If you have been searching around online for a good organic body lotion, you may have come across a product called Kanapa Replenishing Body Lotion made by Xtend-Life, a New Zealand-based skin care company. Before I get started with the review itself, let’s first take a quick look at the company itself, and their signature KanapaTM brand.
A Brief History of Xtend-Life
The story of Xtend-Life actually began in 1998 when a man by the name of Warren Matthews started doing research into how one could go about slowing down the natural aging process with the help of dietary supplements. He later approached Professor A. Munem Daoud, a well-known bio-scientist with the aim of developing bio-available dietary supplements.
In the year 2000, they set up the company which is today known as Xtend-Life. It then took another year before the company produced and started selling their first supplement. While the company initially only focused on dietary supplements, they later started manufacturing advanced skincare products.
As with their supplements, the focus of their skin care products was to slow down or even reverse signs of aging. At present, Xtend-Life produces more than 50 different products. Their supplements as well as their skin care products only contain natural ingredients.
What Is KanapaTM?
Xtend-Life developed a scientifically formulated blend of natural ingredients which later proved to be effective at reducing, and in some cases, even eliminating lines and wrinkles. In fact, one study which was carried out through the University of Auckland showed that products containing the KanapaTM blend could successfully reduce wrinkle length, wrinkle depth, wrinkle volume and wrinkle count. You can actually read more about this Kanapa clinical study here.
The study also clearly demonstrated that the KanapaTM blend of ingredients is able to effectively moisturize and nourish the skin. It was more or less around this time that the company set about improving their existing skin care products by adding the KanapaTM blend to them.
KanapaTM Replenishing Body Lotion
As I have mentioned already, this is a 100% organic body lotion. Unlike some of the company’s other products, such as their Kanapa soothing eye contour cream, this replenishing body lotion has been designed for use as an “all-over” lotion. In other words, it has not been designed specifically for reducing lines and wrinkles.
While nobody is saying that you cannot use it on your face, I personally wouldn’t recommend it. In fact, even Xtend-Life does not recommend using it on your face. After all, this is a “body” lotion. The concentration of ingredients differs from one product to the next based on what those products are intended for.
If your primary concern is to reduce lines or wrinkles on your face, then I would recommend that you choose one of the Kanapa skin care solutions that have been formulated specifically for that purpose.
When to Use Kanapa Replenishing Body Lotion
Ideally, this organic body lotion should be applied twice daily, but if you only wish to apply it once a day, then it would be best to apply it in the mornings. The product is designed to nourish as well as moisturize your skin, so applying it in the morning to areas of your body which are typically exposed, can offer protection against the elements.
If you only want to use it once a day and you would prefer to apply it in the evening, then you should apply it after you have had a bath or shower. The lotion has been designed to be readily absorbed, meaning that it does take long for it to be completely absorbed. Nonetheless, I would not want to apply it to my skin immediately before getting into my bed. It should be applied at least an hour before going to bed instead.
Does This Lotion Provide Any Sun Protection?
The short and honest answer is no, it does not offer protection against the sun’s ultraviolet rays. It can help to prevent or slow down loss of moisture caused by the sun, but it will not prevent sun burn. When I first discovered Xtend-Life products, I was curious as to why none of their products include any notable form of sunscreen protection. According to the manufacturer, there are two reasons:
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Sunlight Benefits Overall Health
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Company Policy
- Avobenzone
- Oxybenzone
- Octocrylene
- Ecamsule
The first reason is because the company believes that a certain amount of direct sunlight is actually very beneficial to the body. To this end, they believe that it should be left up to the individual to ration how much unfiltered sunlight they are exposed to. One cannot fault the company for taking this stance because many studies have shown that direct sunlight, in moderation, is important for one’s overall health.
Today, most people are aware of the fact that our bodies produce vitamin D when our skin is exposed to sunlight. Not all vitamin D is the same, but that which our bodies produce is perfect. The truth is, some direct unfiltered sunlight is not only beneficial for your skin, it is beneficial for many of your other organs and bodily functions as well. You can read a good article about this on the Mayo Clinic website.
Right from the outset, Xtend-Life has always only used natural ingredients in their range of skin care products. While there are numerous sunscreen creams and lotions on the market, none of them are totally natural. In fact, many of them contain highly questionable chemicals. In an FDA Sunscreen Report that was released on the 21st of January 2020, six chemical ingredients were put under the spotlight.
These six chemicals are the chemicals that are the most commonly used UV-filters, and one or more of them can be found in the overwhelming majority of sunscreen lotions. Four of these in particular are readily absorbed by the skin, and they can linger in our bodies for several days, or even weeks. These are:
FACT: The FDA has now discovered that oxybenzone, for example, can be detected in your blood at levels which are 180 times higher than the FDA’s Level of Concern. By the way, this was found after only a single application. After being applied daily for a period of 4 weeks, the blood levels were 500 times higher than the FDA’s Level of Concern.
