CBD Leafline - Skin Therapy: Cellulite Toning Body Lotion

Have you been sorting out your summer clothes and dreaming of getting back into your swimwear? We have! By doing this during #lockdown, it became apparent to some of us at The Amazing Blog that we needed to start toning up our tums, bums and thighs! And what better way to get started than by using a Cellulite Body Toning Lotion. This is from one of our favourite award-winning CBD skincare brands CBD Leafline from their range of Skin Therapy. You may remember that we’ve reviewed some of their products here.

CBD Leafline was founded in 2018 by CBD enthusiasts Paul and Sonia Shrive. Having had a lifesaving encounter with CBD in Africa during his youth, Paul wanted to create quality CBD-derived products for others to share the same benefits of wellbeing. Thanks to their experience in manufacturing, distribution, and wholesale; and Sonia’s expertise in marketing and customer service, they finally launched. And after further research and development their first CBD-infused skincare line, Skin Therapy made its debut last year too. Studies have demonstrated that topical use of CBD has helped regulate the sebaceous glands, and reduce inflammation. All products in the CBD Leafline range  are natural and combine high-quality whole-plant hemp oil containing broad-spectrum CBD (THC-free) with cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, omega 3/6 and amino acids which interact with other vegan ingredients. These are derived from plant and fruit extracts, such as marine collagen (always seaweed not fish), retinol, hyaluronic acid and pro-vitamin B5. All CBD Leafline products are independently tested (see here) and the brand is a CannaPro certified business.

Let’s talk about cellulite. In simple terms, it’s a build-up of fat under the dermis combined with weakening of the connective tissue, which in turn creates an orange peel ripple look on the body. It is a harmless and natural condition that affects about 9 out of 10 women - and some men. This is where CBD Leafline’s Cellulite Body Toning Lotion comes into its own. The antioxidants in the 100mg of CBD here, helps the production of collagen in the skin as well as reduce the appearance of stretch marks on the body. Not forgetting that the cannabidiol neutralising free radicals and the rich antioxidants help the skin stay youthful for longer. The carrier oils are olive, coconut and apricot kernel packed with fatty acids and further antioxidants that work to rehydrate and slow down skin ageing. Together with the ‘triple fruit extract’ of melon, strawberry and papaya, work in synergy to tone, tighten and exfoliate. The melon fruit extract is rich in vitamins A and C offering yet even more antioxidant compounds. When vitamin A and C are applied topically, they too are good at hunting down and neutralising free radicals and, most importantly, reduce the appearance of ‘orange peel’ skin. Strawberry fruit extract soothes and tones the skin and reduces the size of pores by tightening and firming skin. Whereas the papaya fruit extract also contains vitamins A and C that brightens and tones the skin giving it a natural lift whilst soothing, softening and promoting new skin cell growth. Finally, the four essential oils of orange, lemon, lime and grapefruit release a soft, fresh citrus aroma and they cleanse, purify, nourish and protect. CBD Leafline suggest applying this once a day to the cellulite-prone areas (in our case, thighs!) and gently pinching and massaging the area to stimulate circulation and blood flow. We found that by using this Cellulite Toning Body Lotion in the morning, after exercise and shower, was the best way for us to get optimal results. Then we used a wooden hand massager to gently stimulate the area, and as a final step, applied the Cellulite Toning Body Lotion. Yes, we have achieved smoother and less bumpy thighs but what we really noticed was how soft and hydrated it left our skin. It’s another one of our #amazingfinds of the week and also a must-have, if like us, you’re preparing to get your body bikini-ready after this very long #lockdown. To purchase CBD Leafline’s Cellulite Body Toning Lotion in 100ml for £34.99, click here.  

Skin Woof London: Premium Collagen Beauty Drink - Strawberry & Lime

Superfoods and supplements have become more and more popular over the past years, and at The Amazing Blog we’re always on the lookout for new and beneficial supplements to include in our diet. There is still a big trend for beauty drinks at the moment, particularly those that are collagen and/or hyaluronic acid based. We were very interested in trying the new product Premium Collagen Beauty Drink from Skin Woof London.

