Sunday 28 July 2013

Aurelia Probiotic Skincare – Bringing Science and Nature Together In Perfect Harmony

Back in May I connected with Anna and Antonia from Aurelia Skincare who kindly sent me some samples of their products to try out.

Aurelia Skincare was founded by Claire Vero a global pharmaceutical and dermatology expert. One of the concepts behind Aurelia Skincare was to create a compact and easy to understand range that everybody could use by layering the products according to their own skin’s needs. I really love this concept and what you get are five key products (Cleanser, Day Moisturiser, Night Moisturiser, Serum and Night Facial Oil) which allow you to mix and match as required.


As described on their website: “Aurelia Probiotic Skincare continually seeks scientific excellence by pushing the boundaries of skincare. We are passionate about providing women with revolutionary, next generation probiotic technology combined with ethically sourced 100% BioOrganic botanical formulations.

Our scientifically proven, evidence based skincare works by helping to manage the level of inflammation within the skin, the main cause of skin ageing. It does this by moderating molecules called cytokines which mediate our body's natural immune response. Aurelia Probiotic Skincare protects against skin ageing, regenerates cell metabolism, prevents cellular DNA damage, boosts hyaluronic acid tenfold and increases collagen synthesis by 140% leaving you with glowing radiant skin. Aurelia Probiotic Skincare prides itself on its beautiful mix of science and natural luxury”.

Their products are all free from parabens, mineral oil, silicones, sulphates, propylene glycol, phthalates, synthetic fragrances and colours, GMO’s, PEG’s, TEA & DEA. They do not test on animals, they source their ingredients responsibly and all their glass bottles, cardboard and paper are 100% recyclable.

I was sent a sample of their Miracle Cleanser, Cell Repair Night Oil and their Cell Revitalising Night Moisturiser to try. The products come in gorgeous dark glass bottles and jars and I was also sent one of their super soft Bamboo muslins to use with the cleanser.

One of the first things that hit me when opening the jars and inhaling the aromas, was how gorgeous everything smells. There’s a real depth to the ingredients used. The essential oils come through and you can tell that these products are going to do your skin some good purely from the smell alone.


Those of you who read the blog will know that my own skin concern is oily / combination which can be particularly oily on the t-zone. I would normally have avoided facial oils and creams however, I’m learning that if chosen appropriately these products can actually help reduce the over production of sebum from the skin and I’m finding that my skin is much better because of the change in my choices.

Miracle Cleanser

The Miracle Cleanser has a lovely light creamy texture. It massages easily into the skin and the Bamboo cloth used to remove the product is beautifully soft. The cleanser is very effective at removing dirt and make-up, even mascara and eye liner. It has a lovely almost medicinal smell. I find myself inhaling the products over and over as I love the different aromas so much. They are not sickly or sweet as some products can be. They are earthy, aromatic and comforting.

Ingredients:

Aqua/Water (purified water), Dicapryly carbonate (coconut-derived cleanser & emollient), Cetearyl alcohol (vegetable based thickener), Glycerin (vegetable glycerine), Cocoglycerides (emollient from coconut oil), Butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), Glyceryl stearate (natural glycerides & thickener), Cetearyl glucoside (corn sugar emulsifier), Rhus verniciflua peel wax (berry wax), Theobroma cacoa (cocoa butter), Kigelia Africana fruit extract (Botanical Kigelia Africana ), Hibiscus sabdariffa flower extract (Hibiscus flower), Adansonia digitata fruit extract (Botanical Baobab),Lactose (probiotic bifidoculture milk extract), Lactis proteinum/Milk protein (probiotic protein), Bifida ferment lysate (probiotic culture), Schinziophyton Rautanenii kernel oil (Botanical Ubuntu Mongongo oil), Panthenol ( Pro-vitamin B5), Sodium ascorbyl phosphate (Vitamin C), Rosmarinus officinalis leaf oil (Rosemary essential oil), Citrus aurantium bergamia peel oil (Bergamot essential oil), Anthemis nobilis oil (Chamomile essential oil), Eucalyptus globulus leaf oil (Eucalyptus essential oil), Xanthan gum (natural based stabilizer), Sodium stearoyl glutamate (naturally derived emulsifier), Tocopheryl acetate (Vitamin E), Benzyl alcohol (preservative), Dehydroacetic acid (preservative), Citric acid (fruit derived pH regulator), Limonene*, Linalool*

*naturally occurring in essential oil

Cell Repair Night Oil

The Cell Night Repair Oil is clear and non greasy. It absorbs into the skin well and doesn't leave any residue on the skin. Directions for this oil are as follows:
  • Normal to combination skin: use as a treatment three times a week
  • Dry skin: use daily
  • Very dry skin: use daily and apply underneath Aurelia's Cell Revitalise Night Moisturiser for even deeper hydration

I have really enjoyed using this oil. It has helped to balance out my oily areas and I wake up in the morning having used all three products with well hydrated skin which isn't greasy which for me is a plus. I've avoided night creams and oils in the past because of this worry but I've found this doesn't happen with Aurelia.

