Luxju Natural Hair Care Products

We keep seeing the motto: ‘Happiness is a good hair day’ pop up on Pinterest, and some of us here at The Amazing Blog couldn’t agree more! So, finding a completely natural hair care and styling brand that offers a solution for those of us with fine and frizzy hair – is a joy. Let us introduce you to Luxju Natural Hair Products who we met at a trade show late last year. Their founder set us a challenge, to see if her styling products made any real difference to our hair.

The name Luxju comes from the word luxurious, and most certainly these products feel just that. From her own experience, the founder Veronica J is only too aware of the struggle that some women face with either textured hair that has coils, curls or has been chemically processed.  Her frustration was that she couldn’t find any effective ‘natural’ products to use on her own hair. That’s when she had a light-bulb moment. Working closely with specialist labs, she went on to develop unique formulations that only have the highest quality natural and organic ingredients. They are also vegan and free from parabens, mineral oils, petroleum; plus they are cruelty, gluten, colour and fragrance-free. All of the products help to soften, nourish, hydrate the hair and define curls. For those of us here with frizzy, curly and unruly locks, this sounded like a recipe for true happiness.

Veronica very kindly gave us the trio from the range to try. The very first product we used was the Luxju Nourishing Hair Mist.  It is specially designed to moisturise the scalp and keep hair healthy, soft and conditioned. The mist is super-light with purified water that’s enriched with aloe vera to help repair dead skin cells on the scalp and leave the hair smooth and shiny; the green tea extract helps fight scalp dryness or dandruff and amla fruit that helps to thicken the hair. We used this spray as the first item from the trio, by spraying it onto our scalp and dry hair. It felt fresh and cool, and helped to ‘refresh the hair’ leaving it feeling more hydrated; and although this is fragrance-free, there was a delicious hint of a green tea/coconut combo.

Next, we used the Luxju Nourishing Hair Crème. This product aims to bring strength, curl definition and moisture to the hair. We loved how rich and buttery the texture felt when applied, and it melted beautifully into our damp hair before styling.  We also liked the key ingredients (similar to above) plus aloe vera, baobab and neem seed and coconut oil all of which are famed for moisturising dry hair and adding shine and softness.

For the finishing touch, we used Luxju Nourishing Frizz Control Oil. What we liked about this special Oil is that you can control frizz, flyaway hair days, plus keep your hair from being dry and brittle. The combination of key ingredients like castor, sesame, broccoli and camellia seeds help to seal in moisture like no other – without leaving the hair lank and greasy. Castor seed oil thickens hair and reduces split ends and the sesame seed oil nourishes and strengthens hair from the roots. Top tip from us, make sure to use this product on dry or damp hair from roots to tip to achieve optimum results.

Conclusion? Well, we took the challenge and Veronika we think you have some winning products here because they really do work! Please can you develop a shampoo and conditioner for us too? Regardless of your hair type, we think that these three products can be used every day to rock gorgeous hair! You can purchase items individually starting from £41 each here

PARA’KITO®

There’s really nothing quite like a run around the pond in Hyde Park or an evening stroll after work around the boating lake in Battersea Park, refreshing, energising and invigorating. However, at The Amazing Blog, we’re all only too aware of the dreaded mosquito bites that come with the territory of being near still water. We may get a great workout but then return home covered in itchy bites. This is when we discovered PARA’KITO® to help solve the problem.

According to PARA’KITO®, the world is a wonderful place full of exciting adventures. They want you to embrace this world, go travel and explore - all free from the nuisance of mosquitoes! Hence, the brand has created a new generation of topical repellents to combat mosquitoes and ticks. Cleverly they have achieved the feat of combining a mosquito repellent with extremely effective natural formulations for optimal protection that you can trust.

After several years of research and development with a team of determined biochemists, the brand has created some unique formulations. While traditional mosquito repellents tend to resort to alcohol and chemical surfactants as binders, PARA’KITO®, has incorporated patented technologies with only natural formulations in water-based or dry oil formulas.

