I’ve had a bit complicated relationship with natural / clean beauty. For a long time, I’ve wanted to try and test skincare and makeup products that have been made using only natural ingredients but there has been a problem. My skin has got irritated to most of them. Especially mineral makeup powders are a definite no. I haven’t found out yet what ingredients make my skin irritated, red and itchy. I get that sensation immediately when I apply product to my skin and quite often I get little bit of eczema next day too on that area. I haven’t given up though. Few months ago I got a chance to get to know more clean brands and got some products to test. There was quite a lot of swatching before I dared to take them home to test properly. That was a success. I found not just products that my skin can handle, but products that have amazed me.
I need to make a small disclaimer here. I’m not a person who thinks that natural and clean products are safer, better or more efficient than industrial products. The main effective ingredients are mostly the same (oils, hyaluronic acid, fruit acids, etc.). To me it’s logical that products that have been made in a lab are more ”clean” as they know for 100% what there is as all of the ingredients have been made of pure original ingredients. The ones from nature are a different thing. There’s so much that affects to plants that the ingredients can’t ever be exactly the same. There’s always differences depending of the soil, pollution, etc. I’m not saying that they are not to be trusted or that they are not as good. I just mean, that the claim that natural products are somehow cleaner doesn’t make sense to me. But. I do think, that there is power in the nature and most of the industrial products are replicates of natural ingredients. I myself have witnessed the power of aloe, honey, tea, cloudberry, blackberry, algae and fermented products (just to mention few). So when I started my journey of testing clean beauty products I kept that as my main thought. There is other sides on this conversation too, but I’m not going to go anymore deeper. If you wish to hear my more thorough thoughts, let me know and I’ll do an other post. Now I’m too impatient to keep you away from the amazing products I have found! I haven’t tried a lot of different brands. Instead I pick few and tested 2-3 product of them. This way I feel like I get some idea of the brand as well, not just a specific product. Oh, and one thing. This is a skincare edit. I will do a clean makeup post later!
Flow Cosmetics: Coconut & lemon himalayan salt body scrub
Flow cosmetics is a Finnish brand that was based on 2003. The founder Riitta Jänkälä (I’m sorry, Finnish names are quite something!) was then a hairdresser and started thinking of all the artificial ingredients she used with clients and on her family daily. That inspired her to start creating skincare and makeup using only products that can be found from nature. They have these body scrubs with different scents. There’s vanilla & orange, peppermint, lime & strawberry and black coffee. I have mine in tube but in their webstore there is jars. That would be better package, because only complain I had was this package. The scrub is so thick, that it’s nearly impossible to squeeze it out. I expected that this would be a standard body scrub but boy was I wrong. As this is pretty thick, you really feel the scrubbing against your skin. It’s not uncomfortable though as there is also oils that make the whole process smooth. The citrusy scent is strong but not in a bad way. If you need to wake up, go to shower with this and you’re good. Just take care that you don’t let any water into the package. There is no preservatives, so if water gets in, the scrub will go bad. Usually with body scrub, my skin is slightly irritated and red and needs a loads of moisturizer afterwards. That didn’t happen now. This left a slight film on my skin (which I love and my skin needs). Similar than what you get with shower oils. The scrub had taken my flakey parts away, and I had smooth and calm skin left. Amazing! I’ve never been in shower so, that my skin wouldn’t scream afterwards. Needless to say, I hate showering. Only since I found shower oils, showering has become more tolerable. I am so happy I got to try this body scrub. It has changed my skincare totally!
Ingredients: Salt, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter*, Cocos Nucifera Oil*, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Citrus Limon Peel Oil Expressed*, Cocos Nucifera Extract*, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract*, Limonene**, Citral**, Geraniol**, Linalool**
* Certified organic ingredient
** Occurs naturally in essential oil
Flow Cosmetics online store http://bit.ly/2tmHt6k They ship worldwide!
