Bao-Med Pure Oil Bodywash & Pure Soap

We hate having dry skin, particularly at this time of year when we’re regularly applying our fake tan. At The Amazing Blog far too often we’ve experienced our sunless tan going patchy and flaking off from the hard London water. This is why we’ve been exploring new products with baobab oil, known for its super-hydrating qualities. It’s an extraordinary seed oil that has impressed us in Body Balm and Moisturiser here and as a Hydrating Body Oil here.  Today our latest baobab #amazingfinds are Pure Soap and Pure Oil Bodywash from Bao-Med UK.

Bao-Med UK has four products: Pure Soap, Pure Oil Bodywash, Food Supplements and Pure Skin, Scalp & Hair Oil (the latter won an award with Beauty Shortlist Award in 2020). All products are natural and organic and come with international certification. Baobab seed oil production contributes to the economic revival of the poorest parts of South Africa and Venda. Bao-Med's products are made from pure baobab seed oil and a vitamin and mineral-rich white powder from the fruit which is used in their Food Supplements. This oil has softening, protective and restructuring properties and which are excellent for skin and hair, often used for stretch marks or dry and damaged hair. Bao-Med products use only a sustainable process, only collecting the fruit that has fallen from the tree onto the ground, leaving the tree intact. In this way, they ensure a sustainable harvest and the tree can produce fruit for hundreds of years to come. This brand’s products have been created to help promote healthy skin, scalp, hair and nails; as the baobab seed oil is renowned for its hydrating and healing properties.

First of all, let's start with their Pure Soap made with pure baobab oil with the addition of a natural fig fragrance. It’s smooth to handle and looks like a maple fine-grained wooden roundel. The fig fragrance is subtle, even moreish and particularly evident when lathered up in the hands. We ventured to use this both on the hands and body. It also became a regular fixture both prior and during our covid19 lockdown. Best of all, unlike other soaps when used, we didn’t need to follow it immediately with hand cream, as it magnificently cleansed and moisturised.

Then we have the Pure Oil Bodywash made from baobab and olive oil. This hit the spot addressing our dry skin problem. Hydrating? Oh yes, this most certainly was. With a pH balance of 6.0 pH (neutral and akin to milk) when applied, it had the consistency of oil not that of liquid soap. As soon as it mixes with water goes from being clear into a silky milk-like foam. The product is not greasy and as soon as you apply it, you can feel that it cleaning and moisturising, which leaves a dewy glow to the skin. It also gve a delicate fragrance and worked like a wonder oil keeping our dry and flaky skin at bay. We think this would be particularly good for those with sensitive skin who find regular soap too harsh. Out of the two, this was undoubtedly our favourite. You can purchase your Pure Oil Bodywash 50ml for £9 or a 200ml bottle for £25 here. You can also buy the 90 gm Pure Soap here for £15.

Gaia Skincare - The Facial Range Trio

If like us here at The Amazing Blog you’re still being a homeworker in lockdown,  then you too will be missing your regular beauty appointments or your days of relaxation at the spa. Well, today we have a treat for you, with the natural spa skincare brand Gaia Skincare. If you can't get to the spa, then let us bring it to you! Some of you may remember that we’ve previously reviewed some of their body care products here. However, today we’re going to talk about their trio set of facial skincare. 

This award-winning brand Gaia Skincare was founded by Diane Nettleton whose background was in hotel ownership. In 2016, she opened Gaia Spa at Boringdon Hall, which has subsequently led onto the development of treatments and her Gaia Skincare range. As recent a Winner of the prestigious 2020 Beauty Shortlist Awards with their Awaken Body Cream, they also swept the board as Finalists for The Cleansing Balm (which we are featuring below), Body Butter and Awakening Bath Oil. The Gaia Skincare range features three collections: Awakening, Balancing and Calming, each of these collections contains the unique the Gaia Elixir (a crystal infusion with citrine, a crystal primarily used to treat the solar plexus chakra) this gives vibrational and healing benefits and aids emotional balance. All products are made locally and by hand with no parabens, synthetic colours or fragrances. They are natural, containing mainly organic ingredients that are cruelty-free, vegan and very eco-friendly with their fully recyclable packaging.