Please, we all know that the sun can cause skin damage, but for your own sake, be very wary of sunscreen lotions. Please do yourself a favor by reading this article published on the Webmed website.
If the FDA has now grown concerned about the safety of sunscreens, and if several countries are now banning their use on beaches, then I can honestly see why Xtend-Life refuses to contaminate their creams and lotions with any of these chemicals.
A few sunscreens do use zinc oxide and/or titanium oxide for filtering out harmful UV rays, and both of these ingredients could be considered natural ingredients. However, these work by creating a barrier on the surface of your skin. They are however not a good match for the KanapaTM range of creams and lotions, all of which have been designed for deep skin penetration.
How Does KanapaTM Promote Skin Restoration?
According to the company, it is their unique KanapaTM blend of ingredients that works to rejuvenate the skin. Naturally, the manufacturer is not going to share too much information regarding their flagship KanapaTM formula. Also, it appears to me that some of the ingredients in the blend, are also a blend of ingredients rather than all being single stand-alone ingredients.
All Xtend-Life products are produced in an FDA Certified facility which is therefore subject to FDA inspections. If you decide to go ahead and purchase the KanapaTM Replenishing Body Lotion, you can be confident that you are indeed purchasing a high quality organic body lotion.
Like I have said, the manufacturer is not likely to publicly disclose all the exact ingredients they put into their products. They are also not likely to disclose the differing formulations for their various products. However, they do list a number of ingredients on their product labels. Let’s take a brief look at 5 of them:
Manuka Honey – All honey contains natural antibacterial properties. It has been used for centuries for treating cut and other types of skin wounds. The potency can vary greatly, with some types of honey being up to 100 times more potent than other honey. Manuka honey falls into this category, making it a very desirable ingredient for a natural body lotion.
Jojoba Oil – This is lightweight and easily absorbed oil extracted from the seeds of the Jojoba schrub. The oil is medically recognized for its ability to treat certain cases of acne, psoriasis and sunburn. It is an emollient which, when applied to the skin, unclogs hair follicles and has a very soothing effect on the skin. Personally, I don’t think I would ever bother buying an organic body lotion if it didn’t contain Jojoba oil.
Grape Seed Oil – Grape seed oil is known to contain potent antioxidant properties. You can read more about this on the U S Library of Medicine website. It is also effective at locking in skin moisture, and last but not least, it is rich in vitamin D. As an added bonus, regular use of grape seed oil is known to reduce the severity of stretch marks.
CoQ10 – This is a natural coenzyme which, when applied topically to the skin, is quickly and effortlessly absorbed. It is added to KanapaTM products because of its ability to combat free radicals, and particularly free radicals which are attracted to elastin and collagen, both of which are crucial for skin health.
DermCom – This is extracted from the Crocus plant. It is seen as being a potent age-defying ingredient that works by firming, lifting and rejuvenating the surface of your skin. I am not going to bother writing anything more on this ingredient because the way in which it works is quite complex, and I don’t want to turn this post into a science lesson.
Okay, now that you know more about Kanapa Replenishing Body Lotion; who makes it, and what goes into it, I think I should end this body lotion product review with a short list of the pros and cons of using this body lotion. Please bear in mind that these pros and cons represent my own personal opinion. I’m sure many other people would agree with me on these pros and cons, but in essence, they are based only on my own opinion.
PROS:
- This is not only an all-natural body lotion, but also an organic body lotion. This may not be a deal breaker for some people, but it is for me. After all, if I am going to be massaging something into my skin, then I need to know that it is pure and of a high quality.
- All of the ingredients in this product have demonstrated their effectiveness in their respective rolls. Some online research will quickly show that legitimate studies have been done to back this up.
- The product is manufactured in a FDA certified facility where stringent quality control measures are in place.
- The manufacturer only purchases raw materials from suppliers who can prove that they obtain/harvest the materials in a sustainable manner.
- There are an almost infinite number of reviews online from people who are very happy with the results they have seen after regular use of this product.
CONS:
- This product is not recommended for use on your face, meaning that you will then need to purchase a different product for using on your face.
- The product does not include protection against UV rays. I understand the reasons for this, but it would be nice if the manufacturer can find a way around this in the nearby future.
- With a current price tag of just under $50 USD, it may be cost-prohibitive for some people, and especially since you are meant to apply the lotion twice a day for best results.
CONCLUSION
All things considered, I believe that Kanapa Replenishing Body Lotion would be a very good choice if you are determined to only use all-natural skin care products. Yes, it might not be your cheapest option, but I somehow doubt if you will be able to find an organic body lotion of comparable quality for less.
Besides, if you intend purchasing additional KanapaTM products, you can save a fair amount of money by taking advantage of the company’s Free Shipping offer. Lastly, I very much like the fact that all KanapaTM products come with a robust Money-Back guarantee.
