Sakrid: Superfood Frenzy Organic Face Wash

At The Amazing Blog, we always try to feature skincare products with honest and straightforward ingredients - the ones that we know and trust. Today, we're introducing the clean beauty brand Sakrid, whose mission is “to lovingly remove harmful and questionable ingredients from everyday life” with their award-winning Superfood Frenzy Organic Face Wash.

A fierce supporter of clean beauty, Natalie Elliott is co-founder of Sakrid together with Nick Carlile. It’s a British beauty brand specialising in simple and natural ingredients for skin, body and hair care. As Natalie's mother fought breast cancer, she became aware of the toxic ingredients used within self-care brands. To her amazement, she realised that many harmful chemicals are approved for use in everyday products, so she began on her journey to reduce these ingredients in her, and her family's lives. Subsequently, Natalie went on to launched her own brand Sakrid, creating a skincare with naturally derived alternatives that she describes as ‘clean beauty’. For those not in the know, the clean beauty movement seeks to use ONLY naturally derived ingredients, which are deemed safe and cause no harm to health or wellbeing. This is where Sakrid skincare doesn’t compromise on quality and prides themselves on their handmade, organic, natural, vegan, halal, and cruelty-free products produced in the UK. Along the way, they’ve also learned a lot about packaging, recycling, ingredient sourcing, and supply chains; which is why Sakrid only partners with suppliers that share their philosophy by using only recycled plastics, chemical-free print materials, local providers, and sustainable supply chains. Not ones to settle, they're continually searching for ways to improve what they do for the environment and their communities. 

Sakrid kindly sent us their Superfood Frenzy Organic Face Wash, which recently won a Gold Award in the 2021 Global Green BeautyAwards for Best Vegan Skincare Product. They believe that the most important thing about a facewash is its "ability to deeply cleanse and also to enrich cell renewal to promote a natural, healthy glow," and Sakrid expresses this belief through the potent ingredients that they've added to this cleanser. The organic camellia sinensis (green tea) leaf extract is the first essential ingredient here (see our photo above). Full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits, it also helps soothe and calm the skin while protecting against collagen degradation and skin discolouration. anti-ageing, plus camellia sinensis aids in skin hydration. Other key ingredients include organic aloe vera for moisturising and calming; it has anti-inflammatory properties and can lighten up scarring because it contains a compound called aloesin. Next, there is kojic acid, which is sourced from different types of fungi. It inhibits the formation of an amino acid that is needed to produce melanin, the protein that creates pigment in our hair, skin, and eyes. Because of this function, kojic acid can also lighten the skin, minimising sun damage, age spots, and scars caused by injuries or acne. It also has antimicrobial and antifungal properties, which can help to prevent bacteria in the skin. That's not all, kojic acid acts as an antioxidant too, counteracting skin-damaging free radicals and helping prevent the ageing of the skin. The last of these key ingredients is vitamin C, which promotes collagen growth and reduces the appearance of ageing. Since it contains antioxidants, vitamin C helps fight against UV light damage, and it can lighten up hyperpigmentation like kojic acid and aloe vera. The stabilisers and preservatives in the face wash are naturally derived (but not organic), allowing the skin to reap the benefits of the ingredients without having its normal function disturbed. To use the face wash, simply dampen the face, massage onto the skin, and then rinse with warm water. We used this morning and night, the gel face wash gently lathers up as it mixes with the water and feels very soothing on the skin. There is a mild zesty scent (probably the neroli plus the grapefruit and orange peel) which leaves the skin feeling fresh and clean. We also like that the tube is made of recycled plastic, which of course can be recycled again. It’s certainly well-named as ‘Superfood’ with the plethora of organic ingredients, not something we often see in a cleanser, plus it’s very well priced at £17.00 for the 150ml tube - we’d recommend this cleanser and it’s another of our #amazingfinds. To purchase the Sakrid Superfood Frenzy Organic Face Wash, see here.

HAVUKA: Spruce Resin Lip Balm, & A Piece of Spruce Resin Soap

Dry and flaky skin is something that no one wants, whether that's our lips, hands or even our scalp. So as we move into autumn, today at The Amazing Blog, we bring you two excellent Finnish skincare products by HAVUKA with their unique ingredient of spruce resin. 

