Saaf Skincare - Review Face and Body

I received a PR request from Tots100 asking to review a skincare brand called Saaf. When I read up about the company, I knew this was something I really wanted to try. As you already know I am in the field of skincare and regularly write up about skincare so this was definitely an great opportunity for me.

Saaf Skincare got back in touch and recommended two of the products to trial, and asked was there anything else in particular I would like to try. As I am currently pregnant, I saw they had a body oil for stretchmarks so kindly asked if I could sample this.

Few days later the postman brought me the products :-)

Saaf Skincare - Who are they?

Saaf means "pure" in Persian. Their philosophy is in harnessing the powerful properties of organic ingredients. Ingredients that are so pure they allow our range to be one of the most certified & accredited in the world, including approvals from vegetarian, vegan and halal societies.

The smell and colour of products certainly show off the ingredients used well. I love the smell of organic skincare, the blend of essential oils and natural ingredients. A-Z-of-goodness.

Dr Mah Hussain-Gambles, the founder of Saaf Skincare is a trained pharmacologist and homeopath. She discovered the powerful properties nature and science when she first created the balm for her mother, for condition that no other cream touched. And so Saaf Skincare was born with the combination of the finest natural ingredients in scientific formulations to create a pure and powerful range of products that nurtures both body and soul.

Saaf Skincare has developed a wide range of products to suit every skin type and help every condition that her family, her friends and you can truly trust.

Review on the products sent are below. I have used all for just over a week now. Please note my reviews will only reflect a weeks worth of results. To see the full potential of any product, you will  need the full 4 weeks ( 28 day cycle of your skin ) to see the maximum results.

Skincare - Pure Face Cleanser & Organic Face Cloth

 This face balm is suitable for all skin types and comes with a muslin cloth. It melts on the skin like an oil, and you really don't need a lot of it.  The balm helps to purify, balance, sooth and moisturise your skin leaving it feeling luxurious, and it certainly does that. The organic face cloth gently remove impurities and makeup whilst exfoliating and rejuvenating the skin.
All the products have a signature yellow/gold appearance to them and the balm smells Divine with the essential oil of geranium showing though for me.
Key ingredient in the balm are; 

Jojoba Oil melts away make-up while softening, protecting and leaving skin feeling nourished.
Safflower Oil helps soothe irritations and Olive Oil has a regenerating effect on the skin.
Organic Beeswax helps soften dry skin whilst Shea Butter helps improve elasticity.
Soothing Lavender, skin-harmonising Geranium and nurturing Grapefruit Peel Oil help calm and normalise all skin types.

To use, I would definitely follow the instructions. I first used it with my Clarisonic as you are meant to be able to use any cleanser with it, however for this type it didn't quite work out.

Soak the Organic Face Cloth in warm water and wring it out so it’s damp.
Smooth a generous amount of cleanser onto your face with your fingertips and massage in.
Gently wipe off with the face cloth, taking care around the sensitive eye area.

As I love to use my clarisonic, I use this balm as pre-cleanse. The balm really feels luxuries on the skin and leaves your skin feeling soft. I felt you didn't need a lot of the balm as it melts so easily into your skin and glides around, and would imagine the pot lasts for quiet some time too. The price is really competitive at just £29.99 for 40g. I would definitely recommend this balm to all my friends. 

Skincare - Complexion Boosting Face Serum

This is 1 of 2 serums Saaf do to help moisturise and perfect your skin after cleansing, depending on your skin type. The Complexion Boosting Face Serum is for Normal to Combination skin,  to help decongest, balance and improve the tone of the skin.
 Ideal for:
Detoxing congested skin
Oily and acne prone skin condition
Dull skin
Hyper pigmentation and uneven skin tone and texture

Key Ingredients are;

Safflower Oil soothes skin irritations and itchiness as well as increasing the moisture content of the skin.
Jojoba Oil has long been used as a skin lubricant as its composition is close to that of the skin's actual sebum. In harmony with your skin, it is easily absorbed and imparts a soft, velvety quality. It is also protective, helping the skin retain its moisture.
Rosehip Seed Oil promotes healthy skin renewal whilst Black Seed Oil acts as an anti-inflammatory to help clear breakouts and smooth blemishes.
Lemongrass essential oil was used in traditional Indian medicine for its pore refining properties and
Juniper Berry essential oil is long known for its skin detoxifying and purifying effects. It is a marvellous aid in balancing oily complexions and helpful for soothing acne.

Directions for use; After Cleansing, Push down the pump dispenser once, and pump the serum into your palm.Gently press a small amount onto your skin and massage gently in a circular, upward direction.

Leave to penetrate for a few minutes and, if necessary, blot off any excess with a tissue.
Apply morning and evening.

