Bao-Med Pure Oil Bodywash & Pure Soap

We hate having dry skin, particularly at this time of year when we’re regularly applying our fake tan. At The Amazing Blog far too often we’ve experienced our sunless tan going patchy and flaking off from the hard London water. This is why we’ve been exploring new products with baobab oil, known for its super-hydrating qualities. It’s an extraordinary seed oil that has impressed us in Body Balm and Moisturiser here and as a Hydrating Body Oil here.  Today our latest baobab #amazingfinds are Pure Soap and Pure Oil Bodywash from Bao-Med UK.

Bao-Med UK has four products: Pure Soap, Pure Oil Bodywash, Food Supplements and Pure Skin, Scalp & Hair Oil (the latter won an award with Beauty Shortlist Award in 2020). All products are natural and organic and come with international certification. Baobab seed oil production contributes to the economic revival of the poorest parts of South Africa and Venda. Bao-Med's products are made from pure baobab seed oil and a vitamin and mineral-rich white powder from the fruit which is used in their Food Supplements. This oil has softening, protective and restructuring properties and which are excellent for skin and hair, often used for stretch marks or dry and damaged hair. Bao-Med products use only a sustainable process, only collecting the fruit that has fallen from the tree onto the ground, leaving the tree intact. In this way, they ensure a sustainable harvest and the tree can produce fruit for hundreds of years to come. This brand’s products have been created to help promote healthy skin, scalp, hair and nails; as the baobab seed oil is renowned for its hydrating and healing properties.

First of all, let's start with their Pure Soap made with pure baobab oil with the addition of a natural fig fragrance. It’s smooth to handle and looks like a maple fine-grained wooden roundel. The fig fragrance is subtle, even moreish and particularly evident when lathered up in the hands. We ventured to use this both on the hands and body. It also became a regular fixture both prior and during our covid19 lockdown. Best of all, unlike other soaps when used, we didn’t need to follow it immediately with hand cream, as it magnificently cleansed and moisturised.

Then we have the Pure Oil Bodywash made from baobab and olive oil. This hit the spot addressing our dry skin problem. Hydrating? Oh yes, this most certainly was. With a pH balance of 6.0 pH (neutral and akin to milk) when applied, it had the consistency of oil not that of liquid soap. As soon as it mixes with water goes from being clear into a silky milk-like foam. The product is not greasy and as soon as you apply it, you can feel that it cleaning and moisturising, which leaves a dewy glow to the skin. It also gve a delicate fragrance and worked like a wonder oil keeping our dry and flaky skin at bay. We think this would be particularly good for those with sensitive skin who find regular soap too harsh. Out of the two, this was undoubtedly our favourite. You can purchase your Pure Oil Bodywash 50ml for £9 or a 200ml bottle for £25 here. You can also buy the 90 gm Pure Soap here for £15.

Norse - Exfoliating Face Wash & Shower Bar

Have you noticed how the girls at The Amazing Blog are slaves to their skincare routine? Well, it’s now starting to rub off on me! I’ll let you into a secret… This week I’ve found some amazing new grooming products that are not only 100% natural, handmade, vegan and parabens free, but come in an eco-friendly bar form. Meet British brand Norse. The two products I’m going to be talking about today interact efficiently and look promising to offer results.

Norse is a startup company, founded by Iain Kerrigan, whose main focus is to produce 100% natural grooming products for men. Iain is a bearded gentleman who was bored of looking like a grease monkey from the products he used, hence his mission began to create his own… Whether it’s for maintaining a beard, a moustache groomed or keeping skin smooth; Norse has something to offer every well-groomed man (or lady - but razors only!) They are all handmade in the UK and as Iain says they are “plastic-free, environmentally (and wallet) friendly.” His range has everything from skincare and shampoo to plastic-free razors. The products I tried out are their Exfoliating Face Wash Bars and Shower Bars which are a must-have for every man out there, and the reason I underline the word ‘every’ is that these gems are for all skin types.

