bSoul Natural Skincare Product Reviews and a Giveaway!

I have very sensitive skin. I have eczema that is hereditary. When I consumed a lot of processed food and used skincare products that contain a lot of chemicals, my skin wasn't in its best condition. Even when I had significantly switched to a healthier and natural lifestyle, there are still environmental factors such as pollution and dust that easily irritate my skin. Eating the right kinds of food is definitely the most important factor for healthy skin. Some people are blessed with beautiful skin naturally. Some others, including me, have to intentionally take care of our skin daily to keep them healthy. There are many ways to nourish our skin naturally, but some people still prefer to buy formulated products for convenience and comfort. There are indeed advantages to buying high-quality natural skin care products because these companies have spent time and resources researching on blends of ingredients that give maximum effectiveness for our skin.

Let me introduce you to bSoul skin care from Tuscany, Italy. This product range is eco-friendly and skin-friendly. They look to nature to get rich ingredients that gives the best to the skin, while respecting the skin and the environment. bSoul range does not contain toxic ingredients including mineral oils, petroleum products, dimethicone, petrolatum, paraffin, alkyl, acryl, peg, substances of animal origin, SLEs and parabens. Some of these substances, such as paraffin, acrylics and silicones give an illusion that our skin has improved, but in reality they interfere with our natural moisterizing properties and disrupt our skin's ability to self-regenerate and self-protect, even when combined with excellent natural ingredients. bSoul skin care is certified by ICEA (Environmental and Ethical Certification Institute), vegan friendly and also cruelty free. They are unfortunately not 100% natural because they do contain preservatives called phenoxyethanol and fragrances (though they are approved by ICEA). Preservatives are needed for all skin care products sold on the shelves to prevent bacteria from growing and phenoxyethanol is the lesser evil compared to many other preservatives out there. The good news is they are used in very little amount and thus their shelf life is only 6-12 months. The packaging materials for bSoul range are also made with recycled or recyclable materials, making them eco-friendly. 

That said, this is not a perfect product but the choices we have in the market today may be far worse. A close look at ingredient labels will give you the answer. bSoul aims to help the skin restore its ideal condition through continual research and improvement.

bSoul Physiological Normalization Kit

I was fortunate to receive their Physiological Normalization Kit to try. One of the main functions of the skin is to regulate the quantity of lipids, thickness (keratin), pH (skin acidity), melanin, vasodilation, and defend itself from external factors (cold, UV rays, wind, bacteria, humidity, etc.). This kit is formulated to do just that:

Hydra-Milk Cleanser cleanses the skin without drying it. It is made with argan oil and rosa moschata which lipids are similar to our skin thus they can be easily absorbed, contains antioxidant properties, and gives the necessary fat acids for our skin; Sage, Thyme, and Rosemary Extracts: Sage and thyme are antiseptic, purifying, sebum-rebalancing and anti-inflammatory. Rosemary has antioxidant properties that help fight free radicals, and Lactic Acid to regulate the skin pH. This cleanser is very gentle and moisturizing on the skin.

Hydra-Face Scrub 3Action is a delicate scrub that nourishes and normalizes skin. It is made with vitamin E-rich and hydrating jojoba that has antioxidant properties, aloe vera extract - a cooling plant that protects, heal, reduce inflammation, and boost cell regeneration, and baking soda - an excellent and gentle exfoliator that helps to remove dead skin cells, making skin brighter and more youthful. I enjoy this scrub a few times a week. It exfoliates my skin very well.

Redness-Sinergy Serum is a serum with a very high functional ingredients concentration that boosts sensitive skin defense against oxidative damage. This concentrated serum contains potent anti-inflmmatory magnolia bark extract, maitake mushroom extract that enhances skin elasticity and firmness, lactic acid to regulate skin pH, aloe vera, chamomile, mallow, and calendula extracts that refresh, calm, and sooth the skin, and vitamin E (antioxidant). Suitable for all skin type, especially for delicate, sensitive, and reactive skin.

This is by far my favorite. It is a rich moisturizer and penetrates deep into the skin. It smells mildly sweet like honeysuckle, which is refreshing. 

Hydra-Comfort Face Cream is a moisturizing cream that restores, hydrates, and gives a radiant complexion. It is suitable for all skin types, even the most sensitive and delicate, as it is made of soothing and softening altea and mallow extracts, aloe vera extract that shields our skin against the sun rays, antioxidant rosemary extract, vitamin E, nourishing shea butter, and squalene to retain the natural moisture of the skin. I apply this cream when I go out since aloe vera helps to protect our skin from the sun's UV rays.

I have to say that this set beats many of the skin care products that I've tried in the past. I love that this is as natural as it can be, while still smell appealing to those who are switching into natural products. My skin feels so pampered and hydrated and I highly recommend this set!

A healthy skin is able to self regenerate, self protect and also can retain water and the nutrients in it. People who are used to using synthetic skin care and cosmetic products or have a complicated skin history may find that their skin will need a longer time to stabilize. It takes about a month for our skin to regenerate new skin cells and thus you need to be patient when switching your skin care products to a natural one. You may see break outs in the beginning but your skin will calm down afterwards. 

Thanks to our sponsor Hap Global, one lucky winner will receive one set of Hydra-Milk Cleanser + Redness Sinergy + Hydra-Comfort Face Cream (worth S$296) and three other winners will receive bSoul trial kits, one set each. To enter, simply:

1. "Like" Pasture Living Facebook Page

2. "Like" bSoul Singapore Facebook Page

3. Comment on this post on why you'd like to win a bSoul skincare set and leave your email address. If you are uncomfortable leaving your email publicly, send me a message through Pasture Living Facebook page.

4. Share this giveaway on your Facebook page and tag a friend.

This giveaway will end on 25 July 2014 Singapore time and the winners will be announced through email. Open to Singapore residents only.

A special discount for those of you who want to purchase bSoul Physiological Normalization Kit, use coupon code "BSVicky10%" (expire 31 September 2014, for a 10% discount when you shop through their online store.

Good luck!

Disclaimer: Hap Global sponsored the above products for reviews, no compensation was received and all opinions are my own.