The Soap Loaf Company : Cosmeti-Craft Rose Soap Crafting Kit

We love a challenge at The Amazing Blog, and this time, we thought we’d try our hand at making a hand-crafted soap as it looked like a lot of fun! This award-winning Cosmeti-Craft Rose Soap Crafting Kit is from The Soap Loaf Crafting Company the same company that sent us their Solid Deodorant Making Kit, which we reviewed here. 

After working as a finance broker for 11 years, founder Natasha Green felt it was now time for her to get in touch with her creative side. This manifested itself into creating a bath and body care business, The Soap Loaf Company , in 2012. The company brings to market handmade toiletries and cosmetics, which has gone on to expand into their renowned DIY cosmetic workshops. Through The Soap Loaf Company, Natasha began to host soap-making parties for children's groups and organisations. As the parties expanded with new products and ideas, she decided that it was time to attract the adult customer audience. In 2018, Natasha launched a sister brand Cosmeti-Craft. It offers customers unique experiences to nurture their creative side and provides them with a wide array of cosmetic products to craft at home, from soap and bath bombs to deodorants and lip gloss. Now with over thirteen different locations around Yorkshire, The Soap Loaf Company has opened up spaces for adults and children alike to explore their crafting abilities. These workshop crafting parties include making body butter, lip balm, solid shampoo bars and deodorant, moisturiser, and many more. They also extend past the borders of Yorkshire and travels around the country hosting events and supporting charities. Cosmeti-Craft works hard to foster a self-care environment for its customers. The brand points out how it excels in the "field of self-care, wellbeing, and mindfulness offering the resources to create a unique self-care, personal hygiene based and creative cosmetic product." The essence of both these brands is to allow others to develop new creative skills in a way that improves their well-being. Many healthcare experts have linked crafting and participating in handmade activities, to a boost in an individual's morale together with a positive effect on mental health. The company also prioritises sustainability, as they're a plastic-free business and only use 100% recycled product wrapping and biodegradable glitter. They focus on offering fully compostable packaging, reusing and recycling all materials from their suppliers, and ordering materials in bulk to reduce shipping frequency and CO2 emissions. They also collect bottle tops for a specialist recycling group, offer paper bags in store for customers, and reward customers with a 20% discount for bringing refillable containers when making further purchases. As a vegan and cruelty-free company, their Cosmeti-Craft Rose Soap Crafting Kit Kit  (see below) was recently awarded the Best Soap Bar Gold Winner at the 2021 UK Global Makeup Awards. Natasha Green has also been recognised for her impressive business acumen and was a finalist for the Best Business Woman in Retail or Consumer Business at the 2019 Best Business Women Awards.

This time we were lucky enough to be sent the Cosmeti-Craft Rose Soap Crafting Kit.  The Soap Loaf Company promotes this crafting experience as "the best bar of soap, is one that the consumer makes for themselves." This Soap Making Kit allows you to create two different 85g soaps, which you can decorate and colour in your own manner, giving you the opportunity to explore your creative side. The kit comes with two different kinds of SLS free soap bases, a fragrance oil, two different types of floral petals, soap colour, soap mould equipment, and a step-by-step tutorial to help you through it.  All you need is a microwaveable mixing bowl or large jug, a wooden spoon, and a microwave. The two types of soap bases are translucent, which we used (see photo above) or an opaque one. They are both glycerin and SLS-free (SLS is an acronym for Sodium Lauryl Sulphate), a surfactant known to irritate the skin. Glycerin, on the other hand, is a humectant; it hydrates and helps the skin to retain moisture. Without SLS's, the glycerin soap base is more effective in soothing all skin types, including sensitive ones. The kit also comes with a rose fragrance oil that gives the soap its calming floral scent. Rose essential oil combines vitamins and minerals with benefits for both the mind and body; and has antiseptic properties that help combat redness and irritation. The dried rose petals in the kit, apart from the fresh floral fragrance roses emanate, also have other benefits mentioned above. The dried marigold petals are known as an anti-inflammatory and have antioxidant properties to aid with collagen production. Apart from the refreshing botanicals, both these petals contribute to the soap exfoliant properties make the skin soft. The brand also encourages you to experiment with other ingredients, like dried flowers or coconut oil, for increased moisturising and further exfoliating effects. We particularly liked making this soap bar because it avoids all artificial preservatives, chemical foaming agents, and palm oil. 