I love facial oils, purely because I love to do a mini facial on my skin with my cleansing routine and find oils are easier to work with. This facial oil smells also Divine, with the smell of citrus and absorbs into the skin easily, as I haven't had the need to blot any excess off, one pump is enough to face and neck area. I also press a serum into the face first ( with an oil you can warm this up with your hands first by rubbing them together than pressing ) than starting with my neck I use a sweeping motion upwards to the chin. Than I proceed with a mini facial which takes depending on my time from litarly 1 -2 mins.
I allow the oil to penetrate by putting my eye product on next before than proceeding with my moisturiser. This is great product to use both day and evening. Highly recommended for combination to oily skin. I have noticed my skin isn't as oily on the t-zone now and complexion is very even toned, radient and smooth.  I just love the smell too that it leaves on your skin.
Price is very competitive at a very good price of £29.99 - 30ml.  1 pump is all you need, so the bottle lasts quite awhile.

Body Care - Eraser Body Oil

Saaf philosophy on this product is -

Nature’s correction fluid in a bottle, this impressive toning and smoothing oil is a skin-saving formulation.

 The Oil contains a high percentage of Rosehip Seed Oil, a known to effectivelyingredient to effectly reduce uneven pigmentation and the appearance of raised scar tissue, along with Safflower Oil which soothes skin irritations while increasing the moisture content of the skin.
Both nourishing and protective, Organic Eraser Body Oil promotes healthy skin renewal, guards against scarring, calms irritated, itchy skin and helps keep skin supple and smooth.

Ideal for:

• All skin types - especially pregnant and post pregnancy skin
• Preventing the development and reducing the appearance of stretch marks
• Soothing away hyper pigmentation
• Old scars
• Protecting the skin from the effects of a sun tan

Key Ingredients :

Safflower Oil is mentioned in ancient Egyptian texts and was used to heal old wounds. It is easily absorbed by the skin due to its high linoleic acid content and leaves no greasy residue. It soothes skin irritations, increases the moisture content of the skin, so it is particularly good for sensitive skin.
   
Rosehip Seed Oil helps to reduce pigmentation and raised scar tissue by promoting healthy skin renewal, even on old scars. It also aids cell regeneration and boosts collagen and elastin to create smoother, firmer skin.
Mandarin essential oil helps ease and repair scars, spots and stretch marks and gives Eraser Body Oil its lovely citrus fragrance.

The citrus smell from the mandairn is just divine. I have totally fallen in love with this product and by far the best oil I have used in the pregnancy so far. From first use it made my skin feel much smoother and hydrated. I don't itch as much using this oil throghout the day as like some of others I have used, which have needed me to put more on. This oil goes though the day lovely without any more application until I go to bed.
I have noticed the appearance of my old stretchmarks from my last pregnancy and from teenage grrowth have appeared to have faded and much smoother too. I look forward to seeing results are my baby is born.

Now the sun is out, I am going to also try this on my arms where I have freakles which appear more when the sun comes out, as the oil is meant to be great for pigmnation and sun effects.

High recommended during pregnany for certain. The price is also very good!!  I have used oils in the pregnancy from self selection and premium beauty that have been of similar size quanity but seem to use up quite quick and not as great on the skin like this one. At just £39.99 for 100ml. I use this everyday and the bottle still looks I have used much, even though i smother this on.

For more information on Saaf Skincare, and to purchase their products visit www.saafskincare.com

Difference between a Serum/facial oil and Moisturizer

As a NYR Organic independent consultant, I am often asked the questions what are the difference between a facial serum/oil and moisturizer, and why we advise you to use both.

To avoid giving my host and her guests a load of scientific jargon, I always explain in simple everyday terms.

" would you go out in a dress without your underwear on? " the answer is always no with some laughs.

I than ask them to imagine the serum or oil ( depending on your skin type or what you want out of it you would use one or the other ), as the underwear and the moisturizer as the dress. They compliment each other as the serum or oil penetrates the skin deeper than a moisturizer does and so giving you extra benefits and protection, again depending on which serum/oil you use with the moisturizer you chosen for your skin type.

For those who would like to know the science behind this - the difference is:

A serum or oil has smaller molecules than a moisturizer has which means it can penetrate into the epidermis and dermis layers of the skin providing it with extra nutrients, moisture and other benefits depending on which serum or oil you have chosen ( for instance anti- aging ).

The difference between a serum and oil is :
Serum is a thick liquid concentrate, made out of extractions of natural ingredients. They are water based which makes them lightweight and absorbed quickly into the skin. It’s quick absorbing formulation helps the ingredients to be delivered deeply through the skin’s pores for maximum active potency.
A facial oil is a concentration of pure oil extracted from plants and herbs and are ideally used to provide nourishment for combination to dry, rosacea, mature, fragile skin types. It’s botanical concentration means it is rich in vitamins, essential oils and antioxidants.

But won't a facial oil make my skin look greasy? I am always asked this question too and so I always use the facial oil to demonstrate at parties or pamper evenings. It is often assumed that because it is only most people associate it as being greasy like cooking oil or car oil. On the contray it is quite the opposite, and the skin readily drinks the oil into the deeper layers, leaving your skin grease free with a lovely soft feeling and glow.

So why than use a moisturiser?
Well you have only put your underwear on remember!  The moisturizer ( the dress ) complements the oil/serum by giving you extra nourishment on the outside of your skin, and protecting it from the environmental damage and maintain the moisture balance within the skin.

I hope you have found this article helpful and welcome any comments.

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