Wherefore Art Thou Organic Wednesday?

A few people have been wondering where Organic Wednesday is ... well, it's gone walkabout!  I was too ill to post much last week, which is why it didn't happen then, but don't worry! It is coming back, just not today, sorry!

That is because I'm moving my organic slot to Saturdays from now on (for reasons far too boring to go into here), and it's going to be called "Organic Weekends". This is mainly because I like having a feature I can still refer to as "ow"! -yes, I am a child, thank you -  OW has been a really interesting feature for me over the last seven months, and it's one I love, so it'll be back, large as life (larger, even!), and with a nice big fat report of how I got along at the Natural Organic Product Show at Olympia recently.  This Saturday 24th April, I'll see you then!

Organic Wednesday - Jurlique

I first discovered Jurlique about ten years ago, after getting myself a nasty bruise whilst on a trip to Brisbane.  My host smothered the affected area with their arnica cream, and I've been interested in the brand ever since.  Once exceptionally difficult to find in the UK, their products are becoming easier to track down over here these days, which is a good thing as they've also massively expanded their product range in the last couple of years too.

An Australian range - why is it that there are so many Australian organic brands, does anyone know? -  dedicated to organic, biodynamic and natural ingredients, I tried a couple of things, some new, some not so new, just to see how they were doing:

First off: Fruit Enzyme Exfoliator:

This isn't your normal scrubby-type exfoliator, this one, you apply a thin layer to your face, leave it in place for five minutes then rinse it off.  No massaging, and no potential eye-irritating beads or seeds. It's basically a mask which contains a mix of enzymes which will make your skin softer.  And, it really does. Several fruits (papaya and pineapple spring to mind) contain an enzyme which soften skin - and, if you'll excuse me for mentioning it, they will also tenderise meat - and this mask makes the most of that softening effect.

In use, I found that this gave me a very definite tingling sensation, which means I'd use it far less often than the 2-3 times a week recommended on the packaging (and in all honesty, I don't think anyone needs to exfoliate this thoroughly more often than once a week anyway), but once rinsed off, skin was noticeably softer and more than a little smoother, I liked the effects a lot.  Skin also had a rosy glow after, but that could have been from an increased blood-flow to my face from the tingling!

An important thing to add about this product is that several of the ingredients are a natural source of Alpha-Hydroxy-Acids (AHAs) and they will increase your skin's senstivity to the sun, so if you do use this, please ensure you use a sunscreen for at least a week after, otherwise you may get sunburned, even in cloudy conditions.

Fruit enzyme exfoliator costs £33 at the official Jurlique website here.

I also tried their Soothing Herbal Recovery Gel, which in all honesty, I can't rave enough about. I have a couple of allergies which have a tendency to cause hives when I come into contact with particular irritants, and this little bottle has been a godsend. Ostensibly, it's a moisturiser for sensitive skin, and as such it works fine, it's pleasant and refreshing to use, and, while I don't like it as much as a more traditional cream or lotion moisturiser for that purpose, it's nice to use.

However, on hot, irritated, or blemished skin, this stuff  really comes into it's own. On hives, this instantly soothes the burning, itching sensation, and helps to reduce any swelling. Plus if you suffer from headaches, a thin layer of this left "mask-style" on your forehead and temples really helps to soothe and cool a hot head. I love this stuff, and keep my bottle of it handy at all times! My skin doesn't normally tolerate gels all that well, but I had no issues with this one at all.

Soothing Recovery Gel costs £45 at the official Jurlique website.

Finally, I also tried their Moisture Replenishing Day Cream, which is a thick yellow ointment with a faintly dusty, herbal smell. The dusty smell is from the chamomile which is a major ingredient of this cream.  Specifically formulated for dryer skins, this  does give a nice moisture boost to the skin without leaving you feeling too greasy.  I'll be honest, I like this cream, but I don't love it.  It does what it says it will, with no frills and furbelows, but let's face it, I think I like a little luxury - or at least a little multi-tasking - from my face cream.  To be fair though, it doesn't promise to do anything outside of making your skin soft, so on that count, it really delivers!

