vegan skincare

Sintra Naturals : Soothing Cleansing Balm

With the colder months approaching, skin dryness will likely be on the menu, which is why at The Amazing Blog, we always look for kind and gentle products. Particularly with a cleansing balm as we need it to remove makeup, and also soothe our sensitive skins. We stumbled upon this indie natural skincare brand Sintra Naturals, who pride themselves on offering natural skincare solutions, with their Soothing Cleansing Balm.

Sintra Naturals is a women-owned and run brand. Geethika Ghanta created this brand to create affordable, natural skincare. In India, she grew up using natural ingredients for each part of her daily routine – from skincare to haircare. Ghanta has always been interested in the formulations and ingredients of in-store skincare products, and this interest turned into a passion when her son was allergic to the “shop-bought baby soaps and lotions.” Even when Geethika looked at more high-end formulations and products, she found synthetic fragrances and additives. With this realisation, Geethika took matters into her own hands by learning how to make natural skincare and launching Sintra Naturals. “My mantra is that the term natural shouldn’t have to be expensive.” Sintra Naturals pride itself on creating handmade, vegan and effective natural products for all skin types. By only using natural ingredients, Sintra Naturals has developed products to calm and smooth skin. Geethika has one simple rule when it comes to ingredients: “if an ingredient is not deemed for human consumption, it should not be in our skincare routine.” She went on to say, “I will not claim that my products will heal any skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis but they are definitely gentle enough to bring relief.” The brand’s products are handmade and they also take the sustainability issue very seriously; they are plastic-free and have either recyclable or biodegradable packaging. The soaps are essential oil-free (good for sensitive skin) and packed in reusable organic food-grade re-usable cotton bags. There are absolutely no synthetic ingredients, fragrances or additives in the Sintra Naturals skin or body care. 

The Soothing Cleansing Balm is ideal for helping to restore hydration to the skin in a gentle and calming way. This Global Makeup Awards Bronze-winning balm, uses shea butter to restore the skin by moisturising but not leaving a greasy feel. Combined with castor oil which is well known for its natural cleansing properties, it helps clean out the pores by drawing dirt out without drying out the skin. Grapeseed oil is used due to its allergen-free and suitability for all skin types. Geethika loves to use this versatile oil in her products because it has “amazing, skin-loving properties” and is a by-product of the wine industry, making it a sustainable ingredient. Grapeseed oil is high in vitamin E and other vitamins and minerals used to maintain the elastin in the skin. The Roman chamomile here not only offers the balm its fragrance it also soothes redness with its anti-inflammatory properties. Finally, the kaolin clay ingredient is a gentle clay used to help clean the impurities from the skin, with antibacterial properties, which help to remove oils and contaminants from the skin. The Soothing Cleansing Balm is perfect for removing makeup or the residue from a day. To use simple warm a pea-sized balm in hands before gently massaging onto around the eye area, face and neck. Then wash away with warm water (or as in our case a warm washcloth), we particularly liked how it was gentle and efficient in removing all stubborn makeup. It’s suitable for all skin types, and we found it especially good for soothing problematic skin. This skin balm is available in either Tea Tree and Chamomile blends - we received the Chamomile. Sintra Natural’s Soothing Cleansing Balm is available for £10.00 from their website here.

Sofia Latif - Face Oil

As busy people working and living in London, we’re constantly looking for ways to make our lives a little less complicated. We want to pamper both ourselves and our skin but are often too tired to conduct a daily extensive skincare routine. Therefore, simple is always best and that’s why we were excited at The Amazing Blog to experience the great multitasking Sofia Latif Face Oil.

Created with a holistic approach to skincare in mind, Sofia Latif believes in the importance of using our me-time to reconnect mind to senses, soothing the mind and skin at the same time. Now that’s a philosophy we can get behind. The founder, Sofia Latif created the signature face oil to combat her personal skincare issues with pigmentation and sensitivity. Fearing her skin would be further damaged if she used prescription creams or steroids, she spent 15 years perfecting the blend of her face oil. The Sofia Latif signature Face Oil was shortlisted for the Beauty Awards in 2018 .

We love how many amazing ingredients are contained in this signature Face Oil . With the powerful anti-oxidant properties of moringa seed oil, the elasticity improving marula seed oil mixed with rosehip oil with natural retinol action and pomegranate seed oil for skin regeneration; this is truly an all-in-one product. The organic sweet almond oil seals in moisture while jasmine flower works to balance and Bulgarian rose flower refines. We’re also happy to report that this Face Oil is vegan and doesn’t contain any synthetic ingredients, palm oil, mineral oils, phthalates, SLS / SLES, and silicones.

The Face Oil is made in small batches in London, so it’s always fresh. We suggest applying it at night on cleansed skin or adding a drop or two to your moisturiser or primer to give skin an extra radiant glow. Wanting to give back, Sofia Latif provides microfinance loans linking with non profit Lend with Care to female entrepreneurs who are working their way out of poverty by starting their own small business, to date they have give over 20 loans since 2017. An amount of the sale from each product goes towards the investment in these women’s future. The Sofia Latif Signature Face Oil 10ml can be purchased here for £20.00 or for 30ml for £45.