Aroma Essentials : Sorbets

Many of us tend to neglect moisturizer in the summers and quite rightfully as they tend to make the skin clammy and increase the discomfort. But summer also means staying for extended periods in air-conditioned environments that dry's and dehydrates the skin. The trick to finding the perfect heat-friendly moisturizer is to look for products that are gel based which will help the skin stay hydrated and nourished without making the skin feel greasy or slick.

 

ABOUT THE BRAND
Learn more about Aroma Essentials HERE! 

KEY INGREDIENTS & THEIR BENEFITS

• Aloe Vera Extract: Plethora of 20 amino acids; minerals like calcium, magnesium and sodium; enzymes; polysaccharides; the gel of aloe, penetrates quickly and deeply, moisturizing at the lower levels of skin and nourishing with natural enzymes and amino acids (1). An antipruritic (relives or prevents itching), it’s a great way to hydrate, moisturize and rejuvenate the skin and increase skin elasticity through collagen and elastin repair (2). (Learn further benefits of aloe vera, HERE & HERE).

• Shea Butter: Naturally rich in vitamins A, E and F, it provides the skin with essential fatty acids and the nutrients necessary for collagen production (3). The concentration of natural vitamins and fatty acids in Shea butter make it incredibly nourishing and moisturizing for skin making it apt for dry skin and to help protect the skin’s natural oils (3).  Source of oleic, stearic, palmitic and linolenic acids that protect and nourish the skin to prevent drying (3).

• Vegetable Glycerine: A natural humectant, that seals in moisture on the top layer of the skin while the other oils work their way deep into our cells to provide long-lasting moisture.

• Permitted Food Grade Coloring

• Rose Oil: Containing a complex array of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, rose essential oil has excellent emollient properties for moisturizing dry skin; it also offers antiseptic and astringent properties to treat acneic skin, as well as anti-inflammatory properties that help treat redness and inflammation (4). Rose oil can also help refine skin texture, controlling skin diseases such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, can help heal wounds, as inhaling it inhibits water loss in the skin and lowers the concentration of cortisol (a stress hormone) in the body (4).

• Sandalwood Oil: Has natural properties that help heal small wounds, shrink pimples, calm itchy skin, and moisturize dry skin.
  
  • Antiseptic: By preventing the growth of disease-causing microorganisms, sandalwood reduces acne outbreaks and helps in wound healing (5). 
  • Anti-inflammatory: Inflammation causes all kinds of damage in skin, including redness, acne, eczema, and aging. Taming inflammation not only helps skin appear more healthy and youthful, but helps your skin resist the signs of aging (5).
  • Astringent: Want tighter, less noticeable pores? Any oil with an astringent property will help, and sandalwood has it (5).
  • Cicatrisant: This means that the oil has an ability to promote cell regeneration, helping to eliminate scars and other dark marks on the skin (5).
  • Disinfectant: This is another of those natural preservatives—you don’t need chemicals. Sandalwood oil in a formula helps make sure it doesn’t become contaminated by microorganisms (5). 
  •  Emollient: Sandalwood soothes and softens skin, helping it hold onto water to it stays hydrated longer (5).

The sorbets come in 125 gm pots, are thick in consistency, have a smooth buttery-gel like texture and has the most divine fragrance courtesy of the essential oils. 

To use, slather on the required amount to a clean & dry canvas and reap the benefits.

Madhu weaves magic with her products and this one is no different. Made with 80% aloe and 20% shea butter, the sorbet glides on effortlessly melting into the skin to hydrate, comfort, soothe, and cool dry skin without leaving a sticky sensation. Light, fast-absorbing and devoid of harmful chemicals, the sorbets leave the skin instantly moisturized.  The essential oils further enhance the product by adding fragrance and therapeutic benefits mentioned above. Due to the lack of preservatives, the product needs to be refrigerated.

If there is one product you want to try this summer, this is the one!!

Purchase Aroma Essential products HERE.

*Products sent as PR sample*

The Ritu^l : Adzuki Face Polish

Used in Japanese skin care regimens for centuries, adzuki bean powder has been used to cleanse and exfoliate the skin and to rejuvenate and brighten the complexion. Since the 18^th century, Japanese noblewomen used stone ground adzuki beans for beauty: adzuki powder was placed inside a small silk bag and moistened with water to create a creamy cleanser to gently scrub the face and body (1).

ABOUT THE BRAND

An honest and bespoke skin lifestyle brand, co-founded by Shivani Prabhakar and Akanksha Sood that makes natural skincare products with pure ingredients sourced from India, Africa, Europe and America. Suited to the urban lifestyle, whether you're 'on-the-go' or looking for some 'time-out', they have something designed just for you! 

KEY INGREDIENTS & THEIR BENEFITS

• Himalayan Red Rice: Besides offering UV protection, rice powder has exfoliating properties that can help to keep the skin looking brighter (2). Rice powder has a chemical structure similar to ceramide, and ceramide increases collagen production to make skin supple (3). It’s skin lightening properties helps fade acne marks and blemishes while it’s natural anti ageing and oil-absorbing properties, makes it ideal for oily or acne-prone and dull mature skin. It’s also a good anti-inflammatory and soothes sunburned skin (4).

• Organic Japanese Beans: Adzuki beans have been used in Japanese skin care regimens for centuries. Powdered azduki beans are the perfect exfoliator for gently buffing away dull, dry skin and giving your face a fresh, healthy glow (5). The beans contain a natural foaming agent called saponin, which gives it a natural foaming action to  help remove dead skin cells and cleanse pores by drawing out pore clogging sebum, dirt and bacteria that can cause blemishes (1).  It also tightens and softens the skin, and promotes circulation, giving it a healthy, natural glow (1).

The organic adzuki face polish, comes in a 50 ml tinted glass bottle with an inner plug and a screw on top. White in color speckled with green dried holy basil leaves (not listed in the ingredient list), the product is powdery in consistency, fine in texture, and devoid of any added fragrance.

To use, scoop the required amount of mask with a dry wooden spatula and bring it to a paste like consistency with either raw milk, rose water or any other liquid of choice before applying. Wait until it dries completely before dampening it with water and gently massaging in circular motions before rinsing it off with tepid water. 

I purchased this product solely for the ingredient: adzuki beans. I had read the exalted benefits adzuki beans imparted to skin and was definitely excited to try it. 

My skin is dry and flaky in the winters but come summer it seems to have a mind of its own. Its a combination of oily and dry with visible pores and bouts of acne here and there. Since rice flour works well for oily skin and the beans counteract excessive drying, I decided to use it in hot, humid summer months. 

INITIAL TAKE: The first time I blended it with rose water but found the polish to be too abrasive, so the next time round I used raw milk with no particular success. The mixture still felt abrasive on the skin which one commonly experiences with rice flour but even with all the humidity, my skin felt tight and dry once I rinsed off the mask!!

So I decided to tweak the product by adding about a tablespoon of powdered oats to (1) make it gentler on the skin (2) the lipids and protein content in oats have humectant, occlusive and emollient properties which help withhold moisture in the skin.  Since adding oats, the face polish does a spectacular job at gently cleansing the skin whilst nourishing it.

TAKE 2: As a face polish, the product has been disappointing so I use it as a body polish now mixing it with Ida Naturals, skin glow pack and am quite liking it. It helps lighten the tan and adds a radiance. 

In my opinion, the product definitely requires some reformulation. Adding some skin loving oils or essential oils to the formula and complete disclosure of ingredients would definitely perk up the product's value.

Purchase The Ritu^l products  HERE & HERE.