Skin Woof is a British supplement brand founded in 2017 by Ben May. After a routine operation, where he unfortunately, contracted the deadly MRSA bacteria, and was hospitalised for a period of three months - this gave him time to reflect and think about his wellbeing. Having contracted this superbug combined with taking a potent dose of antibiotics, he noticed a very negative impact on his skin. This in turn had a significant effect on his self-confidence and completely changed his perspective on life. However, from this low point he took advantage of what he had learned, and gained the inspiration to launch Skin Woof, as he wanted to also help others. The name comes from ‘Skin’ obviously, because he wants to help his consumer get that extra boost of skin confidence; and ‘Woof’ because it’s the word from a friendship group, and used whenever something positive happened. This time, May has created a ‘beauty drink’ combining vitamins, botanicals and minerals, all scientifically formulated with the help of dermatologists. This is where he wants to offer others the opportunity to achieve healthy, radiant and beautiful skin from the inside out. There are four products in the range with a line of vitamins, a skincare serum and this new Premium Collagen Beauty Drink. All products are sustainably sourced, not tested on animals and manufactured in the UK in ISO 9001 certified facilities. They also follow Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).

Having heard how this Premium Collagen Beauty Drink won the Best Beauty Supplement at the Pure Beauty Awards 2020, we wanted to try it. The benefits of taking a beauty drink can be multiple, with the reduction of fine lines together with a firmer and smoother appearance, as it can also improve skin hydration. This has primarily been created to boost levels of collagen in the skin using scientifically researched peptan marine (fish) collagen. Peptan are bioactive collagen peptides, and their hydrolysed form makes them easily digestible. Studies have shown that this ingredient leads to a significant increase in skin hydration and decreased collagen fragmentation in the deeper dermal layers of skin. The other benefits of in This Premium Collagen Beauty Drink are the powerful skin antioxidants: Vitamin C, helps with the formation of collagen, and vitamin A promotes better skin health by fighting free radicals. The pomegranate extract will also help with collagen production and hydration with its antioxidant actions. Similarly, the hyaluronic acid for hydration and the gotu kola as proven compounds to help maintain a youthful skin. It has natural flavours added with strawberry and lime, all sweetened with steviol glycosides from the stevia plant. To be honest, it was a little too sweet for our palate; however, if you have a sweet-tooth, then you’ll love this drink. They recommend two sachets (morning and evening) in 400ml of water. It dissolves easily and can be quickly swigged back at home or on-the-go. The brand recommends taking this beauty drink for at least three months to experience the best result.  We’re big fans of collagen, not just for beauty but also for rebuilding cartilage and joint lubrication. It’s difficult to say, after only taking this 15-day supply, if we saw results; if anything it’d be stronger nails, and perhaps more hair growth?  If you want to join the #woofmovement, you can purchase the Skin Woof Beauty Collagen Beauty Drink (30 sachets) for £39.95 here.

Epicuren Discovery® : Defend & Balance Sunscreen Tinted Mineral SPF 50

As the weather warms up and summer fast approaches, we hope that like us, at The Amazing Blog, you’re upping your game by applying stronger sunscreen. We have been looking for an all-in-one sunscreen and discovered this recently launch Defend & Balance Sunscreen Tinted Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 from Epicuren Discovery®. We love how this includes all our asks of sunscreen, CC cream, AND moisturiser.

Epicuren Discovery®  is a family-owned and established advanced skincare brand with the goal of ‘leaving the biggest impression on this world through natural skincare while leaving the smallest footprint’. Founded by Colleen Lohrman with developmental scientist Robert Heiman over 35 years ago,  Epicuren® skincare products originated from pharmaceutical enzyme research, performed on severely damaged skin. For over a decade, Epicuren® continues to incorporate the result of its research using technologies, especially with its Metadermabolic Enzyme (a complex of proteins and vitamin B’s) anti-ageing formulas, in their high potency skincare. The range is made up of natural skincare created for both the consumers and the professional. However, occasionally synthetic ingredients are used to enhance product quality;  Epicuren® uses pure, natural ingredients with certified organics to make their safe yet effective products. Based in California, it’s a popular brand amongst Hollywood celebrities like Megan Fox, Kristen Davis. and Gwen Stefani. We like how Epicuren® commits to natural beauty and sustainability, plus its packaging is BPA free and recyclable. 

