Weleda: Sea Buckthorn Replenishing Body Lotion Review

Weleda is a brand that I admire a lot. It's surprising that I've ever written only one post on it - the Weleda Pomegranate Regenerating Hand Cream.

There are many things about Weleda that I find endearing - its roots, its philosophy, its holistic approach to health and skincare, its use of Biodynamic Farming methods (which encompasses much more than just organic farming), its fair trade partnerships and of course, its truly wide range of natural products. This is one brand that I think communicates very well with its consumers, which in turn has certainly helped shape my view of the brand. Is that down to fantastic marketing communications or just plainly effective propaganda? For now, I'd settle for the former.

Weleda revamped its collection of body lotions some months back. They tweaked the formula here and there and made a radical change to the packaging.

The old Weleda Sea Buckthorn Body Lotion packaging looked like this:

The new one looks like this:

The Weleda body lotions come in four variants: Citrus, Wild Rose, Sea Buckthorn and Pomegranate. I bought the Sea Buckthorn one as I had already been using this variant in the old version.

Here's what Weleda says about it:

The creamy Sea Buckthorn Replenishing Body Lotion protects dry skin from moisture loss, activates your skin’s self-regulating functions and leaves you with lasting replenishment and renewed vitality.

This unique composition contains organic sea buckthorn’s natural vitamins, carotene and unsaturated fatty acids, which support your skin’s vital barrier functions. Combined with organic mallow extracts, shea butter and macadamia seed oil it helps dry skin regain its vitality and look smoother and softer.

Price: €13.75 for 200 ml

Ingredients
Water, Sesame Seed Oil, Alcohol, Shea Butter, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Glycerin, Sea Buckthorn Oil, Fragrance*, Macadamia Oil, Mallow Extract, Xanthan Gum, Tapioca Starch, Cetearyl Alcohol, Limonene*, Linalool*, Citronellol*, Benzyl Benzoate*, Benzyl Salicylate*, Geraniol*, Citral*, Farnesol*.
* from natural essential oils

The ingredients are 100% natural and 97% organic.

Shea butter, macadamia oil and mallow extract. The old version didn't have these. It also had a more runny consistency and I went through the bottle like lightning. The new version is a tad creamier, I find.

Speaking of bottles, it's obvious that Weleda has put a lot of thought into the new packaging. The body lotion now comes in a recyclable plastic bottle that actually houses a thin, flexible bag inside. Weleda calls it "bag-in-bottle" and that together with the vacuum dispensing pump means that the contents don't get exposed to air, which works out great for Weleda's artificial preservative-free product formulations. The pump has been working fine. It makes a squishy sound sometimes but there has been no clumping or clogging so far.

Even the shape of the bottle is comment-worthy. You might have noticed that it's asymmetrical. It seems to have been designed to reflect the squiggly lines of the Weleda logo. If you're wondering what the logo represents, you can read about it here.

I'll tell you one thing that hasn't changed - the scent. I adore the smell of this body lotion. The citrus melange of mandarin, orange and grapefruit oils is a great pick-me-up in the mornings!

The body lotion goes on nicely. I didn't find the old version 'potent' enough - it was perfect for summer but it just wasn't moisturising enough for winter. Anyway, I think there has been some improvement in the moisturising efficacy of the new version. As someone with extremely dry skin when the cold season strikes, I won't call it the super ultimate body moisturiser for in the dead of winter but it's certainly a better version of its predecessor. If your skin doesn't get as dry as mine, then I think this body lotion would work very well for you in any season.

If you've never seen sea buckthorn berries before, this is what they look like:

That's the cover of an old Weleda magazine. I've been a subscriber to their magazine for a couple of years and I've learnt a lot about Weleda, its practices and its relationships with farmers through its publications. Weleda websites are chockful of information too.

Interesting fact: The sea buckthorn that Weleda uses comes from a Biodynamic farm in Tuscany, Italy. Mr. Kurt Künzi has been working with and supplying Weleda with sea buckthorn for over ten years.


Please check my first post on Weleda to read more about its history.

Weleda website

Weleda products can be purchased from your local drugstores and also through websites like Amazon US and Amazon UK.

Dr. Woods: Pure Black Soap With Organic Shea Butter Review

My first Dr. Woods product and my first ever black soap!

The full name of this product is Dr. Woods Shea Vision - Pure Black Soap with Organic Shea Butter and from what I've gleaned, Dr. Woods' forte seems to be in making castile soaps as well as black soaps. In addition to that, the US-based Dr. Woods also has a small range of lipbalms and facial cleansers.

Black Soap
If you're new to black soaps, this is how Dr. Woods explains it (excerpts from packaging and website):

"Black Soap is made from a drying and roasting process using the skin of the plaintain, and is a natural source of anti-oxidant vitamins A and E.

The roasted plantain skin is mixed with palm oil, palm kernel oil to form the soap. The roasting of the plantains determines the brownish-black color of the soap. The longer the plantains are roasted, the darker the soap."

In general, black soaps, which originate from West Africa, can also be made from the ash of other harvested plants like the leaves of palm trees and the bark of shea trees.

While Dr. Woods has a plain version of Pure Black Soap in its range, I decided to give the combi-version of black soap plus shea butter a shot first. Dr. Woods refers to this range as Shea Vision.

Ingredients
Purified water, saponified coconut, hemp & olive oils (with retained glycerin), black soap concentrate, organic shea butter*, natural fragrance oil blend, Vitamin E, sea salt, citric acid, Pro Vitamin B5, rosemary extract, natural caramel.
* certified organic by Lacon GmbH

Contents
I've enjoyed using up this bottle of black soap. Housed in a basic HDPE plastic bottle, this liquid black soap with organic shea butter is translucent and dark brown in colour. The liquid is on the runny side and it lathers okay (not a great deal of suds, yet it's not terribly disappointing either). If you're used to using run-of-the-mill SLS-containing body washes, you will find yourself reaching for the bottle more often to get more lather.

Scent
What really catches one's attention is the smell of this thing. You either love it or hate it, I think. To me, it smells earthy medicinal, like a camphor-eucalyptus mix that has been left to mellow. Frankly, the smell of this liquid soap reminds me of my late grandmother. It smells.....matronly and comforting in a strange way.

