It wasn’t only yesterday that I became quite aware of skin-loving products that were made ethically and contained ingredients that weren’t doubtful. In the past 1-2 years, the skin on my calves seemed to have become more sensitive than it had always been, and I started developing eczema patches here and there. Suddenly, I could no longer use shower gels from the many brands I used to love, because they would just make the condition worse.
In the past couple of months, I’ve been on the search for skin-repairing products that would make my eczema go away and return me the healthy skin that I used to have. I was asked if I wanted to give PHB Ethical Beauty a try and one of the products I was recommended was the Skin Repair Gel with Aloe & Lavender.
The gel itself comes in a 120ml glass tub with a metal lid that screws shut. It is hand made in the UK, like all the other products from the brand, and contains natural and organic ingredients. A quick look at their short ingredient list shows organic aloe vera as the second ingredient on the list after water. Now we’re talking.
Ingredient List:
Aqua, Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe Vera), Vegetable Glycerine, Lavendula Angustifolia Flower Distillate, Sclerotium Gum, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Xanthin Gum, Coco-caprylate, Propandiol & Salix Alba, Lavendula Angustifolia (Lavender) and Benzyl Alcohol. Occurs naturally: Geraniol, Limonene and Linalool.
The gel smells quite strongly of lavender the moment you open it, though it dissipates quite fast once applied. Because it has aloe vera in it, it does have an immediate cooling effect on the skin even when left to store at room temperature. Which makes sense, seeing that this gel is meant for skin that is irritated, inflamed, sun burnt or suffering from eczema. The gel calms the skin down and leaves behind a thin, lightweight, silky smooth feel. When applied on inflamed skin that itches, it immediately stops the itch. I think it would be good to give this a try on mosquito bites. It can be used on the face as well, as aloe vera helps to soothe acne if you suffer from it.
As for the other ingredients in the list, they seem fine to me as well. Glycerine is very commonly used as a base in soaps. All the gums you see are used as emulsifiers and thickeners, but since this gel is quite flowy in nature, I don’t think a high concentration of the gums is used. Coco-caprylate (a natural ingredient) is what helps the gel to spread well and hydrate the skin, and gives the skin its silky effect after applying. I love it!
The watery, colourless gel.
The PHB Ethical Beauty Skin Repair Gel – a skin protector and healer.
I wouldn’t recommend this gel as your only daily moisturiser – for that, you’ll need something more intensive and deeply hydrating. This gel serves as a great respite from irritation and it also smells nice. It’s also worthy to note that all PHB Ethical Beauty products are certified vegan, Halal and cruelty free. They are all also free from: parabens, SLS, palm oil, DEA, TEA, PEGs, artificial fragrance (really important for sensitive skin sufferers), micro plastics, mineral oil, petrochemicals, synthetic dyes, formaldehyde and GM ingredients.
Did you see that? No palm oil. This means you don’t contribute to the blasted haze we keep having here in Asia. I’m currently giving their Restoring Body Butter with Rosemary & Chamomile a go, and will review it up on the blog when I’m ready. Right now, Monsieur Ratatouille isn’t very fond of the way it smells but hey, if it’s going to be the only moisturiser that works wonders for my skin…
You can find PHB Ethical Beauty products on their website, which offers free international delivery above £100. I checked out Juniper’s blog entry about the PHB Ethical Beauty store in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and I think you might want to read it to get a better idea about the brand as a whole. As PHB Ethical Beauty is a family-run business, they have dedicated 15% of all profits to The OneLove Foundation, which you can read about here.
Have a restful Sunday,
Roxanne