Having been cursed with such sensitive skin that I have to avoid anything heavily perfumed, artificially coloured or synthetic (which pretty much rules out most of the latest beauty offerings) working in an office of beauty junkies trying every new beauty fad is often a frustrating experience. As a result I am constantly on the look out for natural, gentle and effective products that won’t break me out in a rash but are slightly more interesting than the incredibly basic (and boring) dermatological and emollient offerings that I was subjected to as a child. This normally means that a product must be all natural, organic and free from synthetic fragrances to even warrant a second look (and any added bonuses are always a plus) which is exactly why I was happy to stumble upon my latest find, Apodea.
Apodea is a unique, authentic, organic and biodynamic bodycare range produced in small batches by the Rossi family from their Umbrian farm in Italy. The high quality artisan range is built around a core of organic bee derived products – honey, beeswax, and propolis – which possess protective, calming, hydrating, anti-bacterial and healing properties. Apodea focus on quality and small-batch production to maintain their high standards ‘from bee to balm.’ The Rossi family are passionate about biodynamic beekeeping which is part of a holistic approach to farming that rejects harmful commercial practices such as clipping a queen’s wings to prevent them from swarming elsewhere and harvesting the honey too early or too frequently. It’s not surprising that these practices produce better products, leave the land more fertile and positively encourage nature’s forces. The honey, beeswax, and propolis ingredients are produced after bees from the Rossi family’s hives have had a chance to roam free over the unspoilt Umbrian countryside, collecting nectar from fragrant wild plants including peach, almond and olive trees, honeysuckle, lilac, rosemary, wild thyme and limeblossom in the fertile Tiber Valley...sounds like the ideal life to us!
The Rossi’s began by making their now best-selling multi-purpose saviour Propolis Balm for friends and family in the 1980s and have gradually developed more products and continue to add to the Apodea range which today includes a Hand Cream, Lip Balm, Body Emulsion, Vegetal Soap, Deodorant, Shampoo and Conditioner. Office favourites here at Amazing PR include the Hand Cream with honey and lemon which was quickly absorbed and non-greasy with a refreshing subtle lemon fragrance and the Lip Balm which was instantly hydrating and has a pleasant sweet orange smell.
Apodea’s packaging is 100% recyclable and the products contain no synthetic fragrances, artificial colouring and are not tested on animals. In addition to bee-derived ingredients, Apodea products also include high quality organic Italian cold pressed and essential oils such as Sicilian lemon and geranium. All the products are very gentle and naturally lightly scented, which makes them safe for pregnant women and also equally irresistible to men!
You can buy Apodea’s products online here.