sun cream

26 December 2022

Green Beauty Brands that stood the test of time: A look back at 2011 Blog Posts

As 2022 draws to a close I thought it might be interesting to look back on my first year of blogging. It all began in May 2011 and I was curious to see how many of those early posts had stood the test of time. Sadly there a several brands that no longer exist but there are some products that remain staples in my home.

Whilst the Faith In Nature Cacao Body Wash has long since disappeared I'm still using their products. Currently in my collection I have the Jojoba and Avocado body washes and Dragonfruit hand wash. I've always found Faith in Nature to be a reasonably priced brand and these days you can find on the high street and local refill stores. I had paired up my original body wash review with a post about Nakd raw fruit & nut bars. I'm still a loyal customer and eat them on a daily basis. Current favourite flavours are Bakewell and Peanut.

I don't use Dr Bronner's as often as I once did but you'll still find it in my home as it's the best liquid soap to use for washing out makeup brushes. Over the years I found it a little too drying on my skin so for me, its main purpose is now household cleaning.

I'm still using Naturtint Hazelnut Blonde hair colourant but honestly I'm now contemplating whether it's time to ditch it and embrace the grey; only time will tell.

I can safely say that I'm still bitter that Alpro still haven't launched the Macchiato drink which I had on my trip to Amsterdam.

Konjac Sponges have remained in my life but I now only use the body sponges. Over the years I tried out several brands but we (my husband and I) are currently re-purchasing from Friendly Soap.

I'm still sadden to this day at the loss of Brownearth body butters. They were a favourite for a long time. You can of course find lots of decent green brands offering different variations of shea body butters either with this standalone ingredient or combining with others such as coconut or cocoa butter.

I'm can't quite believe that I first discovered Evolve Organic Beauty back in 2011. I remember the branding was very different back in the day. Evolve is definitely one of those brands that I revisit over and over again, dipping into products as the range has expanded. Currently I'm trying out the Bio-Retinol + C Booster and I've placed an order for the Bio-Retinol Gold Mask in the Boxing Day sales!

I remember using Organic Surge shower gels regularly back in the early years. I thought they were lost forever but recently discovered they re-branded to Organic Works (OW).

Oh my the photo on this post about TK Maxx is terrible but I wanted to say that I still visit stores looking for beauty bargains.

In my first month of blogging I wrote about my struggles with sun cream that was suitable for eczema prone skin. I just wanted to say that through many trials I eventually settled on Green People. This is a brand I had been using long before the blog started. It is very much a staple to this day. I am a fan of their scent free moisturisers and of course facial sun cream.

I hope that you have enjoyed this look back over 2011 and comparing it with 2022. At this time I'm not sure whether I'll continue blogging into 2023 but you can always find me over on social media if you'd like to connect.

Happy New Year to you all!

Sarah x

17 July 2021

Sukin SPF30 Sheer Touch Face Sunscreen Untinted and Tinted Light/Medium
(Gifted/Unpaid)

I was stalking the launch of Sukin SPF30 Sheer Touch Face Sunscreen and was happy when it came back in stock. I've documented my struggles with both physical and chemical sunscreens over the years. My skin is fickle with eczema, urticaria and allergies so I've found sun creams are likely to contribute to breaking me out in a rash. As I age I've become more aware of how my face catches the sun and the pigmentation it causes in my skin tone.

Our natural, sheer touch tinted sunscreen has been designed with daily use in mind, and heroes natural Zinc Oxide as the active ingredient for UVA & UVB broad spectrum protection. Our reef friendly formula is oxybenzone and octinoxate free and is non-greasy, doesn’t leave a white cast and is sheer to touch. Contains an antioxidant rich blend of Rosehip Oil, Green Tea and Cucumber to nourish the skin.

For those not aware Sukin is an Australian brand, their products are suitable for vegans, cruelty free and formulated with natural plant extracts. Sukin SPF30 Sheer Touch Face Sunscreen is available Untinted and Tinted in Light/Medium and Medium/Dark. 

Sukin suncreen does live up to the "sheer touch" in it's name. I do find the texture and consistency easy to massage into skin and it feels lightweight. Perfect under makeup and when wearing the Untinted version I pop my Madara CC cream over the top without feeling overload with products. The Light to Medium tint looks very dark straight out the tube but because it is sheer in texture I'm not left too orange. However I think it's fair to say it is a fraction too dark for my skin tone in comparison to Light Madara CC cream and I'm self conscious that it's not the right colour. 