Indeed, this British spa brand invites you to moments of relaxation and helps you to reconnect with your inner self. We tried The Facial Range Trio which has a Cleansing Balm, an Exfoliator and a Moisturiser for a three-step skincare regime. Let’s start with The Cleansing Balm The first step is deep cleansing, and nothing beats a good facial cleanser for removing all impurities and excess of sebum. This Cleansing Balm has a creamy texture making it easy to apply and remove makeup. Key ingredients include sunflower oil which has a softening and nourishing benefit, arnica montana extract to reduce redness and protect the skin from ageing, and rosemary to prevent blemishes and help regulate excess of sebum. It leaves the skin feeling fresh and glowy. In addition to its gentle fragrance, it has left us with soft and moisturised skin all ready for our next step. Next we have The Face Exfoliator for us for nothing beats a good exfoliator and this one here keeps skin moisturised while also removing all residue of makeup offering a deeper clean. It leaves the skin looking more supple and youthful, thanks to mandarin oil which softens the skin, the extracts of calendula which make the skin and more elastic and the petitgrain which has healing and regenerating properties. Combine these with the exfoliating sugar grains and we noticed how gentle and yet effective these were particularly with those of us with sensitive or problematic skin. Final step: Pamper your skin, we finished with The Facial Moisturiser  Its creamy texture left the skin feeling hydrated and fresh. It also has properties to help the renewal of the cells with coconut oil to nourish and moisturise the skin, apricot kernel oil for a healthy glow and anti-ageing and soothing sweet almond oil to calm and relieve any irritation. We used this cream morning and evening which gave us excellent results. 

Tempted to give you skin a special treat? Then you can buy The Facial Range Trio set here for £85 (which is valued at £123 if you bought each product separately). Or you can buy each product separately with The Cleansing Balm here at £38, The Face Exfoliator here at £35  The  Facial Moisturiser here at £50.

Supple Preparation Facial Toner, Midnight Blue Youth Activating Drop, Freshly Juiced Vitamin drop - by Dear, Klairs

We at The Amazing Blog value brands that strive to create efficient products with natural and botanical ingredients. We know and love Klairs, a Korean brand that aims to create the highest-quality skincare products for sensitive skin. We have previously written about their Midnight Blue Claming Cream  and their Mid-day Blue Sun Lotion. The brand always makes sure that their products are manufactured with the purest raw materials and without harsh ingredients. Therefore all products are made without colourants, alcohol, parabens and artificial fragrance. We were lucky enough to try three of their new products.

The Supple Preparation facial toner is formulated to gently cleanse skin, balance skin PH level and provide deep hydration. The toner key ingredient is Phyto-Oligo, an agent that intensely nourishes skin leaving it smooth and supple.  The product is enriched with botanical extracts including centella asiatica, liquorice root, sponge gourd, hollyhock flower, aloe vera as well as natural oils such as lavender oil, eucalyptus oil, geranium oil, lemon oil, orange oil and cananga oil. Together these ingredients make a highly efficient toner that prepares the skin before the application of serums and creams and boosts their effectiveness. We loved using this facial toner, it made our skin feel supple and rejuvenated, and we are not the only ones loving it as it was named best facial toner by the Beauty Shortlist Awards in 2017

The Midnight Blue Youth Activating Drop is designed to tackle the various signs of ageing. The serum diminishes the appearance of lines and wrinkles, restores natural skin elasticity while replenishing skin with collagen. The product is formulated with EGF (sh-Oligopeptide-1) and bFGF (sh-Polypeptide-1) skin conditioning agents known for minimising the appearance of wrinkles and promoting skin renewal.  The serum is also infused with blueberry extract and castor oil well-known for their hydrating properties. The serum improves skin texture and works for an even and brighter complexion.

Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop, is one of our favourite serum of the year. It is designed for all ages and skin types. The serum’s key ingredient is Vitamin C, a vital molecule for skin health renowned for stimulating collagen production and its anti-oxidant properties. The serum is also packed with botanical extracts including citrus fruit, anise, grapefruit, lotus flower, broccoli extract, Chinese quince, orange oil, lavender oil, Chinese rhubarb, Mongolian oak leaf extract, water pepper and magnolia extract - what a list! The product helps maintain skin condition while protecting it from UV damage.  In one drop this serum instantly plumps and energises skin. In the long term, skin is stronger and healthier. It was also awarded best facial serum by the Beauty Shortlist Awards in 2017.

You can purchase the facial toner here for £17.20, the midnight blue serum is available here at £27 and you can buy the freshly juiced vitamin drop here for £19.

24/7 Balm by Face Matters

A beautiful face balm is a big weakness of ours at The Amazing Blog, and in our expert opinion Face Matters make one of the best anti-ageing and restorative balms on the market. The Face Matters 24/7 Balm is an award-winning multi-functioning balm that won an editor’s choice award at the 2017 Beauty Shortlist Awards. 

The 24/7 Balm uses the same base ingredient, pure organic silicon, as all of Face Matters other products. This ingredient helps to stimulate the natural production of collagen and elastin, which is an essential part of the formation of connective tissue and helps hair, skin and nails grow and appear youthful. Collagen is effectively the glue that holds us together and keeps us looking, healthier, younger and beautiful.

The balm itself is nourishing and luxurious when applied, acting as a super restorative treatment or an exfoliator. The solid balm melts effortlessly between your fingers into a rich and buttery feel that soaks into the skin. The quickest way to use the product is to massage it into skin before removing the excess product with a muslin cloth.  Our favourite way to use it, however, is to apply it as an overnight treatment.  Simply massage it into skin before bed and wake up to younger, more hydrated and glowing skin. The balm doesn’t sit on the face and is slowly absorbed as your skin regenerates itself overnight, so you don't have to worry about it rubbing off on to your pillow. This is an excellent way to keep skin looking healthy as we approach the colder winter months, especially if your skin dries out in the cold weather like ours does. 

This is a beautiful product that leaves you feeling pampered all day long. You can purchase the 24/7 balm here for £55.00

Toothpastes and Express Oral Care Foam - Splat

Brushing your teeth; it's something you do every morning and evening, every day of your life. That's why Splat's unique toothpastes intrigued us; it may be fun to shake up this mundane routine. In addition, whitening toothpaste can often be damaging to tooth enamel, which is why Splat’s naturally whitening toothpastes are so tempting to us here at The Amazing Blog.

Splat delivers ethical professional oral care, focusing on natural ingredients that are still effective, all from an environmentally friendly factory. The toothpastes come in an array of exotic and unique flavours, so if you’re somewhat bored of the repetitive mint toothpastes, choose between berries, green tea, lavender and magnolia to name a few. Each flavour has specific ingredients that work to clean your teeth, for example, the Coconut Toothpaste contains coconut oil, cinnamon extract and thyme essential oil which all have antibacterial properties. Our favourites would have to be the Coconut, and the Sea Minerals, which deliver a refreshing and invigorating clean, but the Ginger or Chili ones sure are bound to wake you up in the morning! Splat’s Blackwood Charcoal Toothpaste is peculiar in that it is black in colour, but works to whiten teeth by removing any stains.

Splat also sent us the Express Oral Care Foam, an on-the-go teeth cleaning foam, and winner at the Beauty Shortlist Awards 2017. Liquorice, milk enzymes and aloe vera gel, amongst other ingredients, work to clean the enamel, prevent the formation of dental plaque and freshen your breath. It is ideal for long journeys, after a staining drink like coffee or red wine, or after sugary foods and drinks. All you do is spray the foam into your mouth, rinse your mouth with the foam briefly and spit it out. We are huge fans of this convenient little product.

Purchase the toothpastes here for prices ranging from £3-8, and the Express Oral Care Foam here for £6.