Since I started Sophia’s Choice in October last year (2012), I have learnt so much more about the mainstream products we use, the chemicals that are in them and the effects they can have on our bodies particularly once you understand that 60% of what we put on our skin is absorbed into the bloodstream. I will be writing a post about these chemicals and which ones we should ultimately be avoiding in a future blog post but the whole process has really made me think about my own collection of skincare, bodycare and make-up products. Slowly but surely I am replacing them all with new “free from” options, some of which I have until now found hard to find replacements for. But actually if you really want to find alternatives they are out there and it has astounded me the number of companies there are, both large and small, all making an impact on this ever growing side to the cosmetic & skincare industry.
I’ve been
very much focused on the girls for the most part and what’s best for them, but
we as adults are just as important and as women who also have the potential to
have babies, we cannot underestimate the toxicity that can build up in our own
bodies and how this can transfer to some degree to the developing foetus growing
inside us. Pregnancy is a time when I believe many of us think long and hard
for the first time about what we are eating and drinking, the exercise we take,
and maybe also what we are putting on our growing bump. And I believe this is a
good thing but that maybe we actually need to be thinking about this way before
we make that decision to try for a baby. I’m learning about ways we can do this
and hope to share some of this information in future posts, but for now I’m
pleased to be able to introduce two more “free from” products I was given the
chance to try out from Bio2You courtesy of Daisy Green who have a great
magazine helping to showcase many different products which are Ethical, Eco and
Green.
I was
sent a 100ml tube of Organic Seabuckthorn Hand Cream and a 15ml bottle of
Organic Seabuckthorn Omega 3-6 Revitalising Serum to try out and I’ve been very
impressed with the results so far. All their products are free from alcohol, artificial
colours, and animal by-products, parabens and SLS. They are also not tested on
animals.
Seabuckthorn
is a berry and the healing juice is extracted and can be used in nutritional
supplements, food recipes, juices and skincare products. The more I read about
this wonder berry the more special it sounds. It is a strong antioxidant with a
higher concentration of vitamins than many other plants. It has 3 times more
vitamin A than carrots, 10 times more vitamin C than oranges, and 4 times more vitamin
E than sunflower seeds.
As
taken from their website, Seabuckthorn has the following effects/benefits:
Seabuckthorn has 190 bioactive substances
- Many strong antioxidants
- 18 amino acids
- 14 vitamins (A, B group, C, D, K, P)
- Provitamins
- 11 micro elements (zinc, calcium, iron, etc.)
- Phenols
- 42 types of lipids
- 22 fatty acids, including:
- Omega 3
- Omega 6
- Omega 7
- Omega 9
- 36 types of flavonoids
- Revitalises your skin, regenerates and improves elasticity
- Strong antioxidant
- Delays aging, renew the cells
- Moisturises and nourishes
- Responsible, environmentally friendly harvesting methods
After
about a week of using the serum, I noticed that the skin around my chin area broke
out in spots and I wondered if this was due to the added oil I was adding to
this already oily area. But I persevered and within the past couple of weeks I’ve
noticed that my open pores around my nose, chin and forehead area have closed
up considerably. This is a big thing for me. I have always suffered with
slightly larger pores than most due to the acne years and the oil production my
skin makes. I’m always a bit tentative about putting more oil on those areas,
but this serum is absorbed really well into the skin and doesn’t leave any
greasy residue. My skin has started to look much more even, dewy in appearance
and definitely the pores have shrunk and smoothed out. The skin feels nourished
and my skin tone is evening out. I’m impressed. Have I said that before? Probably,
but really, I am. And I will definitely carry on using it for the foreseeable
future. I’m definitely a convert.
And so
to the hand cream. Both hubby and I have been trialling this one and again I’m
impressed. I don’t normally use hand creams simply because most I’ve used in
the past are greasy and leave an annoying film on the skin which makes your
hands slippery and then it’s simply washed away when you next wash them. If my
pores are blocked with cream on my hands I sadly then suffer with clammy hand
syndrome; not the most pleasant affliction, so if I can avoid this I do. Hubby
is always using his hands as his work is in the building and carpentry trade.
His hands get a battering so he’s a good guinea pig to help trial this hand
cream too.
The
first thing that struck me is the aroma. It has a lovely “earthy” smell to it
which I really liked. It contains seabuckthorn, shea butter, jojoba, bran,
almond, sunflower, and sesame oils, mallow, aloe vera, honeysuckle and spelt. It
smells really natural, as if it’s doing your skin good. I like that. It sinks
into the skin well and doesn’t leave any residue behind. Your skin absorbs it
as it should and my hands felt silky smooth with no sticky, clammy feel to
them. Hubby was impressed too. It’s the first “free from” hand cream he’s used
and he said that on a scale of 1-10 he’d rate it at an 8. It sinks in well and
as he normally puts on two applications of hand creams as his hands are just so
dry from his work, the fact that no greasy film is left behind is a plus. You
can pick up your glass, use things or type without everything slipping around
or becoming covered in a film of cream.
All in
all I would definitely buy these two Bio2You products again and in addition I’d
like to try out more of their range too. I like the feel of the company too.
They seem to come from the right space and seem pretty transparent in their
approach.
If you
would like to know more about their product range then pop across to their
website: www.remedynaturalproducts.co.uk,
their Facebook page or you can follow them on Twitter: @Bio2YouRemedy
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Disclaimer: I was given a Bio2You Omega 3-6 Revitalising Serum & Organic Handcream to
try out, keep and review for this post. All thoughts, feelings and opinions
given are my own and no one else's. I always give my honest feedback.
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