Sens8ate : Morning Dew CBD Day Cream

Whenever there is an opportunity to discover a new launch skincare, at The Amazing Blog - we’re on it! And as regular readers will know, we’re big advocates of CBD, so imagine our delight when we received Sens8ate, a CBD infused skincare range with their Morning Dew CBD Day Cream.

Sens8ate is a UK based vegan-friendly skincare brand launched in 2018 by husband-and-wife duo Patrick and Gomolemo Shirley. The brand’s priority is to provide the consumer with “products that look great, work effectively on the skin and are kind to the environment.”  The fact that the founders both grew up using herbal remedies and botanical extracts meant that Sens8ate had to reflect these practices. So the emphasis here is on the importance of their 95+% natural ingredients. The brand has been built on the philosophy of “producing ethical skincare that also looks desirable.” The Sens8ate skincare range is cruelty-free and is without parabens, sulphates or harmful toxins. There's also a trio of CBD infused skincare within the range of seven products that include cleansers, moisturisers, and serums. Gomolemo recently said, “When it comes to CBD-based beauty products, CBD promises a range of health benefits, many of which have been praised for treating and preventing skin breakout,” which is why they have infused CBD into some of their offerings. As an eco-aware company, Sens8ate also ensures they do their part in protecting the planet by using a minimal amount of plastic with all their products to help safeguard the environment for future generations. The brand is manufactured in the UK, using recyclable luxurious porcelain glass containers, with lids made of natural bamboo and ashwood, and the unique scroll boxes which use real birchwood.  Gomolemo went on to say, “I feel we have so far managed to achieve that balance and created products that are effective, sustainable whilst being aesthetically pleasing to the eye. We will continue to find innovative ways of eliminating plastic altogether whenever possible.” Sens8ate’s eco-friendly practices have obviously not gone unnoticed, as they recently won Best Sustainable Beauty Brand at the 2021 Hip & Healthy Sustainability Awards.

So back to CBD skincare, we were eager to try their Morning Dew CBD Day Cream a hydrating CBD infused moisturiser, with 98% natural ingredients and is deemed suitable for all types. This Day Cream is one of three products in the THC-free CBD range. Although the CBD here is sourced the USA, the brand is conscious about reducing its carbon footprint and has recently appointed a UK-based supplier. Apart from the 50mg of CBD, there is also a blend of botanicals and essential oils. The CBD is isolate (the purest form of crystalised CBD) and produced by removing all other compounds found in the hemp plant, including other cannabinoids isolating the CBD. This isolate is thought to be the best type of CBD for use in skincare, as it’s odourless, doesn't clog pores and is packed with skin-rejuvenating antioxidants properties. CBD’s other USP is that it interacts directly with our endocannabinoid receptors to help maintain moisture levels. This ensures that the sebum production is regulated correctly, to avoid overly dry or oily skin. In this formula, the CBD isolate is mixed with a blend of natural ingredients which are high in efficiency to help fight off the first signs of ageing.

The other key oils in the Day Cream include avocado, coconut, baobab, prickly pear, sunflower, olive, apricot kernel, shea butter, meadowfoam seed oil, oat extract and vitamin E (oils and lipids). However, we couldn’t find the other’ key ingredients’ mentioned on the website, with rosehip, argan and buriti fruit - they’re not on the Day Cream packaging..?! Perhaps those listed on the website are for more general ingredients other than this skincare. We particularly like prickly pear and baobab oils rich in vitamin E and fatty acids which soothes inflammation, acne and reduce redness. Green tea is a powerful antibacterial agent for treating acne and unclogging pores. Polyphenols in green tea have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory properties that help fight against skin infections. The meadowfoam seed oil maintains the skin’s natural balance of sebum production; and the cherry fruit extract is a very potent antioxidant, packed with vitamin C to protect skin from environmental stressors, addresses hyperpigmentation and even out the skin tone. And finally, we should mention our old friend hyaluronic acid, which, as we all know, hydrates and firms the skin.

