Claudia Fallah : Azulene Foam Active, Calming Face Wash

Today at The Amazing Blog, we want to share one of our favourite foam cleansers - it’s always our ‘go-to’ cleanser, especially when we get any skin sensitivity; it gently cleanses, calms and soothes any irritated skin. We are talking about Claudia Fallah’s The Azulene Foam Active, Calming Face Wash which won both Best Cleanser, and Best Foam Cleanser in the 2022 Beauty Shortlist Awards.

Claudia Fallah has a strong background within the cosmetics and skincare industry; she trained as a therapist in Germany with top dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons, going on to open her first clinic in Marleybone in 1995. As a highly knowledgeable aesthetics specialist, Claudia saw firsthand how some professional skincare had harmful and damaging ingredients. In 1999, she decided to develop her exclusive skincare range for her clients. Claudia was inspired by Dr Rudolph Steiner, founder of biodynamic, and his theories; “It planted an organic seed in my mind, to create a natural and potent cosmeceutical that will address specific skin concerns gently with fast results, all without any harsh chemicals.” Biodynamics is a sustainable, organic, holistic, and ethical farming method. Crops are grown in rhythm with the powerful moon phases and ocean tides and harvested in their most potent state. Today Claudia has created a natural and organic skincare range that effectively gives her clients the results they want. All products are natural, organic, hypoallergenic, chemical-free, and made in London. Her skincare is also now widely used by dermatologists, therapists, and cosmetic surgeons. In an interview with Mayfair Silk, Claudia said, “It has been an absolute joy to revive and repair our clients’ skin, and so many have continued on their skincare treatments with us, but this time to enhance their skin health and appearance.” As an established aesthetician and skin specialist, she has a strong celebrity following and is often called one of “London’s best-kept secrets” by the press. Claudia’s mantra is, “Give me the worst skin, and I’ll deal with it.” Figures show back in 2014, sensitive skincare claims represented 25% of total skincare claims, compared to 15% in 2009, with 71% of facial skincare users saying they are interested in ultra-gentle products (Mintel). Claudia Fallah is known as one of the UK’s leading experts on sensitive skin and is an advisor for MediSpa, located in Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge.

The Azulene Foam Active, Calming Face Wash is a gentle and hydrating foaming face wash. While facial cleansers can often be harsh on the skin or even sting, this is guaranteed to soothe and leave skin feeling softer. Apart from being a hydrating product, we found the face wash reduced redness and acted as an anti-inflammatory. Perfect for all skin types and ages, we found it ideal for our sensitive skin as It decongests skin to give it a brighter and fresher look, and uses natural ingredients which soothe, protect and balance. The two key active ingredients to talk about are azulene and mango fruit (mangifera indica fruit extract).

Azulene is an organic compound dark blue in colour. It has a long history dating back to the 15th century as the azure-blue chromophore obtained by steam distillation of German chamomile. Every year the blue colour varies depending on the weather conditions, and as azulene with all its healing properties is photosensitive, Claudia uses a protective opaque bottle. Azulene is a strong antioxidant that has the ability to shield the skin from damage caused by free radicals. By neutralising free radicals, azulene helps prevent the cellular damage that causes skin discolouration from sun exposure. Although it cannot prevent the skin from ageing, azulene can help minimalise and reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Most importantly for us, it helps to alleviate the redness from blemishes, allowing the complexion to clear up more quickly. It has mild antibacterial properties and is sometimes used in natural medicine as an antiseptic. Primarily it’s an ingredient that is used to help revive stressed, irritated or damaged skin due to its potent anti-inflammatory qualities. Azulene is the star ingredient here with all of its soothing and healing benefits and antimicrobial properties.

The mango extract contains superior levels of vitamins A (beta carotene) and C; mango fruit can stimulate the skin’s natural production of collagen, enhancing the elasticity of the skin and aiding in the generation of new skin cell growth and reducing inflammation and redness. Pharmacologically active flavonoid mangiferin (mango) has been increasingly explored as a possible anti-carcinogen. Studies involving mangiferin have produced results that suggest it offers anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and antiviral capabilities as well as being a powerful antioxidant. The existing results suggest that mangiferin protects the skin against the damage caused by ultraviolet rays, and will also repair existing sun damage.

Other actives include bergamot helping unclog pores, aloe vera extract for further antioxidants and soothing properties, camphor to relieve skin irritation, and mandarin essential oil to help even out the skin tone.

To date, this is one of the best foaming cleansers that we’ve used. We cannot recommend it highly enough for its gentle, soothing and calming properties. It’s another of our #amazingfinds with the added bonus of effectively removing eye makeup residue - without any stinging. It’s also a natural, light and simple cleanser guaranteed to leave skin glowing and feeling refreshed. To purchase the 100ml Azulene Foam Active, Calming Face Wash for £38 see here. 

