Balm Kitchen: A Thoughtful Line Of Plant-Based Vegan Handcrafted Skincare Made In Singapore
When I was first contacted to review products from Balm Kitchen, I thought the products look kinda nice based on what I could see from the website. But I wasn’t too excited because I couldn’t really see a unique selling point. I thought, “Okay, we’ve got another bunch of handcrafted skincare. Products look like what other handcrafters can offer too but hey, these are made right in Singapore so let’s see if they’re up to mark with the imported stuff.
I apologize if I sound overly indifferent but don’t begrudge me there. I am being real because these days, I don’t always get excited just because products look nice. While I do like pretty packaging and whatnots, I’m increasingly less swooned by packaging alone. Pretty is one thing, nice is another but what’s key is if the products work and how it makes me feel. I guess I am really maturing as a beauty blogger, not just in age but in discernment. LOL.
But my indifference quickly gave way to some warmth when I received the package. The cute little Balm Kitchen sticker definitely called out to me and I must concede the products are VERY picture worthy! Let’s just say I couldn’t wait to use them immediately!
When I finally started using the products, the products really grew on me. Not all the products worked for me but as I used them, I began to develop a fondness for the brand. Strange as this may sound but I actually felt a strong sense of tender loving care just from using the products. I felt the products were thoughtfully made and put together and I began to wonder about the motivations behind the creations.
Handcrafed in small batches in the kitchen
Now, I need to clarify that apart from the introductory email, I did not read Balm Kitchen’s ‘about’ page. I usually don’t do that for products that are sent to me for complimentary reviews prior to writing about them as I want to remain as neutral as possible.
I already know somewhat that products from Balm Kitchen, created by Teresa, are made in her kitchen and that’s why the name—Balm Kitchen. But I also see a bit of nostalgia where Teresa is concerned because this is what she shared on her website about her brand name:
“How we got the name Balm Kitchen…it all started from our little kitchen where all the magic happens and we always associate our kitchens with nutritious food prepared by our loving mother or father. This is the same down to earth promise that we hope to deliver to all our customers, to formulate great products for everyone…”
All products made at Balm Kitchen are vegan, being handcrafted in small batches with mostly plant-based or naturally derived ingredients from plants. They include no nasty synthetic ingredients. Instead, essential oils are used extensively to scent the products. All ingredients used and the end products are also not tested on animals.
While Balm Kitchen has formulated a couple of body care products, I received a sampler and here’s my take on them.
Balm Kitchen Au Naturel Lip Balm
I quite like this product. Most lip balms feel a little thick upon application but this one feels so light on my lips even upon application, it’s as if I’m not wearing anything. This is despite the key ingredients of sweet almond oil, coconut oil, cocoa and mango butter, which IMO sound like quite a heavy combination. Yet, my lips felt adequately nourished.
Personally, I thought I wouldn’t like this au naturel lip balm considering I usually like mine scented but this works for me. However, I need to highlight that Balm Kitchen Au Naturel Lip Balm contains a trace of cinnamon extract. The thing with cinnamon extract is that it can irritate some sensitive skin even in small amount. So if you’re trying this, don’t be too surprised if you feel some tingling around your lips or feel like you’ve tasted something that’s slightly spicy.
I barely felt the tingling sensation; it seemed to be more obvious if I wore a lipstick over but otherwise, I didn’t feel much. If you’re concerned with the cinnamon, you may want to try their Green Tea Lip Balm, Very Vanilla Lip Balm, Coffee O’holic Lip Balm or Dark Choccy Lip Balm at S$5.90 each. Anyway, the Au Naturel Lip Balm is only available as part of a bundle with their tinted lip balms.
Balm Kitchen French Kiss Shimmer Lip Balms
On the other hand, I was very attracted to Balm Kitchen’s French Kiss Shimmer Lip Balm. The color of Sassy Coral that I received was so pretty, I used it almost immediately. The color is very subtle but I like the effect. Color aside, this feels as light as the Au Naturel Lip Balm. However, the Geranium essential oil is quite overt. It’s one thing to love the scent of Geranium essential oil, it’s another to taste it on my lips.
Anyway, here are all the available colors and also a breakdown of the ingredient list:
Misty rose: a nude look with light shimmer.
Sassy cora:l a subtle coral pink.
Pink Sparkles: a shimmery pink gold tone.
Sun Kissed: a lovely bronze tone.
Glam chic: a deep red/maroon.
Ingredients for French Kiss Shimmer Balms:
Prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil, Cocos nucefera (coconut) oil*, Theobrama cacao (cocoa) seed butter*, Mangifera indica (mango) butter, Euphorbia cerifera (candelilla) wax, Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, Ricinus communis (castor) seed oil, Pelargonium graveolens (geranium) oil, Rosa damascena (rose) absolute, Rosa damascena (rose) extract, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxide, Tocopherols (vitamin E)
Naturally occurring in essential oils: citronellol, geraniol, linalool, eugenol
Price is S$6.90 each.
