Canadian Skincare

Oh My Garden - Balancing Facial Oil

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Although we think that ageing gracefully is a beautiful thing, we always use a daily skincare to enhance and protect our complexions at The Amazing Blog. As this is our favourite time of year to use face oils, today we are featuring a new brand Oh My Garden with their natural Balancing Facial Oil.

Oh My Garden is a Canadian natural beauty brand. The story began when after spending almost, a year following a 10-step skincare routine, the founder Togzhan Jumagulova was astonished to learn how much plastic was used in these products. As a researcher with a PhD, her curiosity led her on to research further the effect not only on the beauty industry but on the environment. She was horrified to learn about the microplastics and silicone build-up, plus the toxicity levels of some synthetic compounds, and the unsustainable practices within the beauty industry. She wanted to make a difference, which is when in 2019 Jumagulova created this skincare line of Oh My Garden. The brand’s goal is to provide environmentally conscious and scientific-based ingredients for the consumer that are natural, vegan and cruelty-free. As Jumagulova says, “Beauty is more than maintaining good looks. It’s about self-care, it’s a ritual of self-love. It’s about staying healthy and saying “thank you” to our bodies. Textures, subtle natural aromas, colours, and packaging - everything we create we design to add vibrancy and excitement to your everyday life.”  Oh My Garden believes that skincare should be an expression of self-love and the Balancing Facial Oil here is one of four products in their collection.

This Balancing Facial Oil can be used by all skin types; however, it is formulated for combination and oily skin. The golden oil used just by itself gives the skin a glorious glow. The main use of this oil is to balance sebum production in the skin. The skin’s response to dry skin is to produce more oil for the moisture lost, which then results in oiler skin, leading on to more problems. Jumagulova explained the benefits of using this Facial Oil: “This might sound counterintuitive, but the great solution for this issue is rightly chosen facial oil. The plant oils form a breathable occlusive layer that stops water from evaporating and also gradually restore the skin barrier and calm irritations. As a result, the skin stops losing the moisture and the sebum production naturally regulates back to normal.” Let’s look at the key ingredients starting with the Abyssinian oil which is rich in an array of vitamins such as B1, B2, A, B6, E and C. It is considered one of the best moisturisers because it locks in hydration and eliminates dead skin giving a youthful look. The argan oil contains antioxidants such as polyphenols and vitamin E, which help brighten the skin and protect the skin from sun damage (although you still need to use sunscreen). Meadowfoam seed oil’s most significant benefit is to bring balance to the skin (our photo above is with the Meadowfoam flower). Squalane can help with hydration, boosts collagen giving the skin a firmer feel, and contains anti-inflammatory properties that reduce redness and swelling. The raspberry seed oil helps control oil production, fights against wrinkles and acneSea buckthorn oil helps skin elasticity and regenerating cells. The prickly pear seed oil contains high amounts of antioxidants which can help prevent skin damage, ageing and breakouts. Tocopherol (AKA vitamin E) has properties that defend the skin from pollution and environmental stressors. Ylang-ylang here is considered an essential oil and in skincare, it regulates oil production while soothing irritation and inflammation. Similarly, tea tree oil soothes redness and is also an antimicrobialThis Balancing Facial Oil is lightweight and absorbs quickly, the fragrance is neutral, if anything we detected a slight delicious nuttiness. We applied a few drops directly to the face, which we then massaged gently in. It didn’t feel ‘oily’ at all, in fact, now the sun strength has gone and we’re moving towards winter, we’d be happy to use this alone (or under SPF), it also makes an excellent primer for makeup. To purchase a 30ml bottle Oh My Garden Balancing Facial Oil for $45 see here.

Carina Organics - Unscented Natural Body Deodorant

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We at The Amazing Blog know how important it is to stay fresh while living our busy and sometimes hectic lives. Whether we are running daily errands, going to the gym, or travelling; we all want to feel protected from unpleasant odours. We also love discovering new brands that have natural or organic products that are vegan friendly, not tested on animals and free from nasty chemicals.  That’s why we tried and tested this fragrance -free natural deodorant for sensitive skin Unscented Natural Body Deodorant by Carina Organics

Carina Organics is based in Vancouver and aims to provide 100% natural products, completely free of synthetics, parabens, fragrances, gluten and dyes. Founded by Helmut Gollner, who migrated from Germany to Canada and whose passion for homeopathic skin and haircare led him on this journey to launch Carina Organics. Since Carina’s inception in 1972, its main focus and philosophy is to create self-care products by replacing chemical ingredients with natural and organic ones. Gollner believes that nature provides the means to keep our skin healthy and beautiful, which is why  Carina takes great pride in their formulas and the quality of the ingredients they use. All of Carina products are manufactured by hand on the North Shore of Vancouver, where they produce a wide range of hair, face, body and baby care.

We chose to review their Unscented Natural Body Deodorant, as one of our bugbears is heavily fragranced deodorants. Although we all like to smell fragrant, it can also conflict with our chosen scent of the day; i.e. a heavily scented floral deodorant clashing with a delicate fresh cologne. What we love about Carina’s Unscented Natural Body Deodorant is that it’s produced using only natural and non-staining mineral salts. It protects the skin for up to 24 hours, leaving it fresh and odour-free, making it impossible for bacteria to develop. Made of only three simple ingredients: Filtered water, potassium alum, and pine extract, this deodorant is hypoallergenic, 100% biodegradable, cruelty-free and vegan.  Applied with 5-6 pumps of the spray under each arm or on any other desired area of the body, it dries quickly and is long-lasting. The Unscented Natural Body Deodorant was sent to us via Live in the Light, a UK online store which distributes their products. With a holistic approach, Live in The Light believes that skincare products that we use in our daily regime have an impact on our health, and supplies only high quality natural and organic products, just like this Unscented Natural Body Deodorant which you can purchase here for £13.50.