This
year has been a year for making connections, for meeting people. I have spent a
lot of time over the past 2 years whilst writing this blog, connecting with so
many amazing people over Twitter, and 2014 has finally been the year when I
have met some of them.
One
such person is Tracey Robinson from Vert PR. We only live 2 counties away from
each other here in the West Country, however it took the fabulous Organic
Beauty Week at London’s Wholefoods Kensington to finally bring us together in September
and I also had the honour of meeting Grace Culhaci the founder of zk’in Organic Skincare at the same time, who was launching her
amazing certified organic skincare range in the UK that week.
We
spent many an hour chatting and I have to say it was like catching up with old
friends. The time whizzed by and if I’m honest I could have chatted all day!
Grace
is one of those women you meet who glows. She has an amazing smile and her
generous nature makes you feel at ease straight away. Her passion for her
certified organic skincare range is evident from the moment she shares with you
the many benefits they bring and some of the unusual ingredients they contain.
Grace, like
many others was guided to change her life when she had her first daughter. She developed
a skin condition in pregnancy which made her take a long hard look at the
products she was using. Carcinogens and toxic ingredients in even those
products which professed to be natural inspired Grace to research, study and
learn to create her own organic alternatives and through their use her skin
condition cleared.
However,
during her second pregnancy Grace was to be diagnosed with an inoperable tumour
on her optic nerve which left undiagnosed for many years had affected her
vision in the right eye. This life changing moment made Grace focus her attention
on creating and living a healthy, organic lifestyle with a vitamin B17
nutritional program. This and the use of her pure skincare products meant that
she now lives, as she puts it ”a beautiful, pain free life”.
I
was given the opportunity to try out some of the zk’in range and I have to say
that my skin went through quite a few weeks of positive change. I’ve only had
this with 2 other skincare ranges so far; AEOS and Live Native. More on that
later.
Grace
has a zero tolerance policy to anything less than the best:
- Zero
tolerance to unnatural ingredients. They choose instead to have a 100% natural
preservative system.
- Zero
tolerance to unsustainability; all packaging complies with food grade standards
and is BPA free. The packaging is recyclable and sustainable.
- Zero
unsustainable ingredients and business practices.
- Zero
tolerance to animal cruelty; no testing of products or ingredients on animals,
no selling to markets that require compulsory animal testing and the range is
proudly vegan.
- Zero
tolerance to dishonest marketing; no photo shopping of images of women used in
their promotional literature. Remember this is honest beauty.
- Zero
petrochecmicals, zero parabens and sulphates, zero GMO ingredients, zero nano
particles.
I
was given products from their oily / combination skin range to try; the
purifying cleansing gel, clear skin toner, rebalancing lotion and then the line
smoothing serum and clarifying exfoliator.
I began
with the main 3 products from the oily / combination range for the first few
weeks to get my skin used to the new regime. I was glad I did, as my skin went
through a type of cleansing. Our skin is our largest organ and it is a great detoxifier.
The zk’in range uses healing Aloe Vera at its core, being the first ingredient
on each of the product lists. I found that my skin started to shift out
toxicity quite quickly after starting with the new products and I erupted in
spots around my jaw line which is a key area for me if my skin decides to clear
out.
Now
I could have decided to stop there and not continue on, however knowing that my
skin was taking this opportunity to throw out some toxicity I persevered and
after about 4 weeks of using the cleanser, toner and rebalancing lotion my skin
settled again to reveal smoother, clearer, smaller pored skin. Wow, I was
impressed. I then started to introduce the line smoothing serum and once a week
the clarifying exfoliator.
I
have continued on with this regime for about 7-8 weeks now and my skin is calm,
clear and much less shiny in the t-zone area. I’m really impressed. I have only
ever had this change with two other skincare ranges AEOS which uses biodynamic
ingredients and Live Native who like zk’in only use a 100% natural preservative
system. My skin seems to love the purity of these ranges.
Purifying Cleansing Gel –
This is an oil free gel which uses clinically proven Quillaya Bark Extract to
help reduce shine. It doesn’t foam which is a shame, but it gently cleanses the
skin leaving it feeling clean and matt.
Ingredients: Aloe barbadensis (Aloe
vera) leaf juice*, Sucrose cocoate*, Quillaja saponaria (Quillaja) bark
extract*, Leuconostoc/Radish root ferment filtrate, Sclerotium gum (natural
gelling agent), Avena sativa (Oat) kernel flour*, d-Limonene#, Parfum (natural
preservative), Citrus reticulata (Red mandarin) peel oil*, p-Anisic acid
(natural preservative), Citrus aurantium amara (Bitter Orange) peel extract,
Citrus aurantium bergamia (Bergamot) peel oil*, Boswellia carterii
(Frankincense) oil*, Linalool#, citric acid.(*certified organic, #natural
component of essential oil). 96.11% organic of total
Clean Skin Toner – This
light toner was lovely to use. With astringent witch hazel and anti-acne Willow
Bark, this fresh toner was effective yet gentle. My only criticism would be
that I’d love to see it as a spray toner. I love to spritz my toners onto my
face – I’m lazy !
