World Vegan Month - Lavera Cleanser and Toner Review

You know me, I love a good cleanser and toner combo and what better way to celebrate World Vegan Month this November than with a Vegan Society registered skincare routine from online eco retailer, Big Green Smile.

The Lavera Gentle Cleansing Milk is a creamy cleanser but it isn't thick - just thick enough to stay put on a cotton pad.  It is a very mild cleanser so is suitable for sensitive skins; I've found it effective at removing the general grime of the day from my face but I've yet to give it the challenge of a full face of make-up.  The active, soothing ingredients include organic almond milk and organic mallow flower.  I like it, its everything I look for in a cleanser and, combined with the Lavera toner, makes a perfect first step in my daily cleansing routine. This cleanser currently costs £7.50 at Big Green Smile for a 125ml bottle.

The Lavera Purifying Facial Toner is intended for oily to combination skin but I think it is gentle enough to use on most skin types.  This toner is packed full of ingredients known for their soothing and cleansing properties - ginkgo bilbao, witch hazel, aloe, grape and calendula.  It has a soft, planty scent and leaves my skin feeling gorgeous afterwards.  A great toner like this always leaves your skin feeling a little tighter than normal after its astringent properties (probably the witch hazel in this case)  closes down the pores to protect against dirt. Lavera Purifying Toner currently costs £7.90 for a 125ml bottle at Big Green Smile.

If you are looking for vegan-friendly skincare products then Big Green Smile have a whole host of products from moisturisers and make up through to toothpaste and deodorant.  There are also lots of cleaning products in the Vegan Society registered range of products that includes soap, laundry detergent and dishwasher powder.

Madara Cleansing Milk and Clarifying Toner Review - from MyPure #bbloggers #naturalbeauty #organic #review

Long time readers of Mellow Mummy will know quite how strongly I believe in my daily ritual of cleansing, toning and moisturising.  To me, a good cleansing milk and matching toner are two beauty staples that every mellow mummy should have in their armoury of beauty products.  And, likewise, loyal readers probably know that when it comes to skincare products I like to sing the praises of brands that (a) actually work and (b) offer a natural or organic alternative to the big high street names.  Madara skincare products tick both of these boxes for me.

Madara Clarifying Toner and Madara Cleansing Milk

Madara cosmetics are entirely natural cosmetics certified by ECOCERT. ECOCERT prohibits the use of synthetic perfumes and preservatives like parabens, mineral oil and propylene glycol. We have used Madara baby shampoo in the past and loved it but thanks to Mypure, this is my first opportunity to try out the facial skinscare range from Madara for adults.

Madara Cleansing Milk

I love this cleanser!

This Madara Cleansing Milk left my skin feeling fabulous after use.  It is thick, but not so thick it feels gloppy - it comes in a pump dispenser which worked well (often they don't!).  I applied the cleanser with my fingers and wiped off using cotton pads and I found it worked particularly well when finished off with the toner and my skin felt fabulously clean.

The active ingredients of the Madara cleansing milk include oat kernel extract and linden flower extract which are both known for their soothing properties and calendula which is not only soothing but cleansing too.  I thought the scent was gentle and refreshing which adds to the feeling of cleanliness.

The Madara Cleansing Milk costs £15 for 200ml at Mypure.

Madara Clarifying Toner and Madara Cleansing Milk

Madara Clarifying Toner

To me, a good toner has to be refreshing and zingy yet soothing - it has to leave my skin feeling clean and ready for action. The Madara clarifying toner is a nice and gentle lotion that definitely achieves my"refreshing" and "soothing" goals.

I found the product easy to dispense onto a cotton pad but it smelled a bit too much like witch hazel to me to meet my "zingy" expectations.  Interestingly the ingredients don't seem to include witch hazel but instead has active ingredients such as rose flower water, cucumber extract and oak bark.  Admittedly, I had to look the ingredients up online on the Mypure website as the text on the bottle was printed in the same colour as the green lotion inside so I couldn't read it!!!

