Beautiful Pregnant Body Box From Natalia Vital Touch

Copyrights: beachwalkmuse

Pregnancy is miraculous and it makes you realise what a wonderful thing, this body of yours is! This body is not just yours but is also sustaining another living being inside of you. Every step of the way in your pregnancy, you realise the wonders of human anatomy and you come face to face with the baffling changes your body and skin goes through. It is one of the most wonderful yet indescribable experiences of one’s life!

What one doesn’t realise is that behind all that pregnancy glow, there is secret dire journey of itchy, scaly skin one has to endure as the baby grows inside of you. And if you have hypermesis like me, that glow you see is not completely baby’s glory. I was devastatingly dehydrated. My skin, normally very healthy, took a real toll. As I started to grow in my second trimester, my boobs got really really itchy and dry, I started to develop scratch marks on them and the belly? Oh god, the only way I could fall asleep was if my husband tickled it ever so gently until I actually fell asleep.

Beautiful Pregnant Body Box came just in time to my rescue! Vital Touch were so kind to send me a box of just the right goodies. All the products in the box are organic and made with various aromatherapy blends of oils to care for your skin the right way during pregnancy. What I also like about the products is that it is not only completely natural but is alsocruelty free. No animals were harmed in the process and that makes me happy.  I was so impressed with the box that I brought a box of goodies for my friend’s baby shower and she has been devouring it just like me.

So let me unleash the box for you. It comes with a Prenatal Leg Refresher, Body Scrub, Belly Butter, a Step By Step Pregnancy and Labour Massage Guide (which my husband found very useful) and a Cotton Flannel (which I am saving for the baby, I think).

Prenatal Leg Refresher is exactly what it says. It comes in this little bottle, which makes you think, “oh this is tinsy?” but trust me you need a really small pea sized little droplets in your palms, rub your palms together and apply on your legs gently. It has a pleasant astringent quality to it like a toner (just doesn’t burn like so). You literally have to apply it, and before you massage it in properly your legs start to feel relaxed. There are two sensory explosions that take place. A cooling and relaxing effect (must be the Aloe) on your legs, that suffers a lot of ache and swelling during pregnancy. I, for one, as a dog walker, really enjoy a leg massage or anything nice done to my legs and feet. The second explosion is the gentle yet refreshing scent of Geranium, Lemon and Crypress.

Next in the box is the Prenatal Anti-Stretch Butter. This one, I was addicted to; hence the picture of an empty jar unfortunately! I have been super itchy around my belly, so much so that you can see a white marks if you even gently draw a line on it with your fingernails. It was so dry until I started using the belly butter. It is super absorbent. The Shea Butter is such that when you apply it on your skin, the body heat melts it instantly like butter in a pan. “It is quite an amazing experience to rub it in”, says my husband who has dedicated himself to rubbing me with oils and blends everyday before bedtime. So far, the skin has shown no signs of stretch marks (I won’t be surprised if they do appear later on, I am prone to them) but for now I am enjoying the heavenly smell of the product and being more than appreciative of the fact that it takes away my itchiness and helps me settle in bed easily at night time.

Now my favourite of all, the Prenatal Beautiful Body Scrub. Oh my goodness! I cannot rave about it enough. I have been itching to write about this particular product. The area around my areola has been very dry and scaly. I was really worried about it, because I do plan to breastfeed and if my boobs were already suffering so much, I wasn’t sure what would breastfeeding do to it. But this Body Butter is miraculous. I cannot think of my showers without it. It worked soon after the first wash. My scaly skin disappeared the very next day and I am less itchy too. When you first apply the product on your very dry skin, the Sea Salt burns your skin. It burns, in a nice way, when you know something is going to work, all those dead cells are being destroyed. But then when you wash it off, the coconut oil leaves your skin very well moisturised and smooth. And it is true, that you don’t have to moisturise your skin after your shower. Oh and the fragrance, it is indeed heavenly with Geranium, Sweet Orange and Patchouli. Vital Touch, has made me fall in love with the smell of Geranium. It was a nice change from the same old smell of Lavender used by most companies. It is so over-used that this pregnancy, I couldn’t find comfort in Lavender strangely but Geranium has been a hit!

The Vital Touch Natalia Beautiful Pregnant Body Box’s retail price is £34.50, which seems a lot and it is, especially if you plan to use all the products throughout your pregnancy. But on the other hand, when you compare it to the cost of other high end organic and cruelty free brands, a box with a full massage guide and a cotton flannel, it isn’t so bad! They have a range of products you can buy separately, outside the box that will last you a long time. For instant, the Leg Refresher is not something one uses on a daily basis. Similarly the body scrub is something you can use as and when your skin feels dry given it’s quick results. The one thing that does go easily is the lovely anti-stretch butter. But then that is something one has to simply put up with and for only a few months, afterall. The flannel is going to also last you for ages.