Moisture Replenishing Day Cream costs £27 at the official Jurlique website.



Have you tried any Jurlique products?  What did you think?  You can also find Jurlique products at Zuneta (where the Soothing Herbal Recovery Gel is on sale for an amazing £5.88!) and Being Content.

The Small Print: This post features a mixture of products I bought myself and items sent for review purposes.  It doesn't matter which is which, I like what I like, and I don't what I don't, where it came from is not of any relevance to that.  So there.

Organic Wednesday: Jonathan Ward Candles

There are few things more surreal than dragging the rugby-loving, cider-drinking, not-interested-in-male-grooming, will-only-get-his-hair-cut-when-ordered-to, shouldn't-be-reading-this Mr Lippie along to a candle viewing and scent testing session, and then watching him take over the proceedings to the extent that the Official Lippie (me) can't actually get a word in edgeways!


It might have happened because Jonathan Ward's candles are truly things of beauty, and it was a delight to be invited to pop along to Wholefoods recently for a sneak preview of his autumn collection (even MrL agrees).  Religiously inspired with incense, amber and spices, the new range will add three new scents to the line. No1 (which is the one that got MrL all excited, and he still refers to it now, a couple of weeks later) which to me smells like a clean, fresh, and warm (if that makes sense?) Mediterannean scent - in some ways similar to Acqua di Parma, only deeper and more resonant, No2, which I found to be a more classical kind of "boudoir" scent, and it brought to mind Hollywood glamour, film noir, and marabou-trimmed negligees. I can't wait to see how this one translates into a candle! And finally No3 (which is Jonathan's personal favourite) which was a more sweet amber-spice scent, almost food-y, but in a good way.

Sadly, we won't be able to see these candles for a good few months yet as they're still in the testing phase. So, what's the point in my telling you about something you can't buy yet, I hear you cry?! Well, as a result of some previous testing sessions (Jonathan does these fairly regularly for his favoured clients and the occasional blogger who has, let's face it, allowed her boyfriend to gatecrash), Jonathan has introduced a new size candle, after previous panels requested a range of candles at a more purse-friendly price point. Currently the large candles cost £30, which is a good price for an all-organic, hand poured, hand-packaged candle, but there is now a full range of slightly smaller candles (6.5oz as opposed to 8.5oz) which come in at £20 each which is a great price for presents, hostess gifts and the like. Also a good price for trying a new scent, if you ask me.

There is also a new scent about to be launched, Lulu in Provence, which is redolent of nectarines, sandalwood and redcurrants. Go buy a couple to make your house smell lovely, you'll never regret it. Me, I'll be getting myself a couple of Lost in El Salvador, which is another amber-based scent I can't resist. The candles are clean-burning, and smell beautiful even when they're not in use (I have Nightingales Jasmine by my bed to ensure sweet-smelling dreams), and will last for 45 hours in the large, or 30 in the medium.

You buy Jonathan Ward candles online here, or they are stocked at Wholefoods.  A full list of stockists is available on Jonathan's website. Want to say a quick thank you to the adorable Jonathan for inviting us along, and say that it's great to see a company that not only listens to it's customers, but actually pays attention. To that end, I'm just going to say two words:  Bath. Oil.  Please? ;)

The Small Print: No boyfriends, candles or whales were harmed during the writing of this post.

Organic Wednesday - Organic Surge, the return

I'm delighted that another of my very favourite bloggers, Helen from the lovely Just Nice Things site has offered to guest blog for me this week. If you're interested in nails - and other cosmetics! - then you simply have to make Just Nice Things a port of call on the internets!  Helen won my first ever blog giveaway way back in November last year, and she's reviewing on the prizes I gave her, Organic Surge Eye Gel.

Take it away, Helen:

Isn’t it strange the way that wonderful ageing issues that suddenly become a factor when you hit 30-something? Like the fact that the extra half stone you put on every Christmas just doesn’t shift? Or the fact that you still have the marks on your face left by the seams of your pillow at 9am because your skin hasn’t sprung back? Puffy eyes? Well, not only do I have to contend with all these concerns, I am also blessed by having chronic psoriasis.

