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RiDE Skincare Launch

Bath & Body, Beauty

RiDE Skincare Launchride-skincare

 

Today I wanted to share news about a unique skincare range for all you outdoorsy sports lovers called RiDE Skincare.

What is RiDE Skincare?

The skincare range has been designed by Tom Marshall, after 2 years of research and testing, specifically to work on your skin in extreme outdoor conditions and officially launched his project last week on Kick Starter. What sets RiDE a part from other outdoor skincare ranges is that it uses 100% naturally derived and organic ingredients, whereas other skincare ranges designed for extreme conditions are full of harsh, synthetic chemicals.

The RiDE Skincare products

For now, RiDE Skincare will be launching two products; the Ride Protect and Ride Recover.

1 | Ride Protect is an all-natural SPF 30 rated sunscreen that uses the mineral titanium dioxide as its active sun protection. Most normal sunscreens use a mixture of synthetic chemicals that absorb into the skin and break down the UVA and UVB rays. Mineral based protection like the titanium dioxide used in Ride Protect creates a barrier on top of the skin that reflects back the UVA and UVB rays, thus protecting the skin. Because this is a physical barrier it starts protecting your skin as soon as it is applied. It also protects from any wind burn and stops rain and saltwater drying out your skin with the help of jojoba and coconut oils. It’s easy to use and blends into the skin. Ride Protect has been extensively tested and has proven to be extremely water resistance, from surfing in the Atlantic to sweating out on the bike, it continues to protect your skin regardless.

2 | Ride Recover is a 100% naturally derived moisturiser that can be used when your skin needs extra help to recover after being exposed to the elements, or as an everyday cream to keep your skin in great condition. It’s light and absorbs easily into the skin with a smooth texture. The aloe vera, green tea and high grade olive & peppermint oils help to rehydrate and replenish the skin.

As both the products are in the process of being produced, the cruelty free credentials are yet to come but I do have confirmation via email which I can share with you all.

“there is certainly no form of animal testing on our side and all my supplies are UK based and also assure me of their cruelty free credentials”

The Kickstarter campaign has been live since last week and is running for another 18 days so please share and spread the word! To find out more about the Kickstarter campaign for RiDE Skincare you can watch the video below and to pledge you can click here.

Soap & Co Review

Bath & Body, Beauty, General, Reviews

Soap & Co Review

Recently I went shopping with my friend and was approached by a lady who worked at a Soap&Co stall in the shopping centre. Now I don’t know about you guys but I’m one of those people who find it hard to just leave a person in the middle of a conversation, plus the stall area smelt so nice, so I carried on listening to what she was saying. After testing out the products on myself, I ended up buying from her and I was so pleased to find out that their products are all natural and cruelty free (which is not always mutually exclusive).

Finding the right nail care brand can be tricky, let alone finding a good vegan nail care brand as it takes a while to find one that suits your needs. However, I must admit that when both my friend and I we’re testing out the products that the lady was showing us, we both really loved the fact that the products worked so quickly and weren’t full of chemicals. (We also loved the smell of the passion fruit scent) 🙂

Review

The actual nail care kit itself consists of a nail file, a nail buffer, a bottle of hand and body lotion and a little bottle of cuticle oil. I’ve used the products myself quite a few times at home and I am still just as impressed with the quality of the products as I was when testing them in store. The buffer works quite quickly without having to put much effort in it, leaving a nice shine to my nails on both my fingers and toes. Although, the nail file took a while to get used to as I have a bad habit of trying to file too quickly and eventually end up getting the wrong shape for my nails. The smell of both the cuticle oil and lotion lasts quite a while and it also does not leave a weird sticky feel like some oils and lotions can do – which is perfect.

I paid £39.99 for the whole set, which may seem like quite a bit, but so far I can definitely say that it is worth the money given the amount of times that I’ve used the products. On the Soap & Co website it’s not exactly clear whether the products are cruelty free or not, so I decided to get confirmation via email to which they responded;

“I can confirm that none of our products contain any source materials from animals and all our products are cruelty free in accordance with the beauty standards as set out by the EU governing bodies.”

For now Soap&Co are only available in shopping centres across Central London and online, but hopefully they shall be branching out soon so that the rest of you can pay them a visit!