Uses
The Pure Black Soap with Organic Shea Butter is gentle, cleanses well and I found it neither drying nor moisturising on the skin. It was all right. I used it mainly in the shower but as black soaps are multipurpose, this one can also be used as a facial cleanser, for in the bath and for washing the hair. I liked it as a facial cleanser - the face feels very clean and not dried out. However, I hated it as a shampoo - my hair felt dry and was tangly after a wash.

For all-natural cleaning, Dr. Woods also recommends using "4 parts water to 1 part Dr. Woods" for dishes and floors and I am aware that many ladies do use Dr. Woods for cleaning many things at home, including washing clothes. I haven't used it for household cleaning myself but this should be interesting for those thinking of going natural all the way.

It also says on the bottle that this black soap "helps clear skin blemishes and prevent premature facial lines". In the reviews I've read, it seems to have helped people with problem skin. As a former acne-sufferer who thought she had tried everything under the sun for her acne, sigh, I just wish I had heard of black soap years ago!

Oh, I've also used it several times to clean my makeup brushes. It works fine.

Conclusion
Overall, I would rate this an above-average multi-purpose personal cleanser (and you know I love multi-purpose products!). It's pretty good but do bear in mind that there are still many other all-natural soaps and cleansers out there on the market.

It's worth noting that this Dr. Woods product:

• contains no animal ingredients
• contains no artificial ingredients
• contains no petroleum derivatives
• is paraben and phthalate free
• is lauryl/laureth sulfate free

Price/Where To Buy
Dr. Woods products aren't that easy to get hold of here in the Netherlands. You'll probably find it in certain ethnic shops.

These Dr. Woods liquid soaps are available in various bottle sizes. For a 16 fl oz / 473ml bottle like mine, the recommended retail price is US$8.19 but there are many online stores that offer it for less.

I bought mine from iHerb for US$5.89 (use coupon code QOJ683 for a US$10 discount on orders of US$40 or more, or a US$5 discount on orders less than US$40).

On Amazon, I see it going for US$5.97.


Dr. Woods website

MuLondon: Organic Fragrance-free Foaming Face Wash Review

You've read about the two naturally fragranced versions of MuLondon's facial cleansers - the Organic Rose and the Organic Lavender variants. Now, we'll take a quick look at the MuLondon Organic Fragrance-free Foaming Face Wash.

I finished my bottle of the Organic Rose Foaming Face Wash recently (the big bottle of 150ml should last 6 - 7 months) and as for the smaller 50ml bottle of the Organic Lavender Foaming Face Wash, I've set it aside specially for travelling.

A couple of weeks ago, I placed an order for this fragrance-free facial cleanser and the MuLondon Organic Marigold, Frankincense and Myrhh Moisturiser. I took advantage of the very timely 15% off offer that MuLondon is having for June (coupon code has been in my sidebar the whole month). Boris was as efficient as ever. I placed my order on Friday morning, Boris got the package shipped out on Friday afternoon and it arrived in the Netherlands on Wednesday. Like clockwork.

The cleanser bottle packaged in a zip-lock bag (and bubble wrap)

I actually have a couple of facial cleansers from other brands that are in the queue but I wanted to use Boris' fragrance-free version for a month or two first. And it certainly doesn't disappoint!

Note: I don't usually write reviews of skincare products after only a fortnight's use (doesn't make sense to me) but this post will be an exception as this cleanser has the same base ingredients as the other two versions I've tried. Also, this is simply a mini review of the face wash. Much of what needs to be said has already been said in my detailed review of the Organic Rose and the Organic Lavender cleansers.

I've been using this Fragrance-free version for two weeks - I literally started using it on the day it arrived. Everything about the Fragrance-free version is the same as the other two variants, except for the smell, obviously. It may be called "Fragrance-free" but it does have a scent which I associate with the unscented vegetable oil-based soaps that I've used - raw and earthy. Just like the rose and the lavender versions, this cleanser does not leave my skin tight and dry.

For more photos, please refer to my detailed review.

Ingredients:
Water, Saponified Sunflower Oil*, Saponified Coconut Oil*, Glycerin (vegetable, naturally occurring)*, Potassium Chloride, Potassium Citrate (Potassium Salts), Jojoba Oil*, Rosemary Extract*
*certified organic

As you can see, the face wash contains certified organic ingredients, but as it doesn't contain any added fragrance or perfume, I would recommend it to those who have super-sensitive skin and/or are allergic to certain essential oils. The cleanser contains no SLS, detergents, alcohol, mineral oils, parabens, sorbates, silicones, emulsifiers or other man-made chemicals and certainly no palm oil.

Boris hand-makes these cleansers in London. Price: £13 for 150ml and £6 for 50ml.


The 15% off coupon code is valid for a couple more days. It expires 30th June.

Another event that ends on 30th June is the Big MuLondon Giveaway in which the grand prize winner stands to win MuLondon prizes valued at over £300, including 6 jars of custom-made MuLondon moisturisers! Oh, I envy the winner already!

For both, please refer to the sidebar.


MuLondon website
MuLondon moisturisers are also available through Etsy and eBay.

Botanics: Moisturising Body Balm Review

This body balm came in that same gift/travelpack that I talked about in my review of the Botanics Nourishing Body Butter.

The Botanics Moisturising Body Balm with ginseng and cocoa butter is indeed a balm. It contains beeswax but I have to say that the beeswax, fortunately, goes unnoticed in the product. The body balm essentially has the consistency of a thick, smooth lotion, though not quite as rich and creamy as the abovementioned Nourishing Body Butter. You will see in the list of ingredients below that it also contains shea butter (Butyrospermum parkii).

This body balm has cocoa butter but it doesn't smell of cocoa butter at all. In fact, all I get is a sweet, oriental, pick-me-up, ginseng-y scent. I like it.

It takes a minute or two for the balm to be absorbed, leaving the skin smooth and slightly tacky. I find the balm only fairly moisturising. Personally, I think it works best in the spring months. I don't find it moisturing enough for winter and it's perhaps too heavy for summer. So, I wouldn't recommend this to those who have extremely dry skin to start with (the Botanics Nourishing Body Butter would work better).

