Over the years lavender essential oil has become my cures-all-miracle-product whether it’s a few drops in my bath, dotted on my pillow at night to help me nod off or applied directly to blemishes as a spot treatment. You can apply … Continue reading
I discovered this mosquito repellent when I was pregnant and heading to a part of France that I knew was rife with mozzies. Realising I couldn’t use standard repellents I was desperate for a product that didn’t contain DEET, which isn’t recommended for use by pregnant women or infants under two.
incognito is 100% natural, meets UK safety and efficacy standards, and is repellent to ALL insects. It’s even safe for babies and those with sensitive skin (they suggest a patch test first, just in case).
The incognito website makes some fantastic claims as to its potency against insects. I can’t vouch for all the claims but it is easily as efficient as any other product I have used. Normally I am a beacon for mosquitos and I had read that pregnancy hormones would make me even more desirable, but on said holiday I was the only one out of a group of twenty who didn’t get bitten. I’ve used it ever since.
The smell – a lovely citrusy scent with a tinge of eucalyptus – means it doubles up as a summery perfume and is far less stinky than its more toxic competitors.
Incognito anti-mosquito: £9.55 for 100ml (product has a 24 month shelf life once open too)
Natural credentials: 100% natural ingredients; free from parabens, SLS and DEET
Available from: Holland & Barrett and the incognito website.
I’ve used quite a few Dr. Organic products (available at Holland & Barrett) over the years with varying results. In general, I’m not a big fan of their shampoos…
Unfortunately, their Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo is no exception. It’s very difficult to work through the hair and lather, despite the fact it’s got sodium lauroyl sarcosinate in it (so not that natural). My (dry and curly) hair felt really “stripped” after I rinsed it, which isn’t what I expected from a product with ‘oil’ in its title. Maybe this would suit very greasy hair types.
The smell was another bugbear; I felt like I’d been transported back to one of those hippy shops from the 90s where you buy incense sticks and suns and moons to hang on your walls. Woof.
But I had a total Jekyll and Hyde moment when I used the conditioner! Pow! It smelt divine: spicy, (that’ll be the clove oil), exotic and good enough to eat! Its detangling properties were also fantastic – I used less than I normally would and it was knots out and smooth hair in. No mean feat when you consider my curly and coarse mop of locks.
There’s lots of hype about argan oil and I wouldn’t like to say whether this was the magic ingredient or not. But I would certainly rate this conditioner. On a recent trip to Morocco we picked up gallons of argan oil and I’ll be putting it to the (not terribly scientific) test soon. More in coming weeks.
Dr. Organic Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner: £5.99 each
Natural credentials: Lots of natural and organic ingredients and free from parabens but contains sodium lauroyl sarcosinate to get the shampoo foaming, which didn’t even work. Think of these as naturally inspired and striving to be as nasties-free as possible without compromising on performance, rather than 100% bona fide chemical-free.
Available from: Holland & Barrett
Joli Naturellement 