Review: Raw Gaia Skincare

I've talked at length in the past about how much I believe in using good quality skincare with lots of natural, nutritious ingredients, and nothing has changed much on that score. That isn't to say that I go 100% natural 100% of the time. But where possible, I do like to go for organic and natural products in order to really nourish my skin, without bombarding it with harsh chemicals and the like.

Recently, I stumbled across Raw Gaia, and couldn't wait to treat myself to an evening pamper with their 

Raw Chocolate Face Pack* and Cold Pressed Organic Rosehip Oil*. The products are raw, vegan, cruelty free and fair trade, and made up of 100% natural ingredients.

The Raw Chocolate Face Pack smells absolutely divine, and if I didn't know any better I'd believe I was smothering my face in nothing but chocolatey goodness. Actually, the product is packed with lots of other lovely, natural skin treats, including red clay, turmeric and Amla fruit powder.  Red clay is a powerhouse of iron oxides, brightening skin and renewing cells. Turmeric is probably something you've got in your kitchen cupboard, and is packed with anti oxidants to fend off aging free radicals and even out skin tone. Amla - also known as Indian gooseberry - also offers a whole host of benefits, from clearer skin to a brighter complexion. It all sounded pretty good to me, and I knew I would enjoy putting it to the test.

The mask comes in powder form, and to use, must be mixed with warm water to form a paste. I popped a teaspoon into a bowl and stirred in a few drops at a time to ensure that the consistency was thick enough, before applying liberally and leaving for ten minutes. To be honest, it can be quite a messy process, so it's important to make sure you've got the right tools to hand rather that hashing together a mixture in the lid, which I must admit, is what I did the first time! The face pack quickly dries to a reddish-brown mask, and though you can definitely tell it's there, it doesn't feel heavy or prevent you from moving your facial muscles, as some do!

After rinsing with warm water and patting skin dry with a towel, skin feels soft, nourished and comfortable.

*

Like the face pack, the Cold Pressed Rosehip Oil comes in frosted glass packaging , and this time, it's a bottle. Personally, I would have preferred a pipette applicator in order to make it easier to dispense the right amount, as in its absence there is a risk of spilling excess product, which would inevitably go to waste.

Rosehip oil is a fantastic source of vitamins, anti-oxidants and essential fatty acids that play a vital role in the regeneration and health of skin cells. With the ability to actively reverse damage caused by sun exposure and environmental stress, it's something I've been meaning to try for some while now, as if you've been following my posts for some while then you'll know that I went through months of skin issues last year. I've always been really lucky in that department, with barely a spot to contend with even as a teenager. But last year, out of nowhere, I started suffering from quite bad breakouts, which lasted for some months, and although my skin is now back to normal, I can still see a few little marks that have been left behind when I haven't got any makeup on.

A couple of drops of this patted into the skin sink in easily without leaving a greasy, and leaves skin feeling super soft in the morning. I'll be reporting back on this one further down the line, as I am going to be keeping an eye on how well it works in terms of skintone. But as yet, I'm really enjoying using both the products and would definitely recommend Raw Gaia to anyone who is into natural skincare - and especially those of you who are trying to cut chemical nasties from your routines.

Do you use much natural skincare? If so, I'd love to know your favourite products, as I'm always on the lookout for new things to try.

xx

Ren Glycolactic Skin Renewal Peel Mask

I had wanted to try this mask for ages, but at £30 for 50ml, I wasn't happy to part with my hard-earned pennies until I was sure that it was the product for me. So, I managed to get my hands on this 15ml sample. I have used this about four times so far, suffice to say, the tube s nearly empty. You can probably get about six applications out of this, seven at a push.

Just a little foreword about Ren as a brand, before we move onto the product itself. 

All of their products are formulated WITH 100% natural active ingredients, and WITHOUT any parabens, sulfates, petro-chemicals, synthetic dyes/fragrances or phtalates. On top of this, they do not test/have their products tested on animals. With all this in mind, I was already holding Ren pretty high in my estimation, as most of you will know that I am a huge fan of organic skincare, and products which use natural or naturally derived ingredients where possible.

So, what does this product claim to do? Well, it's a potent bio active skin peel mask, designed to improve radiance by renewing the complexion, as well as reducing the appearance of fine lines and combating congestion. Fruit acids from passion fruit, grape, pineapple and lemon, as well as Papain - a bio extract from papaya - to exfoliate the outer layer of skin and encourage cell turnover, are the active ingredients in this skin treat.  Do give this one a miss if you've got extremely sensitive skin though, as Ren say that it's probably not the mask for you.