I’ll begin with the Exfoliating Face Wash Bars which come in two amazing scents: Woodsman and Citrus. They are produced using olive, coconut, castor, organic sustainable palm and almond oil. These oils are rich in vitamins A and E, they have anti-inflammatory effects and penetrate the dermis preventing moisture loss. The organic sustainable palm oil tightens the pores in an efficient manner and helps in preventing the rough bumps which may be caused by sun damage or aging. The ingredient together with the activated charcoal effectively cleanses the skin, removing dead skin cells and impurities, leaving the skin smooth, clean and even-toned.  You will find the link for both Exfoliating Face Wash Bars here, so you can purchase the one with your favourite scent Woodsman has a base of tea tree and peppermint, whereas the Citrus has a mixture of orange and lemon oil, each is only £ 8.50 for a 100gm bar.

Next with the Norse Shower Bars which also come in the same two scents as the Exfoliating Face Wash Bars; Woodsman and Citrus. They are produced using similar ingredients as the Face Wash Bars with olive, coconut, castor, organic sustainable palm and almond oil but minus the addition of activated charcoal. They are solid bars, and as we mentioned above, these ingredients offer great benefits. We’d also like to add that not only they are made of 100% natural ingredients, but they are also environmentally friendly simply packaged in cardboard boxes, thus no plastic waste is produced. To purchase your favorite scent of the Shower Bar for only £ 8.50 you can find Citrus here or Woodman here.  My favourite? It had to be the Exfoliating Face Wash (Citrus) – it left my face clean and fragrant from the city grim and is ideal for my newly acquired lockdown whiskers!

Squeeky Life Bottle: Organic Glass Cleaner & Multi-Purpose Cleaner

With all of us in lockdown, we’re cleaning our homes like never before! No more time-poor excuses, we’re all wielding the Dyson or mop. However, with cleaning at such close proximity both the girls at The Amazing Blog and I agree that we’re tired of having lingering chemical nasties in our homes. Think phthalates, ammonia or chlorine – to name but a few... With this in mind, dear reader, we’ve searched out some effective and organic cleaning products which are Squeeky Cleaners. Their products range from limescale remover through to bathroom, glass, floor, multi-purpose cleaners and so much more. These can also be refilled with a concentrate, so great for the planet with fewer bottles used. 

Claire Nicolas originally founded Squeeky Cleaners as a laundry and cleaning company in Chippenham, Wiltshire. Claire said: “It started to take shape around the kitchen table! To cut a very long story short, my cleaners were about to be made redundant. I was at a loose end and said (quite naively) I’ll start a cleaning business…. In 2016 The Squeeky Cleaners were born. Our business grew very rapidly, outgrowing the kitchen area and within a year we were looking for a unit that would accommodate our growing Squeeky family.” She went on to say, “our products are completely natural and harmless, and of course they do the job. When cleaning your home, you won’t have to worry about potential health impacts to yourselves, your family or your pets. It’s completely safe, even if you ingest it. We are also reducing the carbon footprint by making refill bottles of concentrate available to our customers.” The company has developed its household products to be plastic-free organic, pet-safe and vegan. We had the opportunity to try their Glass Cleaner and the Multipurpose Cleaner which both arrived in their aluminium spray trigger bottles with one free dose of the cleaners, which you fill up with tap water, give it a shake and you’re up and running.

The Glass Cleaner is quite surprising, I found the fragrance actually quite uplifting! With its plant-based ingredients such as citric, acetic and caprylic (from coconut) acid it is gentle on the nose but ruthlessly removes greasy marks left on glass, giving you a ‘squeaky’ clean. It’s easy to use and effective on both mirror and glass surfaces – they even suggest using it in the car! Next, we used the Multipurpose Cleaner, again easy to use with a pleasant smell and leaves surfaces streak-free. It’s great on kitchen tops, desks and gentle enough for wooden surfaces. The ingredients are similar to the Glass Cleaner, although the addition of PSL6 (1004) left us baffled - what’s that?! The one criticism that we have, is that we’d like to see Squeeky Cleaners give more of an explanation on each of the ingredients used together with their origin.