Ingredients: Aloe barbadensis (Aloe
vera) leaf juice*, Aqua (Hydrosol of Leptospermum petersonii (Lemon scented tea
tree)), Hamamelis virginiana (Witch hazel) bark/leaf extract*, Alcohol*
(natural), Salix alba (Willow) bark extract, Leuconstoc/Radish root ferment filtrate,
Leptospermum petersonii (Lemon scented tea tree) oil*. (*certified organic). 95%
organic of total
Rebalancing Lotion –
This has a lovely citrusy smell and sinks well into the skin leaving it matt
and ready for make-up. It features EPS Seamat to mattify shine within one hour
of use. My skin loved it and stayed matt pretty much all day which is normally
unheard of!
Ingredients: Aloe
barbadensis (Aloe vera) leaf juice*, Macadamia integrifolia (Macadamia) seed
oil*, Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba) seed oil*, Aqua, Leuconostoc/Radish root
ferment filtrate, Cetearyl^ olivate (natural emulsifier), Sorbitan olivate
(natural emulsifier), Avena sativa (Oat) kernel flour*, Sclerotium gum (natural
gelling agent), d-Limonene#, Citrus reticulata (Red mandarin) peel oil*,
Parfum, (natural preservative), Citrus aurantium amara (Bitter orange) fruit extract,
p-Anisic acid (natural preservative), Citrus aurantium bergamia (Bergamot)
fruit oil* (Bergaptene free), Boswellia carterii (Frankincense) oil*,
Tocopherol (non GMO natural Vit. E), Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) seed oil,
Linalool#, Plankton extract (Bacterio genus), Cananga odorata (Ylang Ylang)
flower oil*, Phenethyl Alcohol (natural), Benzyl benzoate# (natural from Ylang
Ylang). (*certified organic, ^RSPO sustainable palm input, #natural component
of essential oil). 92.63% organic of
total
Line Smoothing Serum – This
beautifully light skin serum smells of vanilla and sinks beautifully into the
skin. It uses clinically proven active Galuline Expression which temporarily
blocks the muscular contractions that contribute to expression lines. I can’t
say I noticed much difference with this however, I am blessed with few lines
even at my now 42 years young. Oily skin does have its benefits in the end !
Aloe barbadensis (Aloe vera) leaf
juice*, Rosa eglanteria (Rosehip) seed oil*, Alcohol (natural from beet), Aqua,
Cetearyl^ olivate (natural emulsifier), Sclerotium gum (natural gelling agent),
Leuconostoc/Radish root ferment filtrate, Sorbitan olivate (natural
emulsifier), Parfum (natural preservative), Lavandula hybrida (Lavandin grosso)
oil*, Spilanthes acmella (Paracress) extract, Citrus aurantium amara (Bitter
orange) fruit extract, Linalool#, Vanilla planifolia (Vanilla) fruit extract*,
Cananga odorata (Ylang Ylang) flower oil*, Pogostemon cablin (Patchouli) oil*,
Benzyl benzoate# (natural from Ylang Ylang), d-Limonene#, Geraniol#, Coumarin#.
(*certified organic, ^RSPO sustainable palm input, #natural component of
essential oil) 95.05% organic of total
Clarifying Exfoliator –
This exfoliator uses coffee beans and colloidal oatmeal to remove congestion,
refine pores and improve clarity. I preferred to use this almost like a mask
which is recommended to drier skins. It was quite coarse in its texture and
smelt amazing. I don’t like to drink coffee but the smell is fabulous. This
exfoliator smells of freshly brewed coffee – delicious.
Aloe barbadensis (Aloe vera) leaf
juice*, Coffea arabica (Coffee) seed powder*, Sclerotium gum (natural gelling
agent), Citrus aurantium amara (Bitter orange) fruit extract, Avena sativa
(Oat) kernel flour*, Citrus reticulata (Red mandarin) peel oil*, d-Limonene#,
Citric acid. (*certified organic, #natural component of essential oil). 97.90%
organic of total
Overall
I’m really impressed with zk’in’s COSMOS certified skincare range. It’s well
thought out, effective yet gentle and with a 100% natural preservative system
you really can’t go wrong with this one.
The
range extends to normal to dry skin and sensitive skin and several of the
products transcend all skin types. The range is reasonably priced making it
accessible to most budgets which was one of Grace’s wants. Good quality
skincare shouldn’t need to cost the earth.
If
you’d like to find out more about this great skincare range then pop across to the zk’in website for more information. In the UK you can
currently purchase zk’in at Xynergy and Love Lula.
Have
you come across, or used any of the zk’in certified organic skincare range? If
so, do share your thoughts below.
Until
next time x
********
Disclaimer: I was given a Purifying
Cleansing Gel, Clear Skin Toner, Clarifying Exfoliator, Line Smoothing Serum
and the Rebalancing Lotion to try out for review. All opinions given are my own
honest thoughts and feelings on the products I used.
UPDATE: zk'in is no longer available to buy direct from the UK.