Biotique Mountain Ebony Fresh Growth Stimuating Serum {Product Review}

This is one of the few hair range products from Biotique which I absolutely would recommend to anyone especially if they have sensitive scalp or suffer with scalp issues.

Price: 159 INR for 120 ml (little pricy, I guess!!!)

Ingredients

Ingredients - Neem, Licorice Root powder, Long pepper, Safflower, Pudina, Mountain Ebony (in order of listing)

Read here about Mountain Ebony.

My Experience

Ok, so let me start with its smell. Really weird and very herbal but not very offensive so nothing to worry about. Now, the look and feel. If you read the ingredient list, you can find that the main ingredient of the product is water so yup, it is watery. Entirely watery and not a gel or a fluid or even a slight bit viscous. When you pour the product on to your hand, it runs and escapes almost like water. So, that becomes a problem with the product. Since its so watery, the application is a little difficult so you have to figure out the exact method on how to apply. My favorite way is to use the Wella hair developer which I use to apply hair oil too. That way, you can be sure you have covered every area on your scalp and the product doesn't go waste coz it gets applied on the scalp. And, while applying, you would automatically need to massage the product in otherwise it will run off the scalp. Now, let me talk a little about the product now. 

Biotique says "This intensive serum helps stimulate new and healthy hair growth. Leaves scalp feeling exhilarated, free from dryness and irritation". When you apply it to the scalp, it feels very cool and soothing to the scalp. It is very good for the scalp which is pretty sensitive and itchy. It calms the scalp on the days when your hair is paining or scalp is aching. Well, regarding the hair growth claims, I am not completely sure but I am not even ruling it out coz I have definitely seen some changes but since I am not entirely sure, I will talk about this claim if I see any positive proof of this claim. One more thing which I would add to the positives of this product is that it relives the dryness and oiliness of the scalp. Yes, it can do both. I don't know how it is possible but I think it balances out the oil production. The proof for this is that I have dry scalp sometimes which is easily cured when I apply this. And, once I had applied this after oiling my hair since I didn't wash it that day, my scalp looked almost oil free after a while. 

A word of caution is that this product is only for the scalp and not the hair so it shouldn't be applied on the hair. And, massaging the product in improves blood circulation too. And, after applying this product, do not comb your hair because the scalp is little wet with the product and hairs may break if you try to comb. I always apply this product at night and this can be applied everyday without fail. It doesn't make the scalp greasy or anything so one need not worry about that. This product is suitable for every kind of hair type and scalp type.

My Recommendation

Yes, absolutely coz it is very effective and not that expensive.

READ MORE - Biotique Mountain Ebony Fresh Growth Stimuating Serum {Product Review}

Biotique Carrot Protective Lotion {Product Review}

I have already said that I am a fan of Biotique products but the 'fanhood' is limited to some ranges only. So, I was and have been since a really long time in search of a herbal sun screen which is equally effective and less harmful as compared to its chemical counterparts. I have already used the sandalwood one from Biotique too. So, I'll just review both of them together.

Price: 280 INR for 210 ml

Ingredients

How do 1% and 3% ingredients do their work??

My Experience

I have same thing to say about both the sunscreens. They both are really effective when it comes to protection. But, the main problem arises when you apply. I found them really sticky and in case you are living in a humid climate, these are definitely not for you coz your skin will just feel sticky and damp and oily. But, I have applied this lotion in hills too where I found that the lotion did not feel sticky at all. It got absorbed very easily into the skin and it protected well from the sun which was surely never a question. But, these sunscreens are strictly for the body and not for face. I did make a mistake of using them again and again on face but they just make the face oily but they work well there too. So, if you have really dry skin or staying in really cold climate, you can definitely use this in place of a moisturizer and a sunscreen. Otherwise, I just wish they had not been that sticky and I would have been really glad to use them. 

The one question I always have for Biotique products is that what it the base cream which they use??? Does that come under the listing process of Biotique or they just buy the base material and make their own Ayurvedic formulations on top of the base material because of which they do not have to list down the ingredients of their base material. And, also, how can a product stay for so long as 3 years without any preservatives or does the base material come with preservatives too. I would definitely love an answer for that. But, their products do work (some don't though)!!

My Recommendation

Kinda tricky coz I would love to recommend it as a safer sunscreen but its pretty sticky for most of the skin types. So, in case you are a dry skin type or live in colder climates (only in hill stations and not winters in Delhi), this might work out.

READ MORE - Biotique Carrot Protective Lotion {Product Review}

Biotique Avocado Body Massage Oil {Product Review}

So, confusion about the ingredients in Biotique products has always existed. Similarly, it exists with this one too.

