Halal

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!

Hand Wash, Body Wash & Hydrating Conditioner - Tamese&Jackson

Here at The Amazing Blog, we love winding down from a long week with a nice hot bath, fragrant candle, and a copy of the new James Patterson book. We love anything that can make our bathing experience more relaxing, and Tamese&Jackson’s Lime&Reyhan Body Wash, Lime&Reyhan Hydrating Conditioner, and Blue Orchid Hand Wash will take you to a world of tranquility.

Tamese & Jackson has created a collection that will have you relaxed within a matter of moments. Containing ginger root extract, the body wash and hydrating conditioner have natural anti-oxidant properties known to stimulate and improve the skin and scalp by removing toxins. The hydrating conditioner stimulates the hair follicles, leaving your hair feeling smooth and silky. The Blue Orchid hand wash contains papaya fruit extract, which will hydrate your skin, making it feel smooth and soft. All three products are paraben-free, suitable for vegetarians, and halal certified as well!

To get that relaxing bathing experience, check out Tamese & Jackson products; Blue Orchid Hand Wash here for £3.95, Lime & Reyhan Body Wash here for £3.95, and the Hydrating Conditioner here for £5.95.

Lingham’s Chilli Sauces

Temperatures are dropping and here at The Amazing Blog, we’re putting a bit of heat back into our lives with Lingham’s Chilli Sauces. Who doesn’t love a nice soup with a spicy twist? The range of sauces by Lingham will do the job whether you like it super-hot or not.

Lingham's have been created sauces since 1908, to an Asian traditional recipe. What's great about their sauces, and makes them so unique, is their ingredients list: fresh chillies, salt, vinegar and sugar. You get what you see. No artificial colours or flavours and no preservatives. Nothing but natural ingredients to offer you the best culinary experience ever.

We personally had a lot of fun experimenting in the kitchen as the sauces go with practically everything! Great as a dipping sauce, or pop a bit in a noodle soup - if you fancy a bit of a morning kick whack some in your scrambled eggs to help wake you up in the morning.

Make sure you try the entire range; Original Chilli SauceGinger  & GarlicExtra Hot Chilli (made with bird’s eye chillies) and the traditional SriRacha (a tangy hot sauce). Whatever your taste, there's something to suit everyone. They’ve also been approved by the Vegetarian Society and are also Halal and Kosher.

You can find Lingham’s Chilli Sauce at Waitrose for £1.69, so don’t waste anymore time and stock up your kitchen before winter properly hits.