The Madara Clarifying Toner costs £12 for 200ml at Mypure.

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Lloyds Pharmacy La Roche Posay - Toleriane Dermo Cleanser Review

It has been far too long since I've featured any skincare reviews on Mellow Mummy - sorry!  This is my latest skin saviour, the Toleriane Dermo Cleanser by La Roche Posay from Lloyds Pharmacy.

La Roche Posay is a well know skin science clinic and their cosmetics are a well-respected brand that I have known of for years, but never tried before - they are only available in pharmacies.  There is nothing fancy or floral about this cleanser, it is a very plain yet effective cleansing lotion that does exactly what it says on the tin, and does it well.

The Toleriane range by La Roche Posay is designed for intolerant skin; skin that may react in a number of different ways to some normal cosmetics through irritation, tightness or dryness and so it is important that there are no unnecessary ingredients which may irritate the skin.  My skin is currently very unpredictable so this really appealed to me.

I really enjoyed using this cleanser because it leaves my skin feeling CLEAN. Sometimes a cream cleanser can leave your skin feeling clean but heavy and you need to use a toner afterwards to clear it all off... but this Toleraine Dermo Cleanser is so light that afterwards, it feels as if you have both cleansed and toned at once. I think this is probably down to the use of thermal spa water as the base for the lotion and which is known to offer skin-soothing properties.

I use this cleanser as a daily cleaner for my skin and to remove make-up.  I use it neat on a piece of cotton wool but it is also recommended for use as a wash-off cleansing wash.  I love the feeling of my skin after use and I can see why this cleanser is recommended by dermatologists.

The Toleriane Dermo Cleanser costs £11 at Lloyds Pharmacy for 200ml which is very good value for a high-end cleansing milk.

Nurture Cosmetics Review

I always think that the ultimate test of a skincare range is to try their cleanser and toner products - the kind of product you use every day and from which you expect results. There is nowhere to hide when you make a daily cleanser and toner! Which is exactly why, when asked to trial the Nurture Cosmetics skincare range, I chose to sample the cleanser, toner and daily moisturisers.

Nurture Cosmetics focus on two different ranges - the 'Protect' range that I tried is suitable for protecting younger skin from the signs of ageing, particularly UV damage. The 'Replenish' range is formulated specifically for women experiencing the menopause.

I really like the Nurture approach to skincare - it is one very much aligned to my own skincare approach. Science for effectiveness of the product and research into the clinically proven effects of the products... and then Nature for the guidance of the ingredients to use. All of the products in the Nurture protect range are hypoallergenic (so suitable for sensitive skin) and free from fragrance, colours and artificial preservatives. I must say that having a fragrance free cleanser and toner is quite unusual for me and I did miss a floral summery feeling when applying them but there were no chemically smells so there was no scent that needed disguising!

Nurture skincare products are complimented by a food supplement designed to repair and protect your skin from the inside as well as using the products on the outside. I'll admit that I haven't yet tried the supplement as I am breastfeeding at present and already taking a breastfeeding supplement and didn't want to risk taking anything that might interfere.

I REALLY enjoyed using the Nurture Protect Soothing Cream Cleanser and Gentle Toner. The products are so simple, hassle free and no-nonsense. They do exactly what I need them to do. Keep my skin clean every day. At less than £5 each they are also very good value.

I tried both the Protect Night Cream and SPF15 Protect Day Cream. The day cream is ever so slightly lighter in texture but they were both very similar. Both moisturisers came in a very annoying pump bottle that I found hard to depress and which resulted in a splat of lotion on my hands and I was never quite sure what direction it would go in! I was disappointed with the Night Cream as I didn't feel wonderful when I woke up in the morning (something I have come to expect from a night cream) but the day cream was nice to use, if not noticeably effective.  At just under £11 each I still think they are a good value moisturiser that won't break the bank.

Nurture cosmetics can be bought online at www.nurtureskincare.co.uk.