These botanical infusions make this Day Cream not only effective with the antioxidant and antibacterial properties but also refreshing with the floral scent, which significantly adds to its overall appeal. Easy to apply, it absorbed swiftly leaving no excess and felt cooling and replenishing. As the temperature drops and seasons change, so does our skin. Therefore it’s important to keep it hydrated and protected against the elements, and this Day Cream certainly offers a good first step with its plethora of nutritious and natural ingredients. To purchase The Morning Dew CBD Day Cream for £49.99,  see here.

CBD Pure Oils: CALM – CBD Infused Scented Oil

Regular readers of The Amazing Blog will know that we can’t resist trying something new from the world of CBD, Today, think ‘room fragrance’. We couldn’t resist trying this CALM- CBD Infused Scented Oil, a CBD infused fragranced oil from CBD Pure Oils. A few drops in water either with an ultrasonic aroma diffuser (photo above) or burning in a traditional ceramic one; the combined effects of CBD with essential oils help to transform a room’s ambience.

The CBD Pure Oils story starts in August of 2017 with two friends discovering that they’ve both been using CBD products, on a regular basis for anxiety and pain relief.  This was the moment when Debbie Houghton and Julie Barrett decided to become the founders of a new CBD brand, This way they both could share their CBD experience with others. What started as an idea to provide high-quality CBD products has now turned into a successful and innovative brand.   They described CBD Pure OIls as a place for consumers to “easily access the products they desire and be assured that the CBD products they are buying are pure.”  With transparency at the forefront, the two founders want to ensure that the CBD products they offer are always reliable and pure. To emphasise this brand message, they use EU-approved hemp strains that have been extracted in the UK through a Co2 supercritical extraction process. They’ve also made information on their products available here with the laboratory results giving the strength and purity.  CBD Pure Oils sells a selection of full-spectrum but THC-free CBD products, ranging from oils and topicals to the slightly more unusual home products. Co-founder Denise pointed out, “Having the ability to provide a CBD oil that contains the whole plant, and is full-spectrum, increases ‘the entourage effect’ within our bodies, meaning our customers will get the maximum benefits from our CBD oil.” They’re also proud members of the Cannabis Trade Association, a trade body that aims to foster good work practice, raise standards, increase safety, and monitor the cannabis trade industry in Europe. All products are suitable for vegans, they’re mindful of their carbon footprint, and use recyclable packaging for their products.  

CALM- CBD Infused Scented Oil combines essential oils with 20mg of full-spectrum CBD oil, creating an aromatherapy-based room fragrance. This deep scented blend can be broken down into three main notes: the top note is bergamot, the middle note is patchouli, and the base note is amber. As mentioned earlier, this dark amber and bergamot essential oil is infused with full-spectrum CBD, this unusual addition helps to add another dimension raising a further sense of calm, which in turn reduces stress and promotes a feeling of relaxation. The full-spectrum CBD oil means that it retains many of the terpenes and natural plant compounds, like THC. However, the THC in all the products from CBD Pure Oils has been removed by using a Co2 supercritical extraction process. When these terpenes come together with other natural plant compounds, like those found in essential oils, they tend to create an even more amplified effect. The bergamot here is a popular citrus essential oil also known to relax the mind and relieve stress. Patchouli oil, made from the leaves of a patchouli plant, has its own beneficial properties like alleviating pain and easing anxiety, As for the amber oil, made from melted tree resin, it’s known to strengthen memory, soothe the mind, and improve sleep patterns. All these ingredients come together to form this unique CALM- CBD Infused Scented Oil. By harnessing the CBD benefits with these essential oils, this infusion creates a feeling of ‘calm’ which when either burnt or vapourised in a diffuser, offers a feeling of almost meditative tranquillity to the surroundings.

To use this CALM - CBD Infused Scented Oil, we simply added five or six drops together with water into our ultrasonic aroma diffuser, which dispersed plumes of fragranced vapour into the air, taking only moments to create a scent-filled room. The best way to describe this dark bergamot and amber aroma is a warm, earthy, sweet scent with a slight touch of citrusy spice - and no smell of hemp!  We found it very mellow and autumnal. Sadly, this little bottle didn’t last long as the scent proved very popular in the office, and became part of our daily home-time routine - stimulating the senses and calming our busy minds!. Yes, it’s another one of our #amazingfinds. The 10 ml CALM- CBD Infused Scented Oil (containing 20 mg of CBD oil) can be purchased here for £9.  

