Review: Kosmea Skincare

If you know me at all from reading my posts, you'll know how much I love trying out new skincare brands, and particularly those based around lots of great, natural ingredients. Sometimes they are OK, and sometimes perhaps not so much for me. But sometimes, I find some real gems, and Kosmea Skincare definitely falls into the latter category.

An Australian brand, Kosmea believes very much in 'skincare as nature intended', formulated with

no mineral oils, petrochemicals, artificial colours or fragrances, no sodium lauryl sulphate (often referred to as SLS) and no animal ingredients. None of the products are tested on animals, and the packaging is recyclable, too!

A natural skincare range formulated around organic rosehip oil and the finest herbal, plant and flower extracts from Australia and around the world, Kosmea instantly piqued my interest, and over the past few weeks I have been testing out three of the brand's products: The Clarifying Facial Wash*,  Hydrating Rosewater Mist* and Replenishing Moisture Cream*.

At first glance, I wasn't sold on the concept of the cleanser, mainly because I tend to go for creams and balms due to their intensely moisturising properties. The Clarifying Facial Wash is somewhere between a gel and a cream, milky in appearance and quite liquid in consistency, and actually, I couldn't have been more wrong.

With Australian Lilly Pilly and Quandong extracts to clarify and tone, the cleanser is packed with hydrating rosehip and macadamia oils to leave skin soft, smooth and free to breathe.

To use, I massage a small amount into dry or damp skin for about a minute, and rinse. I have to say, after the first use I really was blown away by how soft and hydrated this left my skin, and couldn't stop touching it! It's rare to find a cleanser which offers such a noticeable and immediate effect alone - and this one smells incredible, too.

The Hydrating Rosewater Mist, unsurprisingly, comes in a handy spray bottle, and I generally mist some over my skin post-cleanse, but it's also great for a quick pick-me-up for a tired and weary complexion during the working day, so I tend to keep it on hand. Gentle, soothing, cooling and hydrating, this is definitely one of my favourite facial spritzes yet, which is no mean feat considering the number I have tried. The gentle rose fragrance is simultaneously uplifting and calming, and it's the perfect follow-up to both my morning and evening cleanse.

The Replenishing Moisture Cream is an impressive conclusion to the three-step routine, and is easily absorbed into the skin. Rosehip oil nurtures and protects the skin with antioxidants and essential fatty acids, while carrot oil provides a natural source of Vitamin A to help improve elasticity. Add to that a shot of horsetail and nettle extract to aid in the rebuilding of collage, and skin is left plumped, smooth, replenished and rehydrated.

I don't often say this, but I really cannot recommend this range highly enough. I feel that it has done my skin the world of good, and having come to the end of my samples I am eager to replace them, integrating them into my skincare routine for the long-term.

If you haven't heard of Kosmea and you're a fan of good, natural skincare with a whole host of benefits then I'd definitely suggest checking them out. And if you're yet to make the move over to natural ingredients and fewer chemical nasties, then give it a try - you'll wish you'd done it sooner!

Are you a fan of natural skincare? What are your favourite products?

xx

There's still time to enter my Jo Malone Giveaway!

Review: Ren Resurfacing AHA Concentrate

Hi everyone, it's the end of January, and as promised, I'm here and I'm ready to get posting again. 

If you weren't already aware, I've been spending the past two or three months with my head in some books in a bid to better myself and the skills I have to offer, not to mention getting on with my NCTJ studies. While all this has been going on, it hasn't left me a huge amount of time to blog, and while I will be continuing along the journey of self-improvement, I'm now keen to dedicate a bit more time to this little space again. I miss the days of daily postings.

Today I want to share one of my favourite secret skincare weapons with you, namely the glorious Ren Resurfacing AHA Concentrate. Now, I'm sure most of you remember the huge buzz surrounding Alpha Hydroxy Acids last year, and I was right there at the forefront, cheering them on. At the time, my product of choice was the wonderfully gentle Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner, but I have to admit that after a few weeks of use, I began to feel a bit disheartened, as the beneficial effects became less and less.

A bit of background, for anyone who was living under a rock last year and has been left scratching their head.

Alpha Hydroxy Acids are a class of either naturally occurring or synthetic (we all know which I prefer!) chemical compounds,  often used in the cosmetics industry in products claiming to reduce lines and wrinkles,. Essentially, they are chemical exfoliants - much less abrasive than scrubbing away at delicate skin with coarse grains - and gently remove dead skin cells to reveal a new, smoother, softer layer of skin underneath - amongst other things.

