natural skincare – sarah fynn

Introducing BioKari Ltd

Hey hey guys, I hope all is well. Today’s post is special, as I am introducing to you guys a new brand which looks very interesting and promising! Introducing BioKari Ltd, an online store that specialises in natural skin care and body care. But what’s so special about them? well, they just don’t sell the usual natural stuff e.g. shea butter, coconut oil etc. they take it a step further and make it easier by selling ‘kits’ or ‘recipes’ on which products you would like to try!

If you’re into your DIY body care products like I am (I love mixing shea butter, mango butter and monoi oil!), then you know there’s a ton of recipes out there containing different oils, butters, essential oils etc and sometimes you don’t even know which oils to use and why. You just see and do! Plus don’t forget the tools you will need too: empty containers, whisks etc. this is where BioKari steps in. they provide a ready to use box which has all the ingredients and tools* you will need for your natural skincare/ body care products! All you have to do is select the recipe you want to try online (they have a few) and wait for your box to be sent to you, then whisk away! I think this is a great service and has a lot of potential for future growth. It makes life easier, esp if you’re new to making your own products. Everything is pre measured and it comes with an instruction booklet.

With all this being said, it will be much better to show you an example box right?! Well when they contacted me, they also gave me a chance to pick my own box! After scrolling through the website and seeing a few recipes, I chose the Smoothie Orange Recipe Box

Smoothie Orange Recipe Box

They describe this as an ‘antioxidant elixir born of the richness of extreme hydration’ I chose this because I love the scent of orange essential oil and I have never tried carrot oil in any of my body butters so I thought I would give this a go. Here’s what came inside the box

100 grams Shea Butter

Carrot Oil

Coconut Oil

Orange essential oil

Empty pot for mixed product

Mini whisk

A blank label

I haven’t whisked my body butter yet but I can’t wait to do it and start using it! I will definitely bring you guys an updated post when I do this!

Thoughts on BioKari

I really think the box is a good idea! And great for beginners or anyone into DIY body care/skincare products. It is not a subscription service, it’s just a one of box you buy and get your ingredients for your product. I love that they have both skincare and body care boxes but I would love to see some more recipes featuring different natural butters like cocoa butter or avocado butter but I understand this is a new brand and they are just starting out!

My box came well packaged, my oils were individually wrapped so I had no issues with spilling. The set of instructions are easy to follow and they also contain info on hygiene, allergies and how to store the product.

BioKari is based in France to the best of my knowledge so the website is in French when you first visit it but there is an English menu as well.

Recipe boxes are currently on sale for £20

*tools- they provide a mini whisk but I know some people find it easier to use an electric hand mixer.

For more info on the brand or to make a purchase please visit the BioKari website

For more info on natural products, read my post on the amazing African Black Soap

Catch you soon

Sarah

xoxx

How to use Essential Oils for Skincare

Essential Oils have been used for many years for its cosmetic benefits and it’s very easy to see why. They are highly concentrated liquids that have the odour of the plant it’s been extracted from. It’s pure, organic, better still it’s great for skincare!

Which Essential Oils?

There are loads and loads of essential oils for skincare out there, the trick is just finding the right one for you. With little bit of help and research, you can choose which oils to get to suit your skin concerns. In this post, I am sharing the essential oils I use for skincare and how I use them, hopefully giving you an idea of which ones to get and what to use them for.

How to use Essential Oils for Skincare

Here’s my essential oil collection! I chose these ones based on their many benefits for the skin. I also use all of them differently for different reasons.

Tea Tree Essential Oil– known for its purifying and soothing skincare benefits and it has high anti septic and antifungal properties. I use mine neat on spots/pimples to help prevent/reduce them.