Methode Physiodermie : Shot C15 Anti-Aging Serum

We’ve recently written about a variety of award-winning serums, and today Methode Physiodermie is the next of our #amazingfinds on The Amazing Blog. This brand made a great impression at the 2022 Beauty Shortlist Awards, winning not one, but six awards on its debut entries. And we can see why - with its researched and scientifically proven ingredients in this innovative Shot C15 Anti-Ageing Serum, which includes 20% from organic farming and 99% from natural origin.

Methode Physiodermie is the flagship concept skincare range of the Swiss company Laboratoire Sintyl. The company was founded in 1974 by Swiss biologist Dr Calato, who dedicated much of his life to researching and developing the formulation of effective skincare, with a complete range of anti-ageing solutions, backed by 40 years of research on skin rejuvenation. Today their CEO, Alexandre Vacher, has had extensive experience in the biotechnology and cosmetics industries; in an interview with South China Morning Post Country Reports, he said, “The fact that all our products are proudly Swiss- made in our Geneva facility ensures that they only get the highest quality ingredients and, therefore, with the highest effectiveness.” The company creates skincare through science at its headquarters in Geneva and dedicates vast amounts of time and resources to research and development before launching its products. Their skincare is scientifically formulated with a range that includes organic ingredients that uses the latest revolutionary and cutting-edge technology called microencapsulation (MEIMA). Through this process, active ingredients are acquired into a liposome capsule and are then protected and delivered to the layer of skin where the cells need them most; it’s a skincare concept that specifically adapts to every type of skin and allows the achievement of visible and lasting results. Methode Physiodermie’s products are available to both consumers and professionals. 20% of the company’s sales go towards further research and development innovation methods, and in another interview conducted by I Feel Good Event, CEO Alexandre Vacher stated, “We are also leading Research and Development activities in the field of functional ingredients, plant extracts and formulation techniques to offer consumers ever more efficient products.” And as a cosmeceutical brand, they only rely on scientifically proven ingredients. Although all their products are produced as professional skincare and distributed in medi-spas and beauty salons - they are also available from the website for consumer use.

With Edwina as one of the judges at The Beauty Shortlist Awards, The Shot C15 Anti-Ageing Serum, certainly got her vote as the Best Serum (age 50+). It is part of Methode Physiodermie’s Clinical Swiss Organics collection, where the range is certified by Ecocert Greenlife according to the COSMOS-standard and is free from fragrance, silicones, parabens, mineral oils, EDTA/BHA/BH; it also went on to win the Best Skincare Brand (age 60+).

The Shot C15 Anti-Ageing Serum is their first certified organic serum with 15% pure vitamin C. The product has an ultra-concentrated formula, which has given the product a very effective anti-ageing effect. It is scientifically proven to firm the skin, visibly reduce brown spots, stimulate collagen and elastin synthesis, and protect cells from free radicals. The Shot C15 Anti-Ageing Serum separately includes Pure Vitamin C sachet which needs to be mixed in and when combined must used within one month, as it is only stable within that time frame. If exposed to heat, light, or air, it can also become unstable. Something to note is that stabilised vitamin C is the only effective way to use vitamin C, as when it becomes unstable and oxidises, there is no longer a benefit to its use. 

Let’s look at the ingredients and what they do. Vaccinium macrocarpon (cranberry) fruit water comes from (organically grown) red cranberries. It is rich in antioxidants with vitamin C, to combat free radicals and slow the appearance of the effects of premature ageing. Ascorbic acid is pure vitamin C, again as the primary antioxidant here it’s known to brighten the skin, improve wrinkles, and help fade any skin discolourations. Sodium citrate also has antioxidant properties and helps maintain the pH level in skincare products. Sodium hyaluronate is a form of hyaluronic acid and a potent skin humectant that helps the skin retain water. Salicylic acid is an exfoliating ingredient that helps the skin feel smoother. Glycerin is naturally occurring in the skin and is an ingredient that protects the skin from dryness by helping the skin retain moisture. Xanthan Gum is produced from the fermentation of simple sugars and acts as a thickening ingredient and stabiliser in skincare products. Benzyl alcohol is a preservative and pH adjuster used in skincare. Sorbic acid is another preservative and form of vitamin C; it encourages new collagen to grow and maintains the existing collagen, and is deemed to be a very safe ingredient used in skincare and also prevents the growth of bacteria.

We used this serum morning and night; only a few drops were needed. All you do is add the contents of the Pure Vitamin C sachet into the serum bottle. Then screw the dropper back on and shake vigorously for approx. 10 seconds. Then they recommend letting it stand for a few minutes before use. It’s for the face, neck and décolleté; gently massage to let it absorb and then apply any regular moisturiser or SPF (if applied in the morning). This is another of our #amazingfinds, and we love how it has proven scientific ingredients from the natural origin combined with the organic cranberry fruit water. Don’t be put off by the high percentage of vitamin C. We initially had our reservations, as we thought this serum might be too potent for our sensitive skin type. However, we were very pleasantly surprised at how gentle it was! It has given our complexion back its glow and helped fade some of our more visible pigmentation patches. As an anti-ageing serum, what more could we ask for? To purchase the 27ml Shot C15 Anti-Ageing Serum see here for £64.