To help you create your hand-crafted rose soap bar, the kit has an in-depth set of instructions. The process includes using a 'melt and pour' method, where you melt the soap base in the microwave and then mix the ingredients in, using your own unique blend. Then simply pour the contents into the mould and let it set. This will take about thirty minutes, but if you are feeling eager to see your finished product, you can pop it in the fridge, and it should be cool and set in just fifteen minutes. Once it’s all set, gently peel off the mould, and voila! The soap is now ready. If you are not using the soap immediately and avoid surface condensation, it is best to store it in a cool and dry area in an airtight container or cling wrap. NB Cosmeti-Craft advises that this soap should be used within six months of making as it doesn’t have any preservatives.  We loved how the soap smelt, looked and felt and think that it makes not only the perfect Christmas gift but also a super-easy crafting and activity project. The Cosmeti-Craft Rose Soap Crafting Kit can be purchased here for £19.99, and if you are looking for more structured guidance, you can purchase it for £29.99 here with the Online Workshop Session.

Mokosh : The Ultimate Nutritious Starter Pack

With so many different skincare products to choose from, mixing and matching products can often feel like trying to solve a puzzle! So, today at The Amazing Blog, we thought we’d keep it easy by featuring a set of products that work together in perfect synergy. Meet The Ultimate Nutritious Starter Pack, a sample-sized 4-step routine created by the organic skincare brand Mokosh.

Former medical scientist, veterinarian, and pathologist Marion O'Leary founded Australian brand Mokosh in 2006 after discovering many of the mainstream skincare brands she used contained toxic ingredients. She worked with her friend Jayne Bland who introduced her to the Indian science of Ayurveda, which focuses on working with the body's natural healing systems. The result is 10 years of research and experimenting, refining, and perfecting an organic skincare range that doesn’t compromise on ingredients - using the purest and most beneficial. Marion was determined to make "the world's cleanest skincare range" by creating Mokosh. She wants to target the root cause of skin imbalance and restore the skin's equilibrium with products that are potent, healing all made with simple botanicals. All products are formulated without water, or the skin-disrupting emulsifiers and preservatives. As a waterless brand, Mokosh products have a higher concentration of healing, natural ingredients that don't disturb the skin's microbiome or barrier. In addition, all Mokosh products are free from synthetic ingredients, fillers, palm oil, and artificial fragrances. They're cruelty-free, certified organic, and packaged only with refillable or recyclable materials. Mokosh offers a skin-match quiz on their website to recommend products based on your skin type, concerns, and needs. With natural products that are suitable for any skin type, it's no wonder that Mokosh is a multi-award-winning brand and recently received the "Most Revolutionary Skincare Brand" Award in the Luxlife Health, Beauty, & Wellness Awards 2021.

Mokosh sent us their Ultimate Nutritious Starter Pack,  a set of four different products designed to meet the needs of dry and mature skin. These products focus on hydration, replenishing the skin's protective barrier, removing dead skin cells, rebalancing skin pH, and delivering potent nutrients to promote collagen production and enhance elasticity. The first product in the pack is their Facial Cleanser, Exfoliator, and Mask,  a 3-in-1 formulation that removes superficial cell debris, clarifying, refining, and renewing the skin. It delivers humectants, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory molecules, minerals and α- and β- hydroxy acids that promote cell regeneration and collagen growth. It contains aloe vera gel powder to soothe and moisturise skin, meadowsweet leaf and flower powder which contains salicylic acid to exfoliate naturally, and pomegranate fruit juice powder to provide hydration and deposit vitamin C in the skin. This Facial Cleanser, Exfoliator, and Mask comes in a powder form, so to use it, take about ½ to 1 teaspoon of powder and add water to make a smooth paste. To cleanse, gently massage the face and rinse, and to use as a mask, apply it to the skin and leave for 15-20 minutes before rinsing. We liked using this product in the shower to make it easier to mix and rinse, but be careful not to allow water into the jar!

The second product in the pack is the Pure Hydrosol Toner made with a blend of damask rose and lemon balm hydrosols. Hydrosols are made by distilling fresh flowers, leaves, fruits, and other plant materials. They're water-soluble and contain as many nutrients as essential oils but are much gentler on the skin. Rose hydrosol is a mild astringent, so it controls sebum production, tightens pores, and balances skin pH. It also maintains moisture in the skin, delays the formation of wrinkles, and has anti-inflammatory properties, decreasing redness and repairing irritated and damaged skin. Lemon balm Hydrosol also soothes inflamed skin, tightens pores, and reduces the appearance of wrinkles. Both of these hydrosols also have aromatherapeutic properties, helping to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. You can spray this onto your face and neck after cleansing and before applying the serum. We also liked using it throughout the day, as it’s a refreshing pick-me-up.