Price:135 INR for 210 ml

Ingredients

Rai Tail (0.5%), Badam Tail (1%), Neem Tail (0.5%), Til Tail (5%), Arandi Tail (7%) [castor oil], Dudhal Mool Kwath (1%), Ankurit Gehun Satva (2%) [Wheat Germ Oil], Vegetable Oil (Base)

As you can see above, there is no mention of avocado any where in the ingredient list and whats up with vegetable oil??? Which vegetable oil or is there some standard oil called 'Vegetable Oil'? When I searched for it, the wiki gives a list of oils which includes almost every edible oil. 

My Experience

This smells mainly of camphor. No camphor in the ingredient list. The oil feels cool on the body as opposed to warm being a massage oil which I am not sure if it is meant to feel like that. There is no drawback as such but I did not like the oil very much and I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone for any purpose.

My Recommendation

Doesn't make sense to write this review coz I don't really have anything to say about the product but I have written it coz I wouldn't recommend any one to buy this one coz it really does nothing frankly so its a waste of money. You can probably go for carrot oil in place of this though I haven't used that one and I have no idea how it is.

READ MORE - Biotique Avocado Body Massage Oil {Product Review}

Bumps on skin after waxing {Reader's Query}

This was asked by some reader quite a long time back and I had told her quite a few solutions which I don't unfortunately remember. Today, I was just browsing through Tanveer's blog and found out a tip which is followed by her friend. So, I am just quoting what she wrote here:

She used to take this chlorophyll gel with her and massage it in immediately after the wax right at the parlor it self. Then she would come back home and apply a paste of sandalwood made in rose water. That helped reduce her red bumps quite a lot. I Think this might help you, in case it doesn't, I suggest you refer to a dermatologist for some medical advice or change your parlor - may be there are hygiene issues at that place and your skin might be sensitive :) (source)

I hope this would be helpful!! 

PS: I have quoted the material exactly as it is from the source and due credit has been given. All the copyright of the information rests with the original author.

READ MORE - Bumps on skin after waxing {Reader's Query}

Biotique Basil and Red Sandalwood Powder Talc {Product Review}

I am more of a talc girl than the deo gal coz I don't like chemical preparations especially when they have alcohol and such stuff, though, I am equally cautious about what goes into my talc. I don't know the price since I have never bought it. The bottles from the hotels have served me well till today and I always get attracted to Yardley talcs before I go to Biotique just coz of their awesome smells.

Ingredients

Neem 3%, Manijistha 2%, Rakt Chandan 1%, Yashad Bhasma 3.5%, Shankh Bhasm 1%, Peet Chandan Tail 0.5%, Makka 2%, Tulasi Panchang 1.5%, Siliate of Magnesia

Now, Biotique always makes me think how much the ingredients are doing for the skin and etc. going by the percentage of the ingredients put into it. Anyway, some of the products do work really well like Biotique Musk Root Hair Pack (which I have been advising to everyone literally!!) and Biotique Pistachio Face Pack.

My Experience

From the ingredients, you can easily infer that the base of this talc is Silicate of Magnesia and there is no extra fragrance added and since this is a dry product, there is no need for preservatives. Now, coming to the ingredient Silicate of Magnesia (known as talc), it is the softest known mineral which can be easily scratched by a fingernail. Now, in the past decade a lot of cancers have been associated with the use of talc. So, I would like to add that whatever body products you are using, kindly keep them away from your private body parts. There are quite a lot of people who use talcs near their private parts or even on the babies for freshness and avoiding sweat. But, actually, it is very dangerous coz the foreign materials should never be allowed to enter the body. This holds particularly true for women who can succumb to ovarian cancers and vaginal infections if the talc is used near the private parts. So, kindly use better judgement.

Coming to the talc, it has a very slight smell which is pleasant and is not at all felt unless you take it really close to your nose.And, you should not inhale the talc ever.

My Recommendation

Its nothing different from other talcs available in the market. If you are comparing a deo and a talc, I would always go for talc as I find it is less harmful. 

READ MORE - Biotique Basil and Red Sandalwood Powder Talc {Product Review}

Biotique Kelp Hair Growth Protein Shampoo {Product Review}

I am a big fan of the skin care line by Biotique but the hair care line is more of hit and trial. I have used the Biotique Musk Root and it was fab. I have bought the Henna powder but did not use it yet. And, I also have the Watercress Conditioner which is amazing and I also bought the Mountain Ebony Hair Serum which I am not sure I like or not. The shampoos overall have not impressed me at all. I have used the Green Apple, Walnut Bark, Soya Protein and Kelp (which I am reviewing). And, none of the shampoos have really impressed me. The reason I bought Kelp was that it doesn't have any SLS as opposed to all other shampoos which has SLS.

