Organic Works: Bergamot Hand Wash

Washing your hands is the best way to kill germs and prevent infectious diseases from spreading. Especially during this pandemic, we find ourselves in a constant cycle of washing our hands just to avoid getting sick, and then applying hand cream when the hard London water dries them out. We’ve been looking for the a natural and moisturising hand wash to use at The Amazing Blog  to keep our hands clean, healthy and soft. This is when we found heard about an award-winning Bergamot Hand Wash from Organic Works. 

Initially known as Organic Surge, Organic Works decided to rebrand itself as Organic Works after a fire started at a neighbouring warehouse in the winter of 2019, which destroyed all of its products and stock. Organic Works have more than 50 years experience in the world of natural, organic and clean beauty; making them trailblazer with their much-loved formulas and philosophy: ‘Organics that truly Work’. This family-run business manufactures focusing on fresh and natural ingredients with no preservatives. Everything is made in small batches, which means that rather than mass production, the products are handcrafted and made in small amounts to ensure the best quality. As a privately owned, vegan, cruelty-free, organic brand, it also values transparency and sustainability. Its products use not only sustainably sourced and traceable ingredients, but also have minimal and recyclable packaging. All of which we applaud.

Because of its clean yet effective formula, Organic Works Bergamot Hand Wash  won the Best New Natural Product in the Pure Beauty Awards London 2020. It is 100% cruelty-free and great for all skin types, especially for sensitive skin. As a clean beauty product, 98.89% of its total ingredients come from natural sources, and 96.34% of the total plant-based ingredients are from organic farming. It’s formulated with aloe extract and several coconut-derived cleansing agents, which gently wash away impurities and keeps our skin silky smooth. Enriched with sweet orange and bergamot oils, it has a distinctive soft citrus fragrance combining the tropical orange and bergamot scent. Plus, the essential oils contained in the formula provide long-lasting protection against bacteria and dryness, and the therapeutic properties here can boost mood and awaken the senses. Best of all it leaves hands fragrant and soft – we can’t wait to try more from this brand. To purchase the 300ml Organic Works Bergamot Hand Wash at £10 for 300ml, see here. And when you’ve reached the end of the bottle, they offer a BIG 1000ml refill for this too at £27!

Pura Vida Organic: CBD Face Mask CBD and CBD Eye & Wrinkle Serum

As we always say, taking care of your skin should be the number one priority, and as we move into a new season with spring this is the time to look into changing your skincare routine. We've already recently introduced Pura Vida with their CBD haircare collection here, so today we’re back with more of Pura Vida's award-winning CBD products. As our regular readers will know we love all things CBD, and this time it’s with the Pura Vida CBD Face Mask and the CBD Eye & Wrinkle Serum. 

Pura Vida Organic was founded in 2015 by Jennifer Deegan. The brand was developed specifically for problematic and sensitive skin, using the purest ingredients. The brand focuses on organic CBD products, where sustainability is at the heart of the brand, with recyclable plastic and boxes made of 25% grass pulp, recycled paper and cardboard. Even the labels use vegetable dyes and vegan-friendly glue.  90% of the products are handmade offering both the personal touch, and a decrease in energy consumption from mechanical production. Pura Vida Organic's primary ingredient is CBD (THC-free) broad-spectrum or isolate. In 2018, Pura Vida Organic passed the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations enforced by the FDA (CGMP) and the international standard for quality management systems (ISO9001). In 2019, they were the first CBD skincare production facility to obtain the COSMOS Organic and Natural certification, allowing them to have their organic and natural skincare commercialised world-wide. They have experience in distribution, wholesale and manufacture, but makes sets Pura Vida apart from other CBD brands is their organic ingredients. Pura Vida Organic is proud to have one of the most comprehensive ranges of organic CBD products which range from CBD oil, to baby care, men’s, body care, skincare and haircare. They are Bronze winners for their full body care range at the recent Cosmetique Mag 2021.

