Tata Harper Refreshing Cleanser

Describe the brand in three words.
Green. Luxury. American.

What type of cleanser is it?
Cream.

Who is it for?
Everyone, but especially sensitised skins.

What’s in it?
Aloe barbadensis leaf juice*, Cetearyl alcohol, Cetearyl olivate, Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) seed oil*, Sorbitan olivate, Citrus paradisi (Grapefruit) peel Extract,  Leuconostoc ferment filtrate (radish root) Extract, Oryza sativa (Rice) extract*, Lactobacillus/Punica granatum (pomegranate) fruit ferment extract, Salix alba (Willow bark) extract*, Kaolin (Rose Clay), Sclerotium gum, Coco-glucoside, Cetearyl glucoside, Cetyl palmitate, Sorbitan palmitate, Soybean peroxidase, Superoxide dismutase, Sodium phytate , Aroma**, Limonene, Citral

What's not in it?
'nasties' (not my favourite word)

Possibly acne/allergy/troubling for some ingredients?
fragrance

Suitable for pregnancy?
Yes

Natural? Organic? Man made? Vegan?
Natural/Organic

Tested on animals in home country/EU/sold in territories that advocate testing?
No/No/No

How does it smell?
Without meaning to sound ridiculous, ‘fresh’. Light, slightly floral/spa, but it fades quickly.

How do you use it?
Apply to dry skin, massage through, remove with flannel in the usual fashion.

First cleanse/second cleanse or AM cleanse?
I would do second cleanse or AM cleanse. This is a skin cleanser, not a makeup remover.

Best for winter or summer?
Either.

Does it remove waterproof eye makeup?
No.

How long did I test it for?
On and off for years. Literally.

How much is it? /Size/Approximate cost per usage?
£62.50 for 125ml. Hard to say exactly cost per usage, but if you were using this solely as a second/am cleanse I would guesstimate it to last 6 weeks or more.

What’s the website like?
Great, especially if ‘green’ is your thing. Full of information including inci lists, but very biased to the ‘natural’ approach to skincare, as you would expect.

How’s the distribution? Available freely or limited?
Distribution is getting better in the UK, and Tata is widely available in the USA.

What’s good about it?
If you’re a fan of Tata’s cleansers, my long-time favourites on the market, it’s possible that this one passed you by. It doesn’t shout as loud as the others, it speaks to a quieter audience. I realise I’m making it sound human. I'll move on.
This contains salicylic acid and pink clay, but they're in an aloe vera base, making them feel extremely gentle on the skin. If you have angry skin, reactive skin, or if you have been told you have traditionally 'sensitive' skin, this should possibly be on your radar. Whilst it would remove a small amount of makeup, I would save it as a skin cleanser, not a makeup remover. I always appreciate the addition of clay in a cleanser for days when I want a little more ooomph, and this is no exception.

What’s not so good about it?
Being Tata, it’s not cheap, but that’s otherwise it, it’s a lovely cleanser. It's extremely similar to the Regenerating Cleanser, minus the abrasive element, so if you have that one, maybe skip this one?

Would I purchase/repurchase?
Yes.

Do you need it?
If you can afford it, and you are prone to skin that is constantly annoyed with you, it may be worth you checking it out. If you can afford it.


Tata Harper Refreshing Cleanser is £62.00 from CultBeauty.com and $78.00 from TataHarper.com






*This post contains some affiliate links. If you are happy to click on them and support the blog, thank you very much. If you would rather not, just google the product. It's all good.
See my full disclaimer here: http://bit.ly/1rpEmSq
The views expressed on this site are the author's own and are provided for informational purposes only. The author makes no warranties about the suitability of any product or treatment referenced or reviewed here for any person other than herself and any reliance placed on these reviews or references by you is done so solely at your own risk. Nothing on this site shall be construed as providing dermatological, medical or other such advice and you are always advised to seek the advice of a suitable professional should you have any such concerns.

La Solution 10 De Chanel

Every time I talk about Chanel I get negative comments about the fragrance content. Well, those of you that like your products fragrance-free because you have sensitive skin and would like to use Chanel but can't, heads up.

What is it?
'The 1st comforting moisturiser formulated by Chanel to soothe, de-stress and defend sensitive skin with only 10 ingredients for optimal skin tolerance.'

An oil and fragrance-free moisturiser for sensitised skin.