Price: 159 INR for the bigger bottle

Ingredients

click for enlarged view

My Experience

This is probably one of the few shampoos in the market which doesn't have SLS in it. So, I was very much attracted to the product. But, unfortunately, my experience with the shampoo wasn't so great. It did clean my hair thoroughly but left it feeling squashed and limp and I wasn't at all satisfied. It felt a little rough and dry too. I am not sure it will suit oily hair coz I think it will leave it looking completely limp. So, overall a disappointment!! I also wanna get rid of the shampoo (any takers :D).

My Recommendation

I would not recommend any of the Biotique shampoo to any one. Their masks and scrubs are amazing but the shampoos are not at all good. A sad thing for me to say coz I really love the brand!!!

READ MORE - Biotique Kelp Hair Growth Protein Shampoo {Product Review}

Biotique Bio Pistachio Ageless Nourishing and Revitalizing Face Pack {Product Review}

I love Biotique products. They work for me, simple!!! I do have reservations about the brand but then no harm in trying them. I am especially enamored by the face masks and scrubs and don't mind trying various brands if they catch my eye. So, this one was on the list since I have read favorable reviews. So, here is mine!!!

Price: 199 INR for 55gms

Ingredients

I have always been a little skeptical about the ingredient list of Biotique. I think that they don't put the entire list coz how can a product have 3 years shelf life when it has water as one of the main ingredients without using any preservatives. And, none of the ingredients mentioned above are looking like preservatives. And, one more thing is with only 19% of ingredients (most of which I am thinking are probably extracts or infusions), how can the product be so thick and creamy coz rest of the content is water (81% of Himlayan water!!!). May be 2.5% beeswax might be enough!!!

And, seriously, 0.2% saffron...does it do anything?????

My Experience

you will look like Shrek!!! :D

Moving over all my skepticism, I would say it is a good product. Nothing to rave about but a good face mask if you are looking one for a daily use and expect the mask to provide firming and hydration to the skin. And, yes, it can be used daily. Though my face is not sagging or anything, I have noticed that this mask does firm it up (overcome the effects of gravity, we will talk about that in another post). And, yes, the skin is soft and supple afterward. 

Don't expect it to brighten and whiten coz it doesn't claim that. It does what it claims and I am sure it will give more prominent results on mature skin. 

 

Btw, one more thing which I have noticed is that it probably warms the skin coz my skin always feels a little heated up after applying the pack. The warmth under the skin stays for a long time even after you have removed the pack so I expect it does it work even after being removed!!! It tingles for a few minutes but nothing to worry about. And, it doesn't dry up like the clay mask but dries up like a hydration mask is supposed to. Very easy to remove with dry cotton pads. I use dry cotton to remove the mask (I found dry cotton to be better at removing such creamy masks) and when I am done, I wash with cold water massaging the skin simultaneously while removing the final traces of the mask. And, a single tub does last quite long. It lasted me for around 8-10 uses in which I did apply the product pretty generously. 

My Recommendation

Worth a try!!! Will I again?? Oh, I am eying the milk mask from Biotique. That looks interesting. But, yup, I would definitely advise this for any one really looking for a reasonably priced mask. Will work especially well on dry skin and mature skin.

READ MORE - Biotique Bio Pistachio Ageless Nourishing and Revitalizing Face Pack {Product Review}

Biotique Bio Musk Root Hair Mask {Product Review}

I do love to try hair products. So, this is my second hair mask after the disastrous wastage of my money on Himalaya Hair Loss Cream.And, thankfully, this was not at all disastrous. Now, I find Biotique to be a decent brand with some really good products and some average products. So, I am not able to decide how should I categorize this product. So, find it out for yourself.

Price: 199 INR for 230gms

Ingredients

I threw away the outer carton so I do not have the list of ingredients. From the site, the description of the product is as follows:

Therapeutic Pack for Hair Regrowth. An original formula. A unique combination of herbs from ancient Ayurveda which promote hair growth. Contains Musk Root, Beal, Liquorice and Nutmeg which help to rejuvenate the hair and leave it in a superb condition. Invigorates and revitalizes the scalp and adds body to the hair. It immerses hair and scalp in natural minerals and organic riches and leaves even dry and chemically treated hair luxuriously full and alive.

How to use it??

 

The product says that it should be mixed with eggs or yogurt. So, I used eggs in my preparation.

  

One egg broken in a bowl. I use a plastic one as I can throw it away after some uses.