The Ren Resurfacing AHA Concentrate is comprised of glycolic, lactic, tartaric and citric acids - all naturally occurring in pineapple, passion fruit, lemon and grapes - and aims to promote skin cell turnover, gently resurfacing and decongesting the skin so that pores and fine lines appear reduced,  leaving the complexion bright, smooth and radiant.

At night, apply one pipette onto clean skin, avoiding the delicate eye area. You can follow up with serum if you like, but personally I like to leave this magic potion to do its thing, uninterrupted, so I generally leave it at that. "What, no moisturiser!?" I hear you ask. Well worry not, as this little beauty aids moisture retention too, and as you only use it for a week or so at a time, it certainly doesn't have any detrimental effects on the skin in that department.

Generally speaking, I tend to use this product in two week cycles to get a really dramatic effect without overdoing it, but you can also try using it every other day over a longer period, which works just as well.

This smells divine - reminiscent of all the tropical fruity goodness it contains - and for me, is an absolute pleasure to use.

But does it work? Oh yes. After use, my skin feels baby-soft, plump and smooth, and is left glowing with radiance after a two-week stint. It definitely helps keep skin decongested and free of any unsightly blocked pores too, which is always an added bonus. 

I would recommend this for people of absolutely all skin-types - it may sound scary, but in reality it is extremely gentle and I have never experienced any adverse effects while using it. That said, if you are extremely sensitive then you may want to do a patch test first, and probably only use it a couple of times a week to start with in order to gauge how your skin responds.

TheRen Resurfacing AHA Concentrate may be pricey, coming in at £30 for 30ml, but it lasts an age and is well worth the splurge. And now that it's available from M & S as well as directly from the Ren website, it's even easier to get hold of.

Go forth and buy!! You won't regret this one.

Are you new to AHAs, or are you an old hand? What are your favourite resurfacing products?

xx

Review: Nourish Balance Mini Kit

A couple of weeks ago, I reviewed the wonderful Nourish Argan Skin Rescue (click to read review), and along with that product, which as I mentioned has now become a nightly staple in my routine, I was also very kindly sent the Nourish Balance Mini Kit* to try out.

This came at a great time for me, as only recently has my skin transformed itself from 'normal' to 'combination' - my t-zone is now quite oily, and as I'm sure you've heard me mention, I've been suffering from breakouts too. So I was really excited to get started with this lovely little set, and see what good it could do for my skin. After putting it to the test for some time, as I find to be necessary with any skincare regime, I now feel ready to share my thoughts with you .

What I love about Nourish is that when creating their skincare ranges, they take into account not only the different skin-types we are all 'blessed' with, but also individual lifestyles and needs. Their natural, anti-ageing range of products aim to optimise skin health around the life that you lead as well as providing all the daily nourishment it needs to keep it in tip-top condition.

There are four different ranges available from Nourish, including 'Radiance' for normal skin, 'Protect' for dry skin, and 'Relax' for sensitive skin. As I said, I was sent the 'Balance' kit, which is aimed at combination skin.

The mini-kit contains 50ml of the Balance Detoxifying Cleanser, 50ml of the Balance Refining Toning Mist, 15ml of the Balance Nutritious Peptide Serum, and 15ml of the Balance Essential Moisturiser, and is available to buy for £24.95 - great for anyone wanting to dip their toe in the water.

Nourish Balance Detoxifying Cleanser*

This is quite a liquidy, lotion-like cream cleanser, containing a balancing blend of emollients and apple extract to leave the skin feeling fresh and clean, as well as helping to restore the skin's natural barrier.

The instructions suggest applying a small amount of this to the face with a cotton wool pad and then rinsing with cool water, but I don't personally enjoy using my cleansers this way, so instead I just massaged it into my face before removing it with a warm flannel/face cloth. When wearing makeup, it's obviously advisable to double cleanse - once to remove it, and then once to deep cleanse. I did find that this removed all traces of makeup after two cleanses, and it has such a lovely, gentle fragrance of green apple that it was a pleasure to use. It always left my skin feeling soft and well-hydrated, ready for the next step in my routine. It's 80% organic., and comes in at a bargainous £9.95 for the full-size 100ml bottle.

Nourish Balance Refining Toning Mist*

Again, this has the pleasant fragrance of apples, and comes in a spray bottle so that it can be spritzed onto the face after cleansing. I'm still going with this one, and find it refreshing in the mornings as well as being a welcome pick-me up throughout the day, so I do, on occasion, pop this one in my handbag for whenever the mood takes me. Packed with vitamins and minerals, this restores the natural pH level of the skin, which is obviously great for helping to balance things out and keep them on a level. It's also 97% organic, and for a full-size 100ml bottle you would pay just £8.95.