The brand has released two key ranges of products.  The first being a repellent for tropical areas and the second is a repellent for regions in Europe. These come as a roll-on and spray product, these include cellulose and clay (ClayCell technology) allowing PARA’KITO® to avoid the toxic impacts of active ingredients through the skin and potentially into the bloodstream. It uses a mineral (clay) and vegetal extract (cellulose) as binders, with no alcohol or synthetic surfactants. These are able to reduce the repellent actives’ penetration into the epidermis, enhancing product efficacy. Furthermore, PARA’KITO® also uses Citrepel which contains PMD in its products, thus setting the company apart from traditional repellent brands. Citrepel is a natural derivative of citronella Java essential oil. It has the highest and most stable concentration of PMD (p-menthane-diol), a repellent very effective on a wide variety of insects, especially mosquitoes and ticks. PMD is the only natural repellent that provides the most protection against mosquitoes. It acts on the sensory receptors of mosquitoes with a level of efficacy similar to the 3 other active ingredients which are synthetic chemicals (DEET, IR3535 and Icaridin). That’s all the technical stuff!

PARA’KITO® have quite a few different types of repellents, one is a Pellet filled with natural essential oils which is worn as a wrist or ankle band. Made of comfy neoprene and comes with two refills that diffuse as a unique cocktail of natural essential oils that effectively mask our olfactory signals. These pellets last up to 15 days and include ingredients of citronella, rosemary geranium mint, clove and peppermint essential oils.

The products we tried were five from the range (see above photo). Let’s start with the Family Spray and Roll On in the green range, which is for Europe. They provide complete protection for the whole family for 8 hours against tiger mosquitoes and 5 hours against ticks.  Whereas The Tropical Spray and Roll On is a stronger formula for up to 10 hours protection against tiger mosquitoes and up to 6 hours against the Anopheles (malaria vector) as well as 7 hours against ticks.  Both ranges come with a wristband too – best for full protection - see here both the Roll-Ons and Sprays start from £14.95 ea. They feel gentle on the skin and smell deliciously of citronella without a trace of anything chemical (i.e. DEET!) Each helps safeguard you against mosquitoes depending on the geographical region that you’re in. What sets these products apart is that they don’t use any artificial chemicals and serve as a brilliant alternative to chemical repellents.

They also have a mosquito and tick repellent in the form of a water-resistant Dry Oil. It has a 6 hour proven efficacy and can be used as a skin moisturiser or after-sun care. This product uses coconut oil extracts, vitamin E and organic vegetal oils, as these moisturising lipophilic compounds have an affinity with the epidermis. The unique HydraActive™ technology boosts the active’s repellence by achieving, at a lower concentration, with optimal and prolonged efficacy. The Dry Oil product is renowned for its moisturising and nourishing properties as well as with highly concentrated of  Citrepel® and extracts of shea butter and liquorice to smooth and repair the skin, priced at £14.95 for a 75ml bottle.  Our favourite from this range? The Dry Oil wins hands down! Head over to their official website here to buy the full range, and protect yourself against these horrible blood-sucking beasties!

Dermasynergy Professional Skincare - Synergy Balm

With the seasonal changes, our skin can be dry or even flaky, that’s why we at The Amazing Blog like to keep an emergency multi-balm always to hand, especially for these chilly months! So we were very happy to discover Derma Synergy Professional Skincare who has their Synergy Balm a professional healing balm that has a multitude of uses.

Ideal for dry and sensitive skin, it’s 100% natural, this Balm targets tired prematurely ageing skin in need of repair, restoration and rehydration.  One of its key ingredients is blackcurrant seed extract, a powerful natural antioxidant tool that regenerates damaged skin cells. A little-known fact for you, in the Second World War, parents would make their children drink blackcurrant juice due to its high concentration in vitamin C and its ability to prevent scurvy. The other ingredients also serve useful purpose including vitamin E contributing to neutralising free radicals (which lead to premature skin ageing) and marula extract which works on increasing skin hydration and elasticity.  The frankincense oil stimulates the growth of new cells and can reduce inflammation and acne scarring. We also like that this Balm has mango butter which is a natural vitamin A source and is effective in treating trickier skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.

It’s a waxy consistency that warms up in the fingertips making application easy, leaving no excess; we’ve been using it on lips and hands (nails in particular). It comes in two sizes and we were lucky enough to receive both. The 15ml tin is £9.99 here which fits neatly in a pocket or handbag, making it great for hydration on the go. The 100ml tin is £35 here which we’ve also been using it intermittently a night balm, as well as a skin neutraliser to let our skin ‘rest’ from using other products as it’s brilliant for skin repair.