Although the name 'ginseng' is touted on the product and in the product blurp: "Ginseng: renowned in Asia as a tonic, this one plant delivers a multitude of benefits. This extract contains several powerful anti-oxidants, helping protect skin against damaging free radicals.", I doubt the balm contains a lot of ginseng. Just take a look at the list of ingredients and you'll find ginseng somewhere at the bottom of the list. Botanics does state that their (plant) extracts are authenticated by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and true, the balm sounds and smells exotic and fancy but I wouldn't get too carried away by the ginseng.

That said, this body balm is very competitively priced: £3.17 for a 200ml tube. In general, the Botanics range of products are fairly good and are great for those on a budget. However, if you're a staunch user of natural bodycare products that contain no parabens and such, then this wouldn't be for you.

Ingredients
Aqua, Isopropyl palmitate, Cetyl alcohol, Glyceryl stearate SE, Glycerin, Cera alba, Dimethicone, Caprylic/Capric triglyceride, Butyrospermum parkii, Cetearyl olivate, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbitan olivate, Theobroma cacao, Dipropylene glycol, Xantham gum, Citric acid, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Magnesium aluminum silicate, Disodium EDTA, Sodium citrate, Sodium hydroxide, BHT, Panax ginseng, Citronellol, Coumarin, Maltodextrin, Propylene glycol, Alcohol denat, Silica, Geraniol, Denatonium benzoate, CI 19140, CI 42090.

In case you didn't know, Botanics is a brand of body and facial care products by Boots.


More information:
Boots UK
Boots Nederlands

Burt's Bees: Radiance Exfoliating Body Wash Review

Despite having used many products from the brand, this Burt's Bees Radiance Exfoliating Body Wash is actually the first bodycare product that I've tried from them.

Burt's Bees says (excerpts):

Wash away dull, reveal radiance.

• Nourishes with Royal Jelly
• Exfoliates with Jojoba Beads and Fruit Acid
• Moisturizes with Safflower Seed Oleosomes

99.2% natural

The Ingredients
Water, decyl glucoside, safflower oleosomes, sodium cocoyl hydrolyzed soy protein, glycerine, royal jelly, jojoba oil, hydrogenated jojoba oil, bilberry fruit extract, sugar cane extract, sugar maple extract, orange fruit extract, lemon fruit extract, fragrance, glucose, xanthan gum, citric acid, sodium chloride, lactoperoxidase, glucose oxidase, butylphenyl methylpropional, hexyl cinnamic aldehyde, hydroxycitronellal, linalool

The Texture
The light yellow-coloured milky liquid has a runny, slightly slimy consistency. As you can see in the images below, it has sparse tiny beads which are the jojoba beads that Burt's Bees is referring to.

The Scent
I love the scent. I would interpret it as a pleasant, milky-honey, salon-like smell.

The Lowdown
If you're used to most commercial sulfate-containing body washes, you would be disappointed by how little suds this one produces. It doesn't lather much but despite that, I find it easy enough to 'lather' the whole body due to its runny, rather slimy consistency. Some people would reach for the bottle several times in an attempt to get more lather. I've gotten used to this (lack of lather) and have managed to limit myself to two (sometimes three) small 'pourings' per shower.

The body wash doesn't come in a very large bottle (but they should, really). Priced at USD8.00 / £9.99 / €12.95 - €14.95 (I've seen various prices here in the Netherlands), it contains only 350ml and given the temptation to reach for the bottle more than once per shower, one can get through the bottle very quickly. Thus, it's not a cheap body wash. I'm quite all right with that as I use this body wash only twice a week.

Okay, the name is Radiance Exfoliating Body Wash. The so-called jojoba beads provide hardly any exfoliation. They are too few and they melt quickly during lathering. So, that's mechanical exfoliation out the window. They are just a gimmick, really. You'd be better off using a shower pouf, wash cloth or a loofah (also helps with the sudsing).

That leaves us with chemical exfoliation with the fruit acids - bilberry, sugar cane, sugar maple, sweet orange and lemon. The naturally-occurring alpha hydroxy acids are meant to encourage cell renewal. The thing is, I haven't noticed any difference in my skin after each wash (not that I had any high expectations anyway). Sure, the skin feels clean but I wouldn't say that it was glowing. If there was exfoliation, it must have been very mild/subtle.

Unless you over-rinse, the body wash does leave an unobtrusive film on the body. The skin feels mildly moisturised and one does walk out of the bathroom smelling really nice (the bathroom too). The scent lingers on the skin for a while or until one applies a scented body moisturiser.

Bottomline, don't expect too much from this Radiance Exfoliating Body Wash. I like it for its scent and its mildness. I might consider buying it again if there's a really good offer on. I mean, seriously, have you noticed how much more expensive it is for us here in Europe than in the US?!? It's ridiculous!


Further reading:
You could say I'm quite a fan of Burt's Bees' products. I use its lipbalms (amongst many other brands) and its hand salve/cream. I buy repeats of the Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Crème and I love love love the Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer.

Burt's Bees website

Botanics: Nourishing Body Butter Review

This tube of Botanics Nourishing Body Butter With Honey and Grapeseed Oil was in a giftset that came complete with a very pretty toiletry bag. I hate to admit it but I think I was swayed into buying the set around Christmas time last year because of the toiletry bag.

It's true. I'm a sad, obsessive toiletry bag hoarder.

I'm new to Boots' Botanics range of products. I remember Mary, my very kind and lovely ex-landlady, always having Botanics products in the bathroom (alongside Neal's Yards') but that was in the old days when I used to think that Johnson's Baby Oil was a godsend for dry skin.

This is what Botanics (whose slogan is: "Plant extracts at levels that really work, combined and formulated for unbeatable product performance. Naturally.") says of the Nourishing Body Butter:

This rich nourishing body butter from Botanics melts in to help restore skin's natural moisture levels even under environmental stress.

Honey has traditionally had many uses, from beauty preparations to soothing drinks. This honey helps bind moisture in the skin. Grapeseed Oil is hydrating and rich in linoleic acid, which helps reinforce the skin's barrier to stop skin drying out.

Ingredients
You will see that Botanics products are not made with a simple list of ingredients. It also makes use of parabens, which would put some of you off.

