Dr.Vegan: Vitamin D3

Does anyone get enough sunlight these days? Having been stuck inside for months, for us at The Amazing Blog, we certainly don’t! So, we were itching to try Dr.Vegan’s Vitamin D3, especially as it’s 100% plant-based and with the added bonus of multiple health benefits. We also like that their slogan says, Dr.Vegan products make a “Better Me. Better Planet.” 

Dr.Vegan  is for every kind of diet, all products are vegan or vegetarian, non-GMO and free of lactose, gluten, dairy, allergens, starch, and sugar. The company was founded in summer 2020 with the mission “to bring clarity, simplicity and ethics to your nutrition and supplements.” Dr.Vegan supplements are formulated by expert nutritionists and made in the UK. Their products are shipped worldwide and delivered for free in the UK. Dr.Vegan is all about protecting the planet, so their naturally sourced, plant-based supplements come in a refillable pill tin and are shipped in biodegradable and recyclable packaging. Since their ingredients are in a more bioavailable form, they are more absorbable and effective. And since their supplements come as capsules instead of tablets, they are free of binders and additives. Gordon Lott, the co-founder of Dr. Vegan, has been in e-commerce for 20 years and “is passionate about using technology to simplify the world of nutrition and supplements, empowering customers with easily accessible information to improve their understanding and control over their daily wellbeing.” On Dr.Vegan’s website, you can create a diet profile that shows you what nutrients your diet is missing and what supplements their nutritionists recommend for you. This was impressive, and creating a diet profile took us around five minutes, and all of the supplements they recommended made complete sense. 

Dr.Vegan’s Vitamin D3 is good for your bones, muscles, and immunity. Vitamin D also helps your body absorb calcium, keeping your bones and teeth healthy. It is good for your muscles, and specifically your heart, because it supports healthy muscle function. Did you know that low levels of vitamin D can cause heart disease? And lastly, vitamin D is good for your immune system because and keeps it in balance, so it’s not over or under-functioning. We get this vitamin from the sun, but most of us (especially in the UK) don’t get enough sunlight to be vitamin D sufficient, and that’s where this vitamin D3 supplement comes in. Being plant-based, Dr.Vegan’s Vitamin D3 is primarily sourced from the cholecalciferol in Lichen, which is a green algae.The only other ingredients this supplement contains besides vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol from lichen) are brown rice flour and capsule shell (HPMC, vegetable cellulose). Dr.Vegan’s Vitamin D3 comes with 30 capsules, where they advise to take one a day with food. Each capsule contains 2500IU, which is the ideal support for any diet. Public Health England recommends all adults take vitamin D supplements, specifically during the autumn and winter. And during the pandemic, many experts have recommended taking this D supplement to help protect themselves against COVID-19. Our conclusion is that vitamin D is always beneficial, especially right now — and Dr. Vegan has now made it easy for us all to access, with this their ethically sourced vitamin D3 supplements. If you’re lacking sunlight or looking to protect your health, you can buy Dr.Vegan’s Vitamin D3 here for 30 capsules it is £6.75 for a one-off or you can subscribe monthly, saving 15% and pay £5.74. 

Zuzka Natural Beauty: Rose Petal Cleansing Milk

When we did a poll at The Amazing Blog on how we cleanse our faces, it seems that some of us like to use a face wash in the morning and then a cleansing milk in the evening to remove makeup and city grime efficiently. We haven’t featured a cleansing milk for a while, so today, we’re featuring a newly discovered brand  Zuzka Natural Beauty and their Rose Petal Cleansing Milk that promises to melt away daily dirt either with damp cotton wool or warm water.

Zuzka Natural Beauty is a UK botanical and vegan skincare company. All products are formulated by the founder Susan Kohutova herself, a medical herbalist and beauty specialist with over 30 years standing. The inspiration for the brand name Zuzka comes from Slovakian for the founder’s name, Susan.  Working with multiple luxury cosmetic brands as a consultant or therapist has helped Kohtutova gain invaluable experience, enabling her to create her own beauty brand, where she shows a passion and understanding for nature and organic ingredients. As a medical herbalist, wherever possible she always tries to use organic botanicals in her skincare, with the idea of making them suitable for all skin types. Apart from the skincare, there are also mineral makeup and hair products, through to grooming products for men. Zuzka specialises in anti-ageing solutions and products to help acne-prone, oily, sensitive, or dry skin types. The products are also cruelty-free with zero animal ingredients and sustainably packaged with recyclable materials, which are mainly in aluminium bottles that have been described as having ‘the look of being functional, practical and purist.’ For the ingredients, they use organic herbs, plants, and flowers, all free from pesticides, chemicals, and synthetic ingredients like mineral oils and artificial fragrance. The brand recently won Lux Life Health Beauty and Wellness Award in 2020, for Best Botanical Cosmetic Company. Not only does Kohutova have a beauty brand, but she has also founded The Zuzka salon in Dorset, where clients can enjoy a peaceful beauty treatment and explore her botanical garden, where Zuzka herbs and plants are grown to use in their products. 