HAVUKA is a family-owned, Finnish natural and artisan skincare. Their unique products utilise the natural resources from the Finnish landscape and Elias Lönnrot's recipes. Elias Lönnrot was a Finnish physician, philologist, and collector of traditional Finnish poetry. A well-known traveller, Lönnrot collected poems and folk stories from across Finland, which resulted in the creation of the Kalevala, one of the most significant works in Finnish literature. During his journeys, Elias discovered the healing powers of the golden and gooey resin from spruce trees, this is not to be confused with the thin, watery spruce sap. Spruce resin has been used in Nordic countries for many centuries to treat skin infections, insect bites, chapped hands, cuts, scrapes, eczema, burns and rashes, to name but a few. HAVUKA continues the path of Elias Lönnrot, and brings natural skincare products all made according to his original recipes, into the modern-day. Havuka wishes to preserve the knowledge that Lönnrot gathered and the recipes he created, so each product tells its origin and story through the eyes of Lönnrot. As a family-owned company HAVUKA has passed on the tradition of producing these natural products for three generations, and Timo Tynys follows in his family's footsteps as the current CEO. Even today, these sustainable spruce resin products are made from mainly locally-sourced botanicals, and are all collected by hand.

The Spruce Resin Lip Balm tells the story of how Elias was able to use spruce resin to create a natural lip balm. By mixing the resin from the spruce tree with fat, he created a 100% natural lip cream to soothe dry and cracked lips. Today each lip balm is hand made in Finland, with 100% natural ingredients. For many years, this natural resin has been used in Nordic folk medicine and therapy. Tree resin, like spruce, is not only helpful in treating dry, cracked skin, it has been proven to heal cuts, rashes, and burns. The spruce resin, in particular, has always been a source of fascination to us, as we love how it contains ‘various antioxidants and flavonoids’ which all work together to create a fantastic antiseptic-like substance. Spruce produces a resin as a natural defence mechanism to protect and heal itself from a wound, or bacteria, fungi, and other harmful microbes. These natural defence principles, can also be applied to skincare, in this case by Havuka, who use it as a key ingredient to help heal and protect the skin. The conditions of the Nordic forests and nature, together with the seasonal variations, northern light and the darkness of autumn and winter, grants spruce resin its healing powers, making it one of nature's potent healing forces. The long and storied history of spruce resin, has led to medical research for wound care here and has further proved itself as an effective natural remedy. This lip balm is made up of four simple ingredients: Finnish spruce picea abies resin, organic beeswax, sodium cocoa butyrate and jojoba oil. The beeswax contains myricin and serine which have antibacterial substances to heal and softens dry and chapped skin. The sodium cocoa butterate is the fatty acid derived from cocoa butter and provides relief to damaged skin; and the jojoba oil is used to hydrate the skin – the perfect ingredient for a lip balm. This Spruce Resin Lip Balm is smooth and creamy to apply with a mild cocoa butter-y taste. As cold weather approaches, we think that with all these simple yet effective ingredients, it’s one to keep handy when you go outside - not only does it taste good, it’s also very shielding. The Spruce Lip Balm was first nominated for Best Lip Cream for the Nordic Natural Beauty Awards in 2020. You can purchase this hydrating natural Spruce Resin Lip Balm at 4g  here for € 12.90.

