Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Living Nature Rescue Gel Reviews

Review of Living Nature Rescue Gel
Caroline S

Packaging: Living Nature Manuka Honey Rescue Gel is packaged in the simple yet stylish Living Nature colours of cream and black, this product comes in a flip-lid bottle which is sturdy yet soft enough to squeeze when dispensing gel. The flip-lid design allows for the hygienic dispensing of product and seals out excess moisture from steam in bathrooms.

Application: Although described as a gel, this Rescue Gel is a slightly runnier and more liquid formulation than you might expect. As a result of this, when I initially tried the gel, I ended up accidentally squeezing a huge blob of it all over my hand. It appeared to be of an almost liquid face wash consistency and it spread very easily across my skin. Whilst initially I thought “how am I going to get this to stay in place on my face?” I was then shocked at how quickly it dried into a gel and finally a clear, transparent sheet over my skin.
One of the first things that you notice about this product is the smell. If you are familiar with other Living Nature then it will be familiar to you, however for first time users of the brand, it may initially come as a shock. The scent is very, very strong. It doesn’t have a sweet-honey smell as you may expect but rather an earthy herbal scent. Personally I find it a refreshing, natural and healthy smell but I accept that it might not be for everybody. It does linger for a long time – but I always take that to mean that my skin is getting a long and continuous dose of goodness!
I tested out the gel on a patch of mild sunburn on my nose and a couple of hormonal pimples on my chin. The spots were large, red and angry and the gel was extremely easy to apply without irritating the skin even more. I dabbed a blob of gel onto each spot with the tip of a clean, dry finger (although you could use a cotton bud) and because of the fairly liquid consistency, it flowed over the contours of the spot and settled where it should without any need to rub or poke. The gel sets very quickly, leaving your skin matte and smooth with no trace of the product apart from the scent. Applying it over my nose, I was relieved to see that it didn’t sink into my open pores and make them more visible. It gave an instant cooling and soothing effect on my sunburn whilst also providing a moisturizing and protective layer over the skin. Once on, you can’t feel it at all. There is no heaviness or stickiness – the only feeling that remains is a gentle cooling sensation, which is absolutely lovely on sore or irritated areas.
It also has great staying power. I am a restless sleeper and my face rubs against my pillow and my hair in the night – yet I found that the Rescue Gel was still in place on my skin when I woke up in the morning, having applied it at bedtime the previous night.

Ingredients: The hero ingredient, Manuka honey, has strong anti-microbial, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. It is up to 33 times stronger than Tea Tree essential oil in killing certain strains of bacteria and also protects the skin at the same time. It helps to clear away dead skin cells whilst healing and locking moisture in to new skin. New Zealand Flax Gel reduces redness and inflammation, soothes and hydrates, in addition to its own antibacterial properties. Tea tree oil and grapefruit seed extract are also known for their anti-bacterial properties, whilst vitamin E is necessary for the skin to heal and renew.
water, manuka honey, manuka oil, sclerotium gum, grapefruit seed extract, New Zealand flax gel, vitamin E, xanthan gum, tea tree oil

Results: Although I have used other Living Nature products over the years, this is the first time I have ever tried manuka honey as a spot treatment. I usually stick to a treatment of witch hazel and tea tree oil but have found recently that it is too drying on my skin, so finding Living Nature Rescue Gel was a revelation. It is incredibly soothing – on my spots and sunburn it took away the tightness and itchiness that I normally experience around inflamed areas of skin. It also calmed the redness in my spots far more quickly that I expected. The core of the spot itself probably stayed for around the same length of time as it usually would BUT the difference is that it didn’t look as if it was there. So, in terms of visibility on the face, I certainly appeared to get rid of my spots much faster.
I will certainly use it in the future on any sore, chafed areas of skin or on heat rashes as well as sunburn and spots.

Pros
Instant cooling sensation
Very soothing on irritated skin
Reduces inflammation
Invisible and matte on skin
Applies beautifully without the need to rub
Dries almost instantly
Long-lasting
Economical as you only need to use a little

Cons
If you can’t get used to the distinctive smell of Living Nature products, you will find them incredibly difficult to use as the scent is strong and it lasts for a long time

Living Nature Rescue Gel (£10) and Living Nature Products are available at naturisimo.com

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Natural Being Night Cream Reviews

Natural Being Manuka Honey Night Cream

By Zainab C

Packaging: Natural Being Manuka Honey Night Cream comes in a tube which is practical as it reduces product wastage. It doesn’t specify if the packaging is made from recycled materials but it is recyclable. The design is minimal and neutral stating the brand, how to use and store the product. The ingredients aren’t listed on the actual tube.

Application: The cream goes on well but needs rubbing in as it isn’t absorbed into the skin very quickly. The cream also has a very strange smell to begin with but this disappears once it’s on the skin. My skin felt well nourished, smooth and moisturised straight after applying the cream. I found that the product seemed to get used up quickly even though I only used a small amount each night.

Ingredients: There are many luxurious ingredients in this cream including shea butter, manuka honey and carrot oil. Natural Being uses Manuka Honey throughout the brand. The product is BDIH certified, so has mostly natural ingredients.

Results: My skin was left feeling clearer, nourished and less red when I woke up in the morning. It also looked calmer and less blotchy

Pros:

Skin is left clearer and nourished and calmer

There are great natural ingredients

The packaging is practical and recyclable

Cons:

The product has a strange smell

The cream has to be worked into the skin which takes a while

The product was used up quickly even though a small amount was used each day – you would probably have to re-purchase after 2-3 months of use

Natural Being Manuka Honey Night Cream (£8.50) and Natural Being Products are available at naturisimo.com