Poppy’s Natural Skincare : The Soothe & Cleanse Face Mask Kit

We are revisiting one of our favourite brands, the award-winning British natural skincare brand, Poppy’s Natural Skincare, to review, their Soothe & Cleanse Face Mask Kit which Poppy very kindly sent to us to try. At The Amazing Blog, we’ve previously reviewed their very special Super Age-Defying Organic Face Oil Bakuchiol and Amla, which you can read about here.

Poppy’s Natural Skincare is a high-performance natural skincare brand founded by Poppy Choudhury. Although raised in England, Poppy was born in Bangladesh and has made frequent trips back and forth where it’s given her the opportunity to learn more about native botanicals and natural remedies. Poppy has sensitive skin and found flare-ups much more manageable in Bangladesh, due to the healing and soothing ingredients derived from neem leaf paste. When Poppy noticed her son had similar skin sensitivities, she decided to research and develop a natural product to minimise their use of topical steroids. Due to her scientific background with studies in Molecular Biology, Cosmetic Formulation and Science in Skincare combined with her knowledge of natural remedies, she created the Neem and Chamomile Balm the first of Poppy’s Natural Skincare products. When Poppy shared the story of her brand, she said, “The beautiful thing is, I can now trace so much of what I want to achieve with Poppy’s Natural Skincare back to those early days of observing plant remedies seamlessly incorporated into people’s everyday medicinal and beauty routine.” Poppy’s Natural Skincare is a range of potent botanicals designed to help repair and protect the skin’s barrier function together with a whole host of other benefits. The product range currently includes face oils, face masks, accessories, body butter, balms, and cleansers. Uniquely formulated, all products are handmade in Poppy’s workshop, located in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire. They use the most potent ingredients that are 100% plant-based, ethically, and for the most part locally sourced, sustainable, cruelty-free (certified with Leaping Bunny), and with 12 out of the 13 being 100% vegan Plus, all products and packaging are 100% recyclable. This brand dedicates itself to helping women and donated 10% of its profits to the Myna Mahila Foundation. This charity aims to break down taboos that surround the topic of menstruation and instead encourage these discussions. It also employs women from urban slums in Mumbai to fabricate and sell sanitary pads to women from their communities to improve menstrual hygiene and overall welfare. Poppy’s Natural Skincare has a dedicated following and has won many awards from Natural Health, Global Green Beauty, FreeFrom Awards, Green Parent Natural Beauty, the Janey Loves Platinum Awards and The Beauty Shortlist.

The Soothe & Cleanse Face Mask is in a powder form, made of 100% natural ingredients of which 93% are organic. The first thing we noticed is that half the ingredients here are food-grade, in fact, it’s 12 out of the total 17 ingredients. These include colloidal oats made by grinding oat grain into a fine powder. Colloidal oats add moisture to the skin and keep it soft to prevent transepidermal water loss; they also possess anti-inflammatory capacities. Others include cacao, coconut milk and aloe vera, all of which have excellent moisturising qualities; the chamomile and calendula officinalis help soothe redness and reduce the appearance of ageing, and antioxidants burdock root extract and centella asiatica (AKA gotu kola), are a good source of amino acids ideal for skin healing and hydration. Arrowroot helps absorb excess oil, and the hibiscus rosa sinensis is rich in vitamin C and promotes collagen production. Finally, there is MSM organic sulphur to help further boost and maintain collagen, and maltodextrin which acts as a binding agent, stabiliser and skin-softener.

The Soothe and Cleanse Face Mask also incorporate other non-food-grade botanical active such as niacinamide, bakuchiol, comfrey root and chickweed. Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3 that boosts collagen, and hyaluronic acid production reduces enlarged pores and helps fade hyperpigmentation and skin discolouration. The bakuchiol, an extract from the babchi plant, is known as the natural alternative to retinol. Like retinol, bakuchiol increases healthy collagen production in the skin. The comfrey root extract has allantoin, a substance that encourages the new growth of skin cells. Chickweed soothes irritated skin and reduces inflammation and the neem leaf extract has powerful antibacterial properties, it pacifies irritated skin and evens skin tone reducing dark spots and blemishes.