Next, we have the Piece of Spruce Resin Soap, this was also nominated at the Nordic Natural Beauty Awards in 2020, and we can see why. With its gentle antiseptic qualities, this soap can be used on both the skin and scalp, and is ideal for dry, flaky and sensitive skin. The spruce resin will also soothe the scalp while supporting the ‘normal function of the skin’. This handmade, 100% natural soap contains minimal ingredients and follows Elias' recipe, making it both an eco-friendly and sustainable product, with its plastic- free packaging so there is no need to worry about the impact on the planet. There are only five ingredients here with Finnish spruce picea abies resin (which we have discussed), organic rapeseed oil that has antioxidant properties for the skin and is a rich source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These antioxidants help protect the skin from free-radicals and potential environmental factors, like pollution. Sodium olivate is the sodium salt of the fatty acid of olive oil and is commonly used in soaps and as a detergent substance. Along with these, there are also coconut oil and sodium palmate, which are a gentler alternative to harsh cleansers that are typically found in other soaps. The advantage of these is that they have a high content of the monounsaturated fatty acid oleic acid. It is very easy to use, we were sent the 40g soap, which has lasted well. We used it in the shower on the body and scalp, and found that it lathers up but has no fragrance. In regard to using it on hair, we would say that it’s more for treating the scalp and not the hair, as it left our hair a bit tangly and in need of conditioner. We think it would be ideal to use when cold water swimming (as suggested with Saltvattentvalen No:1 ) and with all these natural ingredients you want to use it to be at one with nature following in the steps of Elias Lönnrot. The Piece of Spruce Resin Soap is offered in two different sizes, 40g at € 5.90 or 100g at € 12.90 here; all products are available through HAVUKA's website or if ordering from UK you might want to go to The Artic Pure here. Also look out for our review on their Spruce Resin Balms soon.

Vemel: Intense Age Repair Eye & Lip Cream

Did you know that the human body consists of over 60% water? And at The Amazing Blog, we understand the importance of staying hydrated. Although drinking water is essential for our functioning, did you know that taking the water out of our skincare routines can benefit both us and the environment? Today we'd like to introduce Vemel, a brand who have developed waterless skincare, in their quest to create natural, sustainable and eco-friendly products.

Vemel is a British brand founded by wife and husband Agi and James Miel. After years of struggling with various medications and skincare products to treat their children's eczema and allergies, the couple sought a natural "antidote to the chemical overload" in which they found themselves immersed. They took a holistic approach in a search to reduce the number of chemicals and toxins in their children's lives. This journey led them to launch Vemel, where co-founder Agi Miel said, "The whole ethos of Vemel brand is based around honesty. Our labels are simple, clear and transparent, our ingredients are listed in common English names." All products are waterless and made from organic, natural, vegan, and food-grade ingredients that are free from skin irritants, such as perfumes, essential oils, and alcohols. In addition, the brand offers packaging that is 100% plastic-free, even providing reusable pipettes with orders to increase their sustainability. The jars, bottles, and boxes that Vemel uses for packaging are also completely recyclable. As Vemel formulates their products with natural ingredients, they're suitable for all ages, genders, and skin types, meaning that entire family can share the same products, reducing waste. Vemel does more than just focus on sustainability: cutting out all essential oils also means that Vemel products are kinder to aquatic life and ecosystems, which are negatively affected by some these oils. 

Vemel's approach to creating natural skincare lies in their commitment to developing waterless products. Did you know that when water is added to skincare products, emulsifiers are required so that the water can thoroughly mix with the rest of the product. However, emulsifiers promote the growth of bacteria, so preservatives are necessary to limit their growth. These preservative can cause skin irritation, disrupt the skin's barrier, and even accelerate ageing. In addition, most beauty products are 80-90% water, so eliminating the water in the products means that you're using a more potent and efficient version that offers more substantial effects and lasts longer too. Water can also dry out the skin as it evaporates and takes its natural and necessary oils along with it. Removing the water from skincare increases hydration, prevents irritation, and reduces breakouts, especially in sensitive skin. Along with benefits to your skin, waterless beauty offers significant benefits to the environment. By 2025, an estimated 5 billion people - two-thirds of the world's population - will be affected by water shortage, and today, about 1.1 billion people lack reliable and adequate access to water. With most skincare products on the market consisting of such a high volume of water, waterless brands like Vemel are doing their part to help with water conservation. Going waterless also impacts the packaging of products: products with water require more complicated packaging to prevent evaporation, so eliminating water means that we can skip this extra packaging and reduce our waste. That said, Formula Botanica (an accredited formulation school), do make a good point, saying that “it’s impossible to avoid the water footprint and for any beauty formulation to be truly waterless. The water required to grow raw ingredients and process, ship, use and dispose of any of your cleansers and scrubs will far outweigh any water savings gained from excluding water in the formulation itself.”⁣ 

