MAYSAMA: Green Rooibos Pressed Serum

The more unusual an ingredient, the more it piques our interest! Although we are familiar with green tea in skincare, green rooibos is certainly a first for us to review at The Amazing Blog.  We are featuring the hero product from MAYSAMA with their unique Green Rooibos Pressed Serum  which we couldn’t resist giving a try.

MAYSAMA was founded in 2018 by Beverly Sanderson. The brand is based in South Africa and produces ethical, natural, vegan and high-performance antioxidant green rooibos skincare. For years, Beverly struggled with skincare issues, including rosacea, vitiligo and photosensitivity. Desperate to improve her skin, Beverly went to a dermatologist who guided her to eat organic foods and use natural skincare products. Her interest in healthy skincare grew, which led her to discover and cultivate a passion for green rooibos tea. She began working with the Nelson Mandela Institute in South Africa to look at rooibos' cosmetic potential. The anti-inflammatory properties of rooibos improved Beverly's rosacea, which led her onto launch MAYSAMA with the brand philosophy of 'If something is worth doing, it is worth doing well'. Her launch product is the Green Rooibos Pressed Serum with the starring ingredient of green rooibos which comes from unfermented leaves that have a much higher antioxidant capacity than red rooibos because the flavonoids have not been destroyed by oxidation. Uniquely, rooibos protects and repairs the predominant cells in fat tissue, responsible for maintaining skin fullness, and its rich source of alpha-hydroxy acid and zinc fights off premature ageing. MAYSAMA's pharmaceutical-grade green rooibos has a patented extraction process that significantly enhances the aspalathin content and the main flavonoid responsible for its antioxidant activity, creating a superior cosmetic ingredient. We applaud the brand for its giving back to the rooibos community in South Africa through the Environmental Monitoring Group (EMG) in Cape Town. It is a climate change adaptation work programme that works with rooibos farming communities to develop a sustainable harvesting strategy and gain more insight into the plant's ecology and its response to climate change. MAYSAMA pledges to contribute 1% of its profits to the EMG and help research and support Rooibos' sustainable harvesting.

An award-winning product with a recent Editor’s Choice winner in the 2021 Beauty Shortlist Awards, and a Silver award winner Pure Beauty Awards 2020; the Green Rooibos Pressed Serum   formulated with green rooibos, has long been an ingredient used to relieve dryness, itchiness, and eczema by minimising oxidative stress and increasing cellular healing. This light gel-serum quickly absorbs into the skin, to help protect, hydrate, and soothe, leaving skin supple and revitalised. Other key ingredients are a blend of argan and baobab oil, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin E.  There is also our old favourite cannabis sativa (hemp seed oil) which balances the skin and hydrates and regulates the skin's oil production. Gotu kola (Indian pennywort) and marigold extract which have antioxidant properties and promote collagen production. Sea Buckthorn is full of omega 6 and plus vitamin C and E and are anti-inflammatory offering protection against premature signs of ageing. Chlorella vulgaris extract  stimulates collagen production and contains a high level of carotenoids. Liquorice root extract and turmeric both work as an anti-inflammatory and help reduce age spots and hyperpigmentation. These all help to moisturise and strengthen the skin; plus, without fragrance or essential oils and with a pH of 5.0 to 5.3, this serum is ideal to use even on the most sensitive skin. We loved its soft and authentic botanical fragrance and the way this golden semi-transparent serum enhances the complexion with a warm glow. We applied one or two pumps of the serum to the face and neck and found when used alone, it enhanced our skin tone with an almost sun-kissed luminosity. Most importantly it is kind to the skin and skin microbiomes (these are skin flora, made up of trillions of good bacteria which live on the skin). We’re looking forward to when MAYSAMA develops on more products, and would certainly recommend this as another one of our #amazingfinds. You can purchase MAYASAMA's Green Rooibos Pressed Serum in 30ml for £46.00 directly off the MAYSAMA website, here.

Tuesday 2 March: The 2021 Beauty Shortlist Awards

**BIG CONGRATULATIONS 🎉 🥳 TO ALL THE WINNERS **

Today we're celebrating NATURE.

