Happy Carrot Skincare – Incredible Carrot Hero Balm

Today at The Amazing Blog we’re looking at a simple and effective vegan skincare – well after all it’s still ‘Veganuary’. Today the humble carrot is the key ingredient with the  Incredible Carrot Hero Balm which is full of plant-based goodness, award winning and a great multi-tasking product from Happy Carrot Skincare.

Victoria Carpenter, founder of  Happy Carrot Skincare decided to name the company Happy Carrot because she believes in the benefits and power of the plant-based ingredients -  mainly the carrot! Launched in 2019, the Happy Carrot Skincare is committed to creating plant-based skincare - that works. This Vegan Society registered brand, wants to bring a positive change to our skin and the planet. Carpenter commented: “We focus on ingredients that are amazing for combination skin which are also great for the planet. Our skincare superheroes are extremely nourishing and calming for even troubled skin, and deliberately fragrance-free.” All pots are made from recyclable plastic with compostable labels, and they use cold-pressed oils from Europe with up-cycled fruit seeds and kernels, which are excess and have been discarded from food production. They consider themselves to be a zero-waste and low carbon footprint brand. Happy Carrot Skincare keeps their ingredients to a minimum, where all their ‘superhero’ products contain less than ten in total. The brand has won by numerous awards such as The Beauty Shortlist Awards, Global Green Beauty Awards,  Free From Skincare Awards and VegFest UK Awards. Their four products range from Terrific Tomato Facial Oil, Awesome Apricot Lip Balm, Reusable Cleansing Pads to the (below) featured Incredible Carrot Hero Balm.

The Incredible Carrot Hero Balm comes in two sizes a 15g or 40g pot with recyclable plastic. This Balm helps cleanse, calm, and moisturise your skin. This one of their superhero products which only contains eight plant-based ingredients. The hero here is the carrot extract because of the number of antioxidants it has, and it also gives the skin a golden glow. Carrots contain two types of vitamin A, carotenoids and retinoids (which the liver converts into the magical ‘retinol’). These are key in producing new skin cells, being high in antioxidants reduce skin inflammation and sun damage – reducing age spots and pigmentation. The murumuru butter mixed with vegan waxes such as myrica and candelilla wax, give the Balm a smooth texture making it easy to apply and leaving the skin soft.  The other fruit seeds oils used are watermelon, tomato and raspberry which are light and fast-absorbing; they’re clarifying for those with oily skin but also nourishing for dry.  Combined they protect and moisturise with antioxidants, minerals and unsaturated fatty acids. The Balm can be used in numerous ways; we used it as a cleanser, mask, moisturiser and lip balm. However, we see that many others like it as a nail and cuticle balm. We recommend scooping a little into your hands and massaging onto the face or neck, leaving it overnight to give skin an extra vitamin A and retinol boost, then removing any excess with a gentle toner in the morning. With a whole host of vitamins and nutrients, it left our faces feeling moisturised but not greasy. This is a one-pot-wonder; we think a good investment and ideal for using when travelling light. To purchase The Incredible Carrot Hero Balm see here  40g for £25.00.

Organic Island: Paw Paw Multi-Use Balm

Although we’re all wearing masks in the outside world – don’t forget that your lips need protection still against the chilling winter winds. Yes, it’s sad to see our favourite lipsticks and glosses now gathering dust, but using a shielding multi-balm for the lips is our new beauty must-have. With this in mind, The Amazing Blog is happy to report in today with a good clean, potent and tested winter salve from Organic Island with their Paw Paw Multi-Use Balm.

Organic Island was launched in 2007 by Mark Powers and is one of Australia’s few organic skincare brands to have been awarded certification by two of the most highly regarded industry commissions:  Australian Certified Organic (ACO) and BDIH Germany (BDIH). These societies ensure that all certified products are free from any synthetic materials, hormones, petrochemicals, and made with raw plant and mineral extracted materials. Not only are Organic Island’s products certified by both commissions, but they also qualify as advanced organic skincare, and are clinically tested using patented formulations unique to Organic Island. Oh, and the fact that they do not dilute their products with water shows the purity and potency of thier ingredients. Products currently range from multi-balms, hand and skincare to the gentlest of baby care. 

One of the products that Organic Island kindly sent us is their hero, the multi-award-winning Paw-Paw Multi-Use Balm. Using their patented delivery of OliveM1000, Crystal Skin and Si02 Matrix, these hasten the absorption directly into the dermis for faster results. This incredibly potent papaya formula is a multi-balm ready to be used on any part of the face or body where it’s needed for instant soothing, healing or a cell renewal boost. Rich in three types of pawpaw, which include pumpkin papaya, papain (papaya enzyme) and carica papaya fruit extract. Combined with cocoa butter, vitamin E and beeswax, these gently exfoliate chapped lips or dry skin thus promoting hydration. This, in turn, creates a protective barrier where the antioxidants act as a shield, to heal and protect the skin. We used it on bare lips out in the cold, which was a huge success; however, it could also be used as a primer under lipstick or over lipstick to add a subtle gloss. If you’re looking for a highly effective multi-use salve, then look no further, this Paw Paw Multi-Use Balm with its anti-inflammatory properties make it the perfect companion for skin irritation, eczema, burns or insect bites. You can purchase this very special balm as your winter salve, 25ml for only $9.95 (£5.48) here directly from Organic Island’s website. 

