Sofia's Blog • Page 3 of 3 • SOFIA LATIF®

Sofia 12/01/2020 Best of Natural

Best Natural Face Moisturisers For Sensitive Skin

Today we are continuing with our ‘Best of Natural’ series, bringing you our favourite natural face moisturisers suitable for sensitive skin (some more suited to dry skin and others to normal/oily skin), plus a few of our founder’s top tips for choosing and using them! PS, if you missed the previous posts in the …

Sofia 03/01/2020 Best of Natural

Best Natural Makeup Removers and Face Cleansers

Here we are with our first post of 2020 and what better time to clear the cobwebs and get back into a routine? Maybe you feel like having a clear-out of your beauty cabinet or perhaps your skin has been playing up after the festive season. Whichever it is, we wanted to continue our Best of Natural series – today’…

Sofia 27/12/2019 Inspiration

Will You Be Setting Intentions Or Making Resolutions For 2020?

Raise your hand if you have set new year’s resolutions in previous years only to find that they fall by the wayside and are forgotten as soon as we get through January? Many of us see a new year as a new beginning and a time to make things/ourselves better – a blank canvas for us to …

Sofia 20/12/2019 Healthy Living

Slowing Down For The Festive Season

The festive season is almost here (aka the most magical yet completely hectic time of the year). While it’s pretty much expected that things will ramp up and we all become really busy, the reality is that it can leave us feeling frazzled rather than refreshed as we step into the new year. But what if we signed …

Sofia 06/12/2019 Healthy skin

Can You Use Coconut Oil On Your Face?

Coconut oil. One minute it’s recommended for everything – from our food to our skin, and our hair to our teeth – and the next we’re told it’s not great for us at all. So what is the truth about the oil we can find so easily in our supermarkets, drugstores and health …

Sofia 29/11/2019 Healthy skin

Best Natural Skin Tints And Foundations

I’m a big advocate for embracing your skin and letting it show through whatever products you’ve chosen to use. Because of this, my personal preference is to use a skin tint as my base; something designed to work with and enhance my skin, rather than cover it up. In this post, I’ll be …

Sofia 22/11/2019 Healthy skin

The Best Ways to Support Collagen Production in Skin

Our first thought when something is in decline in our bodies is how we are going to replace it. When collagen production declines, many of us look to topical skincare products with claims of ‘boosting’ this protein and ‘reversing’ the signs of ageing. However, it is thought that the collagen molecule itself is too large to …

Sofia 17/11/2019 Healthy skin

What is #MySkinIsMe?

Our mission is to give women whose skin has changed with age healthy, supple and elastic skin regardless of skin type*. It’s something we feel passionately about, but it’s also important to acknowledge everyone is on their own journey with their skin, so while we look at all skin and see beauty, we recognise that’…

Sofia 11/10/2019 Healthy Living

How slow living is helping us to lead healthier lives

For most of us, everyday life feels pretty much like being on a continual treadmill; life is just so busy, can be rather stressful at times and passes us by so quickly. We know we can’t go at this pace forever without burning out and ultimately impacting our mental health. As a result, more people are looking for …

Sofia 13/09/2019 Healthy skin

Could your dry skin be caused by hormonal changes?

We all know the usual culprits of dry skin: lack of water, naturally dry skin and chemicals in our products such as SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) stripping it of our natural oils, but as women, one of the areas we don’t focus on as much when trying to understand the cause(s) of our dry skin is …

Sofia 12/07/2019 Useful to know

How to keep your skin glowing after a facial

We all love how our skin looks and feels after a facial – that smoothness and plumpness; that clarity and glow which our friends and family comment on with envy. Wouldn’t it be lovely if we could keep skin glowing for longer? Giving yourself a mini-facial at home is one way to keep your glow long after your …

Sofia 01/06/2019 Oils

William Morris couldn’t have said it better

“If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” ― William Morris One of the reasons we use amber bottles for our packaging is because they look chic, but that isn’t enough for us; the …

