Although I’ve been using natural and organic hair and skincare for years now I’ve been slower to switch over my make-up bag, mainly due to cost and waste. Last month I finally started the move to natural make-up brands by … Continue reading
I’d heard so much hype about A’kin’s Radiance Rosehip Oil, and rosehip as an anti-ageing ingredient in general, that when I was looking for a new face cream their Rosehip & Shea Intensive Moisture Antioxidant Creme was high up my list. … Continue reading
From the moment I opened the A Beautiful World A/W sampler box there was one product I couldn’t wait to get my mitts on, or rather, on my mitts: Intensae’s La Fideles nail polish. Many nail varnishes are jam-packed with nasty chemicals. Fortunately … Continue reading
Think Dirty is a Canadian app which scans the bar code on beauty products in your bathroom, or when you’re out shopping, and shows you a toxicity score based on Think Dirty’s rating criteria. You can also search by product name or brand.
As well as an overall score, ingredients are listed with their individual ratings and you can drill down to find more information around each ingredient’s usage, potential health impact and even pseudonyms so you can see where companies are trying to sneak in nasties under different guises.
The product’s ‘dirty meter’ gives an indicator of how it fares on carcinogenicity, developmental and reproductive toxicity, and allergies and immunotoxicities. And it also suggests similar, safer products that you might consider as alternatives.
A few caveats around using it:
It’s a great quick reference resource and fun to use. I’m hoping for a UK version soon and the ability to search by ingredient (currently you can only access data on an ingredient after searching for a product which contains it).
For more info visit their site: http://www.thinkdirtyapp.com/
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
Organic Beauty Week 2014 has arrived. Running from 8-14 September, this Soil Association initiative aims to increase awareness of organic beauty products and the benefits of using them.
To celebrate Organic Beauty Week, Glamour Magazine have reviewed their favourite natural beauty products. A huge selection of natural products are covered from fake tans to lip balms and the list features well known natural brands such as Lavera and Neal’s Yard alongside new ones such as Adam and Eve. There’s something to suit every budget…so no excuses:
I don’t normally post bad reviews – I usually just relegate the fails to the bathroom bin and move on. But the Lush shampoos and conditioners are so bad that I feel compelled to get word out there. About a … Continue reading
If you’re looking for a rich and deeply soothing eye product then Indie Lee’s Calendula Eye Balm is worth trying. I’ve been using this little wonder balm for about a month now and it’s just as healing on chapped lips and other problem areas as it is around the eyes.
As with all Indie Lee products it’s entirely natural: mango seed butter to reduce dark circles and calendula oil, beeswax and lavender oil to aid skin elasticity (calendula is also known for its anti-inflammatory properties).
I’d recommend applying about 15 minutes before you put on eye make up as it does leave a bit of a sheen, as you’d expect with all those natural oils.
I’ve got very sensitive skin and it’s cleared up a bit of ezcema I had on my eyelids. And, despite having a young baby, people keep telling me how fresh I look so it must be good! It’s not cheap but a little goes a long way.
Indie Lee Calendula Eye Balm: £26 for 0.5oz
Natural credentials: 100% natural with mango seed butter, calendula oil, beeswax, and lavender oil.
Available from: abeautifulworld.com
Happy New Year! Just back from Paris where the pharmacies are beauty treasure troves — I’m like a kid in a sweet shop. French women are always ahead of their skincare game and, like us, they are embracing natural and organic products. And amongst the goodies on display one in particular kept appearing: cold cream. Every brand from Nuxe to Nivea seemed to have repackaged this old faithful.
I plumped to try Weleda’s offering, which is 100% ‘au naturel’. As cold creams tend to be quite rich I used it as part of my nighttime beauty routine. The cooling properties were calming on my skin and the geraniol gave it a lovely rose scent. I’m not exaggerating when I say my skin felt velvety afterwards. Et voila! Another bathroom essential hits the shelf.
Weleda Cold Cream Visage: from £5.79 for 30ml
Natural credentials: 100% natural with beeswax, sweet almond oil and peanut oil.
Available from: Only French websites unfortunately. The best deal I found is here on Le Guide Sante, £5.79 for 30ml. I’ll follow up with Weleda and report back.
Update from Weleda:
The cold cream is available in the UK, but is specially imported in from Germany. This is priced at £10.61 for 30g and the postage and packing charge is £3.95, but this is free if your order totals £40.00 or more.
The cold cream is not available to purchase via our website, but can be ordered by telephoning Weleda Customer Services on 0115 9448200 (Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm).
A few weeks ago I was extolling the virtues of almond oil as a bathroom must have in my review of budget body moisturisers. And now I’ve discovered its stellar hair styling capabilities!
I’d run out of my expensive hair oil and I thought, “why not give the almond oil a go?” The results were fabulous (see shameless selfie below). I used a 50 pence sized dollop and ran it through my hair with my fingers, staying clear of the roots to avoid greasiness. Same sort of principle as applying a frizz serum…
Imagine the packing space I will save on holiday with a moisturiser, make-up remover and hair oil all in one product! Not to mention the pennies. Try it!
Miaroma Sweet Almond Oil: £6.99 for 200ml
Natural credentials: Pure almond oil with added vitamin E.
Available from: Holland & Barrett, both in-store and online.
Joli Naturellement 