6 posts tagged “skin care”

Don’t we all know it - Christmas is fast approaching and the chaos of splashing out on gifts for family, friends and colleagues is still often seen to be a really negative experience at this time of the year. Just think about the words we use to describe frantic Christmas shopping – “mad rush”, “flat out”, “beat the crush” – not to mention the effect on your credit card and bank balance! It’s easy to get weighed down at this time of year – not just with bulging carrier bags, but the frustration, tiredness and brain-achingly difficult task of buying christmas gifts for several people all at the same time!

It’s all too easy to lose sight of the main reason we endure all this feverish consumerism, and get sucked into the bright lights, teetering displays and attractively packaged gift sets cramming the shops at this time of year.

What this is really all about – is about the precious act of giving and receiving gifts, not necessarily the physical, “hard” variety, but the actual emotional reasons for giving a present to someone we care for - giving them a special thank you in the form of something you’ve picked especially for them .

As Charles Dudley Warner said, “the excellence of a gift in its appropriateness rather than in its value.” Nothing could be further than the truth – sometimes we get so hung up on the monetary cost of the gift we’re giving, especially when it comes to giving vouchers and cash, that it’s easy to forget who we’re buying for! And it’s not about how much you spend, as Granny used to say, “it’s the thought that counts” – something Shakespeare poetically summarised 500 years ago in his play The Tempest, when he said “rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind.”

Staggeringly, well over £1bn will be spent on unwanted gifts this festive season – and we would hazard an educated guess that the bulk of these are “impulse buys” – rushed choices guided more by advertising, point of sale displays, monotonous nagging from kids and teens, incessant TV ads and the sheer pressure of having to choose, wrap and distribute gifts to the world and his wife (or her husband!) every year!
So before you take yourself, your credit card and your sanity into the mad world of the high street, just take a moment and consider what it is you’re really buying – and buying into. Every gift is a message from you to the one you love, or like, live, play or work with…. an extension of you and your personality and the item itself and the message it gives should last a lifetime – rather than be discarded into landfill or brushed aside from the recipient.

Whatever you choose, remember to select carefully, give and of course to receive – with love…..

Our pick of our very best products this festive season:

For Women: Raw Gaia chocolate face pack, Zoya nail polish collections, Inika vegan lipgloss pack, BAM bamboo shrug, Charme French fair-trade organic cotton lingerie, pink Eco mini fridge

For Men: Eselle Organics men’s wellness pack, Green People organic shaving kit, BAM long sleeve T-shirt, BAM bamboo socks, Pure Move Eco Plus compact DAB radio

For Children: Recycled cardboard play rocket, fortress and playhouse, Solar powered helicopter, BAM bamboo bath robes, BAM bamboo combat jeans, dungarees and pinafore dresses

And last but certainly not least – order some organic beers, vegan wines, spirits and even champagne for your parties and celebrations this festive season!

This is the question that rests on so many organic and natural shoppers minds, and takes hours to research; what are the ingredients, what preservatives are used, what’s the texture of the product, what certifications has it got? Am I going to like it, it’s a big investment and suppose I hate it? If it takes me that long to choose products for my site I can well understand the confusion, frustration and time it must take the day to day shopper to decide on the products that are best for them.

Endless hours analysing the small print, comparing the prices and product details - You’ve done the hit and miss orders, and been landed with products you hate! You’ve had the products that are good, but are looking for a change, or you simply want superior performance. Or you simply want to know if the products are genuine in their claims of being natural and pure. Where do you start?

If you’ve already launched yourself into natural shopping you’ll know that the shampoos, and creams all perform differently to regular high street products. You may have got the hang of a lot of the basics just through trial and error and you’ll already know that starting off with a real understanding of some fundamentals can make life a lot easier. We just thought we’d put together a quick checklist of things to consider. So sit back, grab a cup of herbal tea, and take stock of the variety with as little strain as possible, then take the decision about what might suit you best.

Herbal Potions compared with Scientific concoctions:

What grabs your fancy? A witch’s brew or laboratory test tube?