The third product is the Raspberry and Pomegranate Beauty Serum, a hydrating concentrate that Mokosh designed for normal and dry skin. The serum is a blend of ten organic botanical seed oils that work together to protect dermal elements and plump and soften the skin to reduce signs of ageing. Pomegranate and raspberry seed oils contain high concentrations of antioxidants and essential fatty acids that fortify the skin's barrier, as well as Vitamin E, C, and A that provide deep moisturisation that helps to restore damaged skin and fade scars. After cleansing, warm about 3 to 4 drops of this serum in your hands before patting gently into your skin.

This routine's fourth and final product is the  Rich Face Cream formulated for mature or dry skin types. It's an award-winning and best-selling cream that delivers potent botanicals and nutrients that protect collagen, build the skin's protective barrier, and support cell growth. This cream contains ten oils mixed with shea butter, including rosehip, avocado, pomegranate, neem, and prickly pear oils - all rich in fatty acids and antioxidants, triglycerides, and vitamins. These nutrients nourish and repair skin, and help to reduce inflammation, and even skin tone. As the last step in your routine, take a half pea-sized amount, warm in your hands, and pat onto skin. It smells amazing and feels luxurious, almost balm-like in texture, and best of all, very little goes a long way. Being small and compact this Ulitmate Nutritious Starter Pack could also be a very good travel companion for a weekend away. To experience the benefits of the Mokosh Ultimate Nutritious Starter Pack, you can purchase it here for $45.00AUD.  

Makosh : EQUILIBRIUM Lavender & Neroli Room Mist

Regular readers of The Amazing Blog will know that apart from beauty and well-being products, we also love to feature home fragrances like candles, diffusers, and room mists. These Inspire us to be more positive on days when we’re feeling a little jaded or down. For us,  there’s nothing better than a wonderful fragrance that uplifts the spirits and offers aromatherapeutic benefits too. We first came across the Slovenian brand Makosh and their EQUILIBRIUM Room Mist in Lavender & Neroli, when they won an award with 2021 The Beauty Shortlist Awards, and it took us on an olfactory journey to the Mediterranean.

Makosh is a range of natural skincare and fragrances founded in 2020 by Nina Medved, an aromatherapist, botanical perfumer, and formulator. She discovered essential oils 20 years ago after travelling to New York when she began to use these essential oils to improve her overall well-being. Making the connection between aromatherapy and its benefits for mental and physical health. Nina said, “This is where I discovered a strong connection between smell, psyche, and skin and I realised the power of smell as a support in personal growth and treatment of both physical and mental problems.” It led her on to opening an aromatherapy school named Magnolia, where even today she trains others on the holistic and healing approach.  Since 2011, Nina has been teaching educational workshops in Perfumery, Aromatherapy, or Natural Cosmetics, and she’s also has written articles, and made regular local TV guest appearances. Through Makosh, Nina combines her knowledge, experience and her passion to help others. Makosh is named after the Slavic goddess of fertility, protector of women and motherhood. Like Makosh hereself, Nina hopes to inspire women to celebrate their mistakes and authenticity, with products that offer support and act as channels for emotional growth. Nina also believes that we must contribute to the health of the planet, and takes care to select environmentally friendly ingredients and packaging at every step of production. All products are 100% natural, and wherever possible, organic ingredients are used. Makosh is transparent about its formulas, listing ingredients clearly and creating Mediterranean-based fragrances made from 100% natural essential oils, absolutes, and using mainly CO2 extracts. Product packaging includes biodegradable Miron glass (a glass that blocks UVA/B light and protects fragile natural ingredients), and the outer packaging consists of partially recycled paper blended with hemp fibres. Nina also focuses on Makosh's emissions, using only local suppliers and focuses on ingredients from Europe with regional origin.

