SOiL Organic Aromatherapy

Struggling to find the perfect way to unwind after a stressful day at hard work? Feel like that glass of wine or shall we say bottle just isn’t cutting it? Fear not, here at The Amazing Blog, we’ve got just what you need to help make your days more peaceful and harmonious.  SOiL Organic Aromatherapy is our new best friend and could soon be yours as well!

Born out of a family managed, organic essential oil farming operation in Zululand, South Africa, SOiLhas been expanding and distilling aromatic plants for their precious oils since 2001. As an eco-ethical range certified by ECO-Cert, SOiL was the first company in South Africa to sell a complete range of 100% certified organic essential oils, many of which they grow themselves on their organic farm in Zululand. As an ethical brand that focuses on steering away from petrochemicals, parabens and synthetic fragrances they identify with a strong sense of commitment to the planet and society. SOiL stands apart from other similar brands as they farm, process and market all their own products from start to finish. They ensure no chemicals or fertilisers are used in their farming process hence giving their customers the promise of safe, natural and sustainable products in all regards.    

Their Ultrasonic Aroma Diffuser is one of our favourites. Easy to use, safe and silent enough for you to hear a needle drop. It’s a low energy product that requires water and your favourite essential oil to be added to it. Even though the diffuser itself is sweet and smallish in size, the aroma will surely spread all across the room making you feel as though you’re in a spa. You get a timer on the device so you can manage how long you’d like it on and can also adjust the mist that it releases. With the essential oils of your choice, this diffuser is a winner in our eyes.

SOiL sells its very own collection of essential oils, each of which has unique and distinct properties that result in a number of benefits. The two that we tried out are their blends with Immunity and Energy. The Immunity oil in the diffuser is a great one for the office to help ward off coughs and colds, particularly with ingredients such as lemongrass, tea tree, benzoin resin and thyme help fight bacteria inside your body and further assist in building your immunity, as they say, prevention is better than cure! The Energy essential blend, on the other hand, is metaphorically speaking rather like a quick shot of espresso. Made with clary sage, lime, cypress and black pepper this blend is really a blessing. Perfect to get you ready for the day as well as serve as a pickup and invigorating blend after a long day, the Energy essential oil has also been a great hit in the office.

All their products are available online on their official website. The Ultrasonic Aroma Diffuser is priced at an affordable £39.95 here (although we see today it’s been reduced to £31.96!) and their essential oil blends are sold from £7.92 here.

Friday Favourites with CBD brands

We don’t know about you, but we’re intrigued by the wave of CBD products that have suddenly appeared. This is a topic often discussed at The Amazing Blog and something that we’re just starting to bone up on and today we hope to enlighten you a little too. We have three different cannabidiol (aka CBD) brands to talk about, and review. As far as we can gather the benefits of CBD are numerous and they need to be demystified in regard to the belief that they contain psychoactive properties – they don’t! The critical thing to look for is a brand that has good manufacturing practice.

As a rule of thumb, there two major types are of CBD which are either ‘full spectrum’ and ‘broad spectrum’. The full spectrum contains a tiny quantity of tetrahydrocannabinol (aka THC) which less than 0.2%; which gives the ‘entourage effect’, (meaning the benefit you get from ingesting multiple components of the cannabis plant) which is driven by all the natural cannabinoids and terpenes. These can assist with a range of conditions such as anxiety, inflammation and sleep disorders, whereas the broad spectrum has a process that reduces the cannabinoids and eliminates the THC. This type proves a popular choice with athletes or those in the public sector who may be subject to random drug testing, and don’t want to have any ‘false positives.’  Often there is a choice of 'filtered oil’ which is softer on the palate and easier to take, or a 'raw oil' which is processed by C02 extraction (no heat). The raw oil is best used for pain relief as it has an increased ‘entourage effect’ with the increased plant nutrients such as terpenes, flavonoids and phytosterols offering more plant matter and giving it a thicker consistency. The disadvantage of this raw version is that it has a very strong flavour (slightly more bitter and earthy tasting) and this extraction method is costly for brands. 

Let’s start with Brown’s CBD; founder Laurence Brown set up the company after experiencing the holistic power of CBD for the first time at university. This inspired him to forge ahead, start his own company and to offer great pharmaceutical quality CBD products at market leading prices. Brown’s CBD has a great select of CBD oils (full and broad Spectrum, filtered and raw) and they also have ‘water-soluble’ CBD which is ideal to be mixed with food, drinks or protein shakes plus up to 4 times more effective than the oil when ingested. 