Both bottles are 500ml, the Glass Cleaner can be bought for £9.99 here or Multisurface Cleaner here also for £9.99. They also offer refills at £7.99 which can be bought here. Why not order up today and not only help to save the planet but your health too.

H Drop - CBD Oil : Calm After Storm & Sixty Breaths

It’s no secret that we’re big fans of taking CBD oil, particularly during these uncertain times. It’s something at The Amazing Blog we take on a regular basis for an improved mood and enhanced sleep quality. CBD interacts with the serotonin receptors (these play a role in regulating our mood) and are thought to help promote a more positive mental state and a healthy functioning nervous system. As we always like to support small indie brands, today we’d like to introduce you to a new launch, the Dutch company H Drop. What makes them different to other CBD companies is that they have perfected the art of creating Full-Spectrum CBD ingestible oils without THC.  I know, that this sounds like a contradiction in terms, however, please keep reading. 

The H Drop story started the 19th century when Rochus Sliupas started his medical practice fighting cholera and tuberculosis outbreaks. Today, his great-grandson, also Rochus Sliupas, continues the family mission working in the wellbeing sector. Their organic hemp is sourced from European fields and extracted in German/UK labs with an ISO 9001 certification and manufactured in accordance with the HACCP guidelines. This means that they comply with the strictest standards of processing raw materials, quality control, packaging and distribution of the products. H Drop has a range of three CBD products Joys of Spring,  Calm After The Storm and the capsules Sixty Breaths. They even have a CBD dosage calculator if you’re unsure of the amount to take. 

So, let’s talk about their Full-Spectrum THC-free… Confused? We were… we will try to explain, Broad Spectrum (which is always THC-free), is made by mixing only few selected cannabinoid isolates and a very limited number of the beneficial hemp components. Whereas H Drop has perfected one of the most advanced extraction methods with CO2 chromatography technology, which is one of Europe's first! The CO2 extraction means that the CBD is a raw oil and not extracted at high temperatures, ensuring that the enhancing properties of the plant are not damaged. This method also allows them to detect and carefully remove 99.9% of THC molecules from the naturally extracted Full-Spectrum oil. Therefore, leaving this H Drop extract still containing all the beneficial cannabinoids (CBN, CBV, CBG, CBC), terpenes and flavonoids which are found in hemp flowers, except for the intoxicating THC. You can also see their laboratory results here. Got it?

H Drop sent us Sixty Breaths and Calm After the Storm CBD oil in Natural and Orange flavours. Before embarking on your CBD journey, we highly recommend starting with their CBD dosage calculator, as an example, putting in weight at 60 kg it then gives you a choice of the effect desired: Mild, moderate or strong. With this specified weight factored in, the dosage can vary from 15mg – 45mg per day. They also recommend dividing the dosage throughout the day, starting low and gradually increasing it if needed. The ideal dose of CBD will depend on many factors like weight, body chemistry and the condition you’re treating. They suggest not exceeding more than 200mg of CBD per day and if you’re currently taking medication, always consult with your doctor first.

Sixty Breaths are ingestible CBD oil capsules an excellent choice for the novice as the CO2 extraction raw oil can sometimes leave a strong, bitter or earthy taste, which can be most off-putting to the uninitiated. This raw CBD oil is suitable for pain relief as well as mood enhancement and has an increased entourage effect with all the plant nutrients. These capsules are made from organic hemp oil which has the added bonus of omega 3, 6 and vitamin E. The dosage again depends on your weight, it could vary from 2 to 5 capsules per day. These were perfect for the CBD newbie in the office who at 10mg of CBD per capsule, per 25kg of weight took 3 capsules morning, noon and night. The bottle contains 60 capsules (600mg of CBD) which offer approximately 30 days supply for an average moderate serving. Next, we tried the liquid Full-Spectrum THC-free CBD oil that comes in a 10ml brown glass bottle and pipette, which has a much higher concentration at 15%. As mentioned, this Calm After The Storm comes in two flavours the Natural and Orange. I preferred the Natural to Orange, as I like the pure and natural taste of CBD and much to my surprise, this raw oil was smooth, mild and not at all bitter. I took 6 drops a day (45mg of CBD) spreading it throughout the day and increasing this at night with an extra 4 drops which took the level up to 75mg. This helped improve my sleep patterns, made me more relaxed and seemed to stop me waking with sudden anxiety attacks, which I’ve recently been more prone to. It contains exactly the same ingredients as the capsules but stronger, the 10ml bottle contains 1500mg of CBD. The verdict? For me, I would buy more as it had the desired effect of giving me a calm mind,so it’s become another of our #amazingfinds.  I quickly want to mention that we also loved the simple recycled cardboard packaging filled with hemp fibre. There’s a nice touch with Braille on the sides translating their motto of Hemp (fully organic), Help (GMP certified) and Health (CO2 extracted). To purchase your H Drop: Sixty Breaths 60 capsules for €65 see here and Calm After Storm 10ml bottle for €89 here.