Two distinguishing features separate most natural and organic products. The traditional ones tend to be created on herbal lore, Earthbound organics, Raw Gaia, Eselle organics and Spiezia for instance, use time old recipes and blends based on ingredients that are known to have natural healing or beneficial properties for the skin and body, without the toxins but with all the benefits and time tested proof that they work. The newer breed of natural and organic skincare products such as Organic Apoteke for instance combine herbal lore with scientific research and cosmeceutical knowledge, this makes them similar in their placement on the market to top beauty houses, taking the preparation out of the kitchen and into the laboratory! Both lines are equally good.

Balms, Creams, Lotions and Oils

The consistency of a product can make a huge difference to whether you are going to like a product or not. We all have our preferences. What’s yours, rich and buttery, runny like hunny or creamy and dreamy?

Another key difference between many completely pure certified organic products and others that have additives lies in the formulation. 100% pure products tend to be balms or oils such as Eselle Organics, Spiezia organics etc. These don’t appeal to everyone as they are quite rich products, but if they do appeal to you, then you’ll find them packed full of rich nutrients and skin goodies that can really make a difference to your skin. They tend to be heavier and oilier and therefore aren’t everyone’s cup of tea.

Other people who prefer creams can go for the purest available which will still be slightly heavier such as Earthbound (beeswax based) and Raw Gaia (shea butter based). These formulations are all heavier because they do not contain any water hence bypassing the need for preservatives. The Shea butter and Coconut butter based products are mostly solid at room temperature and therefore need to be melted in your hand before being applied. The essential oils used in these products preserve them over time. Don’t be put off by their richness, as a little goes along way and after applying, any excess can be soaked off with a tissue.

Creams and Lotions that have a lighter feel to them inevitably have water as an additional ingredient. This makes it necessary to add a preservative. The majority of preservatives have an irritational element to them, so the Soil association for instance strictly limits their use. The popular ones that are accepted are Phenoxyethanol and Limonene the absence of a preservative could result in a more dangerous form of contamination from Nitrosamines which makes their presence necessary. Many of the newer organic products tend to be made in the form of these lighter applications such as essential care, Organic Apoteke and Miessence, although some lines have cleverly avoided even the accepted preservatives and used totally natural preservatives. Balms, oils, and heavy creams are better for normal/dry/ maturing skin types, whereas oilier skin types may do better with a lighter cream or lotion.

Biodynamics and Wildcrafted

Do you feel assured by knowing the ingredients are charged by Mother Nature or simply growing free range?

Products that contain Biodynamic ingredients contain ingredeints that have been grown in accordance with the lunar cycles and seasonal cycles that create the greatest benefit and achieve optimum results from the plants. May sound a little woo woo! But all of Weleda products are for instance bio dynamically based and therefore provide the benefit of optimum ingredients for health wellbeing and healing. Wildcrafted ingredients are taken from plants that have grown wild without the use of pesticides or herbicides such as Eyre Biobotanics.

Certifications and Ingredients to avoid

Do you need the security of a certificate or are you happy to check the ingredients and see there’s nothing really nasty in it, so its ok! Let's compare the standards.

Certifications can often make a product more expensive. That’s a fact. The common certifying bodies for products you will see being sold in the UK are Soil Association Standard (UK) , USDA (American), EcoCert (European), Organic Food Federation (UK), Australian organic, Demeter (Eurpoean), BDIH (German), Organic food Chain (Australian).

If you’re happy with going with a certificate then look out for the logos and verification that the product is certified. If you’re not too fussed about the certification but want to make sure it’s natural enough then check the products don’t contain any of the following:

AHAs – Alpha-hydroxy acids

(or ‘fruit acids’; incl. Glycolic acid and lactic acid) --

Why? Because it can penetrate the skin causing many reported adverse skin reactions in the US - May increase sensitivity to sunlight therefore increase photo-aging and risk of sun-related skin cancers

BHT

(butylated hydroxytoluene) - Preservative antioxidants

Why?

- Possible allergen

- Has been linked to possible behavioural effects, reproductive failures, not allowed in baby food

Fragrance

(Parfum, or Aroma.) Can exacerbate asthmatic symptoms.

Why?

May contain chemicals linked to cancer, damaging to the liver and kidneys and toxic to the nervous system.

Parabens

(Alkyl parahydroxy benzoates, or butyl/methyl/ ethyl/propyl/isobutyl paraben)

Why?

