A week ago, the lovely folks at Africology sent me (Filipa)
a gorgeous package of samples for me to try out. Anyone that knows me well will
know that I adore anything body / face / hair product related. I especially
LOVE trying new products, and I will always choose the eco-friendly or local
option over anything else. This is what makes me so excited about a brand like
Africology. They are all about being natural, eco-friendly and keeping it local
(right down to the African Potatoes that they grow organically on their farm in
Knysna). So before I tell you all about the divine samples I got to try out,
let me first give you some background on this local company that is gaining a
lot of ground and respect in the South African beauty market.
Africology have a simple philosophy - they capture the
intelligence of nature and use it in a restorative manner. To practice this philosophy, Africology aim to use as much organic raw ingredients as
possible. They also ensure that their products are free from all toxic
chemicals, including preservatives (they only use natural preservatives so as
to not damage the natural plants that go into the products). They use a variety of minerals, but the main
ingredients that can be found in their products are Marula, African potato, Aloe and Rooibos. Does that not sound like an African landscape or what?
Now that you know a bit more behind the philiosophy of the
brand, let me take you through the products that I sampled over this past week.
I’m a huge sucker for foot products. I love putting cream on
my feet before bed time and nothing gives me more satisfaction than waking up
to soft feet because my foot cream has been working hard throughout the night.
I think foot cream is something a lot of women overlook when considering their
beauty regime, and with our hot climate, active lifestyles, and South African
meisie’s tendency to be barefoot, adding something like this into your routine
is really worthwhile. I’ve been through the ringer with different products and
I always find that a balm works better on the feet than a cream. Because the
skin on your feet is thicker than skin anywhere else, I find that a balm is a
lot more creamier and able to really work into the skin, as opposed to just on
the surface. This balm from Africology was no different. I loved that I really
had to squeeze the tube to get the balm out – its thickness made it feel really luxurious on my feet and I felt like it sunk deep into my heels. The strong
peppermint smell from the foot balm was great – I felt like it was refereshing
and like it ‘cooled’ my feet down as I put it on. The cream sunk into my heels,
and for a one or two hours after applying it, I could still feel it on my feet.
I applied the balm about 2 hours before going to sleep and put socks on
straight afterwards. The next morning my feet felt incredibly soft and I was
shocked at how smooth my skin felt – almost like I had gone to a pedicure. Two
thumbs up to this product!
The first thing that I
noticed about this product and that slightly disappointed me was how runny it
was. When I tipped it over to get some out, a lot of it just ran out
all over the place, and I felt like that was a bit of a waste. Once I had
starting using it, it foamed up really nicely (suprising for something so
runny) which I loved because I felt like I could “see” the product getting used
on my skin. All the products seem to have the same distinctive smell to them –
which is due to the fact that they all carry the four core ingredients mentioned earlier. This is great for layering scents, but
not so great if you don’t like the smell of the products as they are quite strong and linger for a while after using them.
This shower gel is recommened for all skin types and even for infants older
than 2 months.
I'm not a huge fan of body scrubs in general. I find that
you have to use a lot of product to make them feel effective, and I often don’t
feel clean after using them, so I usually apply a body scrub and then wash
myself again with a shower gel. This scrub, like any other, is great for a
weekly exfoliation. The rough texture felt really good on my skin and I loved
how it made my usually bumpy upper arms quite soft. Once again, the smell is
quite strong and it lingers a lot. The scrub is packed with all sorts of good
things for your skin like walnut, vitamin A, D and E, Calcium, Zinc, Potassium
and Iron. The aloe and marula oil smoothes out the skin nicely. Expect to use a
lot of the scrub to get a full body exfoliation as a little does not really go
a long way in this case.
This body lotion is exactly how I like my body lotions to be
– thick, rich and creamy. I like cream that requires some work to blend into
the skin – like a mini massage. Like a foot balm, it makes me feel like the
product is getting worked into my skin and not just lingering on a surface
level. This lotion left my skin scented for a good few hours after application
– which I love – and I noticed a difference in softness on my elbows and upper
arms after using this product for a week. If I could only buy one product from
the samples I received, it would have to be this one. The lotion contains
natural oils such as apricot kernel and is also rich in Vitamin A, B and C,
with essential fatty acids designed to boost the production of collagen.
I say it over and over again - it always pays to go local and stick to what is right here in our backyard. Africology's philosophy on using only natural ingredients is inspiring as it is forward thinking. These products are good quality, will last you long and certainly worth every single penny.
Labels: Africology, Beauty, Body Care, events, Local Products, Product Review, South Africa
