On the otherhand, if you choose your toiletries carefully, it is almost possible to be carried away a little further than to Luton Airport. AmaZene — as the name would imply — promises to summon up the sensations of the Amazon rainforest with it's extensive line of bath and body products that use ingredients both exotic and actively beneficial. And as these certified natural, organic ingredients work without the use of unnecessary synthetics — it's the real thing that delivers the scents, not a chemical substitute.
Although I have a personal leaning towards anything with a cocoa or vanilla twist, they definitely have an evening feel about them. I need something that has a zingy wake-up feel for my morning shower, so plumped for the Papaya & Acerola Body Scrub (£11.95) and Bath & Shower Gel (£6.95). Ace-what?! No, I didn't know either, but I learn that it's a cherry-like fruit native to South America which contains very high levels of vitamin C and other skin nutrients. In fact five of the six differently formulated lines of AmaZene contains a far from common ingredient: Avocado & Andiroba; Cocoa & Copaiba, Coconut & Buriti, Mango & Murumura with Passion Fruit & Guava being the only one that sounds like you can find in Sainsbury's fruit and veg section.
I have no idea of course what an acerola smells like but I can certainly vouch for the presence of papaya, particularly in the shower gel. It's like bathing in a particularly tangy and exotic fruit salad. The delicious smell aside, I like the fact that the products don't contain parabens and sulfates — always a bonus and at pretty reasonable prices. What everything in the range (which also includes body butters, bath soaks, body lotions, hand washes and hand lotions) does contain is acai palm fruit (an anti-oxidant); babacu palm oil to soften and cupuacu seed extracts to hydrate.
The people behind AmaZene are father and son Tony and Mark Tillbrook. The former was a renowned wetsuit inventor back in the 1960s, who quickly discovered that some of his customers were allergic to chemicals in the glue used in the manufacturing process. This issue led Tony to research ingredients found in everyday products — like toiletries — and what alternatives could be used. His love of travel and the Amazon rainforest in particular led to a quest to develop a bath and body range that contains no harsh chemicals. All the products contain certified organic ingredients, that have been harvested from sustainable resources, suppliers having been chosen for their commitment to preserving and protecting the rainforest.
Available on line: www.amaZene.com or call 0800 023 2368 for stockists |