- Oestrogen mimics

- - Can penetrate the skin

Phthalates

(Dibutyl (DBP), di(2-ethylhexyl) (DEHP), di-ethyl phthalate (DEP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP))

Why?

risk to pregnant women and unborn children;

- DBP and DEHP on EU list of banned substances to be phased out by early 2005

- May disrupt hormones and cause birth defects

- Linked to asthma and allergic disease

P-Phenylenediamine

(PPD, or Para-phenylene-diamine)

Why?

Linked to cancer in workers

- - Linked to asthma and allergic disease.

- - Can penetrate skin.

- - Skin irritant

Triclosan

(5-chloro-2 (2,4-dichlorophenoxy)-phenol) or Trade name – Microban

Why?

Bioaccumulative - builds up in fatty tissue and can’t be broken down properly.

has been found in human breast milk and fish

Dioxins (linked to cancer) are formed when it is manufactured, incinerated or exposed to sunlight.

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate

(Sodium Lauryl Sulfate)

Why?

Skin, eye and respiratory tract irritant.

- May damage liver, lungs and immune system.

- Some evidence to suggest reproductive effects.

Toluene

(Toloul, methylbenzene)

Why?

Risk to women workers of spontaneous abortions

- Skin irritant

- Toxic to central nervous system, eyes, blood, liver, kidneys and skin.

Propylene glycol

(propan-1,2-diol)

Why?

Humectant - used to maintain moisture.

- Can cause contact dermatitis

- Linked to depression of the CNS (Central Nervous System)

Source: WEN Toxin Tour Factsheet

Also check out what WEN – Women’s Environmental Network has to say on the subject of toxins

http://www.wen.org.uk/cosmetics/facts.htm

Go onto their resources page for a good non bias heads up on what’s what in the cosmetics industry.

Twelve natural, healthy budget buys to beat the credit crunch!

Products such as organic skincare, organic bodycare, food and organic clothing are often unfortunate casualties of the lessening of our disposable incomes, but in fact, natural, healthy beauty can still be achieved on a budget!

Leading on-line organic lifestyle store buyOrganics (www.buyorganics.co.uk) offers their pick of the best quality, low budget organic skincare products to keep you beautiful and healthy through these tight times….

Facial cleansers which are not only organic and natural but cleanse the skin deeply without the use of synthetic chemicals and preservatives, include:

Essential Care Lemon & Tea Tree Organic Face Wash Cleanser £12
Includes balancing organic essential oils of lavender and tea tree together with extra virgin olive oil and aloe juice for clean, fresh skin. This vegan product is also Soil Association certified.

Raw Gaia Living Facial Cleanser £12.50
Made with cold-pressed oils of jojoba and wheatgerm, organic essential oils of sweet orange, eucalyptus and lemon plus organic floral waters of witch hazel, tea tree and juniper, this is a refreshing, purifying cleanser made with the purest ingredients.

Earthbound Organics Face Cleanser Cream £7.54
Combining rosewater, calendula, sunflower oil, carrot oil and beeswax.

Moisturising the skin after cleansing is essential for maintaining healthy skin:

The Earthbound Organics skincare range of five different face creams for different skin types are a real beauty bargain – just £8.89 and all beautifully formulated from organic ingredients and essential oils. A little really does go a long way, making your precious pounds last longer. Try from the range according to your skin: Nutritive Cream, Rejuvenating Cream, Jojoba & Vitamin E Cream, Carrot Cream as well as their ultra-moisturising Avocado Night Cream.

Other fantastic bargain moisturisers include the fantastic:

Raw Gaia’s For Her Daughters Moisturiser £10.80
Weirdly named but highly nutritive, this special female formulation contains 100% organic rosehip, evening primrose, Palma Rosa and fair trade cocoa butter.

Raw Gaia MSM Beauty Cream £10.80
Containing nutritive sulphur especially for mature and damaged skin, this is an incredible healing skin care preparation perfect for daily moisturising.

For a special pamper, a face mask and a scrub can provide the perfect pick-me-up:

Raw Gaia Chocolate Face Mask £8.20
Probably the most perfect face mask ever invented – great for skin and smells amazing. This living food for the skin contains detoxifying raw chocolate powder, sundried red clay, organic turmeric and organic amia fruit powder to nourish the pores.

