If you don’t know already I usually take a few weeks, sometimes months, to properly test out new products. Especially face products! That’s why I’m coming at you today with a brand that was featured in an October Beauty Box*. And not just any brand, and certainly not just any box! Today is reserved for the bimonthly beauty box Boxwalla and an amazing brand Siam Seas.
Boxwalla is a small family owned business (I’ve talked with Lavanya, one of the co-founders, and she is such a sweetheart!). They strive to brings us not only gorgeous beauty products but also other things that can fulfill our lives. They offer four different boxes – Beauty, Food, Book and Film Boxes. Yes to all of them! I love that they have options so pretty much everyone can get a box that sounds most appealing to them. I don’t discriminate and I would be extremely happy with each of them but honestly I’m most interested in their Beauty Boxes. You can read a little bit about each box here, let me just quickly fill you in on the beauty boxes – each month they focus on an aspect of the beauty ritual and over the course of a year, we can expect to have experienced and acquired products that together will provide us with a comprehensive arsenal for your beauty need. Beauty products in their boxes are free of cruelty (no carmine, no silk, no animal testing), Parabens, Sulphates, Phthalates, and more. Complete list here.
What does the word Boxwalla actually mean? In India it means ‘Box-seller’, ‘box person’ or ‘traveling merchant’. ‘Walla Walla’ is the Native American name for a ‘place of many waters’. They think of themselves as traveling merchants, getting drunk on things of ‘many waters’ and sharing those things with us. Each box containing Boxwalla goodies is carefully crafted from tree-free handmade paper. A small company in India makes the paper for them, from cotton scraps, using the traditional art of paper-making that involves 9 steps and takes several weeks. The whole process is completely child labor free and employs 63 local villagers and 20 skilled artisans whose families have been making paper for generations. Yas!
As you can see Boxwalla sure is an amazing company, their ethos and philosophy is wonderful. What about the products featured in their bimonthly beauty boxes? Well from my own experience I can say that the October Beauty Box was a complete win. Wow! Here comes Siam Seas, a brand founded by the beautiful Supadra Geronimo, who started having problems with her skin when she moved from Thailand to the United States. Her soothing rituals learned from her mother and grandmother were edged out by a busier life and career. As a result, her skin became very sensitive, problematic and acne-prone. After trying out loads of products she found her inspiration at her honeymoon to Kauai in 2009. That reignited her passion for mixing her own skincare formulas using unique, potent ingredients sent from family in Thailand—ingredients not available anywhere else. And she saw immediate improvement in both her skin and her confidence, and that’s when Siam Seas was born. You can learn more about the brand on their website and I also recommend reading two interviews with Supadra. First is on the Boxwalla site and the other on The Periodot Mag, where you can also find out what the name Siam Seas actually means.
Siam Seas uses carefully selected natural and organic Southeast Asian herbs in their formulas. They use only the highest quality ingredients, never compromising on purity to cut corners. All of their ingredients are either harvested from their own pesticide-free garden, wildcrafted or locally sourced. Free of toxins, allergens, phthalates, parabens, sulfates, PEGs, TEA and DEA. And they never, ever test on animals. Products are freshly made by hand in Thailand. Now let’s finally move on to the most exciting part, to the products and my experiences.
First is the Mekha Herbal Active Cleanser. It is said that the cleanser creates a reset button for your skin by fusing with excessive sebum, drawing deep seated impurities while the queen bee’s royal jelly provides deep enzymatic cleansing to protect your skin against bacteria. This cleanser is really unique. I didn’t check the ingredients before trying it out and I was just assuming it’s a cleansing balm. At first it was. A lovely, yellowish-green cleansing balm. But after I dug deep into the jar I discovered a whole new world. It’s not only a cleansing balm but also an exfoliator. And a mask! As you can see the colour of the product isn’t the same as I described it earlier, and when I first saw this dark shade I was very surprised. For a minute there I thought it went bad! Luckily it didn’t. This change happened due to the ingredients. It doesn’t only contain butters and oils, like Mango and Capacu Butter, and Avocado and Olive Oil, but also some potent and active herbs. One of those is Thanaka, which comes from the thanaka tree and is used by Burmese women for its effective skin properties (tightens pores, clarifies skin, removes blackheads). I first heard of this ingredient because of Lina Hanson, which is another beautiful brand, featured in Boxwalla ‘Let It Glow’ Holiday Beauty Box. The cleanser also contains my beloved Turmeric and the so called White Turmeric (Curcuma Zedoaria). Can’t forget about the Raw Honey infused with Royal Jelly, Propolis and Pollen. It has a gorgeous ingredient list and you can check it out here. The cleanser has an invigorating scent, a citrus based scent – there is Lemongrass, Sweet Orange, Grapefruit and Lemon, plus some other non-citrus oils.
The dried and crushed herbs in this product make the cleanser a wonderful exfoliatior and a mask. Because it’s not that oily, as is your typical cleansing balm, I can’t use it for removing my makeup. Especially not my eye makeup. I like how it performs as a gentle exfoliator and especially as a facial mask. It doesn’t dry out my skin but keeps it hydrated. Since it contains Turmeric it turns yellow on the skin but it doesn’t stain my skin. Because of the oils and butters you can’t wash it off only with water but a warm cloth or flannel does the trick. After use the skin is soft, smooth and brighter. A lovely second cleanser and even a better mask/exfoliator.