Aqua, Theobroma cacao, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cocos nucifera, Butyrospermum parkii, Cetyl alcohol, Glycerin, Glyceryl stearate SE, Vitis vinifera, C12-15 alkyl benzoate, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan gum, Methylparaben, Sodium stearoyl glutamate, Propylparaben, Linalool, Benzyl salicylate, Propylene glycol, Mel, Potassium sorbate, Tetrasodium EDTA, BHT, Alcohol denat., Citric acid, Hexyl cinnamal, Benzotriazolyl dodecyl p-cresol, Citronellol, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Geraniol, Dipropylene glycol, Alpha-isomethyl ionone, Sodium chloride, Alcohol, Tris (tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol) citrate, Denatonium benzoate, CI 19140, CI 15985, CI 61570.

My Thoughts
This first product that I've tried from that giftset has quite impressed me. The Botanics Nourishing Body Butter With Honey and Grapeseed Oil has a very thick consistency.....well, all right, it's a body butter. It goes on smooth and very creamy and because it's so thick, you wouldn't really need to use much each time. It does take a couple of minutes to be absorbed into the skin, which is another reason why you shouldn't apply too thick a layer.

I'm quite neutral about the scent. I can tell you it's not honey. To me, the full-bodied scent is a mixture of green and a tad bitter. Well, I've taken to calling it my tube of bitter butter.

As it's moisturising and emollient, it worked great for my dry skin in winter. As always, my litmus test is my often-dehydrated upper chest and upper back area. I've finished my whole tube and I'm happy to say that it kept my skin there smooth and soft. Be sure to apply it just after a shower, when the skin is still a bit damp.

My Nourishing Body Butter came in a travel-friendly 50ml tube, a lot handier to carry around than my trusty but humongous 200ml tube of Kneipp Evening Primrose Body Lotion (which I use exclusively for my problem areas). The regular size version comes in a tub of 450ml and is reasonably priced at £5.62.


Available at:
Boots UK website - there is currently a 3 for 2 offer
Target US

Boots Nederland website - Boots NL is currently having a 30% discount offer on the entire Botanics range but unfortunately, I don't see this Nourishing Body Butter in the online shop.

KOH: Body Skin Sensation Review

I like the techie design of this canister. I can easily imagine someone in a lab coat and with cryoprotective gloves and a full-face shield gently removing a mini cryovial from this 8.5" tall liquid nitrogen storage vessel.

Okay, that's not what it is.

You already know it's a beauty product: KOH Body Skin Sensation. I've heard it being referred to as a body mist at the KOH Experience Shop and so I thought it was something you would just spritz on your body and you're done. KOH had kindly passed me a sample of Body Skin Sensation a while back to try out and I have to say, even though you do spritz it, the liquid doesn't exactly disperse in fine droplets, like body mists do. Instead, it is a bit like pumping out some lightweight low-viscous body lotion. You would get a runny blob out and you would spread that on your skin.

Then, you would notice two things:

• the scent
It has the swwwweet heavy fragrance that is typical across the KOH Body Sensations range of products. The KOH Body Sensations line features extracts of the cherry blossom and this product is no exception. I like the scent - it's floral candy sweet, very feminine and sensual - and it stays on for several hours. The scent turns mildly powdery over time and its ever-present floral sweetness gradually becomes a low unobtrusive hum.

• the texture
After rubbing/applying it on the skin, you will notice how smooth the skin feels, like you have put on a thin layer of invisible glove. The silky smooth effect that it leaves on the skin is very similar to the effect that one gets after applying the KOH Sensational Silk Experience, a handcare product that has anti-ageing properties. I don't have this latter product but I have tried it before during a promotion at the KOH Experience Shop.

I had a look at the list of ingredients found at the bottom of this KOH Body Skin Sensation bottle and it says that it has silk powder:

Cyclopentasiloxane, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, 100% silk powder, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Isopropyl Myristate, Prunus Avium Extract, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Limonene, Eugenol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal, Hydroxysohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Linalool, Alpha-isomethylionone

I've been using it mainly on my hands/arms and my neck. I know it smells and feels nice but try to resist getting overzealous with application. Applying too much can leave a thin, faintly conspicuous, white, powdery layer on the skin. It could be the silk powder. So, go easy on the application. A thin layer would do.

I haven't got the product blurb for Body Skin Sensation - my sample came in a black velvet KOH drawstring bag - and I don't see this product on the KOH website either. As far as I know, it is not available in KOH's external retail points (eg: parfumerie stores). You will find Body Skin Sensation in the KOH Experience Shops in Amsterdam and Eindhoven. The price in October was €69.95 (200ml) but it would be best to check for the latest offer/price if you happen to drop by any of the KOH shops.

I've been using it for two months and I can't say at this point that it's a moisturising product. It's probably not meant to be one anyway. The emphasis is really on the fragrance and the silky smooth effect on the skin. Perhaps in the long run, it will have an anti-ageing effect on the skin due to the presence of silk powder in the formula.

To find out more about silk in beauty products: Usual Unusual Ingredients - Silk

Aleppo Soap - Syria

The first thing that comes to mind when one sees this is most probably the word "crude". It looks unfinished, imperfect and unelegant, not at all like those cookiecutter-perfect factory-made products in eyecatching, stylish packaging that we've all grown accustomed to today.

I suppose if I told you that I bought this bar (block?) of soap from an old lady at a roadside stall somewhere in Syria, you'd believe me. I mean, come on, take a look at the rudimentary packaging that it came in:

The truth is, I bought this here in the Netherlands in a store that sells mainly cooking utensils and homeware. As usual, I was simply curious when I saw these chunks of soap. All that I had to go on with was the stamp on the soap - some Arabic words, "Laurel Olive Oil", 3, R and 1937 - and a very short description on a card where the soaps were displayed (all I remember now is the word 'Aleppo').

At home, I did some checking and found out that this soap was highly likely made by a family-run business called Fadel Fadel Sons in Syria. I came to this conclusion based on a comparison of the stamp on my block of soap with some images found online.

