Kind Natured Sea Minerals & Mint Revitalising Foot Scrub

Just like our face, our feet also require attention so I always use a foot scrub come spring/summer to get my feet sandal ready. I recently picked up Kind Natured Sea Minerals & Mint Revitalising Foot Scrub without having heard of the brand before. Their products range includes skincare and hair care. All their products are 97% natural, the remaining 3% often consists of fragrance & preservatives that are essential to creating a functional product. Whenever possible they use fragrances that are derived from plants but have to label them as 'non-natural' due to the extraction process they have been under. Their goal is to create a 100% natural product. They claim that they "always test on people rather than animals" so are cruelty free but aren't registered  as part of an official scheme (there's no leaping bunny logo.) I love the name as it refers to the 'natural' ingredients and has happy, positive connotations.  

The Kind Natured Sea Minerals & Mint Revitalising Foot Scrub is free from sulphates, parabens and petrochemicals (mineral oil) and is vegan. The sea minerals include sea salt and pumice, to exfoliate the skin. The red algae extract (Chondrus Crispus (Carageenan) Extract) Fucus vesiculosus extract, (a type of brown algae) and Laminaria Digitata Extract, (another type of brown algae/kelp) soothe and moisturise the skin.  The peppermint oil is to refresh and revitalise the feet. I appreciate that they haven't added a lot of essential oils to this product as they can irritate my sensitive skin and it's a habit a lot of natural skincare brands fall into which is to stuff their products with as many essential oils they can for the fragrance. There's just peppermint oil in the formula which is listed as no 12 out of 18 ingredients appearing towards the end of the list. 

The colour of the tube stands out and it has a 'window' where you can see the product which is nice as often you can't see what's inside until you get home. The flip top lid is very practical. 

Kind Natured claim that this scrub will "revive and smooth overworked feet." It's very abrasive scrub with oats, sea salt and pumice, it feels like they've chosen everything they can think of that's rough to the touch and put them all in one formula. When I tested it on my hand it felt sharp and rough and almost sore when I rubbed the scrub across my hand so I was worried it would be too rough and unpleasant to use but actually was ok.  It’s a rough scrub but luckily it didn’t leave any cuts on my skin but I wouldn't apply this in a rush as you need to massage it gently.  I applied the scrub on the top of my feet, heel and between my toes and it left my skin looking fresh and pink rubbing away all the grey winter skin cells. My feet felt incredibly soft and smooth afterwards although it was a little sore in-between my toes. It smells very minty and I felt a very slight tingle afterwards and it felt very refreshing. I think that this scrub would be good at getting rid of callouses. The packaging in relatively unisex and I think this would suit men as their skin is thicker and tougher. 

Kind Natured Sea Minerals & Mint Revitalising Foot Scrub is priced at £4.99 for 150ml making it one of the cheapest foot scrubs. 

In conclusion I think that this is very effective and does what it says. I will happily finish the tube but because of it's abrasive nature I wouldn't repurchase. If you're interested in natural skin products at an affordable price then check out Kind Natured, they offer free shipping over £10 on the Kind Natured website . Their products are also available in Boots and on Amazon.  

Boots Invigorating Foot Scrub Review and Summer Pedicure Polishes

With summer come sandals, so it's time to pay attention to the more neglected areas of our body: feet! So I have a Boots foot scrub review for you and my favourite pedicure shades to follow.

Boots Invigorating Foot Scrub contains mint, calendula and apricot seed. I bought this because I have eczema on my ankles and read on boots.com reviews that it was fine to use for eczema sufferers. It claims to stimulate circulation and soften rough dry feet.

Directions: Wash and dry area to be treated. Using fingertips gently rub in the cream until the surface flakes. Wash and dry the skin.

This has a fresh clean scent which I like, though it does smell a bit herbally, a scent which I generally don't like (think Neal's Yard.)  This is gentle and non-irritating and it did make my feet feel softer and smoother after use. The the creamy consistency was easy to spread, the granules are very concentrated but because they are fine/small the scrub is not abrasive or harsh. However I don't think it's abrasive enough to scrub away hardened callouses you will need a pumice stone or loofah for that. I didn't find much of the flaky effect either. I didn't think it stimulated circulation very much but I do have particularly bad circulation.This is dermatologically tested but does contain parabens (Methylparaben and Ethylparaben.)

The packaging is fairly basic being Boots own brand but I like the fact that the tube is transparent so you can see the product inside. The flip open tube is also hygienic and it closes properly.

While Boots invigorating foot scrub did smooth and soften my feet it could benefit from bigger granules. I appreciated that it was gentle and did not  aggravate my skin and does seem to be suitable for all skin types as it claims. However it didn't deliver on the promise of stimulating circulation.  I would say this is an adequate basic foot scrub that smooths and softens feet but doesn't do anything extra. On the whole this is  not the best nor the worst,  I would give this a rating 3 out of 5. Boots invigorating foot scrub is £3.49 for 100ml at Boots.

You will like this if...

• You have sensitive skin /expect this to be gentle and non-irritating 
• You find it budget friendly
• Like the transparent and hygienic packaging
• You just want a scrub to make your feet soft.

You may not like this if

• You expect to scrub away callouses
• You want improved circulation

Summer Pedicure Polishes: My picks

As a base coat I've been using Bourjois So perfect base coat to prevent any polish staining nails.

I like bright colours for summer so my current colour choices would be Bourjois So Laque Ultra Shine in Fuchsia Hype: feminine but because it's bright stands out from pastel or barbie pink or Corals such as Nails Inc Copacabana Coral (Exclusive to Instyle magazine but available on Ebay) or alternatively Barry M Gelly Nails in Passion Fruit would look good with tanned feet.