There's been a special energy around the 2021 Beauty Shortlist Awards this year, which is so cheering when we've all been wading through a heavy, "abnormal" and often difficult year.

These awards are not particularly easy to win, it's quite a wait from 1 September to Tuesday 2 March to find out if you have won.

But fortune favours the brave, Awards Day is here at last, and it's time to share the 🧡.

2021 highlights and emerging trends include:

* inclusive beauty (a priority for the industry)
* plantable packaging (you can compost at home)
* CBD edibles & delicious treats like coffee, nut butters and 70% dark chocolate
* the "almost naked" soap + solid skincare bar heroes flying the flag for "plastic-free"
* crystal beauty... moonstone-infused serums and shungite cleansers
* nootropics, gut health solutions and mood enhancers (yes please)
* buy-a-product-plant-a-tree campaigns
* recycled ocean plastic, mushroom (mycelium) boxes and a lot less plastic overall...

I hope you enjoy the awards today. Big congratulations to all the ethical, beautiful 2021 AWARDS winners - including those who've won one of the first ever Beauty Shortlist ECO LIFESTYLE AWARDS (new for 2021).

To see the gorgeous green winners go to thebeautyshortlist.com or click the bio link above. HAPPY MARCH 🐇🌷!

“We need the tonic of wildness…we can never have enough of nature”
Henry David Thoreau

Quarnero - Scent of the Mediterranean Face & Body Oils: Refresh, Relax, Sensual & Spirit

Remember those relaxing and soothing Quarnero’s Fleur de Sel Relax Bath Salts? Well, today, at The Amazing Blog we’re back with more of Quarnero’s nature-inspired skincare; but this time, it’s with their set of four Mediterranean Face & Body Oils. These are ideal for uplifting mind and body; so we thought, what could be a more appropriate time to use these now we’re still in #lockdown.

As previously mentioned, Quarnero is a family based business with mother and son team, Zorica and Rešid Seferović, in the Kvarner region of Croatia. This is where they produce natural and organic face and body care. Ingredients are mainly derived from the local region where wild plants flourish in the clean air, unpolluted Adriatic shoreline and the historical landscape. Other key organic ingredients are sourced from carefully selected organic locations – such as organic cold pressed sesame oil and some of the essentials oils. They use organic and natural biodynamic plant actives combined with their time-honoured knowledge of ancient medicinal remedies to bring these unique products to life – for them it’s taking ingredients back to basics with a ‘less is more’ philosophy. All products have the prized certification from NATRUE, International Natural and Organic Cosmetics Association , an organisation committed to promoting and protecting global natural and organic cosmetics. All Quarnero products are handmade, vegan and delivered in solid, simple apothecary-style jars with Miron violet glass. Interestingly, this violet glass is scientifically proven to maintain fresh ingredients longer than clear glass. It also acts as a barrier preventing the loss of bioenergy, enzymes, smell or colour from the product stored within, making preservatives less necessary. The brand is now available in 39 countries, with six products in total, which are within the two ranges of Face & Body Oils and Bath Salts.

Quarnero’s luxury vegan and organic unisex oils featured here today are suitable for both the face and body, making them incredible multitasking oils. We were sent the full set of Scent of Mediterranean Face & Body Oils, which are: Sensual, Relax, Spirit and Refresh. They offer all-year-round skin nourishment as each one contains a combination of pure bio-organic plant actives in the oils with a base of organic cold-pressed sesame oil. These ingredients are non-greasy, quick to absorb and designed to primarily help regenerate, soothe and protect the skin, emitting their unique Quarnero ‘Scent of the Mediterranean’ fragrance. The carrier oil in each is the cold-pressed sesame oil which is an excellent choice, as it doesn’t interfere with the essential oil’s therapeutic properties and is also full of antioxidants, vitamin E and omega fatty acids. It has a natural SPF 4 for protection and best of all, it keeps the skin gently nourished. The other ingredient common in three of the oils is lavender augustifolia (lavender oil) – see our photo above. This is one of the most versatile and popular distilled essential oils and best known to promote relaxation, treat anxiety, depression and insomnia. 