Released last year, the Defend & Balance Sunscreen Tinted Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50  is a unique mineral-based, chemical-free, skin-brightening and reef-safe SPF 50 sunscreen that automatically adapts to and enhances every skin tone with light coverage. It is a sunscreen that provides maximum full-spectrum sun protection and uses vitamin C to shield your skin against UVA and UVB rays. The great thing about this 4% titanium dioxide and 15.5% zinc oxide mineral UV filters is that it’s harmless to the environment and are considered the safest and most effective sunblock ingredients today. The antioxidant in the formula, such as green tea leaf extract, vitamin E and argan oil, balance inflammation and protect skin against environmental stressors. The sunscreen is also rich in sodium hyaluronate, meadowfoam seed oil, kukui nut seed oil, which all serve as hydrators. What we loved about this Sunscreen was its light citrus fragrance, a thin and non-tacky texture and self-adjusting subtle tint which didn’t leave any white cast or residue. It’s also nourishing enough to wear on its own as CC cream, or as a primer under makeup.  It is cruelty-free, recycle-friendly, vegan and water-resistant for up to 40 minutes. It is one of our #amazingfinds and we’ll certainly be ordering more! You can purchase the 30ml multi-tasking sunscreen Defend & Balance here  for $84 on their website.

Nume-Lab: Resurfacing Night Peel Serum

Today, at The Amazing Blog, we’re back with Nume-Lab, a new Swiss biotech skincare brand, which offers at-home professional style skincare. This time, it's with their Resurfacing Night Peel Serum, which is a cell-regenerating serum that helps to exfoliate away dead skin cells, and offer smoother skin. You may remember we recently reviewed their two other products, Deep Exfoliating Cleanser and Advanced Renewal Face Cream here.

The idea of Nume-Lab  is a Swiss brand that started three years ago, when Paulina Kostrzycka and her co-founder, realised most of their expensive skincare products were gathering dust. They noticed that these multiple products with their ingredients had been overlapping in use and potency. That was when they decided to create a skincare brand that offered products that are highly effective, with a conscious and ethical approach for long-lasting results. This is where they have designed a line of clean, sustainable, and affordable skincare products that not only promote environmentally friendly products, packaging and business practices but also empower people, especially women. Kostrzycka said: “Giving freedom of choice to women and men who follow different lifestyles and have different needs was important to me. Nume-Lab goes beyond skincare. It is a bridge between different cultures and a promotion of diversity.” After years of hard work, in 2020, they finally launched Nume-Lab in Switzerland. The brand is  Halal certified, where all products have the highest ethical manufacturing process required, including being cruelty-free with no animal testing and using sustainably sourced ingredients. This meant banning alcohol, other toxic chemicals and mineral oils from formulas. There are a trio products, designed to work together which are aimed at the age-defying market with the Resurfacing Night Peel, Deep Exfoliating Cleanser, Advanced Renewal Face Cream and Resurfacing Night Peel Serum. Recently the brand has committed to donating 10% of its profits to support the Pediatric Burn Center at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center across the USA and Canada.

The Resurfacing Night Peel Serum, is an anti-ageing exfoliating serum for all skin types. The key ingredient that the brand uses is snail mucus. The mucus production is highly regulated and conforms to the cruelty-free standards set by the Halal certification. The snails are kept in good conditions and are put in a bumpy environment that helps them produce the filtrate. As an ingredient that Korean brands have used for centuries, it swiftly regenerates, protects and nourishes the skin effectively, it’s naturally rich in glycolic acid, hyaluronic acid, peptides and antioxidants. It was also used in ancient times to cure wounds, burns, inflammation and other skin issues. This Regenerating Night Serum promises to reduce blemishes, fine lines, and other impurities like blackheads by exfoliating and stimulating regeneration.  Here we have a high concentration of AHAs, snail mucin extract, niacinamide (B3), pantheon (B5), tocopherol (vitamin E) and betaine, a mighty amino acid and humectant that helps the skin stay hydrated, plump, and youthful. These come together to help refine skin texture and allow the Advanced Renewal Face Cream to penetrate faster. The presence of shea butter and aloe vera together with the snail mucus are here to hydrate and soothe. In contrast, the apricot kernel and walnut shell powders give gentle and natural exfoliation. This formula’s primary function is to stimulate cell regeneration by deeply exfoliating old and dead cells from the upper layers of the skin. The Night Serum is a clear viscous fluid and neutral and fragrance-free - they describe this as an ‘at home peel’. Despite the high concentration of AHA’s here, we found this surprisingly gentle. We applied as directed, keeping away from eyes and lips, and only using once or twice a week over a period of 2 months. This we massaged (in order to lift and sweep away dead skin cells), and left on our skin for 10-15 minutes, then wiped away with a warm damp washcloth. Used in conjunction with the two other Nume-Lab products, we can happily report back that we definitely noticed a reduction in pigmentation, less blemishes and a brighter skin texture. However, a few words of caution, if you have sensitive skin, do a patch test - as due to AHA’s it can leave skin red and tingly. Also, when using this Resurfacing Night Peel Serum, it is advisable to use an SPF 50+ during the day, as it will make skin super-sensitive to sunlight. As we all know, using any AHAs can cause the skin to burn when exposed to UV light up to 24 hours after the last application. To purchase Nume-Lab's Resurfacing Night Peel Serum in 30ml for CHF 79, see here. 