I found some basic information on Fadel Fadel Sons (established in 1937) on Alibaba.com, the Chinese business-to-business trade website. Fadel Fadel Sons calls this soap Aleppo Ghar Soap (Ghar - traditional Aleppo soap) and it appears that these days, they sell their soaps in much nicer-looking packaging - hey, printed boxes! I bought mine almost two years ago, so I don't know, perhaps they didn't put them in proper boxes then. The thought that my piece of soap may be a fake did cross my mind but I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt.

Here's what Fadel Fadel Sons says about their Aleppo Ghar Soap (excerpts):

• not produced by engineers or “fashion designers” in a uniform shape like most other commercially available soaps.
• made from pure virgin olive oil and pure (bay) laurel leaf oil.
• mild enough for everyday use.
• is made of 100% natural ingredients offering the highest level of responsible hygienic care, nourishment and protection for the skin.
• totally biodegradable.
• does not contain any animal fat, coloring materials, added perfume, acid, antioxidant, chemical or synthetic derivative.

It's a good thing that Fadel Fadel Sons also included the soap's list of ingredients on the trade website.

Ingredients:
Virgin olive oil, pure laurel leaf oil, soda (extracted from sea salt), water

I had wondered what the R on the stamp stood for and it turns out that it's actually ®, registered trademark sign. The company emphasises the following:

There are several factories in Aleppo that produce soaps containing palm oil, animal fats and artificial coloring. The registered trademark "Fadel Fadel Sons" guarantees its soap is made exclusively from olive oil, laurel leaf oil, and soda (extracted from sea salt).

I had read that these Aleppo soaps won't dry your skin out. On hindsight, I must have had unrealistic expectations as I thought I could kiss my body moisturisers goodbye. I experimented with that for three weeks and totally stayed away from body lotions etc. Unfortunately, it was in the colder, drier months and my skin became way too dry. I decided that I didn't like the soap and promptly put it away.

Well, about two months ago, I took the piece of soap out to use again but this time, I retained my usual routine of applying body moisturiser after a shower. I had better results this time. They say that it can be used on the face too but I haven't tried that.

Here are my observations:

• If you're used to gripping flat bars of soap, lathering yourself with this chunk of soap would take some getting used to.
• It smells raw, green, earthy and.....funny.
• It lathers well enough.
• The skin does feel squeaky clean afterwards.
• Unless you live in a hot and humid country, I'd recommend still using a body moisturiser after your shower.
• Due to the time given for the soaps to dry and mature - almost a year - before they are packaged for sale, the outer part of the soap is golden brown and the inside, green (which is the original colour).

I paid around €6 for my block of soap. I believe it was a 200g block. I'm still on the fence about this Aleppo soap but I will say that my interest has been piqued. I think Fadel Fadel Sons makes several versions of this soap by varying the ratio between the olive oil and laurel leaf oil ingredients. The higher the proportion of laurel leaf oil, the higher the price. I have absolutely no idea what the ratio for my block of soap is. Perhaps the number 3 refers to which version of soap it is.

If you're looking for "pretty" (pretty in appearance and in smell), then the Aleppo soap won't be for you.

Personally, I'd like to try more Aleppo soaps in the future (it makes a nice change from the usual shower creams/gels). The store where I bought this one from no longer stocks this, so I'll have to find other sources.


Some interesting bits:
• Aleppo is a city in Syria.
• Aleppo soaps have been used for many, many centuries. It is said to be the first hard soap ever created.
• Other names: laurel soap, ghar soap, savon d'Alep
• Place the soap in the cupboad/wardrobe to deter moths

Have a read on how Aleppo soaps are made.

Esse Organic Skincare: Rich Body Moisturiser Review

Way back in March, I had written a review on a Cream Mask from a South African skincare brand called Esse Organic Skincare. It's unfortunately not a very well-known brand outside of South Africa but I believe it's slowly but surely making inroads into the European market.

To be honest, I think this is a brand that deserves more mention. If all its claims are to be believed, Esse does sound like a great natural, organic skincare brand as it addresses all the right concerns of many health- and ethics-conscious consumers of today. Here are just a few keywords as a reminder: natural, organic, ECOCERT, cruelty-free, vegan, Fair Trade, PhytoTrade, paraben-free and preservative-free, amongst others.

A couple of months ago, Esse Netherlands kindly sent me a few products to try. If you've been following my writings long enough, you would know that natural and organic products are right up my alley, so I was curious to find out how I would get on with some other Esse products.

The first one to be featured is the Esse Rich Body Moisturiser.

Esse offers two types of body moisturisers - Light and Rich - and each is available in two sizes. The Rich Body Moisturiser retails for €20.80 (100ml) and €32.40 (200ml). This moisturiser comes in a recyclable amber glass bottle with a locking pump.

What Esse says about the Rich Body Moisturiser
An ideal treatment for dehydrated skin suffering the ravages of dry weather.

Yangu and Manketti oils are included for their UV barrier function. Rooibos extract enhances vitamin C production and eases bruising. Hydrating Marula Oil is rich in Omega 6.

Additional uses:
Massage into hands after every wash taking extra care to the skin around the nails.

Esse uses many African botanical ingredients in its products, so it's common to see names like Rooibos, Marula and Yangu in the ingredients list of its products.

Ingredients
Water, Jojoba Seed Oil*, Rooibos Extract*, Capric/Caprylic Triglyceride, Glycerin, Marula Seed Oil*, Yangu Seed Oil, Cetearyl Olivate, Manketti Seed Oil, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydrogenated Olive Oil, Xanthan Gum, Tragacanth (Astragalus Gummifer) Gum, Olive Fruit Oil, Olive Fruit Oil Unsaponifiables, Benzyl Alcohol, Geranium Leaf Oil*, Dehydroacetic Acid, Aloe Ferox Leaf Extract, Salicylic Acid, Kigelia Africana Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Orange Wood Oil*, Grape Seed Extract, Citric Acid, Spearmint Leaf Oil*

* ingredients from organic farming

On the box, it says that
•99.5% of the total ingredients are from natural origin
•86.9% of the total ingredients proceed from organic agriculture

My Thoughts
Scent
Lovely scent. The moisturiser smells sweet, earthy and of rooibos. The usually strong scent of spearmint is surprisingly subtle here. You can still catch a whiff of the sweet earthy scent some hours after application.