Weleda: Skin Food - rich, intensive skin care for face or body
I have been aware of this brand for years. Only my scare towards irritating products has prevented my testing them. And also the fact that they carrie so large selection of products, that I just wouldn’t have known from where to start. Now that I got a bit of guidance I pick two. Apparently this cream is a classic and I know now why. The first impression was not a pleasant though. The scent of ingredients is pretty sharp. It’s herbal, waxy, ointment scent which at first felt almost overwhelming. But when you apply it to your skin, the scent goes away pretty quickly. I put this one to ultimate test. I have had an eczema on my hand for months and it’s was then really irritated. Red and itchy and every cream sting. Yes, I knew that I was probably looking for troubles but this story ended differently. No, it didn’t cure me, the eczema is still there. But, as it is really thick cream it leaves that oily layer which is always a good thing for me. There is a lot of products of course which do that but this one lasts on my skin longer than most. And I do feel that my patch of eczema doesn’t get that irritated when I use this cream. Every little help is a big help in this situation, so I’m really happy with this. I can recommend to anyone with dry patches, to elbows, ankles, dry patches, cuticles.. Even though it says that it’s meant for face too, I wouldn’t use this on my face. Only because I can see that this is a powerful cream and my sensitive skin on my face would freak out. But I can see that this would be great for anyone with dry skin, someone who love outdoor life or likes to go to sauna a lot.
Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Lanolin, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond ) Oil, Alcohol, Beeswax (Cera Flava), Glyceryl Linoleate, Hydrolyzed Beeswax, Fragrance (Parfum)*, Pansy (Viola Tricolor) Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Cholesterol, Limonene*, Linalool*, Geraniol*, Citral*, Coumarin*. * from natural essential oils (i.e. naturally present in the essential oils).
Kicks* http://bit.ly/2SOQdQR
Feelunique http://bit.ly/2S33Yae
Weleda: Almond soothing facial oil
This was another product I was recommended to test from Weleda. I do have enough facial oils already, but what got me interested was that this was marketed (also) as makeup remover! Yes, I do use double cleansing and so I use cleansing oil as part of my routine. But I have noticed, that when I have eczema on my eyelids or under eye, they don’t always agree with my cleansing oil. Had I read the instructions, I might have got a smoother experience. At first I just poured a little bit on my fingers and tried to rub my makeup away. It did work somehow but was not a success. Next day I tried to use it with cotton pad. Less than a success. Then on third night I finally turned the bottle and read the instructions: ”Apply with a damp cotton pad”. Of course! Damp cotton will mix with the oil and create that creamy texture! This is not the most effective way to remove your eye makeup, especially if you have had the whole glamour on but there has been days when I’ve been so happy that I found this product. The almond is a very soothing oil for irritated skin, so sometimes I use this after I’ve washed my makeup off with stronger cleanser as a second step. I can see, that my skin hasn’t got as irritated as it would have been without this next step. Also, on days when I want to avoid using water (because it just stings too much and dries my skin) I use this to wipe off the cleanser I’ve used.
Ingredients: Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Prunus Domestica Seed Oil, Prunus Spinosa Flower Extract
Eleven.fi* http://bit.ly/2GNqLEK
Feelunique http://bit.ly/2BBdQ5o
Kora Organics: Tumeric brightening & exfoliating mask
If you saw my post on Instagram, you’ll already know how much I love this mask. A lot. First there is a scent. It’s very strong peppermint which at first felt almost too much. Then it absorbed to the skin and oh that cooling sensation. I’ve never been so refreshed from tase mask. The consistency is really effective. The brown paste has generous amount of particles, so you need to be careful not to massage too heavy handed. You spread the mask on and leave it for 5-15 minutes. I had it on during shower as i washed my hair and body. I could really feel the mask doing its job. The sensation was so strong, that for a moment I wondered that will my skin handle it or am I going to have extremely irritated skin for the rest of the day. I didn’t feel anything worrying so I kept it on full time. I then washed it off and as expected, my skin felt really soft and smooth. I thought then that this mask is a good mask that has both scrub as enzyme peel included with amazing fresh experience. Then came two days from that first try. I woke up in the morning, and wondered why my skin felt so good. Usually in the morning my skin is dry and itchy but now it felt like I had just used a great moisturizer added with some serum and massage. It took me a while to realize, that it was this masks done. It had activated my skin, so that it worked more efficiently. The color was more even and texture on my skin was smoother. I have never experienced such a visible and immediate results from home used skincare! Only downside in this line is, that it is a bit pricey. This mask is around 50€. Well worth it, but I can imagine that it can cause hesitations.
Ingredients: Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice*, Rosa Canina (Rose Hip) Seed Powder*, Maranta Arundinacea (Arrowroot) Root Powder*, Lactobacillus Ferment, Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Powder, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Benzyl Alcohol, Rosa Canina (Rose Hip) Fruit Oil*, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract*, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Wax, Populus Tremuloides Bark Extract, Lactobacillus, Morinda Citrifolia (Noni) Fruit Powder*, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder*, Sclerotium Gum, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Powder*, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Juniperus Virginiana (Cedarwood) Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract, Salicylic Acid, Water, Sodium Phytate, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Potassium Sorbate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Glucose, Alcohol, Quartz, Sorbic Acid, Limonene**, Linalool**. **From essential oils.