Ingredients:

Prunus amygdalus dulcis oil (Sweet Almond oil), Cannabis sativa oil (Hemp oil), Triticum vulgare oil (Wheat germ oil), Olea europaea (Olive) fruit oil, Schinziophyton Rautanenii kernel oil (Mongongo oil), Citrullus lanatus seed oil (Kalahari Melonseed oil), Punica granatum seed oil (cold pressed Pomegranate oil), Adansonia Digitata (Baobab) Seed Oil, Kigelia Africana Fruit Extract, Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Citrus aurantium dulcis flower oil (sweet Orange oil), Citrus nobilis peel oil (Mandarin oil), Lavandula angustifolia oil (Lavender oil), Rosa damascena flower oil (Rosa Damascena oil), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Tocopheryl acetate (Vitamin E), Limonene*, Linalool*, Citronellol*, Geraniol*, Hydroxycitronellal*, Citral*

*naturally occurring in essential oil

Cell Revitalise Night Moisturiser

As I've not tried the day moisturiser I can only surmise that the night moisturiser like many is a slightly thicker cream for increased moisturisation. It still has a lovely light texture which again absorbs well into the skin leaving no residue behind. It smells gorgeous, again those lovely essential oils coming through. My skin feels soft and smooth after applying this moisturiser and I've also enjoyed having a night time skincare routine which I haven’t really had before. I would happily carry on using this night moisturiser on a regular basis.

Ingredients:

Aqua/Water (purified water), Aloe barbadensis leaf extract (Aloe Vera), Glycerin (vegetable glycerine), Bifida ferment lysate (probiotic culture), Butyrospermum parkii (Shea butter), Myristyl myristate (Coconut derived emollient), Coco-caprylate (Coconut based emollient), Cocoglycerides (emollient from coconut oil), Glyceryl stearate SE (natural triglycerides & emulsifier), Cetearyl alcohol (natural based thickener), Rhus verniciflua peel wax (Berry wax), Borago officinalis seed oil (Borage oil), Rosa damascena extract (Rosehip oil), Lactis proteinum/Milk protein (probiotic protein), Kigelia Africana fruit extract (botanical Kigelia Africana), Hibiscus sabdariffa flower extract (Hibiscus flower), Adansonia digitata fruit extract (botanical Baobab), Persea gratissima oil (Avocado oil), Prunus armeniaca kernel oil (Apricot oil), Schinziophyton Rautanenii kernel oil (botanical Ubuntu Mongongo oil), Panthenol (Pro-vitamin B5), Xanthan gum (natural source), Tocopheryl acetate (Vitamin E), Sodium stearoyl glutamate (corn-derived emulsifier), Glyceryl caprylate (derived from Coconuts), Lauroyl lysine (amino acid), Citrus aurantium dulcis flower oil (Neroli essential oil), Citrus nobilis peel oil (Mandarin essential oil), Lavandula angustifolia oil (Lavender essential oil), Rosa damascena flower oil (Rose Damascena essential oil), Mannitol (natural sugar), Sodium Citrate (natural pH regulator), Acetyl Tetrapeptide-15 (anti-inflammatory for sensitive skin), Benzyl alcohol (preservative), Dehydroacetic acid (preservative), Sodium phytate (natural origin), Citric acid (fruit derived pH regulator), Limonene*, Linalool*, Citronellol*, Geraniol*, Hydroxycitronellal*, Citral*

*naturally occurring in essential oil

Overall, this is one of my favourite skincare ranges so far. It has the key items you need in a range, and it has suited my skin really well. It is a well thought out range which isn't over priced. It comes highly recommended. I’ll definitely be trying out the day moisturiser once my current one runs out and I’d be keen to try the serum too to have experienced the complete range.

Aurelia Probiotc Skincare have a really informative website which I would recommend you pop across and take a look at. Ingredients are listed in full, the philosophy, principles and science behind the products are all there for you to have a look at too. If you prefer watching something, there are some great videos on their website as well. Aurelia have a Facebook page and they are also on Twitter.

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Have any of you tried and enjoyed Aurelia’s great products? I’d love to hear what you think so do leave me a message below. If you’d like to keep up to date with new posts then you can follow me on Bloglovin  Google+Twitter or head across to my Facebook and 
Pinterest pages. Until next time xx


Disclaimer: I was given samples of Aurelia’s Miracle Cleanser, Cell Repair Night Oil and their Cell revitalise Night Moisturiser to try out and keep for this review. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are honest, true and my own feelings on the products I tried.