Texture
It's a light caramel colour and of moderately thick consistency.

Efficacy
To put it to the ultimate test, I used this moisturiser mainly on my chest area and upper back as those are the driest and most problematic areas of my body. Of all the body moisturisers I've tried in the past few years, only two have worked on these problem areas: one contains urea, and the other frankincense and myrrh.

This Esse moisturiser may be called "rich" but I consider it a mild one. It could juuust about keep my problem areas from deteriorating to dry, rough skin. So, it worked OK. However, on other parts of my body with normal skin, it worked well.

Last Words
I find the sweet earthy scent very agreeable and as is usual of botanical skincare products, this is a mild body moisturiser. I think it's a bonus that two of the ingredients (Yangu and Manketti oils) act as UV barriers (although no SPF is indicated). I've almost finished my 100ml bottle after two month's regular use mostly on my problem areas. If you used it intensively on your whole body, I think you'd reach the bottom much sooner.


More information:
Review of the Esse Cream Mask
Esse websites
- South Africa
- Netherlands

I've been told that Esse Netherlands does offer shipping to countries outside of the Netherlands.

MuLondon: Organic Lavender Moisturiser Review

The lavender scent is known for its soothing, calming effect on people. Some people love the scent and some others don't. Personally, I'm not crazy about the scent but that doesn't mean that I go out of my way to avoid using products with lavender. After all, I have finished a whole tube of lipbalm that contained lavender essential oil and I am still using an exfoliating scrub that has organic lavender.

The scent of lavender will always remind me of one person. I used to board with a lovely, elderly lady who religiously took a lavender oil bath every night just before going to bed. The smell of lavender would linger in the bathroom after she was done and long after she had gone to sleep. She had been doing it for years and I'm pretty sure she still practises the ritual to this day. Of course, I could put it down to her nature and not necessarily the lavender effect, but I always found her to be such a cool, calm and collected lady. She actually drove herself around town in her car right up to age 83. Except for some problems with memory loss, she is still in good health to this day. Mary will be 87 this year.

I ramble, but I think you see my point.

This jar here is MuLondon's Organic Lavender Moisturiser. It was a sample jar that Boris (whom you all should know by now) sent to me together with my online purchase some months back.

Here's how Boris describes it on the MuLondon website:

Lovely 100% organic face moisturising cream with Shea and Coconut Butters, Jojoba Oil, Rosemary Extract and Lavender Essential Oil - to relax your mind and your skin.

This is a rich, creamy balm that is packed full of certified organic oils and herbal extracts, with the classical relaxing and balancing fragrance of organic Lavender oil.

Great for everyday, all-over face, hands and body use. Ideal for dry and sensitive skin.

I remember asking Boris last year what made him choose the five variants in his pioneer range of moisturisers, including Lavender. For Boris, the lavender variant was a no-brainer. He told me that he had been using the lavender oil every day for the last 15 (now 16) years and he never travels without it. He calls it a miracle oil – a healer for cuts, bites, bruises, burns, headache and more.

Ingredients
Shea Butter, Coconut Butter, Jojoba Oil, Rosemary Extract, Lavender Essential Oil
(all certified organic)

That's what I like about MuLondon moisturisers - the ingredients are pure and simple. They contain no fillers, no nasties and not even water.

Scent
Open the jar, hold it close to your face and take in the lavender scent. It may seem strong initially and in the first minutes of application on the skin but the smell eventually dissipates. So, really, it's not such a big issue for those who don't fancy the lavender scent much.

Application
As with all the other four MuLondon moisturisers, the Organic Lavender variant is thick and concentrated. The consistency is like butter, so remember to melt the moisturiser in the palm of your hands first before attempting to apply it on your skin. This method is the best way to get an even application.

I have been trying the Organic Lavender Moisturiser on different parts of my body but I like it best on the neck and sometimes the face. I have not experienced any skin break-outs as a consequence. You won't end up with an oily face, unless you put too much on. You only need to apply a small amount and the moisturiser will be absorbed, leaving the skin supple and soft. As a guide, you can start off with a pea-sized amount and with experience, you can eventually adjust the amount accordingly.

For an extra calming effect, try rubbing it near the nostrils for the full effect of the lavender scent. I do that sometimes when I'm stressed.

Price
The MuLondon Organic Lavender Moisturiser retails for £13 for a 60ml jar and £7 for 30ml.


In the ongoing MuLondon Giveaway, three lucky participants will win a jar of MuLondon moisturiser of his/her choice. Choose from the following moisturisers:

• Organic Hemp
• Organic Rose
• Organic White Chocolate Truffle
• Organic Marigold, Frankincense & Myrrh
• Organic Lavender

Giveaway details can be found here.


Further reading:
Background information on MuLondon and Boris
My reviews of the MuLondon moisturisers
MuLondon website

Occo: Raiyia No6 Bath & Body Wash

I love citrus-scented bath / shower products. I think they are the best for a morning pick-me-up and this particular body wash totally does it for me. The scent is a lovely mix of sweet mandarin and ginger, a spicy sweet scent that immediately transports me to the Orient.

Occo is dead-on with its description of this range: Citrus Spice. However, the proper name for this product is (oh, it's a long one!) Raiyia No6 Bath & Body Wash, Orange, Ginger & Bergamot. It is an oat-based cleanser and does not contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).

According to Occo
Active ingredients: Sage Oil, Lemon Essential Oil, Orange Oil, Bergamot Oil, Oat, Coconut Oil.

Benefits: Vitamin-packed orange oil, uplifting bergamot and gentle oat-based cleansers help to enliven your skin, enhance circulation and give you a real tonic. Natural aroma oils of ginger and mandarin will reawaken your mood. This product is 99% Natural.

Ingredients
So, Occo says that it is 99% natural but even then, I still have difficulty pronouncing some of the names of the ingredients in the remaining 1% (where possible, I've used common names):

Water, Coco-Glucoside, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids, Cocamide DEA, Sage Oil, Orange Peel Oil, Lemon Peel Oil, Bergamot Fruit Oil, Glycerin, Parfum (100% natural), Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Magnesium Nitrate, Magnesium Chloride, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Linalool, Citral Limonene.