For those of you who don’t know, psoriasis is a non-contagious skin condition that affects approximately one in every one hundred people. No-one knows what causes it, but we do know that it is essentially the same as having super efficient skin that just renews too quickly, pushing the old skin cells to the surface, where they gather and flake off. This can be incredibly painful, itchy and sore, not to mention unsightly. I’ve lost count of the number of people that have gone “Eurrrgghhh! What’s wrong with you?” to me, or people who haven’t wanted to shake my hand because of it.

What this also means is that I have to be extremely careful with what I put onto and into my skin. I don’t smoke (any more), I drink plenty of water. I have found out, over many years, what the triggers are. Fizzy white wine, chillies, strawberries and tomatoes are likely to have me clawing at my skin in agony. The same goes for beauty products. Anything containing sodium laureth / lauryl sulphate, perfume, or parabens is anathema to me. I don’t wear foundation, and I can’t get overly excited by the Sleek palettes that everyone loves, because they contain parabens. Once a week or so is fine but if I were to use something daily that contained any of the above ingredients, I know I’d be flaring, itchy and irritable. I haven’t narrowed it down precisely – for example, despite all their claims to be nasty-free and hypoallergenic, I can’t use either Jergens or Simple products. Don’t know why, I just know they hurt like hell when I apply them.

Similarly, I was a bit scared to try Organic Surge. Usually the only skincare I use is Liz Earle as I know from trial and error that it doesn’t have any sinister effects on me. I had an Organic Surge handcream a while ago and I don’t know what was in it but it set my psoriasis ridden paws on fire. However, the lure of a free lipstick is too much for any beauty blogger to deny, and so I entered one of Luce’s Get Lippie reader competitions, and won! I couldn’t believe it. The only thing I’d ever won before this was the odd £10 on the lottery, and a very classy silver plated after dinner mint tray at a school fete once. The Get Lippie prize bag contained several Organic Surge products, and so, with some trepidation, I reached for the eye gel.

I love eye gel. I used to nick my mum’s elderflower and vitamin E eye gel when I was little (and certainly in no need of it). I remember liking the way it felt on my skin and immediately made me feel brighter and more awake. So, I couldn’t resist trying this one out. I usually approach new products with a cynical “what reaction is this going to get then?” , so imagine my glee when it did….nothing. As in, I had no reaction at all. Brilliant. No stinging, no itching, just that lovely tightening and smooth feeling. Fantastic. I haven’t been over egging it and using this daily as I know my skin can sometimes get fed up with certain items, but I’ve been using this eye gel a couple of times a week since Christmas with no ill effects.

 
OK, so it doesn’t banish the dark circles (perhaps I need to look into drinking less wine…but then again, nah) but it does make the skin around my eyes feel smoother, look brighter and generally feel zingy. A little goes a long way here, hence the reason that this little 15 ml pot has lasted me since December. So as far as I am concerned, it’s a hit. It makes me feel nice and just perks me up a bit. And anything that can do that without rendering me like the Elephant Man deserves to score highly in my book.

Oh and I apologise for the slightly soft focus Wheel of Fortune “modeling the prize” photos. As you can tell from the product shots, I’m a nail blogger and you don’t get to see my face all that often. Mainly because it’s usually covered in creases from my pillow…

***

Thanks, Helen!

Organic Wednesday - Neal's Yard Wild Rose Elixir

I've mentioned Neal's Yard a few times before, I'm a big fan of their distinctively packaged, gloriously scented and usually highly natural products.  When the chance came up to take a look at their new Beauty Elixir, which is part of their Wild Rose range - I already own the balm, and the facial oil in this range too! - I jumped at it. 

Here's what Neal's Yard say about the product

A nourishing radiance boost for ALL SKIN TYPES

Luxurious new Wild Rose Beauty Elixir is enriched with wild rosehip oil, one of nature’s richest sources of antioxidant vitamin C, proven to help repair, firm and smooth the skin, ultra-moisturising hyaluronic acid, brightening turmeric, an anti-ageing peptide and the pure essential oils of frankincense and geranium. Use morning and evening after cleansing for radiantly glowing skin.