Sofia 14/04/2019 Healthy skin

Face massage for naturally glowing skin

We all want glowing skin. And we all want the best from every skincare product we invest in, and if we can find ways to make that investment work harder for us, then we feel like it is good value. Face massage is one way to make skincare products work harder for us. It’s a technique used by …

Sofia 23/03/2019 Healthy skin

Tips for naturally reducing puffiness under eyes

Puffiness under eyes and bags are common complaints, and we all suffer from them from time to time. Sadly, there is no magic cure for puffiness under eyes but a reduction in the severity of it is possible, with some lifestyle changes and new habits. What causes puffiness under eyes The skin around eyes is thin, delicate, and …

Sofia 08/03/2019 Charity partner

From jewellery to oils – Founder journey

Let me take you back to 2010, and my time in Uganda. It was here that I witnessed first-hand the direct impact on family and community of empowering women and giving them a chance to work for themselves. KATANGA SLUMS, KAMPALA Part of my time in Uganda, in 2010, was spent with a community based organisation called CLD (Come…

Sofia 07/02/2019 Oils

Paying homage to our signature face oil

We have a new product launching soon, which we are very excited about. But before our attention inevitably goes towards the shiny newness of our under eye oil, we thought we would pay homage to our signature face oil, specifically the ingredients in it. True, it is boring to read an ingredients list, but we promise to make it a&…

Sofia 17/01/2019 Healthy skin

Winter skin – Do we need a whole new routine?

Do you suffer from different feeling skin in winter or the colder months? And do you overhaul your skincare routine (and products) with the change of seasons? What is winter skin? Winter skin is a catch-all term used to describe a change to the way skin feels and looks in the cold. Skin can feel uncomfortable – dry, tight,&…

Sofia 28/12/2018 Healthy skin

How to de-puff skin following an indulgent few days

Skin is too quick to give up the secret of an indulgent few days, showing up as puffy and dry, unpredictable and grey. Not indulging just isn’t an option sometimes. The quickest and easiest way to de-puff skin and bring it back to health is to drink lots of water, and to move. Moving our bodies will support …

Sofia 15/12/2018 Healthy skin

Do one thing to keep the glow, this party season

It’s that time of year again… party season… late nights, not enough sleep, not enough water, over-indulgence, and skin ending up looking lacklustre. We don’t have enough time for lengthy skincare routines, face masks, or facials, and all our finances are going towards having fun and presents for loved ones, with not a lot …

Sofia 27/10/2018 Healthy skin

What does healthy skin mean to you?

Healthy skin can mean so many different things… calm, strong, supple, and balanced, are my personal descriptors. For me it means having confidence in my skin, and that it is OK for it not to be picture perfect (whatever that is). I have learnt to accept my skin how it is and all its idiosyncrasies. I want to be …

Sofia 08/10/2018 Oils

Rosehip oil – a natural retinol

It almost seems apt that I’m writing about rosehips as we’re going into Autumn (I promise you it is a coincidence). Rosehips make an appearance at this time of year, being the fruit left behind after roses’ petals have dropped. The oil is made from the seeds of rosehips, and is the second oil …

Sofia 28/09/2018 Healthy skin

Should you cleanse your face in the morning?

I’ve seen quite a few articles recently, suggesting we shouldn’t cleanse / wash our skin in the morning. What are your thoughts? To wash or not to wash first thing in the morning? It comes down to personal choice doesn’t it, but why wouldn’t you? If you shower every morning, then why not …

Sofia 15/09/2018 Healthy skin

Why I believe in healthy skin and not perfect skin

Healthy skin is in. There is no such thing as perfect skin. Perfect skin is an illusion perpetuated by everyone. I don’t think we can blame the media alone or magazines or publishers or brand owners or image retouchers or camera/app filters or social media or influencers. Before setting up my skincare company, I worked (and …

Sofia 21/07/2018 Charity partner

Two more small businesses have been supported – purchase with purpose

June was a good month in so many ways. We had (and are still having) fantastic sunshine, we ran our first stall at our local summer fayre, and we reached 6 months old as a business. But the best news of all was that we were able to support 2 more small businesses in developing countries with micro-loans, allowing…

Sofia 13/07/2018 Inspiration

Recycling is the name of the game

I’ve had quite a few requests for empty bottles of face oil to be refilled, which is such a lovely idea that we are now looking at ways in which we can support you in your desire to reuse / recycle. From what I can understand, current cosmetic regulations do not allow us to refill your bottles due to …

Sofia 08/07/2018 Healthy skin

Why give SLS a bad name?

