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

SBT Seabuckthorn Sample Pack Mini Review + Thanksgiving Giveaway!

Canadian Thanksgiving is upon us! From my computer to yours, I hope you have a fantastic long weekend filled with family and food. Don't forget to be thankful and wear your stretchy/eating pants. In the spirit of this giving holiday, SBT Seabuckthorn has graciously sent me a sample pack to try and one to give to a lucky reader. They are a Canadian company, located in Peachland, British Columbia, who create products using the amazing sea buckthorn berry, seed and leaf. Before I get into the rules of the giveaway, I wanted to share with you my thoughts on a few of the products that I've tried from the pack.

22 Samples!!

This sample pack contains 22 generous sized samples, which consists of soap bars, tea, salves, and creams. I have tried:
Tea Scrub Bar: Smells like sea buckthorn oil and offers great exfoliation. I still prefer a dry brush, but this was a fun sample to use.
Sea Buckthorn Tea (bags): I love tea and really enjoyed this. I also have the loose leaf version, which is best for smoothies, but the bags are much easier to work with and convenient. It's not super strong in taste and goes down smoothly.
Berry Cream, Night Cream, Hand Cream & Skin Cream: I didn't enjoy these. I, personally, didn't find them hydrating enough for my face or body with the cold weather rolling in. On the plus side, neither irritated or broke out my sensitive skin.

Day Cream: LOVE this stuff! It's much more hydrating than the night cream and I find it's a fantastic base for my makeup. I'm still using the sample, sparingly, and might purchase the full size. We'll see how it works after my vacay, when my skin needs the most love.

Eczema Dermatitis Salve: These salves all have the same base, just different essential oils for targeted needs. This one in particular is great because it's helped alleviate the itching and dryness of the eczema on my hands, sinks in, and smells nice.  Diaper Rash Salve: If you follow me on Twitter, then you may already know that my underarms are raw and red from, perhaps, a new deodorant that I'm trying. So many lovely followers sent me suggestions on how to help reduce this torture going on under my arms. I remembered that I had this salve and along with aloe, it's helped reduce the redness and burning. Hopefully, it'll be completely cleared up by Sunday morning. If I had diaper rash or a baby, I have no doubt that this would work wonders.

Tea Scrub Bar, Shampoo Bar, & Sea Buckthorn Tea (bags)

Berry Bar, Juice Bar, & Tea Bar Soap

Berry Cream, Day Cream, Night Cream, Hand Cream & Skin Cream

11 Sample Sized Salves

Giveaway Time!

With Fall here and Winter not far behind (sorry, touchy subject?), this is the perfect time to try out SBT products (especially the salves). One lucky reader will get the entire box of goodies! This contest will run for 2 weeks - Friday, October 11th to Friday, October 25th, 2013 11:59 PM EST. It will be open to Canadian residents only. You must be 18 years of age or older, or have your parents permission. Please note that I will be away from October 13th to 20th, in that time any comments made will remain unpublished until I find wifi connection or return. Basically, don't freak out or post the same message if you don't see it up. Happy Thanksgiving and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Congrats Heather!