A lot has happened over the last 12 months, in short I have moved out of my teeny little terraced house in the busy town, relocated to the gorgeous Suffolk countryside and am currently 7 months pregnant with our first baby – whew!

Unfortunately, the seborrheic dermatitis on my face still has yet to disappear, hence my reluctance to try (and thus review) any new skin care products. In fact, it has sadly spread to both cheeks from nose to ears now and has made me quite self-conscious about my appearance. The (potentially) good news is that I’m currently using a soap called ZNP Bar I’ve imported from the US which seems to be really helping. I’ve had brief improvements in the past, so I’m not going to get too excited until it’s made a long-term impact.

So, onto the question of what to do with this site. Well, I still get a lot of visitors checking out past reviews and I’d like them to stay available for the benefit of consumers. I still want to do product reviews, but I’m not going to be able to do ones for facial products at the current time.

This doesn’t stop me from trying out body care goodies though, and thank goodness as I do enjoy a bit of pampering now and then. Plus, with baby on the way I want to get myself acquainted with the whole new category of natural and organic stuff that’s available for little ones and mums.

I’ve already been using some delicious products during my pregnancy, so look out for reviews of those starting within the next couple of days (maybe I’ll even get the first one up this evening!). I may also double-up with a bit of antenatal and postnatal blogging instead of the usual ranting about my dreadful skin lol.

Source: Online Goddess

And She’s Back!

Hubby gave Winton a ring to let them know. We weren’t really expecting anything, just wanted to let them know that it may have been because the goods were sent in a jiffy bag rather than a cardboard box and thus they got squashed somewhere in transit. The chap he spoke to apologised and arranged to send out a replacement as soon as possible.

Well, with it being Easter this weekend, I expected it to arrive next week sometime. So I was pleasantly surprised to hear the postman knocking at our door at 10am this morning – the package had been sent Special Delivery! For those unfamiliar with UK mail services, this means guaranteed next day delivery before 1pm. What’s amazing is that this costs over £6 – the item itself was only £6.99!

There were a few Aubrey Organics samples in the package as well, including some aloe vera gel which I’ve used before and liked very much. It was all very securely wrapped along with a note to say that Aubrey Organics bottles would be checked in future. I doubt there is a design flaw in the bottles as I’ve used a great deal of Aubrey’s products in the last couple of years and never had a problem, so hopefully Winton and their customers will not experience any further issues.

So a big thank you to the staff at Winton Health Foods. It’s unusual to see a company go above and beyond at customer service these days. I heartily recommend giving them a look – Aubrey Organics is only one of a large selection of natural and organic brands they sell and the prices are better than many other stores too. You can buy from them online in two different ways:

Website: http://www.wintonhealthfoods.co.uk
eBay Store: http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/wintonhealthfoodsnaturalskincare

Or, if you happen to live in Winton, Bournemouth or the surrounding area, they are at 33 Withermoor Rd. I’d visit myself if I didn’t live 200 odd miles away. :D

Source: Online Goddess

Thank You Winton Health Foods!

Ingredients: Purified water, geranium water*, jojoba oil*, corn-based emulsifier, thistle oil*, borage oil*, vitamin e, manuka oil*, rosemary antioxidant*, geranium, juniper*, lavender*

Usually I go for products exclusively for oily skin but as I’ve been experiencing a fair bit of dryness on my face lately, it’s been a good time to try a moisturiser for combination skin.

I’ve seen Pai Skincare in my online travels and read some very positive reviews, so it’s exciting to test one of their products.

Initial Impressions: The cream comes in a glass bottle with a soft-pump dispenser packaged in a cardboard outer box. It’s very silky and the geranium scent is lovely. 

Application & Results: The product goes on very smoothly and sinks in quickly without leaving any oily residue. I found it gave my skin a matte feel and appearance and sat very nicely under my mineral foundation. The scent lingers for quite a while afterwards which is great as I love geranium and find it very uplifting.

It seems to give very similar results to my Aubrey Organics cream which I’m very fond of as you’ll know from my earlier review. I think this cream smells nicer and I prefer the pump bottle, but it is more expensive ml-for-ml. 

The cream doesn’t seem to do anything for my blemishes, though it doesn’t aggravate them either. Though Pai also have a cream for sensitive skin, I’d say this is very suitable too. 

Review Conclusion: This is a very nice product, well presented and pleasant to use. For me, it’s ideally suited as a day cream, especially under make-up. I give it four hearts as it doesn’t quite beat my Aubrey Organics moisturiser, but it is an excellent alternative.

