These are translations of my German blogposts Night Cream Powder Age Defence von Berrichi, Bakuchiol Booster von Bybi Beauty and Wonderbalm und Floral Essence von The Glow. Enjoy!

Night Cream Power Age Defence from Berrichi

At Indie Beauty Expo Berlin trade show this March I discovered young Estonian brand Berrichi. The company is based in Tallin and was launched just over two years ago. Founder Berit Joosep works closely with researchers at the University of Tallinn in the development of her products.

A few weeks ago Berrichi introduced two new launches which brings the beauty range up to five products. Back in October 2017, the brand had started out with a day cream, night cream and calming face cream for men. In October 2018 an eye cream followed and now there’s a new light face cream and matching nutritional supplements. The products are packaged in bright orange and there’s a very good reason for that.

All Berrichi products are based on a proprietary ingredients complex which contains two different algae extract and several active plant oils.

• I already wrote about astaxanthin – an extract derived from the green algae haematococcus pluvialis – in my recent blog post about the DNA Serum from Dr. Hauck. The carotinoid contained in the astaxanthin protects the cells from free radicals and boost the skin’s collagen production. Astaxanthin has a much stronger antioxidant effect than vitamin C.
• The red algae furcellaria lumbricalis is actually pictured on Berrichi‘s packaging. Whilst talking to the brand at Indie Beauty Expo I was told that the Furcellaria occurs in the Baltic Sea. The algae extract was researched in cooperation with Tallinn university: Furcellaria has an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and moisturising effect on the skin and stimulates the skin’s metabolic processes.
• The algae complex is blended with two active plant oils, cacay oil and kukui nut oil. Cacay oil is rather trendy at the moment: it contains a high percentage of unsaponifiables (around 8%, including a lot of vitamin E) and trans-retinoic acid. Kukui nut oil contains a lot of alpha-linolenic acid and a natural sun protection effect – both oils are antioxidant and therefore anti-inflammatory.

At the trade show I received the Night Cream Power Age Defence from Berrichi which also contains retinol in an stable form said to help boost collagen production. The retinol is present in a low dosage so it won’t irritate the skin or have an exfoliating effect. Even if you use the cream every night your skin won’t become more light-sensitive.

The Night Cream Age Defence is based on water and organic avocado and apricot oils, followed by cacay and kukui nut oils. The product has a compact formula and is packaged in an airless pump dispenser in order to protect the fragile ingredients.

My test of Berrichi’s Night Cream

When I tried out the cream at Indie Beauty Expo I was immediately impressed by the fabulous texture (I can’t really think of another word to describe it!) of this night cream: it’s a combination of pliable cream and rich gel and the colour is orange which, however, doesn’t show on on the skin. On my slightly dry skin the cream was absorbed well and left my skin pleasantly smooth without any kind of shiny finish. The cream feels light and non-greasy on the face and my skin felt like it had received a portion of lasting hydration.

According to the brand’s home page the effects of the Night Cream should be visible after around three weeks because the ingredients boost the skin cell’s circulatory system. And indeed, it felt like the cream had a stimulating effect on my skin (without resulting in redness or red patches), probably because of the high concentration of the active ingredients. I recommend the Night Cream for skin types that look tired and need more glow from the inside. The cream doesn’t contain any perfume or essential oils, by the way, it simply smells a little creamy-oily.

Here is the international home page of Berrichi, the jar of Night Cream contains 50 ml and costs 39 Euro. I look forward to seeing what products Berrichi will launch next! I have already ordered the Travel Set with Day Cream and Night Cream in individual sachets which are very convenient for travelling. And hopefully the Estonian brand will also become available in Germany at some point…

[Click here for the original German article: Night Power Age Defence von Berrichi]

Bakuchiol Booster from Bybi Beauty

In cooperation with Blanda Beauty // In this installment of the beauty-around-the-world trip in cooperation with German organic beauty online store Blanda Beauty we’re visiting the UK! In 2017 two British beauty bloggers – Dominika Minarovic and Elsie Rutterford – launched their own brand, Bybi Beauty. The acronym Bybi stands for “by beauty insiders” and the range offers trendy face care products with organic ingredients and compact formulations.

I could barely wait until the brand’s new Bakuchiol Booster hit the shelves! Bakuchiol is a super trendy ingredient right now because it claims to offer a plant-based alternative to retinol; at least as far as the collagen production in the skin is concerned. Unlike retinol (which has an entirely different chemical structure) bakuchiol doesn’t irritate the skin or make it more photo-sensitive.The ingredient also has an antioxidant effect, calming down the skin and soothing red patches. Bakuchiol is derived from the seeds of the Indian Psoralea corylifolia plant (also known as babchi) and it’s a well-established ingredient in both TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and the Ayurvedic healing tradition.

Ever since several scientific studies proved the effects of bakuchiol, the beauty world’s been gripped by a bakuchiol hype – Bybi Beauty was one of the first companies to launch such a product. And I was so happy when I finally held the small purple flacon with dropper in my hands. The bakuchiol extract in Bybi’s Booster is suspended in plant-derived squalane, an oil extract from the olive fruit which retains moisture in the skin whilst still being very well tolerated. Squalane also has an antioxidant effect and helps to transport other actives into the skin – unsurprisingly it‘s also a very popular ingredient in Asia.