Then, once it arrived, I kicked myself quite thoroughly, as I realised I was already committed to trying out 42, 135,438,431,518 squillion other facial products so I did the decent thing and handed over the £42.50 bottle over to my friend Sarah.  Here's what she had to say about it:

"I'm not really one for make-up routines. My skin's lucky enough to have the makeup washed off it at the end of the day. So when Lippie asked me to test this Neal's Yard Beauty Elixir, I went a bit blank.

Me: "OK, I like Neals Yard. The bottles are pretty. What do I do with it then?"

Lippie: "It's a serum"

Me: "Uh..."

Lippie: "Just put it on before you apply moisturiser"

Me: "That's the greasy stuff in the jar that you made me buy, isn't it?" <-- well, I would have said that, except Lippie had THAT look on her face, so I nodded wisely instead.

Lippie: "Take a picture of your face before you start, then one about a week later, and tell me how you get on. Simple! Now pour me another glass of wine if you know what's good for you..."

I do know what's good for me, and arguing with Lippie isn't. 


I'm 43, with unevenly pigmented, ageing combination skin. It used be a zit factory; now it's just slightly dry.

The serum comes in a pretty, blue, typical Neals Yard bottle. I couldn't see an ingredients list, but the ads seem to imply that it has some kind of rose hip extraction. I suppose that means that it's Good For You. A bit of explanation about what the rose hips actually did for my skin that other plant extracts don't (apart from making it smell purty) would have been nice. I mean, does it calm the skin? plump it up? eliminate blotchiness and at least three of the Six Signs of Ageing?? (It's 10 Signs of Ageing now, do keep up - Ed)

Eventually I found some instructions in a corner of the label, which said, "Apply with fingertips in a circular massage motion".

There was no indication as to how much, so I experimented with two drops.The serum was cool and velvety on my skin, and absorbed after a few rubs. On the hand it felt quite rich, and smelled faintly of roses. My face looked considerably pinker after application, but calmed down after a few minutes. On went the usual winter face, and off I went to work.

Looking in the mirror after two weeks of daily treatment, I'd say that my skin is still unevenly pigmented, but ever-so-slightly pinker, clearer and smoother to touch. Clear smoothness: good. Extra pinkness: not so good. The pre-menstrual breakouts were fairly minimal too, though whether this was down to the serum or actually following a proper moisturising regime, I couldn't say.

As for the price tag; £42.50 is more than I would pay for any kind of moisturiser, especially one that may or may not work. It smells pretty and didn't burn my face off, so I'll probably continue using it until the weather brightens up a bit and I only need a bit of tinted moisturiser to loosen up my face. But I don't think I'll be rushing to replace it when/if it finally runs out."

Okay, whilst this possibly isn't the most glowing review ever (and, I remember the conversation somewhat differently, iirc the wine reference came a LOT earlier!), but, I will say this, I had dinner with Sarah last night, and she was glowing.  I could see the difference in her skin, even if she couldn't! If I could guarantee my skin would look as good after a couple of weeks use, I'd have snatched the bottle back there and then!

Organic Wednesday - A'kin Rosehip Oil

Two organic posts for you today!  First up, A'kin.

Part of the Australian Purist Company, A'kin promises the following about their products:

[A'kin] and [Al'chemy] products are formulated free from sulfates, parabens, ethoxylated and petrochemical cleansers, propylene glycol, silicones, phthalates, mineral oils, DEA and artificial colours.Our products are ingredient rich, vegan, 100% natural botanical aromatherapy and formulated without animal ingredients or animal testing.