Poppy’s Natural Skincare encourages trying different ingredients to mix with the powder face mask; some of their recommendations include; water, rosewater, honey, buttermilk, yoghurt, apple cider vinegar, or even Poppy’s own face oils. As we have very sensitive skin, we tried the mask first mixed with water and then with yoghurt. Both had a slightly different effect. The water made the mask slightly thinner but more intense, whereas the yoghurt made a thicker paste and gentler. However, the results were the same, skin felt smooth, hydrated and cleansed - they also say it’s exfoliating but the mask was so mild we didn’t feel that. We love the simplicity of Poppy’s natural and organic ingredients here, and how the mask left a rather delicious cacao fragranced finish! We’d recommend using this at least once a week, for us, it nourished skin and cleansed it of city grime. All you need is one teaspoon of the powder mask mixed in a bowl with a few drops of the liquid of your choice, to make a paste - then apply to the face for 8 - 10 minutes before rinsing away. The Soothe & Cleanse Face Mask Kit includes a bowl and spoon, both made from sustainably sourced wood. These masks come in amber glass jars, ideal for prolonging the shelf life of the ingredients; and it’s recommended that this face mask be kept somewhere out of direct sunlight, preferably in a cold, dry place. To purchase The Soothe and Cleanse Face Mask at 60g for £30, see here. Or if you would like to buy it as The Soothe and Cleanse Face Mask Kit, it costs £40 (which includes a 60g face mask, a sustainably sourced wooden bowl and a spoon to match), see here. Poppy’s Natural Skincare is another of our #amazingfinds and one we love to use, because of its performance, brand ethos and natural ingredients.

Melitta Meszaros Natural Skincare : Face Oil for Oily & Combination Skin

It’s not often that we come across a face oil that’s specifically intended for oily & combination skin. The younger members of the team at The Amazing Blog, requested that we find them a face oil for their slightly oily skin. So, we thought we’d try out the Face Oil for Oily & Combination Skin from this vegan and artisan skincare brand Melitta Meszaros Natural Skincare.

Melitta Meszaros Natural Skincare is a beauty brand that offers handmade natural skincare products with transparent ingredients. The brand’s story begins ten years ago when founder Melitta Meszaros noticed how many ambiguous ingredients were in her skincare products. This was when Melitta decided to start her journey to the world of natural cosmetics and begin looking for the best way to create skincare using natural, vegan, cold-pressed and preferably organic ingredients. Melitta finally launched skincare under her own name with a range of plant-based face oils, floral waters and a clay mask.  The brand’s mission is “to give you quality skincare products which are natural, simple but give high performance.”  All products are cruelty-free with no artificial synthetics, fillers, or additives. Their products are made in small batches in the UK and are designed to treat all skin types, including sensitive skin. For those with particularly delicate skin types, the brand even produce identical face oils without the essential oils with only a natural fragrance from the carrier oils. We were also pleased to see that all bottles and pipettes used are deemed to be recyclable, and the boxes and pouches used are compostable & biodegradable.

This award-winning Face Oil for Oily & Combination Skin uses only natural oils to promote overall skin wellness and to leave skin nourished. This face oil was recently awarded the Best 100% Natural Product and was a silver winner at the 2021 Global Green Beauty Awards. This face oil is specifically made for oily and combination skin (which we’re sure you already gathered from the product name) and is also suitable for most other skin types too. It is common for people with oily skin to avoid face oils for fear it will just make their skin worse - however, we know that this is not the case! 

Certain face oils (non-comedogenic) in fact, help balance sebum production and improve skin elasticity to leave your skin looking moisturised and healthy. Oily skin tends to produce excess amounts of sebum, which can cause clogged pores and breakouts. Regulating sebum production is key for oily skin because it helps keep your skin's natural moisture, and reduces the excess sebum oily skin produces. The right kind of face oils can even provide long-lasting hydration by enabling the skin barrier to effectively lock in moisture. To ensure this face oil retains all its healthy antioxidants, it is made with a combination of high-performing, cold-pressed oils.

