Norse - Exfoliating Face Wash & Shower Bar

Have you noticed how the girls at The Amazing Blog are slaves to their skincare routine? Well, it’s now starting to rub off on me! I’ll let you into a secret… This week I’ve found some amazing new grooming products that are not only 100% natural, handmade, vegan and parabens free, but come in an eco-friendly bar form. Meet British brand Norse. The two products I’m going to be talking about today interact efficiently and look promising to offer results.

Norse is a startup company, founded by Iain Kerrigan, whose main focus is to produce 100% natural grooming products for men. Iain is a bearded gentleman who was bored of looking like a grease monkey from the products he used, hence his mission began to create his own… Whether it’s for maintaining a beard, a moustache groomed or keeping skin smooth; Norse has something to offer every well-groomed man (or lady - but razors only!) They are all handmade in the UK and as Iain says they are “plastic-free, environmentally (and wallet) friendly.” His range has everything from skincare and shampoo to plastic-free razors. The products I tried out are their Exfoliating Face Wash Bars and Shower Bars which are a must-have for every man out there, and the reason I underline the word ‘every’ is that these gems are for all skin types.

I’ll begin with the Exfoliating Face Wash Bars which come in two amazing scents: Woodsman and Citrus. They are produced using olive, coconut, castor, organic sustainable palm and almond oil. These oils are rich in vitamins A and E, they have anti-inflammatory effects and penetrate the dermis preventing moisture loss. The organic sustainable palm oil tightens the pores in an efficient manner and helps in preventing the rough bumps which may be caused by sun damage or aging. The ingredient together with the activated charcoal effectively cleanses the skin, removing dead skin cells and impurities, leaving the skin smooth, clean and even-toned.  You will find the link for both Exfoliating Face Wash Bars here, so you can purchase the one with your favourite scent Woodsman has a base of tea tree and peppermint, whereas the Citrus has a mixture of orange and lemon oil, each is only £ 8.50 for a 100gm bar.

Next with the Norse Shower Bars which also come in the same two scents as the Exfoliating Face Wash Bars; Woodsman and Citrus. They are produced using similar ingredients as the Face Wash Bars with olive, coconut, castor, organic sustainable palm and almond oil but minus the addition of activated charcoal. They are solid bars, and as we mentioned above, these ingredients offer great benefits. We’d also like to add that not only they are made of 100% natural ingredients, but they are also environmentally friendly simply packaged in cardboard boxes, thus no plastic waste is produced. To purchase your favorite scent of the Shower Bar for only £ 8.50 you can find Citrus here or Woodman here.  My favourite? It had to be the Exfoliating Face Wash (Citrus) – it left my face clean and fragrant from the city grim and is ideal for my newly acquired lockdown whiskers!

Untamed ™ The Defrizz Wave Tame Machine Hairdryer

As regular readers will know, at The Amazing Blog we’re always trying to find you ‘something a little bit different…’ Well, today we’ve got a truly new and innovative product. Think hairdryer but with a spritz, in fact, an Argan spritz!  Say goodbye to frizzy hair and meet Untamed™

Untamed has an impeccable pedigree in the world of hairdressing. They’ve had years of experience working with top hairdressers and premium brands, which is when they saw a gap in the market for those (like us) who complain about their unruly frizzy locks. Having spent over two years perfecting this unique hairdryer/ styling tool, they said: “ This is the most amazing styling tool for all hair types. We want to bring an end to frizzy hair. Our Untamed™ defrizz wave tame machine is more than a hairdryer it is a styling tool. It is unique and a UK first”. This little beauty first came to our attention when it won the Editors Choice for the Beauty Shortlist 2020 Awards. It has taken hair drying to a whole new level dispensing Argan oil on your hair as you blow-dry.  What could be better timing to purchase such a product, when we’re all missing our wonderful hairdressers and scrambling to get our hair looking good enough for our Zoom parties or work meetings.  