I'd heard a lot of good things about their rosehip oil - rosehip oil generally is considered a great skin-loving ingredient, plus, I have very fond memories of snaffling my baby sister's rosehip syrup as a child, so was looking forward to trying this.  I used it for a couple of weeks, and found it to be a lovely moisture boost to my dry skin, but my friend Seona was looking to try some oils that had some therapeutic benefits after a disastrous trial of an oil-based cleanser, so, being the kind-hearted soul that I am, I passed my bottle along.  Here's what Seona made of it:

I was given A’kin Rosehip Oil to trial. The bottle tells me it has Pro Vitamin A, Vitamin E and Omega 9,3 & 6. It also says it’s revitalising, brightening and restorative. I’m always look for a bit of revitalisation for my skin, so I was looking forward to trying it.


The recommendation is to apply 2-3 drops to the face and neck, once a day for oily/combination skins or twice for other skins. I tried to use it twice a day for the first week, switching to once a day for the second week as I am just not organised enough and my skin is combination.

The oil itself is bright orange, which I wasn’t quite expecting as the bottle is tinted brown so you can’t see what you’re getting. This isn’t fragranced and smells of, well, plant is the best I can do. It’s not an unpleasant smell, just a very natural one. The packaging is a medicinal looking glass bottle with an old-fashioned dropper with rubber top. The dropper does collect a lot of oil in it, so I generally squeezed most of it straight back into the bottle to avoid accidentally using too much. That’s probably overcautious of me as the dropper does only dispense one drop at a time, making it very easy to control the amount you use.

A little of this goes a very long way, so the 2-3 drops direction is about right. I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly it absorbs, especially as I was using it in the mornings and worried I’d have to wait ages before applying make up. It sank straight into my skin and I could apply my tinted moisturiser almost immediately.

Results wise, I can’t say I noticed a massive change in my skin. My skin certainly felt soft, but it looked much the same as always. However, I do like this as a winter base for my tinted moisturiser. I felt like I needed a little extra moisturise and after applying the oil my moisturiser went on a lot smoother than without any sort of base. The other good point, and this isn’t on the bottle at all, but my hands looked a lot better from rubbing the excess oil in. Using this oil regularly meant all those little bits of loose skin around my fingernails disappeared, leaving me with much nicer hands.

Overall verdict: As an extra layer of moisture in winter I’d use this product, it was a nice extra boost. It just didn’t do much in the way of revitalising or brightening for me. Having said that, I do have fairly good skin and it might work better for someone with dryer skin than mine.

So there you have it, have you tried A'kin products, or rosehip oils on your skin?  How did you get along?

A'kin products are available from Wholefoods, and independent chemists.

The Small Print: This product came from my own collection, all reviews are honest and impartial regardless of the source.  Man, I could murder a Malteaster Bunny right about now.

Organic Wednesday - Melvita

After it's unscheduled two-week break, Organic Wednesday is back!  And it's back with some lovely treats, so sit back and have a look ...

Melvita are a French skincare brand - in fact they're the sister-company to L'Occitane - and they've just recently launched their products into the UK market.  They're Ecco-Cert compliant, and they promise that their products  contain:

■ No paraffin and no silicone.

■ No PEG (polyethylene glycol) and no PPG (polypropylene glycol).

■ No ethoxylated products.

■ No parabens or phenoxyethanol.

■ No formaldehyde or chlorine derivatives.

■ No synthetic fragrances or colouring agents.

■ No di-ethyl phthalate or nitromusk.

They also use no animal based products (aside from honey, in a couple of products), and do not carry out any animal testing, under any circumstances, as they are BUAV-approved.  Good news for my vegan readers!

There is a massive range of products to choose from, so I picked a few to showcase:

First off, the absolute star of the range - in my eyes at least: Naturalift.

Containing extracts of hibiscus seeds, chestnut, buddleia and beech buds, my (normal/dry, and fairly sensitive) skin just drinks this up, and is left smooth, silky and velvety as a result.  The cream has a faint scent of rose geranium, and sinks in very easily.  I adore it.  The cream is  of 99.11% natural origin, and 29.91% 0f the ingredients are organic. It claims to help with fighting wrinkles and signs of ageing, I've seen no evidence of that in my two week of using it as a night-cream, but it's still been a pleasure to use, and it's something I'll definitely look into purchasing again. Naturalift costs £30 for 50ml.