Here the Face Oil for Oily & Combination Skin combines natural botanical carrier oils like grapeseed, jojoba, sunflower, rosehip, and argan.; together with the essential oils of grapefruit peel, rosemary leaf, and geranium bourbon. Let’s talk through the key ingredients that help oily skin. Jojoba oil is very similar to the naturally-occurring sebum in your body, which means it can efficiently regulate sebum secretion. It also has moisturising properties to help maintain the skin's hydration, elasticity, and smoothness. The skin-brightening rosehip oil is also ideal for treating oily skin, as it does not clog pores and is rich in retinoids, compounds that can help fight acne breakouts. Another hero ingredient is argan oil, which is non-comedogenic, and packed with oleic and linoleic acids to create a balanced and soft skin complexion. The face oil is multifaceted, as the essential oils also give it a mood-boosting and uplifting fragrance. Grapefruit peel has a fresh citrus scent to revitalise your mind, and its antibacterial and antioxidant properties are excellent for soothing acne. Rosemary leaf is also known to treat acne due to its antiseptic properties, and it can even out the skin's oil content - not to mention its energising fragrance can help reduce tiredness and improve mood. The geranium bourbon adds to the face oil’s scent with its calming floral notes; plus, it is an anti-inflammatory that leaves a healthy glow. 

Our verdict? It’s lightweight and doesn’t leave any oily or sticky residue. As for the fragrance, it has a subtle natural blend of botanical and citrus scents to leave you feeling soothed and refreshed. We applied a few drops and gently massaged them into the face. Melitta Natural Skincare suggests using the oil as the last step of a skincare routine because the oil will lock in all the ‘goodness’ of the other skincare products; it will also be absorbed better on a slightly damp complexion. We found this face oil revived skin and kept it feeling supple and hydrated. The team particularly recommend using this at night on the face, neck and décolleté. Or for a dewy look, during the day you can add a few drops to your foundation. It’s a face oil made with simple, honest and natural ingredients, that work at their optimum when combined. To purchase the 30ml Face Oil for Oily and Combination Skin for £25, see here.

The Speak Collective : Rose+Peach Hydrating Mist

During these colder months, skin hydration is more important than ever for us at The Amazing Blog. We notice how our skin suffers from the yo-yo-ing effects as we go from warm central heating to the chilly outdoors. We’ve always keen to use facial mists as they stop our skin from feeling tight and dry, so we were thrilled to be sent the Rose+Peach Hydrating Mist from natural skincare brand The Speak Collective.  

The US-based skincare The Speak Collective was founded in December 2017 by Nisa Zulkifli and her cousin Tiara. Nisa had been struggling with eczema for years when she began researching all the ways she could help her condition. With the lack of natural remedies available, she decided to handcraft her own formulas. At the same time, Tiara was also on the hunt for a skincare product to improve her hormonal skin and ended up trying one of Nisa’s creations. Tiara knew this skincare product had to be shared with others, so from this, The Speak Collective was born. Nisa is certified in organic skincare formulation from Formula Botanica, a leading teaching institution for organic cosmetic science. The brand aims to solve “the frustration of looking for effective products for sensitive skin, by using plant-based skin essentials to unleash your confidence.” They offer a range of skincare essentials made from carefully selected biocompatible ingredients, with no parabens, phthalates, and artificial fragrance or colour. The Speak Collective prioritises optimum skin health, as their products are created in a GMP certified facility, tested in independent labs, and use pure and gentle botanical ingredients. They are built upon the values of transparency, education, and respect for the planet and community. By educating customers on what is in their skincare, the brand empowers customers to make informed decisions about their choice of skincare. They also put sustainability at the forefront of their mission by using recyclable packaging and teaming up with upcycling NGOs. The Speak Collective contributes to the reforestation effort, and are partnered with One Tree Planted, where they donate $1 from every product sold to plant trees. They advocate for clean and conscious skincare, as all their products are vegan-friendly, cruelty-free, and specifically made to treat sensitive skin.  