Let me know what you all thought about this quick review and whether you’d like me to do more posts on nail care 🙂

Click here to read more beauty reviews 

Read more “Soap & Co Review”

Lotus Herbals Apriscrub Review

Bath & Body, Beauty, Reviews, Skincare

I had to take a break from blogging because of my final exams, but I am so glad that my final year is finally over. If anyone that has gone through this phase in their life tells you that university is a breeze, they are either a horrible liar, or extremely lazy – this last year was a real challenge and words cannot accurately describe how relieved I am that it is over.

During my revision and exam time I had pretty much neglected taking care of myself I like normally would do, and had pretty much turned into a slob, but one product that I had been continuously using was the apricot face scrub called Apriscrub by Lotus Herbals that I had bought from India. Despite the fact that I was under a lot of stress during this period I have to admit that I hardly broke out with any spots, in fact it kept my skin relatively clear.

About the brand

Apriscrub is made for all skin types and it’s specifically made to remove dead skin and keep your skin looking fresh, from my experience it has significantly reduced the amount of oil that I get on my T-zone (the forehead and nose). The best thing about this particular scrub is that its made with an ingredient that people are familiar with, as naturally people can become a little apprehensive when using trying different ayurvedic products and it also does not leave a lasting smell. It actually smells like a nice blend of apricot and musk.

Lotus Herbals leaping bunny and vegetarian logos.
Lotus Herbals leaping bunny and vegetarian logos.

Lotus Herbals is an Indian herbal cosmetic company that pride themselves in their innovative use of ayurvedic ingredients and their ongoing scientific research – they even have a make up range. What makes them even better is that they are a cruelty free company, and they actually have the leaping bunny logo and green dot logo to verify that they are both cruelty free and have vegetarian origins. One thing that I have noticed about ayurvedic and herbal cosmetic companies in general is that they do not test on animals but the only problem that I have with some of these companies is that they do not always verify this, which can make consumers sceptical of them. The companies seem to make the assumption that we would automatically understand that the products are not tested on animals but I personally think that they tend to forget that being cruelty free and organic is not mutually exclusive.

Are Lotus Herbals cruelty free?

Compuslory brown and green dots on packaging
Compulsory brown and green dots on packaging

In India, it is still legal to test on animals but in the past few years there have been active steps in the right direction to make changes to the law. Before I had mentioned that the Apriscrub packaging had a green dot on the back of it; for those of you who are not familiar with products made in India it was made mandatory by the Indian government in 2014 to have a green dot on the packaging of cosmetic products, food and household items to signify that the product has been made with vegetarian origins for the majority vegetarian population. For products that have been made from non-vegetarian origins there will be a brown dot, or in some cases red dot, which will make consumers aware of what type of product they are purchasing.

Where to get Apriscrub

I bought the scrub for 245 rupees for 180ml in India, which works out for roughly £2.48. However, I am not sure if it sold in any stores in the U.K but you can order it from Amazon for £5.48 with free delivery, which is a positive thing considering that it is £3 more than the price that I had originally paid for but it is  definitely worth buying.

I would love to know your thoughts on this piece, and whether you all think that I should continue to write more about Ayurvedic beauty. I hope you all enjoyed my Lotus Herbals Apriscrub review.

Click here to read more skincare reviews. 

Patanjali Amla Hair Oil Review

Bath & Body, Beauty, General, Hair Care, Reviews

Patanjali Amla Hair Oil Review

Generally speaking, Ayurveda is widely regarded as a traditional medical science which originated from the Vedas in India but it covers a much broader spectrum of health and well being from beauty to yoga and so on. Today the remedies that are provided by Ayurveda are well established in the field of beauty and alternative medicine. It is definitely something that I have been quite keen in learning more about, those of you that have been following my blog for quite some time will be aware of my interest in Ayurveda, I’ve even blogged about an Ayurvedic beauty product before (Ayurvedic Beauty: Neem Mask ).

Amla Hair Oil Review

The Amla hair oil is produced by the company Patanjali, which specialise in Ayurvedic products and also sell food that are produced by people in the rural areas of India. Amla, also known as Indian gooseberry, are typically used in hair care products and is used specifically for the purpose of strengthening the roots and thus preventing hair fall. On the packaging it also states that it can also be used to prevent split ends and the inevitable graying of hair; I assume that for you to actually see the results you would have to use it over a long period like most herbal products.