Lemon Essential Oil– natural skin toner and brightener. This is probably my favourite essential oil because of the clean fresh scent it has. I add a few drops (I really mean loads!) to my black soap shower gels/liquids

Peppermint Essential Oil– stimulating and helps to control itchy scalp and dandruff. I add a few drops to my scalp oil mixes for scalp massages and my water spray bottle. (I have carrier oils in there as well)

Sweet Orange Essential Oil– brightens dull complexions and treats oily skin. I also love the scent of this oil! I use them in my mango shea butter mix for my body butter

Geranium Essential Oil– uplifting and helps regulate oil production, improve skin elasticity and reduce wrinkles. I must admit I bought it for its scent as it’s supposed to be sweet/floral however I am not a great fan of it lol. This is the newest addition to my collection and I use it in my body butter mixes. I wanted to try different scents for my body butter. This one is expensive too

Spearmint Essential Oil– for acne and congested skin. This is the very first essential oil I bought as I couldn’t find peppermint essential oil at the time. I use it in my water mix for my hair or add a few drops to my steam treatment for my face

Ylang Ylang– for acne and irritated or oily skin. I add this to my body butter for a different scent

Please note- I have only listed the cosmetic benefits of the essential oils. They have other great benefits like aromatherapy etc

I want to try more essential oils as I want to experiment with different scents for my mango shea body butter (recipe post will come soon!), let me know your fav ones and I will be sure to check them out!

I purchased most of these from Naissance which is a website I discovered that stocks all natural and organic ingredients like oils, soaps and butters! Check them out.

These are also available from Holland and Barrett

Crawl till you can walk again

PreMae Harmony Face Wash Review

Hey guys I hope all this well! New month already! Wishing everyone a good month of August.

So this review is super late but on the plus side it means the product has gone through rigorous testing lol. Today’s post will be about the PreMae Harmony Face wash I received at the Sip and Share event a couple months back.

The PreMae Harmony Face wash targets combo/acne skin types and contains Coconut, Lemongrass and Aloe Gel. It is vegan-friendly, allergen approved and free from a whole lot of nasties e.g. steroids, petroleum, lanolin. It is also perfume free. Benefits of the face wash include clearing oil build up in the skin, cleans clogged pores and prevents spots and blemishes.

Experience

The face wash has a lovely velvety texture and a pleasant smell. I have normal to combo skin and I feel this does a good job in leaving my skin cleansed and soft. It feels very gentle on the skin and doesn’t produce a lot of lather. My oily areas: t-zone, cheeks and chin feel normal after use where as my normal areas feel a tad bit dry, but I can still get away with no moisturiser at night if I wanted to, I always follow with my night moisturiser.

It’s suitable for everyday use (directed to use it twice daily) as it doesn’t really dry out the skin. I believe this in conjunction with my Nip Fab pads have kept my pores at a minimum especially the hot spell last week! I haven’t noticed an effect on breakouts yet, I still get the occasional and unwanted pimple here and there.

Verdict: You will appreciate the fact that this face wash isn’t full of nasty chemicals or perfumes, which can be very good for sensitive skin. The packaging is very lovely and sturdy, I have dropped this a couple of times and it’s still going strong! It’s an effective face wash which works well to remove makeup residue, dirt etc leaving the skin fresh and clean. Very oily skin types with love this!

PreMae face wash is £29.00 and available from PreMaeskin.com. PreMae also makes other skin care products and makeup!

All that glitters is not gold.

Keeping Up With the Organics: Makeup & Skincare

Welcome back Peter Minkoff! He’s back with his 2^nd article for my blog and this time he is sharing his knowledge on the why and what of organic beauty! Watch out for his recommendations too! Did you catch his 1^st post on here? Read all about how to get your hair detoxed for spring here!

A transition from conventional beauty products to organic ones is much more significant than you probably think – it means opting for your health and overall well-being in the first place. Organics are highly-beneficial for many reasons, primarily because they will treat your skin gently and keep it nourished and rejuvenated with their unique formulation and natural ingredients. Even celebrities have gone crazy about these products. This shows that their reputation should not be neglected. Here are some of the ways to keep up with the organics in the best possible way.

Why Organics?

