Graydon - Clinical Luxury by Nature - SPF 30 Sun Cream Review

Sunscreen is super important and, while there are days that I forget to apply it, I try my hardest to apply it most days. Natural sun blockers that blend well and leave behind an invisible layer of UVA/UVB protection can be hard to find. Often times, a white cast is left behind which makes it unfavourable for those who are darker than a ghost or just don't enjoy looking like they're wearing white face paint. Look no further, *SPF 30 Sun Cream by Graydon is top notch and leaves no white cast! She also uses non-nano zinc oxide, which allows the zinc to sit on the skin as opposed to being absorbed into the skin.

Description: Blended with skin soothing, sun protecting zinc (a naturally occurring mineral) and a host of sun reflective carrier oils, this light textured cream with SPF 30 will infuse your face and body with the anti-oxidant protection you've been craving without any goo, grease or stickiness. We also use Green Tea in our formula which is rich in polyphenols (antioxidants that form part of the green tea leaves) and has been shown to provide internal and external protection from UV radiation and in turn, photo aging. You will enjoy re-applying this lovely unscented blend not only because it's so good for your skin when you're outside, but because it feels so good to put on. And guess what? This 'airless pump' allows you to use every last drop, so there's no product wastage. Plus it's a dream to throw in your bag or carry on luggage because it won't leak.

I've been testing this out for a few months now and, most recently, tested it on a sun filled vacation. Let me start with the brilliant packaging, I love airless pumps and this bad boy has one! The pump works so well, doesn't leak, and ensures that every bit of sunscreen stays fresh and bacteria free. The bottle is super light and easy to travel with. The ingredients list is chock full of greatness, including sea buckthorn oil (a personal fave), shea butter, aloe, and raspberry seed extract. All great for nourishing, soothing and loving your skin. The cream is white and a little a grainy at first with virtually no scent. There are times when I find it clings a little to dry patches, but for the most part it blends seamlessly and gives my skin an extra boost of hydration...which I need with the colder months here. I should mention though, it's not heavy or greasy which means all skin types could use it. When I first started using this, I was getting little bumps wherever it was applied and so I stopped using it. Then I gave it a go on my arms and same thing. Third time seemed to be a charm because It hasn't given me bumps or broken me out since. While in Jamaica, I used this on my face and neck daily and reapplied constantly. I'm happy to report that no sun burn in those two areas took place, which is a shocker because my nose and cheeks tend to burn first. I think it's great that this can be used on your face and body because it saves space in your bathroom and travel bag. While I personally find most natural sunscreen bottles too small for 7+ days in the sun with daily application and reapplication, this lovely sunscreen has a 240ml/8oz bottle option! Thank you vacation for giving me the opportunity to fall in love with this product. Definitely recommend!

Retails for $20 CAN for 50ml/1.7 fl oz or $33 CAN for 240ml/8oz. Can be purchased through Graydon or any of these e/retailers.

See the grainy texture?

Gone and no white cast!

Ingredients: purified water (aqua), zinc oxide (zinc oxide), cetyl alcohol (coconut product), stearyl alcohol (mixed plant), shea butter (butyrospernum parkii), cocoa butter (theobroma cacao), aloe vera (aloe barbadensis), cherry kernel oil (prunus avium), rice bran oil (oryza sativa), pumpkin seed oil (cucurbita maxima), buriti oil (mauritia flexuosa), sodium chloride (mixed plant), raspberry seed oil (rubus idaeus), seabuckhorn oil (hippophae rhamnoides), green tea (camellia sinensis), sodium lactate (sodium-l-lactate), rosemary co2 extract (rosmarinus officinalis L) and nothing else!
*Product provided for review consideration. All opinions are my own

Graydon - Clinical Luxury by Nature - All Over Soap + Shampoo Review

Recently, or not so recently now, I got the opportunity to try out a few Graydon - Clinical Luxury by Nature products. The line is Canadian (with ingredients sourced from Canadian growers when possible), natural, and fabulous.

Graydon grew up in France and soon made her way to Canada. As a teenager, her skin care regime consisted of kitchen ingredients such as olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and baking soda. It was here that her dream of creating her own line began, and it was her extensive educational background and passion that made her dream a reality. The line consists of bioactive, plant based ingredients that each play an important role. "Bursting with omega rich oils, antioxidants, phytosterols, linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid, carotenoids, high levels of both tocotrienols and tocopherols (which are the natural isomers of Vitamin E), flavinoids and a plethora of vitamins and minerals, the ingredients and research within our line offer you unparalleled quality and product functionality."  They're free of fillers, petrochemicals, toxic chemicals, phthalates, parabens, artificial frangrances and colours, etc.

The beauty herself - Graydon

I wanted to start off with the *All Over Soap + Shampoo because it's my favourite of what I've tried from the line.

Description: The All Over Soap + Shampoo will clean your whole body: hands, body, face + hair. This eco blended soap is infused with plant based and coconut ingredients - sulfate free of course! Its super fresh smell will leave your bathroom smelling like a spa. Infused with our Germs Away AromaBlend you will take solace knowing that our soap will leave your skin extra clean, killing germs the natural way using our signature synergy of essential oils (not through fragrance or nasty chemicals).
* Safe to use in the lake or ocean.
 

This soap smells strongly of rosemary, yet doesn't bother me at all. Plus, I find the scent fades. The plastic bottle is great because of the blue tint (blocking out UV light), the pump locks (great for travelling), and the bottle is refillable (eco friendly considering it's plastic). If you love this soap, you can buy the 1L refill and just keep reusing this bottle. The soap is obviously liquid, a little runnier than I expected and almost like castile soap, but lathers well and cleans fantastically. As a body wash, it's great. It leaves me squeaky clean, but not dry (like castile soap would). As a shampoo, it just doesn't work for my hair type. Having fine and minimally damaged hair, this is just too hydrating and my hair looks and feels greasy by the end of the day. My absolute favourite way to use this soap, is for my hands. I keep it by my sink and use it whenever I need to because it doesn't leave my hands dry or irritated. This soap is very versatile and gender neutral, in terms of scent, that it would be a great addition to any household. Also, it's perfect for those who appreciate or prefer minimal products/bottles because of it's many different uses. With it's Germs Away AromaBlend, it would be amazing for camping and at the cottage. Been using it nonstop, for a couple of months now, and have only used about half of it. I would definitely purchase once running out and highly recommend. 

Retails for approx. $17 CAN for 240ml/ 8 fl oz. Can be purchased through Graydon or one of these retailers.

Ingredients: water (aqua), coconut based cleansing ingredient: coco glucoside (plantacar 818 UP), citric acid, rosemary botanical extract (rosmarinus officinalis leaf extract), grapefruit seed extract (cirtus grandis) ... spiked with a purifying blend of all-natural essential oils and nothing else
*Product sent for review consideration. All opinions are my own.