 

Patanjali Amla hair oilFrom my experience the best way to actually put the oil on is by taking a little bit of oil at a time, massage it on your scalp and then gradually work on the rest of your hair. It is recommended to keep the oil on for at least half an hour before washing it out, but this could depend on your hair length and type, I have left the oil in my hair for roughly 2 hours but it’s entirely up to you! I particularly like the texture of the Amla hair oil as it doesn’t seem to stick to your hands, but I must admit that it has quite a strong smell, so it’s definitely best to use on a day off.

The only real problem that I would say that I have with the product is the flimsy cap, I had to put quite a lot of cello tape around the cap just to secure it when I was travelling back from India to the U.K. In India, I had bought the 100ml bottle of the hair oil for 40 rupees, which works out to be just over 40p. Unfortunately, on Amazon it is sold for a little bit more than what it is in India but I guess that is expected, online it is sold for £4.60. Although that may seem to be quite a bit for a 100ml bottle of hair oil, it is actually worth buying as the oil itself works quite well in small quantities, so I would definitely recommend it to you all!

It would be great to know what your thoughts are on this post, and whether any of you have tried Amla hair oil before. I hope you all enjoyed my Patanjali Amla Hair Oil Review. 🙂

Click here to read my hair care review. 

Eriis for Sun Review

Bath & Body, Beauty, General, Reviews, Skincare

Now that spring is finally here and the sun keeps coming and going for a few hours, I thought that it would only be fitting to dedicate a post to the new season.

Most people assume that using any kind of skincare products with SPF (Sun Protection Factor) are restricted for the summer but you can still be exposed to UV rays regardless of what colour the clouds look like outside. I’ll be honest I am not usually someone that has paid much attention to the SPF count in skincare products, but as the effects of global warming are becoming increasingly clear in our everyday life, it seems absurd to not consider ways of avoiding skin damage.

About Eriis for Sun

ERiiS for sun - Latte Solare Sun Protection Milk
ERiiS for Sun – Latte Solare Sun Protection Milk

Eriis for Sun is a skin care range produced by the Italian company Iridiem Pharma and have been created specifically to protect all skin types from UVA, UVB and infra-red rays (including sensitive skin like mine). The skin care range produced by Iridiem Pharma are vegan, cruelty free, halal and FDA approved. So the protection milk can be used by all without any problems whatsoever.

This specific Sun Protection Milk is SPF30, providing high protection for when you are outside and on the go. If you are in the sun for quite some time then it’s best to reapply the milk to your skin so that your skin is protected properly throughout the day. Initially, once you spray the milk it looks like a cream but the milk has quite a light, almost weightless texture to it and blends into the skin quite easily without leaving that oily effect that creams have a tendency of doing. In the past few days I have actually been using this product as both a moisturiser and a primer, since the foundation I use has an SPF count of 15, which has lasted for most of the day for me. (I have to admit I do love the clean smell to it.)

Where to get it:

The ERiiS for Sun protection milk can be bought online from Vie Healthcare and is sold for roughly £15-£20, depending on the SPF that you want. I personally received the product from Sam Jennings PR Group and would genuinely like to thank them for introducing me to this awesome product. You can also buy the Eriis for Sun from Amazon.

Are Eriis for Sun cruelty free?

On the Iridiem Pharma website it’s not particularly clear whether their product is cruelty free or not, so I had to confirm via email before using and posting. I thought that I should share a quote of the confirmation with you all.

“Paola Borgomastro from Iridiem Pharma confirms that ERiiS Sun is vegan and vegetarian friendly. In the formula there are not any animal derived ingredients. The ERiiS Sun range also has not been tested on animals.” 

Remember to apply the protection milk to your necks, hands and arms!

P.S: Click here for more skincare reviews. 

hairdresser blow drying hair - Kind Culture review

5 Cruelty-free Salons in London

Beauty, General, Hair Care, London

5 Cruelty-free salons in London

I haven’t been posting as much due to the fact that I am in my final year of university and I’ve been juggling many different projects in one go. Whilst I have been on my quest to find all things cruelty free there is one particular thing that stood out to me the most – it is extremely rare to find a high end cruelty free salon in London! There are many different types of salons in London that use organic products but I found out from one of my followers that the products used have misleading animal testing policies. So I decided to do some more research into the nature of different salons and present to you 5 cruelty free, and vegan, salons across London! I hope this is useful for all my Londoners, and to anyone visiting London.