This time Pura Vida kindly sent us two skincare products: the CBD Face Mask  and the CBD Eye & Wrinkle Serum The luxurious CBD face mask is packed with plant-based nutrients. The base is comprised of kaolin clay, camellia sinensis (AKA as green tea seed oil) and mango seed butter. Together these feed, nourish, calm, and deeply cleanse the skin of impurities; gently sloughing away dull dead skin and absorb impurities from the pores. The 300mg of CBD isolate counteract free-radical damage and visibly diminish issues like wrinkles, skin dullness, and red-coloured skin tone. The magnolia bark extract successfully combats breakouts, and oily skin. It has traditionally been used in Chinese medicine containing magnolol and honokiol compounds, which have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. There are rosehip and passionfruit seed oils here to boost vitamin C and omega-6 linoleic acid. The rose flower extract is high in vitamin C and also tannins, offering toning and antioxidant benefits to prevent signs of ageing. Finally, the calendula flower extract (AKA marigold) has skin-soothing and antioxidant properties and helps reduce the production of excessive sebum. This face mask is undoubtedly one of the gentlest that we’ve tried. It’s not grainy or abrasive and applies smoothly over the skin. We used it 2 or 3 times a week and found it left our skin soft and hydrated. With all its nutrient-rich skin food, we’d recommend it to those needing a skin boost or as something to calm irritated and sensitive skins. Apply a generous layer of face mask to your clean skin and relax for 20-30 minutes then rinse it off with lukewarm water, and splash with cold water to close your pores. To purchase the CBD Face Masks in 30ml for €29.00, click here. 

The CBD Eye & Wrinkle Serum is a lightweight serum designed to hydrate the delicate eye area and reduce dark circles and puffiness.  With 200mg of CBD and cannabis sativa seed oil (cold pressed from hemp seeds) these help to moisturise and nourish while also helping strengthen the skin barrier. The chlorella vulgaris (green algae) extract stimulates the skin cells and increases the skin's firmness and tone, lightening the effect on dark circles. It has seawater with hydrolyzed algin (this binds the water) to minimise the size and puffiness of any undereye bagging. The polysaccharides here are responsible for the skin's natural ability to hydrate, retain moisture and are critical for skin repair and skin renewal. The raspberry seed oil is for a slightly brightening effect, reducing any redness or swelling. The butterfly lavender (French lavender) extract boosts blood circulation with a tightening and smoothing the skin. And finally, there’s also the magnolia bark extract, rosehip and passionfruit seed oil (see above para). This Eye & Wrinkle Serum we couldn’t get enough of! What a difference this made to the eye area after little or no sleep…. The Serum calms, soothes and magically seemed to lighten and tighten the area.  We used morning and night until… empty! In particular, we noticed how it minimalised fine lines and plumped up the skin so dark circles seemed to disappear! Pura Vida also recommends gently massaging the Serum into  face, neck and décolletage with circular upward motions - although with this tiny 10ml bottle we think it rather a waste!  We loved this Serum and really noticed an increase in firmness and tone in our delicate eye area. This is without doubt, another one of our #amazingfinds. To purchase Pura Vida's CBD Eye & Wrinkle Serum in 30ml for €45.00, click here. 

Apothem: RECHARGE CBD Cream-Gel

Still in lockdown, topics of wellbeing and health certainly seem to be at the forefront in everyone’s mind. If you’re into taking care of your body and giving it all the TLC that it deserves, then please keep reading on. Today at The Amazing Blog we want to flag up yet another one of our  #amazingfinds. This time it’s with the CBD wellness brand Apothem and its award-winning RECHARGE CBD Cream-Gel, not only for all the CBD lovers but also for those needing a soothing cream for over-worked bodies.

Apothem is co-founded by Tony North and Amelia Barlein and specialises in luxury organic hemp-based CBD drops and topicals. Launched in October 2019, in a male-dominated industry, co-founder Amelia's goal is to empower women in business and build a positive and collaborative culture for those working in the cannabis industry. Apothem is a unisex wellness brand that encourages the positive impacts of CBD while supporting positive mental health through a partnership with suicide prevention charity CALM, which is committed to breaking down common barriers through CBD education. Amelia Baerlein was recently quoted as saying: "We founded Apothem to disrupt the existing CBD market with a contemporary collection of products designed to set new standards in purity, quality and strength. Everything we design and make is created with real people in mind as an addition to their everyday rituals; however, they choose to live life." Apothem is a luxury vegan, cruelty-free, organic brand that only uses cultivated hemp with zero THC. All their CBD products are produced to Good Manufacturing Standards and listed on the EU cosmetics notification portal. Formulas are original and developed in a lab by a diverse team of experts who triple-check the products' potency and purity and put them through rigorous testing. All hemp used is organic and grown in Alicante, Spain, where plants grow outside without the use artificial lighting. Any excess hemp created in production is used to develop packaging, clothing, shoes, and accessories. Apothem is a brand built on honesty and quality, something we look for when buying CBD oil drops, topicals and skincare. They recently scooped up the Best CBD Oil, Best CBD Muscle Balm and five other awards in the Wellbeing Awards with the 2021 Beauty Shortlist; and gained industry recognition as the Best New British Brand award (silver) at the Pure Beauty Awards 2020.