I think the products make for a very good present for friends and family. Don’t forget to checkout Vital Touch Products and Gift Boxes, carefully selected for pregnancy, new mums and newborns.

They are now, also launching their new face care range which I can’t wait to get hold off. Stay tuned for the next review!

 

 

Konjac Sponge – Review

Konjac Sponge is very commonly used in East Asia and is picking up on popularity in other western countries. I heard about it through another blogger and loved the idea of daily exfoliation.

If we think about it, skin is the largest organ in our body and yet we are so reckless with it. It is exposed to pollution and dirt and it needs looking after. Daily exfoliation is one way to go about it. I grew up scrubbing my whole body with various sponges and brushes. I have a distinct memory of my dad scrubbing himself till he went pink and you could tell that those dead cells are all gone. But face is an altogether a different story!

The skin on our face is so sensitive and so delicate that over indulging it with make-up or cleansing can dry it out and cause more harm than benefit it. So when I heard of Konjac Sponge that is being used widely around the other side of the world, I thought of giving it a go. I have been using it for almost a year now and I have to say I am impressed. I have not washed my face with soap in a long time. That is the benefit of using Konjac Sponge. It exfoliates, cleanses, tones and helps release natural oils essential for keeping the skin supple and naturally moisturised.

The best thing about Konjac sponge is that it is hardly a sponge. It is made out of a root vegetable making it 100% natural and eco-friendly. Konjac has 97% water, rich in minerals and is PH neutral making it perfectly suitable and alkaline to balance the skin cells.

I use it daily in the shower to remove make-up and to clean up excess debris off my face. If I have layers of make-up, the most I do is rub my face with avacado oil and wipe it off with some cotton balls (same for eye make-up removal as well), followed by Konjac sponge scrubbing.

It is very easy to use as well. All you have to do is, soak it for 10 to 15 minutes in warm water for it to soften up and as it absorbs all the water, it doubles up in size. Once ready, squeeze out all the excess water and exfoliate to your delight and then simply rinse off your face. Wash the sponge and leave it to dry. It is easy to carry with you on your travels and requires minimum maintainence. One sponge will last you for months. I brought two and after almost 8 months it is only now, that I am thinking of replacing the old with the new. For about £9 for almost years usage, it is a bargain.

Please try it out for yourself and let me know your thoughts on it.  I shall wait eagerly to hear your opinions on it.

 

P.S: This post was not sponsored. Also, a last minute addition to this post is the link to the one I brought from Amazon (the link might be inactive if the manufacturer decides to remove it but if so, order one that says 100% vegetable fibre with no colouring) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ora-Natural-Japanese-Facial-Vegetable/dp/B011STO9GW/ref=sr_1_10/275-7076527-8272337?ie=UTF8&qid=1452504637&sr=8-10&keywords=charcoal+konjac+sponge

Pregnancy Skincare – Pure Nuff Care Review

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You know how they talk about the “glow” during pregnancy? It isn’t true for all of us. My skin suffered a lot due to hypermesis. I am blessed with naturally healthy skin, hair and nails but this pregnancy took a huge toll on my skin leaving it dehydrated and itchy. Having a rigorous skincare routine and products is what has helped my skin survive the drying season of autumn.

I am a huge fan of natural products that are not tested on animals. and two of the brands that I have been using offer me just that. But today, I will be talking about my most indulgent and loved skincare range, Pure Nuff Care.

Pure Nuff Care is a small company based in Cornwall making some of the most luxurious blends of body oil and creams. One other thing that dominates my life at the moment are smells. Luckily, the fragrance of Pure Nuff products are simply so comforting except for the bump rub massage oil. I presume it has avocado oil, which isn’t my friend at the moment.

I use three of their products pretty regularly;

Eczema blend for my kids – it worked wonders overnight. My kids felt it’s soothing effects right away. The smell isn’t for me but that is just the pregnancy restriction I am sure, my kids don’t seem to mind at all. Every time, they feel the rash showing up again, they quickly run up to the bathroom and dab a bit of cream on.

My personal favourite include intensive body cream rich with shea butter, cocoa butter and apricot kernel oil. I have it scented in tantra blend of rose, patchouli and ylang ylang. It is so light, I even apply  it on my face but I am tempted to order their face moisturiser.

My second favourite product is their body oil with an invigorating blend of basil, lemon and cedarwood. My husband has been using this oil to massage my sore back and tired legs. They offer relaxation whilst keeping the skin soft like a  baby.  This oil also works wonders on your hair or a drop in your bath for the ultimate heavenly feeling.

All of their products are very light and non-greasy. It seeps into your skin immediately without leaving any stains on your clothes which I love. They offer a range of scents but can also make them unscented if you so desire. I love small business for offering such personalised services.

What I particularly liked about this company is their service. They sent me a hand written note apologising for not having one of the products in stock and reassuring that it will be on it’s way soon. Somehow the personal note made me feel like someone really cared for me and about their business. I am definitely going back for more and can’t wait to explore their Mother & Baby Care products.