Source: Online Goddess

Review: Pai Geranium and Thistle Moisturiser

I still have a rash on my right cheek, though it has changed due to some drastic intervention on my part. About three weeks ago, I was feeling really low and wondered about using my prescribed corticosteroid on it. I was worried the doctor would just throw another emollient at me, so I did some research online instead and found that five days was a safe maximum to use the stuff.

I applied a tiny amount in the morning and noticed an improvement after only one day. After the full five days, the rash was barely noticeable. I was chuffed to bits! I then switched back to a regular moisturiser and was thrilled to find it wasn’t getting worse again, however, the area was almost unnaturally smooth which was very weird.

About a week later (last Thursday) I woke up, looked in the bathroom mirror – and nearly fainted. The area was bright red and covered in pimples and had a horrible thick and scabby texture to it. I was intending to go into town that day, but no amount of makeup would cover it and I was too horrified to go out looking so awful. It was so bad that I even had a panic attack and my hubby decided to book  me an emergency appointment with the GP.

They could only fit me in at the end of the day and then I had to wait half an hour. This turned out to be a complete waste of time as the doctor was unsympathetic and chastised me for taking the corticosteroid. Turns out I have “Steroid-Induced Acne”. I then asked him for the referral to the private derm and he refused, telling me I needed to take tetracycline antibiotics for at least four weeks first and possibly up to six months!

So, I left the surgery and promptly had another panic attack in the car park. I didn’t bother collecting the prescription as I have no desire to go on long-term medication without a proper in-depth consultation. As the GP was very rushed and didn’t bother asking about my extensive history I was not comfortable with his treatment recommendation.

Anyway, fortunately the private derm has agreed to see me without a referral. I just need to remember as much of my medical history as possible when I attend. 

I’ve been using Sudocrem on the acne for the last three days now and it’s clearing up very nicely. Now there’s only a pale red patch, the pimples have gone. I’m using a natural moisturiser at night to (hopefully) prevent the eczema coming back. With any luck, by the time I see the derm my  face will have cleared up and I’ll only need to speak to him about my long-term eczema and seborrheic dermatitis.

I’ll keep the blog updated with my progress, in the meantime I have an overdue review coming up for you over the next few days. :)

Source: Online Goddess

Still Here Folks!

I received some lovely plant wax candles, neroli oil and an aromatherapy spa kit which I’m really chuffed with. 

I’d love to hear what readers got for Christmas, so feel free to comment and let me know. :)

Source: Online Goddess

Merry Christmas!

I’ve never had anything like this before. My hearing is muffled and the pressure behind my eardrums is extremely uncomfortable. Oddly enough, I’m fine in all other respects – no sore throat or blocked nose etc. 

To top it all off, that blasted rash has flared back up again. Maybe it’s because I’m under the weather, but I’m really upset as it was showing signs of finally clearing. I could go back to the GP, but I don’t feel very enthusiastic about that, largely because I’ll probably get fobbed off with yet another emollient. I would be extremely happy to never see another paraffin-based product ever again.

I’ve bought myself some more rose cream from Earthbound Organics as it’s been one of the most helpful products I’ve used for blemishes. It arrived on Saturday, but the postman couldn’t fit it through the letterbox and I haven’t had time to collect it today. I’ll get hubby to grab it on the way into town tomorrow.

A friend has recommended a good private dermatologist, but I won’t be able to afford that until at least February. It’s nice to know I have the option though. In the meantime, I’ll have to grit my teeth and bare it or, more likely, just not leave the house lol.

Source: Online Goddess

Oh Joy, I’m Sick Again

Ingredients: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron & Zinc Oxides

I’ve been happily using mineral foundation for a while now, so it’s always a pleasure to try out a new brand.

There are quite a few companies out there specialising in mineral make-up these days, so what makes this one stand out? Read on and find out!

Initial Impressions: The first thing I thought was how beautifully packaged this foundation was. It comes in a very expensive-looking thick glass sifter jar presented inside a nice little gift box. As with all mineral foundations, it doesn’t look like you get a lot of product for your money, but believe me there’s plenty.

Application & Results: This powder feels a bit silkier than the one I’ve been using from Lily Lolo. It goes on very smoothly and only a small amount is necessary for good coverage. It didn’t clog up around my nose or eyes and I wasn’t shiny after several hours wearing it.  

I usually go for the very lightest shade available being that I’m practically porcelain (to the point of people thinking I’m ill), but Emily from Purity suggested the Nude shade which is actually their third lightest shade. I was a bit nervous about this, but it turns out her recommendation was perfect. The shade matches very well and even gives me a bit of a warm glow that my previous foundation did not.