Barefoot Botanicals Rosa Fina Cleanser Review

The Rosa Fina Nourishing Cleansing Milk is exactly what I look for in a cleanser; it is by far the best 'natural' skincare product that I've tried all year.

Barefoot Botanicals is a brand that combines science and nature. The Barefoot Botanicals Nourishing Cleansing Milk is a really effective cleanser which leaves my skin feeling really clean (in fact, the amount of gunk left on the cotton pad after I've cleaned my face is horrifying!). As an added bonus, the cleanser has a wonderful range of natural active ingredients.

The main headline ingredient is the rosa mosqueta oil which give the cleanser a gentle rose smell. Alongside this witch hazel and dandelion are there to purify, while aloe vera and jojoba are there to nourish and replenish. My skin almost gives an audible sigh of relief when I use it!

The product is described as suitable for normal to dry skin. Barefoot recommend it for sensitive or mature skin, fine lines, wrinkles and scarring.

The things I love most about this cleanser are:-

• The pump bottle makes it so easy to use and easy to keep clean


• The smell is very soothing and natural - EXACTLY what I look for


• The texture is not so thick that it leaves my skin heavy but not so thin that it absorbs before I can wipe it away


• It cleans my skin REALLY well

Barefoot Botanicals Rosa Fina Nourishing Cleansing Milk costs £20.95 for 125ml on www.mypure.co.uk.

Liz Earle Instant Boost Tonic and Skin Repair Light Review

  

Last month I fell in love with the Liz Earle Naturally Active Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. This month I decided to try out the next two steps of the Liz Earle Daily Essentials routine – The Instant Boost Skin Tonic and the Skin Repair Light Moisturiser. Would I be as equally won over?

The Liz Earle Natutally Active Instant Boost Skin Tonic is a toning lotion designed for use after cleansing. It is made using Liz Earle's interesting mix of science and nature (and approach to skincare that works wonderfully well for my Mellow lifestyle), with aloe vera, calendula, geranium, cucumber and vitamin E as the naturally active ingredients.

The Instant Boost Tonic has a really innovative bottle top that twists to provide a small opening out of which to dispense the lotion. I find the dispenser REALLY effective for putting the lotion onto round cotton pads. The smell of the Instant Boost Skin Toner is heavenly. Much more floral than the other Liz Earle products I have tried. The smell reminds me of baby powder or baby shampoo (which is weird because Lara and I have tried about 2 million baby shampoos and almost none of them smell this stereotypical!)

I know that lots of people dispense with the 'toner' stage of their daily cleaning routine, but for me, I've always found it essential. My face doesn't ever really feel clean until I've cleared off all the remaining bits of cleanser with a really light, fresh toner. The Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic doesn;t disappoint... it leaves my skin feeling clean and tight but with no lasting tingling. Exactly what I look for in a toner. It is gentle and alcohol-free (it's the alcohol which causes the tingling).

The Liz Earle Naturally Active Instant Boost Skin Tonic costs £11.75 for a 200ml bottle.

I'm finishing my current skincare regime with the Liz Earle Naturally Active Skin Repair Light Moisturiser. It has an autumny, earthy scent that I put down to the primary active ingredient – borage. Other naturally active ingredients include avocado oil, echinacea, beta-carotene and vitamin E.

The Skin Repair Light Moisturiser is suitable for combination or oily skin (which is my face, to the the T). It is a very light formulation so that it doesn't encourage the skin to produce too much of it's natural oils (thus causing greasiness).

My Skin Repair Light Moisturiser comes in a nifty pump (although the do also sell it in tubes). The pump is very effective (if you've read past reviews of mine, you'll know that I get easily stressed with useless dispensers!). Although I'm underwhelmed by the Skin Repair Light moisturiser in general, I have to say that it does seem to help my skin balance. I don't think I'd describe my skin as feeling 'moist' or 'young' but after using this moisturiser for a few weeks I have DEFINITELY stopped using the word 'greasy' to describe my skin... it seems to really have helped to balance my skin.