Earthbound Organics Facial Scrub £6.54
With organic lavender, oatmeal and aduki beans for a natural, healthy organic skincare scrub.

Must-have items for skin repair and probably the most cost-effective anti-cellulite remedy on earth!:

Essential Care Baby Repair Lotion Natural Eczema Cream £8.94
Not just for babies but good for adults too – soothes and protects skin complaints such as eczema and dermatitis.

Earthbound Organics Anti Cellulite Oil £7.95
What a bargain – not only a snip price-wise but this skin care product full of organic essential oils such as geranium, rosemary, fennel and juniper, plus organic sunflower oil, ivy and vitamin E, to help stimulate the circulatory system, balance hormones and detoxify the skin.

Keep your body clean and fresh the natural way too:

Essential Care Aloe Vera Bodywash £7.99
Using corn sugar to mildly cleanse, this body wash is fragrance-free for extra care but amazingly moisturising and containing 100% natural ingredients.

Essential Care Deodorant Stone £5.95
With the health risks of aluminium chlorohydrate still proving controversial, this purse-friendly alternative contains naturally formed crystals of non-toxic potassium alum ensures no pore blockage or staining. Simply moisten the stone and apply to anywhere on the body – the stone lasts for up to 9 months making it true value for money.

All organic skincare products available at www.buyOrganics.co.uk

buyOrganics also stocks the Green People range of organic, parabens and synthetic preservative-free skin care products, with prices ranging from £3.24 to £14.99 including facial skin care, suncare, babies, men’s and bodycare products.

Performance quality makeup from Nvey Eco is also organic, paraben-free, cruelty-free with foundations, blushers, lipsticks, glosses, mascaras and eyeshadows in a wide range of shades and colours from £13 to £28 – the perfect healthy addition to any make up bag.

So splash it all on without splashing out, keep yourself healthy, beautiful and in the money with buyOrganics’ beauty budget know-how!

Newborn babies can start life as they mean to go on with purely natural organic products plus new mums can heal quickly and stay naturally gorgeous the organic way!

Pregnancy and coping with a newborn baby can now be safe and natural all the way with buyOrganics’ updated and improved Mother & Child store. New branded range additions for mother, newborn and child include MAMBINO ORGANICS and EARTH MAMA ANGEL BABY skincare products. buyOrganics also continues to stock best selling Soil Association certified products by ESSENTIAL CARE, ESSELLE and EARTHBOUND ORGANICS as well as many other brands.

This revamp of the acclaimed buyOrganics site is part of the company’s socially responsible commitment to providing women with the safest, most natural care for themselves and their babies during and after birth, with the longterm view of encouraging women in the mainstream to choose more natural products as the norm.

Having a baby can be a daunting prospect and every parent wants the best for their child – all the buyOrganics products are safe, natural and respectful for the environment. Embrace an eco-friendly start to your babies’ life with organic cotton and bamboo clothing, organic cotton buds and pads by SIMPLY GENTLE, organic baby bedding, mattresses and sustainable wooden cots from PROLANA and ABACA, organic baby sleeping bags, sustainable wood cots, biodegradable organic baby wipes and maternity pads by NATRACARE and the most comprehensive, natural soothing products for baby’s medicine cabinet including organic eczema creams, scalp treatments and post-partum remedies – all completely organic and with ancient soothing and healing properties. Babies will have the trendiest, most eco-friendly bottoms around with the buyOrganics selection of non-disposable nappies in gorgeous colours and the softest fabrics – bamboo and organic cotton – with washable liners, are all available.

MAMBINO ORGANICS skincare products include for mother: Mommy Time Organic Body Wash, Oh Baby Belly Butter, Youth Glow Omega Face Complex, Kissable Lips Moisturiser, Moisture Me Body Toning Oil, Calendula Olive Nipple Butter and for Caesarian section patients – the incredible C-Section Regenerative Scar Therapy treatment. These products contain naturally healing and soothing ingredients which are 100% certified organic, including lemon balm, which fades skin discolouration and helichrysum oil, which promotes skin healing. Also the ancient Sea Buckthorn Oil used since the 8th century to improve skin elasticity, hazelnut, pomegranate and evening primrose oils, all valued for toning and smoothing skin, olive oil for natural nourishment, shea butter and avocado oil to enrich and meadow foam wax, a totally natural moisture barrier.