Thrilled to be one of the first to try out this Untamed™ in isolation, it has cheered me up no end!  As we’re always extolling the virtues of Argan oil in different products here, you’ll see we’re big fans of this magical oil, particularly for dry skin or hair.  The oil contains vitamin E and fatty acids and has antioxidant properties, so it has all bases covered.  I started out being a little sceptical as my hair is very fine, curly and flyaway and I was nervous about spritzing Argan oil after a conditioner in case it made it flat and lifeless.  However, I’m happy to report my fears were ill-founded – it was far from flat or greasy giving me only a lustrous finish. Following their advice, I part dried my hair first and used the Argan oil sparingly, I’d recommend you go slowly at first as everyone’s hair is different.  It is quite easy to use, powerful and yet lightweight.  Putting the Argan oil spritzer onto the hair drying nozzle was super easy but you can check out the video clip on their website if you need it here. I found the heat came out evenly, so it won’t damage the hair over time.  Also after reading the blurb, I discovered that emitting negative ions was also helping stop static and frizz, who would have thought? Well, Untamed™ did!  In addition to the 5 other settings, I finished with the cold shot to keep everything smooth; as we all know, it’s something hairdressers always do at the end of the blow-dry.  The Argan oil bottles do of course run out, how quickly depends on how often you use them, but you can refill with any other Argan hair oil.  I loved this Untamed with or without the Argan oil. It gave me the results I wanted and I found it to be quicker and kinder than other hairdryers I’ve used. I’m happy to report that the home blow-dry just got professional! To get your Untamed™ for £69.99  with 3x 5ml Argan oil bottles and 3 x different styling nozzles see here.

Nursem – Caring Hand Cream & Caring Hand Fix

Something during these pandemic times it has become second nature to us is to keep washing our hands. Of course, after constant washing, most of us at The Amazing Blog have noticed irritation, dryness and cracked skin. However, let us just take a moment to consider what everyday life must be like for nurses who are on the frontline. Did you know that the average ICU nurse washes their hands 150 times a day? Which results in 85% suffering from painful and sore hands. Not anymore, step forward the new British brand Nursem who has created a specific range of solution-based hand care. 

Nursem is a skincare brand, created by Jonny Philp who teamed up with his wife, Antonia (an ICU nurse), to create a range of special hand care products. As Jonny commented: “Our aim is to make every working day better for all hardworking hands, so we’ve developed a range of products that are formulated to care for, hydrate and replenish your skin’s natural defences.”  What testifies to this brand’s success is that its products are loved by nurses, mums and many more. We met Nursem at the CEW Showcases and were so thrilled to be given both their Caring Hand Fix, and Caring Hand Cream to try out. 

Let’s start with the Caring Hand Fix which is a cruelty-free, vegan and dermatologist approved. This works like a healing balm (although it’s a cream) it’s intensive care for hands where it soothes and calms. It’s fragrance-free with the main ingredient of calming colloidal oatmeal, this works together for layers of protection with avocado oil, shea butter and glycerin to help minimise moisture loss from the skin. Avocado oil is known for its healing benefits on skin, rich in vitamin E and other nutrients it nourishes the skin to accelerate the healing process. While shea butter is an ingredient known for softening the skin and it also has anti-inflammatory properties. The Caring Hand Fix soothes redness and irritation, as well as regenerates the skin using a blend of pro-vitamin B5, naturally derived hyaluronic acid and allantoin. We think that using the product overnight probably brings the best results.  To purchase click here The product comes at a size of 50 ml for £14.99.

Next, the Caring Hand Cream that has been created by using natural ingredients. The Caring Hand Cream’s key ingredient here is medical-grade manuka honey, which is known to help aid the healing of sore hands and improve the skin’s appearance. The manuka honey can balance the skin’s pH levels and remove the dead cells, leaving the skin soft and clean. The Caring Hand Cream has a subtle scent similar to orange water which comes from the combination of citrus and bergamot. It also has an extract of white willow and oils such as grape seed, coconut, passionflower and pomegranate seed all of which help soften the hands. To purchase the 75 ml size for £9.99 click here. To purchase the 300 ml size for £19.99 click here. This is a long-lasting and effective formula for sore and dry hands.