So, first impressions.

The mask is a thick, sort of lumpy consistency, orange in colour, and smells like orange marmalade, or something similar. For me, that's completely fine - it only makes me more aware of all the natural goodies the mask contains, and I love to know that I'm using things like this on my skin, rather than nasty chemicals . Plus, I love the smell of fruit.

(Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of what the mask itself looks like, and the consistency, so please forgive me for using this image from Google, below. I really wanted to show you how it looks, and what to expect.)

source

To use the mask, you basically apply a generous layer to the skin, (at which point it really does feel like you're slathering on a good coating of sticky marmalade), being sure to avoid the eyes. Leave for ten minutes, and wipe away using a muslin cloth soaked in warm water.

What struck me most about this mask is that, despite being a skin peel, this mask doesn't harden. In fact, it doesn't dry at all. In fact, this is the first skin peel mask I have used where this was the case, and so I was worried it might not do as great a job as I was hoping.

Upon wiping the mask away, I noticed that my skin looked really clean and fresh, but I was just about to go to bed and so chose to reserve judgement until the morning. The next day, my skin was absolutely glowing with health, and my makeup went on a lot smoother than normal, the radiance showing through. I can't really vouch for it's affect on fine lines, as the only ones I have are around my eyes, and obviously these were left free from the mask.

I'm not going to say that this is a miracle worker, but it does do the job. It perks up my skin, and is a pleasure to use if, like me, you like the smell of fruit! I've been using this mask once a week, and am planning on buying the full-size version once I run out.

Have you tried anything from Ren? What did you think?

xx

Pai Camellia and Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser: Review

I was lucky enough to win the Pai Camellia and Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser in a giveaway over on the fantastic Product Pixie, and thank goodness I did, as with a £25 pricetag, it was not something I was likely to be popping into my shopping bag of my own accord, especially since at the time I knew very little about the brand. I was perfectly happy with my Liz Earle Cleanse and polish, and if it wasn't for my little win then I probably would have stuck with it.

Now, first things first. Pai formulates all their products with sensitive and allergy prone skin in mind (not my case, but anyway) and everything they sell is certified organic by the soil association. It was also the first brand to list all its products' ingredients in plain English, so, in their words, "you don't need a chemistry degree to understand them". Now, personally, with this information in mind, I was already pretty sold on them as a brand, as I am a huge fan of organic skincare and do like to know what exactly I'm dealing with.

This is a cream cleanser, and what immediately struck me about it was that actually, it's quite similar to Cleanse and Polish in terms of how it's designed to be used. I usually use a couple of pumps on this and massage it onto a dry face (although the instructions suggest damp skin), before removing with the muslin cloth provided, soaked in hot water, using a circular motion. You can use this cleanser on a full face of makeup, and it'll get the lot off, as well as gently exfoliating and sloughing away any dry skin and dead cells (nice!) and you can also use it as an eye make-up remover - just pop a bit onto a couple of cotton pads and wipe gently over your eyes.

 What I love about this product is that it's so gentle (it's designed for all skin types, sensitive included) and yet really effective, and as an added bonus it is comprised of lots of natural ingredients such as camellia (which is packed with Omega 3 and vitamins A, B, C and E) and rose (obviously)  essential oils. It's also free from alcohol and parabens, which means that you can use it without having to worry about the effects of those sorts of chemical nasties.

Now, for any of you fragrance-phobics out there, this cleanser is lightly scented. For me, it smells like a mixture of chamomile and rose, but given that I'm unsure of the scent of Camellia, it's probably that.

So, what's my overall verdict?

I'm sold. I've hugely enjoyed using this cleanser, and have found that it has left my skin feeling really clean and fresh. It gets all of my make-up off without irritating my eyes and has kept my skin clear of breakouts (bar the odd hormonal spot which can't be helped). I really love the ritual of using a hot cloth cleanser, and can really notice the difference in my skin when I do, and I don't find that I need to use an exfoliator very often as this keeps my skin looking bright and glowing. The only thing that I don't like about it is the hefty price tag - at over £10 more than the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish for the same volume, I'm afraid to say that I can't bring myself to repurchase. However, for any of you who don't mind splashing out that bit more, I highly recommend this cleanser, and Pai as a brand.

Do you enjoy using organic skincare? If so, what are your favourite brands?

xx