We were sent their Golden CBD Hemp Oil 1000mg 10% CBD.  This is filtered oil and full spectrum made with organic hemp cannabis sativa CBD oil which is reliably sourced from in the EU.  It contains cannabinoids such as CBDA, CBDV, CBC, CBN, CBG & THC (0.2%). Although this is a filtered oil it is actually extracted by the C02 extraction method used for raw oils but this undergoes an extra filtration process which gives it a smoother taste and more of a golden colour compared to other filtered oils.  All of their bottles come in small dark UVA proof black bottles with a pipette. We strategically took this at night time to help aid relaxation and sleep. Using the pipette, we put 3 or 4 drops for sublingual absorption (under the tongue) and held it there for up to 60 seconds before swallowing. We have to say, from our experience, this is the first 10% CBD oil that we’ve found to be palatable and quite pleasant tasting. Did it help to take the edge off our day? Yes, I can confidently say that our tester’s sleep patterns definitely improved when taking it regularly.  You too can buy Brown’s CBD  Golden CBD Hemp Oils here starting from £39.99 for 10ml.

Next brand is CBD ONE  who have been at the forefront of launching CBD here in the UK. They offer a variety of CBD products ranging from oils, topical creams, and water-soluble products. They sent us their AbsorbPure+ this is a little different from the CBD oil and is in the form of a water-soluble paste that has a  mixture curcumin, vegetable glycerine, triglycerides, terpenes and bioavailable cannabis paste. Absorb has three products in the range, all of which are water-soluble and are for single daily use only. The key ingredient here is the ‘bioavailability cannabis paste’ which refers to how much of the active ingredient your body can use – here they say 99%. This product also contains THC with levels below 0.2% with the actual CBD content at 800mg making this Pure+ a high concentration paste with over 50 servings per 10ml syringe and delivery 16mg of CBD per dose. They claim that this is 10 times more effective than an equivalent oil-based product.

We used this by mixing it with water or fruit juice and have to say that the paste was a tad spicy and earthy and perhaps not the most delicious taste, but with the curcumin, it helps add a double whammy for those looking to aid from joint and muscle pain.  They also say that you can pump one dose straight into the mouth and swallow (we weren’t that brave!) One of us dosed up on this regularly in the mornings, prior to going to the gym. They have had various ongoing joint pain and did find with taking this regularly that there was a certain amount of relief. If you’re looking for a high concentrate water-soluble CBD then this is for you see here for 10ml £69.99amd 20ml £128.78.

Finally, meet Hemptouch a Slovenian brand that we’ve had our eye on for a while having first discovered the brand when they won a prestigious Wellbeing Award from our client The Beauty Shortlist for their CBD Spray Chocolate 300mg  and CBD Oil Amber 500mg. Silvija Špehar is the co-founder biologist and herbalist who has used hemp in her formulas to enhance, balance and nourish from the inside out with both the sublingual, ingestible formulas and her skincare. Ethical practice and sustainability are at the heart of the brand where they use locally sourced butter and hemp in their ingredients.

They very kindly sent us several of their products, the first of which is their Water Soluble CBD Spray – Lift & Inspire. Ingredients here are glycerine, water, matcha extract, hemp extract (cannabis sativa L) vitamins E, D and natural orange flavour. It is free from gluten dairy or sugar and contains no THC. There are 150 sprays in the bottle and each spray contains 1.3mg of CBD. This Lift & Inspire is designed to enhance focus and sharpen the mind. The CBD here helps to lower fatigue and protect from inflammation, the matcha helps to support energy levels and vitamin D is a natural mood booster.  We could taste the orange and matcha which takes the edge of the earthy hemp. It needs to be taken orally and we had 3 or 4 sprays daily under the tongue (they say that you can also spray on the inside of the cheek) and hold for a few seconds.  When we’ve been flagging, it gave us a much-needed spurt of energy and is perfect for keeping on the desk when you’re having a bad day and are in need of raising your spirits. For £31.99 you can buy this 20ml spray bottle here.

The other two CBD products are skincare and applied topically. We loved the Intensive Lip Balm, with its ingredients of raw hempseed oil, beeswax, vitamin E and cloves. NB: This raw hempseed oil has no THC. This tastes deliciously of cloves and is silky smooth on the lips, plus when applied we found that it lasts and lasts. Perfect for these winter months to keep handy in your coat pocket to protect lips from the wind chill factor. Available here in a 4.5ml tube at £7.99. 

The Balancing Face Cream is specifically designed for rebalancing oily and blemished skin and ideal for those who have breakouts or with very sensitive skin. It’s a botanically based with key ingredients of  CBD oil, hemp hydrolate, chlorella, orange flower hydrolate. The hemp hydrolate is a precious extract from the hemp plant, is and is what makes this cream unique. It improves microcirculation and leaves the complexion smooth and supple. With 2% in 50 ml of 5% CBD this gentle formula is dermatologically tested and proven to reduce the secretion of sebum. It has a subtle fragrance and when applied absorbs quickly barely leaving a trace. Great for using on face, neck and décolleté, morning and night, to help heal, purify and tone. Available here for £32.99.