I noticed that ultramarine blue isn’t used in the Purity range, which is unusual. While this doesn’t appear to be a bad ingredient, I have heard of some people being sensitive to it, so I can only commend Purity for keeping right down to the basics.   

Review Conclusion: I have to say I’m very impressed, so much so that it’s usurped my previous favourite from Lily Lolo and garnered a five heart rating. My only negative would be that it’s sightly more expensive, but considering how long mineral foundation lasts, that’s not something which would put me off.

Source: Online Goddess

Review: Purity Cosmetics Mineral Foundation

This probably wasn’t the best idea as I then spent the next four days worried sick. I came off the mini-pill a few weeks ago and now my period is late, so I was praying that this all tied together and was just a case of messed-up hormones. I never realised just how something like this can affect a person, even though I knew the odds were in my favour. I spent a lot of time looking stuff up online, learning about what might happen if the news was bad.

I checked the lump multiple times a day, hoping it would suddenly have gotten smaller or even disappeared. I have never wanted to cancel a doctor’s appointment so badly, but I knew I’d never be able to relax if I didn’t go through with it.

Turns out all my worrying was unnecessary though. The doctor said it was absolutely normal and likely to be just fatty tissue. She was very reassuring and and thorough, even checking at my other breast and my armpits. I was certain I was going to get a hospital referral, but the doctor was very confident the situation would resolve itself. She did advise me to go back and see her if I was still worried after my next period had finished.

So that’s my week. It’s certainly given me a scare and shown me things in a new light.

Source: Online Goddess

Putting Things In Perspective

I’ve no idea what the rash actually was in the end, but I noticed two stages to it’s disappearance. The first period when things started to improve was when I applied Maia’s Omnibalm several times a day. Though the rash didn’t get any smaller, it did stop feeling hot and tickly. I think my skin might actually have been broken underneath the surface and the Omnibalm helped it heal.

Still believing the rash to ultimately be an oily skin problem, I then switched to using my rosewater toner and Aubreys Oil-Balancing moisturiser on it. 24 hours later, the rash was less red and had started to dry up. As the moisturiser had not irritated me at all, I decided to try Aubreys matching “wet” clay mask just before bed. Amazingly, the rash looked even better still the morning after.

I now use the toner 2-3 times a day and the clay mask in the evening, which I leave on for up to an hour. The rash now looks like a couple of small red patches which will hopefully disappear entirely over the next couple of days.

Incidentally, although I say my skin isn’t flawless, it is looking the best it’s ever done as an adult. I currently have no acne at all and the few marks that were left from previous outbreaks are fading.

Now let’s just hope things stay this way. :)

Source: Online Goddess

Hello Flawless Skin

I was initially drawn in by the lovely selection of essential oils that the range uses and the simplicity of the formulas. I also discovered that Maia products don’t contain beeswax – olive wax is used instead – and I was keen to see how effective this alternative ingredient was.

As I’ve tried out a total of seven products from the range, I’m going to do another mega-review, so make yourselves comfy and read on! :)

Satin Cream Balm
Price: £15 for 30g or £7.95 for 15g
Rating:
Link: http://www.maiaskincare.co.uk
Ingredients: Apricot oil, evening primrose, coconut oil, avocado butter, starflower oil, jojoba, calendula oil, olive wax, mowrah butter, Vitamin E, essential oils of lavender, petitgrain, frankincense, neroli, palmarosa, geranium

Initial Impressions: All the Maia products come in lovely dark glass jars with gold text labelling. I didn’t realise how heavy they are and how expensive they feel until I was holding one. They are certainly very nice and look like something you would find on a posh department store counter.

The balm itself is a rich, oily pale yellow cream with the lovely scents subtly standing out and complimenting each other very well.

Application & Results: Initially I was concerned that it may be a little greasy. Although this seems the case as soon as it’s applied, it sinks into the skin very quickly and leaves my skin feeling pleasantly plump and soft. It doesn’t apply so easily if my face is damp, but I’ve found that spritzing with toner afterwards helps it sink in even better and feels really nice too. It’s very, very concentrated, so only the tiniest amount is necessary.

I’ve had a persistent acne mark left over from a brief breakout on my left cheek some weeks ago which finally seems to be fading thanks to this.

Review Conclusion: I particularly like how this product provides a nice balance of moisture without leaving an oil slick on my face and I don’t need to use anything else with it. Being a concentrated balm it’s also going to last me a lot longer than a cream equivalent, so I think it’s very good value for money.