Both of the products contain no parabens, mineral oil or silicone and we think are a must-have for everyone who has over washed hands that are suffering. What is also important to mention, is that Nursem has a ‘giving back’ philosophy and for every product sold, they offer a month’s worth of free Nursem to a nurse or a midwife. Please help us to keep this mission going by purchasing their hand care products here.

Squeeky Life Bottle: Organic Glass Cleaner & Multi-Purpose Cleaner

With all of us in lockdown, we’re cleaning our homes like never before! No more time-poor excuses, we’re all wielding the Dyson or mop. However, with cleaning at such close proximity both the girls at The Amazing Blog and I agree that we’re tired of having lingering chemical nasties in our homes. Think phthalates, ammonia or chlorine – to name but a few... With this in mind, dear reader, we’ve searched out some effective and organic cleaning products which are Squeeky Cleaners. Their products range from limescale remover through to bathroom, glass, floor, multi-purpose cleaners and so much more. These can also be refilled with a concentrate, so great for the planet with fewer bottles used. 

Claire Nicolas originally founded Squeeky Cleaners as a laundry and cleaning company in Chippenham, Wiltshire. Claire said: “It started to take shape around the kitchen table! To cut a very long story short, my cleaners were about to be made redundant. I was at a loose end and said (quite naively) I’ll start a cleaning business…. In 2016 The Squeeky Cleaners were born. Our business grew very rapidly, outgrowing the kitchen area and within a year we were looking for a unit that would accommodate our growing Squeeky family.” She went on to say, “our products are completely natural and harmless, and of course they do the job. When cleaning your home, you won’t have to worry about potential health impacts to yourselves, your family or your pets. It’s completely safe, even if you ingest it. We are also reducing the carbon footprint by making refill bottles of concentrate available to our customers.” The company has developed its household products to be plastic-free organic, pet-safe and vegan. We had the opportunity to try their Glass Cleaner and the Multipurpose Cleaner which both arrived in their aluminium spray trigger bottles with one free dose of the cleaners, which you fill up with tap water, give it a shake and you’re up and running.

The Glass Cleaner is quite surprising, I found the fragrance actually quite uplifting! With its plant-based ingredients such as citric, acetic and caprylic (from coconut) acid it is gentle on the nose but ruthlessly removes greasy marks left on glass, giving you a ‘squeaky’ clean. It’s easy to use and effective on both mirror and glass surfaces – they even suggest using it in the car! Next, we used the Multipurpose Cleaner, again easy to use with a pleasant smell and leaves surfaces streak-free. It’s great on kitchen tops, desks and gentle enough for wooden surfaces. The ingredients are similar to the Glass Cleaner, although the addition of PSL6 (1004) left us baffled - what’s that?! The one criticism that we have, is that we’d like to see Squeeky Cleaners give more of an explanation on each of the ingredients used together with their origin.

Both bottles are 500ml, the Glass Cleaner can be bought for £9.99 here or Multisurface Cleaner here also for £9.99. They also offer refills at £7.99 which can be bought here. Why not order up today and not only help to save the planet but your health too.

H Drop - CBD Oil : Calm After Storm & Sixty Breaths

It’s no secret that we’re big fans of taking CBD oil, particularly during these uncertain times. It’s something at The Amazing Blog we take on a regular basis for an improved mood and enhanced sleep quality. CBD interacts with the serotonin receptors (these play a role in regulating our mood) and are thought to help promote a more positive mental state and a healthy functioning nervous system. As we always like to support small indie brands, today we’d like to introduce you to a new launch, the Dutch company H Drop. What makes them different to other CBD companies is that they have perfected the art of creating Full-Spectrum CBD ingestible oils without THC.  I know, that this sounds like a contradiction in terms, however, please keep reading. 