Each oil in this Scent of Mediterranean Face & Body Oil range offers specific mood enhancing property. The  Sensual emits softness and warmth with the cananga odorata (ylang-ylang) blended with delicate camellia oil, citrus essential oil; this will relax tense muscles, eliminate stress and anxiety, uplift and stimulate awakening sensuality. The Relax has an impressive combination of rosemary, lavender, geranium leaf and bergamot to relieve tired and irritated skin from negative environmental factors.It is also recommended for massaging into the body as an anti-cellulite treatment to aid with lymphatic drainage and make skin smoother. Spirit has a blend of excellent regenerative properties; these include rosemary, lavender, lemon and bergamot, which refresh the skin with a slightly zesty fragrance. This also has a stimulating effect on mood and we found it inspired in us a more optimistic outlook. Finally, the Refresh is a fusion of tangerine, lavender and mentha piperita leaf (peppermint). This mix has cooling and soothing characteristics, and when inhaled gave a feeling of elevated calm.

So, where to begin? We started by opening each of the four bottles in turn. Whichever one we instinctively felt most drawn to, we then applied. This was directly onto damp skin after an evening shower or bath. We recommend decanting the oils into a 20ml glass bottle; they work best warmed up bain-marie style, and then massaged to the skin. Left overnight the ingredients can fully absorb and work their magic. Quarnero also recommends using these oils to heal the skin after exposure to extreme cold or heat and as an added bonus, these oils are gentle enough to even be massaged into beards or the scalp. Once again, we’ve been won over by Quarnero’s skincare, where they offer their unique gifts from the earth, sun and sea and we cannot wait for to try more. To purchase Quarnero Scent of Mediterranean Face and Body oils, 100ml at €33 each, please email info@quarnero.hr for enquiries due to the online shop currently being unavailable.

NeoNaturelle: C-Major 23% Vitamin C Serum

Like many of you, here at The Amazing Blog we only want to use clean beauty, which is ideally organic, vegan or natural. As the skin is the largest organ in the body, we think it deserves to be pampered with the best.  We’ve reviewed many different face serums in the past; however today, we were curious to try this C-Major 23% Vitamin C Serum from NeoNaturelle, with its unique waterless formula and high potency of vitamin C. This Serum is also fortified with potent botanical actives that claim to brighten the skin and reduce fine lines and wrinkles.

NeoNaturelle is founded by a mother and daughter team Nila and Marina Cook in Vancouver, Canada. It all began in 2019 when Nila’s pregnant daughter Marina wanted to swap her regular skincare for more natural and cleaner formulas that contained anti-ageing and active ingredients. This proved to be challenging to find, as many of the natural skincare products which had the right ingredients, didn’t offer any of the potent anti-ageing actives. It was at this moment, that Marina and Nila decided to create NeoNaturelle skincare with clean, safe, natural and plant-based potent actives, which they'd been searching for. NeoNaturelle, is where science meets nature , with its seven products in the range, six are certified safe even for pregnant and lactating women or those with sensitive skin. The only exception here is their Skin Repair face oil which has retinol, as it is advised pregnant women avoid retinol (vitamin A) in their skincare. The brand’s mission is to provide customers with brand transparency as well as a skincare education. They want to inspire and educate the consumer, with their story and holistic approach to wellbeing, mental health, diet, exercise, and much more.

This newly launched C-Major Serum has already secured an award win with  Made in Vancouver 2020 Awards. As mentioned at the start, this 23% vitamin C  serum is in a stable waterless, oil-soluble formula that ensures the prolonged and safe use of this maximum potency of vitamin C activity. While high concentrations of regular vitamin C can cause skin irritation due to its ascorbic acid, C-Major uses a gentle and non-irritant formula. Let’s take a look at some of Serum’s key ingredients; these consist of aloe vera extract, which acts as a hydrating agent with its soothing and antioxidant properties. Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, unlike pure vitamin C (ascorbic acid), is fat-soluble, making it easier and fast-acting for the vitamin C to penetrate the dermis. The niacinamide (aka vitamin B3) minimises and tightens enlarged pores, renews skin cells and protects against UVA, toxins and pollution.  Apricot kernel oil is rich in vitamin E and works in partnership with vitamin C to improves skin tone, maintain softness and nourish the skin. Rosa Canina (aka rosehip) oil is rich in vitamin C, is excellent for cell regeneration and improves skin texture. Dl alpha-tocopherol is a synthetic and stable form of vitamin E; it reduces UV damage, is an anti-inflammatory and protects the skin from damage caused by free radicals. Finally, the Hydrolyzed oat, is an oat protein that reduces the appearance of fine lines and is a natural long-lasting humectant with powerful anti-ageing properties. 

