Review : A'kin Pure Radiance Rosehip Oil

Rosehip oil is a popular (and sometimes necessary) addition to many a skincare regime because of its benefits including:  increasing the skin's moisture, reducing scarring and redness from conditions such as rosacea and acne, reducing pigmentation and reducing the signs of aging such as fine lines and wrinkles.  I could go on but see http://www.rosehipoil-benefits.com/ if you want to read more about this wonder ingredient and its many uses!

In any case I personally had not taken this as seriously as I could have until recently when I started to take my own skincare routine more seriously in general - I'm at the age where I can no longer rely solely on good genes and I'm looking for all the non-invasive help I can find to keep my skin feeling supple and looking as radiant as I naturally can.  I don't have problematic skin but I also don't have young skin any more if you know what I mean, therefore I was happy to receive a bottle of Pure Radiance Rosehip Oil from A'kin.

A'kin Pure Radiance Rosehip Oil

Akin says:

A'kin's Pure Radiance Rosehip Oil has a high concentration of Vitamins A and E and Omegas 9, 3 and 6 essential fatty acids and a concentration of Omega essential fatty acids that is "no less than 80%."

"Not All Naturals Are Created Equal"

What makes this rosehip oil special is the way it is extracted from the rosehip seeds "using a supercritical [CO2] extraction method, which works without the stress of high temperatures, to guarantee the purest most potent oil is recovered".  In plain English this means the oils are extracted at low temperatures which preserves the purity of the fragile plant ingredients and produces a more effective product with a longer shelf life.  A'kin compares this to the advantages of cold pressing juices over regular juicing. 

A'kin Pure Radiance Rosehip Oil is suitable for all skin types and claims all of the skincare benefits I listed in the introduction:

"Helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles 

Helping to increase skin suppleness and elasticity 

Improving the appearance of dull skin 

Improving uneven skin tone 

Hydrating skin"

My impressions:

I have been using the oil nightly and the dropper easily dispenses the exact tiny amount (3 drops) of golden liquid oil which is all I need to hydrate my entire face.  It immediately feels rich yet not too greasy for my normal/combination skin, and I enjoy the very delicate natural rosehip scent which fades away quickly.  The oil massages in quickly and absorbs well, leaving my skin feeling smoother and - positively silky! - and ready to apply my night creme immediately afterwards.

I deliberately didn't read anything about rosehip oil while using this product so I didn't know what to expect and wasn't looking for any particular changes, but after around 4 weeks of use I have noticed my skin texture has improved and softened slightly, and the hyper-pigmentation and redness on my cheeks is also less noticeable - I'm wearing lower coverage makeup as a result which was an unexpected bonus! Not surprisingly then, A'kin Pure Radiance Rosehip Oil has now become an essential step in my nightly facial routine.

Using only 3 drops per application means this bottle will last quite a while which is fine as A'kin says the extraction process means an extended shelf (or bathroom cabinet) life.  

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Price:  RRP $19.95

 A'kin skincare is available from David Jones, Priceline, selected pharmacies and health food stores around Australia and online here.

Ingredients:

Rosa Canina Seed extract [CO2] (certified organic),Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract

Cruelty Free: Yes 

Vegan: Yes

Certified Organic: Yes

Until next time!

(This product was provided for my consideration.  All comments and opinions are my own.)

Review: A'kin Purely Revitalising Firming Night Creme

An undeniably enjoyable part of my cruelty free journey is venturing out and trying out different brands - the lure of the new! - and while the A'kin skincare brand has been around for some years I've only recently started dabbling more seriously in their range.

To share their story, A'kin is one of the natural skin and hair care brands from The Purist Company. Australian owned, The Purist Company has been focusing on creating natural and safe botanical products for the past 15 years and as a result all of their products are paraben free, sulphate free, toxin free, harsh chemical free, certified vegan and animal ingredient/testing free.  They are also a green company, avoiding excess packaging and using recyclable containers to avoid waste.

Bearing all of this in mind I was more than happy to take the opportunity to review some of the products in the A'kin skincare range, as not only am I committed to being cruelty free but I'm also looking for more natural, less toxic products to use on my skin. These are things that might seem so obvious, but only after years of me personally not thinking about it!

A'kin Purely Revitalising Firming Night Creme

A'kin Purely Revitalising Firming Night Creme is a newer product designed specifically for mature skin - that's me!!! Me with the drying out, sheet-printed face in the morning skin because my skin just doesn't bounce back like it used to. Alas the woes of aging...

A'kin describes this night creme as a "...luxurious anti-age night crème that will firm and lift to obtain smoother skin texture, visibly reduce lines and wrinkles and improve skin elasticity for a younger, youthful looking skin, naturally by combining powerful antioxidants, vitamins and Omega oils to create a night creme that will intensively hydrate and help stimulate your cell production while you sleep so you can wake up refreshed and revitalised looking your best, naturally."

The key ingredients are fragmented hyaluronic acid to stimulate collagen production, and Echium oil which is said to be a rich source of omega oil for reducing deep wrinkles and smoothing out the skin.


