bath

Africology - The Rose Body Balm

Culture is an integral part of the journey for the beauty industry and its products. It is where both ancient and new ideas come together, transforming knowledge into something special. The Amazing Blog always gravitates toward beauty products that have adopted innovative ideas, especially ones that use culture as the foundation of practice. Africology is one such company, who celebrate Africa’s heritage and plant life, subsequently capturing the flora and fauna of Africa in their skincare products. I first came across Africology when I had a friend from South Africa to stay. Buried deep in her hand luggage was their serum, a product she eulogised for hours about. It was a piece of 'home' that she prized more than anything else that had travelled 8k miles to get here! Then Africology popped up again, as winners at 2018 The BeautyShortlist and that's when I knew that I had to try it. 

The Rose Body Balm was the first product we requested to try.  Infused with shea butter, marula oil, rosehip seed oil and unrefined beeswax. Its texture is light and soft and glides across the skin during application. While massaging the product into the skin’s surface, the balm becomes a medium for increasing lymph flow and circulation. As it becomes a source of nourishment, the balm also alleviates muscle pain. The purpose of the balm extends far beyond hydrating dry areas and cracked heals. Rose, a foundational component of the product, is a mild anti-depressant and balances emotions and hormones. The floral aroma is subtle and calming. For use, warm a tiny amount in your hands and apply to the affected areas. The product can be used during a bath or shower, as part of a message, or melted in an aromatherapy burner. However, Africology recommends applying it to damp skin after a warm bath.

Interested in learning more about the key ingredients’ perks? Keep on reading...Shea butter: The fatty acids contained in shea oil are a source of vitamins A, E and F. Shea oil is an anti-inflammatory, and helps to retain moisture, relieve itchiness and soothe sunburnt skin. Marula seed oil: The oil extracted from the kernel of the marula fruit, the seed oil is rich in antioxidants and stimulates collagen and elastin production. Due to its light consistency, the oil doesn’t clog pores and treats acne with its antimicrobial and non-comedogenic properties. Beeswax: Beeswax is thick in nature, and acts as a protective barrier for the skin. As the foundation of the balm, it also prevents the separation of oil and liquid components. Rosehip seed oil: This oil contains vitamin A and C, which exfoliates and moisturises the skin while boosting skin regeneration and elasticity. Green rooibos (leaf powder): With its natural compounds, leaf powder is an excellent aid for eczema, nappy rash and acne. The alpha-hydroxy acid found in leaf powder also maintains healthy skin. African potato (root powder):  Root powder contains sterols and sterolins that are helpful in acne, eczema and psoriasis treatment.  It also boosts the immune system.

This product did the rounds at The Amazing Blog, we dabbed it onto our pulse points (gorgeous rose aroma) and also put a 1/2 teaspoon of the balm into our aromatherapy burner, which melted to give the office a sense of calm. A little does go a long way (hence the 125ml jar), you can purchase yours for £21 here.

Therapie by Roques O'Neil - Inner Light Sleep Drops

If you are keeping up on The Amazing Blog you will know how much we rate Michelle Roques-O’Neil’s Therapie aromatherapy products. We were lucky to have used their Restore Aura Spray as well as their Himalayan Detox Bath Salts and Cherish Skin Repair Body Serum in the past. Always being busy and on-the-go we know how important it is to relax at the end of the day – but we also know it can be hard to unwind sometimes. That’s why we wanted to review the Therapie Inner Light Sleep Drops today, which have helped us get a much deeper and more blissful sleep.

The Sleep Drops contain a fantastic mix of oils for example passionflower, frankincense, sandalwood, lavender and many more.  All those ingredients work to calm and soothe your mind as well as effectively strike overextended nerves so you can fall into a deep and nourishing slumber. Overnight your body and mind can restore and rebuild thanks to these Sleep Drops. What we love about the Inner Light Sleep Drops is how versatile they are. You can put 30 drops in a hot bath and soak for 20 minutes, have a foot bath or use them on a cotton wool pad under your pillow. We enjoyed soaking a cloth with warm water that was infused with the drops and then putting it on our face for 30 seconds breathing deeply.

The small bottle is great for travelling and perfect for taking on those stressful business trips. It’s also a go-to product when you feel the need to unwind and slow down your hectic pace of life. You can buy the Inner Light Sleep Drops on their own for £48 here or you can purchase them with a The Colourful Dot Rose-Quartz for £58 here.