Nourish Balance Nutritious Peptide Serum*

This is a really light, hydrating serum which I find leaves my skin looking much brighter after use. Again, it's choc-full of nutritious vitamins and minerals, has the same delightful fragrance and helps to renew the skin's natural surface. For me, one pump is more than enough for the whole face, and I tend to apply it to my neck too. It's strange to think that in the past, I didn't bother with serums, as they are now an integral part of my daily skincare routine. It's 80% organic, and will set you back £16.95 for a full-size 30ml bottle, making it the priciest of the bunch.

Nourish Balance Essential Moisturiser*

I think this is probably my favourite product of the four. It's a light, 89% organic cream complex containing sebum-controlling properties, and sinks easily into the skin upon application, with no greasiness whatsoever. I personally find it really difficult to find suitable moisturising creams that suit both my face and neck, but this one works nicely and doesn't cause any breakouts, which for me is a rarity. The full size comes in at £14.95 for a 50ml jar.

In all, I've really enjoyed using this range, and will definitely be repurchasing. The mini kit is ideal for keeping on hand for weekends away or unexpected road-trips, and there are also full-size gift-sets available for each range, priced at £45 - that's a saving of £5.80 compared to buying each product individually.

I have to say, while I've been having some problems with breakouts and oiliness, I noticed a marked improvement in the condition of my skin within the first couple of days of use - it became much calmer and better balanced, as well as looking a lot fresher and generally healthier. Whatever your skin-type, I'd definitely recommend giving Nourish a try, as with such high levels of lovely, natural ingredients you're bound to be doing yourself a favour.

Nourish is available to buy directly from their website, and also from Feel Unique.

Do you like using natural and organic skincare?

If so, what are your favourite products?

xx

Review: Elemental Herbology Eye Elixir

I'm sure I've mentioned countless times before on this blog how dark circles and under-eye puffiness are pretty much the bane of my life. Up until about a year ago I was more or less problem free in that respect, then all of a sudden, I woke up one day and everything had changed. It's not that I have particularly bad dark circles, but they are certainly noticeable, so since it all started I've tried out a number of different eye creams, all to no avail. Origins Gin Zing did help a little bit, but nothing to write home about - in fact, I only realised it had been doing some sort of good when I stopped using it for a time.

As if dark circles and puffiness aren't enough, I then began to realise that I have developed some under-eye creases and crinkles, so I embarked upon a split routine, trying to attack the former with my morning eye cream and the latter in the evenings, but it was all a bit of a disappointment.

So, when I stumbled upon the Elemental Herbology Eye Elixir, which promises to fight dark circles, puffiness and fine lines all in one go, I was straight online hunting for the best bargain I could find! It really is a rarity to find an eye product that can combat all three, and with eye creams not exactly coming cheap this seemed like the perfect solution. An added bonus was that I was eager to try out some more products from Elemental Herbology, so it was pretty much a win-win.

So, onto the review.

Elemental Herbology pride themselves on their nutritious, indulgent and high-performing products, using patented bio-active ingredients and sophisticated technologies to produce visible results. Rich in vitamins, anti-oxidants and essential fatty acids, all products feed and nurture the skin with everything it needs to restore vibrance and vitality, as well as helping to keep individual skin complaints under control. Not only do these ingredients help to counteract the effects of the environment, but they also help to fight against the damage done by ageing and lifestyle.

Packed with lots of lovely, natural ingredients, Elemental Herbology was always going to be right up my street, so I couldn't wait to add the Eye Elixir to both my morning and evening routines. 100% free of mineral oils, synthetic fragrances and colours, sulphates and paraben preservatives, this is something that always sits well with me, as I like to know exactly what I'm putting on my skin and try my best to avoid unnecessary chemicals or comedogenic (pore clogging) ingredients where possible. Even better, Elemental Herbology never test on animals, which again I think is something really important, and it's nice to see some brands still holding their own on this one.

The main active ingredients in the Eye Elixir are plant peptides, hematite and blue algae, all of which contribute to the firming, tightening, lifting and nourishing properties. It comes in a little glass bottle with a pump dispenser - something that really appeals to me as it's so much more hygienic than repeatedly dipping your fingers in the same pot time and again.

