clean beauty – Stylishly Zen

Holistic Beauty Review – The Best At Home Chemical Peel I have Ever Tried

Published on July 27, 2017July 26, 2017 by soreiyaLeave a comment

There seems to be a myth that clean beauty is not as effective or as powerful as regular (read: Toxin filled) beauty products. While that may be true with some products, the Juice Beauty Green Apple Full Strength Peel is not one of them. This is the the best clean beauty product that I have ever tried.Peels and sheet masks are two of my favourite skin care products, so my expectations are quite high when I am trying a new product. I first discovered the Green Apple Peel during a routine visit to Sephora last year. I was not familiar with the product and hadn’t read any of the reviews, but I was swayed by the information on the box and decided to give it a try. That night after washing my face, I carefully applied the peel according to the directions on the box and waited for it to work it’s magic. There was a bit of tingling but nothing crazy, then nothing. 10 minutes later, I washed off the peel to reveal fresh, soft glowing skin – I was hooked. There was a bit of redness which disappeared by the next morning, but the glow remained. I am a beauty junkie and it is rare for me to repurchase a product but, I am currently on my third jar of this stuff and I see no reason to switch it out of my weekly skin care regimen. It is fabulous!

So here are the details:

This peel is designed for all skin types (with the exception of people with sensitive skin or rosacea). It helps to even out skin tone by fading dark spots, uneven skin tone and it also helps to refine the texture of the skin. This peel also helps to blur the appearance of fine line and fights free radical damage on the skin. The superstar ingredients in this peel include apple juice and resveratrol both of which are rich in vitamins and contain powerful antioxidants, lemon to help to clarify and improve the skin tone and aloe leaf juice to improve the hydration and the natural moisture content within the skin.

As with all Juice Beauty product, every effort has been made to keep this product as clean as possible. This peel is free of parabans, petroleum, propylene, butylene glycol, sodium lauryl, sulfates, pesticides, phthalates, artificial dyes or synthetic fragrances. It has also not been tested on animals.

Pros:

It is a very effective exfoliator
The texture is smooth and not so sticky
It has a fresh lemon scent
Washes off easily with a wash cloth

Cons:

Price – the first jar of this that I purchased was $45 but it now retails for $60 at Sephora. I love this product which is why I continue to repurchase it, but the price increase does bother me
The package design is kind of boring. Superficial I know but the former fashion girl in me wishes that it had a sleeker look.
It is a strong exfoliator (which is what I love about it) so if you have sensitive skin this is not the right product for you

Overall I would rate this product a 4.7/5

I love the Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel and it is hands down one of my favourite skincare products. I have been using it for nearly a year and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in trying an effective clean beauty product.

I hope that you have a beautiful day! XXS

Clean Beauty Product Review

Published on May 25, 2017May 24, 2017 by soreiya1 Comment

It is becoming easier to be a clean beauty product junkie. I discover a new line almost every week! While not everything that I use is “clean”, I have made a concerted effort over the past few years to minimize my toxic load from chemicals in cleaning and personal products. It’s not alway easy as clean beauty is a fairly unregulated industry, and the term is often just tossed around as a buzz word to attract attention. Many products are not as “clean” as they pretend to be. While I haven’t found all of the clean beauty products that I have tried to be effective, there are some great products out there. I recently picked up two new clean beauty products to try out: Herbivore’s Blue Tansy Resurfacing Clarity Mask and Farmacy’s Honey Savior.

Herbivore Blue Tansy Resurfacing Clarity Mask

Herbivore is a brand that has been on my radar for quite a while, but this was the first opportunity that I had to actually try a product from the line. This beauty line is well known for it’s oils, clarity mask and body scrub. Founded by a husband and wife duo in their Seattle kitchen, the line is made with organic, high quality and food grade ingredients. I chose to try the resurfacing mask first because exfoliating has always been one of my favourite beauty rituals (seriously, I am obsessed). The Blue Tansy Resurfacing Mask is advertised to exfoliate, smooth and resurface the skin and it’s active ingredients include Blue Tansy Oil (natural anti-inflammatory), White Willow Bark (natural BHA), fruit enzymes (natural AHA) and aloe leaf (natural complexion soother).

I was a little skeptical when I first applied the clarity mask. There was not really any tingling and the texture was completely smooth. I generally prefer a manual exfoliant so I was hoping for a bit of “grit” in the mask. Nevertheless, I left the mask on for 20 minutes then washed it off with warm water and a clean wash cloth as per the directions. My face felt smoother but the effect wasn’t anything spectacular. There is a tip sheet that comes with the mask and it suggests to use the mask everyday for 3-4 days (on the website it says every other day) and then reduce usage to a few times a week. I decided to use it everyday for four days in the hopes of seeing some great results. By day three the results were noticeable and by day four my skin had a softness to it that I hadn’t seen in a very (very) long time. I am so impressed with this product! I am hopeful that it has positive long term effects as well – I will do a follow up post in a few months. The price ($48 CAN) is fairly average for a chemical exfoliant from Sephora and a little goes a long way so the jar should last quite some time. I can’t wait to try more products from this line in the future!

Stylishly Zen Beauty Rating: 4.5/5

Honey Savior by Farmacy

I have been a a fan of the Farmacy brand since I first discovered it a Sephora early last year. There is a lot of science behind this brand, and I absolutely love how much information they provide about the brand on the packaging. According to the box the products are cultivated by farmers and activated by scientists (there is even a picture!). Free of parabens, formaldehyde and artificial colours many of the Farmacy products are powered by their trademarked Echinacea Greenenvy Honey.