Revival Radiance Clay
Price: £12.95 (35g Clay & 30ml Activation Oil)
Rating:
Link: http://www.maiaskincare.co.uk

Ingredients: Radiance Clay: Kaolin, Kaolinite, Illite (Clays), Goats Milk Powder, Raspberry, Pineapple, Organic Lavender buds, Organic Chamomile petals

Activation Oil: Rice Bran Oil, Hazel Nut Oil, Jojoba Oil, Papaya Oil, Natural Vitamin E

Initial Impressions: The clay is a light powder and also comes in a nice glass jar. The oil is in an accompanying glass bottle. The first thing I noticed when opening the lid was the subtle fruity scent which is really pleasant. Clays tend to be a bit boring in themselves, so it’s nice when they smell good too.

The oil doesn’t have a very noticable scent, but is fresh and clean.

Application & Results: According to the instructions, the clay can be used in a variety of ways – as a mask, or a scrub or a more intensive facial treatment. The first time, I used it as a regular mask with plain water. I must say I really enjoyed using this clay for several reasons. Firstly, I love a proper messy mask and this doesn’t disappoint – it gets nice and “muddy”. Secondly, it tightened up really well making me feel I’d had a very effective detox. Thirdly, it didn’t make my skin feel hot and itchy afterwards like clays sometimes do.

The second time, I used it as a scrub with the activation oil. The oil is thick and makes the clay plump up a bit more than when used with water. It felt very luxurious and makes a nice treat for tired skin.

Review Conclusion: I really like this clay, it’s fun to use and didn’t irritate my skin at all. Although the oil is definitely nice, I prefer using it as a mask with plain old water. Currently the product comes with both the clay and oil together, but it might be handy if the clay could be bought separately as well as I will undoubtably run out of this first.

Skin Boosting Serum
Price: £17.97 for 30ml or £6.97 for 10ml
Rating:
Link: http://www.maiaskincare.co.uk

Ingredients: watermelon seed, passionflower oil, hazelnut oil, squalane, jojoba, starflower oil, Vitamin E, Essential oils of helichrysum, lavender, frankincense, palmarosa, neroli, English chamomile

Initial Impressions: This was the product I was actually most excited about. I was hoping for a cheaper alternative to the Suki serum and I was hoping this would be it.

The serum is available in two forms – a regular pump bottle and a handbag-size rollerball of which I tried the latter. This comes in a stylish glass bottle that neatly matches the rest of the range. The scents of neroli, lavender and palmarosa come through and are pleasant but subtle.

Application & Results: The product goes on just like a roll-on perfume. It glides on smoothly and only a quick stroke is needed to apply a suitable amount.

Using a rollerball isn’t the easiest way to apply a serum all over the face, so I used it on a few flaky patches and also under my eyes. I have a slight blue tinge there which annoys me and I noticed the first morning after use that this seemed a little less obvious. The skin itself also seemed a bit plumper.

It didn’t do so much for my flaky patches, but that’s probably because they are oily flakes rather than dry ones. I tried it all over my face a couple of times, but I experienced some tiny blotches the day after.

Review Conclusion: This isn’t going to be the replacement I’d intended it to be as I think it may be a little too rich for general use on my face. Also, I’m very happy using the Satin Cream Balm on it’s own. However, I am impressed with the effect it had under my eyes, and it’s not just me speaking – a friend who suffers from dark circles and bags gave it a try and noticed a difference too. 

Really Clever Cleansing Balm
Price: £15.97 for 50g or £5.95 for 15g
Rating:
Link: http://www.maiaskincare.co.uk

Ingredients: Coconut oil, apricot oil, jojoba oil, evening primrose oil, mango butter, olive wax, papaya oil, carrot seed extract, essential oils of rosemary, palmarosa, litsea cubea, Himalayan cedarwood, juniperberry

Initial Impressions: I have a sample pot of this, but it usually comes in one of the lovely glass jars with a spatula. I really love the smell, the essential oils chosen are gorgeous and work extremely well together. The product itself is a solid, but squishy, yellow balm.

Application & Results: I’m not really a user of cleansing balms, in fact this is the first one I’ve ever tried. I liked how it softens and melts as soon as it starts being worked it into the skin and it felt so nice that I didn’t really want to take it off. It wipes away easily enough with a microfibre cloth or a regular flannel, but I did still feel ever-so-slightly like I had something left on my skin.

Review Conclusion: I don’t have any basis for comparison, but it is a very nice product. I’ve given it a neutral three hearts as this is something I personally wouldn’t use on a regular basis, but it could be an enjoyable part of a pampering session and is certainly a good option for those with drier skins (or at least not uber-oily like me).

