Not Just a Man's Best Friend!

I find it incredibly frustrating that so often guys seem to get the good stuff, e.g. the old Yorkie bar ads - "Only for Boys". This is even more upsetting! I have found this amazing brand which makes face washes, moisturiser and shaving foam - all paraben and sulphate free - BUT its for Men!

This is my only quibble with Man's Best Friend products, I use them regardless of this - and I suggest that you do too! It's a little on the pricey side but I love their facewash and facial moisturiser. Off the top of my head I cannot think of any facial moisturisers that are advertised as paraben free like this is so it is a winner in my book.

Although it is made for men the scent isn't all that masculine, more spicy which I actually really like. I've talked about my dry skin before and I find that it often can feel worse on my face and that not all moisturisers 'hit it' but this is just the ticket. The scrub has a similar consistency to the Alba Botanica scrub I've mentioned before, you can feel it getting rid of the grime and dead skin. And you will be pleased to hear, no microbeads!

Give it a go and let me know what you think - may be a good gift idea for the guys in  your life too!

Be good x

More Facewash!

Apologies! I know it has been too long since I posted anything, but better late then never I like to think.

I recently discovered a new brand that I want to share with you, it's called Good Things. All their products are free from parabens, sodium laureth sulphates and haven't been tested on animals - what more could you want? Answer: this face wash, so far it's the only Good Things product that I have tried but I am a fan.

The Papaya and Licorice (I know, licorice?!) Blackhead Exfoliator smells incredible and leaves my face feeling clean but doesn't dry it out like some face washes. My only grumble would be that it almost doesn't feel 'rough' enough for an exfoliator but I have found if my skin isn't too wet then this helps. If you read my previous post you may be thinking 'microbeads!' - yes, it does contain microbeads, but from what I can tell they are natural and not plastic, I have enquired and will keep you updated!

Be good x

Microbeads? Microkillers!

You know those little colourful beads in our exfoliating scrubs?

I read a rather scary article the other day and it turns out the majority of them are made from polyethylene and polypropylene plastic. Because microbeads are so small they don't get picked up at treatment plants and therefore end up in aquatic ecosystems, scientists are now finding large concentrations of plastics in the water systems and in animals! A scientist from 5 Gyres which works in the area of plastic pollution, Dr. Marcus Eriksen said "the scary thing is that the beads sponge up toxins, then get consumed by organisms from shellfish to crabs to fish" - and who eats fish? We do.

Witch Gentle
Exfoliating Facewash

If this happens to be something that bothers you there are a couple of alternatives...

1. I have found a couple of facewashes, like Witch, that contain natural microbeads. As far as I am aware, please correct me if I am not, these shouldn't affect the ecosystems.                                                                         
2. Sugar. I know, weird, but ever since I made my own bodyscrub where sugar was the 'scrub' I have been adding it to my normal soap and facewash as an exfoliant. It seems to work pretty well, just don't scrub your teeth with it!

If you are interested to read more about the affect the microbeads are having on wildlife this is a good article to read: http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/those_beads_in_your_body_wash_theyre_harming_ecosystems_20140126

And if you want to take it further there is a petition going round to ban exfoliating microbeads, check it out:
http://forcechange.com/73040/ban-exfoliating-microbeads-for-their-harm-to-aquatic-life/

A New Year

HAPPY 2014!!
I know that it has been a ridiculously long time since I posted anything but my New Year resolutions is to keep this blog up to date!

For Christmas I was very creative and finally tried out a couple of make-your-own recipes that I'd seen; hand scrub and lip balms. I was pleasantly surprised by how straightforward they were to make so I would definitely recommend giving it a go!

There are numerous recipes online but these are the ones I used:

Lip Balm

• 4 tablespoons of coconut oil
• 3 tablespoons of petroleum jelly
• 1 tablespoon of beeswax

Essentially all you have to do is melt the beeswax, petroleum jelly and coconut oil and mix them together. Then you add the flavouring - I used honey, and weirdly Herbes de Provence but I have seen recipes that use anything from kool-aid to essential oils. The trick is to pour it into the storage container before it starts cooling, but it seems that if this happens you can just heat it up again.

Hand Scrub

• 2 cups of granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup of coconut oil
• 2 lemons

Again, this is super easy! I juiced two lemons and mixed everything together, melting the coconut oil a little. I also added lemon zest, just to make it look pretty.

These recipes really are a easy as they seem, sometimes the ingredients may be a little difficult to get hold of but I ended up buying everything I needed on eBay - the beeswax, coconut oil and little pots for the lip balm. If you want to start making your own cosmetics definitely give try these out, I was impressed by how good they looked and how well they actually work!

If you have any suggestions of recipes I should try please drop me a message!

Yes to Shampoo

Yes to Cucumbers
Shampoo and Conditioner

I have just started using this shampoo from Yes to Carrots, it is great!

I've now tried Yes to Blueberry and Yes to Cucumber shampoos and conditioners, I prefer Yes to Cucumbers but both work great and make my hair look silky, healthy and make my natural highlights stand out.

Yes to... is a brand that I have used before and so far I love all the products that I have tried. Their shampoos and conditioners are 99% natural, free from petroleum, parabens and sulphates.

Take a look at their other products: www.yestocarrots.com/

Alba Botanica Toxin Release Scrub

Alba Botanica Good and Clean
Toxin Release Scrub

So I've been looking for a facial exfoliator for a while now, it's difficult to find one that is gentle on sensitive skin but also free from all the chemicals that I look out for. I actually had a look online for recommendations, and this scrub was mentioned in a top 5 list.

I am in love with this scrub! It is gentle but still gets rid of all the dead skin, leaving my skin glowing. I think it looks like carrot cake mixture but it smells great and is free from parabens, phthalates and synthetic fragrances. AND it's great value for your money - this is definitely a product that I would recommend!

If you want to have a look at Alba Botanica's other facial products visit: www.albabotanica.com/collections/good-and-clean.html

St. Ives 24-Hour Deep Restoring Body Lotion

St. Ives 24-Hour Deep Restoring
Body Lotion

So I have finally found a moisturiser that I love! It is St. Ives 24-Hour Deep Restoring Body Lotion with almond oil - it actually leaves my skin feeling silky soft and smelling gorgeous.

No, it's not a totally natural product but it uses natural moisturisers like shea butter and almond oil, and doesn't contain phthalates OR parabens! I have ridiculously dry, sensitive skin so it's nice to finally find a lotion I don't react to but still moisturises my skin.

Not everyone is a fan of the scent, so if you're not an almond oil person take a look at the other body lotions by St. Ives - a lot of them are labelled as being "formulated without parabens and phthalates" so read the back of the bottle.