Lip balm & French Kiss Shimmer lip balm bundle S$11.90
You can choose any regular lip balm to go with a French Kiss Shimmer Lip Balm at a special bundle price of S$11.90. They do look good as a pretty little gift.
Balm Kitchen Bath Oil
I could hear a little moan in my heart when I was examining this product. If my moan had a thought bubble, this is what it would have read:”A bath oil? How am I going to wash myself clean with a bath oil? Now my skin is not just going to remain unclean, it’s going to feel oily.” I was mentally discounting the product even before giving it a chance. But good thing I didn’t write it off because you know what? This is my favorite product from the range.
This bath oil behaves kinda like those Japanese cleansing oils. It emulsifies a little when you rub the oil between your wet palms so that’s the reason you can use this as a body wash. I like it because it feels luxurious on my skin, leaving a silky smoothness after washing without any greasy feeling. I felt pampered and spoilt using it.
I guess part of the reason is because this bath oil feels like a splurge at S$28 for 100ml. It’s definitely not your everyday bath oil. Also, you’ll probably have to use lots of it if you have plenty of grime and dirt. What I’ll recommend is to use this once or twice a week in your home spa or as a bath soak if you have access to a bath tub. I’m quite sure you’ll find it lovely as I did.
The one I was gifted was Woody Romantic which is a soothing scent. The other choice is Citrus Balancing which I suspect is more uplifting.
Ingredient list of Woody Romantic Bath Oil:
Helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil*, Prunus armeniaca (apricot kernel) oil, Camellia oleifera (camellia) oil, Helianthus annuus (sunflower) oil (and) Daucus carota (carrot) extract*, Polyglyceryl-3 palmitate (derived from coconut), Glyceryl caprylate (derived from coconut), Sambucus nigra (elderberry extract) fruit extract, Arnica montana (arnica) flower extract, Cedrus atlantica (cedar wood atlas) oil, Cinnamomum zeylanicum (cinnamon bark) oil, Juniperus communis (juniper berry) oil, Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) oil, Citrus sinensis (sweet orange) oil, Pogostemon cablin (patchouli) oil, Tocopherols (vitamin E) *= certified organic
Naturally occurring in essential oils: benzene benzoate, cinnamaldehyde, linalool, limonene
Balm Kitchen Body Scrub
This body scrub is actually a sugar scrub and hence, makes for good exfoliating where it is needed most. The scrub feels quite coarse and not as fine as some sugar scrubs I’ve tried and liked. But one thing I like about it is the little wooden scoop that comes with it. Isn’t it too cute and so thoughtful? I actually hate the idea of scooping scrubs with my bare fingers but at the same time, I can get lazy using a spatula too. But this scoop is just perfect. It actually motivates me to want to scrub more regularly! LOL.
Price of the 100g body scrub is S$28. Again, the price is not of mass appeal. While I don’t mind the scrub as it does what it promises, I am not sure if I’m that keen to fork out that kind of money. The only consideration in its favor based on that price point is the quality ingredients with the apricot kernel oil, rice bran oil, extracts of Arnica and Elderberry and a blend of aromatic essential oils.
Balm Kitchen Body Scrub comes in two beautiful blends of essential oils of bath oils for you to choose from: Citrus Balancing and Woody Romantic. The one I received as Woody Romantic, which compliments the bath oil I just reviewed.
Ingredient list of Woody Romantic Body Scrub
Sucrose (sugar)*, Prunus armeniaca (apricot kernel) oil, Oryza sativa (rice bran) oil, Polyglyceryl-3 palmitate (derived from coconut), Glyceryl caprylate (derived from coconut), Sambucus nigra (elderberry extract) fruit extract, Arnica montana (arnica) flower extract, Cedrus atlantica (cedar wood atlas) oil, Cinnamomum zeylanicum (cinnamon bark) oil, Juniperus communis (juniper berry) oil, Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) oil, Citrus sinensis (sweet orange) oil, Pogostemon cablin (patchouli) oil, Tocopherols (vitamin E) *= certified organic
Naturally occurring in essential oils: benzene benzoate, cinnamaldehyde, linalool, limonene
Balm Kitchen Balancing Body Balm
I wish I can say I like this more but I don’t. It’s my least favorite product in this lot. I’m not sure if the roll-on version works better but the tin version that I received makes application quite difficult because the texture isn’t soft. Now, I’ve used enough balms to know what is soft and what isn’t.
Maybe the product name is a misnomer. If you call it a body balm, I’m going to think of application around my whole body but given the texture, it’ll take me ages to do that. Someone just pass me a body lotion please! But the description on the website did say that this is for application on the entire body so I am not mistaken at all.
Perhaps the name needs to be changed or the texture needs to be further softened because as far as I’m concerned, this balm is just ideal for small area application. Even then, I know of softer balms that do a better job. Let’s just say the only redeeming quality about this body balm is that it smells good and the price is affordable at S$10.90.
