T is for Toner: Natural Being Manuka Toning Gel

I have a confession: I like toners, but I can ignore them easily as well: sometimes I believe my basic cleansing is enough. But unlike some opinions, I think they really can do something for the skin, or even your mood.

Gel-toners are fairly new to me. I think they are a bit like the Japanese Emulsion steps: not a real water but thin enough to pass as an in between real cleansing and serum/daycream. So when I saw a natural variety with Manuka in it: I got it!

So I've been going more natural/organic lately for specific reasons. I love the planet and think even one person can make a change, but foremost it has been vanity and sensitivity. But let's check out the sustainability of the product first: 

I went in easy #hashtag mode to sum up the benefits: #truebeautyfromwithin but #greatskincarehelps. Also #respect4Nature & #Nicetobunniesetc.

The #antimicrobial function is also perfect for acne-prone skin. Manuka is an absolute powerhouse on this function and the native Australians even put it on their wounds. I've once layered it over Pixel-lasered skin (gone quite wrong) and it really calmed & healed.

 

Review:

• the gel-form feels soothing on the skin
• adding the manuka adds to calming down
• the gel-texture helps in removing everything the previous cleanser did not remove
• without stripping skin from natural/protecting oils
• the rest of the gel will dry: aka similar as most Japanese Emulsion steps.
• Mid-range price
• smells light like a hint of honey and a tad of something zesty (probably the geranium)
• Good ingredient-list:
  
  Conclusion:
  I used it when my skin had been really sensitive and it really made a difference in toning it down. And after it has done that, I kinda forgot about it (like I said in the beginning about toners). Which in a way means that it does work, because I will not need it as often. However, I think I should be more consistent about using this as it will only strengthen my skin in the long run and will help into getting less sensitive too.
  
  
  Availability:
  You can get it straight from their website and read more about their philosophies too.

Nourish Relax Hydrating Peptide Serum

Budget & curiosity led me to a new serum: Nourish Relax Peptide Serum

 

Budget because I gotten a bit tired of spending fortunes on serums. Curiosity as I needed a soother for the winter that could still multitask as an anti-ager...

I think I am not the only person who likes their skincare to multitask. 

Thus, the promise:

Also, the tripeptides sounded interesting:

Thus, not only promises this serum to sooth the skin, but it plumps up by Hyaluronic acid and the Carrot extract will lighten up hyperpigmentation.

That's a three-step multitasker.

a lovely sturdy plastic bottle with easy pump applicator

The Relax serum is composed of 85% organic ingredients.

As for the ingredients:

 Highly listed is the Carrot Root Powder.  I never knew that Carrot Root Powder would be a natural lightener. When I googled it I found some information on Carrot Oil and that is supposed to be an antioxidant, calming on irritated skin and anti-ageing due to the carotenes and Vitamin A (source).

The box-mentioned Tripeptide or Palmitoy tripeptide-5 is to stimulate "tissue growth factor that stimulate the collagen in the skin" (source).

Lavender is a natural antiseptant that also is a soothing component in aromatherapy.

Result:

I have been using up a whole bottle during month of November and I really like it. My skin behaved quite good without getting its normal over-sensitivity under Autumn weather conditions. Now is this not my only tool to try to keep my skin calm: I eat various superfoods lately, including extra omega oils & taking more MSM-supplements. Also, I have been tuning in with precious oils for the skin -> De Mamiel Autumn Oil I will discuss soon. 

Then again, the application of the serum should be good and not-irritating at first touch. It really feels like a soft serum and absorbs quickly. The scent is as good as neutral with a slight hint of lavender: important for the sensitive ones. And yes, my skin is more soothed than normally.

As for anti-ageing: I think it makes my face smoother and some beginning lines less pronounced. I really missed it when I finished it (I reordered quite fast). 

I do not have that much hyper-pigmentation anymore so I cannot say it really lightened it or if winter and lack of sunshine stepped in. Still, my skin looks brighter and more even.

Moreover, it collaborates really nice with my other skincare (even not from the same range) so its not only a multitasker, also a co-worker.

Conclusion:

It tackles no 1 on the priority list (soothing) and multitasks it way to step 2 (anti-ageing) and 3 (hyperpigmentation). And that for about €20...

Availability:

I bought mine on naturissimo and you can also buy it on their website

Soothing Stuff

My vocabulary of the title is not that sophisticated for today. I simply wanted to continue on one of the most basic but oh so necessary aspects of skincare: soothing. Mainly, you can aim to target ageing, blemishes, dryness or any of the other unperfectnesses skin can offer us, but if the skin is acting up a tantrum, the main step should be soothing.

I've talked about Tammy Fender Repair Cream in the previous post, so let's take a look at two other potions targeted for soothing:  Dr. Alkaitis Soothing gel (left) & Healgel Intensive (right):

 Of these two the Healgel is the most popular one, and has bettter availability. Dr. Alkaitis is the organic one and can be found in more specific shops online & offline.

