Skincare is definitely in it’s Technical Era right now, with complex peptides, growth factors and exosomes becoming widely available and surprisingly accessible, so it’s refreshing to come across a brand that’s taking everything back to square one; finding the very best of what nature has to offer and providing an entirely plant-based routine of products. The Natural Africa, as the name suggests, provides skincare that merges “African botanical wisdom” with the knowledge of modern day dermatologists, so you get carefully formulated skincare that works. I was sent four products to try, so here are my thoughts!
The Rooibos Cleansing Cream (£50 here) was the first surprise of the bunch, as I hear the words “cleansing cream” and my mind immediately goes to those old-style, cold creams that you wipe off with a tissue and then try and tackle the residue with a toner. This cleansing cream is designed to be used like a more traditional cleanser, so you apply it to damp skin, work it around your face to give it a good cleanse then wash it off with a flannel. This is a lovely, lightweight, non-foamy treat for the skin that I like to use when I’m doing facials or peels as it’s very gentle, but it still feels like it’s cleansing your skin effectively. Most importantly, it doesn’t leave a residue either.
I was really excited to try the Cape Aloe Serum (£95 here) as I absolutely love aloe in skincare – I think it’s one of nature’s finest ingredients – and this serum is packed with additional hydrators such as glycerin, hyaluronic acid and jojoba esters. I have very difficult skin that can play up for no obvious reason, so I always tread carefully when discussing a product that didn’t work for me as chances are I’m in the minority, but I found this to feel quite dry on my skin and it left a sort of clay-like feel – you know when you apply a clay mask and you feel your skin kind of being sucked underneath it? It felt like that, BUT I really want to caveat this by saying that I’ve read some other reviews and they all speak very highly of this product with no mention of the issue I had, so it’s almost certainly my skin being weird…again!
There are currently two oils in the The Natural African range, the Rosehip Oil (£45 here) and the Kalahari Melon Seed Oil (£45 here), the former of which I can’t review because my skin inexplicably reacts badly to rose and rosehip, but the latter sounds gorgeous. What I really like about their oils is that they haven’t doctored them at all, and they’re just pure, high quality oil straight from the source.
Finally on to the Resurrection Moisturiser (£95 here) which is my absolute favourite of the bunch as it’s such a lovely product that is very much a “Goldilocks” moisturiser; not too heavy, not too lightweight, just right. I have had a lifelong struggle with moisturisers due to my aforementioned tricky skin, but I’m lucky to have a few on rotation at the moment that suit my skin and this one is in my regular use pile. The formula is a lovely mix of shea butter, aloe and fatty acids alongside a host of humectants and skin soothers, this is also an ideal choice for those who hate the feeling of moisturiser sitting on their skin, as this absorbs really quickly, leaving soft, soothed skin that’s hydrated without any greasiness.
*Find out more about The Natural Africa here, where you can also get 15% off your first order when you subscribe to their newsletter*
Disclosure: unpaid ad – PR
