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

In a nutshell, toning isn’t an essential part of a routine. The main purpose is to remove final traces of dirt after cleansing but, unless your face gets incredibly dirty, that seems a bit pointless if you’ve cleansed properly. It’s also claimed that toners close pores after cleansing, but I’m not really sure they do this any better than simply splashing your face with cool water.

All that said however, the decision to use a toner is a personal one. I like how it makes my moisturiser go a bit further when if I apply it when my skin is still damp. I also think toners are great for spritzing onto a tired face throughout the day.

I think it’s important to take a look at what kind of toner you use as well. When you think of toner, an alcohol-based product with a variety of ingredients probably comes to mind. But a toner doesn’t have to be this complicated or harsh. Plain floral waters (or hydrosols) are a lovely alternative resulting from the distillation process of essential oils and are particularly good for people with sensitive skins. You can pick them up pretty cheap too!

I have a variety of toners to hand, which I switch between depending on how my skin is feeling. For regular use, I use a mild astringent to take care of my oiliness. I have a bottle of rosewater which I use for refreshment as needed. Finally, I have an alcohol-free mineral water and aloe based mist which is very soothing on hot, inflamed skin.   

So in conclusion, I personally like to use a toner, if not for the primary reason of being ultra-clean. It’s not a necessity and I don’t think my skin would care if I stopped using one, but it does enhance the use of my moisturiser and keeps me feeling fresh throughout the day.

Source: Online Goddess

Is Toning Really Necessary?

Ingredients: Coconut Fatty Acid Cream Base, Witch Hazel (natural herbal extract), Natural Grain Alcohol, Organic Aloe Vera, Calendula Oil, Mucopolysaccharides; Extracts of Fennel, Hops, Balm Mint, Mistletoe, Camomile, Yarrow, Horsetail, Coltsfoot and Nettle; Inositol, Panthenol (Vitamin B-5), Aubrey’s Preservative (Citrus Seed Extract, Vitamins A, C and E), Amino Acid Complex (Cysteine, Methionine), Balsam Oil, Goa Herb

I’ve used this product as my safety backup for over a year now. Whenever my face is going through troubled times, the gentle formula takes care of my skin while still keeping it moisturised. 

Initial Impressions: I first got to try this product as part of Aubrey’s Travel-A-Go-Go pack which was on special offer. The trial size version came in a little bottle, but the full-size is a more traditional squeezy tube as pictured above. The product itself is a very lightly scented white cream. 

Application & Results: I like to squeeze out a little bit of the cream onto my palm, rub my hands together and apply all over the face. It’s very light and absorbs into the skin almost immediately. Initially, it feels a bit cakey and dry, but this effect disappears within a couple of minutes. There is a faint, warm oaty scent which lingers for a short time after application.

This product is very gentle and doesn’t aggravate any skin issues I might be experiencing. I particularly like to use it when I’m hormonal and other products can be a bit too heavy. My only quibble would be that, despite being an oil-balancing product,  I do sometimes feel oily again a few hours after use especially around my t-zone.

Review Conclusion: This product is an absolute essential in my cabinet, even though I don’t use it all the time. It’s not too expensive and it lasts a really long time. I would heartily recommend it to anyone who has skin on the oilier side and prefers a gentle formulation that is kind to sensitive skin. It also works particularly well with the toner, mask and cleanser in the same range.

Source: Online Goddess

Review: Aubrey Organics Natural Herbal Maintenance Oil Balancing Moisturizer

I shall also be writing about mineral make-up from Purity Cosmetics and adding reviews for products I’ve been using long-term. :)

Source: Online Goddess

Exciting November Updates!

In early October, I posted about a blotchy red rash which had appeared on my right cheek. I attributed this indirectly to a nasty infection which I had at the time (and am still recovering from), however it’s been showing no sign of clearing up. I’ve plastered a variety of natural and non-natural products on it during the day, the most effective being sudocrem and calamine lotion, but they only control the intensity of the redness.

A couple of days ago, I decided to completely stop using the Suki moisturising products and return to my old routine of Aubrey Organics Toner and Oil-Balancing Moisturiser with only my microfibre cloth and water for cleansing. The rash has already calmed down and appears to be getting smaller. 

I’m obviously very disappointed that I’ve encountered this problem with Suki, especially as I’ve bought several full-size products and they don’t come cheap. I’m almost out of the serum, but still have roughly half the velvet creme and the toner left. I did use some of the lemongrass cleanser yesterday and it doesn’t seem to have aggravated the rash, so I’m hoping I can at least continue to use that.

I’m guessing that perhaps the Suki products may be too rich for my skin and/or I’m using them too often. I did cut down from toning/moisturising twice a day to only once, but it made no difference.

Hopefully returning to my old routine will clear this up for good – I’ll keep the blog updated with any news.

Source: Online Goddess

Suki – Not So Good For Me After All?