Omni Balm
Price: £14.97 for 50g or £5.95 for 15g
Rating:
Link: http://www.maiaskincare.co.uk

Ingredients: Rice bran oil, calendula oil, coconut oil, avocado butter, olive wax, evening primrose oil, carrot tissue oil, essential oils of chamomile, helichrysum

Initial Impressions: I have a handbag-size pot of this and it comes in a miniature version of the regular glass jars. The first thing that hit me was the sweet scent, it’s quite strong but not at all unpleasant. The balm looks like an oily yellow cream.

Application & Results: Once applied, I found the balm to be more like a serum as I gently rubbed it in. It’s very silky and though it’s quite oily it feels surprisingly light. I suspect this has something to do with it containing olive wax instead of beeswax and I really like it.

I’ve been using it on the flare-up on my face for a couple of days and I’m pleased to say it hasn’t aggravated the condition. It’s so much nicer than the paraffin-based cream my doctor prescribed me, but seems to be just as effective.

Review Conclusion: I bought the handbag size because I wasn’t sure if I would use this product – emollients, however nice, are usually too rich and heavy for me. I was pleasantly surprised at how suitable this product is for my skin, despite it’s intensive moisturising properties and I will very likely buy a full-size jar when this one runs out.

Christmas Wishes Home Fragrance Oil
Price: £5.95 for 10ml
Rating:
Link: http://www.maiaskincare.co.uk

Ingredients: Pure natural essential oils of Sweet Orange, Cinnamon, Clove Bud and Cypress

Initial Impressions: It’s almost that time of year, so I thought I’d treat myself to this very apt little bottle of fragrance presented in an essential-oil style dropper bottle. A quick sniff reveals the fragrance does indeed smell very festive. Hubby said it reminded him of mince pies and I thought it was like Terry’s Chocolate Orange. :D

Application & Results: I popped some in my oil burner yesterday evening and sat back to relax. The scent is really nice, not too strong and lingers for a little while after the candle goes out.

I’ve gotten the urge to put my tree up now. :D

Review Conclusion: I don’t often buy room fragrances as they can often be tacky and/or too strong, but this is a nice simple mix of oils that work well together. Presumably this will only be available for a limited time, so if you’re interested you might want to order some in quick. :)

Turkish Delight Bath Melts
Price: £3.95 for 8 Melts
Rating:
Link: http://www.maiaskincare.co.uk

Ingredients: cocoa butter, shea butter, sodium bicarbonate, citric acid, coconut oil, polysorbate 20, geranium, kaolinite, lemon, *citral, *citronellol, *geraniol, *limonene, linalool (*found naturally in essential oils)

Initial Impressions: The melts come in a pretty gold giftbox and are wrapped in tissue paper. I opened the box and the gorgeous aroma of geranium instantly rose up to meet me. The melts are a good size and look a bit like sweets and coupled with the amazing smell, I really wanted to eat one. But I didn’t, which was probably a very wise idea.

Application & Results: The box says to add one or two to a bath so I decided to start minimal and popped one in while it was running. It sank to the bottom and started fizzing away, letting the scent out and releasing a film of oil onto the surface of the water. It took several minutes for the melt to completely dissipate and I didn’t need to use a second one. In fact, I reckon I’d be just as happy with only half of one, there seems to be a very generous portion of ingredients stuffed inside.

The bath was quite slippery and the water’s surface was very oily. After thirty minutes relaxing, I was well and truly moisturised and smelled absolutely fantastic! I felt great for the rest of the day and my bathroom still smelled of geranium the following morning.

Review Conclusion: I truly didn’t expect to enjoy these melts as much as I did. I felt incredibly pampered during my bath which led to me feeling completely de-stressed for the rest of the day. At £3.95 for 8, these are an absolute steal. I’m really keen to try the other bath bombs and truffles in the range now. :D  

While I’m writing this, I also want to point out how much I like the Maia website. I’m a real sucker for detail when it comes to knowing what’s inside things and I absolutely love how there is so much information on the individual products. Not just boring old ingredient lists, but key benefits and usage tips all in a clear well-laid out format. There is also a separate ingredients glossary and articles on how best to use natural products, plus a blog with updates on new and upcoming products.

If you nip on over to the website, you’ll find that Maia is also currently offering a 15% discount on your first order when you sign-up for the newsletter. In the meantime, I’m off to rest my weary fingers. :)

Source: Online Goddess

Review: Maia Skin Care Range