SOS - SPF 50 Sun Serum

Despite only being allowed outside our homes for a limited amount of time, at The Amazing Blog we know how important it is to protect skin from the dangers of the sun. Today we're talking about SOS SPF 50 Sun Serum where they use only simple, effective non-irritating and simple ingredients. Regular readers may remember that we wrote about their hero product the gentle cooling and repairing SOS Serum here.

Scientist and chemist, Bruce Green founded SOS Serum and has contributed to the formulations of many cosmetic brands in the UK & North America, and he also sits on several EU advisory committees. With a long dedication to the skincare industry, although he is now semi-retired, his fascination with skincare still continues, particularly with his understanding of skin sensitivity which is a common problem for most people. Which is why he set out to focus and create on his own range of skincare with this issue in mind. All of the SOS products are made in the UK and are cruelty-free and vegan.  

Based on science, this unique SOS SPF50 Serum formula is significantly higher with the SPF and has fewer ingredients than its rivals. Not forgetting to mention that in our experience it's hard to find a high SPF sunscreen that is designed for all skin types, including extremely sensitive or eczema-prone. This is where SOS SPF 50 steps in, it’s made primarily with a combination of mineral-based filters (zinc oxide & titanium dioxide) and plant stem cells, which protect the skin from the harmful rays. With its key active ingredients such as soybean stem cells to help reduce wrinkles and increase the skin's firmness and vitamin E to soothes and calms, these two essential ingredients attack free radicals on the skin, whilst protecting skin from further sun damage. 

SOS SPF 50 Serum has a non-greasy and white-free application suitable for the face or body and all ages (including children), the product is also fragrance-free, without parabens, SLS, or mineral oil. Sun protection isn't the only benefit; with the moisturising hyaluronic acid (vegetable - low molecularweight) it can help eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, bites, wind-chapped and sun-damaged skin or allergic flare-ups. The product blends directly onto the skin and without a trace and with the leaf extracts combined with peppermint provide immediate relief upon application.  We recommend using this product in the morning for day-long protection, it's easy to use and perfect for providing good moisturising relief. The retail price for the 50ml serum is £15.00 and found here. 

There are three other products in this line such as the SOS H2O Day Serum with anti-ageing properties, the SOS Protect a broad spectrum hand sanitiser and SOS Serum (which we previously reviewed) for skin repair.

Facialderm Advanced Neurocosmetics – 05 Anti-Pollution & Anti-Stress Serum and C1 Anti-Ageing & Anti-Stress Moisturiser

We all experience different skincare issues from time-to-time either with redness or dehydration, which can be triggered by environmental issues or stress. Today at The Amazing Blog we’re excited to introduce to you Facialderm, who have begun a skincare evolution with their innovative neurocosmetic range and patented technologies.

Founded in 2004, Facialderm’s parent company Sensalia Labs prides itself on bringing the future to cosmetics. Recent winners in The Beauty Shortlist Awards 2020 for Best Beauty Breakthrough Brand (innovation), they offer unique formulas based on new technologies in neuroscience which are then applied to their skincare. After all, the skin and the brain are connected. In simple terms, they explain: “Stimuli perceived from the outside through nerve receptors in the skin, are transmitted to the brain and processed by it for interpretation.” These are related to wellness and energy, which in turn focus on the reduction of facial stress.  Facialderm has a range of five customisable serum boosters and two creams all of which are formulated with Neurophroline™. This is an inhibitor for the production of cortisol, the stress hormone and acts on its consequences such as accelerated ageing, flaccidity of the skin and decreased luminosity. Neurophroline™ is an extract based on tephrosia purpurea, a plant native to India and also a key ingredient in Ayurvedic medicine. Let’s talk about the technical stuff: The Neurophroline™ in Facialderm’s products claim to reduce up to 70% of cortisol production in just two hours. Neurophroline™ also increases up to 163% the amount of beta-endorphin released by the cells, a natural and pain-relieving peptide. All products have natural ingredients, where they refer to them as ‘earthceuticals’ (concentrated plants) and ‘seaceuticals’ (concentrated sea plant) power.