Honey Savior is advertised as an all-in-one skin repair slave that is rich in amino acids and B vitamins to help smooth dry skin giving it a renewed, healthy and nourished appearance. Honey is a great natural hydrator so it makes sense to have it in it a salve. I love using a salve to moisturize my feet before bed, and given my love of the Farmacy brand I was more then willing to give this one a try. In terms of quality, the texture of the salve is a slightly more liquid then others that I have tried which would make sense as it’s primary ingredient is castor oil. The less viscous texture means that a little bit of the product goes a long way, and it’s easier to use then a thicker version. I found it surprisingly helpful with helping to revive my tired aching feet after a long day – within 15 minutes the aches and pains were a distant memory. I am not sure why it was so helpful with this issue, but I am grateful nonetheless. The one downside of this product is the price ($44 CAN)! That is a lot of money to spend on a salve even if it is clean beauty. I am hopeful that this tube will last a long long time as you only need to use a very small amount at a time.

Stylishly Zen Beauty Rating: 4/5

Overall I was happy with both of these clean beauty products aside from the price of the salve (clean beauty needs to be more affordable). If the Blue Tansy Resurfacing Mask continues to be effective then I would definitely repurchase but I am not sure about the salve. As much as I love the Farmacy brand, the higher price point a little hard to justify. I am hopeful that this tube will last a long long time!

I hope that you have a beautiful day! XXS

Glow Getter Homemade Mask

Published on November 24, 2016November 23, 2016 by soreiyaLeave a comment

I love beauty DIY’s and homemade masks are no exception. Not only is making your own masks cost effective, but masks that you create at home are more natural and safer for both your skin and your overall health. This honey and papaya mask is one of my favourites and it is very easy to make. You probably already have most of the ingredients in your kitchen. There are many different versions of this mask online, but after trying a bunch of them I came up with this one using my favourite ingredients. I have been hooked on it ever since! Just ten minutes will help to leave your skin happy, hydrated and glowing. Like with all beauty regimens, consistency is key so try using this mask once a week for long term results.

Some of the benefits of the ingredients in this mask include:

Papaya – this beta carotene rich fruit is filled with powerful enzymes that help to combat free radicals on the skins surface. The alpha hydroxy acids in papaya help to dissolve dead skin cells by acting as a mild exfoliator.

Lemon – this natural astringent helps to tighten pores and lighten acne scarring.

Raw honey – is extremely hydrating which is perfect for the drying cooler temps

Turmeric – helps to tone the skin and is anti aging as it fights free radicals on the surface of the skin.

Ingredients:

3 teaspoons of fresh papaya

1 teaspoon of raw or manuka honey

1/2 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon of turmeric

Directions:

Mash the turmeric with the back of a fork and combine it with the remainder of the ingredients.

Apply to clean skin with a brush. Turmeric can stain the skin so applying it with your fingers may result in yellow nails and fingers.

After 10 – 15 minutes gently remove the mask with warm water and a wash cloth. Continue with the remainder of your skin care regimen.

Bonus Tips:

It is best to use this face mask at night as some of the ingredients can increase skin sensitivity. Make sure that you use sunscreen during the day to help protect your skin.
For people with sensitive skin, it is best to do a skin test first to ensure that your skin doesn’t react to this face mask.
You can use this mask all over your body including your neck and legs.
Refrigerate any leftovers and use it within two days.
Some people may find that the turmeric has lightly stained their skin (this really depends on your skin tone), cleansing your face should help to remove the colour.

I hope that you have a beautiful day! XXS

My Latest Beauty Obsession

Published on November 1, 2016October 31, 2016 by soreiyaLeave a comment

I love to try out new beauty products, and without a doubt my favourite beauty product in my beauty arsenal are masks. Sheet masks, foam masks, clay masks, DIY masks – I love them all and I try a new one every chance that I get. I consider masking a bit of self love for my skin in my on going quest to be the glowy-est possible version of myself. Recently, I treated myself to the new Honey Potion mask from Farmacy, and to say that I am obsessed with this mask is an understatement. It is fabulous! Filled with hydrating ingredients and anti oxidants, this mask leaves your skin moisturized, glowing and refreshed.

True to it’s name Honey Potion looks like a jar of honey (just don’t eat it) and when you massage it onto your skin it turns white and begins to warm up. The warming sensation adds to the spa feel of this mask. Wash it off with warm water after 10 – 15 minutes and enjoy the glow! As an extra little bonus the spatula that comes with the jar magnetically attaches to the lid – perfect for someone like me who always loses the spatula!

The ingredients in Honey Potion include ultra hydrating honey, propolis and royal jelly all of which makes this mask a must have for winter as cold outdoor temperatures and indoor heating can be incredibly dehydrating and wreck havoc on your skin.

For those of you that are not familiar with the Farmacy brand, it is definitely one that you should check out. They combine farm grown botanicals with cutting edge technology to produce clean irritant free products. Plus all of Farmacy’s products are made from naturally derived ingredients and free of parabens, formaldehyde and artificial colourings plus their products are not tested on animals. Effective clean, green beauty – this mask checks every box and is the perfect addition to my beauty arsenal.

Have you tried any products from Farmacy? What is your favourite beauty product?

I hope that you have a beautiful day!

XXS