The Rose+Peach Hydrating Mist is a refreshing botanical face mist that hydrates skin with each spritz. Facial mists are ideal for dehydrated skin because they give it an instant dewy, fresh, and restored feeling. This mist is created as a multitasker, as it can boost hydration, strengthen the skin barrier, nourish irritated skin, and of course, help to improve the appearance of the skin leaving it soft and dewy. The mist is made from a blend of plant-based ingredients designed to combat the effects of any dry, tight, red, or itchy skin. It contains a blend of 9 natural and functional ingredients may rose water, peach, evening primrose, yuzu ceramide, artichoke, eisenia (a type of algae), jiou, oubaku, okra and houttuynia. These are 97.55% naturally-derived ingredients and are kind to sensitive skin, the mist is also free from any essential oils and fragrances. The Rose+Peach Hydrating Mist harnesses the power of four key active ingredients, in particular, may rose flower water, evening primrose seed extract, peach leaf extract, and yuzu ceramide extract. 

The rose water comes from the may rose flower, this gives the mist a very light, honeyed sweet scent. The may rose, AKA rose centifolia, is one of the key ingredients used in the legendary perfume Chanel No 5. Unlike other roses, it’s edible and sometimes has 100 petals per rose. the may rose flowers once a year in may (hence the name) and can only be harvested on the same day that it blooms! The two most common species of rose used in perfume and cosmetics are the damascena rose (grown in Morrocco, Turkey and Bulgaria) and this may rose found in France, where it’s the emblematic rose of Grasse. Not only does the may rose water provide a natural, delicate fragrance, it also acts as a skin conditioner and an anti-inflammatory to help calm skin redness and hydrate the skin. 

The evening primrose extract is rich in fatty acids and linoleic acid, which help improve the skin by retaining water and balancing sebum production. Excess sebum is often a cause for acne and clogged pores, so regulating it is key for healthy-looking skin. The extract is also known to effectively fight inflammation and soothe dry skin.  Another key ingredient is the peach leaf extract which is packed with phenolic compounds that calm irritated skin and reduce inflammation. It also has powerful antioxidant properties and can stop free radicals, the damaging molecules that create wrinkles, dark circles, and uneven complexions. 

Finally, the mist uses a potent little citrus yuzu fruit extract high in vitamin C it’s an antioxidant powerhouse for brightening the skin, fighting signs of ageing, and even helping to combat dry skin. It also helps diminish the appearance of fine lines and restores the skin barrier function, so your skin is left healthy and radiating.

As we’re all about natural products, it’s good to know that this mist is only naturally coloured with hibiscus flowers extract – meaning that there are no artificial pigments that can irritate the skin. We used it in a variety of ways, after cleansing our face, and on top of makeup to give us a more dewy look. In fact, keeping it at our desks and spritzing it during the day, also protects it from the effects of the drying air-con or heating. We found the rose scent subtle and soothing, with the mist leaving our skin feeling immediately hydrated. For an even more refreshing and cooling sensation, The Speak Collective suggests you keep it in the fridge - however for us in the UK, perhaps not now in mid-winter!. They also recommend following the mist with a facial oil to ensure your skin seals in the moisture. To keep your skin nice and hydrated throughout these cold weeks, you can purchase the Rose+Peach Hydrating Mist here for $36.00.  

Mighty Green : Anti-Ageing CBD Face Cream

Yes, we admit it, we’re big fans of CBD infused products and always on the lookout for new discoveries. Today at The Amazing Blog we’re featuring CBD skincare Mighty Green and their Anti-Ageing CBD Face Cream; it’s a brand we stumbled upon last year at Professional Beauty.