We tried the 05 Anti-Pollution and Anti-Stress Serum which is detoxifying and moisturising with antioxidants and vitamins to protect the skin from dehydration, solar radiation, pollution and REM/blue light. Apart from the Neurophroline™, there are antioxidant plant extracts ginseng, apple, peach, wheat and barley;  as well as marine glycogen (protections against blue light) and vitamin B5 which activates cell regeneration to soothe itching, redness and irritation. Suitable for all skin types, we applied 3 - 4 drops alone (or you can mix with another product in the line), it absorbed quickly leaving skin feeling soft, we also liked the slightly fruity/ginseng fragrance.

We then combined this with the C1 Anti-Ageing & Anti-Stress Moisturiser which is best suited for normal to dry skin. Its ingredients include hyaluronic acid, chrondrus crispus (an extract of red algae), providing cells with the energy necessary for their metabolism to aid the process of regeneration and tissue repair. Caviar extract also helps to slow down the ageing process, and rice extract to help with cell longevity slowing down the process of cell senescence. The cream feels luxurious, almost whipped in texture; regenerating and soothing on the skin it left skin our supple and hydrated. We applied day or night after using the Serum and massaged into the skin to promote absorption.  We like that this can be customised with any of the Facialderm Serums as a ‘booster’ in the cream too. The 05 Anti-Pollution & Anti-Stress Serum 30ml, can be purchased here for £34.95, and the C1 Anti-Ageing & Anti-Stress Moisturiser 50ml for £34.95 can be purchased here.

These dermatologically tested, and cruelty-free products are packaged in bright colour-coded glass bottles and jars. As mentioned previously, this intelligent skincare range can be personalised to target specific skincare issues, while the advanced neurocosmetic technology uses their Neurophroline™ to limit the production of stress hormones. Best of all, it’s available at a very competitive price point!

Les huilettes - Mon huilette night

After a long and tiring day, we at The Amazing Blog can’t think of anything better than taking off our makeup and applying a soothing night serum. What makes  a night serum stand out for us from other skin care products is that they’re jam-packed with ingredients that nourish and brighten your skin while you sleep. We can never get enough of serums, as each one has specific properties to enhance the skin, such as anti-ageing from les huilettes we are referring to, of course, their very special mon huilette night serum. 

The brand was started in France in 2015 by two long-time friends, Pascale Gal and Claire Auzouy. Gal was a pharmacist with a degree in Aromatherapy while Auzouy had a background in luxury gastronomy. Gal desired to ‘return to a simpler beauty, essential and without sacrifice, summed up in a few principles and gestures’. The pair combined their unique experiences to start a cosmetics company that is 100 per cent natural, vegan, and botanical. Les huilettes is also committed to the environment and partnered with Up2green Reforestation, a French nonprofit organisation that helps replant fruit trees in communities affected by deforestation. 

The Mon huilette night serum is made for all skin types to smooth and enhance your skin’s suppleness. Overnight, it leaves your skin looking more radiant overnight and repairs any signs of anti-ageing such as wrinkles and skin dullness. The formula of a ‘plant synergy of essential and vegetable oils to be effective without fluff’makes the night serum stand out. Essential oils like Italian helichrysum have an anti-inflammatory benefit while myrtle and bourbon geranium have therapeutic aromatherapy effects to enhance positive well-being. Argan and avocado oils deeply moisturise and plump your skin while prickly pear cactus prevents the formation of premature wrinkles and lightens dark circles. These elements result in a light-feeling oil serum that melts evenly into your face and neck and doesn’t make you feel greasy. 

A little goes a long way, and you only need 3-5 drops per use. You should purposely but gently massage the serum into your freshly cleansed face for optimal results. However, for extra pampering and an at-home massage, we suggest you watch their serum application video here . On top of it all, rose and white flower leave a tangy and therapeutic scent on your face to relax you before bed. You can join ‘tribe of huilettes’ and amp up your night skin care routine by purchasing the mon huilette night (15ml) here for 45€

Utopia Skincare

As our readers of The Amazing Blog will know we're always striving for perfection - well, perhaps only in our dreams! So when we heard about ‘Utopia Skincare’ we wanted to see if the products really lived up to their name... Made in the UK, Utopia Skincare was created by Chris Smith, an award-winning skincare formulation scientist who invented the patented anti-ageing antioxidant complex used in the renowned Boots’ No7 Protect and Perfect Serum. It has been specifically designed for women with mature skin, to help prevent signs of premature ageing before, during and after menopause. What make this range unique is cutting edge 'Adaptive Skincare Technology' which uses ingredients that literally adapt to the skin’s particular needs. The range also contain a pollution defence formula which claims to protect the skin from 'harmful environmental aggressors' that speed up the ageing process.  What makes Utopia’s product line stand out for us, is their Derma Complex which is a combination of eight ingredients that work together to create a more youthful looking complexion. This complex is able to penetrate down to the lower levels of the dermis and restore collagen and elastin fibres, thus reducing and preventing the appearance of wrinkles. All of Utopia’s products are collagen boosting, pore refining, paraben free, and silicone free. They are also suitable for vegans and vegetarians. 

