polyphenols), which have antioxidant activity and serve as skin-soothing agents. Lavender oil moisturises and is non-comedogenic for pores, and is skin calming. It also has antibacterial properties meaning it kills harmful bacteria that might infiltrate the pores. Jasmine oil has strong moisturising properties and is full of antioxidants and actives that help to stimulate cellular regeneration.

The Hyaluron-3 Hydration Essence has a viscous texture, a cross between a liquid and gel; it’s been created to help make the complexion brighter, smoother, and more luminous. We loved using this as a first skincare step, using it on the face, neck, and décolleté. A huge bonus is that it’s safe and gentle enough to use around the eye area and really helps to plump out fine lines. L'Abeille recommends using the products before applying heavier serums and creams; we used it alone, day and night, and also with our regular moisturiser. It has the subtlest natural fragrance, so it won’t conflict if you use it in conjunction with other skincare products. It’s always of interest to us when a brand has cutting-edge formulas where science meets nature, and L’abeille certainly has this! We loved the performance of this serum, and would heartily recommend this to anyone looking for an excellent newt skin-boosting serum. To purchase the 50ml Hyaluron-3 Hydration Essence, for R1290 (which is approximately £63.68), see here. 

Herbal Earth - No 42 Antioxidant Facial Oil

At The Amazing Blog we like to give our readers the ‘heads-up’ when we find a new natural skincare brand with eco ingredients and biodegradable and recyclable packaging. That’s why today we want to talk about Herbal Earth’s No. 42 Antioxidant Facial Oil.

Based in Ireland, Herbal Earth was founded in 2017 by Nancy O’Reilly to “provide natural solutions to common problems.” A year into this business, Nancy graduated with a diploma in Organic Skincare Formulation from Formula Botanica, where the knowledge and education she received have helped her create a range of skincare that is honest, natural, and gentle. The ingredients are simple yet effective, with no cheap fillers or exaggerated claims, and are “rich in high-performance components carefully selected for their skin benefits.”  Nancy believes that creating clean skincare is crucial, but knows that sustainability goes beyond just the ingredients. Inspired by the trailblazing Jo Chidley from Beauty Kitchen, Nancy has adopted a similar “return, refill and repeat scheme” for her products. With this process, once you finish your favourite Herbal Earth product, you simply return the bottles to Herbal Earth, where they will clean and sanitise the glass jar to be used again. This process allows everyone to feel good about their choices in a world that is consumed by increasing waste and overconsumption. Beyond this approach, Herbal Earth uses biodegradable packaging to help reduce its impact on our planet and are looking to install wind and solar technologies to power production and run the office. Plus, they have partnered with Mossy Earth a global organisation that helps rewild the planet. Herbal Earth’s goal is to “combine the best of nature and science to create natural skincare for sensitive skin.” 

What we like about Herbal Earth’s No. 42 Antioxidant Facial Oil is that it protects the skin from harmful effects of pollution, UVA, UVB and blue light (HEV) damage; while also nourishing and repairing the skin and its natural barrier. Launched in June last year, this award-winning facial oil is packed with natural antioxidants and botanicals with scientifically proven benefits. Let’s talk about the ingredients; each has its own unique benefit and is delivered in a concentrated oil form. Passion fruit seed is high in vitamin C, which promotes collagen formation and reduces redness; it also has soothing and anti-inflammatory properties. Marula seed is high in antioxidants and fatty acids and so it helps improve the skin’s ability to hold moisture. Watermelon seeds are full of vitamin C and magnesium, which enhances the complexions overall appearance. Grapeseed is high in vitamin E and other vitamins and minerals; these strengthen collagen and maintain elastin. It is also known to be “exceptionally high in the omega-6 fatty acid”, leaving a lightweight feel while penetrating the many layers of skin. The next ingredient in this facial oil is meadowfoam seed, an oil pulled from the seeds of the meadowfoam flower; it delivers nutrients deep into the skin while also locking in moisture. Astaxanthin, here, is one the most potent antioxidant that can be found, belonging to the carotenoid group. Carotenoids are the most widespread group of pigments that are found in nature, visibly seen in algae, lobster, salmon, and prawns. This is where astaxanthin improves the appearance of fine lines and protects the skin against UVA, UVB and blue light damage. Last but not least, are frankincense and myrrh. These two ingredients are both derived from tree sap and are best known for their fragrance in incense. Frankincense is known for being antifungal and for rejuvenating damaged skin. Myrrh is an ancient ingredient that dates back to Ancient Egypt when used for face masks and other cosmetic purposes. This extract has rejuvenating properties, where it evens skin tone giving a more youthful-looking appearance.

This facial oil is a glorious rich russet colour, probably from carotenoid in the astaxanthin, and has a subtle warm and slightly wood scent, all of which help the skin “recapture its radiant glow.” Best of all, for those with sensitive skin, this No. 42 Antioxidant Facial Oil doesn’t contain any essential oils or nut oils. To use simply apply 1 or 2 pumps day and night to damp skin, and then gently massage in an upward and outward movement. According to Herbal Earth, an impressive 86.7% of users tested said their skin was smoother and more moisturised. Made in small batches with only natural ingredients, Herbal Earth pays particular attention to the little details that make this facial oil stand out. If you live in Ireland, this facial oil is included in Herbal Earth’s sustainability initiatives by offering a refill purchase option. If you choose just to refill your facial oil, you will receive a bottle with a cap (you need to hang onto your pump insert for reuse) and this option is sent without a product box, reducing paper waste. The No. 42 Antioxidant Facial Oil is available in a 30 ml jar for €54.95 or a mini, 3ml jar for €7.50 here.