Gluki Organics Lip Balm

The Gluki Organics Lip Balm formed part of a set of items I was lucky enough to win with a Life Retreat online competition in  2016. The Gluki range of products are both Cruelty Free as well as organic certified! 

The Lip Balm consists of a small tube of lip balm, with a screw on lid. Mine came packaged in a small sleek box.

At first I was very reluctant to stick the little tube in my handbag. After all, my previous experience with these types of containers were that they would leak once it gets hot, leaving my entire handbag a sticky mess. I am impressed to say that this packaging is about as secure as a bomb shelter. I had this in my various handbags right through the hottest parts of summer. Lets face it, 2017 was a scorcher! If it survived through the multiple heatwaves you can be guaranteed that this tube is safe, secure and leak proof.

The actual products is a cream, unlike solid chap sticks. It is a creamy white in color, something I attribute to the Mafura Butter in the product. I quite like the natural color.

The balm itself includes Shea Butter, a fantastic ingredient for collagen regeneration and skin protection. The Mafura Butter is amazing as it moisturizes without clogging pores. It also has wonderful Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Bacterial properties. 

From my experience, the balm goes on smooth, to form a protective, moisturizing layer. Due to the inclusion of Stevia it does have a sweet taste. Some individuals claim that it has a bitter aftertaste, but I have not had that experience. Personally I find it quite lovely. 

During the insane summer heat the ingredients do tend to separate to form an oily layer on top. In the colder parts of winter the balm is a bit hard, which makes it difficult to apply. However, both of these problems can be resolved by massaging the tube a bit so that the ingredients mix. 

All in all I absolutely love this product. Its gentle on my sensitive skin, moisturizing and smells absolutely delicious. 

You can buy the Lip Balm directly from the Faithful to Nature or Life Retreat for approximately R65.00. 

https://www.faithful-to-nature.co.za/gluki-mom-s-lip-balm

https://www.liferetreat.co.za/

Photo by Gluki Organics. 

African Extracts Nourishing Night Cream

Night cream. That overly expensive beauty product that most of us can't afford. Usually greasy with the fun end result of waking up with a pillow plastered to your face. 

Well think again! As with the majority of African Extracts products this beauty cream is absolutely divine. With Rooibos and Chamomile it is gentle on even the most sensitive skin and absolutely non-greasy. Enriched with Jojoba Seed Oil, Vitamin A, B and E5 this night cream is nourishing and repairing with a lovely moisturizing effect.

The cream has a very soft Chamomile scent which I absolutely love. For such a small tube it lasts quite long. My pillow does not stick to my face and it doesn't aggravate the evil face demons that come with sensitive skin. 

My only down side on this product is that it still left some areas of my skin dry and patchy. As my problem areas contain skin that is damaged due to a chronic skin condition that just won't bugger off I can't really blame the cream for the persistence of the flaky bits. Not even the prescribed medical products I have used in the past will clear it up! 

I would definitely recommend it as a gentle night cream for teenagers or individuals with sensitive skin.

The African Extracts products can be found at most standard grocery stores. At approximately R62.99 for a 75ml tube its affordable and easy to find. 

http://shop.pnp.co.za/b2c_pnp/b2c/display/(cpgnum=2&layout=5.1-6_2_4_86_92_8_3_3&cquery=african%20extracts&uiarea=3&carea=%24ROOT&cpgsize=12)/.do?rf=y

African Extracts Exfoliating Facial Scrub

I am one of those wonderfully unfortunate people who can't call their skin sensitive. The best description for my skin is mildly possessed. Without a weekly ex foliating regime it turns to full blown demonic possession.

There was one serious problem with standard ex foliating scrubs...well other than the whole problem of testing on cute little bunny rabbits. Plastic. You see, the majority of standard cosmetic companies use tiny bits of plastic in their ex foliating products. These end up in our water supply. Which ends up in our rivers and oceans. There have been increasing cases of this plastic ending up in fish, molluscs, dolphins and whales. Serious pollution, almost invisible to the naked eye, and deadly to aquatic creatures. 

This is why African Extracts happen to be one of my absolute favourite cosmetic brands. The ingredients used for ex foliation is apricot seed kernels and rooibos leaves. No fish homicide, far less guilt. It is not a strong product, making it very well suited for sensitive skin, especially skin that tends to overreact over the tiniest things. Being lightly scented it is suitable to individuals who suffer from skin allergies. The face scrub also has anti-inflammatory properties, which means it not only lessens breakouts, but it soothes and calms angry skin.

The packaging is fresh and clean. Its easy to store, and take with during travels. In all the years of travelling, I have never had a exploded tube of facial scrub episode. 

All in all I think that this is a fantastic product and an amazing addition to any beauty routine. It is a must have for any young lady suffering those dreaded breakouts, or for the rest of us who still suffer with face demons as adults. 

The best part about this wonderful product? Availability! You can get it at most grocery chains. No treasure hunting. For an affordable R51.99 you can get it from Spar, Pick n Pay, Checkers or your local pharmacy.