It’s time! Natural skin care products in the UAE – part 4. This time it’s all about Konjac Sponges, Green People, Urban Veda, Rahua, Human + Kind and Figs & Rouge.
I’ve never been a big fan of shampoos that also double as a body wash, I’ve probably always been a bit suspicious of them really, how can they possibly do a good job for both hair and body when invariably hair and skin have different needs?! Despite my initial reticence, I gave the Human + Kind Shampoo & Bodywash and Conditioner a go and I have continued to use them for quite some time to give them a fair chance. Both the shampoo/bodywash and the conditioner have a lovely fresh apple smell, and the shampoo foams up nicely in my hair which sometimes isn’t the case when it comes to natural products.
Overall, they’re nice products and they do what they say on the tin without drying out my skin (or hair). I find them easier to use than some natural shampoos due to the good foaming ability, and I find the shampoo gives a deeper clean than some others of the au naturel variety so it’s especially good to use every so often for a more thorough cleanse if, like me, you like to have several different types on the go at the same time. 🙂 My only bugbear with these is the shape of the bottles. I really dislike bottles with these upside down caps as I find they just fill with water in the shower and it’s really hard to keep them clean and dry. But I suppose the upside of this is that you never have to face the exasperating situation of trying to figure out how to squeeze the last of the product out of the bottle, as gravity does that for you! Human + Kind products are available in the UAE in Boots.
I’ve used a few of the British natural brand Green People’s products previously and I’m rather liking them. On my search for an awesome natural deodorant I found this one, along with a new moisturiser I’d not seen before. Age defying and brightening you say? Well, then let’s give it a go!
I’ve been using the moisturiser every day for a few weeks now and I like it a lot. It smells great, it’s 87% organic and it moisturises but without leaving me looking greasy all day (especially important if I’m not wearing any make up which seems to happen more often than not these days!). But does it defy age and does it brighten? Well, I don’t know, the jury is still out on that. I can’t honestly say I’ve noticed any improvement in the appearance of my skin (or any less wrinkles!), but it is a lovely little moisturiser that absorbs well and leaves my skin feeling soft, and not greasy, and that’s enough to make me very happy with it.
As for the deodorant, to get straight to the point, I don’t hate it and I don’t love it. It does what it’s meant to and I’ve never felt stinky when wearing it or anything (which is probably actually a huge accolade for the product considering the climate we live in here in the UAE), but I just don’t really like waiting for it to dry. And to be fair, that’s not their problem, it’s more a foible of my own that I hate the wait – all that wandering around flapping my arms until it’s dry before I can get dressed without getting it all over my clothes. But, the bottom line is that it works as you’d expect it to.
You can buy both the Green People Deodorant and the Green People Age Defy+ moisturiser from Treehugger Company online.
I’ve noticed the Urban Veda brand lurking around in Holland and Barrett of late and thought it was about time I tried them out. It all looked a bit complicated to me – there’s different types (or doshas) for different skin types and a short questionnaire to answer to figure out which type is best for your skin, but that seemed like a lot of faffing about so I grabbed the leaflet to take home and examine further later, and the moisturiser that I liked the sound of the best.
And… what can I say, it’s a night cream. It’s lovely and smooth and thick, absorbs well into my skin, leaves my skin feeling soft and plump – what more could you ask for? Well, I don’t know what else you look for in a night cream but to me, this cream is like a relaxing bath in a jar. I love it. It smells absolutely amazing and I swear it has aromatherapy benefits, just the texture and smell of it transports me from my own bathroom to a luxury spa for a few moments. And that my friend, is a little piece of bliss that I am keen to be hanging on to.
Urban Veda products are available at Holland and Barrett in the UAE (Abu Dhabian’s there’s one at BAS Mall and one at Dalma Mall).
Ah, the Konjac Sponge. A little piece of natural magic in the palm of my hand. Konjac is a totally natural food source, a plant native to Asia and found growing at high altitudes so it’s completely free of absolutely anything nasty, any additives or colours, is biodegradable, and cruelty free. In fact, it’s pretty much about the purest beauty product that’s out there. It’s a lovely little sponge for facial cleansing (though you can also buy body sponges too), it’s soft and squidgy when wet and not much more to it than that. Just wet it, and wash your face with it. It’s like a gentle exfoliation without even needing to add any other products to it. You literally can just wash and go.
It leaves my skin feeling smooth and clean and is great for all skin types as it’s pH neutral so works with, and not against your natural skin type. If you suffer from dry skin, irritation, sensitive skin or just about any other skin complaint, if you only buy one thing for it – a Konjac Sponge should probably be it.
Konjac Sponges are available in the UAE at Holland and Barrett.
Rahua – I am loving Rahua products as you might have seen if you read my post about their latest product launches (find it here). So even after only getting my mitts on a little trial of the shower gel and body lotion, it’s safe to say that these little beauties are going to be on my Christmas list.
100% natural loveliness, totally fabulous and that’s it, I won’t waffle on. Just do yourself a favour and try ’em.
Rahua is on sale in Abu Dhabi at House of Fraser in Yas Mall and also now at Plethora Hair lab in Tyrano, Yas Mall.
And last but not least is my current favourite lip balm. I wrote about the wild cherry Figs & Rouge lip balm in my previous natural skin care post (read it here) and I loved it, the only issue was the I’ve not been able to find it since as it seems to be sold out everywhere! So I’ve been using the vanilla orange version lately which is colourless but has a cheeky little shimmer for a bit of extra oomph, and I’m pleased to report it’s otherwise pretty similar to the plain wild cherry version – nice and thick and stays put for ages.
Figs & Rouge lip balm is available at Boots in the UAE.
And I’ll leave you on that note for now! More soon 🙂