Ingredient list of Body Balm:
Prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil, Camellia sinensis (camellia) seed oil, Theobrama cacao (cocoa) seed butter*, Mangifera indica (mango) butter, Euphorbia cerifera (candelilla) wax,Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, Pelargonium graveolens (geranium) oil, Rosa damascena (rose) absolute, Ricinus communis (castor) seed oil, Tocopherols (vitamin E)
Naturally occurring in essential oils: citronellol, geraniol, linalool, eugenol
Overall impression
Although not all the products worked for me, I’ll say Balm Kitchen left me with a good impression. This brand is not for those into affordable body care; it is also not for those who are always rushing to get themselves out of the bathroom. This range is for those who want to slow down and appreciate their body with some tender loving care. If I liken Balm Kitchen’s products to a piece of cake, theirs is not the cake to just eat but theirs is the kind of cake you should deliberately slow down to savor with each bite.
Their price isn’t exactly wallet-friendly and I suppose many people will wonder if it’s worth paying considering these products are available in the market, many for less than a fraction of the price. But I think some of the products are worth the price tag considering the ingredients and that they are all handcrafted. Also, there is an experiential difference when you use handmade skincare products because they tend to engage most of your sensory receptors. I can’t articulate all that difference; you have to try to know it for yourself.
But something that surprised me is the 12-month shelf life of all the products. I would have thought six months is more plausible given the natural formulation. I’m thinking that it would be great if the lip balms really last for 12 months because I do take a long time to use them up, if ever.
20% of all orders for a limited time
Okay, Teresa seems to have gone for a break for now but she’s offering a 20 percent off all orders from now till 14 June 2015. Just quote TRAVEL20 at the end of your order. They accept Visa and MasterCard through Paypal as well as bank transfer. Free shipping is available to Singapore and Malaysia if your orders are above S$50 and S$80, respectively. Otherwise, shipping costs are calculated upon checkout and added to your order total. I have no idea if Balm Kitchen ships elsewhere but if you’re interested, you can always ask through their website.
And oh, those of you in Singapore who have always wanted to attend a DIY workshop, it looks like Balm Kitchen runs them pretty regularly—the next one on Sunday, 21 June. You can learn how to make your own lip balms, lip gloss and solid perfume. Tickets are S$139.50 for a three-hour session and participants will get to bring home a set of oils and butter and be able to practice how to formulate more products themselves at home. Again, find out details from their website.
Products highlighted are media samples and this review is in line with my disclosure policy.
Balm Kitchen Bath Oil
7.5
Pros
- Luxurious and pampering
- Leaves skin silky smooth
- No greasy feeling after washing
Cons
- Small bottle for the price
- Need a lot of pumps for entire body
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I have heard of this brand but im not sure i get very excited with the word balmy – especially in the hot unforgiving weather today. But i like that their ingredients are good!
Also, I agree with you on product packaging and effectiveness. Some are a real hit while some are just a miss.
I haven’t associated their brand name with the weather…but all the stuff I’ve tried are neither rich or greasy. They are suitable for our weather.
Dear Sesame
Thank you for taking the time to review our products and we value your feedback.
We pride ourselves in using quality ingredients and certified organic ingredients whenever possible while still maintain great value products. We want our customers to enjoy using our products, take time to wind down after a day’s work and pamper their skin with some TLC!
Our lip balms and body balms are formulated with our tropical climate in mind using fast to medium absorbing oils and butters. Therefore they are neither too rich or greasy for our climate. Our body balms only contain oils, butters, antioxidants and essential oils unlike some balms which contain water so they will be much lighter than our products. We do recommend that a little amount of the body balm goes a long way to moisturise the skin. Best to warm the balm between your palms to melt it slightly to allow easy application on your skin. They are also great to prevent dry and cracked heels!
Many of our customers have enjoyed using our bath oils and body scrubs as they do not leave a greasy feeling on the skin simply because they emulsify upon contact with water. And yet do not dry out the skin. Currently they are only available in 100ml/100g containers as we feel it is a great size to try out the products without getting stuck with a huge quantity. We will be introducing bigger volumes (better value!) in the coming months.
The shelf life for our lip and body balms are 12 months as most of the ingredients used do have a longer shelf life. We have added antioxidant Tocopherols (vitamin E) to prevent the ingredients from going rancid and also further extend the shelf live of the balms. The bath oils and body scrubs have a shorter shelf life of 3 months as they are meant to be used up quickly and also because of the storage condition (in the humid bathroom).
Thank you again for your time and we really appreciate it!
Best regards
Teresa Foo
Balm Kitchen
“Small bottle for the price” … are you for real. People want certified everything, organic, pure, artisan, fresh, made to order… and then they bitch about price. That is so not expensive for the product. You have something like La Mer, and a million other overpriced brands whose products are hundreds of dollars for a small jar filled with toxins. Everyone expects the artisans to make the most high quality, certifications coming out of their ears (which are expensive), and then want them to sell for pennies? These artisan products cost many, many, many times more to make then some jacked up Elizabeth Arden toxic waste in a jar that has been sitting in a warehouse for three years before it even made it to a customer’s bathroom counter.
This is a nice kitchen made skincare products
It is a nice kitchen balm made in Singapore.