Kicks* http://bit.ly/2TO9A9R
Sephora US https://seph.me/2S37iSF
Kora Organics: Face balm
This is again a product from Kora organics that I fell in love pretty much immediately. I didn’t know what to expect when I got the box. It says face balm, so I kind of thought that it is a cream of some kind. I was quite surprised when I opened it, and found out that it’s a stick. Second thought was, that this is genious! A multi use product that is handy in your purse or when traveling. Something to give you glow and moisture on the go. I need to say, that again there is a prominent scent which can be too much for some. It is from natural ingredients but still. Other thing to notice is, that even though this kind of absorbs to skin pretty easily, there is that oily residue on skin. As for dry skin that is exactly what I want on my cheeks but might not be for everyone. I keep this now in my vanity, top shelf. I love to use it as a primer on my dry areas or when I want a spot of extra glow on some areas. Can’t wait to get to a next trip. This would be perfect to have on a airplane! Again, there is a price issue, although this is around 30€ which doesn’t sound that much. But the amount in the package is not that much, only 10g. Still, worth a try for sure! There’s also a body balm stick!
Ingredients: Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Beeswax*, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax*, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter*, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil*, Tocopherol, Morinda Citrifolia Fruit Extract*, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract*, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil*, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil*, Quartz, Citronellol**, Geraniol**, Farnesol**, Citral**, Methyl Eugenol**. *Ingredient from Organic Farming. **From Essential Oils.
Kicks* http://bit.ly/2N4xrj0
Sephora US https://seph.me/2STX9Mw
S5 Skincare: Illuminate serum
The consistency of this serum kind of does not match with the result. It is quite liquidy, almost gel like and you might expect to get a gel like result or maybe no sensation at all. At least I didn’t guess, that I would end up with skin feeling like I’ve used a very fine moisturizer added with serum. My skin feels soft, plump, hydrated and kind of rested. This one promises to even out hyper pigmentation. Might do that. I haven’t used it that long to say anything about that yet. But I actually don’t even care, as I like so much other benefits. There is days, when I have maybe used heavy makeup for a long time, or been outside in cold weather. Some days I have spent in bed because of my heart issues. In the evening I see a reflection in a mirror of a tired and dull face. That is the day, when I take few small pumps of this serum and can feel how my skin gets back alive. Also this brand suffers from higher prices. I would say, that these are worth it though.
Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Glycerin*, Caprylic / Capric Triglyceride*, Galactoarabinan, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder*, Malva Sylvestris (Mallow) Flower Extract*, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract*, Primula Veris Extract*, Alchemilla Vulgaris Extract*, Veronica Officinalis Leaf Extract*, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract*, Achillea Millefolium Extract*, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract*, Hydrolyzed Lepidium Meyenii Root*, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Lysolecithin, Sclerotium Gum, Xanthan Gum, Alcohol, Pullulan, Sodium Anisate, Maltodextrin*, Parfum (Natural fragrance), Silica, Sodium Hydroxide. *Ingredients from organic farming
House of organic http://bit.ly/2SP8Fsr
S5 Skincare website http://bit.ly/2SOqCrg
S5 Skincare: Renew eye cream
First time I used this eye cream I wasn’t impressed. I usually like very rich and thick creams. I like the feeling, especially in the evening, that my cream stays like a mask on my skin for a while. So a cream that is very thin, almost watery is not usually my choice. It took me few times to get into this one. It is still not something I would use in the evening. I still love my thick ones. But this has grown on me. I realized after few days, that even though this is really thin, it does not absorb fully in a good way. It leaves just a slightly tacky feeling which comes from the oils and hyaluronic acid. This tells me, that it will protect my dry skin from getting more dry. Instead it will both moisturize and protect my skin. It has been a struggle to find good eye creams and I can happily announce that this one is a keeper!