Having seen the launch of Apothem, their RECHARGE CBD Cream-Gel was the one product from the range, that we desperately wanted to try. This is because RECHARGE combines every thing we want in a CBD healing balm, it’s natural with pure Hemp-CBD isolate with magnesium, and botanicals from arnica, green tea, magnesium, and essential oils. Unlike many other CBD body creams/ balms, with overpowering fragrances like lemongrass or eucalyptus, this emits a lovely soft rosemary, juniper and mint scent. It is a truly therapeutic cream-gel, designed to deliver a cooling remedy targeting tension to help re-energise overworked bodies (in my case muscle strain). Easy to apply I found it cooling and effective. For me, it helped alleviate everyday stiffness from my hips and calves. Let’s look at the key ingredient here, arnica reduces aches and swelling; green tea is a fantastic antioxidant and calms redness or skin irritation, and magnesium is a superb support for the immune system. The rosemary and mint essential oils help relieve stress and muscular or joint inflammation. Juniper oil also reduces fatigue, muscle aches and helps relieve pain from arthritis. In clinical trials with RECHARGE over a period of 14 days with 52 participants – it came out with astonishing results as 99% of participants agreed that it helped relieve muscle fatigue, increase joint mobility, relaxed muscle tension and gave greater ease of movement after use. And we couldn’t agree more – this is a very effective anti-inflammatory packed with a potent 800mg CBD in a 100ml tube, and currently one of our favourites.  You can purchase Recharge CBD Cream-Gel in either 25ml for £20 here or 100mml at £55, click here.   

Raised Spirit: Organic CBD Cacao

I think we can all agree that sitting around at home during lockdown can be a bore. But we’ve learnt some new and fun ways to pass the time by experimenting with our baking. Today, The Amazing Blog  would like to introduce a tasty new healthy treat from Raised Spirit with their delicious Organic CBD Cacao use it in baking, spread it on a toasted bun, or just spooned straight from the jar!

Raised Spirit was launched in 2013 by health coach Nick Osipczak. As a former professional athlete, Nick had the opportunity to travel worldwide and learn about health and nutrition from various experts and discovered the hemp plants benefits. He always dreamt of releasing an organic, plant-based product, and in 2017, they launched with CBD Coconut Oil Pro, as their first hemp-infused product. Raised Spirit creates a variety of organically certified CBD edible and topical products, that have the versatility to be used to enrich a diet or applied to the skin.  What sets the brand apart from its competitors, is that they are the first UK brand to produce CBD infused organic coconut oil, which is a superfood in its own right. Their vision for the future is to increase their hemp-based offerings, expanding into clothing, building materials and biofuel.

We couldn’t resist trying the Organic CBD Cacao which is a delicious and divine nutrient-dense superfood. We like that it is  made using only four simple ingredients: Organic CBD coconut oil GOLD, raw cacao powder, coconut blossom syrup and sunflower lecithin.  In this 200m jar is their exclusive ingredient of Organic CDB Coconut oil GOLD, which contains 500mg of full-spectrum (with 0.2% THC), which offers the maximum ‘entourage effect’ meaning that the whole hemp plant is used rather than a single aspect. This offers significant benefits with all the compounds working together boosting the health, and the overall therapeutic effect of the cannabinoids. Plus, there’s vitamins A, D, K and E, as well as 400+ offer compounds found in the hemp plant. This is combined with organic coconut oil made of 100% medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) with a shorter chemical structure than other fats. In simple terms, the fats are quickly absorbed, promoting satiety and preventing fat storage. The lauric acid in the oil destroys bacteria that can lead to stomach ulcers and food poisoning, and converts to monolaurin, for a protective immune function. It also has the advantage of being a stable oil without spoiling when used at high temperatures making it an excellent substitute for any kind of butters or vegetable oils.

The addition of the raw cacao here is another superfood, made from raw fermented unroasted cocoa beans. This organic cacao powder has 40 times the number of antioxidants of blueberries, is full of anti-inflammatory flavanols, and is packed with mood-enhancing compounds that release endorphins making it so compatible with the full-spectrum CBD here. The other two ingredients are coconut blossom syrup, a nectar collected from the sap of coconut blossoms, a healthy sweetening alternative to sugar and contains iron, magnesium and zinc. And finally, the sunflower lecithin, is the vegan alternative to the lecithin typically sourced from egg yolks, it has antioxidant properties and helps contribute to brain, heart and liver health.