The coconut oil is not named on the list per se. Instead, what appears on the list are coconut oil derivatives (those starting with coco- or coca-), which I suppose are meant as surfactants and/or foaming agents in the formula.

Body wash
This golden liquid is a gentle body wash and does not dry my skin out. As expected, you don't get much foam with this. It lathers just enough to give you the impression that it's doing its intended job. Does it do a good cleansing job? Come on, a body wash is a body wash is a body wash.

The spicy citrus scent dissipates quite quickly during lathering. On the skin, it takes on a rather raw scent, so by the time I walk out of the bathroom, there is hardly any spicy citrus scent left on the skin. That's all right. I may like citrus-scented bath products but I don't like walking around smelling of citrus. There is a difference.

I got this 100ml bottle as a gift-with-purchase. The normal size is 250ml which retails for £18 (yes, luxury indeed). My 100ml (plastic PET) bottle should last about three weeks.

About Occo
Here's some information on Occo, if anyone's interested. It is a line of high-end spa products inspired by the wonderful, pristine and varied landscapes and regions of Croatia. In Occo's words:

Occo is a new, natural, luxury, spa and lifestyle brand harnessing the diverse, rich, natural resources of the unspoilt Dalmatian Coast and Adriatic Sea.

Occo is the brainchild of Anna Doyle who has had a successful corporate career in the health and beauty industry. Two other ladies (Yasuda Avery and Katy Simpson), themselves with well-established careers in retail interior designing and brand/product creation came on board. Together, they launched Occo in the UK last year.

Occo's practices seem to tick all the interesting boxes (the usual contemporary concerns):
• uses oat-, apple- and coconut-based foaming and cleansing agents
• does not use SLS, parabens, petrochemicals
• does not use synthetic colours or fragrances
• does not test on animals
• uses soy inks and 100% recyclable packaging.

Occo's range of products can be difficult to grasp at first, as they are divided into seven main categories. Each is named after a place or region in Croatia (a great way to get acquainted with the geography of Croatia before your holiday there!) and they each serve different skin needs:

• Dalmacija No1 - advanced cell protection and regeneration
• Sipan No2 - calming and rebalancing
• Motovun No3 - skin nourishment and deep relaxation
• Mirnavina No4 - rejuvenating and antioxidant-rich
• Markocija No5 - soothing and extra nourishment for dry skin
• Raiyia No6 - awakening and uplifting
• Kornati No7 - energising and invigorating, with sea minerals

Still with me?

The Occo range of products includes body lotions, body scrubs, bath & body oils and wash, hand lotions and hand wash.

I think it's worth pointing out that Occo is not a Croatian brand. It is really a Croatia-inspired brand based in the UK. As far as I know, the ingredients are sourced in Croatia, the products are made in the UK and its natural fragrances are blended in France.

In any case, I read on Occo's website that they've opened a spa in Dubrovnik and I believe more are to follow.

Ms Doyle really loves Croatia.


More information:
Occo website

Kneipp: Evening Primrose Body Lotion

There is dry skin and there is extremely dry skin. I have the misfortune of having both kinds, with the latter concentrated in my upper chest area and the upper back.

Most normal body moisturisers would do it for me, but somehow my decolletage and upper back area require more. I've been trying many (and I really mean many!) moisturisers over the years and I've finally been able to narrow it down to two that work for those problem areas: MuLondon Organic Marigold, Frankincense and Myrrh Moisturiser and this one, Kneipp Evening Primrose Body Lotion.

Even if you've never used Kneipp, you must have at least heard of the Kneipp brand before. The story behind the brand is a compelling one, one set in mid-19th century in Germany involving a young man suffering from tuberculosis. He was inspired by a book he read about the healing powers of water and so, one day, he ran a distance to warm his frail body up and then dived into the freezing cold water of the River Danube. Shortly after, he got out of the water and ran home as fast as he could. He felt so invigorated and refreshed that he repeated it a few days later, with the same positive results. He gave himself these cold water treatments a couple of times a week and incredibly, he eventually regained his health.

This young man was ordained a priest some years later. Father Sebastian Kneipp was his name. In the years that followed, he also gained a reputation as a healer and he tended to the poor for free. His treatments included all kinds of water treatments like cold rinses, and hot and cold baths and compresses. In his lifetime, he wrote several books which also included his herbal remedies.

So, here was a priest who had taken the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, but he was also a man in possession of so much knowledge in naturopathic medicine. I can't help but wonder how history would have been rewritten if he hadn't met an apothecary by the name of Leonhard Oberhäußer in 1890. They struck not just a friendship but also a partnership.

A year later, Mr Oberhäußer was entrusted with Father Kneipp's legacy of his lifelong studies. Father Kneipp granted him the exclusive rights to develop, produce and sell pharmaceutical, cosmetic as well as dietary products “under the name and with the image of Father Sebastian Kneipp". And thus, the Kneipp brand was born and so began its commercialisation. I read that the first product to be manufactured was a pill for constipation!

Today, Kneipp's market reach is worldwide. Its products are easily accessible here in the Netherlands. I've tried a total of three variants of their body lotions. Two of them have gorgeous feminine scents and were mild, good enough for normal dry skin: Aloe Vera and Wild Rose. The most effective of the three though, in my opinion, is the Evening Primrose variant. It's actually called Evening Primrose Body Lotion + 10% Urea. It's quite amusing how they've deliberately pushed the word Urea aside, almost like an afterthought. Urea - not terribly enticing, is it?

Here's its list of ingredients (minus the scientific names):

Water, Urea, Peanut Oil, Jojoba Seed Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, Glycerin, Avocado Oil, Avocado Oil Unsaponifiables, Cetaryl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Potassium Palmitoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Proten, Panthenol, Bergamot Leaf Extract, Ylang Ylang Flower Oil, Orange oil, Rosemary Leaf Extract, Linalool, Citronellol, Limonene, Benzyl Salicylate, Coumarin, Eugenol, Fragrance, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Xantham Gum, Triacetin, Tocopherol.

The thing is, this lotion works for me. I may be mistaken but I actually attribute its effectiveness more to the urea than to the evening primrose oil. It must sound weird. Urea is a by-product of the metabolism of proteins and is essentially our bodies' waste product (in urine). Curiously, urea is also a natural moisturiser found in the skin. It is a water-binder and helps keep moisture in the skin. Urea can be artificially synthesised and I take it that that's how Kneipp gets its urea ingredient!

