Vegan Skincare

New Skincare for Spring 2019

- Vicki Leave a comment

I always like to add a few products to my skincare regime at the beginning of a new season. It is the perfect time to asses your skin and revamp your skincare, I love organising and decluttering my products on a regular basis. It is always good to remember that what your skin needs in the depths of a cold Winter might not be the same during Spring. I have been on the lookout for some new cleansers as I have used up my beloved DHC Cleansing Oil & my Superdrug Scrub, I bought both my new additions from Boots and noticed that Garnier had this new Fresh Lemongrass Collection which is labelled as being both Vegan and Organic. I also bought a product from one of my favourite skincare brands SuperFacialist, their skincare is always such incredible value or money and really good quality. I needed a scrub and this Vitamin C Scrub sounded like it would help brighten my skin after winter!

I have been using both products for a couple of weeks now and I am pretty pleased with my purchases.

Skincare for Spring

Super Facialist Vitamin C+ Brightening Gentle Daily Micro Polish Wash

This face scrub smells like citrus fruits, zesty and fresh. I love it and it reminds me that the warmer weather is on its way! This is a gentle scrub that you can use daily, I have been using it every two days and that’s been working well for me. It has a lightweight gel texture which is infused with biodegradable micro-beads to softly remove dead skin cells & daily impurities and dirt. It is boosted with antioxidant ferulic acid and vitamins C & E to promote brighter looking skin. So if you have quite dull skin and get a little texture where dead skin forms around your nose, chin area then this is perfect for addressing that!

Packed with Vitamin C and natural skin brighteners, it encourages skin’s renewal and energises the complexion to keep it looking fit, radiant and youthful. I also like how well my makeup applies after using this and that my skin is smoother and super soft!

Vegan-friendly, paraben & SLES free.

Garnier Organic Fresh Lemongrass Detox Gel Wash

So Garnier now has a range of Organic & Vegan products, who knew! I loved the smell of the Lemongrass collection and opted for the Gel Wash but I think I’m going to pop back and get a few more bits because the whole collection was on offer in Boots (I think it was a save 1/3 deal).

This has such a refreshing, uplifting scent, it smells so luxurious and like a high-end spa (very fancy indeed).

  • Cleanses away dirt, oil and pollution residues without drying skin out
  • Formulated with organic lemongrass essential oil, Organic cornflower water, botanical glycerine and a 100% natural

It feels cooling on the skin and the gel texture is super lightweight, I like to massage into my skin for about a minute before washing it off with a warm flannel. It leaves my face feeling very fresh and clean (but not squeaky clean). Lemongrass is known for its purifying properties, it purifies and mattifies the skin whilst removing all the day’s dirt, oil and pollution residues without drying skin out. It has really impressed me and now I want to get their Konjac Sponge (which I have heard great things about) and also the Moisturiser. 

Let me know if you have tried anything from these new Organic Collections from Garnier & if you have any recommendations.

 

Tropic Skincare – My Skin Saviours

- Vicki 1 Comment
Clear Skin Products from Tropic Skincare

Tamanu Healing Balm from Tropic Skincare

Let me introduce to you two best-selling blemish busting (and more) skincare saviours from Vegan beauty brand Tropic Skincare. I have been so excited to talk more about these products as I have been using them for a couple of months now and have really grown to rely on them in my beauty routine, in particular, the Tamanu Healing Balm which is simply one product that will very quickly become a ‘does all’ product in your daily life. It really has an endless list of uses!

First off, lets talk about the Clear Skin Blemish Fighting Mask – the lovely team at Tropic sent this out to me because for the first time in my adult life I was suffering from some really large, sore, stubborn blemishes and I wanted to get rid of them before my birthday (very important to have clear skin on your birthday, especially when you’re turning 40). I was really at a loss at how best to reduce them and the lovely people at Tropic suggested this face mask & I haven’t looked back!

Clear Skin Blemish Mask Tropic Skincare

Tropic Skincare Clear Skin Blemish Fighting Face Mask

This bold green blemish busting mask is white & green clay based so it is great at drawing out all the build-up of grease, bacteria and pollution from your pores whilst working with bamboo charcoal to reduce oil and balance out your skin. I slather it all over my face at least twice a week – but when I have a blemish I quite often just apply this to that area, more of a targeted treatment and that really works well to reduce redness and also calm the inflamed spot. It contains so many lovely ingredients that will help you not only reduce blemishes & mattify skin but also keep the build-up of blemish-causing bacteria at bay, so you’re less likely to suffer from breakouts.