This element of the non-organic (and non-natural) can be found in the ingredient list of the Healgel:

 Its prime ingredient is dimeticone which is a silicone-esque derivant. I do not want to give silicones a bad name, as some silicones can be intensely useful in makeup and skincare (Primers anyone?).  However, the extensive list has some nice natural components and some more unnatural components. Personally, I'm no expert but I questioned COSNA and they gave ingredients Phenoxyethanol, Linalool & Linalene the yellow light and Chlorhexidine Digluconate the red light.

That is my sidenote to it. The main concern is that it should work what it is targeted for: SOOTHING.

I think it gave a nice balmy, sort of lighter silicony feel on the skin. However, when I needed it to work really well (that peel) it was not effective enough.

So how about Dr. Alkaitis Soothing Gel?

list from spiritbeautylounge

 Ok, my unexpertise eye already notices some goody ingredients in it that counteracts redness and are soothing: Aloe Vera, Witch Hazel, Chamomile, Lavendel and Atlantic Kelp. The experts of that same COSNE site is even more confirming about soothing ingredients (here) and every ingredient gets the green light.

Dr. Alkaitis Gel has a brownish serum consistency that is absorbed in the skin quite fast. It smells slightly herbally. I do recommend an extra (soothing) cream over it to combat possible dehydation.

Ok, I do not want to make a speech about the benefits of organic skincare, so I cut to the case: IT WORKS...or, it's soothes. I didn't use this with the effects of my last peel, but it was really effective during a sunburn of last summer when I forgot to reaply the sunscreen.

Conclusion: For real skincare issues, I prefer the dr. Alkaitis Gel. The Healgel Intensive feels more like a normal skingel or sometimes I use it as a softer primer (because of the dimeticones).

My Beauty Dairy 2-Step America Soothing Pack

I love my sheetmasks...I once learned that sheltering the skin from the outer elements while doing a masks enhances it's effectiveness, and sheetmasks have this element included by covering the face with a cloth.

My Beauty Diary has already been one of my favourite brands. Trying out their 2-step system was on my wishlist, and I picked the America variety as I normally need soothing and calming the most during this time of year.

There are other continents represented with their properties as well: eg. Africa being hydrating, Asia being brightening and Europe being clarifying.

I can understand why Asia would be connected to brightening (as brightening and having lighter skin is high on most Asian skincare-user's wishlist) but I wonder why America got soothing. Perhaps Obama being reelected and trying to sooth the world economy into better states?

Sasa explains it that the ingedients connected to being soothing are found in (North-)America: "marigold, cotton, mimosa, echinacea plant and Crafts essence". But, the cheaters, there is also "organic bamboo water from the mountains of Asia" being found in there. 

So what is so 2-step about this system. Simply, you use the sheetmask first, and apply their taylored face-cream afterwards.

The quality of their sheetmask is like most of the MBD varieties: although I found that it tore quite easily when I tried to place it differently on my face.

sheetmask: nothing unusual

The second step, applying facecream, wasn't the most handy way for me: (Uhoh)

step 2: cream pours out when making a small tear...not too handy

I think this step is not really necessary when having done step 1 (the sheetmask). I found my face to be calmed and hydrated enough. Nevertheless, it is a wonderful step for the dryer skintypes out there.

VERDICT:

• designed for soothing? Yes, it has a calming effect on the skin and didn't irritate it (and I'm quite sensitive on the field of skin lately)
• scent: a bit of a mild chemical cucumber...I almost wanted to say "an American cucumber" as I smell this type of "cucumber"-scent a lot in American body-products. It is really light and not obtrusive. However, the people looking for a fragance-free mask will probably have to skip it.
• anti-ageing? Not really. Although lessening irritation can also qualify as "youth-defending". However, priorities have to be made with skincare and if your skin gets red/irritated, then diminishing that element is often more important than anti-ageing. However, there are products on the market that do both, such as Ren Hydra-Calm Youth defending serum
• 2 step necessity? Not really to me, but I use the moisturizer separate from the sheetmask and try to remember to make a really tiny tear.
• Hydrating properties of sheetmask? plenty serum/liquid. The mask is still moisturizing enough after 20 minutes of use.
• Size Sheetmask? It is on the smaller side on the width of the face. I'm from North-Europe and I wonder if broader face-types can fully cover the whole width of their face.

CONCLUSION:

It's a lovely mask and it's quite soothing. It's scented lightly. I personally think the 2-step is a bit gimmicky, but the extra face-cream (somewhere between lotion and cream) is nice and penetrates easily. I think the quality of the sheetmask itself is a bit thin and I think it could have been designed a bit wider for the Asian market. Nevertheless, I think My Beauty Diary has delivered a wonderful mask that keeps it's promise of soothing, and the names attached to the use to the continent is really cute.

AVAILABILITY:
I bought my package on sasa (here) for $18.70