Many babies quickly develop skin complaints such as eczema and cradle cap, usually due to overuse of synthetic soaps and baby products, but choosing organic products will ensure natural drying, softening and healing remedies for precious new bodies.

EARTH MAMA ANGEL BABY is a 100% organic range of products suitable for pregnant women and newborn babies, which contain no parabens or phlalates or artificial ingredients, and which contain natural healing and soothing properties. EARTH MAMA includes a range of herbal teas with magical properties such as the Morning Wellness blend, Peaceful Mama blend, Heartburn tea and Third Trimester tea. The EARTH MAMA New Mama Bottom Spray and Bottom Balm is formulated for the post-partum perineal area, and the Natural Stretch Oil helps with stretch marks. The Labour Ease Massage Oil and Labour Oil are must-haves for every expectant mother’s hospital kit.

The store also includes a range of beautiful, ethical gifts for new mothers and babies – perfect for relatives or work colleagues as a gift.

BuyOrganics stocks only organic, ethical and environmental products, conducts its own stringent environmental policies and is a member of the Ethical Junction.

For more information see the Mother & Child buyOrganics store at www.buyorganics.co.uk

The healthiest baby and child skin care products you will find are those that are genuinely natural and organic. They will contain only the bare minimum of ingredients made of pure organic essential oils that are safe for using on babies skin, and natural emollients such as Shea butter, beeswax or natures oils such as almond, borage, or olive oils. If a skin care product features water in its formulation it must have some natural preservative system to prevent nitrosamines developing. Look for baby skin care products with a gentle natural system such as herbs and essential oils. Natural preservative systems that have been used for centuries include honey, sugar and alcohol. Plant extracts can also be used such as rose, cinnamon, cloves, calendula and vanilla. To prevent fast spread of bacteria natural processes are allowed by the Soil Association such as heat treatment, removing oxygen through vacuum packing and ensuring low water content. Some chemical preservatives are also allowed by certifying bodies such as the Soil Association such organic acids and grain alcohols.

A product that contains a minimum of 70% organic ingredients and no GM or petrochemical products is good enough to be organic through the Soil Association. Other certifying bodies have different criteria but they are all very similar.

Particularly good for babies are pH balanced healing herbs such as Chamomile and Calendula Oil which have anti-inflammatory properties and anti-microbial properties, whilst also stimulating cellular regeneration.

Other excellent skin friendly therapeutic healing herbs in baby bath soaps and washes, baby lotion and baby massage include: Almond Oil, Coconut oil, Apricot oil, Wheat germ oil and Borage oil: this is one of the riches sources of gamma linoleic acid, it also contains important vitamins and minerals. Not only does it nourish and hydrate the skin, but it also helps in cell regeneration. Avocado oil is another goodie. It is a soothing and calming oil, easily absorbed by the skin and scalp and is a good source of vitamins A,D, E, amino acids and sterols. Sea Buckthorn is massively popular in natural and organic skin care products for babies. This incredible oil contains 190 nutritional compounds including vitamins E, C, A, K, B1, B2, folic acid, Carotenoids, Flavonoids, Sterols, Stanols, Polar Lipids. It has a 1:1 ratio of the rare Omega 7 fatty acid as well as Omegas 3 and 6. Its earliest use was in Tibetan medicine in the 8th Century. Sea Buckthorn contains unique anti ageing properties and cell and tissue regenerative qualities making it suitable for a wide variety of skin conditions.

Extremely high in anti oxidant properties; we absolutely love Eselle Organics Sweet Baby Massage oil and all the Eselle Organics baby skin care products. They are completely organic and are filled with nourishing essentials. Eselle products are even purer than those required by the Soil Association for certification.

