La Mav Skin Brightening Advanced Lightening Day Creme & Dark Circle/Ultra-Firm Eye Gel Review + Guest Blog post on Organic Skin Brightening.

La Mav's Skin Brightening products are a wonderful and safe alternative to toxic products which lighten your skin but contain nasty chemicals that cause harm by being absorbed into your bloodstream.  If you want to even out and brighten your complexion, you don't need to use these harsh products.    
La Mav's range of chemical free brightening products are a safer way to go.  
After my reviews, please keep on reading through to Annette Christy's article on Organic Skin Brightening products, containing some really helpful info on natural skin lightening ingredients.   
La Mav products are certified organic, contain scientifically proven bio-actives.  They are Australian made and cruelty free.   
These product's can be purchased at Chikii
Enter the code FREEORGANIC at checkout to receive free shipping! 

                                       Rumex Advanced Lightening Day Creme 

La Mav's velvety day creme works to reduce discolouration and pigmentation. Formulated with Licorice root, Rumex Occidentalis and Marine Extracts to deliver intensive lightening and brightening benefits. Rumex is a plant extract which inhibits the formation of tyrosinase, an enzyme responsible for the reddish-brown pigmentation of the human skin.  Licorice root also has a similar effect and contains anti-inflammatory properties.   

I like cremes which feel like they are doing a great job on my skin without feeling heavy, this is very light and fresh.   
I have oily skin, so this creme worked very well for me, giving it the right amount of moisture.  I think it would also work well with dry skin as it contains jojoba oil and vitamin E.  Vitamin C is another ingredient which has strong anti-aging action.

Applying this in the morning gave me a nice little pick me up, it's very good for tired and stressed skin.  
I have been using this for one month and and I can say that my complexion has lightened out and the red marks are fading.  This would be extremely beneficial for acne scarring and age spots.   I feel as though it has taken the ruddiness out of my complexion and made my skin feel dewey and younger, which is always a good thing!   

It comes in a handy pump bottle which dispenses evenly.

The natural licorice scent is beautiful, almost good enough to eat.

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Anti Dark-Circle and Ultra Anti -Firm Eye Gel

A cooling gel to revive and lighten the delicate eye area. Formulated with Hyaluronic acid and Vitamin C to reduce the appearance of puffiness and dark circles. 

I don't think there is a woman on earth who hasn't had a problem with dark circles or puffiness at some stage.   Applying this gel is very soothing, it firms and tightens my skin.  Puffiness is my main problem, especially in the mornings and this reduces puffiness significantly.   I have mild dark circles and this also seemed to lighten the area, I can see with further use the ingredients used will really help to keep the dark circles at bay.       

This also comes in a pump bottle, the gel seems to squirt out rather quickly, but that's ok, as you only need one pump and the right amount gets absorbed into the skin quite nicely.
It leaves the delicate under eye skin feeling smooth, with no sticky or heavy residue. 

The gel has a mild natural sweet orange scent, reminds of getting a facial in an organic beauty salon, very nice and refreshing.

http://chikii.com.au/product/la-mav-anti-dark-circle-ultra-firm-eye-gel/?affiliates=e4da3b7fbbce2345d7772b0674a318d5">Chikii</a>

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Organic Skin Brightening Products
by
Annette Christy/Chikii