Makosh sent us this award-winning Room Mist with EQUILIBRIUM Lavender & Neroli to try. They believe that by spritzing one of their Room Mists can instantly transform the vibration and feel of a living space. The Room Mists are created to “build a bridge between aromatherapy and traditional perfumery, with a holistic approach.” Makosh harnesses the potent properties from each of the organic botanicals to create an individual fragrance for well-being, not just for yourself, but to be shared with others. These mists can be used to not only help to improve general mood, but also air quality, and to refresh and neutralise any unpleasant smells. EQUILIBRIUM Lavender & Neroli, is as the name suggests, for creating balance - it has the element of water. As one of the four elements, water has been used to communicate the sacred value of life; the spiritual dimension of purification, protection, and healing. The top notes of this mist are made with organic essential oils such as lavender, mandarin, and petitgrain bigard; the middle notes are neroli and roman chamomile, and the bottom notes of benzoin, copaiba, and vetiver. The key ingredients are lavender with it’s has anti-anxiety benefits, creating a relaxing sensation that can aid with sleep and insomnia. Neroli extracted from the blossom of the bitter orange tree, can lower blood pressure by reducing cortisol. It also promotes the release of serotonin, reducing stress, anxiety, and anxiety-induced depression. Roman chamomile helps to calm mood swings, and benzoin for centuries has been used in religious ceremonies and medical practices as it’s known to stabilise mood. When these botanicals are combined they give a fresh, citrus, and floral scent that offers a feeling of tranquillity. As Nina says, “The synergy of the essential oils of real lavender, neroli and mandarin creates a feeling of inner peace and mystical equilibrium. A ticket to an unforgettable journey of all the senses!” You can use this mist at any time, for us, the fragrance evoked memories of lemon groves, warm seas, and soft sand underfoot. We found that spritzing it at the end of the day – quietened our busy minds and led us into a state of relaxation. These natural ingredients work to balance the flow of energy around you and reduce negative ions. We think to get the maximum benefits, it needs to be sprayed around you like an aura. This can be done with eyes closed, taking slow deep breaths allowing you to take in and experience the moment. it could also be used not only as room spray but also for meditation or even as a pillow mist. Makosh also has another Room Mist VIRAGO Juniper & White Fir with properties to help ‘invigorate’ your space, this time with the element of air. Air symbolises communication, perception, creativity, and harmony. Whichever one you decide to choose, we think that either of these Room Mists will transport you into another more tranquil and harmonious space. If you'd like to try these Room Mists, you can purchase a 50ml bottle here for €29.00. 

Khali Min: Rescue Oil & Clean Cream Conditioner

As we all have very different hair textures (and hair issues) here at The Amazing Blog, so we set about trying to find the latest natural haircare product to help to bring us stronger, tangle-free and glossy hair. We’d heard lots of good things about these two award-winning products by Khali Min, with The Rescue Oil, and the Clean Cream Conditioner which they very kindly sent to us to try.

Khali Min is a British haircare brand with its heritage roots in Egypt. This independent, women-led company began its journey in the challenging year of 2020 by founders Anda Marei and Vanessa Karlo. Anda grew up in Egypt, where beauty rituals are treated as occasions of social interaction. Anda has fond memories of rummaging through her mother's skincare fridge, reading the labels of her products, and testing them out on herself. Although she started in the editing and publishing industry, Anda has always been fascinated by different beauty ingredients and often found herself playing around with different oils, butters, and essences. Meanwhile, Vanessa's story began in New York, where she grew up. Vanessa felt influenced by her memories of her mother paying close attention to her magnificent head of hair. Vanessa's appreciation for craftsmanship played a significant role in her own interests in entrepreneurship, emerging markets, and sustainability. Both women took a leap of faith into the beauty industry to create an effective, sustainable, certified vegan, and cruelty-free brand. Their inspiration started when they met as magazine editors, then a few years later, Anda and Vanessa met again in London, where they discovered a passion for Egyptian beauty heritage and a fascination with Egyptian oils. They decided to combine British innovation with Egyptian roots to create a nourishing and revitalising haircare range, challenging the idea that haircare products should be categorised by type; as they believe that a hair formula should not be based soley on need, type or texture. The words ‘Khali Min’ mean 'free from' in Arabic, making this brand very appropriately named with their simple, natural, and transparent ingredients all of which are many harvested through renewable energy sources. All of Khali Min's products are sustainably packaged and supplied, this means that these are reusable, recyclable, or compostable. They also use FSC-certified paper stock and vegetable-based inks. Egypt’s limited water resources and arable land serve as a reminder for sustainability and motivates the brand’s ethos. Khali Min is proud to be awarded The Beauty Shortlist’s 2021 Wellbeing Editor’s Choice, Grazia’s Hair Award for Best Softening Oil, and recognised as a sustainable British brand with Selfridge’s Project Earth.