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Tuesday 16 July 2013

Sun Essentials for Kids

It’s been a few weeks since my last post and this particular one was meant to be written a few weeks ago. However, there are times when life gets a little crazy and blogging has to wait a while until it all calms down again. Some of us are now heading towards the summer holidays with the kids and my youngest finishes nursery today so I know that my writing will be a nightly activity from this point until September time. I’ll be burning that midnight oil a bit more over the coming weeks.

I’m very much looking forward to spending some quality time with them this holiday. Now that my youngest is 2 ½ it is making getting out and doing things without taking everything bar the kitchen sink possible again. She’s recently mastered the transition from nappies to pants and is really revelling in this new found freedom. I can pack a little lighter now when we go to places so I’m keen to get out and about with them in the coming weeks.

We are blessed that we live only 10 minutes from the beach. We also have a short break booked in Cornwall later in the holidays so making sure they are protected from the sun will be important particularly on those days when the beach calls. I have always used free-from sun creams on the girls. It was a “no brainer” for me. I transitioned myself across too after suffering badly with prickly heat every year and since that transition I haven’t suffered since. We normally use Green People but I have branched out since writing this blog and have come across a few more that I have enjoyed using both on myself and the girls.


I therefore want to share with you 4 sun creams I have used (the sun’s daily appearance has helped this testing phase) which I really like. There are others I also wish to try out but I’m going to focus on the 4 I have used thus far. Like anything, it’s all about preference and what your needs are with skincare and this is often a key factor in what makes one person buy one brand over another. I’m lucky in that as a family we do not suffer with allergies but I know from reading other blogs like Sugarpuffish, that for some this is a real consideration when looking at which products are a “green” light and which are definitely a “no go” zone.

In this post I will also share with you the fabulous sun shirts I use for the girls from Tatty Bumpkin. I wouldn't be without them now. They are a life saver at the end of a hot day on the beach when the kids still want to play, play, play!

Initially for us as a family, the main sun cream we have used over the past 7 years has been Green People. This was the first free-from sun cream I used on myself, hubby and the girls. I am fair skinned so have to be mindful of creams and burning. I've used the factor 15 & 25 and have never burned with it. I no longer get prickly heat and know I can trust this brand to work for us as a family. Green People uses Titanium Dioxide as its mineral filter for UV rays along with Isoamyl P-Methoxycinnamate which is produced from Cinnamic acid found in the leaves of the cinnamon tree. Together these give the cream it’s UVA and UVB filter protection. This sun cream is suitable for vegetarians rather than vegans due to the beeswax content. It comes in adult SPF15 and 25 and children’s SPF 25.

For those of you who are interested in ingredients, below is what this cream has:

Aqua (spring water), helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil*, isoamyl p-methoxycinnamate (naturally occurring uv-filter), olea europaea (olive) fruit oil*, cetearyl alcohol (emulsifying plant wax), elaeis guineensis (palm) oil*^, titanium dioxide (mineral uv-filter), rhus verniciflua peel cera (berry wax), glyceryl stearate (plant derived emulsifier), cetearyl glucoside (plant derived emulsifier), leontopodium alpinum (edelweiss) leaf extract*, aloe barbadensis (aloe vera) leaf juice powder*, sodium stearoyl glutamate (plant derived emulsifier), fucus vesiculosus (seaweed) extract, chamomilla recutita (chamomile) flower extract*, althaea officinalis (marshmallow) root extract*, persea gratissima (avocado) oil*, camellia sinensis (green tea) leaf extract*, inositol (from carob fruits), commiphora myrrha (myrrh) oil^, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract*, aroma [lavandula hybrida (lavandin) herb oil*], benzyl alcohol, sorbic acid, glycerin (vegetable derived), salicylic acid, citric acid, linalool*, limonene*. *82.2% organic, fairly traded

Back in April this year, I went off to the Natural and Organic Products Europe Exhibition at Olympia and I came across Naturally Cool Kids. I chatted to Fiona the founder and really connected with her as a person. She is passionate about her range of products for kids and one of them is their sun cream. I have been using this on the girls in recent weeks and I like it a lot. Their formulation uses Zinc Oxide as their mineral filter for UV rays. This makes the cream a little more white in its appearance on the skin and you need slightly less of it than those with Titanium Dioxide. Once rubbed into the skin the white effect lessens. It is unscented and goes onto the skin well. It is SPF 25 and suitable for vegans.

The ingredients for this cream are:

Aqua, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Zinc Oxide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Rosa Moschata Seed Oil, Dicaprylyl Maleate, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Fruit, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Extract*, Boswellia Carterii Extract*, Chondrus Crispus (Carageenan), Parfum, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Cinnamal**, Coumarin**, Eugenol**, Limonene**, Linalool.
*Organic Ingredients **Natural component of essential oils
(This product is made in a factory where there are nuts) 

In January time, I was lucky enough to win a lovely bundle of Original Sprout goodies and one of the items I bought was their sun cream. It is suitable for vegans and SPF 27. It has Zinc Oxide as its UV filter. This cream is much more like a lotion/cream. It rubs well into the skin and doesn’t leave a white film on the skin like other creams can do. It has a lovely aroma of coconut from the coconut oil in the cream.