● Willow bark extracts, rich in beta hydroxy salicylic acids, travel deep into your pores to unclog built up sebum.

● Cayenne pepper and ginger extracts kill blemish-causing bacteria at the source.

● Green and white clays work to dry out spots and stop them from increasing in size.

● Charcoal and spirulina work to draw out toxins and tighten pores.

● Raspberry leaf and goji berry extracts reduce redness and calm skin.

Another pretty cool thing about this mask, besides the fact that it is gentle, doesn’t dry out your skin or leave it feeling uncomfortably tight is that it dries dark green in more oily areas with larger pores and it dries a lighter green in more balanced areas so you can quickly see where your skin needs a little help. For me, my oily areas are my cheeks & chin.

I saw a huge difference in my skin and I know I have this mask to thank for that. My breakouts are less frequent and I always use this Clear Skin mask as soon as a blemish starts appearing. That way I know it has more chance of not becoming inflamed and It clears all the bacteria and excess sebum build-up ASAP. It is a great mask to have in your beauty routine, especially if you suffer from oily skin that likes to breakout.

Clear Skin Products from Tropic Skincare

Tropic Skincare Tamanu Healing Balm

Now on to what I think is the star of the show – this is one of those beauty/skincare products you stumble upon very rarely that completely blows you away. It looks quite ordinary, apart from being green and all in one beauty balms often get overlooked because people don’t quite know how they fit into their routine but this new release from Tropic is EPIC. I have been singing it’s praises to family and friends since it landed on my doorstep almost 2 months ago.

Green Gold Tropic Tamanu Healing Balm

So this skin-loving green balm is made with tamanu oil (also known as ‘green gold’), which is an age-old remedy trusted for centuries in the Polynesian islands to stimulate skin renewal, Tropic have blended it hydrating, soothing monoi and cocoa butters so it is hydrating and calming and if that wasn’t enough it also contains antioxidant-rich blackcurrant extract and raspberry seed oil.

So this balm has so many skin loving, healing and protecting ingredients. It really is the best multi-purpose product I have ever used. My favourite way to use it is as an eye cream because it is simply one of the most hydrating products I’ve used. I also dab it on the odd blemish to help calm and sooth the inflames skin.

I even took it on my recent trip to Amsterdam, in my hand luggage so I could use it on the plane. It does come in a handy 20ml travel size but I took my 60ml tub and I used it as my lip balm, eye cream, on my cuticles as well as on a few blemishes and a couple of pesky blemish scars. So I really put it to good use! I just love how hydrating, nourishing and gentle it is and I think it is incredible that it can be used in so many ways. It now comes everywhere with me!

Tropic Skincare Sun Care Discovery Kit

- Vicki Leave a comment
Tropic Sun Care Products

I am sure so many of you are already aware of Tropic Skincare as a brand but just in case it has passed some of you by I just wanted to say a little about their ethics and values. Tropic is a 100% Natural, Cruelty-Free & Vegan company who base themselves out of their Surrey beauty kitchen & warehouse. They endeavour to keep as much of their processes in-house as possible, from development to manufacturing and marketing to dispatch. They produce effective products at such a reasonable price and they never, ever compromise on the quality of ingredients they use.

Tropic Sun Care Discovery Kit

I’m excited to introduce you to the Tropic Skincare 4 piece Sun Care Kit. This kit includes their mineral suncare saviours in handy travel-friendly sizes.

I was very excited to put it to the test and the UK certainly came through with the warm sunny weather!  The Sun Care Discovery Kit Includes,

Sun Soothe Cooling Aftersun Lotion 

Skin Shade Mineral Sun Protection SPF 30

Skin Shade Mineral Sun Protection SPF 50

Sun Balm SPF 50

Why is mineral sunscreen best I hear you cry! I think Tropic can explain it better than I can so here is their scientific take on mineral sunscreen:-

There are currently two types of sunscreens on the market, ‘chemical’ and ‘mineral’. Chemical sunscreens absorb UV rays and convert them into heat energy on the skin. Mineral sunscreens use natural actives to act as a physical barrier to UV rays. Tropic’s no-negotiations ban on harmful chemicals paved the way to developing a game-changing range of 100% mineral sun protection heroes your summer wouldn’t be complete without. Harnessing zinc oxide and titanium dioxide to protect your skin against UVA and UVB rays, as well as an abundance of skin-boosting tropical ingredients, these luxury sunscreens are summer essentials. 

Tropic Skincare Mineral Sunscreen

Tropic sunscreen is gentle on your skin as well as protecting you from the harmful UV rays (which are linked to skin cancers) so your skin is in good hands! I live in (sunny) Cornwall and spend a lot of time outside so this kit is perfect to take with us in the car & the ideal size to keep one of the sunscreens in my bag for reapplying throughout the day.

