The Kind Planet Company – Power Balm

To keep up with our minimalism goals this spring at The Amazing Blog, that also means using less products that currently clutter in our dressing tables. Besides doing a bit of tidying up around your flat, fewer beauty products mean fewer minutes spent getting ready and more time enjoying the gorgeous warm weather. We have found the perfect product that to do just that. The Power Balm is an all-in-one organic product that will clear your counters of masks, moisturisers, and lip balms.

One of the nine ‘power ingredients’ in the Power Balm is red palm oil, which is used for skin care and eaten as a superfood in West Africa. Palm oil has gotten negative press lately because it is in almost everything we consume (foods, cosmetics, cleaning products) and it causes devastating destruction to ecosystems. We know that, as does The Kind Planet Company, so they’ve come up with a sustainable and kind solution. Working with Sierra Leonean women, Kind Planet’s red palm oil is handpicked and certified by the Rainforest Alliance to ensure animal habitats are not destroyed in the collection process. The company’s shea butter ingredient follows a similar process in Ghana. At the core of Kind Planet and its Power Balm is giving power to its customers and female workers as well as kindness to the environment.

The Power Balm has a mix of red palm oil, other natural plant oils, shea butter, and vegan wax to nourish your body while providing protection and long-lasting moisture to your skin. Key ingredients in the formula in addition to red palm oil, which is rich in antioxidants and hydrates your skin, are jojoba oil (removes excess dirt and oil), mandarin essential oil (brightens and diminishes scars), and rosehip oil (reduces redness). These oils combine to create a fresh and aromatic scent. The balm is useful on all skin types as a cleansing tool, face or body moisturiser, face mask, lip or beard balm, and even a highlighter. Our personal favourite is using it as a hand moisturiser at night because it is incredibly soft and hydrating, great for nails and doesn’t leave your skin feeling greasy. Due to its versatility and 100 per cent organic formula, we predict the Power Balm could be the next multipurpose staple.

Power Balm also does not have any preservatives, parabens, synthetic fragrances, petrolatum, animal by-products, or animal testing. You can purchase the Power Balm (50ml) here for £19.50 (postage and packaging included in the price). Five per cent of the sales go to Planet + People Power charities.

CeraVe - Hydrating Cleanser

Our skin goes through a lot on a daily basis. It’s exposed to the sun, cold temperatures, and pollution, and goes through the mill as a result of our stressful lifestyles. Add makeup to the mix, and it’s no wonder that we sometimes suffer from a blemish or two! To keep it looking tip top and fabulous, we are in agreement at The Amazing Blog, that you have to provide your skin with treatments that bear these variables in mind.

This is why we were more than excited to come across CeraVe, a skincare brand developed by dermatologists, using essential ceramides (lipids that help form the skin’s barrier and retain moisture) to repair and strengthen the skin’s natural barrier. Using MultiVesicular Emulsion Technology (MVE), moisturising ingredients are released over 24 hours, layer by layer, ensuring steady stream of nourishment.

Since launching with three core products in 2006, CeraVe have released 70 affordable, accessible and dermatologist-recommended solutions; to hydrate, restore and replenish your skin. It is also worth mentioning that they have received more Seal of Acceptance awards from the National Eczema Association, than any other brand before.

We tried their soap free, fragrance-free, hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, non-irritating (yes, all these already make the product sound ideal before even trying it) Hydrating Cleanser. It is suitable for normal to dry skin and cleanses as well as hydrates, without disrupting your skin’s protective barrier. Besides that, the hyaluronic acid makes sure that your skin (face as well as body) stays hydrated 24/7. It also removes your makeup, as we were thrilled to find out, with just one wash. Unlike most face washes, this gentle cleanser doesn’t leave your skin feeling tight, dry or over-stripped, but rather it feels soft and hydrated. We were also pleased to find that there are no hidden fragrances. What more could we want?

To try CeraVe’s Hydrating Cleanser for yourself, check out the Boots website here, where you will find the 236ml bottle for just £9.00. If you’re unsure as to whether this is the product for you, then click here to find you personal skincare solution in three step.

Superberry Serum by Scienea

Superberry and Serum are two words we at The Amazing Blog love, so Scienea’s new Superberry Repair and Restore Face Serum rocketed to the top of our must wish list. We're always interested in brands like Scienea who are passionate about using only the finest natural ingredients to create great products that work. Even better if like Scienea, their products are manufactured in the UK and are clinically tested (but not on animals).

The Superberry Serum was full as skin nutrition as we thought it would be. It contains eleven clinically proven natural ingredients which helped to improve our skin’s elasticity as well as smooth out wrinkles and fine lines. It is also anti-inflammatory and deeply penetrating boosting the skin's natural defences. The Superberry Serum contains acai berry, blackberry extract and primrose oil, so it is packed full of anti-oxidants. This means that not only will it smooth out wrinkles, but it will also make skin appear brighter and more hydrated. All of which make this mighty little bottle a winner in our eyes.

You can purchase the Superberry Serum here for £30.00