We received Vemel's best-selling Intense Age Repair Eye & Lip Cream, which was recently announced as a Gold Winner of the "Best Vegan Eye Product" in the 2021 Global Green Beauty Awards and the "Best Healing & Soothing Lip Treatment" in the 2021 Beauty Shortlist Awards. The Intense Age Repair Eye & Lip Cream is a certified organic, vegan, and cruelty-free cream that targets the sensitive parts of our skin that we usually neglect. It encourages collagen, elastin, and lipid production to soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The main ingredient is organic murumuru Butter, made from extracting the fat from the Strocaryum Murumuru palm tree native to the Amazon Rainforest. This butter is rich in vitamin C and A, as well as fatty acids like oleic acid that keep skin hydrated, restore elasticity, and provide rich moisture to help with dry and cracked skin. The cream also contains organic aloe vera oil. Aloe oil is obtained through a macerating process, where the aloe vera is infused into a carrier oil. It has very different properties to that of aloe gel as it contains the oil-based components of the plant instead of the water-based components found in the gel. This ingredient is rich in phytochemicals and compounds that stimulate growth and produce collagen in the skin that encourages repair and rejuvenation. One of the other key ingredients in the Intense Age Repair Eye & Lip Cream is organic kiwi seed oil. Kiwi fruits are full of nutrients like vitamins C, E, and K, and these nutrients help to plump up and reduce the appearance of fine lines. The oil also contains a good balance of omega-6 and 3 making it a gentle ingredient that reduces any skin inflammation. The last superstar of this cream is organic Argan wax. Rich in vitamin E, phenols, carotenes, and fatty acids, this Argan moisturises skin, reduces the visibility of wrinkles, repairs skin damage, and soothes irritated skin Finally, there is microalgae extract (obviously not organic) which are a potent neutraliser of free radicals, anti-pollution and help to removes toxins. This Intense Age Repair Eye & Lip Cream contains no added fragrances or essential oils, meaning that it's suitable for all skin types and won't expose your skin to any irritants. To apply the cream, you can use the reusable bamboo spatula provided, to apply a pea-sized amount to the contours around your eyes and lips. We used this morning and evening, alone, to ensure we're got its full potency! It felt like a combination of balm x cream, on application it’s smooth and transparent; and we think that this protective and healing Intensive Age Repair & Lip Cream will soon become your new best friend, as we fast approach a chilly autumn.

If you're looking to help out the environment and reap the potent skin benefits, Vemel can help you jumpstart your waterless skincare journey. To try out their award-winning Intense Age Repair Eye & Lip Cream, you can purchase it here at £45.00 for 30g. 

Skin Beautiful Organics: Luscious Day Souffle

For those of us at The Amazing Blog who struggle with keeping our skin hydrated in a blazing 30 degrees (yes, after a gloomy August, the UK is finally now having an Indian summer!), a good light and long-lasting natural moisturiser is essential. Which is why we are returning to one of our favourite and trusted all-natural luxury skincare brands, Skin Beautiful Organics with their popular Luscious Day Souffle.

For those unfamiliar with this company, Skin Beautiful Organics is a luxury skincare brand based in the USA. This newly launched brand was released in 2020 by founder Ethel Emmons, but her own skincare journey began in 2007. Ethel, a digital strategist and entrepreneur, constantly struggled to find skincare products that would not cause her sensitive skin to redden, swell, or itch. She found it hard to find chemical-free and natural products that would work with her skin sensitivity. Ethel started experimenting with creating homemade, natural skincare remedies to soothe and protect her skin, using ingredients like whole fruits, herbs, and essential oils. With this, she found her passion and decided to pursue formal studies at the UK International School of Natural Skincare, where she received her Certificate of Natural Skincare Formulation. After finishing her studies, Ethel created Skin Beautiful Organics to make all-natural skincare products, such as cleansers, serums, creams, scrubs, and toners. She uses only the most innovative natural science techniques and manufactures all her products in an FDA-registered and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) compliant facility powered by 100% renewable wind energy. All products are handcrafted in small batches to maintain freshness, created using locally sourced ingredients whenever possible, and have met or exceeded the Whole Foods Premium Standards for Personal Care Products.