The Elixir is an off-white cream of lotion consistency, and has the most wonderful herbal scent (all natural, of course). I do find that the pump dispenses a little bit more product than I would personally choose, but luckily my under-eye area drinks it right up regardless. Half a pump is all that's required, and I dot it around the inner aspect of my orbital bone before gently tapping it in with my ring fingers.

So, the burning question. Does it really work?

You all know how much of a skeptic I am when it comes to eye creams, having been disappointed by them time and again in the past. But I have to say, the Elemental Herbology Eye Elixir has somewhat changed my stance on the matter! It does a great job of hydrating my under-eye area and leaving it silky smooth and soft, but even better - and more astonishingly, in my eyes - it really, genuinely has helped to diminish my dark circles and puffiness quite noticeably. How can I be so sure? Well, one day I just looked in the mirror and was shocked to find that I barely had any signs of darkness under my eyes, and since then I have found that I've almost completely forgotten about such woes. I used to feel like crying in the mornings, when no amount of concealer could disguise anything, but this stuff really has made a big difference. Sadly - and there's always a but, isn't there? - I can't say that I've noticed any difference whatsoever when it comes to fine lines, but taking into consideration my past experience, two out of three certainly isn't bad!

I'm definitely going to be repurchasing this when I run out, which hopefully won't be any time soon. At £40 for 15ml this most certainly doesn't come cheap, so while I got mine on special offer at half that price, I'm going to find it really difficult to part with the cash when I reach the bottom of my bottle. In fact, I'll definitely be waiting until I can get it on sale! Still, at least I know that it does do the job, and on that basis it's worth it

You can find the Elemental Herbology Eye Elixir on their website, and also at Feel Unique.

Have you tried anything from Elemental Herbology?

Would you recommend any of their other products? I can't wait to try more, and already have their Weekend Facial gift set to tell you all about before long.

xx

Review: Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask

Ever since I first heard about this face mask, I knew it would be right up my street. I had been eager to try natural and organic New Zealand skincare brand Antipodes for such a long time, but due to other skincare needs, adding to my face mask collection got bumped down the list in favour of replacing cleansers (my first foray into Antipodes was with their Grapeseed Butter Cleanser - review here), serums and other daily necessities. So, when my birthday rolled around at the beginning of the month, I already knew what was top of my list, and I finally received the Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask.

Antipodes products are vegetarian approved and cruelty free, as well as containing a high level of certified organic ingredients (in order for an entire product to be certified organic it must contain 70-95% organic ingredients, so while only a selection of Antipodes products are able to bear this stamp, the others are not far off at all).

What really drew me in when it comes to the brand is the list of delicious-sounding ingredients their products boast, such as manuka honey, avocado oil and vinanza grape extract - don't they just sound good enough to eat? 

The Aura Manuka Honey Mask is no exception, with the main ingredient being, unsurprisingly, manuka honey. A traditional remedy of New Zealand Maori people, it really packs a punch, drawing moisture to the skin which in turn aids hydration, as well as having powerful anti-bacterial properties which are just what the doctor ordered when it comes to stopping blemishes in their tracks. Also packed with nutrient-rich avocado oil and ruby red pohutukawa bloom, one of nature's finest antioxidants, this multi-tasking marvel promises to cover all the bases. 

The instructions advise smoothing on a thick layer at sunset at least twice a week, although it's gentle enough to be used on a daily basis. You leave it on for fifteen minutes before rinsing with warm water.

Personally, I tend to use this 2-3 times a week, as while I do like to keep my face masks as a treat, this one is just so divine I can't seem to leave it alone, and I really look forward to taking off my makeup, cleansing and popping a layer on when I get home from work. The smell is absolutely incredible, with fragrance of vanilla pod and mandarin, and while quite thick and creamy, a light layer is all that's required to give the skin that much-needed boost. It appears transparent on the skin, and I have to say that the very first time I tried it I was absolutely amazed by its calming, relaxing properties. Antipodes do say that the scent brings peace and balance to the aura, and I couldn't agree more. There is a very slight tingle that lets me know the mask is getting to work, and I really do mean it when I say that the fifteen minutes I leave this on are fifteen minutes of pleasure. It's definitely not one of those masks that has you watching the clock until it's time to take it off, and if anything I find myself leaving it on for longer.

When I remove the mask, my skin feels silky-soft and hydrated, and this has definitely been playing a part in soothing my blemishes and keeping them a bit more under control. I tend to use it straight after the Elemental Herbology Facial Detox Mask, and together they have made a world of difference to my recently un-cooperative skin. Afterwards, my skin looks glowing and healthy, and any redness has been greatly diminished.

