Lemongrass

Friday Favourites – Cleansers

As we all know the key essential to any good skin care routine is to use a gentle and effective cleanser, not only to remove the daily grime but the residue of our makeup. However, during our research for this feature, we at The Amazing Blog found that there were quite a few readily available high street brands, but they were mainly water-based with chemicals. This combination strips your skin of its natural oils, leaving your face feeling tight and dry rather than supple and refreshed. That is why we wanted to share some of our Friday Favourites which are the latest #amazingfinds for oil-based cleansers and cleansing balms. We know what you’re probably thinking: ‘Oil? Won’t that clog up my skin?’ Rest assured we’ve tried and tested our choices. We all have very different skin types here at The Amazing Blog ranging from very dry to extremely oily and none of these cleansers clogged our pores.

The first #amazingfind, we found was the Jane Apothecary Soothing Cleansing Balm. This Spanish-based company was founded by Elena Padilla, a biologist and cosmetics expert, after she began breaking out when she turned 30 years old. Jane Apothecary is an award winning brand (see 2019 Beauty Shortlist here) that we have fallen in love with, and recently wrote about their Restoring Eye &  Lip Serum . Elena soon discovered the benefits of vegetable oils and plants to soothe skin as well as other women who were in a similar situation as herself. This led her to create all-natural products that ‘care for and calm the skin of women over 30 years’ while providing hydration and preventing ageing.

The Cleansing Balm’s oil and vegetable wax base gives the product a thick texture and melts in your hands to create a cleansing oil. It has marigold extract, chamomile, and aloe vera to soothe and soften your skin along with bio shea butter to help protect your skin’s natural oils. After using this product, your skin won’t feel greasy, but perfectly moisturised and clean. What made this cleansing balm worthy of a lot of love at the Beauty Shortlist Awards is that it has been specially formulated for sensitive skin as well as redness- and rosacea-prone skin while smelling fresh. Many products that treat skin conditions often smell like a hospital or have no scent. Jane Apothecary uses a mix of lemongrass, orange, and lavender essential oils to give the balm a signature strong lemongrass scent that has aromatherapeutic properties to help you relax while cleansing your face.

If you want extra soft skin, you can leave a small layer of the cleansing balm on for 20 minutes before removing it with warm water and the organic cotton wipe provided. Only a small dollop of this product is needed each time you cleanse your face, so we can safely say the price is worth what you get. You can purchase the Soothing Cleansing Balm (60ml) here for 35.54€


The next cleansing balm we have for you is the Nourish Cleanse Melt: Rose & Camellia. This product may look or sound familiar because we reviewed the Botanicals Nourishing Face Balm in the same beautiful scent. We’ve found and fallen in love with many products from Botanicals (check out our brand directory here) and the Nourishing Face Balm falls into the same pattern.

The company is rooted in the ‘fundamental belief that nature knows best’ and this cleansing balm has 100 per cent natural ingredients. It is also cruelty-free, vegan, and certified organic. The cleanser contains absolutely no water and is oil-based, which helps retain and maintain your skin’s natural oils rather than dry out your face. It can be used on all skin types, but the natural oils are especially useful for hydrating and healing normal-to-dry mature skin. The formula combines the oils with shea butter and green tea extract to dissolve even stubborn waterproof mascara after a long day and leave your skin feeling soft like a baby’s the next morning. What makes this balm different is that Botanicals’ cleansing balms work deep into your pores to remove any impurities, which balance and brighten your skin. While many oil-based products scare people away, this cleansing balm leaves you feeling moisturised but not greasy.

See for yourself why this cleansing balm won for Best Organic Facial Skincare at the Natural and Organic Awards. You can purchase it here (60g) for £26.  

The final product we have for you this Friday is the Joji Natural Frankincense and Sandalwood Oil Cleanser. We discovered this indie beauty brands earlier this year at a trade beauty show. The motto of Joji Natural is ‘Natural without compromise’. The company was founded in 2010 and is dedicated to creating handmade organic products that are effective, sustainable, cruelty-free, and fair trade.

 The oil cleanser is made of 100 per cent plant-based materials and is marketed as ‘a meditation in a bottle’. After using it, we can see why. As the name says, the product has frankincense and sandalwood. These are both natural oils that have immense therapeutic effects, leaving you less stressed and creating positive well-being. The formula also has a unique mix of jojoba, sweet almond, and apricot kernel oils, which soothe and moisturise skin without clogging your pores. This oil cleanser is essential in scrubbing away makeup and pollutants from the day, unlike regular cleansers. Many of the ingredients also have natural properties to fight bacteria, leaving your skin extra clean.

You can remove all of the cleanser with a warm cloth or leave some excess for your skin to soak up the all-natural oils, as recommended by Joji Natural. You can purchase the Frankincense and Sandalwood Oil Cleanser (50ml) here for £16.

Whether or not you have already made the switch to oil cleansers, please keep these products in mind not just for the summer but all year round. As mentioned earlier, they will not clog your pores or leave your skin feeling dry. However, what we like is that they all leave a nice layer of moisture giving you a glowy and goddess-like skin. Go try!

Darjeeling Reed Diffuser - T London

Here at The Amazing Blog, we truly believe that a clean and calming environment promotes productivity and general wellbeing. We love to use products that make our homes more welcoming and positive environments. Our office has recently embraced a new room fragrance in the form of a reed diffuser by T London.

T London’s aromatic fragrances are inspired by traditional blends of tea. The one we’ve been loving is a blend called Darjeeling, frequently referred to as the “champagne” of teas. The scent brings optimism into the room with aromatic oils of zesty lemongrass, a twist of citrus and spiced nutmeg that is layered over black tea. The elegant glass bottle also makes for a lovely decorative piece in your home! T London also offers refills for reed diffusers, so when needed, you can easily replenish it.

Spice up your home with the T London Darjeeling reed diffuser here

Going For Gold

After years of planning, preparation and pandemonium, the 2012 Olympic Games are finally here! In honour of the glorious games, for the next two weeks The Amazing Blog will be showcasing the best in health and fitness, and we've even got a fabulous competition for you next week! But a great British event wouldn't be the same without some novelty items, so have a browse through these patriotic themed items to get you in the Team GB spirit! First up we have for you the Heyland and Whittle Hope & Glory Reed Diffuser. One of the more subtle but definitely longer lasting ways to show your patriotism for the Olympic games, Heyland and Whittle's Hope & Glory range is sure to have something to suit your home. The diffusers have a Lemongrass scent and are available from their website for £22.00.

 

With all the fittest athletes in the world congregating in London over the next two weeks, you can be sure that they're all getting their share of H2O, and what better way to hydrate yourself than with a brilliant Water Bobble. Water Bobbles are the latest must-have, as this unique water bottle filters water as you drink it, so you don't need to worry about drinking any yucky chemicals wherever you need to stop and refill! The British Bobble is available at Selfridges for £10.95.

 

If you're looking for a way to incorporate some more Red, White and Blue into your everyday life, then look no further than the Simply Swim Towels! Tom Daley, eat your heart out! Perfect for the pool or the shower, this Olympic souvenir will be handy long after the medals are handed out! Available from their website for £18.00.

And our last Olympic pick is the uber patriotic Cool Britannia Tangle Teezer. I'm sure a lot of you have had you eye on one of these miracle-working de-tanglers, so there's no better time to splurge on this olympic-themed hair tool. Perfect for your bathroom or stashing in your bag quickly, they're available from their website for £12.24.

So as the Opening Ceremonies commence and the best of the best compete for that elusive gold medal, make sure to check back here every day for the our top health and fitness picks. Let the games begin!