Included in this Sun Care Kit are cabin-friendly 100ml versions of Skin Shade Mineral Sun Protection in SPF 30 and 50, as well as Sun Soothe Cooling Aftersun Lotion – so it is ideal for taking with you on your upcoming travels.

Tropic Skin Shade SPF 50Tropic Skin Shade SPF 30 & 50

These smell just like the summer holidays and I love it. Despite them being mineral sunscreens and quite high factors they’re not too thick and once massaged into your skin feel smooth and lightweight on the skin. The SPF50 is a touch thicker and when applied has a slight white cast but after a couple of minutes that completely goes away. These are both broad spectrum and water-resistant so if you’re off on a beach holiday you will be set!

You can use these on both your face & body and I found them gentle on my skin, and they didn’t break me out. They also wear well under makeup. Although if you’re looking for a tinted SPF for your face then you need to try the tinted version, The Tropic Tinted Skin Shade SPF 50 – this is fantastic and a great makeup/skincare product.

• 100% mineral protection from zinc oxide and titanium dioxide
• Exotic kahai and roucou oils, rich in omega fatty acids, keep skin soft and hydrated
• Extracts of antioxidant-rich Australian kakadu and illawarra plum protect the skin

Tropic Skincare Sun Balm SPF 50

Tropic Skincare Sun Balm

Sun Balm SPF 50

This is such a versatile, handy little product. I have been popping this into my handbag and taking it everywhere. It is a balm which can be applied pretty much anywhere including the ears, lips, face, feet or even your hairline. All those places that are exposed to the sun all day and are more prone to burning. I like to apply this throughout the day, or even if I’m just popping out for lunch or a quick walk I will apply this to those exposed areas. I always worry about my lips and ears burning so have been slapping this on at every opportunity.

It is a fantastic product to have to help protect against sun damage and contains natural ingredients which help soothe, heal and shield the skin from UVA, UVB and free radicals.

  • With nourishing extracts of tamanu oil, vitamin E and rosemary leaf oil
  • Zinc oxide provides broad-spectrum protection

Because this comes in a balm it won’t leak in your bag and is fuss-free and very easy to apply. It isn’t thick or tacky and you can reapply it super easily.

Tropic Skincare SPF Products

Tropic Skincare Sun Soothe

Apart from a cold shower, what feels better on the skin after a long day in the sun than a nice soothing after sun lotion!? Replenishing your skin after being out in the sunshine is almost as important as protecting yourself whilst in the sunshine.

This Sun Soothe not only relieves redness it hydrates and nourishes sun-parched skin whilst also prolonging your natural tan. It instantly cools and feels comfortable and lightweight on the skin. This is one post-sun skin saviour that will keep your skin in tip-top condition.

• Aloe vera juice and menthol help to cool skin and relieve redness
• Argan oil and vitamin E deeply nourish
• Bisabolol and eucalyptus repair and calm skin in need of TLCTropic Skincare Suncare- Kit

Tropic mineral suncare is not only kind to your skin but is also kinder to the environment too,

A recent statistic shows that 4,000 – 6,000 metric tons of sunscreen washes off swimmers into the ocean every single year*. It’s also no secret that ingredients found in some chemical sunscreens have been linked to the bleaching of up to 10% of coral reefs across the globe, while also inhibiting the growth of baby corals*. These same ingredients have also been identified as hormone disruptors when absorbed into our bodies**, which of course, isn’t ideal when these products are applied regularly throughout the sunnier months. Tropic’s range of mineral sunscreens keeps skin protected with formulations that are truly good for you, and the environment, without compromise on efficacy.

Tropic Sun Care Discovery Kit is available online from tropicskincare.com and retails at £40 or £50 with the Sun Balm added.

Best Exfoliators for Summer

- Vicki 1 Comment
Current Favourite Exfoliators

I do love a good exfoliator, and I’ve gathered my favourites, so I can tell you all about them. I recently went to a family wedding & so I wanted my skin to look its best – on my face, hands, and body, so I have been exfoliating like a maniac these past few weeks. Not to mention the fact the UK is experiencing a sustained period of gloriously warm weather which means my legs & arms are out a lot more than usual, so having a good exfoliator helps remove all that SPF and keep them looking their best.

Current Favourite Exfoliators

Previse Marine Granules Skin Brightening Botanical Scrub

I reviewed this facial exfoliator recently so I won’t go on about it too much, it is a great Vegan, Green and Cruelty-Free option if that ticks boxes for you! It is also mineral oil, synthetic fragrance-free and contains no parabens or petroleum.