CBDila : POLISH, and NOURISH

More and more, hemp-infused and CBD products are being produced here in the UK, and as CBD fans we have a particular interest in trying new topicals and edibles. Today at The Amazing Blog, we’re excited to share with you CBDila a budding (yes, pun intended) CBD skincare range. As regular readers will know, we think that the benefits of the CBD are numerous, which is we love testing out new products.

CBDila is a skincare brand that comes under the CBD Box umbrella. CBD Box is considered one of the leading online retailers of licensed cannabidiol (CBD) products. It is a premium CBD brand created with the mission to produce and sell the highest quality CBD health and wellness products. Currently, they have two brands the CBD Box itself and CBDila. Both brands were recently established by Damon Booth. This was after 2018 when he set up his Malta-based medical cannabis company Melabis. It is a company that researches the cannabis industry, and recently secured over 3k hectares of agricultural land to grow hemp in Uzbekistan. BTW did you know that growing cannabis and/or hemp uses around 10 -15% times less water than cotton production? Hemp is also considered a valuable carbon-sequestering crop together with other commercial crops, such as soybean rice-wheat and sugarcane. We recently saw a comment here quoting that 1 acre of hemp will sequester the same amount of co2 in a year, as an acre of 100-year-old oak trees. As a CBD aficionado, the driving force for Booth is to find the highest grade CBD to create his edibles and topicals for improving both his and his consumers’ lifestyle. Beyond growing and sourcing natural CBD, the sustainability of the packaging and products is also important to Booth. CBDila currently has five THC-free CBD infused skincare products, which we presume are made with CBD isolate (CBD Box please correct us here if we’re wrong!) They are 97% natural, cruelty-free and vegan; and packaged in recyclable glass jars and bottles. 

Let’s start with the first of these two-body products, the CBDila’s POLISH. This they refer to as a “refining body polish for smoother skin.” The subtle fragrance that greets you is an uplifting subtle zest from the lime essential oil. The base oils are sweet almond, olive and coconut. These have gentle and hydrating qualities but are also excellent for deep cleansing pores from impurities. The olive and coconut oils are both full of antioxidants that moisturise and minimise the signs of skin ageing; they are also notably good cleansers for those with dry skin as they revitalise and strengthen the skin's tonicity. The 300mg of THC-free CBD isolate here, is in a refined crystalline form, which is odourless and is also thought to be the purest and most potent form of CBD. Mainly extracted from hemp, the isolate is produced by removing all other compounds found in the plant, including other cannabinoids isolating the CBD. This isolate is thought to be the best type of CBD for use in skincare, as it doesn't clog pores and is packed with skin-rejuvenating antioxidants properties. However, there are a few other ingredients that make this body POLISH that piqued our interest, with the pumice stone and fruit extracts from strawberry and melon. The pumice stone is crushed into a fine powder and acts as a natural exfoliant, as it gently exfoliants to remove dead skin cells and clean pores. The strawberry and melon extracts are also full of potent antioxidants, which are key players in collagen synthesis, promoting the growth of new and healthier skin cells. The POLISH is easy to use, it’s a creamy consistency and when gently massaged into damp skin, there is an exfoliating feel as the pumice powder does its work. Finally, rinse well and pat dry, and you have soft, hydrated skin, and this is then the moment to apply the CBDila NOURISH (see below). 

NOURISH is a CBD infused body oil. This body oil absorbs into the skin to help target any “problem areas” – think dryness, inflammation, cellulite, or stretch marks. It contains 500mg of THC free CBD (see above about isolate), which provides excellent anti-inflammatory relief. The all-natural ingredients also include grapeseed oil for conditioning, avocado oil for repairing and rosehip oil for regenerating the skin. By also combining evening primrose for its moisturising properties and vitamin E for skin conditioning, these ingredients create a well-balanced body oil. There is also the nut oil tamanu which stimulates collagen production in the skin, helping to slow skin ageing, and also reduce the appearance of scar tissue. The sweet orange scent from the sweet orange oil is packed full of monoterpenes to stimulate your senses, relieve stress and uplift mood. NOURISH is a hydrating body oil, with a powerful blend of natural ingredients. Again, it’s is easy to use. A little goes a long way; simply massage a few drops from the pipette onto clean skin to stimulate circulation and blood flow. This was our favourite out of the two products, and we think best used after a shower in the morning, to make you feel ready to take on the day!