This Rose Petal Cleansing Milk conditions skins whilst removing all traces of makeup and grime. This cleanser has a thick milky consistently, leaving skin looking healthy and radiant while still cleansing and soothing even the most delicate or sensitive of skins. The cleanser contains absolutely no water and is oil-based, which helps retain and maintain your skin’s natural oils rather than dry out your face. It can be used on all skin types. The key ingredients to this product are organic rose essential oil infusion that is great for mature and sensitive skin. This cleansing milk also has whole aloe vera leaf that helps soothe and calm; and rosehip oil to reduces inflammation and gently exfoliate. The formula combines oils that include frankincense, organic beeswax, kokum butter, sunflower seed oil, borage seed oil, hemp seed oil, comfrey oil, hydra oats and many, many more. These natural oils are beneficial for hydrating and healing normal-to-dry mature skin.

The completely natural, light floral fragrance is refreshing, and the cleanser is soothing and easy to apply with its uplifting rose fragrance. It feels luxurious; in the evening, we simply massaged a small amount over the face and neck in a circular motion and wiped away with damp cotton wool (especially around the eye area). We found it brilliant for removing stubborn makeup as it worked deeply into the pores to remove any impurities, which helped balance and brighten skin. As we always say, ‘simplicity is best’, and this natural and organic cleansing milk delivers precisely what it promises as ‘A skin conditioning cleanser and makeup remover’. It is a super-gentle cleanser that left skin soft, hydrated and clean.  If you have sensitive, dry or mature skin, then we think this luxurious cleansing milk is a must to add to your skincare routine. To purchase the 150ml Rose Petal Cleansing Milk for £20, see here.

Corpo Sancto: Botanical Perfume Oil Collection

At The Amazing Blog, we love to try new fragrances, especially those that transport us to a different place or time, and with the Corpo Sancto’s newly launched Botanical Perfume Collection, we can wistfully imagine ourselves somewhere far, far away. This Botanical Perfume Collection takes us on a fascinating olfactory journey with their five unusually named perfume oils: Going To California, Marrakesh Express, Norwegian Wood, This Bird Has Flown, Gold Dust Woman, and Where The Wild Roses Grow.

Corpo Sancto is an Anglo-Scandinavian brand based in fashionable Brighton, which sells perfume oils, scented room diffusers, biodegradable luxury rapeseed wax candles, and a range of other home-related products made from reclaimed goods. Their perfume oils are made in small batches, vegan, and use only natural ingredients. Sustainability is at the heart of the brand, and wherever possible, their suppliers are UK-based and their packaging is made from recycled materials. Corpo Sancto is run by Chris and Annelie Bystrom-Turner, who are a husband and wife duo. In addition to being co-owners of Corpo Sancto, Chris is the drummer in Orange Goblin, and Annelie is a well-known makeup artist. Corpo Sancto’s mission is to be as eco-friendly as possible, carbon-neutral, with biodegradable products that are paraben-free and all without compromising on style or quality.

The Botanical Perfume Collection has a base of jojoba oil, and each perfume oil is then blended with a unique combination of scents. We’ve heard that the process of creating these fragrances is a highly guarded secret that involves weeks of sampling and testing to get it right. When asked about this new launch, Corpo Sancto said that they were tired of the misleading descriptions for traditional scents, and that’s why they deliberately chose obvious ingredient explanations here for each of their aromas. Which by the way, if you hadn’t already guessed, the five perfume oils are named after a rock or pop anthem (look them up!) - this is where lyrics, melodies, and scents meet.

Here are the perfume oils in the Botanical Perfume Oil Collection: Going To California which they describe as “Thumbin’ a ride to Laurel Canyon” with warm citrus notes of neroli and grapefruit mixed with coriander and spicy black pepper on a base of frankincense and myrrh. Marrakesh Express is of “Memories of Morocco through the haze of hashish smoke” with woody and warm amber fragrance notes blended with black pepper, tobacco, vanilla, sandalwood, tolu balsam and smoke. The Norwegian Wood – This Bird Has Flown is “A stroll through a Scandinavian forest on winter solstice” with fresh, woody notes of pine, cedar, rosewood and opoponax on an earthy base of patchouli and oakmoss. Gold Dust Woman is “A fragrance for the dark” with notes of Middle Eastern spices, rose and jasmine on a warm base of frankincense, myrrh and sandalwood. And finally, Where The Wild Roses Grow is described as “Petals crushed underfoot as you journey through the woods” with a hint of clary sage blended with rose, orris and labdanum on an earthy base of oakmoss, patchouli, and sandalwood. It’s hard to pick a favourite, but if we had to, it’d be neck and neck with Where The Wild Roses Grown and Gold Dust Woman.

