Beautifinous.

Hey guys! Regular readers of the blog will likely be aware that I am a huge fan of natural products and those with a special message or purpose behind them. Today I am going to be discussing a new product launch from a brand that does good elsewhere as you purchase, so naturally I'm rather excited to dive into this one with you all.

YOPE is a Polish brand that was set up by a husband-wife team, Karolina and Paweł in 2015. They wanted to have access to a brand of personal care and home related products that were natural, effective and yet affordable. However, with a wide gap in the market for such a range, they decided to provide that need for themselves as well as others who were seeking it. YOPE is the result; a range that cuts out the harsh ingredients that so often effect sensitive skin types and instead focuses on gentle yet effective products that are rich in natural oils, butters and plant extracts and also feature mild cleansers, non-toxic surfactants, natural citric acid and soothing ingredients such as allantoin and glycerine. Many YOPE products are Ecocert certified, none are tested on animals and all packaging is recyclable (they also encourage refilling bottles and provide refill packs). 

The range that I will be reviewing today specifically is their new Linden range. The Linden range is a three-part skincare range that includes a floral, herbaceous and uplifting-scented Natural Liquid Soap, Natural Shower Gel and Natural Body Lotion. Each Linden product contains extracts of linden, marigold and chamomile flowers. The purchase of any YOPE Linden product also helps YOPE with their new mission to contribute to the fight to save the bees with #beeYOPE. Part of the profits from the sale of Linden products (at Waitrose stores in the UK) are donated to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, a charity that plant meadows in urban areas, providing homes to pollinators and in turn making a difference to our ecosystem. 

Each of the Linden products comes packaged in the style of other YOPE products; a large pump-lidded bottle that boasts beautiful illustrations of animals - a different animal for each YOPE range. The Linden range features a cute little raccoon. 

Affordability can be a bit of an issue with natural products, so a brand that includes this as part of their ethos is always a fascinating one to me. I think that making natural products more accessible can only have a positive effect overall, but a hefty price tag isn't going to help on that venture. Let's get into my thoughts on the YOPE Linden range!

For the sake of the review I am going to describe and review each product in turn.

The YOPE Linden Natural Shower Gel is a non-drying body wash that is pH-neutral and gentle on the skin whilst remaining effective. It also provides skin hydration thanks to the addition of allantoin alongside the linden, chamomile and marigold blend. 

First of all, I want to mention how beautiful the scent of this stuff is. It smells luxurious and happy and I love it.

Secondly, despite this being a low-lather product, you actually don’t need much to cover your entire body. The amount that it lathers depends on how much water there is on the area too, so if you prefer more lather, add a bit more water. I personally prefer it with less lather as it feels so silky on the skin. It almost feels like a silky oil wash, yet it’s still easy to rinse from the skin.

After rinsing, the smell of the Shower Gel doesn’t particularly remain on the skin, so this is more of a shower/bath time scent experience rather than a lingering one (but we have got the body lotion to come).

I found that it doesn’t irritate sensitive skin (my skin is somewhat sensitive, but I do know that others have more sensitive skin than I do) and it leaves the skin feeling clean and soft. For the price point, this body wash feels really luxurious to use. Always a big bonus point!

The YOPE Linden Natural Hand and Body Lotion is a deeply moisturising body lotion that helps to relieve dry skin and tightness. Alongside the linden, chamomile and marigold, the Linden Natural Hand and Body Lotion contains shea butter, coconut oil, olive oil, allantoin and nutrient rich flaxseed oil. 

Despite being rich in oils and butter, this Hand and Body Lotion isn't heavy or greasy on the skin at all. In fact, it even absorbs into the skin quite rapidly, making it a great moisturiser to use before getting dressed as there is no lingering stickiness or greasiness hanging around for a while after use. This is also a particularly good quality when being used as a hand cream as fast-absorbing hand creams are always a plus! Nothing can be more agitating than a slow-absorbing hand cream that prevents you from getting stuff done for a while. 

Scent wise it isn't super powerful but it is noticeable during use. Once dry, it sits close to the skin so it isn't going to cause issues with layering fragrance and such over the top. 

The Linden Hand and Body Lotion hydrates the skin nicely, but I wouldn't say that it is intensely moisturising. Therefore, if you have dry skin, you may be more inclined to check out the YOPE Body Butters. I haven't tried them so I can't discuss what they're like, but they are targeted at drier skins. 

The YOPE Linden Natural Liquid Soap is a liquid hand wash that is super gentle on the skin as well as being moisturising.

Out of the three products, I would probably say that this one is my favourite out of the collection. I don't know if it's because we've spent so long in lockdown now and having to wash our hands constantly has utterly dried mine out, but this hand wash has been such a fantastic addition to my bathroom. My hands are no longer drier than the Sahara desert and neither are they cracking like they were before. I can wash my hands without them stinging and they feel soft instead of sandpaper-like. Swapping to this hand wash alone has fixed them up a lot before even adding moisturiser into the mix. 

I'm not sure how much else I can say about a hand wash in terms of a review. It cleans well, a little goes a long way. Ultimately, it's a hand wash. What I will say though is this: I don't think that I've ever got quite so excited over a handwash before, so if that isn't high praise then I don't know what is. I've already begun recommending it to everyone, so now I am recommending it to each and every one of you that is reading this post too. If you're going to try just one YOPE product, let it be this one! 

And there we have it!

Overall, I love this range of products. That combination of affordability, quality, being free of harsh chemicals, good for the environment and also helping to save the bees is just brilliant. If these are all things that you find important in your life, I do highly recommend checking YOPE out. 

You can find the YOPE Linden range at Waitrose in the UK, but also online at Feel Unique. 

What are your thoughts on the YOPE Linden range? Have you tried any of their other ranges?

Let me know in the comments below!