I mixed one heaped tablespoon of the hair pack in the egg. The hair pack is jet black in color and resembles Chawanprash a lot. But, the texture of the hair pack is not smooth. It has little granules and small stems like things in it which look as if the fresh ingredients have been mixed together in a grinder and it manages to smell fresh too. The pack smells a lot herbal and is strong enough to irritate some people. I find it tolerable enough but it doesn't smell after mixing with egg or after applied to the hair so it is perfectly fine.

After mixing it thoroughly, the mixture becomes something like this. It should applied liberally on the scalp and hair. Cover with a shower cap for 30 minutes. Wash off with luke warm water and shampoo.

My Experience

First of all, one heaped spoon of hair pack wasn't enough for my little longer than shoulder hair with very less density. So, next time I used it, I put 3 eggs and two heaped spoons of the hair pack. So, a medium hair length requires two eggs and two heaped spoons of the hair pack for a generous application. So, how did I find the hair pack??

Well, if you try to apply it directly from the tub, let me tell you it is simply not possible. You will have to mix it with something and only then can you apply it. So, eggs and yogurt are best choices but you can also include other fav ingredients of your choice including essential oils and all. So, it is not exactly a ready made hair pack. You do need to spend little time in preparing it. But, I would not advise you to mix it with henna in case you are coloring your hair coz you need to shampoo hair after using this hair pack. So, after you prepare it, partition your hair and scalp into sections as it is a little gooey and is not as easily applicable as using just eggs. Be very generous with the application because otherwise you would not see much of results. I have done that and have seen the difference so it is a little advise from my side. Covering your hair with a shower cap or cling film is an absolute necessity otherwise one might find it drying for the hair and it is difficult to get rid of the hair pack while washing off. Well, I did. And, using a shower cap definitely gives better results as it traps heat and increases the absorption of the hair pack. Do not keep it more than half hour and in any case never more than an hour. Keeping it for more time is not gonna give your hair more nutrients or anything. So, once the half hour mark crosses, it is better to prepare for bath and enter it asap.

Now, washing off the hair pack will definitely create a lot of mess on the bathroom floor and the hair pack would not completely leave your hair either. So, be gentle and patient while removing the hair pack. Use lukewarm water (neither cold nor warm or hot) and patiently remove as much hair pack as you can. You will still find lot of granules left in your hair. Do not worry about them. Use a mild shampoo and shampoo your hair thoroughly. The granules will be gone by the time you finish shampooing your hair. There is no need to condition after using this hair pack but if you still want, you can. But, remember not to use too much of shampoo or conditioner. Shampooing your hair twice might be necessary to get rid of the hair pack thoroughly. Rinse your hair thoroughly to make sure it is completely clean. And, air dry your hair. Do not blow dry.

Now, for the results. Remember to be generous with the hair pack and you would get fabulous results. When I was generous with the pack, I got a beautiful shiny and bouncy hair. The shine and bounce do last for the next day too. My hair was looking a bit darker than it usually does. Hair behaves properly and is manageable. And, the oil production in the scalp might increase after two days of applying the pack. I have noticed this result every time I have applied this hair pack whether miserly or generous. But, other results were no so apparent when I was not generous with the hair pack. This hair pack is for the dry and damaged hair to give it nutrition and life so this hair pack does that job fabulously even though there is a little work involved. It moisturizes the hair as it claims and keeps it moisturized for at least two days after the hair wash.

Now, moving to its other claim of hair growth, I have not seen any difference but then hair growth is controlled by various other factors like nutrition and lifestyle and not only a hair pack so I would not blame a hair pack for that thing. There is one problem with this hair pack. The tub has only 230 grams of the hair pack which if applied generously every week can get finished in a month at max for a medium hair length so that can be a disadvantage to people who are looking for long lasting products.

My Recommendation

This hair pack is worth a try and is not absurdly costly that one can not afford it. It does give great results for people with damaged hair. Regarding its problem of less quantity, it does improve the hair quality so after a month of regular application of this hair pack, the frequency of application can be reduced to once in two weeks or three weeks so as to make the product long lasting. And, even if you are looking for hair growth, I would definitely advise this pack because it improves the hair quality and it is very important to have healthy hair before you think of growing it.This hair pack is absolute must for people with curly hair because curly hair, by nature, varies from mildly dry to extreme dryness.

Update: Well, I forgot to mention some salient points about this product which I recalled while reading your comments. First of all, as you have seen in the pic above, the consistency of the hair pack is just same as henna so it is very messy to apply. Be prepared to scrub your wash basin if you ignore it or as soon as you finish applying the hair pack and putting the shower cap in place, wash your wash basin with water immediately. As I mentioned earlier, you will deifnitely have to clean your bathroom after washing this off.