Next is SEAS Elements Beauty Balm, one of the most gorgeous balms out there! I’m really struggling to accurately describe its scent, I simply can’t pinpoint the flower I smell, but I can say that it really soothes me. It’s not your standard soothing kinda scent, but there is just something in there that calms me. It’s quite strong and sweet, a really lovely scent. If I take a closer look into the ingredient list then I know immediately why I love it. It contains the likes of Jasmine, Rose, Neroli, Frankincense, Myrrh, Lavender, all the oils I adore. These and some other essential oils create this unique scent. These oils also target dull, brittle and dehydrated skin. Oh it says on their site that the “sweet scent of jasmine flower envelopes your skin with healing passion”, but you can smell much more than “just” jasmine. This green, forest-like balm luxuriously melts with the touch of your fingertips to a flawless fluid that is readily absorbed within the skin.
This balm is everything! It makes my skin extra soft, it doesn’t clog my pores, it brightens my skin and works amazing in this cold winter weather. It really protects the skin from dry and cold air. It’s very nourishing and hydrating. I only have good things to say about it. It’s said to provide relief for stressed acne prone inflamed skin while replenishing hydration, reactivating skin elasticity, boosting collagen synthesis and regenerating skin cells to create a natural glow. The balm is thoughtfully and carefully formulated with reactive, easily congested skin in mind and is made to heal your skin while allowing it to glow beautifully and healthily without clogging your pores. Yes to all of that! The balm really works and I’m so grateful to have it in my life. Do I even need to go into the ingredients? The list is very impressive and filled with ingredients I’ve never heard of like Kokum and Mowrah Butters, Ya Nang Herb and Laurel Clock Vine. Interesting! There are also Hemp Seed and Argan Oil, and Tamanu, which is yet another gorgeous ingredient. LOVE.
Last but most certainly not least is the Twilight BeCalm Skin Serum. I said that the Elements Beauty Balm is one of the most gorgeous balms out there, and I can easily say the same for this serum. It’s mind blowing. You know I haven’t had such quick and amazing results with a skincare product in a while and here I am reviewing not only one absolutely amazing and life skin changing product, but two! It’s magic and that can be the only explanation. Where to start? This serum is formulated to heal skin, sooth inflammation and boost cell-regeneration. And it does all that and more. 24 precious active organic, wildcrafted and non-GMO ingredients hand blended to provide a powerful synergistic bioactive liquid gold that will help your skin repair and regenerate cells under the twilight glow. I know how to describe it now, as liquid gold! You know as soon as I hear a founder of a brand suffered from acne and congested skin then my radar goes off the chart. I myself have combination and acne-prone skin (and somewhat sensitive), so I’m always curious in gentle yet effective skincare products directed to treating such problems. I’m sure I also experienced such aah-mazing results also because of my skin type. The Twilight BeCalm Skin Serum is actually cautiously formulated to yield
compelling results for those with reactive and acne prone skin through
its use of organic, wildcrafted botanicals and non-comedogenic oils at
the maximum ratio that won’t clog pores. Music to my ears.
Check out the consistency of this serum. Looks different, and unique. I’ve never had a serum like this, a serum that visibly consists of gorgeous oils and Aloe Vera Gel. Pulverized aloe vera inner fillet (hand-fillet) is one of the star ingredients in the serum and is one of the best
skin soothing ingredients available. Historically used to treat burns,
it has the ability to penetrate deeply within the skin to release heat. Two other “stars” are Sappan Wood, which promotes blood circulation, powerful antibacterial,
inhibits melanin synthesis which lessens the darkening of scars, heals
cuts and damaged skin (acne), Clinacanthus Nutans – a very strong
anti-toxin and anti- inflammatory. Such a powerful herb that In Thailand
the main use of this plant is to treat snakebites and extreme rashes
like herpes as it neutralizes toxins from wounds. Say whaaat? I also have to mention Black Cumin Seed Oil which I already love ever since I’ve tried the Tomato & Black Cumin by Gaia Creams, Pracaxi, Babassu and Tamanu Oil. The scent is so lovely too – hello Ylang Ylang, my love. There are also Lavender, Neroli, Rose, and more.
This serum is recommended to be used only at nights, since it gives the skin a yellow tint (which doesn’t stain the skin!). Because of the consistency you have to shake it before use and then apply a few drops on top of the Elements balm. When Nic first told me this I found it a bit because I always apply a serum first and then a balm. But who am I to doubt Nic and the Siam Seas founder?? The first time I used it everything fall into place and I immediately noticed this one isn’t just any random serum. Now I can’t imagine using it any different way. The serum is very hydrating, brightening, soothing, cell-regenerating, and just oh so beautiful. It’s a very effective anti-inflammatory potion and I love it deeply. I’m already dreading the day when I’ll use it up, especially since I already spilled some of it on my floor! That was a very sad day! Luckily I saved it quickly so there is still a lot of it left.
I can honestly say that Siam Seam products changed my skin. They heal my skin really fast and the hyperpigmentation spots disappear super quickly. I couldn’t believe the effect they had and are still having on my skin. Obviously I still get a spot here and there especially at that time of month (or I myself manage to create red marks on my skin any time of the month), but that’s not everything I notice in my skin. And you shouldn’t either. But if you do, then do try these products. I strongly believe they will change your skin for the better.
Unfortunately this amazing box is no longer available, but
you can get one of their new Boxwalla boxes. You can get a one-time box or you can
get a subscription. They ship worldwide, expect the Food box, but they
are figuring out the logistics. As for the Siam Seas goes, you can get
their products directly from their shop, or from The Green Jungle Beauty Shop
(use my code “Jana” to get 10% off), if you’re from Europe you can also
order from the Divine Green Beauty shop.
Much love,
Jana xx
*sample generously provided