The Liz Earle Naturally Active Skin Repair Light Moisturiser for combination/oily skin costs £17.60 for a 50ml pump.

The Sunday Review – Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

I don't consider myself to be brand-loyal, especially when it comes to skincare products but very occasionally a catalogue drops through my door for cosmetics where I feel the urge to buy every single product in the entire range – the Liz Earle Naturally Active catalogue is one such range. Their products have a gentle mix of science and nature and are all so beautifully presented that I can barely resist.

I have been trying out the Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser and have been wowed. I always use a face wash in the morning; its a skincare routine I've had for years and works for me. The Hot Cloth Cleanser is a kind of face wash – a thick sumptuous cream dispensed by a pump which you then wash off using the specially designed linen cloth. This cleansing wash is by far the most effective I have ever used.

Liz Earle pride themselves on the simplicity of their products; each of them features three or four headline natural ingredients that are chosen for their specific natural actions. The Cleanse & Polish cleanser features rosemary, chamomile, cocoa butter and eucalyptus oil and it is these ingredients that contribute to the distinctive earthy aroma. The scent is quite savoury for a skincare product but I love it – it reminds me of autumn mornings.

After you have rubbed a couple of pumps of the cleansing cream into your dry face you 'polish' it off with one of their pure muslin cloths that has been soaked in hot water and then wrung dry. It is such a simple thing (and to be very honest, you could use any soft mulsin cloth, there's nothing magic about the Liz Earle one) but it is so effective. The comforting steamy moistness of the hot cloth against your face is invigorating and you can feel your pores opening and saying “aaah”. The gentle scrubbing of the linen fabric feels great and afterwards... well...

...My skin, after using the Cleanse & Polish cleanser in this way, feels clean like it has never felt before. It really does feel like every molecule of dirt has been lifted from my face. I've even tried the cleanse and polish routine to remove tinted moisturiser and mascara and it was incredibly effective (mind you, I did have to put the cloth straight in the wash afterwards).

Liz Earle Naturally Active Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser comes in a 100ml (£13.25) or 200ml (£23.45) starter kit with two muslin cloths and a zip-up bag. I've just found out that they do a monthly subscription service... *drops big hints to Mr. B.*

I love it.

The Sunday Review - Senzimi Skincare

I am really enjoying my journey of discovery of sensitive skin care products - I had no idea that there was so much choice available when I first developed sensitive skin this time last year. I've recently been trying out Senzimi products.

Senzimi have lots of great information on their website about the causes of sensitive skin and the things you should look out for on ingredients labels if you are a sufferer. Their products are paraben free, sulfate free and mineral-oil free (which is one of the things that causes my skin irritation).

The Daily Cleanser is a wash-off cleanser which means it leaves you skin feeling really squeaky clean. Because it is free from synthetic fragrances, I found that it lacked that bit of zing that I look for in a wash -off cleanser to help me wake up in the morning. I didn't feel any greasiness after using it but then again, my skin didn't feel amazing and I know that there are wash-off cleansers out there that can really make your face feel taught, bright and ready for the day.

The Daily Moisturiser is very easily absorbed (despite looking a little oily on my fingertips). It is designed to help soothe irritated skin and reduce the effects of UV damage so it is a great long-term moisturiser. I didn't notice any dramatic differences to the way my skin felt after using it but I certainly didn't feel any ill effects, any irritation or redness. I actually have grown to really like this as a daily moisturiser for wearing from the start of my day all through my working day as its light and doesn't sit heavily on my skin. The fragrance is a little over-powering though.

The Daily Moisturiser boasts some wonderful ingredients such as the miracle-working argan oil, rose hip oil, oat extract, cucumber extract, aloe vera and olive-oil derivatives. All lovely ingredients that I shall leave to do their work on me!

Senzimi products are available to buy on their website www.senzimi-skincare.com.

Images courtesy of New Chapter