To purchase either of these 100ml CBDila products for £35, see here for POLISH and here for NOURISH.

Eden's Gate: CBD English Breakfast Tea, and CBD Chamomile Tea

If you’re like us and reach out for a pick-me-up mid-afternoon, then keep reading on. This is when tea is our preferred drink of choice, and at The Amazing Blog, a comforting cuppa is just the ticket. Regular readers will know that we're big fans of all things hemp and CBD, and today, we're introducing to you another of our #amazingfinds with these refreshing and delicious CBD-infused teas from Eden's Gate.  

Eden's Gate is a family-run British business established by Tyler Woodward in 2018. Apart from their own brand, they are also an online store that supplies various CBD brands and products. Fueled by his love for nature and all of its remedies, Tyler launched Eden's Gate sharing his passion for effective and safe CBD products that provide all of nature's benefits without using any synthetic compounds. Tyler told us, "We strive for clarity, whether it's the CBD itself, production methods or the knowledge of our users. We're not hiding anything - transparency is key!" This is where Eden's Gate provides clear and detailed information on all of its products. They are also triple batch tested with lab test certification for each one. In addition, they pride themselves on being ‘from seed to shelf’ and are GMO and cruelty-free, and contain high-quality, broad-spectrum CBD sourced from the most reputable US hemp farms that have organic plants grown without pesticides. Eden's Gate uses CBD that is extracted through super-critical CO2 extraction. In this process, carbon dioxide (CO2) pressure and temperature are manipulated until it's in a liquid-gas form known as ‘super-critical liquid’. The method allows Eden's Gate to safely extract only the purest CBD while leaving behind bi-products such as THC, waxes, and chlorophylls. This resulting CBD is solvent-free, meaning that no extra compounds or chemicals are involved in the extraction process, making this CBD environmentally friendly too!  They are quick to point out that they use their own equipment and oversee every aspect of production without any 3rd party involvement.

We were sent two of Eden's Gate's CBD teas to try, the first being their CBD English Breakfast Tea with 300mg of CBD. Each tea bag contains 20mg of broad-spectrum CBD combined with black tea, resulting in a rich tea with a full-bodied English Breakfast black tea. Eden's Gate uses unbleached tea bags made from cellulose fibres, meaning that they don't contain chemicals like dioxin or microplastics like polypropylene that are harmful to both your body and the environment. Being  broad-spectrum CBD means that it has no detectable THC levels, but does have dozens of the different isolates and terpenes naturally found in the hemp. We imagine that the broad-spectrum CBD here will be a water-soluble CBD distillate (Eden’s Gate, please correct us if we’re wrong!) ideal for infusing into beverages. It also makes use of the "entourage effect", as these compounds help the CBD work better, so you're getting all the goodness of the hemp plant without the THC. The tea leaf becomes black tea and gets its dark colour from a lengthy oxidation and fermentation process. The tea leaves and picked, and then left to dry where they are either rolled and cut and left the oxidise. It’s a process that helps to develop the flavour and aroma changing the colour from green to brown. Let's not forget that black tea itself also has a long list of benefits; it contains antioxidants that decrease the risk of chronic disease, boost heart health, reduce blood pressure, and improve alertness and focus. So when combined together with the CBD it helps to provide reduced stress and anxiety and a whole host of other benefits too. The process of brewing CBD Tea also allows your body to ingest more of the CBD than other forms like drops so that you can get the same intense effects with a smaller dosage. All we did was place a teabag in freshly boiled water, brew for 3-6 minutes and added oat milk. it has a good rich flavour of English Breakfast tea, but it does take a little longer to infuse than a regular black tea, but well worth the wait! What does it taste like? Well, like black tea, but very mild with the slightest hint of fruitiness from the hemp. Delicious and great for keeping away those mid- afternoon blues! It is pricey compared to your everyday cuppa, so we tended to drink this as and when. To purchase the English Breakfast Tea 300mg here at £16.99 for 15 bags.