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                                                                               Enjoy our article using organic skin care to battle hyper pigmentation, and to tone and brighten the skin.
Having an even skin tone and getting rid of dark spots caused by sun damage, aging and acne scars is a goal worth achieving. When you are young your skin is smooth and has a uniform texture, age spots are the first signs that we are not as young as we once were. They usually appear first on the back of our hands and on our faces – which are the areas that are most exposed to the sun and are obvious signs of aging.
It is important to be very wary of skin bleaching or lightening products. They contain particularly nasty chemicals such as hydroquinone, which is believed to be a carcinogen and is banned in many countries. Instead of hiding behind concealers and makeup, people are seeking to remove these all too obvious signs of aging and getting rid of the problem naturally with ingredients that are gentle and safe to use and are free of harmful bleaches.
Brown age spots or hyper pigmentations are caused by an increased production of melanin, a dark pigment excreted by cells called melanocytes in the skin to protect its deeper layers. If you have spent time in the sun in your younger years, it is a fair chance that you will have developed age spots which are areas of hyper-pigmentation where excess melanin has formed. Brown age spots usually develop over years of sun exposure; they are an indication of how much sun exposure you’ve had. We also recommend that you have your skin checked on a regular basis, as some age spots can look like skin cancers, or if you notice a spot on your skin changing colour or shape please see your doctor.
To prevent the appearance of hyper pigmentations, you need to start early in life and use a safe sun block such as non-toxic zinc oxide. Apply it daily on your face, chest, back of hands and anywhere else you are exposed and pretty much use it for the rest of your life. Wearing a high quality mineral make-up also gives good sun protection as it provides a physical barrier from the sun’s rays.To prevent new age spots forming, minimize your sun exposure, cover up and wear a hat and sunglasses.
The benefits of using natural organic ingredients to promote lighter and evenly toned skin is that they are totally safe and cost effective, and are very effective in lightening the skin without leaving any side effects, especially for those with sensitive skin and allergies. Below are a few ingredients and products that we have at our Chikii store to look for when purchasing an Organic Brightening beauty product that can help to clarify and restore, battle hyper-pigmentation, help in reducing melanin synthesis and sun damage.
Bearberry Extract – An ingredient that is perfect for those who want to treat freckles and age spots, is has powerful lightening effects.
Chlorophyll – A brilliant source of Vitamin K used in cosmetics to fade uneven, blotchy skin tones & discolouration.
Licorice Root- The ingredient responsible for giving licorice its skin lightening effects is Glabradin. Glabradin prevents hyper pigmentation by inhibiting tyrosinase. Tyrosinase is an enzyme responsible for the chemical production of melanin. If you stop it from activating, you can prevent further discolouration Studies have shown that the ingredient’s gentle, non-toxic nature is ideal for providing a brightening effect safely. Licorice extract is also known to have anti-inflammatory properties.
Lactic Acid- Lactic acid works similarly to Glycolic acid but is typically better suited for people with sensitive skin. Lactic acid removes dead skin cells to reveal new healthy cells underneath. As a result, the dry flaky skin disappears and skin becomes smoother, fairer and brighter with a youthful glow. Lactic acid in buttermilk is said to help fade age spots, so try rubbing some on to the spots each day. You should exfoliate your skin at least twice a week for removing dead skin cells which helps in boosting the skin cell turnover and metabolism process.
Papaya – Papaya is one of the most important components of many skin brightening products and one can get incredible results, it is intended to be used long-term to gradually lighten the skin. The ingredient responsible for this purported effect is papain, a natural enzyme known promote skin and cell turnover with extra exfoliation. Papaya also contains vitamins A and C, the latter also known to help with lightening skin, and is considered a natural alpha hydroxy acid.
Rose hip oil is famous for its properties that delay the aging process. It is very rich in antioxidants and vitamin C. Deficiency of antioxidants and vitamin C increases the skin’s aging process. This leads to age spots, hormonal hyper pigmentation, and uneven skin tone.
Rumex Occidentalis Extract – This plant extract is capable of inhibiting the production of melanin and blocking melanin synthesis.
Oryza sativa – Oryza sativa regulates melanin production and has been used in far eastern cultures for years to help brighten and lighten the complexion. Rice bran extract also contains lipoic acid, an antioxidant, and vitamin B5 (niacin) to help improve cellular circulation.
The list is of natural ingredients are endless, below is some other natural remedies.
Rub Aloe Vera gel onto the age spots twice a day.
Honey and yoghurt is a natural skin bleach. Mix a teaspoon of natural yoghurt with a teaspoon of honey, rub it onto your age spots, let it dry and wash it off after 30 minutes. If you do this once a day, your age spots should start to lighten.
Lemon juice – rubbing it in each day, the citric acid can help fade age spots.
Use a brightening formula with Vitamin C.

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