Mighty Green is a UK-based company co-founded by Claudia Le Feuvre in 2019. Her passion for CBD grew out of her work as a nutritionist, where she observed the healing powers of CBD. She went on to develop Mighty Green with a team of experts who include healthcare professionals, a personal trainer, a psychologist, and even a facialist! Claudia hopes that Mighty Green can make a difference in people’s lives, in the most meaningful way it can – with their health. She also wants to make CBD as accessible as possible, offering a series of books for further education on CBD. In an interview with The Leaf Desk, Claudia explained why she started Mighty Green, “I looked into the marketplace, and there are so many discrepancies and a lack of standards. I was alarmed.” She went on to say, “I hope to bring credibility to the industry by sourcing high-quality CBD products. We’re trying to create a brand that customers will trust.” Her brand Mighty Green has broad-spectrum based CBD products, complemented by some of nature’s finest ingredients and all have certified lab reports here. These products currently range from an anti-ageing face cream to a range of balms and CBD oils. What sets them apart is that the brand offers a unique combination of industry knowledge, clinical experience and technical expertise. 

We got tempted by Mighty Green’s Anti-Ageing CBD Face Cream, which is formulated with the help of their in-house facialist. It’s a natural skincare that is infused with CBD broad-spectrum distillate and contains 150mg of CBD and CBG respectively. As we’ve discussed many times, CBD has demonstrated excellent anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant capacities in skincare - all of which we love. It also supports the skin’s natural cell cycle aiding in the replenishment and protection of skin. The addition of CBG or cannabigerol is a lesser-known cannabinoid found in the hemp plant. It helps boost the overall effect and has similar capabilities as CBD. Also rich in antioxidants, it fends off free radicals, making it an age-defying ingredient to help give skin a more youthful-looking appearance. The great thing about the combination of CBD and CBG - it keeps the skin free of excessive oil and bacteria and helps control oils produced by sebaceous glands. 

In addition to CBD and CBG, Mighty Green has added beta-glucan, and hyaluronic acid to their Anti-Ageing CBD Face Cream to lend moisturise and hydrate. Beta-glucan is a relatively new ingredient in cosmetics. It’s essentially polysaccharide sugars (or starch) extracted from oats and is a humectant that attracts water to the top layers of skin. Did you know that it has a 20% higher moisture capacitance than hyaluronic acid? Hyaluronic acid itself, as we’ve often discussed, plumps up the skin, smoothing out fine lines even if it is on a more temporary basis. Other key ingredients are essential oils and carrier oils, each playing a significant role in this cream. The carrier oils are neem, evening primrose, grapeseed and sweet almond oil. Whereas the essential oils are sweet orange and bergamot oil. Neem oil and evening primrose oil both contain anti-inflammatory linoleic acid and gamma-linolenic acid, which help sustain skin softness and elasticity to reduce the effects of ageing. Grapeseed oil protects skin from sun damage and, like neem and evening primrose oil increases skin elasticity and softness. Sweet almond oil has been used in ancient Chinese and Ayurvedic practices to treat skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. It’s highly emollient and contains vitamin A, and E, with omega 3 fatty acids and zinc; these vitamins help reduce fine lines and aid in cell regeneration. The essential oils with sweet orange promote collagen production, and the bergamot stimulates skin cell renewal with the added bonus of being super helpful in ridding skin of blemishes and hyperpigmentation. All these ingredients come together to give this CBD Face Cream its silky smooth consistency.  

The great thing about the Anti-Ageing CBD Face Cream is that it has little or no fragrance making it suitable for sensitive skins. We liked how it’s versatile enough to be used morning, evening, or both; and found it to be a good stand-alone face cream with no need for the addition of serum. The combination of the CBD/CBG, beta-glucan, hyaluronic acid and botanical oils, make it rich enough to hydrate even our parched skin! This is the first CBG infused skincare that we have tried, and a new powerhouse ingredient to watch as it’s just beginning to appear in the world of skincare. Tempted? Then see here to purchase Mighty Green’s Anti-Ageing CBD Face Cream 50ml at £37.50.

