New on my radar is a skincare line from Belli, which offers a variety of washes, scrubs, moisturizers, serums and more. I opted to try the Anti-Blemish Facial Wash, their Fresh Start Pre-Treatment Scrub, the Healthy Glow Facial Hydrator, and an Acne Control Spot Treatment, which is the perfect size for a weekend getaway. I know I’m not alone in the adult acne category and truth be told, it’s even more frustrating when you have breakouts on the road. When we travel, food, climate and humidity all change, which adds to the likelihood of a break-out, so let’s face it — it’s nice to be prepared.
It incorporates one of my favorite ingredients — lactic acid, which doesn’t over dry or strip your skin. Its unique formula is formulated to cleanse the skin of oil, dead skin cells and impurities that can lead to bacterial overgrowth and ultimately, acne. Free of teratogens, its safe to use for pregnant women as well. Since they focus on gentle ingredients that would be safe enough to us during pregnancy, there’s no salicylic acid, glycolic acid or benzoyl peroxide, which is known for drying out the skin. Other healthy ingredients include green tea, which is known to be an antioxidant and cucumber. Lemon peel oil serves as a natural anti-bacterial agent and skin brightener. It’s free of parabens, BPA, phthalates and artificial dyes, which we applaud.
The Belli Fresh Start Pre-Treatment Scrub uses a Micro-scrub formula, which provides gentle exfoliation without being too harsh or abrasive. Included in the formula is ginseng, green tea and the aromatherapy benefits of peppermint oil. You can use it on both the face and body as a pre-scrub before applying other skincare products, such as moisturizer or sunscreen.
A very useful addition to any toiletry bag is the small travel-friendly Acne Control Spot Treatment. Whether you’re going through hormonal changes or are simply prone to acne on or off the road, this free of teratogens formula contains no salicylic acid, glycolic acid or benzoyl peroxide like the facial wash. This solution instead uses the gentler colloidal sulfur to penetrate your pores, control acne and help to keep skin clear of new breakouts. We love the fact that it includes chamomile flower extract, cucumber extract and tea tree leaf oil, which is a known natural ingredient to ward off acne. The packaging is great also — dispensed from an airless pump makes it easy to apply targeted spot treatment that absorbs easily and quickly.
Lastly from their line, we sampled the healthy Glow Facial Hydrator, which is a must have for avid travelers. Skin can dry out more easily when you travel, especially on those long flights. It’s important that you constantly hydrate your skin and drink a lot of water. Their Facial H ydrator is a light daily moisturizer that is rich in botanical humectants that help to refine, smooth and soften your skin texture. In the mix is chamomile for neutralizing skin irritants, Vitamin C and grapeseed oil — it also smells great. Think citrus!!
They also have a great sunscreen with both Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide.
More information including how to purchase can be found on their website at http://www.belliskincare.com.
Meet a few of Jojoba Company’s skincare offerings, starting with the Jojoba Bead Facial Cleanser, which we love. They use 100% natural solidified eco-friendly jojoba beads, which gently exfoliate while hydrating Vitamin C, quandong, aloe vera and Vitamin E dissolve impurities. I love some of the other ingredients they add as well, including natural coconut oil, Cedarwood, Soapwort, Sunflower seed oil, Macademia Seed oil and of course natural Jojoba seed oil from Australia, which is where the company is based. I love the feeling of the cleanser when it goes on — while you only need a dime size drop to cover your whole face, it is so smooth and clean feeling when it goes on, I often find myself wanting to do two lathers.
I was also keen to test out their Skin Refining & Brightening Face Mask, which helps to even out skin tone and reduce the appearance of pigmentation, which given how many hours I’ve baked in the sun over the years, is a godsend. The mask uses a very hydrating ivory clay, skin lightening bearberry and skin repairing vitamin A in its solution to achieve that porcelain effort we’re all after. I love the after effect of this product — they recommend leaving it on for around ten of so minutes and you may feel a tingling upon first application for some skin types. The mask includes a few fun ingredients as well, such as Daisy flower extract, Avocado Oil, a calming Lavender Oil, Coffea Arabica (Coffee) Seed Oil, Orange Sweet Peel Oil, Vitamin A and C, Citric Acid and Cape Rose Geranium Flower oil. Two thumbs up!
I’m a huge fan of CoQ10 and take it daily — Jojoba offers a CoQ10 as an antioxidant serum, which is a great addition to any aging skin regime.
Also worth mentioning is their Jojoba Bead and Bamboo Facial Exfoliant. For more information and how to order in the states, can be found at http://www.thejojobacompany.com/.
The next beauty item on the must have Spring list are the Mother Tucker Leggings. While the brand Belly Bandit makes a boat load of product offerings for pregnant women, they also offer tummy tuckers for any time of your life, particularly when you simply want a more beautifying and slimming look and who doesn’t need a little help from time to time? Especially as Spring approaches, it doesn’t hurt to have a pair of compression leggings that are also stylish to give you a leg up on looking trim and toned. It helps you smooth your tummy and thighs while giving your butt that added boost.
The leggings are a bit unique in that they have three targeted compression zones which help to shape your belly, butt and thighs with 360 degrees of compression. The material is breathable and is apparently pretty good about holding its shape wash after wash. During our test, we’ve only put them through three washes and so far, so good!
More information about all of their products can be found at http://www.bellybandit.com.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