 What can I say? This is the most delightful addition to my skincare collection in quite some time, and has shot straight to the top of my list of most-loved face-masks. It's a pleasure to use, and a great multi-tasker. Having only used a  fraction of the tube up, I'm already thinking about re-ordering, as it's quickly become one of those go-to products I don't ever want to find myself without! I absolutely love it, and every application is a real experience for the senses as well as the skin.

The Antipodes Aura Manuka Mask is available from Feel Unique at £21.50 for 75ml.

Have you tried anything from Antipodes? If so, what were your thoughts?

Are you a fan of natural skincare brands?

xx

Ingredients Exposed #2: Comedogenic Critters

Well hello, and welcome back to part two of my 'Ingredients Exposed' series. If you missed part 1 then you can get the low-down on the chemical nasties in our beauty products by clicking here.

Today the spotlight is on natural skincare, and the comedogenic critters that get into our pores, clog them up and cause breakouts - which, let's be honest, nobody wants. Now, I'm not trying to put anyone off anything here, and as you know, I'm a big fan of natural skincare myself. However, recently, after twenty-something years of pretty well-behaved skin, I suddenly began suffering from quite intense breakouts on my chin, and after a bit of digging I was able to shed some light on one or two ingredients that might well have been the culprits. In doing so, I discovered a whole host of other potentially comedogenic (pore-clogging) ingredients that are often found in skincare, so I thought it was a good idea to get them out in the open.

Before we get started, I'd just like to point out that not all of these ingredients are definitely going to give you a face-full of blemishes - different skins seem to be able to deal with them in different ways, and lots of these are really lovely and nourishing if yours can cope with them. So please don't go binning your most beloved cleanser/serum/moisturiser/etc. if you've never had any problems with it and you spy one of these on the ingredients list!

Coconut Oil is often touted as something of a miracle oil, and along with a whole host of health benefits it is often used for a number of beauty reasons. Many people swear by coconut oil, both as a conditioning hair treatment (didn't do much for me) and a moisturiser, but personally when I used this on my body I had a terrible breakout all over my back and chest. Needless to say, I didn't make the same mistake again, but recently I started using a new cleanser and began to suffer from countless blemishes on my face. As this was unusual for me, I had a little look at the ingredients list and could have kicked myself when I saw 'coconut oil' on there, staring back at me.

When ingredients are tested for their comedogenic level, they are ranked on a scale of 1-5, and this received a 4 - needless to say, it's actually one of the worst offenders! Cocoa Butter and Coconut Butter also score a 4, and are found in a wide range of body moisturisers, which don't usually cause any problems. But be mindful when popping these on your face, as while they are extremely moisturising, the skin on your face is much more sensitive and more likely to react if something doesn't agree with it.

Look out for oils such as cotton seed oil, mink oil, soy bean oil and hydrogenated vegetable oil, which all score a 3. I'm actually quite shocked to think that there are brands who would use hydrogenated vegetable oil, as we spend so much of our time trying to eliminate such bad fats from our diets. If you wouldn't eat it, then why on earth would you want to put it on your skin!? It's basically natural vegetable oil that has had metal added to it as a catalyst and hydrogen forced through it, and consists primarily of triglycerides of fatty acids. is often used in skincare as well as a variety of other beauty products. Essentially, it creates a barrier on the skin's surface that slows the loss of moisture, leaving skin feeling more hydrated. Sounds good, but at the same time it's clogging up those pores, which will inevitably result in breakouts.

Sulfated castor oil and sulfated jojoba oil also both score a 3 on the comedogenic scale, while wheatgerm oil scores a whopping 5.

There are really so many ingredients that it would be impossible to go through them all individually, so instead I have popped a table below for you with all the oils, waxes and botanicals to look out for next time you're updating your beauty collection.
(Excuse the lay-out, for some reason it just didn't want to sit centrally!)