The C-Major’s blend aims to boost collagen production, nourish the skin, and reduce pigmentation while making skin appear brighter and healthier. It is a light, quick-absorbing Serum and suitable for all skin types, even (as mentioned) the most sensitive. With its golden elixir it has a delicious aroma of tropical fruits – a mix of passionfruit/ grapefruit. Interestingly, they suggest using this Serum under OR after moisturiser. We used this Serum morning and evening under moisturiser. It was quick-absorbing and easy to use, it blended well and left our skin looking dewy. Thankfully it had no adverse reactions (unlike some other vitamin C serums), our skin did look brighter. Although vitamin C serum is known to help protect against sun damage (applied after exposure); during the day we would recommend using this with an SPF, as sun sensitivity increases with the use of vitamin C based skincare. We like that this C-Major offers safe ingredients and a maximum doses of vitamin C, all without the risk of irritation.  To purchase NeoNaturelle’s Vitamin C Serum for $96 (approx. £70.34 ) click here.

GoBo: Deodorising Fluid

Who doesn’t go through that uncomfortable feeling of sticky armpits or the occasional ingrown hair? Today at The Amazing Blog we’d like to share another of our #amazingfinds with this new Deodorising Fluid that keeps them smelling fresh and feeling pampered. This is GoBo the first AHA Deodorant to launch here in the UK.

GoBo are part of a British parent company Lamonts & Co, which manufacture consumer health and wellbeing products. GoBo‘s creator Laura Lamont said, “Underarms are meant to sweat naturally, but that doesn't mean you have to smell by the end of the day.” This is where she saw a gap in the UK market for a new type of deodorant containing powerful ingredients, such as AHA's, to detox and deodorise underarms as well as nourish the skin. The AHA here stands for alpha-hydroxy acid, consisting of mandelic, malic, lactic and glycolic acids derived from nuts, fruits, milk or sugar cane.  AHA’s are well-known for their exfoliating, smoothing and depigmenting and firming properties – which GoBo boosts here. The brand promises a natural product that is cruelty-free, and free from alcohol, essential oils, aluminium and parabens. Apart from the underarm area, this gentle formula can be used in between skin folds or under the breast area to help prevent or neutralise body odours. GoBo promises an astonishing 24 - 48 hour protection with a choice of four Deodorising Fluids Original Unfragranced, Jasmin, Orange Blossom and Rose.  

So how does GoBo work? When you switch to a natural deodorant after using one with chemical ingredients, the glycolic acid will eliminate the accumulated grime, sweat, and dead cells build-up. The other key ingredients here are arrowroot which acts as a moisture absorbent keeping the skin dry. In contrast, the vegetable glycerine takes on the role of moisturising agent, resulting in a well-hydrated skin area. Whereas the Guar Gum here is a natural food-grade thickener working as a prebiotic. What’s unique about this GoBo’s formula, is that it won’t prevent you from sweating; instead, it’ll let your body perspire naturally.  As mentioned earlier, the product reduces pigmentation and prevents ingrown hairs caused by depilation; what more can one ask for? The brand kindly sent us two products from the range with the Original Unfragranced and Orange Blossom. The Deodorising Fluid comes in a small glass bottle with a roll-on for easy application. The serum-like texture dries quickly, leaving no residues, making it quick and practical, especially when you’re dressing in a hurry. The Original Unfragranced is unscented, while the Orange Blossom is fragranced by only using natural floral water and has a mild scent that didn’t conflict with any other fragrances we used. After giving these a try, we can safely say that they keep their promise of providing fresh and smooth underarms. Would we buy more? Absolutely! As we get into spring, why not make the switch to these fresh AHA Deodorising Fluids for your new natural deodorant. You can purchase any of the four 100ml GoBo AHA Deodorants here. for £9.99.