The production of organic beauty products requires specific ingredients that have been produced with unique methods of bio farming which exclude all kinds of toxins and pesticides harmful to our health. Such products don’t contain artificially added fragrances which frequently contain phthalates, substances that can trigger allergic reactions and other health problems. This means that organics are much gentler to your skin than conventional beauty products – their list of ingredients is appropriate for all skin type, even for people with sensitive skin. Regular products also include parabens, which are actually synthetic chemicals that can alter human endocrine system by mimicking our human body’s natural hormones. Accumulating such substances in your body can lead to serious health problems, one of which is cancer. As for organic products – they are free of parabens, which will definitely reduce your daily burden of chemicals.

Simplify Your Beauty Routine

The beauty industry nowadays offers a wide range of body creams, lotions and potions that supposedly do wonders. However, reality is much different. Such products often don’t live up to our expectations, which is exactly why you should keep your beauty routine simple. When it comes to day-to-day skincare products, all you need is a basic cleanser and toner, gentle scrub, appropriate moisturiser, and inevitable sunscreen. Just make sure that the label “natural” marks ingredients that are really natural, because some manufacturers tend to write that their products are something they actually are not. On the other hand, the best way to know exactly what goes into your skincare products is to make your own. Homemade face masks and scrubs that include ingredients such as eggs, honey, avocado and sea salt are amazing, particularly when you take into consideration that they are very inexpensive yet effective.

Celebrities & Organics

Celebrities have gone crazy about the organics, starting with Gwyneth Paltrow who launched her own makeup collection (Juice Beauty). Her products are crafted from certified organic ingredients that include different vegetables, flowers, fruits and berries. Their prices are also great, and it is actually a good way to popularize such skincare products among the women all over the world. Miranda Kerr also owns organic skincare line, KORA Organics , she firmly believes in all-natural approach to beauty. When it comes to organic makeup, celebrity makeup artists absolutely adore 100 Percent Pure Naked Palette which is fruit-pigmented, so it creates completely natural, stunning look. It is very versatile, since it can be used both as an eye shadow and a blush. It’s also perfect for contouring, and its major advantage is definitely the fact that it is organic.

Organics We Love!

I have been searching for perfect organic skincare products for quite a long time because the conventional ones simply weren’t working for me – starting with cleansers and toners which were too harsh for my skin, as well as moisturisers that whose formulation was just wrong. 100 Percent Pure skincare products are a truly amazing discovery for me because these are very lightweight which keeps my complexion fresh all day long. Organics are definitely a way of life, and I personally couldn’t agree more!

Do you guys use any organic beauty? Share your fav brands with us! I am always looking for new products/brands to try out!

I have to hand it to Peter for a very well written article! Make sure you check him out on Twitter and Facebook>>

https://twitter.com/MinkoffPeter

https://www.facebook.com/minkoffpeter

LoveShea 1st impressions

Hey lovely people, how’s everyone doing. This post will be the 1^st impressions of the LoveShea whipped shea butter I received from LoveShea. LoveShea is a UK based natural products that offers natural skincare and body care products. I featured them in my product series, check that post out for their full product collection> http://wp.me/s1uQOd-loveshea

I received the whipped shea butter in Keylime pie and Bakewell tart scents/version/flavours lol. This is can be used on both hair and skin.

I love this! The keylime pie smells sooooo good like. I really like how it feels on my skin. My skin loves shea butter! So this worked perfectly to soften and moisturise. If you love citrusy/lemonys scents then you will love this. When I used it on my hair it made it really soft and the same for my skin too. The bakewell tart worked the same too and smells like cherries.

you can see how much i used! I used more than half and I love that I can recycle the glass jars!

This stuff smells so good guys, if you could smell them through the screen you would understand how I feel. If you are in search for some scented whipped shea butter look no further. I recommend the keylime pie scent, you will love it!

They also have some body scrubs and black soap too. Check them out, http://www.loveshea.co.uk/products