We hope to have given you a bit of a starters guide to CBD. We’re certainly still learning, and in future weeks and months will be covering more from this extraordinary hemp cannabis sativa plant.

Jonathan Ward – Roscuro Candle

We don’t know about you, but when we eventually flop down on our sofa after work, we think that there’s nothing better than relaxing, watching a flickering candle flame and surrounding ourselves with a gorgeous fragrance. And as regular readers will know, at The Amazing Blog we’re big fans of candles! As the nights draw in with this unpleasant dank autumnal weather, it’s speeded up our search to find exotic scented candles to uplift our flagging spirits. Today we wanted to share with you one of our latest #amazingfinds and candle discoveries with ‘Roscuro’ from Jonathan Ward.

Jonathan Ward is a British home fragrance producer, who makes hand-poured candles using organic coconut oil, bees and vegetable waxes. They are all about clean-burning. These candles are certified organic by the Soil Association and the brand has fast become something of a pioneer in the world of home fragrances. Jonathan Ward made his foray into fragrance back in 1979 developing his first-ever perfume. Fast forward into 2018, where together with his European partners in Greece and London he developed his first candle collection ‘Scent of Time’.

This collection is a combination of thirteen candles all inspired by historical figures and their legacies, but in a rather unique way represented through fragrance. We were very kindly sent ‘Roscuro’ to try. This is candle is inspired by the artist Caravaggio, where ‘chiaroscuro’ defines his painting technique of creating ‘light and shade’. For those not familiar with Caravaggio, let us explain, he is probably best known for his painting ‘The Calling of Saint Matthew’ where he uses a painting technique bringing people and objects from the shadows into the light. Talking of light, we lit this candle last night and can happily confirm that it gave a glorious aroma with a heart-warming fragrance blending base notes of Bailloni wood and amber; hints of iris, honey, and hay giving it a delicacy, and shots of prune and patchouli as top notes. Particularly now with the sun so low in the sky creating dramatic shadows as the days shorten, this candle’s fragrance takes us seamlessly through a journey from autumn to winter. Best of all, its hypnotic aroma fills the room without being overpowering.

This elegant candle is contained in a glamorous double old fashioned style whisky glass which is perfect for repurposing for a second life. We also love their use of the traditional GF Smith British papers used for the stylish boxes and labels. Not forgetting to mention their double cotton wick which allows the candle to burn cleanly for up to 45 hours. Jonathan describes this candle as ‘warm nostalgia’, and we couldn’t agree more. He has an excellent nose for an enticing fragrance and now we’ve experienced the mesmerising Roscuro - we’ll certainly be returning to try more. These candles are available exclusively online here for £40 (240 mg); or at one of their eight partner shops here in London, Los Angeles, Hove, Stockport or Fife.

Aroma Spray Tea Tree Ravintsara

The Amazing Blog team are always up for a history lesson, and this week we get to mix that with our favourite duty to our readers of sourcing the latest and greatest #amazingfinds. So, first off let us introduce you to the Tea Tree Ravintsara Aroma Spray from Saint Côme Laboratoire which has to be unashamedly inhaled to be believed! Formulated in particular to keep the winter bugs at bay, it’s a best seller in France. The key ingredient oils of tea tree known for its anti-bacterial properties and ravintsara for treating infections, wounds and cuts – make this an unbeatable combo if you are working in a busy office with lots of coughs and sneezes. This spray is a concentrated formula of 100% pure, natural and premium grade essential oils. A big plus is that its vegan-friendly, with no sulphates, parabens or silicones and you’ll soon be everyone’s best friend when you release the delicious fragrance emanating from this bottle. Note to the wise though, because of this purity and concentration, a little goes a long way and therefore this 100ml bottle will thankfully last and last!

Laboratoire Saint Côme is a family run business based in Dijon, France, owned by Christian and Claude Richard, who come from a long line of pharmacists, and who have always been inspired by the very first doctors of medicine who went on to become saints - Cosmas and Damian. A philanthropic duo who didn’t believe in charging their patients, but pursued a life of healing and discovery of the best natural healthcare possible, whilst avoiding chemical drugs at all costs. Similarly, Christian and Claude have pushed the apothecary herbal side of their business, enjoying far-reaching success with each product. With Christian focusing on the natural remedies side, Claude has concentrated on the cosmetic range, bringing together a formidable business formula.

The award-winning Tea Tree Ravintsara spray is by no means the only concoction on offer, but it is certainly a corker and a great introduction to this fabulous range. A single squirt will transform any room, and certainly eliminates any nasty germs or disagreeable odours you may want to get rid of - peppermint may be the initial hit of fragrance you get, but it is closely followed by sweet orange and oregano giving you layers of the flavour depths. Truly one to have to hand where a tone of scented ambience is required, and at £11.99, it is a bottle of luxury which will last and last. See here or for the complete series of seven here which are also available to enjoy.