DR. K CBD - Nano Emulsified Lavender Hand Cream

Everyone who has been busily washing their hands and applying alcohol-based gels, will no doubt, like us at The Amazing Blog, be suffering from the after-effects of dry skin and irritation. With this in mind, we’d like to suggest another one of our #amazingfinds for the week, with the CBD topical  Nano Emulsified Lavender Hand Cream  from DR.K CBD which brought us much needed skin relief.

DR.K CBD, is a British brand, recently launched by two long-time friends, Dr Ruchira Karunadasa and Manish Patel. They both became interested in the healing powers of CBD and together have developed a range of ‘self-care’ products that they felt were missing from this market place. They offer a range of CBD oils and topicals; where all their products have one thing in common, they contained broad-spectrum CBD – which is THC free and obtained by supercritical CO2 extraction. Despite not having any THC, with their extraction process, it still has 85% active CBD with the phytocannabinoids and terpenes from the hemp plant. All of the hemp is sourced from the USA and grown organically in bio soil without using any herbicides, pesticides, or nasties.  Dr. K CBD’s mission was to launch a range of transparent and trustworthy products that contained CBD to help aid issues like acne, eczema, pain, anxiety and lack of sleep. The brand's philosophy is to: "Help in managing day to day imbalances alongside a responsibility to advise on long term lifestyle changes to modify the root causes of that imbalance." What sets the brand apart is the nanotechnology in their topicals. They claim that their Nano Emulsions are 5 x times more effective than similar creams due to the particles being much smaller and thus absorbing more easily. This turns active cannabinoids into nano-sized droplets; which causes high bioavailability of the CBD in the balm or cream. This is where the brand are keen to flag up that this technology allows the users to get more out of their products. 

We had the opportunity to try their Nano Emulsified Lavender Hand Cream. As we explained earlier, this is one of their topicals with the unique nanotechnology.  Apart from the 100mg of broad-spectrum CBD, this Hand Cream contains plenty of natural oils, including sweet almond, avocado and coconut, all of which make for an excellent emollient. For further moisturising properties, there’s also shea butter, honey and cocoa butter. But let’s concentrate the cannabinoids here; when absorbed through the skin these interact with cannabinoid receptors present underneath the dermis. This is where this Hand Cream will offer anti-inflammatory, hydrating and antioxidant actions. It’s lightly fragrance with lavender and green tea extract, we found this Hand Cream quick to absorb and, yes, super-hydrating. It’s plastic-free and housed in a recyclable aluminium tube which is where the brand has thought about its eco-credentials. They say this is a ‘luxurious treat for dry, or chapped hands’ and we couldn’t agree more. It certainly came to the rescue, on more than one occasion, where we’ve been overzealously washing and sanitising hands. To sum up, we’d recommend keeping this to hand (sorry, terrible pun!) And we can absolutely vouch for its impressive hydrating qualities, but as for being an anti-inflammatory? I’m not sure. However, if it’s a pain relief for hands that you’re looking for (hello, fellow keyboard addicts), then we’d suggest looking at their Nano Emulsified Joint Relief Balm with 300mg of CBD – which we hope to try next... Back to the Hand Cream, with only a hint of lavender/green tea fragrance, it’s not hempy or intrusive, and with all the natural oils and butters, it offered the added bonus of feeding our nail beds too. You'll find the 75ml Nano Emulsified Lavender Hand Cream for £19.99 here.