SLS also known as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, and its bestie SLES (Sodium Laureth Sulfate) have been getting a bad rep for a while now, but do you know why? WHAT ARE SLS AND SLES USED FOR? They are used as surfactants and emulsifiers – the stuff that makes soap, shampoos, shower gels, toothpastes, laundry detergents, and household cleaning products&…

Sofia 18/05/2018 Oils

Jasmine essential oil – a natural mood enhancer

I’ve been geeking out at the science behind why jasmine essential oil is a mood enhancer. I love it when scientific studies confirm what aromatherapists and holistic practitioners have known for centuries, suffice it to say, it does give some comfort to anyone getting ready to part with their hard earned cash. I’m continuing my …

Sofia 01/04/2018 Charity partner

Our first loan to an entrepreneur has been made!

I say ‘our’ because the loan has been made out of the profits of bottles sold to you, my customers. So, a massive thank you, thank you, thank you, because you have made it possible for our first entrepreneur in a developing country to receive a loan to support her business. Asiya lives in Pakistan and …

Sofia 22/02/2018 Inspiration

How many products is your skin exposed to every day?

It isn’t something I think about, however, my eyes were opened at an Allergy Certified event last September (which I attended as my alter ego Miss Lip Balm), where I was shocked to learn how many products I expose my skin, hair, and body to every day that may contain some of the known allergens that can …

Sofia 28/01/2018 Healthy skin

Battling dry skin – could your cleanser be the culprit?

Dry skin happens to everyone, even when skin is oily or combination in nature. When skin is feeling oily, our natural reaction is to cleanse more vigorously, adding scrubs to the routine, a face wash or mask, and even some AHAs or BHAs (which exfoliate the skin). What I have learnt is that it doesn’t help to strip …

Sofia 30/12/2017 Healthy skin

What’s oil got to do with it?

Walk into any Space NK or Boots or department store, and you’re inundated with all the different products that can be used to lift, plump, smooth, refine, hydrate, tone, tighten… it can be a bit of a minefield, even for a beauty addict like me. It is one of the reasons I started using face oils… …

Sofia 23/11/2017 Oils

Healthy skin feels supple, elastic, and comfortable

A face oil for healthy skin. Our uplifting and luxurious face oil is a blend of pure nut, seed, and flower oils. Easily absorbed, it is designed to nourish, regenerate, and strengthen skin, whilst reducing inflammation. We believe oils have the power to create healthy skin. Feel skin become hydrated, plump, and smooth overnight. Our time is precious – using&…

Sofia 22/11/2017 Useful to know

How to use our face oil for best results

The best time to use our face oil is at night, when skin rests, recovers, and rejuvenates. It is suitable for all skin types – use less drops if you have oily skin, more if your skin is dry. If your skin is hypersensitive then you may find the essential oils are not suitable. It is easy …

Sofia 19/11/2017 Oils

Spotlight on ingredients

All ingredients are 100% natural and, where possible, organic. 15 years of using these oils has led to a blend that is designed to keep skin supple and youthful. Organic sweet almond oil¹ – seals in moisture & strengthens skin Sweet almond oil is popular amongst those with sensitive and dry skin. It is high in oleic acid, which is…

Sofia 18/11/2017 Charity partner

Our mission with our charity partner

We support women and girls in developing countries with our charity partner, Lendwithcare. Women are the solution to changing communities. By supporting women to work, economies grow. ¹ Increasing the share of household income controlled by women, changes spending in ways that benefit children. ² Investing in women’s economic empowerment sets a direct path towards gender …