Secondly, I completely forgot about this point but I have been facing major hair loss since November or onset of winters. Donno if it is the climate or this hair pack but my hair loss has reduced considerably. So, may be this hair pack helps in hair loss too but I am not vouching for this fact and it is not even mentioned on the product that it helps with hair loss. 

READ MORE - Biotique Bio Musk Root Hair Mask {Product Review}

Winter Skin Care Lotions

Hey People!!!

I do not know about you all but I did miss my blogging these all days and I am glad to be back but I am not still sure if I will be posting regularly. So, I wanted to write about something which will be useful for people with dry skin in the just-at-door-step winters. 

I am sure you all are busy stocking on all the creams and lotions for the winters. I do have 3 recommendations for those who might want to give a try. All of them are my personal favorites and worked fabulously for me in the temperatures of 7 degrees.

Biotique Winter Cherry Body Lotion

Ohk, so I'll begin with describing the situation first. I got this bottle of winter cherry a year back during the starting of winters just around Diwali when I was just walking down the cosmetics aisle and a bottle of Biotique with pink color content caught my attention. I instantly wanted to buy and did. I needed a really good moisturizer for winter weather in a really cold and dry climate. And, for a change, this body lotion really worked for me.It made my skin soft and kept it moisturized all day long. I always loved to massage this cream into my body right after the shower.

It is pale pink in color, is light in consistency (not too thick or runny), smells really awesome (even you will smell of winter cherries half the day) and the best part of the lotion is that it was great in removing the stubborn tanning on my arms. I would definitely recommend it to someone looking for normal to dry skin moisturizing. It costed 180 INR for 210 ml (last year).

Nivea Smooth Body Milk with Gingko and Shea Butter

My love of this season. Absolutely fabulous for people with normal to dry skin. Sorry, but I really do not have stock for oily skin but if you feel dry, you can give this a try (nice rhyme!!). Smells really pleasant and keeps your body oh-so-soft. I loved it so much that I can not stop raving about it and the only thing I would say is get the product ASAP!! It definitely is costly. I bought the smallest size of 75ml at 109 INR to give it a try and I will get the bigger one as soon as this gets finished. It is thick in consistency and gets absorbed easily and I am sure it will suit normal skin too. It kept my skin moisturized all day long, no itchy feely which I get at a temperature less than 10 especially in cold climes and soft, most importantly. Can't wait to finish the teeny tiny bottle which would not last you for more than a week if you use on your entire body. 

Nivea Creme

The original Nivea which was released in 1911 and stays the same still in the same old container and same sizes. My father bought the biggest size of the creme and kept it in the bathroom. I was intrigued and wanted to try it. So, gave it a try. Do not ask me for my experience. I would not say it was horrible because it is the best product for people with extra and over dry skin. This is not a statement-in-the-air but a personal experience. It helped me when no body used to suit me. So, if you do face some same situation, you should give it a try. 

If you ask me, it is really thick (the same consistency for which Nivea is famous). Scooping it out of the container itself is a task. And, then spreading it is a uphill task again. I could not even moisturize my arms when I used it. It simply stuck to my hand and refused to spread. This was my first experience. Next day, I needed something really thick to moisturize my legs because it has a really weird bees pattern (which I guess is due to extreme dryness). So, I used this creme. I scooped out a really large amount, nicely rubbed it in between my palms (to warm it) and massaged it in my legs for 5 minutes. The result was a fabulous and moisturized leg. The effect lasted all night and the next day till I took bath. My legs were really soft and smooth in the morning.

I know it sounds scary but do not get afraid of this experience of mine because I definitely do not need this product except on my legs. Just because a product is thick and takes really long to apply does not really become a negative point if it gives results. So, if you feel that nothing else is helping you, I would ask you to give it a try. This creme is especially useful for people with extremely dry skin. In winters, sometimes, some parts of your body become especially dry so you can use this creme there too. The best time to use this creme might be at night as far as I think because you can sit and take your own time to massage the product in and it will help the skin while rejuvenating too. If I use this product again, I'll surely let you all know about it.

Disclaimer: I have not been paid by Nivea or Biotique for pleading you to buy their products. The reason for my message is that I have seen a lot of people miss out on products which can help them just because of some trivial reason like their consistency and smell which in the first place should not be a criteria for judging the products. And, yes, I am partial to Nivea products because that is the only product which brings nostalgic memories of my childhood and also because it suits me better than others. 

READ MORE - Winter Skin Care Lotions