Rose Nectar Day Cream

Again, another cream that's a joy to use, scented as it is with rose oil - reminding me greatly of Ren Rose Otto bath oil - this is the cream I've been using as a day cream for the last few weeks.  It sinks in easily, and, as it's slightly less hydrating than the Naturalift, it makes a very good base for foundation.  The product contains rosehip oil, and an extract of rose seed, and is very gentle on even the most sensitive skins.  I find it very soothing, and love the scent.  This cream is 99.68% natural origin and 57.37% organic.  It costs £24 for 50ml. 

Apricosma Fondant Balm

This is a gloriously sweet-smelling body cream, that's rich and thick, and leaves you smelling a little of apricots, or other stone fruit.  Made of cocoa and shea butter, with hints of honey and thyme, it soothes your dry body parts, without taking a huge amount of rubbing in.  It is very sweet-smelling though,  and this scent lingers (it was a little to sweet for me, if I'm being completely honest) and if you're sensitive to smells, that might be something to take into account. The cream is 99.15% natural, 20.34% organic, and costs £19 for 150ml.

Two products I didn't get on so well with were the Eye Contour Gel, and the Foaming Facial Scrub, but this is because my skin is stupidly sensitive, and doesn't do well with gel formulations, or anything that foams, no matter how gentle.  I thought, rather than give you a negative review of a product that I know doesn't suit me, I'd ask one of you to review them for me, what do you think?

If you'd like the chance to review these products for me, please leave a comment on this post telling me why you'd be the best person for the job, and you MUST leave me your email address. Winners will be picked at my discretion, and two winning entries may be selected.  I'll make the decision on Monday 15th March, and products will be despatched by Wednesday 17th at the latest.

Look forward to hearing from you!

Melvita products are available to buy from the Melvita Home Page or from Lookfantastic who currently have a special offer, where if you buy any two Melvita products, you will get a free discovery pack worth £15!
 
The Small Print; Some of these products were sent as samples to review, some of them were presents.  Reviews are honest yadda, yadda, yadda, regardless of source, and so on.

Organic Wednesday - NEOM Candles

Candles.  Oh, how I love candles!  Jonathan Ward, Kenneth Turner and now NEOM, I love them all ...  was especially delighted when I found out this week that NEOM are expanding their fragrance library to 12 this March with the addition of two new varieties of candle.

Serenity, which has hints of vanilla and sandalwood and about which NEOM say: "For the ultimate piece of me-time, comfort in warming tones of vanilla, a fantastically comforting scent, combined with woody and calming sandalwood. Also works as a gentle aphrodisiac."  Hmn, now that sounds more interesting than I thought when I first read it ....

Also, (and this is the one I'm really excited about) they're bringing out a Sumptuous variety too, which combines rose and neroli - two of my all time favourite scents - and they have this to say about it:  "The most deliciously decadent scent in the NEOM library, rose is calming, soothing oil whilst precious neroli (orange blossom) lifts your spirit and calms the mind. Quite simply - the most opulent feel-good scent in the world."  

Now my mum is an aromatherapist, a reflexologist and a reiki master (she needs to get out more) and she uses neroli like it's going out of fashion, so basically, this scent will make me think of home, and help uplift my spirits at the same time.  I can't wait to get my hands on one of these babies for a sniff.  I think I might also send my mum one for Mother's Day ...

The candles are entirely organic and have a natural base.  You can buy them from NEOM online, or Planet Organic.  I'll be chatting to Nicola Elliot about the brand very soon, so you'll be able to find out more about them then, keep an eye out!

Organic Wednesday - Dr Bronner vs Method

Doing things slightly differently this week - haven't done a side by side comparison for a while, so I thought I'd do one now.

I've mentioned how much I like Dr Bronner soaps before and they have a new one available from their Shikakai range, and in this trial, I'm using the peppermint version - I'm a sucker for peppermint:

And in the clear corner, I'll be testing Method's handwash in Sweet Water:

Now, both of these products are organic, and claim to be non-drying, and contain no ingredients known to irritate skin.