The second tea we tried was the CBD Chamomile Tea 300mg. Each unbleached tea bag contains chamomile sourced from the Nile River Valley in Egypt, lemon balm, and again 20mg of broad-spectrum CBD, so you're still getting the same complete CBD health benefits as the English Breakfast Tea mentioned above. Chamomile tea is thought to reduce inflammation and menstrual pain, slow down osteoporosis and lower blood sugar. We general drink chamomile tea to help with sleep and relaxation. So what could be better than getting the amplifying relaxation effect when the two are combined here! The chamomile flower is not alone; the lemon balm also has mood-boosting properties and improves cognitive function, turning this into quite a potent mix. Again, recommended brewing between 3-6 minutes like the CBD Black Tea. Since Chamomile tea doesn't become bitter if you leave the teabag in it for too long, we steeped it for up to 6 minutes to fully reap all the benefits and enjoy its sweet floral (no hemp taste) chamomile and lemon-y flavour. It’s the perfect choice for a nighttime cuppa, and sent us swiftly off into the land of nod. To purchase the CBD Chamomile Tea 300mg see here at £16.99 for 15 bags. 

5-KIND: Clinical Skincare Hemp Active Relief Gel & Massager Roller

Back at the gym after summer holidays? Feeling a little sore after your workout? Then you might like to read on The Amazing Blog today about 5-KIND and its unique Hemp Active Gel and Massager Roller.

5-KIND UK are a team based in Somerset, and trademarked in the UK/EU and USA. 5-KIND clinical skincare wishes to offer benefits for inflammation-based disorders, such as arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and many more with their hemp based products. This brand has been created by a dedicated team of international medical professionals and development chemists and aims to harness natural extracts to offer great products for the skin and body. We also read that 5-KIND founders were motivated to start this business to find a solution to their children's eczema, one that they could be easily apply to protect and soothe the skin. They have spent the last three years developing a formula with their nominated producers that are an organic oil emollient which finally achieved reducing eczema. This has yet to launch. The high level of organic oils within each of their products creates a barrier to protect and naturally moisturise the skin, and 5-KIND aims to ensure that at least five active ingredients within each of their formulas, to make them as effective as possible and but also kind to the skin. They have a diverse range of products from face sheets, anti-cellulite and soothing body creams to the hemp-based active creams and gels which we are reviewing today.

We were kindly given the Hemp Active Relief Gel to try with their massager. The Hemp Active Relief Gel contains a perfect synergy of natural ingredients that work to soothe aches and help you relax quickly. As you already know, hemp oil helps lower inflammation in the body and uses its potent antioxidant effects to help the body get rid of free radicals that aggravate aches. The formula features over 11 natural oils and extracts, of which hemp seed oil is one. This hemp seed oil can dramatically decrease skin dryness to alleviate itching and irritation. Plus, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties help to relieve muscle soreness. The camphor here is an organic compound extracted from camphor trees, and commonly used in creams or gels for pain relief. In this gel, camphor will help stimulate blood circulation and accelerate the absorption of inflammation. We found that it had a cooling effect on the skin, although it does have a very strong aroma from the combination of camphor, rosemary and menthol. It comes in an opaque buff coloured gel and is easy to apply, as the gel quickly absorbs into the skin while providing non-greasy moisturisation. It is considered a breakthrough natural hemp soothing gel with its new high strength formula, which is dermatologically approved. To use the Hemp Active Relief Gel, rub it onto the areas where there is either stiffness or soreness. For best results, 5-Kind suggests using it with the included Massage Roller gently or apply with more pressure for a deeper tissue massage. We tried the Hemp Active Relief Gel, which helped to relieve our aches and pains the day after a heavy training session at gym. To purchase the 300ml Hemp Active Relief Gel here for £14.98, or the 300ml Hemp Active Relief Gel and Massager for £18.98, click here or the Massage Roller only here for £6.99.