Given the choice of wearing perfume oils or an Eau de Parfum, it’d be perfume oil every time for us. Why? Did you know that a perfume oil is more concentrated? With over 20% of fragrance concentration in the oil, this gives the wearer up to eight hours of scent, and even then, it still deliciously lingers. Whereas Eau de Parfum (EDP) contains about 12% fragrance concentration in alcohol, which evaporates after approximately four hours, leaving the wearer in need of reapplication. When using these perfume oils, we suggest anointing the pulse points, especially the wrists, rub a little to warm up the oil, and then take deep breaths; it helps to soothe the mind, uplifts the spirits and gives us our own little piece of calm throughout the day. We used these alone, but you could combine one or two from the collection to create an individual scent that resonates with your given mood. These are another of our #amazingfinds and we highly recommend experiencing these exceptional perfume oils; you can buy them individually at 10ml for £30.00, and 2ml for £5.00, or for the set of five in the Botanical Perfume Collection see here at £120.00.

Mal & Mod: Active Hydration Tonic

As our summer kicks in and our complexions suffer from the humidity and heat, as always at The Amazing Blog we need to find a solution. This is where we turn to a hydrating facial mist which is cooling and uplifting. However, in a recent search, we’ve found that too many high street face mists are ineffective, watery or filled with chemicals. So, today we’re happy to introduce another one of our #amazingfinds with the natural multipurpose Active Hydration Tonic from Mal & Mod to revitalise, hydrate and even brighten the skin.

Mal & Mod is a British brand founded by husband and wife team Louise and Dan Malcolmson. Together they studied at Formula Botanic just for fun, to learn how to make products for themselves. However, in 2016 while creating products, they realised a niche in the market, “We became increasingly conscious of what we were exposing our skin to every day and so was inspired to create something we could both use to simplify our skincare routine. So, Mal & Mod Mal & Mod was born, based on a shared desire for a stripped-back skincare approach for both genders.” Mal & Mod is a gender-free natural skincare brand that keeps skincare simple, with only four core products in the range, they contain only bioactive and plant-based ingredients. In their view, although women and men have different skin types, they don’t necessarily need separate products. Their ethos is strongly focused on sustainability by offering fewer products for a skincare routine that everyone can use, which in turn means fewer bottles in the bathroom. The brand uses Miron glass, which is 100% recyclable, together with its tissue paper and packaging. They also source their ingredients as locally as possible, working with manufacturers who are also committed to limiting their carbon footprint using sustainable and cruelty-free ingredients.  

The product we tried is their Active Hydration Tonic which was shortlisted in the 2020 Pure Beauty Awards. Thanks to its plethora of 32 ingredients, this Tonic is energising, refreshing and super-cooling on the complexion. There are five key elements; the most unusual is glasswort. This helps protect the skin from environmental stress; with betaine, amino acids, and minerals, this extract can strengthen the skin barrier, increase skin recovery and evens skin tone. Hyaluronic Acid here is a moisturising boost that hydrates the dermis and reduces signs of fatigue. The plant extract selaginella pulvinate also hydrates skin, whilst also strengthening the skin’s protective barrier function. Kumquat extract contains vitamin C, antioxidants and calcium to repair and increase skin vitality. Finally, Aloe vera is there to soothe, hydrate and repair. Together with the other ingredients, this Tonic gives the skin a dewy, brighter and more lifted appearance.The Tonic has fine particles, which evenly distribute the mist onto the face The fragrance is garden-fresh with a light combination of citrus, spearmint and lavender (all in the formula). We used it after cleansing, to tone the skin; on top of makeup, to set it; and intermittently during the day, to fresh up in the heat. We think this is a great little multitasker to keep close at hand to cleanse, hydrate, cool and tone the skin. To purchase your own 100ml Active Hydration Tonic, see here for £32.

Inlight Beauty : Skin Aid Kit

With the lifting of travel restrictions, at The Amazing Blog, it's a toss-up between a week's campervan tour around the Yorkshire Dales (as the seasides' will be heaving!) Or perhaps a quick flight to one of the 'green list' destinations. This is where one of our favourite go-to skincare brands, Inlight Beauty, have recently launched a compact Skin Aid Kit ready to take care of any skin related emergency, that will fit neatly into our hand luggage or rucksack.