The lotion is plain white and not too thick. The smell is hard to describe. It's not one I would call lovely or floral but it's not unpleasant either. It reminds me of the scent of baby powder but heavier and more full-bodied. It works best when applied after a shower, immediately after dabbing the skin dry.

The Evening Primrose Body Lotion costs just under €9 for a 200ml tube. It contains no mineral- and silicon-oils, no parabens and no artificial colouring. It keeps my problem skin calm, soft and moisturised, so it's no wonder that I'm now on to my third tube!


More information:
Kneipp Netherlands
Kneipp International

The other moisturiser that works for my problem areas:
MuLondon Organic Marigold, Frankincense and Myrrh Moisturiser

MuLondon: Organic Marigold, Frankincense and Myrrh Moisturiser

.....and the three wise men knelt down and paid baby Jesus homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Okay, let’s leave the gold out, but how quaint is it to have marigold, frankincense and myrrh all together in one moisturiser?

This Organic Marigold, Frankincense and Myrrh Moisturiser contains:

Shea Butter, Coconut Butter, Jojoba Oil, Rosemary Extract, Blue Chamomile Extract, Marigold Extract, Frankincense Essential Oil, Myrrh Essential Oil.
Contains naturally occurring Limonene from Frankincense Essential Oil.
All, except for the frankincense and myrrh essential oils, are certified organic ingredients.

Frankincense and myrrh come from sap obtained from the trees of the genus Boswellia and Commiphora respectively. The resin has been used for millennia for religious and medicinal purposes and that was why Boris (of MuLondon) made a moisturiser with these. I was told that marigold was added into the mix because the flower is “amazing for problematic, inflamed skin.”

This cream smells like incense. It smells almost like mass in church. It has a spicy sweet fragrance, invigorating, but quite unusual for me to be able to smell this from a jar, instead of in church.

As with all the other moisturisers from MuLondon, this one can be used on the face and on the body. It's also good to know that all of MuLondon's moisturisers are now rated 0, ie very low hazard, in the Cosmetic Safety Database.

I seem to always sing praises about MuLondon and it didn’t escape the notice of one lovely reader of mine. She commented recently that MuLondon doesn’t seem to have any disadvantages. I’ve thought hard about it. Well, if I must, here are a couple of things I can say:

• Just like any moisturiser from any brand, a jar of MuLondon cream will not last forever. I know, because it’s super concentrated, you don’t need to use a lot each time, leading you to hope that it might last forever. However, if you use it diligently on a daily basis on your body and limbs, you will see the bottom of the jar in three months, more or less.

• You need patience when applying any MuLondon moisturiser. The creams are thick and quite hard, like butter that’s been kept in the refrigerator. We’ve become so used to applying (diluted) creams straight from tubes/bottles to the skin. With MuLondon creams, you would need to first ‘scrape’ some cream out (but if you live in a warmer climate, the cream would of course be softer), put it in the palm of your hand and rub it till it melts (just like butter). And only then, apply on skin. So, you see, it takes more effort.

Well, those aren’t quite disadvantages, are they? They are just facts, the reality of a cream that is hand-made and highly concentrated.

The choice is yours.

Note: As with the Organic White Chocolate Truffle Moisturiser, this cream was also my own purchase. It is prized at £13 for a 60ml jar and £7 for a 30ml jar.

Just a couple more days to take advantage of the 20% off offer at MuLondon. Coupon codes: MUXMAS or ORGANZA20 (20% off plus an organza bag). Ends Monday, 20th December.

MuLondon: Organic White Chocolate Truffle Moisturiser

This decadent moisturiser contains:

• Shea Butter
• Coconut Butter
• Jojoba Oil
• Rosemary Extract
• Bourbon Vanilla Extract
• Cocoa Extract

.....and nothing more. Not even water. All, except for the Cocoa Extract, are certified organic ingredients. Shea butter together with jojoba oil form the basis for all five MuLondon moisturisers.

According to Boris (the founder of MuLondon), this cream had taken him a long time to formulate as he had issues sourcing exactly the right ingredients that he wanted to make this particular moisturiser.

Well, well, hasn’t he just done a fabulous job with this moisturiser in the end! It is like dessert for the skin, minus the sugar.

The scent of rosemary must be very subtle here as my olfactories weren't able to pick it up. However, the smell of cocoa and sweet vanilla hits me whenever I hold my nose close to the open jar. It's intoxicating, to say the least. You’ve got to love the scent! It’s no wonder that this moisturiser in particular is a hit, especially among women (says Boris). Don't worry about smelling too much like a candy bar though. On the skin, the overall scent is subtle.

I’ve used this moisturiser on the body, the hands, the face and even on the lips. All the ingredients that are used in MuLondon moisturisers are food-grade ingredients.

Shea butter, besides being a wonder butter for the skin, is edible and has been used and consumed in Africa for centuries. Boris makes reference to Mungo Park, a young eighteenth century Scottish explorer who wrote about shea in his book, Travels In The Interior of Africa: .....the butter produced from it, besides the advantage of its keeping the whole year without salt, is whiter, firmer, and, to my palate, of a richer flavour, than the best butter I ever tasted made from cow’s milk.

In Boris’ own words: I would not put anything on my skin that was not safe enough to eat. And eat he did! Once, he actually tried his White Chocolate Truffle Moisturiser on a piece of biscuit and “it was fab!”

WARNING: Decadent contents. Resist temptation to consume orally. For topical application only. Melt well before use.

Skin dessert, anyone?


Note: This moisturiser was my own purchase. The Organic White Chocolate Truffle Moisturiser is available in two jar sizes: 60ml (£13) and 30ml (£7).

For detailed information on MuLondon and the various uses of MuLondon's moisturisers, please read my extensive write-ups on the Organic Hemp Moisturiser and the Organic Rose Moisturiser.

MuLondon is currently having a 20% off offer on all orders. Coupon code: MUXMAS or ORGANZA20 (if you want the 20% discount plus an organza bag with your jar). Fortunately, MuLondon ships worldwide. Offer ends 20th December.