Who is it for?
In theory everyone, as most of us have sensitivity issues from time to time.
Particularly good for stressed skins, reddened skins and post-treatment skins.

What’s in it?
The 10 ingredients are:
water
squalane (olive sourced, not shark)
lauroyl lysine (amino acid)
glycerin (vegetal)
camellia sinensis leaf extract (silver needle white tea)
shea butter extract
sodium polyacrylate (emollient)
steareth-21 (emulsifier)
caprylyl glycol (humectant)
phenoxyethanol (preservative)

Possibly acne/allergy/troubling for some ingredients?
Not really, even the shea butter is an extract, as opposed to the thick actual 'butter'.

Natural? Organic? Man made? Vegan?
Mixture/vegan

Tested on animals/sold in territories that advocate testing?
No in EU/ sold in China

What's not in it?
oil
fragrance
mineral oil
parabens

How do you use it?/Where to use in your routine?
'Apply to perfectly cleansed skin morning and evening.'

I've also been using it randomly, as a moisturiser and underneath other heavier products throughout the day on no-makeup days.

What’s good about it?
To look at the ingredients you may not get particularly excited about this new Chanel cream, but the attention to detail has been rather hidden behind the scenes. Chanel worked with Dr Amy Wechsler to try and find the best cream to immediately soothe the skin, with the fewest ingredients.
La Solution apparently took 117 trials and 4 years to come to market and Chanel say during each trial they would go back to the drawing board if any of the testers reported redness/breakouts etc.
We know that stress is a killer - for both you and your skin. In the skin it is caused by sleep deprivation, emotional and physical stress, travel, pollution, smoking, hormonal changes, sun exposure, over-scrubbing, the list is endless. A stressed skin leads to over-production of NGF (nerve growth factors) and causes the skin's sensitivity to increase.
The main focus of the product is silver needle tea, containing twice as many polyphenols as green tea and proven to reduce the production of these neurotrophic factors by 75%. In layman's terms, it tells your skin to CHILL and go for a lie down.
I used it to calm my post-retinoid flaky skin under slightly heavier oil-based moisturisers and it was brilliant. Not greasy, no burn at all on sensitised areas and it definitely took the redness down. I reached for this over my usual 'sensitive face' products all week and it worked. I love it. It's now my first choice when I feel a hot flash/food allergy reaction coming on, and very comfortably in the 'when in doubt' pile.
One of the nicest things for me is the purposeful exclusion of mineral oil, all too often added to 'sensitive' creams with the thinking that it causes no further damage, and that fewer people react to it, when more and more we are finding out that this is simply not the case. It's used primarily because it is cheap.

What’s not so good about it?
It's £58.00, but it's Chanel. And it's not a vanity product. It works. Your call. But please refrain from leaving me comments saying 'Why would you pay £58.00 for a face cream?' when I check your Instagram and it's full of £500 handbags and £150 jeans. Alrighty then. :)

Similar products?
I only found Eucerin, and that wasn't particularly 'clean', if you know what I mean.
Minimal ingredients, no fragrance, no oil, no essential oils, no mineral oil. Can anyone think of anything else? I'll add if so!


Chanel La Solution is £58.00 and goes on sale nationwide in the UK on 25th March, but is already widely in the US and available from Nordstrom for $80.00 here: Nordstrom/Chanel/laSolution

NUDE ProGenius Omega Treatment Milk

What is it?

Not that you'd know it from the name, but this is a serum dedicated to improving hydration and nourishment quickly. 

Who is it for?

Anyone, but brilliant for sensitive and dehydrated skins.

What’s in it?

Water (Aqua), Isoamyl Laurate, Glycerin, Squalene, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Salvia Hispanica (Chia) Seed Oil, Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Punica Granatum Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Oil, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract, Avena Strigosa Seed Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract , Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed (Safflower) Oil, Bisabolol, Tocopherol, Sclerotium Gum, Lecithin, Lysolecithin, Xanthan Gum, Pullulan, Diglycerin, Glyceryl Caprylate, Levulinic Acid, Sodium Levulinate, P-Anisic Acid, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Phytic Acid, Fragrance (Parfum), Citral, Limonene, Benzyl Salicylate

Possibly acne/allergy/troubling for some ingredients?

Fragrance

Benzyl Salicylate

Natural? Organic? Man made? Vegan?

Natural ish.

Tested on animals/sold in China?

No/No

What's not in it?