Ingredients: Aqua (water), Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil*, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Cellulose, Isoamyl Laurate, Glycerin, Microcrystalline cellulose, Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract, Parfum (Natural fragrance), Aloe barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder*, Propanediol, Sucrose Stearate, Candellila/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Cellulose gum, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Pfaffia Paniculata Root Extract, Ptychopetalum Olacoides Bark/Stem Extract, Isoamyl Cocoate, Lilium Candidum Flower Extract, Sodium Anisate, Tocopherol, Tephrosia Purpurea Seed Extract, Sucrose Palmitate, Salicylic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Hydroxide. *Ingredients from organic farming
House of organic http://bit.ly/2Syavik
S5 Skincare website http://bit.ly/2TLIWON
Evolve organic beauty: Gentle cleansing melt
Last of these brands comes Evolve Organic Beauty. It has very interesting and innovative products. I also like the minimalistic packaging and clear labels. The cherry in the cake is, that there’s a text: ”Made by: Leanne”. They actually name the person who has made that product! It’s like being a part of a family! This is a gel cleanser in a jar. It is targeted for normal and dry skin and I can vouch for that. It is perfect cleanser for dry and mature skin. It leaves my skin soft and not squeaky dry but just clean and moist. Definite plus comes from reasonable prices. Be aware, that as there is no preservatives, you can’t let any water in the jar. That’s a minor thing to take care of. This one will be repurchased for sure!
Ingredients: Caprylic /Capric Triglyceride*, Glycerin*, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Seed Oil*, Sucrose Laurate, Adansonia Digitata (Baobab) Seed Oil*, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Water*, Vanilla Planifolia (Vanilla) Fruit Extract*, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil*, Tocopherol. *ingredients from organic farming
Jolie* http://bit.ly/2tmLJ5N
Evolve website http://bit.ly/2EcKJXZ
Evolve organic beauty: Radiant glow mask
Imagine the scent of coconut, dark chocolate and almonds. Now form a thick paste and layer it on your skin. Yes, that is what you get with this mask. I just had to try this and haven¨t been sorry. It seems like this is perfect combination of kaolin, oils, citrus and chocolate to create a beautiful mask that will brighten your skin. This is a total experience for all the senses. You get that rich chocolate scent with thick texture and soothing mask. Five minutes and you’re ready for new challenges. The clay purifies your skin at the same time as cacao nourishes. This is around 28€ so quite reasonable. Although the jar seems small there is 60ml in it.
Ingredients: Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Glycerin*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Shell Powder, Kaolin, Theobroma Cacao Seed Powder*, Prunus Amygdalus (Sweet Almond) Seed Oil*, Sucrose Laurate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Flower Water*, Vanilla Planifolia (Vanilla) Fruit Extract*, Tocopherol, Sucrose Stearate, Sucrose Palmitate. *ingredients from organic farming
Jolie* http://bit.ly/2S3eluG
Evolve website http://bit.ly/2tkbu6J
Evolve organic beauty: Tropical blossom body butter
I haven’t been able to have a proper holiday in a long time. And even a longer time since I had a chance to go to tropical warmth. Just a faint memories of the heat, sun, fruits, relaxation and of course few good drinks. I’ve always been a bit sceptic, when an advertiser tells you that using a product feels like a holiday but now I’ve become that person. I was almost shocked when I tested this body butter for the first time, because I didn’t expect so overall experience. This body butter is solid in the jar but it melts immediately in your arms to oily butter. It is easy to apply but it also absorbs to your skin surprisingly fast. The scent is heavenly. I can truly say, that I get a small mini holiday every time I use this. And as I’m a busy entrepreneur and have quite some health issues, that is not a minor thing. Oh how I adore this one. It gives me pleasure, a strange kind of warmth and beautiful skin. Beautiful, beautiful product! Again, no water to the jar, although with a body butter there shouldn’t be a risk for that. Can I have ten jars, please?
Ingredients: Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter*, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Glycerin*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil*, Gardenia Tahitensis Flower Extract, Sucrose Laurate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Water*, Parfum (NaturalFragrance), Tocopherol, Amyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Benzoate, Eugenol, d-Limonene, Linalol. *ingredients from organic farming
Jolie* http://bit.ly/2GqEmTc
Evolve website http://bit.ly/2X3bLZd
As you can see, I'm pretty excited about these ones. I would have never thought that I find so amazing products from clean beauty brands. I still do think, that these are equally good with industrial ones but I favor these for one big reason: These are made by love. Most of these are companies that are owned by regular families who just want to create great products with natural ingredients. I always support entrepreneurs and small businesses if I just can. It gives that extra something to know that you are using product which is hand made and like that Flow cosmetics scrub, it's made just some 70km from my home!
Now I'm curious, what are your favourite clean skincare products and brands?