Tropikal Sundai – Golden Mango Body Butta

Has your skin got the winter blues? Then at The Amazing Blog we can’t wait to introduce you to some tropical sunshine. What better way to start the New year off right by treating dry skin to this super-hydrating Golden Mango Body Butta from Tropikal Sundai. With this gloomy January #lockdown, we love that this brings a much needed holiday glow to our skin.

Starting at a young age, Tropikal Sundai’s founder Ashlie-Selina Ryan spent her Sundays learning about Bajan plants and their healing properties from her Mother. While on a bike ride in Cherry Hill, Barbados, her skin started to get irritated and inflamed. This was when she learned from her cousin about the benefits of using plants such as Aloe Vera to soothe her skin. This gave her the inspiration to create her own line of products with Tropikal Sundai utilising traditional Bajan ingredients. Although now based in Hackney, Tropikal Sundai is as the name indicates a tropical fruit-infused artisan brand, whose ingredients are entirely vegan, cruelty-free and natural. One of their strong beliefs is ‘that mother nature has the abilities to heal, restore and nourish.’ They currently have a trio of products in the range with Guava & Aloe Hydrating Mist, Peach Papaya Glow Serum and Golden Mango Body Butta (which we are featuring below).

As mentioned, we think this Golden Mango Body Butta will make a great addition to your body care routine. As this Body Butta keeps skin moisturised and glistening with its all-natural ingredients. All products are handmade and in small batches where they only use raw butters and organic or cold press oils. Here in the Golden Mango Body Butta, the mango and cherry kernel oil are the prominent fruity fragrances in this decadently rich whipped body cream. With its key ingredients of aloe vera/coconut butter, mango, cherry kernel and shea oils, together with rosehip and grapeseed oils, which when combined make this a supreme skin food. The aloe vera/coconut butter hydrate and soothes irritated skin. The rosehip and shea oil help to moisturise and reduce any appearance of scarring. Although, the number one ingredient here is the mango (mangifera indica) butter, which rejuvenates and heals the skin, easing skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis. This is a truly luxurious body cream, where a little goes a long way, when applied in the morning it lasted until bedtime, keeping skin soft supple throughout the day. It’s suitable for dry patches or for those with eczema;  we highly recommend treating skin with this pure and tropical plant magic, Golden Body Butta 250ml for £25, see here to purchase. 

Manicure You London - Nail Polishes

We can never get enough of manicured nails, here at The Amazing Blog whether it’s to coordinate with our latest outfit or to pack into our travel bags for holidays. With Christmas fast approaching we couldn’t resist adding a trio of new sparkly colours from Manicure You to our collection.

Like many of us, Nicola Soremekun, the founder of Manicure You had damaged nails after years nail-biting and acrylics. Finally, she decided that it was time take care of her natural nails which took her on a nail journey creating an Instagram page ‘Nikki & Nails’ where she photographed and detailed her manicures, nail growth and colours of the week.  As a nail polish convert, she decided to launch her own brand in 2018 with a range of luxury nail products offered at affordable prices. Also, a black-owned business, being inclusive for all skin tones was a must for her, Nicola said: “I wanted to create a product that is inclusive of all skin tones, toxin-free and would allow my nails to breathe, be nurtured and grow whilst still rocking the latest shades.” All the Manicure You nail polishes are free from ingredients such as toluene, dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, camphor, ethyl tosylamide, and xylene. For those of you new to nail lacquer formulations, here is why they are not included in the Manicure You formulations: Toluene is a neurotoxin that can cause neurological damage when inhaled. Although Dibutyl Phthalate helps improve nail durability but it is also associated with damage to the liver and kidneys. Formaldehyde and it’s by-product Formaldehyde Resin can cause allergic reactions, asthma, nausea, and dermatitis. Camphor can also trigger allergic reactions, headaches and nausea. Low doses of Xylene can cause headaches, and high doses can affect the respiratory system. Ethyl Tosylamide is banned in Europe due to it causing mild to severe allergic reactions; it also can disrupt hormones. With cuticle oil, top and base coat, as well as an array of over 23 vibrant colours in the range, there is something for everyone here. This collection of chic and environmentally friendly products, give results with a long-lasting gel-like finish, without the use of a UV lamp or soaking your nails in toxic acetone. 