From my perspective the downside to the sheerness in the tinted version is it doesn't provide coverage to imperfections. I feel as if I only reach for the Tinted version when I feel confident in my skin. You could of course rectify this issue by using concealer and finishing powder over top. 

I have seen negative feedback for the fragrance of Sukin SPF30 Sheer Touch Face Sunscreen. I'll be honest I quite agree it is not the best and I find it hard to describe but over time I just tolerate it. For me it doesn't linger too long, after the initial five minutes I'll only noticed it again when I wash my face. I guess you could say I've ended up becoming nose blind to it. The unpleasant smell is a minor inconvenience for me because I'm happy that this sun cream lacks fragrance allergens. If all the complaints lead Sukin to reformulate I hope that they could do it without including these types of allergens.

I think it's fair to say I'm torn between Untinted and Tinted both have their merits. I will say that I have noticed on days when I go into the office I reach for the Untinted and layer products over the top. Either way I'm pretty happy with these sunscreens as they don't feel heavy or sticky on my skin. I also feel that the price point is reasonable. I like that the Sukin sunscreen offers a higher protection (SPF30) as my beloved Madara CC cream is only SPF15. Also I'll add that Madara contains beeswax and I had been looking for a vegan friendly allergen free alternative for a long time.

If you have the opportunity to try Sukin SPF30 Sheer Touch Face Sunscreen then I would recommend testing it out. The Tinted version might be a little hit or miss depending on your natural skin tone. In the future perhaps Sukin might consider changing things up and adding more variety to the colour options.

Sarah

23 May 2021

Grüum SPF50 5* UVA Dermatologist Face Sunscreen
(Please Note - I purchased this item/ingredients were correct at date of publication/always check with company for up to date information as formulations can change)

UPDATE JULY 2021 - I have seen a few comments on Gruum's IG that their SPF is not Vegan as has been claimed on their website and in adverts. I understand the formulation is from Altruist and their FAQ page states "Given the interest in this issue we have investigated further and we know that the components are fully vegan except for Xanthan Gum as there are enzymes used during a fermentation process to get Xanthan Gum. The typical production process of Xanthan uses Iysozyme derived from the egg white of chicken eggs."

I was window shopping for a facial SPF and a well timed instagram advert from Grüum had me placing an order. Grüum sunscreen appealed to me for several reasons. It's fragrance free, cruelty free, affordable, with high UVA and UVB protection.

We built grüum on three core principles: Simplicity, Honesty and Fairness. We’re committed to creating clean skincare products that are kind to you, your skin, and our planet.

Yes, I too am here for the dinky cute bottle, it's a standard 50ml and you'll probably get through it quickly if applying every day. According to the FAQs it is a plastic bottle made from either HDPE or LDPE (caps from PP) these are recycled plastics but it is going to depend on whether your local council accepts it. I know that this will be a deal breaker for some readers.

Grüum SPF is lightweight and feels like a standard lotion. I have a pale skin tone and so I don't notice a white cast. In that respect it's much better than other mineral sun creams I've tried over the years. I think it's possible that it could also suit a deeper complexion and suggest it's worth trying out. I'm happy to apply my tinted CC cream over the top without any noticeable issue so I'll say this works well under makeup.

I've not experienced any breakouts or irritation and I'm happy to keep using Grüum facial sunscreen for the foreseeable. Obviously with the weather being shit at the moment and no overseas summer holidays on the horizon, I can't say how it holds up on a very sunny day. For day to day activities at home I'm happy with how it feels on my skin.

I recommend checking out the Gruum website - www.gruum.com for more information and to browse their other products.

Sarah x

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16 June 2020

Odylique natural and organic skincare and makeup
(Gifted Press Samples)

Many of you know that Odylique is one of my favourite skincare brands and I've spoken about their Gentle Herb Shampoo for many years. I thought it might be interesting to share with you other products because there is more to Odylique than hair care. Lets start off with a little background information for any new readers. Originally known as Essential Care, the business was founded by Margaret who started making skincare from natural ingredients to help her family's eczema problems and her own allergy prone skin. The company was launched in 2003 with daughter Abi, products are hand made in Suffolk and re-branded to Odylique in 2014.

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