The Spoiled Bee - Cleanser, Mask and Serum

Who doesn’t dream of having perfect skin? Us for one! Here at The Amazing Blog we’re lucky enough to receive lots of fabulous beauty products to test and review, and at this time of year, we’re always on the hunt for light and nutritious skincare to take us through into the summer months. As regular readers will know, we’re especially fond of bee brands particularly those that support beekeepers and their hives.  So, the latest one of our #amazingfinds is The Spoiled Bee, which we recently discovered at the CEW Awards demonstration evening. 

This is a British brand founded in 2017 by France and her daughter Violette. France is a former osteopath who also has a passion for organic products, who went on to study for a master’s degree in the field of aromatherapy. Violette even as a teenager only used the skincare made by her mother using pure and natural ingredients. The Spoiled Bee brand was born out of a desire to protect bees always making sure that the bee products they use are harvested in a way that respects bees and the environment. Within their range of 100% natural and cruelty-free skincare, they offer a specific range of bee products that offer some wonderful properties for skin, body and hair. Quickly added, to avoid any confusion, that not all their products are ‘bee products’. What we particularly applaud this brand for is that when you spend £10 on their website, they ‘give back ‘by sponsoring 100 bees for one month through their network of beekeepers. The Spoiled Bee Company very kindly sent us a selection of their products: The Honey Cleansing Balm (a bee product), the White Coconut Face Mask and their 10% Fruit Enzyme Glow Serum. 

The Honey Cleansing Balm ‘s texture is slightly waxy and what impressed us is that you only need very little to remove even the most stubborn makeup. We even tried it on waterproof mascara with fantastic results. After rinsing, the skin is incredibly soft and moisturised and left us with a subtle glow, it’s also very gentle on the skin without leaving any tight or tingling sensations. The smell is divine, which is not surprising, as it contains apricot, vanilla and sweet almond oil and of course – beeswax/honey. The honey is raw, which offers incredible benefits for the skin both anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial it’s also moisturising and gently exfoliating.

The White Coconut Face Mask was a very pleasant surprise too. It comes in a dry powder form, which unlike some creamy masks, means it has a longer shelf life with no oxidation. We followed the instructions and mixed 1 tbsp of powder with ½ tbsp of water. After leaving the mask on for 15 minutes, we then rinsed it off with a facecloth and warm water. Our pores seemed smaller and skin was left soft, moisturised and fresh. Besides, the healing properties of the coconut milk and kaolin clay the addition of jasmine essential oil is also great for reducing scars and acne. We found that it is ideal even for the most sensitive skin. You can buy the here the 30g White Coconut Face Mask here for £22.80.

Which was our favourite? We have to admit that it was the 10% Fruit Enzyme Glow Serum.  It has a delicious fruity fragrance which made us think of ripe juicy Victoria plums! What we loved about this rich serum is that the skin absorbs it quickly and with impressive ease. We used it in the morning before the makeup and in the evening before going to bed. Our skin felt beautifully silky, nourished and renewed. This little marvel is made from the enzymes of no less than ten different fruits, which act as antioxidants for the skin, and plum kernel oil has vitamins A, C and E as well as Omega 6 and 9, great protection the skin whilst giving it a great boost. You can purchase the 30ml Serum here for £31.20.