Lovegrove - Lavender & Clary Sage Massage Balm

We love multi-tasking products, particularly as we here at The Amazing Blog have learnt to our cost, that shopping for all our pampering products, can certainly add up! So when we heard that Lovegrove’s Lavender and Clary Sage Massage Balm had multiple uses, we knew we had to try it. This massage balm can be used for manicures, pedicures, reflexology, massages, or you can add it to your bath for some extra muscle relaxation; how perfect is that? Lovegrove Essentials is a UK artisan brand that has been developed over the past six years. It was created by a mother and daughter duo Hannah and Hayley, whose combined knowledge and experience as respective holistic practioner and make up artist, certainly sets them apart. They have created specific blends of essential oils in their natural skincare range, which are not just for a topical effect they are also there to help individuals on a more holistic level for the mind and body

Lovegrove’s Massage Balm is made from 100% natural ingredients and it is vegan (made from a rice wax instead of bees wax). One of our favourite things about this balm is that moisturises the skin without leaving any unwanted greasiness. The main ingredients in the product are lavender and clary sage essential oils. Firstly, lavender essential oil has a mild analgesic properties which is especially good for treating muscular pains and a variety skin conditions. Secondly, clary sage essential oil creates a feeling of well-being and calmness it relieves stresses and is ideal for those suffering from insomnia or anxiety. The blend of lavender and clary sage essential oils in this balm provides the skin with an unbeatable combination that soothes skin and uplifts the spirits; and we think it smells incredible!

In addition to this Lavender and Clary Sage Massage Balm, Lovegrove offers massage balms in two other fragrances; spike lavender, ginger & marjoram and black pepper & rosemary. All of Lovegrove's massage balms are vegan and 100% natural. We think can think of endless reasons to use these balms. You can purchase your own 100g tub of Lovegrove’s Lavender and Clary Sage Massage Balm here for £19.00.

Bath Oil – Olverum

After a long and busy day, we here at The Amazing Blog love to turn off our working minds by taking a soothing and relaxing soak. When we do so, we like using bath products that we are sure will provide us with the care and relaxation we seek. So, when we received the Olverum's bath oil, we couldn't resist the temptation to experience them. The recipe for Olverum’s Bath Oils is a family secret that has been passed down over decades. In the early 20th Century in Germany Franz Otto Klein, a fine-wine maker, together with his wife, an accomplished pharmacologist, travelled the world to source rare and exquisite essential oils.

Through passion and specialist knowledge, they created a luxurious bath oil made with a mix of carefully selected plant extracts each renowned for having specific therapeutic benefits. The natural essential oils include Eucalyptus, Siberian fir Needle, Verbena, Juniper, Geranium, Lavender, Lime, Rosemary, Lemon and Lavandin. Siberian fir Needle is a long-used ingredient used by native women in the forests of Siberia to soothe aching limbs that Franz and his wife discovered on their travels.

The highly-concentrated oil helps to ease muscle and joint pain, and soften the skin. The aromatherapy benefits of the oil relieve stress, relax the mind and body, and promote a good night sleep, which in turn helps to repair the immune system. The unisex fragrance of the product is universally pleasant and is sure to uplift your mood during your evening bath. This oil offers the ultimate bathing experience, your skin soaks up all the benefits of the oil and is left nourished, relaxed and pampered.

Purchase the Bath Oil here for £29 (125ml), £53 (250ml) or £19 for the travel set (3x 15ml).

Goat Milk Comforting Bath Milk and Body Cream - Crabtree & Evelyn

Here at The Amazing Blog, there is nothing we love more after a hard day’s work than slipping into and a warm bath and relaxing. So we adore any product that will make this moment even more indulgent, and that will leave our skin feeling as soft and gentle as we feel calm, which is why Crabtree & Evelyn are at the top of our list every time. They have just created a Goat Milk Comforting range that we loved as it helped us unwind and helped us feel more like the pampered queens we are.

We were lucky enough to try the Comforting Bath Milk and the Comforting Body Cream from their Goat Milk range. Both products have been designed to pamper sensitive skin, and have delicate scents of Lavender, Geranium and Cypress leaf to help relax your senses while keeping skin nourished and hydrated. The products made us feel like we had been wrapped in cashmere!

Now, there is a very particular process to using these products, but trust us it is worth it. You begin by massaging the Comforting Bath Milk into your skin so that the product can sink in. Then, appreciate your time relaxing in the tub, before finally, massage the Comforting Body Cream onto towel-dried skin. We felt calm and relaxed and are skin felt soft and smooth and smelt divine.

Hydrate your skin and relax with Crabtree & Evelyn Goat Milk range. You can buy yourself the Comforting Bath Milk here for £28.00 and the Comforting Body Cream here for £20.00 .