It wasn’t only yesterday that I became quite aware of skin-loving products that were made ethically and contained ingredients that weren’t doubtful. In the past 1-2 years, the skin on my calves seemed to have become more sensitive than it had always been, and I started developing eczema patches here and there. Suddenly, I could no longer use shower gels from the many brands I used to love, because they would just make the condition worse.
In the past couple of months, I’ve been on the search for skin-repairing products that would make my eczema go away and return me the healthy skin that I used to have. I was asked if I wanted to give PHB Ethical Beauty a try and one of the products I was recommended was the Skin Repair Gel with Aloe & Lavender.
The gel itself comes in a 120ml glass tub with a metal lid that screws shut. It is hand made in the UK, like all the other products from the brand, and contains natural and organic ingredients. A quick look at their short ingredient list shows organic aloe vera as the second ingredient on the list after water. Now we’re talking.
Ingredient List:
Aqua, Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe Vera), Vegetable Glycerine, Lavendula Angustifolia Flower Distillate, Sclerotium Gum, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Xanthin Gum, Coco-caprylate, Propandiol & Salix Alba, Lavendula Angustifolia (Lavender) and Benzyl Alcohol. Occurs naturally: Geraniol, Limonene and Linalool.
The gel smells quite strongly of lavender the moment you open it, though it dissipates quite fast once applied. Because it has aloe vera in it, it does have an immediate cooling effect on the skin even when left to store at room temperature. Which makes sense, seeing that this gel is meant for skin that is irritated, inflamed, sun burnt or suffering from eczema. The gel calms the skin down and leaves behind a thin, lightweight, silky smooth feel. When applied on inflamed skin that itches, it immediately stops the itch. I think it would be good to give this a try on mosquito bites. It can be used on the face as well, as aloe vera helps to soothe acne if you suffer from it.
As for the other ingredients in the list, they seem fine to me as well. Glycerine is very commonly used as a base in soaps. All the gums you see are used as emulsifiers and thickeners, but since this gel is quite flowy in nature, I don’t think a high concentration of the gums is used. Coco-caprylate (a natural ingredient) is what helps the gel to spread well and hydrate the skin, and gives the skin its silky effect after applying. I love it!