Adding some twinkle to fingers and toes, and creating fun nail art always gets us in the celebratory mood. This is where the Christmas trio of shimmer shades from Manicure You with Moonlight, Ruby Queen and Trophy complement, adding some serious festive pizzazz to our home manicure. Best of all, we found that the recommended application of two thin coats gives a gloop-free and long-lasting colour. Ruby Queen is a ‘lipstick red’ with the tiniest flecks of gold which glistens in the light, we think this shade is great for a girly night out or for the on-trend fashionistas. Whereas Trophy is the perfect in-between metallic shade of silver/gold making it the most versatile colour of the trio to rock for Christmas parties. Moonlight is a midnight blue giving a prism effect with light-reflecting rich cobalt shades, all of which add a little drama - this was our favourite shade from the trio. You can use these colours alone, or there are numerous nail art designs you can create. We suggest starting with Trophy as the base followed by a line of Ruby Queen and Midnight on the tips, like a reverse French. Or perhaps having Ruby Queen as the base and then taking Trophy to paint diagonal lines creating a candy cane effect. However, if you’re nail art novices, like us, then go for a more straightforward look by painting eight fingers in Midnight and both ring fingers in Trophy to give a festive accent. Why not follow this by painting all toes in the glorious Ruby Queen, the perfect colour for getting your feet party-ready. You can purchase all the Manicure You nail polishes here for £8.50 each.

Setunea – Dead Sea Mud Body Wash & Honey Infusion Soap

Finding natural, clean and simple artisan soaps has been our recent mission at The Amazing Blog trying to declutter the bathroom and find good multitaskers. Today we’d like to introduce you to Setunea who use ingredients and methods dating back to the biblical times with their olive oil-based soaps and body washes. 

Founder of Setunea, Waleed Kamhieh was curious about how the market would receive sustainable, all-natural, and organic soaps. “Setunea was born out of an idea of introducing a centuries-old olive oil soap recipe to the modern consumer and try to meet the growing global demand for chemical-free organic products.” He decided to launch the brand at a Natural Products Global Exhibition in London during 2018. Seeing that their 100% chemical-free products were a hit, especially with people looking for sensitive skin-friendly products, they decided to carry on sharing the wonders of olive oil from Nablus, a city located between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal near the Dead Sea. This is where olive farming and manufacturing has been part of the local heritage for almost a millennium. All of Setunea’s products are sustainably farmed and manufactured, as the olive oil is directly sourced from family-run farms where products are handcrafted by a family business that has continuously produced olive oil soap since 1611. The pure extra-virgin, cold-pressed olive oil constitutes 80% of the soaps. This olive oil is packed with nutrients and super-antioxidants and the skin will never feel tight or dry after using a Setunea soap no matter how sensitive it is. And if it does, Setunea promises to refund you under 30 days. Best of all their products are vegan, cruelty-free and formulated without any other chemicals, and their packaging is made from recyclable paper-based materials.

Let’s start with the initial product that caught our eye their Dead Sea Mud Body Wash. A rare blend of Dead Sea mud and olive oil, this unique two-in-one cleanses and heals the skin. Dead Sea mud has been used for healing the skin since biblical times; it has an extraordinary calming result on highly sensitive and problem skin with conditions like psoriasis, eczema, or keratitis. This minimalist formula has only four ingredients: Olive oil, food-grade lye (soda), water, and Dead Sea mud. The salt minerals work together here with the purest olive oil to gently cleanse the body restoring the skin’s PH balance and effectively hydrating and fortifying the dermis. If you have trouble coping with one of the skin conditions (mentioned above), we recommend this as your next go-to gentle body wash. This formula comes in a recyclable plastic 250ml bottle. It has slightly vanilla/nutty fragrance and is a translucent pale brown-olive greenish and lathers up well. To use, put a small amount on damp skin and massage in, then rinse off. We found that our skin felt cleansed and incredibly soft after use - its another one of our #amazingfinds. This gentle 2-in-1 is available for purchase at 250ml with a price of £9.00 here.

The next product that we tried is from their traditionally hand-crafted collection of Natural Olive Oil Soap. The Honey Infusion Soap bar is also clean in composition with simple ingredients of olive oil, honey, coconut oil, glycerin, food-grade lye (soda), and water.  The making these soaps are by a century’s old method, where the saponification process takes place in a large heated vat where the olive oil, lye and water are carefully combined for several hours before the mixture is laid out on a horizontal surface in a flat layer. Once the soap is hard enough, individual squares are marked out, hand-cut by an artisan who then expertly carves out each bar of soap. Finally, the soap bars are stacked in drying towers. Because this manufacturing process includes drying the soaps for five months, the bars do not reduce or turn to mush like industrial soap bars – so well worth the extra price point! This lightly honey-scented soap lathers nicely on the skin, leaving it smooth and thoroughly hydrated, even several hours after drying. Like the Dead Sea Mud Body wash, this Honey Infusion soap bar is excellent for dry, damaged, and sensitive skins. Note that being a soap with a clean formula, it can be used for the whole body: hair, hands, and body wash, just like the full range of Setunea’s Natural Olive Oil Soap bars. It is 100g wrapped in recyclable packaging, where you can purchase this highly nourishing soap for £5.00 here or a choice of their two full collections of six bars for £25 here.