My impressions:
I've been using this night creme for a month so I have gone beyond the obvious first impressions but lets go through those anyway:  The first obvious thing as you can see in the pictures below is how lovely and thick textured the creme is - it doesn't budge out of the tub even when turned on its side!  Yet despite being so rich this rubs in and absorbs beautifully, even over facial treatment oils, so my skin simply looks and feels moisturised and not greasy in any way.  Ah yes, there is the barest essential oil scent but it isn't obtrusive in the slightest and fades away quickly - and I have to say that is a plus because my husband had issues with the scent of another natural night creme I'd recently used and half "threatened" to sleep in the spare room! No, I'm not kidding either!

And what do I really think after using A'kin Purely Revitalising Firming Night Creme for a month? They weren't kidding at all with their claims.  My skin looks soft and more refreshed in the morning and I have noticed the distinct reduction in those creases I can get on my face after my nightly 8 hours. They certainly iron themselves out faster too, so my skin appears to have more resilience and "bounce back" than it used to.  Okay, I'm hooked and highly recommend this product for women with mature skin.

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The RRP for 50ml is around $47AUD and I believe it's reasonably priced for a high quality product.
A'kin skincare is available from David Jones, Priceline, selected pharmacies and health food stores around Australia and online here.

Ingredients:
Water,Isostearyl Isostearate,Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter,Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil,Sorbitan Stearate,Cetearyl Nonanoate,Glycerin,Cetearyl Alcohol,Niacinamide,Ascorbyl Glucoside (Vitamin C Glucoside),Sucrose Cocoate,Behenyl Alcohol,Panthenol,Sodium Gluconate,Sodium Lactate,Arginine,Phenoxyethanol,Allantoin,Fragrance,Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil,Sodium Citrate,Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Juice,Ethylhexylglycerin,Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid,Piroctone Olamine,Xanthan Gum,Sodium Phytate,Methylsilanol Hydroxyproline Aspartate,Citric Acid,Citronellol,Sodium Hyaluronate,Sorbitan Olivate,Salicylic acid,Geraniol#,Potassium sorbate,Linalool#,Sodium Benzoate,Citral#,Limonene#,*derived from botanical sources, # component of the essential oil fragrance. 

Cruelty Free: Yes 
Vegan: Yes
Certified Organic: Yes


Until next time!


(This product was provided for my consideration.  All comments and opinions are my own.)

REVIEW: My lipbalm(y) army

I pull out all the stops to protect my lips from drying out and chapping in winter and because I love lip products I've got enough lip balms and ointments to cater for every different need.  Here's a quick rundown of what's in my current stash - plus one I've grabbed from my lovely husband!

TUBES

essence glossy lipbalm

This one is not strictly a lipbalm but a fun fruity scented gloss, with a high shine and a slight tint.  More suited for the warmer months but I use these occasionally when I want a bit of shine.  For a full review and swatches see here.

Lanolips Lip Ointment with Colour

I've been loving this ointment so far this winter because it's so rich and emollient, and it looks and feels like an expensive gloss when I'm wearing it.  It gives a good hit of shiny rosy colour and deeply moisturizes my lips.  For my previous review see here.

Lucas' Papaw Ointment

This lives on my bedside table and I apply it to moisturise my lips every night.  Papaw Ointment is derived from fermented Carica Papaya and has a faint fruity scent.  It's colourless but gives a good shine to the lips so it can also be used as a lipgloss.  This is one of my HG products because it has 101 uses including soothing insect bites and broken skin so it's more than just a beauty product (see here for my original review.)

STICKS

 

L'Occitane Ultra Rich Lip Balm

This is the balm I wear on my lips when I don't want to look like I'm wearing anything - I've been wearing this one a lot too, particularly on the weekends.  This balm swipes onto the lips and leaves them feeling super soft and moisturized but is quite waxy and matte, with no added tint so guys can also wear it.  The main ingredients here are beeswax and shea butter which account for the texture and rich moisturizing feel on the lips.  Because it's not shiny I can use this under lipstick if I need to.  It also has a very subtle slightly sweet scent.

Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer

This has been getting a good run this winter too!  Opposite to the L'Occitane lip balm, Burt's Bees is what I wear when I want to dress up my lips and this has enough pigment and coverage so I can wear it as a moisturizing alternative to lipstick.  This contains peppermint oil and cocoa butter and the peppermint initially gives off a very strong cooling sensation on the lips which fortunately fades away after a while.   For my original review click here.

TINS & POTS

[A'kin] Sweet Blossom & Jojoba Pure Essential Lip Balm

I've had this hiding in my stash for some time but have only recently been using it. Waxy in the tin, it melts onto my lips and provides a lovely shine and smoothness.  A'kin is an Australian brand, specializing in natural vegan products so this lip balm is free from animal products and is 100% botanical.  The main ingredients are jojoba seed oil, macadamia oil and shea butter.  It also contains rosehip oil so it has a faint rose scent and taste which is a bit strange but not unpleasant.

Blistex Lip Conditioner

Yep, this one is Hubby's <3.  I occasionally borrow it when we're outdoors together.  I love the butterscotch smell and taste.  I asked my husband for a review and he wasn't too forthcoming other than saying he uses this as a treatment when he has dry lips and he finds it effective.  I say it has a very strong cooling effect on my lips which can be a bit overpowering in the first few minutes but the product does a good job of softening my lips.  This also has the added protection of SPF 20 which makes it a preferred lip treatment if we're at the beach or in the snow.

What's your favourite lip treatment product?

Until my next post.

Vita :)