Matis - Réponse Jeunesse MatiSCity Anti-Pollution Hydrating Cream

As we have mentioned in previous posts, the skin is the largest organ of the body, therefore living in a polluted city, we feel a particular need to take care of it! That is why at The Amazing Blog were interested to try the new anti-pollution face cream from one of our favourite salon brands Matis. The Matis Réponse Jeunesse MatiSCity is their latest launch addressing both pollution and hydration. It’s a product bringing together both their scientific finds together with the latest technology for a protective almost shield-like face cream.  The French brand Matis may ring a few bells with regular readers, as we have previously reviewed a few products see here.

Matis is a pedigree French brand, that has been successfully sharing its professional French skincare solutions for more than 80 years. Based in Paris, its team develops tailored-skincare products based on the scientific advances in medicine, molecular and cellular biology in order to address skin solutions. Emphasis is always made on its ingredients, combining specialised actives like hyaluronic acid, peptides and vitamin C; together with naturally-derived ones like aloe vera, tea tree and rose stem cells.

In the range, Reponse Jeunesse, has been specifically formulated for all skin types and as anti-ageing for those who are 25+ years old. The Matis Reponse Jeunesse MatiSCity Anti-Pollution Hydrating Cream is for face and neck it offers the skin a protective barrier against exposure to toxic air particles. This is a gel-like cream that blocks and limits the adhesion of polluted particles; it is enriched with ingredients like cranberry extract which is full of vitamin C and polyphenols and takes on the role of an antioxidant; as well as aquaregul which is a mixture of the potassium salt of L-pyrrolidone carboxylic acid and an aqueous extract of Mexican cactus stems, it has both short and long term moisturiser qualities that stimulates water penetration into the skin cells

We suggest applying MatisCity to your skin on a cleansed skin both mornings and evenings. They also recommend using this in tandem with one of their Reponse Jeunesse Serums for the best results.  Want to give your face more city protection? Then see here to get your 50ml pot of Matis Reponse Jeunesse Matis City anti-pollution hydrating cream for £62.20.

SOiL Organic Aromatherapy

Struggling to find the perfect way to unwind after a stressful day at hard work? Feel like that glass of wine or shall we say bottle just isn’t cutting it? Fear not, here at The Amazing Blog, we’ve got just what you need to help make your days more peaceful and harmonious.  SOiL Organic Aromatherapy is our new best friend and could soon be yours as well!

Born out of a family managed, organic essential oil farming operation in Zululand, South Africa, SOiLhas been expanding and distilling aromatic plants for their precious oils since 2001. As an eco-ethical range certified by ECO-Cert, SOiL was the first company in South Africa to sell a complete range of 100% certified organic essential oils, many of which they grow themselves on their organic farm in Zululand. As an ethical brand that focuses on steering away from petrochemicals, parabens and synthetic fragrances they identify with a strong sense of commitment to the planet and society. SOiL stands apart from other similar brands as they farm, process and market all their own products from start to finish. They ensure no chemicals or fertilisers are used in their farming process hence giving their customers the promise of safe, natural and sustainable products in all regards.    

Their Ultrasonic Aroma Diffuser is one of our favourites. Easy to use, safe and silent enough for you to hear a needle drop. It’s a low energy product that requires water and your favourite essential oil to be added to it. Even though the diffuser itself is sweet and smallish in size, the aroma will surely spread all across the room making you feel as though you’re in a spa. You get a timer on the device so you can manage how long you’d like it on and can also adjust the mist that it releases. With the essential oils of your choice, this diffuser is a winner in our eyes.

SOiL sells its very own collection of essential oils, each of which has unique and distinct properties that result in a number of benefits. The two that we tried out are their blends with Immunity and Energy. The Immunity oil in the diffuser is a great one for the office to help ward off coughs and colds, particularly with ingredients such as lemongrass, tea tree, benzoin resin and thyme help fight bacteria inside your body and further assist in building your immunity, as they say, prevention is better than cure! The Energy essential blend, on the other hand, is metaphorically speaking rather like a quick shot of espresso. Made with clary sage, lime, cypress and black pepper this blend is really a blessing. Perfect to get you ready for the day as well as serve as a pickup and invigorating blend after a long day, the Energy essential oil has also been a great hit in the office.

All their products are available online on their official website. The Ultrasonic Aroma Diffuser is priced at an affordable £39.95 here (although we see today it’s been reduced to £31.96!) and their essential oil blends are sold from £7.92 here.