As buyOrganics adds Eselle Organics, the latest Soil Association certified men’s skin care line to its on-line store, Sonia Kalia-Sagoo examines the serious issues behind the surge in interest in organic skin care for men. Firstly, contrary to popular belief, organic skin care is not about men who like to wear cream, hug trees or eat quiche…. You shave don’t you? You wash your hair and use deodorant (hopefully!). What about hair gel and aftershave? Then this article is for you … read on!

From toothpaste to skin creams, shaving foams, deodorants and hair gels, right through to hair dyes, aftershaves and shampoos, men are putting more and more different products onto and into their bodies on a daily basis. Whilst the average woman uses 12 different toiletry products per day, applying over 175 chemical compounds to her body, the average man applies a little less than this, but with men’s skincare a rapidly growing market, they are fast catching up with some men using a great deal more.

Whilst anti-smoking remedies such as nicotine patches flag up the fact that 60 per cent of what we put onto our skin is absorbed into our bloodstreams, the connection between this and the slathering of face, hair and body with lotions and potions on a daily basis seems to go unheeded. According to US action lobby the Environmental Working Group (EWG), there are ten particularly toxic substances found in skin care products which should be avoided at all costs. Whilst legislation is a little tighter in the EU, with on-line shopping booming, these days international boundaries are no barrier to people obtaining products from overseas, meaning that men can be exposed to suspect ingredients in their favourite products without being aware. Studies have shown that harmful ingredients in everyday products can cause cancers, affect fertility and certain “gender bending” toxins can affect hormones and have even been linked to feminisation of baby boys eg. breast growth. For the record, the ten ingredients you really should avoid are: Placenta (used in some specialized conditioners), Mercury, Lead (one of the ingredients in men’s hair colouring range Grecian for example), fragrance (yes! you may smell nice but fragrance one of the top five allergens in the world and really worth avoiding unless you pick unfragranced or organic products which contain essential oils instead), animal parts (shaving creams can contain tallow, which when sourced from mink and emu can be particularly hazardous, not to mention stomach-turning), hydroquinine (a skin lightening chemical), nanoparticles (increasingly added to suncreams and skincare products, both of which are used by men), phthalates (widely used in fragranced products and of particular concern to men, as phthalates have been intimated in sperm damage and hormone problems in males), and last but certainly not least, petroleum products including petroleum waste (coal tar), often used in scalp treatments such as anti-dandruff shampoos – which are targeted towards men.

But guys, don’t worry – you don’t have to look forward to a lifetime of scraggly hair, bushy beards and dodgy skin – help is at hand! Organic men’s grooming and personal care products are the ideal solution – not just for the male skin but also the environment, as organic ingredients are grown, harvested and produced with respect for nature and without pesticides, fertilizers or genetic modification. More and more brands are becoming available – such as Miessence, Spiezia, Earthbound Organics, EcoSopia, Green People and a new totally organic and paraben-free range of specialist products just for men, Eyre Biobotanics – all of which have been carefully chosen for specialist UK organic on-line store buyOrganics (www.buyorganics.co.uk). Recent additions to this store, Eselle Organics and Raw Gaia, both use only organically grown ingredients – which may sound a bit of a faff but honestly are made from cold pressed techniques which maintain the high antioxidant levels of the raw ingredients that make your skin and hair healthy from the inside out but not have any adverse affects which other man-made chemicals are suspected of.

Natural and organic creams and oils in men’s skin care ranges are particularly important in shaving and aftershave products, as they can dramatically help reduce the traumas often associated with shaving, such as rashes, nicks and ingrown hairs. For example, Miessence includes aloe vera, safflower and guar in their shaving range; Eyre Biobotanics uses lemon myrtle which protects against razor burn. Using a balm rather than an astringent after shaving is highly recommended – not just because of the toxic ingredients found in regular splash-ons, but because an organic balm will soothe an refresh rather than sting and cause inflammation. Miessence’s after shave balm contains organic witch hazel and chamomile, naturally soothing and without any hidden toxins.

Organic men’s skin care products certainly have the ingredients to do a better job than their non-organic counterparts, which is great news for men’s bodies inside and outside – and the ranges available are packaged just as attractively for a male audience – meaning they are a welcome addition to any man’s bathroom shelf, not just for his skin and well-being, but the environment as a whole.

www.buyorganics.co.uk - Think Organic...buyOrganics. The Organic Lifestyle Store.