Ancienne Ambiance : Bacca Berry and Adriatica Fig Soaps

We believe that it’s always quality over quantity. This is why at The Amazing Blog we want to introduce you to one of our favourite luxury lifestyle brands, Ancienne Ambiance and their Adriatica Fig and Bacca Berry soaps. Not only do these help to keep skin soft and hydrated but are fragranced with delicate botanical extracts. If you’re curious to know more about the other products we’ve reviewed, then see here.

Founded by Adriana Carlucci in 2004, with a boutique expansion in 2014 in Chelsea, Ancienne Ambiance truly is a unique and wonderful brand. Adriana’s background in antiquities fuelled by her passion for fragrance inspired her to bring together the curation of these exceptional products. Historical elements and themes run through the entire range with either the ingredients or with the methods that the products have been created. Ancienne Ambiance brings history to life and embraces their corporate colour purple, often dubbed one of the papal and royal colours and a time-honoured symbolic colour with historical significance. The award-winning brand uses sustainable and ethical practices, which include no testing on animals and the use of recyclable packaging. Products range from perfumes to jewellery and skincare to candles, where each product also has its own story. Ancienne Ambiance produces some of the finest quality luxury lifestyle goods exclusively in the UK, France, Lebanon and Italy, all delivered in beautiful purple hand-crafted gift boxes.  

We chose two of their soaps, The Bacca Berry soap and Adriatica Fig soap from their set of four here.  All the soaps are made in France using the traditional Savon de Marseille techniques, and each soap is made with safe, sustainable and ethically sourced ingredients. Beautifully embossed with the Ancienne Ambiance logo, these are made with a 100% vegetable oil base and includes key ingredients such as shea butter and coconut oil (as the natural glycerine). The shea butter, in particular, improves the skin’s natural barrier and protects the skin from environmental stressors. They lather well without the presence of SLS and are gentle enough to use on hands, face and body. Apart from the fragrance, we love how they both cleanse and hydrate the skin keeping it nourished and moisturised.

The Bacca Berry soap, they refer to it as berry-licious, and we couldn’t agree more! It’s a beautifully light and berry scented with hints of redcurrants and blackcurrants, all of which help cleanse and gently purify the skin. Translated from Latin, Bacca means berry, and it is also the botanical term used to describe a fruit that is a pulpy and juicy fruit with one or many seeds but not encased or with a stone. Historically, these succulent berries were included in soap to treat or cleanse impurities. This soap delivers a beautifully soft and gentle berry-like scent that gives a delicate fragrance to the skin. 

The Adriatica Fig soap is another beautiful and luxurious soap with nourishing and moisturising qualities. This type of Mediterranean fig has fresh, top notes with green florals and green leaves and gives base notes of warmth and calm. The Adriatic Fig, a highly prized ingredient in ancient times and is known to symbolise rebirth, abundance, and prosperity. 

We loved the gorgeous fresh fruity fragrance of these soaps, they’re almost too good to use. In fact, some people tuck soaps into an empty suitcase or even an underwear drawer to keep clothes smelling fresh. Not a bad idea! Also, did you know that the word soap originates from the Latin word ‘sapo’? Soap production dates back to around 2800 BC in ancient Babylon. The first known formula for soap was written on a Babylonian clay tablet around 2200 BC. It is said that soap was first discovered at the base of Sapo Hill in Rome by washerwomen who noticed while doing their laundry in the River Tiber that using cleansing substances like clay made for cleaner laundry. To quote Ancienne Ambiance, “Mother nature – or Demeter, the ancient Greek goddess of the earth’s fertility – provided everything the ancients needed to create effective products for beauty and wellbeing in a sustainable manner, so why change things?”  Why change things indeed!

To purchase BACCA Berry Soap 100g at £6 please see here, or for the ADRIATICA Fig Soap 100g at £6 please see here. Or with ten soaps in the collection you can build your own set of four soaps please see here.