This gentle exfoliator blends fossilised algae with jojoba and botanical extracts to gently buff the skin. This has a gel-like texture with lots of very fine scrubbies which exfoliate away all the dirt and grime your skin clings on to from the day. It works wonders on my blackheads & leaves skin feeling smooth without being abrasive. I love using this in the morning as it leaves my skin so smooth and my makeup sits so well after using this. It also stimulates cell renewal and gives your skin a healthy, fresh glow.

Superdrug vitamin E Gentle Oatmeal Exfoliator

This is one of my absolute favourite affordable skincare ranges, the Vitamin E range from Superdrug is incredible for hydrating, nourishing and preventing premature ageing. I have used up so many bottles of this Oatmeal Exfoliator, and it is so good at keeping skin smooth and looking radiant. It is a great gentle option and oats are renowned for being calming and soothing too, so your skin is in good hands with this product. I always stock up when Superdrug have it on offer. All Superdrug own branded products are Cruelty Free and Leaping Bunny approved!

Merumaya Skin Brightening Exfoliating Peel 

This peel doesn’t have any exfoliating scrubbies instead it smooths, brightens and removes dead skin with glycolic acid and pomegranate enzymes. I apply a generous layer once or twice a week as part of my morning skincare routine and leave it on for 15 minutes to work its magic (or should I say science).

Aloe Vera and humectants help maintain the right moisture balance, Allantoin and a high strength calming complex soothe the skin during and after the peel. This peel is amazing at refreshing and rejuvenating your skin and is a good product to use in the lead up to a special event.

• Reduce blemishes, congestion, and blockages.
• Refine and reduce the appearance of pores.
• Re-texturise all skin types so it is smoother
• Soften signs of skin-ageing.
• Prevent ingrown hairs for men.

best exfoliators for summer

Tropic Body Smooth Refreshing Polish 

Not all exfoliators are created equal and let me just tell you that this Tropic Body Polish is out of this world – it is a pot of utter luxury for your skin. My body has never felt so smooth. I’m in love with this stuff. I use it a couple of times a week and as you can see from the photo I have used over half and I will be repurchasing it without question! Oh, Tropic products are all Vegan, Cruelty-Free & are Leaping Bunny approved so that is amazing, their range is also manufactured right here in the UK in their Surrey Beauty Kitchen.

It’s packaged in this lovely glass jar and comes with the cutest little bamboo spoon so you can scoop just enough product out without having to dip your fingers in (love the attention to detail). The first thing you notice is the uplifting zesty scent, which is incredible and such a lovely Summer fragrance. It has a blend of invigorating, zesty essential oils, mineral-rich sea salts and exotic pure plant extracts. Enriched with vitamin E and lemon myrtlet.

It exfoliates away dead skin with ease and the blend of oils helps nourish skin so it doesn’t dry out, and it leaves it feeling unbelievably soft. If you like to treat yourself to nice skincare then this product has to be top of your list to try! Its ingredient list is short but jam-packed full of wonderful skin beneficial

Mineral Rich Organic Sea Salts, Organic Coconut Oil, Jojoba Oil, Macadamia Oil, Rosehip Oil, Vitamin E, Essential Oils of Australian Lemon Myrtle, Eucalyptus, Lime, Lemon, Bergamot and Peppermint

Jurlique Exfoliating Hand Treatment

One of my resolutions this year was to take better care of my hands. I mean I do a whole skincare routine for my face and always use body lotions and oils but my hands more often than not get overlooked, and it has been nice really taking the time to look after them. I do an entire hand care routine when I am doing my at home manicure, and this Jurlique Exfoliating Hand Treatment has a creamy texture with tiny exfoliating Jojoba beads which provide just enough scrub without being abrasive.

I like that this is a multi-benefit 2 in 1 treatment mask and scrub. Apply a generous amount to the backs of your hands, fingers and forearms, relax for 5 minutes then with a little warm water massage off making use of the Jojoba beads. It leaves your hands velvety soft, smooth and nourished. It includes,

  • Red & White Clay – to absorb impurities
  • Jojoba Beads – to gently exfoliate
  • Shea Butter – to soften and hydrate
  • Calendula Extract – to nourish and protect

A great product if you find your hands are taking the brunt of this warm weather, it is nice and luxurious to take the time to apply a mask to your hands, and it leaves your hands feeling amazing once you’ve washed it off exfoliating away all the dead skin.

*This post contains PR samples