This Organic CBD Cacao has a semi-sweet coconut-chocolatey taste that offers a variety of uses, and is gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan. Whether you’re in the mood for baking chocolate brownies, or quickly adding some to a smoothie, this won’t disappoint! So, If you’re planning to make changes for a healthier diet, or just looking to experiment with something new, this will make for a tasty substitute. It is very rich, so if you get tempted to spoon it from the jar (like us!), you’ll find that 2 teaspoons will quickly satisfy that chocolate craving. Dare we compare this to a well-known high street hazelnut spread? Yes, we will as we think this is much nicer!  We used it (as suggested) combining two tablespoons of CBD Cacao with 1 cup of oat milk on low heat, whisking it and blending thoroughly - yum.  We also got creative and used this in a recipe "Cacao & Almond Date Energy Balls" on Raised Spirit’s Facebook page here;  which we found to be a good sweet energy pick-me-up ideal for those afternoon slump moments. Or you could try experimenting with your favourite chocolate brownie recipe by substituting butter and cocoa with this healthier (and tastier) alternative. Curious to try?  Then see here where you can purchase this 200ml jar of Raised Spirits Organic CBD Cacao for £39.99.

Quarnero: Fleur de Sel Relax Bath Salts

With winter still upon us here, at The Amazing Blog we love taking a hot bath at the end of the day, to warm up before bed and soak away the day. We've recently featured a few different bath products, but today we have an exceptional and award-winning brand Quarnero, with their delicate and unique Fleur de Sel Relax bath salts. 

Quarnero was founded by mother and son Zorica and Rešid Seferović, and is based in the Kvarner region in Croatia. They produce natural and organic face & body oils and bath salts, which have up until recently, been primarily created for the spa and salon sector. Their ingredients are mainly derived from the local region where the wild plants flourish in the clean air, and the unpolluted Dalmatian shoreline gives life to their fleur de sel. Otherwise, other key organic ingredients such as organic cold-pressed sesame oil and a few of the essentials oils are carefully sourced from selected organic locations. They use organic biodynamic plant actives combined with their time-honoured knowledge of ancient medicinal remedies to bring these select products to life – for Quarnero their brand ethos is to get’ back to basics’ and ‘less is more’. All products have the prized certification from NATRUE, International Natural and Organic Cosmetics Association https://www.natrue.org, who are committed to promoting and protecting global natural and organic cosmetics. All Quarnero products are handmade, vegan and delivered in solid, simple apothecary-style jars with Miron violet glass. Interestingly, this violet glass is scientifically proven to maintain fresh ingredients longer than clear glass. It also acts as a barrier preventing the loss of bioenergy, enzymes, smell or colour from the product stored within, making preservatives less necessary. The brand is now available in 39 countries, with six products in total, which are within the two ranges of Face & Body Oils and Bath Salts.

These Fleur de Sel Relax bath salts were a recent Wellbeing Winner, named as the Best Bath Soak at the global 2020 Beauty Shortlist Awards. As the name suggests, these contain the beautiful fleur de sel crystals, together with Quarnero organic botanical oils. When poured into the bath, this heady mix is slow to dissolve, fragrancing the water which in turn, absorbs into the pores relaxing the body. Any undissolved fleur de sea crystals can also be used to gently exfoliate and stimulate the lymph,as well as improving the skin's texture by making it soft and smooth. Fleur de sel is a salt enriched with natural minerals such as calcium, magnesium and iodine from the Adriatic Sea. It forms in oceanic conditions in seawater; it’s flaky, fragile and forms either as flat mass or as hollow pyramids, which look like angular delicate flowers (hence the name ‘flower of salt’). These bloom and float on the surface and are carefully harvested by hand. Fleur de sel is known as the purest form of salt on earth, as it contains no impurities or bitterness from the sea. Its been a tried and tested formula for therapeutic bathing since the Roman Empire and some even say that these salts have the aroma of violets.  Apart from the salts, other ingredients include oils from lavender, bergamot orange peel and geranium leaf. Lavender, as we know, relieves stress and aids sleep. Bergamot has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and soothes the skin. The geranium leaf has been used as far back as the Egyptians in tea to alleviate anxiety and fatigue. When I opened the jar of Relax Bath Salt, it immediately filled the room with its notes of lavender, bergamot, geranium leaf; and the potent fleur de sel. Another one of our #amazingfinds, it was deliciously intoxicating and from just opening the lid, I could slightly ‘taste’ the saltiness in the air. I can honestly say, that I could not get enough of these Relax bath salts. They made me feel uplifted, and yet tranquil, relaxed and at peace. With all the lockdown, stress and anxiety – what better way to soak away the worries of the day and get a good night’s sleep? To purchase the Relax Bath Salt in 450g at €94,49 please email info@quarnero.hr for enquiries due to the online shop currently being unavailable.