Bodycare | New to Me ft. Elemental Herbology, Sanctuary Spa, Ameliorate and Bondi Sands

I’ve been quite skincare and makeup focused on the blog recently so thought I would do a little round up of some body products I have been using recently!

ameliorate elemental herbology sanctuary spa bondi sands review

Elemental Herbology Zest Bath and Body Oil* RRP £28

My first foray into this brand and it won’t be my last! It’s based on the five elements of traditional Chinese medicine and this is from the Fire range. I find body oils so luxurious to use and this one is a dream! Like the name suggests, it’s a citrus scent and includes orange (to energise), rosemary (to stimulate the mind and work as an inflammatory) and marjoram (to boost energy). It can be used in a hot bath but since it isn’t the weather for those right now - heatwave anyone? – I have been using it at night as a body oil (concentrating mainly on my legs if I have tan on) and waking up to soft, nourished skin! The scent is beautiful too – not too overpowering and very uplifting!

Sanctuary Spa De-Stress Warming Body Balm* RRP £10

Before the heat wave I had been loving this self-heating body balm! It’s a little too warm for it right now but I really can’t get over it! I wasn’t expecting such a warming sensation but this is HOT! I personally like the feeling though I can see it being too much for some people and but this will be a godsend come winter for me with my tense neck and shoulders! It comes with some safety warnings like not to use after a hot shower, do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding and wash hands after use so you know it means business! I use just before bed and it really is such a comfort! You can control how much it heats up too and I would recommend starting with less product so you can get used to the sensation! It reminds me of deep heat in that it obviously heats up but instead of a menthol scent here we have a relaxing jasmine, patchouli and frankincense scent. I am not usually a fan of jasmine but the blend is beautiful and it makes it perfect for bedtime!

Ameliorate Nourishing Body Wash RRP £12 and Transforming Body Lotion RRP £24

This brand is so hyped up it’s crazy! I managed to nab the Look Fantastic x Ameliorate box at a steal a couple of months ago and quickly integrated this and the body lotion into my routine! It’s specialist care for bumpy, dry, KP prone skin and contains their unique LaH6 formulation – a hydrating powerhouse! The body wash is a creamy gel that smells pleasant and fresh and it leaves my skin feeling hydrated and soft after use. It also works well with my scrubbing gloves to remove tan. The body lotion has a bit more of a funky scent (I would definitely go with one of their actual scented ones next time) but it’s not noticeable once it dries in. It contains lactic acid so gently resurfaces the skin as well as hydrating it and I see and feel an improvement in my skin texture (particularly on my arms!) after use and it’s way less bumpy. My only issue with this is that I am a serial fake tanner so can’t use it as much as I would like as it wears my tan off quicker with the lactic acid! A little bit frustrating so I only use it around twice a week towards the end of my tan and when I am scrubbing off. I can only imagine the results would be even more noticeable if I was using every day!

Bondi Sands Pure Gradual Tanning Lotion RRP £12.99

As a huge Bondi Sands fan (their Liquid Gold oil and dark lotion are long term favourites) I was interested in their latest launch, Pure. This contains Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin C and Vitamin E and is colourless and fragrance free so perfect for sensitive skin if you want to build your tan. Now I’ve got to say, I didn’t read up as much on this as I should have before buying. I thought within about 2 uses I would have a nice light-medium tan but I was wrong. I mentioned before I normally go for the shade “dark” so going from that to this was an adjustment! To its credit this does say use daily to achieve a year round golden tan so it definitely is buildable but and I shouldn’t have expected a dramatic colour but there is barely any difference after 1 or 2 uses! By the 3^rd use I have a very light tan. It does apply evenly even though it’s a white cream so no guide colour, it’s not scented, dries in pretty quickly and wears off evenly too but it’s just not dark enough for me! I’m glad I got it on offer at £7.39 instead of £12.99 and I will probably use to top up my darker tans towards the end of the week when I want to get a few extra days out of them! This would be perfect if you are a newbie to tan or scared of a deeper colour developing quickly! Side note – I also picked up the face version of this too and I have the opposite problem – way too dark lol.