The H Drop story started the 19th century when Rochus Sliupas started his medical practice fighting cholera and tuberculosis outbreaks. Today, his great-grandson, also Rochus Sliupas, continues the family mission working in the wellbeing sector. Their organic hemp is sourced from European fields and extracted in German/UK labs with an ISO 9001 certification and manufactured in accordance with the HACCP guidelines. This means that they comply with the strictest standards of processing raw materials, quality control, packaging and distribution of the products. H Drop has a range of three CBD products Joys of Spring,  Calm After The Storm and the capsules Sixty Breaths. They even have a CBD dosage calculator if you’re unsure of the amount to take. 

So, let’s talk about their Full-Spectrum THC-free… Confused? We were… we will try to explain, Broad Spectrum (which is always THC-free), is made by mixing only few selected cannabinoid isolates and a very limited number of the beneficial hemp components. Whereas H Drop has perfected one of the most advanced extraction methods with CO2 chromatography technology, which is one of Europe's first! The CO2 extraction means that the CBD is a raw oil and not extracted at high temperatures, ensuring that the enhancing properties of the plant are not damaged. This method also allows them to detect and carefully remove 99.9% of THC molecules from the naturally extracted Full-Spectrum oil. Therefore, leaving this H Drop extract still containing all the beneficial cannabinoids (CBN, CBV, CBG, CBC), terpenes and flavonoids which are found in hemp flowers, except for the intoxicating THC. You can also see their laboratory results here. Got it?

H Drop sent us Sixty Breaths and Calm After the Storm CBD oil in Natural and Orange flavours. Before embarking on your CBD journey, we highly recommend starting with their CBD dosage calculator, as an example, putting in weight at 60 kg it then gives you a choice of the effect desired: Mild, moderate or strong. With this specified weight factored in, the dosage can vary from 15mg – 45mg per day. They also recommend dividing the dosage throughout the day, starting low and gradually increasing it if needed. The ideal dose of CBD will depend on many factors like weight, body chemistry and the condition you’re treating. They suggest not exceeding more than 200mg of CBD per day and if you’re currently taking medication, always consult with your doctor first.

Sixty Breaths are ingestible CBD oil capsules an excellent choice for the novice as the CO2 extraction raw oil can sometimes leave a strong, bitter or earthy taste, which can be most off-putting to the uninitiated. This raw CBD oil is suitable for pain relief as well as mood enhancement and has an increased entourage effect with all the plant nutrients. These capsules are made from organic hemp oil which has the added bonus of omega 3, 6 and vitamin E. The dosage again depends on your weight, it could vary from 2 to 5 capsules per day. These were perfect for the CBD newbie in the office who at 10mg of CBD per capsule, per 25kg of weight took 3 capsules morning, noon and night. The bottle contains 60 capsules (600mg of CBD) which offer approximately 30 days supply for an average moderate serving. Next, we tried the liquid Full-Spectrum THC-free CBD oil that comes in a 10ml brown glass bottle and pipette, which has a much higher concentration at 15%. As mentioned, this Calm After The Storm comes in two flavours the Natural and Orange. I preferred the Natural to Orange, as I like the pure and natural taste of CBD and much to my surprise, this raw oil was smooth, mild and not at all bitter. I took 6 drops a day (45mg of CBD) spreading it throughout the day and increasing this at night with an extra 4 drops which took the level up to 75mg. This helped improve my sleep patterns, made me more relaxed and seemed to stop me waking with sudden anxiety attacks, which I’ve recently been more prone to. It contains exactly the same ingredients as the capsules but stronger, the 10ml bottle contains 1500mg of CBD. The verdict? For me, I would buy more as it had the desired effect of giving me a calm mind,so it’s become another of our #amazingfinds.  I quickly want to mention that we also loved the simple recycled cardboard packaging filled with hemp fibre. There’s a nice touch with Braille on the sides translating their motto of Hemp (fully organic), Help (GMP certified) and Health (CO2 extracted). To purchase your H Drop: Sixty Breaths 60 capsules for €65 see here and Calm After Storm 10ml bottle for €89 here.