The first of the three products that we were sent was their Hydrating Day Cream. This advanced formula  contains retinol, SPF 30 and UVA protection to help prevent sun damage and other pollutants. Our skin definitely felt more hydrated throughout the day, but what really appealed to us was that it contains a lot of ceramides, sterols and other skin lipids; also the SPF in the cream which gives extra protection under make-up. It is easy to use, simply apply a pea-sized amount to your face and neck each morning. It also works well as a primer and lets the foundation just glide smoothly on.

The second product was their Nourishing Night Cream; this cream works to restore the skin to its optimum hydration level overnight and also removes dead skin cells. When applied to the face, the cream is instantly soothing, giving improve firmness and elasticity, we also liked the texture and smell. It works deep down at the dermal-epidermal and has three star ingredients; these are exopolysaccharide, vitamin E and ceramide-rich oat oil. Exopolysaccharide helps to rebuild skin, vitamin E absorbs toxic free radicals, and ceramide-rich oil brings hydrates the skin.

The final one of our trio is the Instant Firming Eye Serum it treats the under eye area, which is probably one of the most challenging areas of the face to repair. Utopia Skincare has formulated this Serum to help reduce dark circles, crows feet and puffiness. It contains pepha-tight to immediately reduce under eye bags, neodermyl which combined offers the best of the latest anti-ageing technologies. Utopia claims that when used over the course of two weeks, it has the same wrinkle reducing effect as that of a collagen injection! We can't vouch for this, but it did leave the eye area of our Exec Ed's plumped up and smoother.

You can purchase a 50ml tub of Utopia’s Hydrating Day Cream here for £34. A 50 ml tub of Utopia’s Nourishing Night Cream here for £34, and a 15 ml tube of Utopi­­­a’s Inst­­­­ant Firming Eye Serum here for £27.

AQ Skin Solutions

Here at The Amazing Blog, we know how over time our skin can suffer, so we are always looking for new products that help bring back that youthful glow. So when we received the  Eye Serum and Active Serum from the award-winning Californian skincare brand AQ Skin Solutions, we couldn’t wait to try them out. AQ Skin Solutions was created by Dr Ahmed Al-Qahtani who formulated this range by using cutting-edge technology (detailed here). He was inspired to start AQ Skin Solutions from conducting extensive work in medical applications of Growth Factors (GF) for healing wounded tissue and creating artificial skin grafts.

We first tried out the Eye Serum, the benefits of this product include smoothing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, brighten the appearance of dark circles and reduce signs of puffiness around the eye area. What we particularly like about this moisturising formula, is that it feels gentle on the skin, they say that it also won't irritate even the most sensitive eyes. The concentrated GF technology blend stimulates collagen production for increased firmness, while several smoothing peptides help tighten and lift the skin. Through activation of the skin’s own damage repair processes, fine lines and wrinkles are smoothed. It increases micro-circulation and lightens the under-eye area and helps to clear up eye bags and dark circles. The product is non-greasy, which means it won't clog the pores. We also like the handy 15ml bottle and the sleek packaging.

We were also lucky enough to receive the Active Serum. The serum also contains stem-cell derived growth factors to renew and accelerate skin cell regeneration. This helps erase the signs of ageing and environmental damage for a firmer, smoother complexion. Daily use of the serum helps minimise the look of fine lines and wrinkles. We used it not only on our face but also on the neck and decolletage areas too. The GF technology contained in both of these products is also being used successfully for encouraging healthy hair growth, reducing the appearance of scars and shortening the healing time of burn wounds. They say about using this serum: "Optimal improvement to your skin is generally not reached until six weeks of daily use." We only managed three weeks, but were pleased with the results.

We're happy to say, that by using both these products our skin felt softer, eyes looked brighter and it helped to give us back a more glowing complexion. All AQ Skin Solutions products are paraben, sulfate and phthalate free as well as cruelty free. You can purchase the Eye Serum here for £99 and the Active Serum here for £157.