0 - Will Not Clog Pores
1 - Low
2 - Moderately Low
3 - Moderate
4 - Fairly High
5 - High

Oils Almond Oil - 2  Apricot Kernel Oil - 2  Avocado Oil - 2  Camphor - 2  Castor Oil - 1  Cocoa Butter - 4  Coconut Butter - 4  Coconut Oil - 4  Corn Oil - 3  Cotton Seed Oil - 3  Evening Primrose Oil - 2  Grape Seed Oil - 2  Hemp Seed Oil - 0  Mineral Oil - 0  Mink Oil - 3  Olive Oil - 2  Peanut Oil - 2  Petrolatum - 0  Safflower Oil - 0  Sandalwood Seed Oil - 2  Sesame Oil - 2  Shea Butter - 0  Soybean Oil - 3  Sunflower Oil - 0  Wheat Germ Oil - 5  Shark Liver Oil - 3  Waxes Beeswax - 2  Candelilla Wax - 1  Carnuba Wax - 1  Ceresin Wax - 0  Emulsifying Wax NF - 2  Jojoba Oil - 2  Lanolin Wax - 1  Sulfated Jojoba Oil - 3  Botanicals Algae Extract - 5  Aloe Vera Gel - 0  Calendula - 1  Carrageenans - 5  Chamomile - 2  Chamomile Extract - 0  Cold Pressed Aloe - 0  Red Algae - 5  I hope this has been useful, and that perhaps you've learned something new. Just remember, you really don't need to go binning all your best products over it, but do be aware of what you are using and if your skin starts acting up over something new then hopefully you'll have some idea where to start in solving the mystery. xx

Antipodes Grapeseed Butter Cleanser

As I'm sure you're very well aware by now, I'm quite into my natural and organic skincare, and Antipodes is a brand I'd been keen to try for quite some time. 

As well as being vegetarian approved and  never being tested on animals, Antipodes products are also free from genetically modified organisms and don't contain any animal bi-products other than honey. Not all of their offerings are certified organic, but those which are not come pretty close (there is a strict criteria  for this, and 70-95% of the ingredients must be certified organic for the product to be considered so, with 100% of them being natural).

Antipodes products are packed with lots of delicious natural ingredients, such as avocado oil, manuka honey, macadamia and goji berry to name but a few, and as a whole they just come across as a really wonderful brand with fantastic ethics and delightful-sounding products.

So, a couple of months ago, when I found myself in need of a new cleanser, I decided to bite the bullet and order myself the Grapeseed Butter Cleanser (certified organic), £24.99 from Feel Unique.

Containing nourishing cacao butter and Vinanza grape antioxidant from New Zealand's Sauvignon Blanc grape seeds, this luxurious butter cleanser aims to soften and moisturise the skin as well as helping to repair free-radical damage, while lavender and chamomile soothe and calm.

The product comes in a sturdy jar with a screw top, and you are also provided with a little spatula with which to remove the amount of product you need. The product itself is a coarse yellow balm in texture, which emulsifies and becomes more like an oil when warmed between the hands. 

Antipodes recommend that this is used both morning and evening, and is suitable for all skin types. You need the tiniest amount of this, as a little goes a long way. I massaged this in circular motions over my face and neck, and found that it was great for removing makeup, literally melting it all off. Personally, I would always go in for a second, deeper cleanse afterwards, and spend a good couple of minutes really massaging it in and getting it down into my pores for a really deep down clean.

While it did leave my skin feeling soft and nourished, I also noticed that it left an oily film residue on my skin, which didn't exactly thrill me, and wasn't ideal in the mornings when makeup application follows skincare, so I began using it only in the evenings.

This cleanser was a pleasure to use, with a vaguely menthol aroma, and felt like a really luxurious product, but unfortunately for me, not long after I began using it I began breaking out pretty badly! This is unusual for me, as I have been lucky enough to get this far with pretty normal skin, with just the odd minor hormonal breakout on my chin area. But this time, I had some quite awful blemishes on my chin, as well as a couple scattered over my nose, forehead and (I never get them here) cheeks.

The problem with natural and organic products is that, while it's fantastic that they don't contain any chemical nasties, many natural ingredients and essential oils can be comedogenic, blocking pores and causing breakouts. Different people react differently though, so what gives one person blemishes mightn't cause another any problems at all.

Upon further research, I discovered that as well as containing cacao butter, it also lists coconut oil in the ingredients - both of which are known comedogenics. I'm quite sure that the coconut oil was to blame, in my case, as I once used coconut oil as a body moisturiser and it broke me out terrible on my back and chest.

So unfortunately, while this is a lovely product, this particular cleanser wasn't for me, but it hasn't put me off Antipodes as a brand at all - I just need to be a bit more careful with investigating ingredients before I buy anything in future. In fact, I've already ordered the Aura Manuka Honey Mask, and I really can't wait to try that. I've also got my eye on their Divine Oil, which sounds...well, divine!

Have you tried anything from Antipodes? If so, what did you think?

xx