The Luscious Day Souffle is the first dedicated day cream that we have tried from Skin Beautiful Organics. This Day Souffle cream rejuvenates and protects the skin from the unavoidable environmental stress that our skin faces throughout the day. It also absorbs quickly and aims to repair and nourish dull, dry, uneven, or ageing skin without clogging the pores or feeling heavy. Like many of their other skincare products, this cream contains a whopping number of organic ingredients, in fact it’s sixty-four in total, that all serve different purposes in helping to replenish and maintain the skin. We note that top of the list of ingredients is aloe vera, with its cooling, anti-inflammatory and skin healing properties, and it couldn’t be a more appropriate ingredient for this light and luxurious Day Souffle cream. Some of the other most unique and notable of these ingredients include raspberry seed oil, macadamia nut oil, and papaya seed oil. The raspberry seed oil contains alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which helps lock in moisture, while the high amount of vitamin E found in this oil prevents oxidative damage. All together, the raspberry seed oil is a highly effective moisturiser that helps to keep the skin dewy and firm, all while protecting the skin from premature ageing. Macadamia nut oil is rich in oleic acid, which has impressive moisturising and anti-inflammatory abilities. The oleic acid found in macadamia nut oil is perfect for those with mature skin, as it deeply penetrates the skin's surface to moisturise and prevent the formation of wrinkles. The papaya seed oil has a broad range of antioxidants, vitamins A, B, C, and omega fatty acids. The papaya seed oil provides gentle skin exfoliation, which encourages skin cell turnover, leading to a fresh and bright complexion while increasing skin elasticity. This multifaceted day cream works quickly to hydrate, protect, and nourish the skin, leaving the skin looking radiant and youthful.

Skin Beautiful Organics advises after cleansing and toning, to apply a small amount of the Day Souffle cream to face, neck, and décolleté area; plus to use one of their facial serums first, to obtain the best results. We found that this Day Souffle cream was perfect for under makeup or a sunscreen, and kept skin cool and hydrated even in this late summer heat! It felt very soothing to apply, a little went a long way and with regular daily use it kept going for an astonishing 45+ days. We loved the light scent where the subtle sweet fragrance of the neroli essential oil comes through, and found that our skin felt dewy and soft after application. If you are looking for a gentle, hydrating and luxurious day cream that will bring out the best in your skin, then this highly rejuvenating Luscious Day Souffle will be for you. To purchase this day cream for £75, click here.

2022 Beauty Shortlist & Wellbeing Awards - Are Now Open for Entry!

Good to grow: 2022 Beauty Shortlist & Wellbeing Awards open for entries with new blue beauty and plantable beauty categories and fresh faces on the judging panel.

Entries have opened for the upcoming Beauty Shortlist Awards which will celebrate the highest-scoring brands and products that celebrate NATURE on Wednesday 2 March 2022.

Honouring the most-loved earth-safe and ocean-safe beauty and wellness products – all tested by experts – the ethical, natural and organic showcase returns with over 40 new categories embracing blue and green beauty, more age-specific skincare and self-care categories, eco-packaging, holistic health, eco innovation, nutrition, aromatherapy, CBD and more.

2022 BEAUTY SHORTLIST & WELLBEING AWARDS ENTRY FORM (ENTRIES CLOSE 29 OCTOBER)

ENTRY FORM

If you had to pick the most stellar month of the year for beauty and the planet, September would be up there: Organic September, a new season with lots of new launches, the Great British Beach Clean, World Car Free Day - and it’s FSC week soon, celebrating & raising awareness of responsible forestry 🌳

Never have we lived through a time when comforts and joys have been more important to our wellbeing - and it’s exactly those that are celebrated every year at the Beauty Shortlist Awards:

You are warmly invited to celebrate the top-scoring beauty, grooming and wellness of the year with the 2022 Beauty Shortlist Awards on Wednesday 2 March.

These independent and 100% sponsor-free global Awards celebrate the highest-scoring ethical brands and products of the year, evaluated by beauty and wellness industry experts:

• natural + organic beauty, personal care

• nutrition, wellness, health supplements, CBD & eco cleaning

• men’s hair, skincare, self-care, body & shower products

Happy September!