Cruelty-free haircuts in London

1.THE RABBIT HOLE – Is probably the most famous vegan salon in London. The Rabbit Hole is based in Shepherds Bush, West London and all of the products used are vegan. The website looks as though it may be under construction, but you can check out the Facebook and Twitter accounts to find out more about the salon. I wonder if they like to throw Tea Parties…

2. GLASSHOUSE SALON – Is based in Hackney, near the famous Broadway Market and a bus journey away from Stratford. This salon are well known for their specialist organic colour treatments using the cruelty free Organic Colour Systems range. The Glasshouse Salon really do incorporate their value of sustainability in every aspect of their company and one thing I do admit that I love is that they have explicitly made clear that one of their hair waxes contain bee wax – so honest!

3. MUKU HAIR – Based in one of my favourite parts of London, Shoreditch; for those of you that are not familiar with Shoreditch it is the historic East End of London that is full of art pretty much everywhere you walk. The Philosophy of Muku Hair is grounded in the Japanese meaning of the word Muku, pure and natural, which they definitely live up to by using Pureology’s 100% vegan products.

4. ENA SALON – Is another salon that values both cruelty free products and sustainability. Ena Salon is based in Covent Garden, in the heart of London and literally a walk away from the Thames. They use and distribute an eco salon Italian hair care product range called Davines, which does not test on animals as per the EU ban on animal testing made in 2009.

5. ROCOCO ORGANIC SALON – Has been certified both vegan and cruelty free by PETA. Is based in Clapham and is a walk away from Battersea Rise (A3), which has plenty of places to shop and eat. They pride themselves in their use of organic products and currently have 20% off of their services for first time customers.

It’s a shame that I’ve only found 5 so far, it seems as though many of the salons that boast about using organic hair care ranges hide the fact that their seemingly eco-friendly products are not so animal friendly (*cough Redken and Aveda cough*). I hope you all enjoyed my guide on 5 Cruelty-free Salons in London.

If you are a cruelty-free salon that would like to advertise on here, get in touch. 

For more London posts, click here. 

Hesh Pharma Neem Mask Review

Bath & Body, Beauty, General, Hair Care, Reviews

Hesh Pharma Neem Mask Review

Today I thought that I should share a completely different kind of cruelty free product from India called Neem. The scientific name for Neem leaves are Azadirachta Indica and it’s quite a popular ingredient in Ayurvedic Beauty. Neem trees can be found across South Asia and even parts of the Middle East. For those of you who are not familiar with Ayurveda in general, it is a 6,000 year old science, or tradition, that originated from the Vedas in India. Ayurveda predominantly involves herbal remedies and medicines as well as yoga; there are many different branches of Ayurveda but it’s beauty and medicine are more established across South Asia. This particular product that I have shown is produced in India by a company called Hesh Pharma and can be bought online or in supermarkets like Tesco. The box that I bought was £1.20 for 100g at my local Tesco.

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Hesh Pharma Neem Powder

The Neem leaves powder has natural antiseptic and antibacterial properties so it can be used on both the face and hair. When it is used as a face mask it reduces excessive oil and can be used as a hair mask for dandruff problems. The powder only requires a little water to be made into a paste and is best to wash off with cold water approximately after 10-15 minutes. When the powder is mixed it does look and smell a bit like mehndi/henna but please be assured that it will not stain your face or hair, the only thing you have to worry about is cleaning your sink after washing the mask off.

The rest of the powder needs to be stored in a cool place (or wherever you want to keep it). One thing that I personally find particularly useful about this product is that when I make the paste myself it is quite fresh compared to some of the other ready made face masks that I have bought. On the box it is advised to test this on your skin a day before using it on your face or hair to avoid any reactions you may have.

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Indian Cruelty Free Logo

Hesh Pharma produce Ayurvedic products which means that all of their products are made from natural herbal ingredients and they also have a cruelty free logo to show that they do not test any of their products on animals. Unfortunately, there are companies that do test on animals in India so if you do decide that you want to purchase any other kind of Ayurvedic Beauty product do try to look out for the Indian cruelty free logo, it is normally found on the side of products like the picture above.

I hope you all enjoyed my Hesh Pharma Neem Mask review. Click here to buy the Hesh Pharma Neem Mask Powder from Amazon.

Read more skincare reviews here. 

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