The ingredients in this cream are:

Active Ingredients: Zinc Oxide 10%
Inactive Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Vegetable Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Fruit Extracts of Pyrus Malus (Apple), Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot), (Vanilla) Planifolia, Dipteryx Odorata Seed, Ananas Sativus (Pineapple), Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry), Organic (Basil) Ocimum Basilcum, Organic (Rosemary) Rosmarinus Officinalis, Lonicera Caprifolium & Lonicera Japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle), Extracts of Organic Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf, Organic (Arnica) Montana Flower, Organic Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit, Organic (Calendula) Officinalis Flower, Organic Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Fruit, Polysilicone-15, Stearyl Dimethicone, Glyceryl Isostearate, Polyhydroxy Stearic Acid, Sodium Phytate, Xanthan Gum.

My last offering is Neal’s Yard Remedies Sun cream SPF 30. This is their newest formulation. They changed the formulation and re-launched very recently to make the cream “non-nano”. I will talk about this subject in another post but for those of you wanting a sun cream which is non-nano then Original Sprout and Neal’s’ Yard Remedies are the two in this post which are completely non-nano. Naturally Cool Kids are looking at making changes in their formulation but at this time have a small amount of nano in their cream as do Green People, although the nano ingredient is inert. Green People do now have 2 new SPF products offering non-nano ingredients which are 'Oy Face the Sun SPF15' and 'Men's Skin Guard Face Defence Lotion No.4'.

Neal's Yard Remedies' sun cream has lovely lemony overtones and I like it a lot particularly for me. The cream is a different texture again to the others and leaves a slight sheen to the skin. It rubs in well and doesn't leave a white residue behind.

The ingredients of this cream are:

Aqua (Water), Glycine soja (Soybean) oil*, Titanium dioxide, Caprylic/Capric triglyceride, Polyglceryl-2 dipolyhydroxstearate,Polyglyceryl-3 disostearate, Butyrospermum parkii (Shea) butter*, Glycerin, Olea europaea (Olive) fruit oil*, Olea europaea (Olive) leaf extract*, Punica granatum extract*, Glyceryl oleate, Canola oil, Hippophae rhamnoides oil*, Rosa moschata oil*, Simmondsia chinesis (Jojoba) oil*, Oenothera blennis (Evening primrose) oil*, Oryza sativa (Rice) bran oil, Macadamia ternifolia seed oil, Glycyrrhiza glabra (Liquorice) extract, Lecithin, Tocopherol, Bisabolol, Magnesium sulfate, Mica, Tocopheryl acetate, Alcohol, Stearic acid, Aluminium hydroxide, Parfum (Pure Essential Oils),Citronellol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool. *Organically produced. Natural constituent of essential oil listed.

All the above creams have been extremely effective at protecting the skin from burning. I let my girls go out for about 10 mins without cream so they can get their necessary quota of vitamin D after which they are creamed up. Both have a lovely sun kissed glow to their skin and no burning at all. I’m impressed with all four creams and like them all for slightly different reasons. It pleases me as a Mum that there is lots of choice for parents to use a free-from sun cream that works and isn't loaded with unnecessary chemicals that can really aggravate the skin.



So on to my second sun essential; the fabulous sun shirts from Tatty Bumpkin. Tatty Bumpkin is mainly known for the yoga inspired classes they do for children aged 0 – 7 years but they also do some lovely clothing and their 100% bamboo sun shirts are in my opinion a “must-have”. I bought one for Sophia when she was about 18 months old and have been buying her the next size, as and when needed, ever since. They are knee length, hooded and as they are made from bamboo they are naturally anti-UVA and take perspiration away from the skin keeping your child cool and dry. These sun shirts are SPF50 but have been tested as UPF79 which is greater than SPF 50. They come in 3 colours; pale pink, pale blue and pale green and in sizes 6-12 months, 1-2 years, 2-3 years, 3-4 years, 4-5 years, 5-6 years.

I can’t big these sun shirts up enough. I know that during a morning or afternoon on the beach or when the girls are playing in the garden, that when they’ve had enough sun but still want to play out, I can pop one of these sun shirts on them and I know they are protected. And because they are lightweight and cool they make a perfect sun essential for kids. A definite recommendation from me.

So there you are; my current free-from sun cream finds and my “must-have” sun shirts. Have any of you used the above sun creams or the Tatty Bumpkin sun-shirts? I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

Make sure you enjoy that sunshine everyone. It’s so lovely to have it continuously at the moment. Fingers crossed it will last throughout the summer holidays. Until next time xx

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