The texture of the Bakuchiol Booser is very light and it is absorbed well into the skin which feels silky soft afterwards. The scent is neutral and very slightly medicinal. I’ve tried the Boooster on dry and damp skin and also used it to boost the effects of a serum or light cream, both in the morning and the evening depending on what my skin needed that day.

This has already become one of my favourite products of 2019 – and I also like the other launches from Bybi (like the Strawberry Seed Oil Booster or the Babe Balm Bronze).

Ther Bakuchiol Booster contains 1% Bakuchiol and 99% squalane; a bottle contains 15 ml and costs 14 Euro at Blanda Beauty.

[Click here for the original German article: Bakuchiol Booster von Bybi Beauty]

Wonderbalm and Floral Essence from The Glow

Perhaps some of you German readers know Anita Bechloch: She’s a Munich-based writer with two books about DIY organic beauty and she also did a TV show called “The Glow – the Organic Beauty Kitchen Show”. Now Anita has launched her own organic beauty range The Glow which comprises five products.

The five Essentials are designed along the lines of a modular system so you can easily add them to existing skin care routines:

• The anti-inflammatory Everything Oil is suitable for body, hair and face.
• The Master Elixir is for face care.
• Floral Essence is a hydrating toner and serum.
• The pink Wonderbalm protects the skin and is multifunctional.
• The Cleansing Clay can be used as a cleaner, exfoliant and mask.

The ingredients and formulations are more interesting than I initially thought: Anita combines organic basics like healing clay, orange blossom water or jojoba oil with carefully selected specialised ingredients. The Cleansing Clay, for example, contains AHA and enzymes to boost the exfoliating effects. And the essential oils that are included in the products are not just for fragrance but also work as active ingredients.

Except for the Wonderbalm’s organic beeswax (which is sourced in Germany) all other ingredients are plant-based and come from organic agriculture or wild harvesting. They are often sourced from fair trade cooperatives (like the prickly pear oil, for example).

On her home page Anita recommends different ways to use each of the five products: you can personalise and/or boost your individual skin care routine or adapt it to the changing requirements of your skin. The Essentials are packaged in glass jars and flacons which look very attractive.

I tried out The Glow’s products over the past few weeks (they were press samples which I received for my blog) and will now introduce the Floral Essence and the Wonderbalm in more detail.

The Glow Floral Essence

The Glow Floral Essence has a delicate blue tint which is clearly visible through the clear glass flacon; it looks so pretty 🙂 . The soft colour is probably the malachite extract that’s been included in the formula – malachite is rich in copper and has an antioxidant effect. The Floral Essence has a thicker liquid texture (you can’t really spray it) and is packaged in a bottle with pump dispenser.

I very gently press the liquid into my skin with the palms of my hands; the essence has a soft floral scent and is very hydrating. I apply an oil or balm afterwards to lock the moisture into my skin. You can also blend the Floral Essence directly with a face oil to make your own creamy emulsion – or use it to mix up a home-made clay mask.

Orange blossom water, aloe vera and rose flower water form the base of the Floral Essence; the active ingredients include hydrating tremella fuciformis extract (which works similar to hyaluronic acid) and a bean extract which is said to be just as effective as 2.5% retinol in boosting collagen synthesis; without any of the unpleasant retinol side-effects. The formula also contains soothing melissa officinalis (lemon balm).

A bottle of the The Glow Floral Essence contains 60 ml and costs 34 Euro.

The Glow Wonderbalm

The Glow Wonderbalm is tinted a beautiful soft pink colour which practically shimmers out of the glass jar as soon as you open the lid. I immediately checked the INCI listing to find out where that wonderful tint was coming from – and it’s the purple gromwell extract (an ingredient hitherto unknown to me). The root of the purple gromwell contains the plant colourant Alkannin. In addition, the extract has anti-bacterial and antioxidant properties. The Wonderbalm contains jojoba oil, cupucacu butter, olive oil, beeswax and wild rose oil, plus essential lavender oil (the product fragrance has a perceptible lavender note).

I usually apply the Wonderbalm in a very thin layer over the Floral Essence. The texture immediately melts into my slightly dry skin and is absorbed like a light face oil. The balm leaves a very light protective film on my skin, it’s neither greasy nor waxy or heavy – in fact, I think this product might actually be a good base for makeup because the finish isn’t shiny at all. You only need a tiny amount of balm, by the way.

Anita recommends using the balm as a cleansing balm combined with a cleansing cloth, or as a mask: apply the Wonderbalm to your skin and then place a warm, damp cleansing cloth on your face for ten minutes. I also tried the Wonderbalm as lip care (my lips liked it which is really saying something 🙂 ), to moisturise dry cuticles and for rough skin patches (on my elbows, for example).

The The Glow Wonderbalm contains 50 ml and costs 28 Euro.

The Floral Essence and the Wonderbalm are a great combination but the Blueberry Booster from Bybi (which I recently introduced in my Beauty Notes, German only, sorry!) is also a good partner for the Floral Essence. I’ve decided to try out a DIY face mask soon by blending the Cleansing Clay with the Floral Essence.

The Glow is definitely a minimalistic skin care range but thanks to the interesting ingredients it isn’t boring. And the products look really good 🙂 .

You can order the Essentials from The Glow through the brand’s own web shop and in selected offline stores, like Werte Freunde in Hamburg.

[Click here for the original German article: Wonderbalm und Floral Essence von The Glow]

See you soon,

Julia