PARABENS, SULPHATES, PEGS, TEA, DEA, PROYLENE GLYCOL, PHTHALATES, PETROCHEMICALS, SYNTHETIC COLOR, SYNTHETIC FRAGRANCE, MINERAL OIL AND SILICONES

How do you use it?

Onto fingers, then onto face, in the serum stage of your routine.

What’s good about it?

This is a lovely product, good for those of you with various sensitivities including redness and rosacea. It is loaded with 10 plant oils, rich in 5 omega oils. Some of the more 'chemical-laden' brands would cast doubt on the effect of topical omegas, but personally, I've seen results and am a plant oil advocate through and through. This is a lovely product. I would use it more for soothing and plumping than anti-ageing, but of course stopping dehydration in its tracks is technically anti-ageing so if you are in your late 20's/early 30's and have no other concerns, this could be perfect for you.

What’s not so good about it?

Well, the name. I would immediately dismiss this as a moisturising lotion if I saw it on the shelf. I have no doubt this has hindered the popularity of this product, people may simply not be using it thinking it's a moisturiser for combination skins.

Similar products?

Aurelia Revitalise and Glow

REN Vita Mineral Omega 3 Serum

Vichy Aqualia Thermal Serum

OSKIA Get Up and Glow

NUDE ProGenius Omega Treatment Milk is £62.00 for 30ml, available from www.nudeskincare.com and needs to be renamed as a matter of urgency. ;)

Clarins Skin Beauty Repair Concentrate - Review

OK moving on from yesterday (please) - this little beauty is an example of what Clarins do really well. Skin Beauty Repair Concentrate should be in everyone's skin SOS kit. 

Containing only plant oils (yay!) this is an extremely gentle serum/oil that:

• soothes irritation with fatty acids from soy and avocado
• reduces redness with licorice and marjoram
• increases the skin's resistance to external aggressors
• contains fat soluble Vitamin A which is the most gentle formula for the skin. 

That along with the above means you start to slowly get your glow back in place of the glaring red of sensitivity. Its mild enough to be used regularly for sensitive skins as a serum/protectant and is perfect for those days where your skin just needs a comfort blanket - whether its feeling rough from partying/weather/travel - anything. Its ability to take down redness combined with the Vitamin A means it is also a safe bet for acne/combination skins.

This is a staple in my travel bag if I'm going on a plane - it's light so can be reapplied (long haul!) and doesn't clog pores - at all. 

Use under moisturiser am and pm.

One of my staple products and highly recommended.

Available from Clarins.co.uk priced £39.50 for 15ml.

Hall of Fame - Absolute Must Have: Kate Somerville Goat Milk Cream

I love it when I stumble across a product that over-performs and becomes a staple in my skincare wardrobe.

This is one of those times.

I bought this in New York this Summer and have literally used it night and day since. It ran out yesterday morning (gutted - although it did remind me to blog about it) and I am DEFINITELY repurchasing.

When I bought it I thought it would be 'interesting' as it said it was for combination/sensitive skin and particularly good for acne. Well that Kate Somerville - she NO LIE.

What's in it?
Goat Milk - lactose being the key part of this inci - gently exfoliates but maintains the PH balance of the skin
Coconut and Jojoba - moisturising without clogging pores
Grape Seed for antioxidant purposes
Witch Hazel - anti-bacterial
Avocado - nourishing
Rosemary - anti-bacterial and toning
Neem - healing and anti-bacterial
Black Willow Bark - antimicrobial - same properties of salicylic acid which kills the germ specific to acne

What's good about it?
It works. Straight to the point I know, but it soothes redness so is suitable for sensitivity as well as acne-prone skins and is also cooling upon application.
The instances of red cyst-like acne lumps on my face almost ceased entirely. I had a couple show themselves at that time of the month but that was it.
Absorbs nicely. Skin feels comfortable with no residual tackiness.
Comes in a completely air-tight pump action pot that dispenses just the right amount and also stays germ-free.
AND.
It's 80% organic. Who knew?

What's bad about it?
Not widely available in the UK. Only available in selected SpaceNK stores.
The $ versus £ price is as per usual, favourable to buying in the USA.

That's it.

If you have redness, sensitivity, acne or combination skin, I highly, highly recommend this product.


Kate Somerville is available in selected SpaceNK stores and online at SpaceNK.co.uk and is £51.00 for 50ml.


Small print: no PR's were harmed during the making of this post. My money bought it and will repurchase it. Happily.