Inlight Beauty started in 2007, and is an established UK luxury organic skincare brand based in Cornwall. Their founder and formulator is Dr Mariano Spiezia, a medical doctor, clinical herbalist and homoeopath. He combines orthodox medicine with the power of nature, and has been working for over 30 years using science, alchemy and wellness, to create these organic products. Dr Mariano Spiezia is considered the father of the organic beauty movement in Britain; indeed, Inlight Beauty was the first UK beauty brand to receive the Cosmos Organic Certification and are still the only UK brand to be certified across the whole range. The brand uses only the finest 100% organic and genuinely natural products which are ethically sourced. This award-winning brand's products are all handcrafted in Cornwall, from crushing and mixing the ingredients to pressing, filling and packing. Their ethos focuses on organic, plant-based and cruelty-free ingredients free from synthetic as SLS, parabens, phthalate, alcohol and palm oil; plus, all packaging is mainly recycled and recyclable. The brand uses only clean, green and renewable power because sustainability is very much at the brand's heart. Every formula is water-free, where they offer a wide range of products for the face, hair and body with oils, masks, creams, serums, butters and balms. Each Inlight product contains a Bio Lipophilic Matrix®. This Matrix has been the result of years of Dr Spiezia's research. The Matrix combines science and alchemy using pure organic/cold-pressed plant oils for impressive results. These super concentrated oils are energised using a patented technique where science meets alchemy to heighten the oils' vital force.

 We have written about several of their products here and were thrilled to receive their newly launched Skin Aid Kit which consists of five 7ml pots of their popular balms, in a sustainable organic cotton zip-up bag, which are suitable for all the family. Here are the benefits of each balm:

The first one is Calendula and Damask Rose Soothing Balm,  was a clear Winner in Wellbeing Awards at The Beauty Shortlist in 2019. It is for soothing delicate, red or sore skin and suitable for all skin type and ages, including baby skin! The main benefits of this balm are for calming, protecting and moisturising. It is safe for mums and babies and can be used on sore nipples if breastfeeding and for the baby's nappy rash. The key ingredients are calendula, which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits and commonly used for soothing skin conditions such as acne, psoriasis and eczema. Damask rose oil is also one of the star ingredients here, which has regenerative and antioxidant properties. Another ingredient is plantain, which contains bioactive compounds – such as allantoin – which provide its properties whi,ch are antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, helping to soften and hydrate the skin. It's also combined with evening primrose oil which reduces skin inflammation, allows the skin to retain moisture.  We used this balm as a hand balm for healing dry and sore hands – from too much hand washing!

The Propolis and Tea Tree Rescue Balm is for break-outs and acne-prone skin. As with the other balms, is it oil-based, which means there is no water in the formula. The star ingredients for this are propolis, tea tree and Frankincense. Propolis comes from the bees; it is a natural substance that helps acne thanks to its healing properties. Tea tree reduces itching and irritation and also has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Frankincense is made from the resin of a tree (the boswellia tree), ideal for aiding sunburn, rosacea with its anti-inflammatory properties. Thanks to these organic ingredients and that of neem oil, this balm also has potent antibacterial to add to the mix and suits all skin types, including sensitive ones. This is truly a skin rescue balm that can assist with break-outs and any problem-prone skin. We found it particularly good when we put a tiny bit on an areas of skin irritation, which stopped any blemishes from developing.

The Rosemary and Hypericum Recovery Balm is designed to help ease joints and muscles soreness from over-exertion. The key ingredients are rosemary, hypericum (St John's wort) and ginger. Both the rosemary and hypericum, amongst their many benefits, have anti-inflammatory compounds, which are thought to help boost the immune system and improve blood circulation and help relieve joint pain.  The ginger is also used for relieving joint pain; its warming on the skin is an excellent anti-inflammatory and has the added bonus of boosting overall immunity. We used a little on calves and knees after exercise to ease any anticipated stiffness. 

The Turmeric and Calendula Relief Balm is yet another Winner in the Wellbeing Awards at The Beauty Shortlist in 2019. It is handy for dry, red and itchy skin; it can also help those prone to eczema, dermatitis or psoriasis skin. The balm contains powerful nourishing ingredients like olive, castor and black cumin oils. When combined with skin conditioners like calendula, turmeric, plantain, chickweed and mallow, they offer an unbeatable blend of skin conditioning properties. There is no suggested application frequency; it is to use as and when the skin needs it. We found this invaluable for helping to calm an eczema break out.

Finally, there is the Arnica and Hyssop Trauma Balm for bruised, sore and swollen skin. The balm promotes recovery for any knocks, bumps or bruises, thanks to the star ingredients of: Arnica, hypericum, (St John's wort), hyssop and meadowsweet. Arnica has been used for centuries to help speed up recovery from bruises and swelling. Hypericum and hyssop have anti-inflammatory properties, and are suitable for healing minor burns, small cuts, or even frostbite. And meadowsweet is a flowering herb of the rose family; its antibacterial properties are often used to reduce redness, itchiness, and rashes. This balm will help skin recovers from and knock, bangs or minor skin traumas. Thankfully, we've not had to put this to the test, but have it on hand for when we do! All balms are formulated with sensitive and problem skin in mind, you too can purchase this brilliant topical 'first aid' with the Skin Aid Kit here for £37.