Khali Min’s debut product is the Rescue Oil, it’s a lightweight, multipurpose hair oil that works to repair and strengthen hair naturally. This hair oil can be used to help smooth hairs as a styling tool, revitalise the locks as a leave-in product to keep hair nourished all day, or used as an overnight treatment for the scalp and ends to be washed out in the morning. Any of these methods leave the hair feeling softer without the greasy texture that is sometimes associated with hair oils. The Rescue Oil uses many ingredients indigenous to Egypt to create its achieved results for dry and dull hair. A notable few include jojoba oil, macadamia oil, brocolli oil and avocado oil. Jojoba oil, which is harvested in the western desert of Egypt using solar energy, is rich in vitamins that nourish the hair, such as vitamin C, E, copper, and zinc. These vitamins help to strengthen and moisturise hair while promoting hair thickness and preventing dandruff. Macadamia oil is loaded with fatty acids and oleic acid oil, which are easily absorbable and perfect for dry hair. The macadamia oil is responsible for adding moisture back into dry and damaged hair. The broccoli seed oil here is for maximum hydration and silicone-free slip. Avocado oil has similar properties as macadamia oil, adding another dose of oleic acid, which helps retain hair moisture. However, avocado oil also has monounsaturated fats, which help to strengthen the hair shaft and prevent breakage. The Rescue Oil goes to work immediately to nourish the hair no matter whichever way it is used. We all agreed that our favourite way to use this was by massaging the oil into the scalp and ends, allowing it to be absorbed (they suggest 30 mins), and then washing our hair as usual. Using this as a pre-shampoo treatment left hair feeling glossy and bouncy. Our ends especially felt moisturised and looked remarkably healthy, and the slight scent of citrus was a lovely touch. On a personal note (I’m the one with fine long curl hair) this was brilliant to use with a few drops in the palms to smooth over to tame any stray flyaway hairs.

The second product we tried is their Clean Cream Conditioner. This leave-in conditioner aims to soften, hydrate, detangle, and protect against dryness and breakage without the use of silicone. The conditioner can be used in different ways depending on the condition of the hair. For dry hair, Khali Min recommends applying the cream from roots to tips while damp without rinsing (this is great for curly hair). For dull hair, they advise using a pea-sized amount from mid-lengths to ends without rinsing. For fine hair, they recommend applying from roots to ends, letting it sit to absorb and moisturise (we did this for about 5 mins), and then gently rinsing it out. Again what we loved about this Clean Cream with its unique formulas, is the versatility for all hair types. A few ingredients that assist in creating healthy hair are rosehip oil, aloe vera, and murumuru butter. Rosehip oil helps to nourish the hair through its fatty acid, lycopene, and vitamin C properties. The rosehip oil adds moisture to help strengthen the locks and prevent breakage. Aloe vera, known for centuries as the ‘plant of immortality’ in Egypt, helps to hydrate the hair. Aloe vera is full of fatty acids and amino acids that play a significant role in strengthening hair follicles. Murumuru butter is a unique ingredient that makes a great addition to hair conditioner, as it helps to lock in moisture given by other components and keeps hair looking shiny. Murumuru butter is known for restoring hair and maintaining elasticity, helping keep the hair smooth and bouncy. The leave-in conditioner absorbed in the hair without a trace and immediately left us with soft and shiny hair - we also found it gave weight to fine flyaway hair and offered protection against heated hair tools. We found that using the Rescue Oil as a pre-shampoo treatment and using the Clean Cream Conditioner as a post-shampoo nourishment, they worked beautifully together to revitalise the ends and left the scalp and roots hydrated and soft - plus suitable even on colour-treated hair. Did we have a favourite out of the two? Difficult to choose, but on balance I think it would have to be the Rescue Oil as it left our hair smelling beautifully fresh and fragrant with its zesty ingredients. What we particularly like about Khali Min is that they have a particular focus on scalp health, utilising these natural ingredients to address scalp concerns. If you’re looking for a luxurious, culturally diverse, and sustainable haircare range, that will take your hair care to the next level, then we think that these two Khali Min products will be for you. To purchase the Rescue Oil for £38, click here. To purchase the Clean Cream Conditioner for £25, click 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.