Here's how they look out of the bottles (Dr Bronner first, then Method)

 

Dr Bronners is a thin, runny liquid that's very difficult to control ... it's also an odd colour, how unnattractive is that yellow-y brown?  The Method is a more familiar gel-style affair (trust me, it is there in the photo, I assure you!) that won't run all down your arm while you're trying to take photos of it.  Of course, that might just be my problem ...

Here's how they foam.  I don't know about you, but I LOVE a proper foamy handwash, even though I know that many foaming agents are bad for your skin!  As before, Dr Bronner first, then Method:

 

Just to be clear, I used one full pump of each product, and hands were washed consecutively, in the same temperature water.  As you can see, the Dr Bronner has foamed up magnificently, very surprising as the main ingredients appear to be sugar and a seed extract! The Method doesn't foam up nearly so well, although compared to a lot of organic SLS-free cleansers, it's actually pretty good.  Even compared to Method's own moisturising handwash, this is good foam.  Dr Bronner's peppermint smells precisely like washing your hands with a stick of Blackpool rock (not as sticky though) where Method has a more generic, gentle, slightly perfumed scent, which is not at all unpleasant.

Neither soap left my hands dried out, which is great. Even though I do like a foaming hand wash I hate it when it leaves my hands feeling dry after, or worse, feeling like I need handcream.  I don't believe in handcream (or toner, or body lotion.  Yes, I'm a weird, I know), so don't use it too often, and hate feeling that another product I'm using is forcing me to use it.

I guess which one you'll prefer will come down to what you want from your handwash, Method's wash is undoubtedly the one that'll look more stylish in your bathroom, but Dr Bronner is the one that'll give you the most satisfaction when you use it!  Both of these have pride of place in the bathrooms around our house, and I guess which one we buy next depends on which one runs out first!

Dr Bronner is available from Victoria Health, independent health food shops and Liberty in London, whereas you can buy Method from Boots, Waitrose or from the Method website.

Organic Wednesday - Balm Balm

My love for lipbalms is well known worldwide (seriously, I don't think Badger have forgiven me for kicking up such a fuss about Chai Rose yet, but they're still lovely people! And lovely balms too), so I thought I might be forgiven for talking about yet another one that I really like.

BalmBalm I love, because unlike a lot of organic companies, their labelling is clear, and they don't make claims that their products can't possibly live up to.  Plus, their products are both 100% natural and 100% organic, which is a refreshing change at the moment. If you saw my post last week, you'll know simply how refreshing it is to see a company commit to it's aims properly without resorting to desperate claims for it's products (SLS-free face powder anyone?  Oh no! I'll really miss that lovely foaming action!) in order to seem more "worthy".

Okay, I'll come down off my soapbox now.  The other major reason I'm a big fan of BalmBalm is the simply beautiful scent of the rose geranium balm, I have this one in a pot my the bed, in a tube in my handbag, and now, in the new lipbalm-sized tube which I'll be taking everywhere with me.  But if you're not a fan of flowery scents, the balms also come in unscented and tea-tree varieties.  If you have any other scents that you're a fan of, you can add a couple of drops to the unscented variety and make yourself a customised flavour - I'm always tempted to make a proper rose-scented one (not artificially flavoured and pumped full petrochemicals like some rose balms - which shall remain nameless - are), it'd be like smothering yourself in Turkish Delight ...

Where was I? Oh yes, the balms are vegetarian (not vegan - although I understand some vegans will use bee-products) and have a shea butter, jojoba and beeswax base, meaning they're a bit more solid than some balms you can use, but I don't find this a problem as it means a little goes a very long way once you've warmed it on your  fingers or played with the tube in your hands a bit before applying.

I'm looking forward to trying the tea-tree variety, as I think it'd be just the ticket for cold-sore affected lips, or on spots!  How else do you use lipbalms?

Balm Balm lipbalms cost £3.99 (£2.99 for a tub!) and are available from Balm Balm's website and well-known health food shops. Plus you can read the Balm Balm Blog here.  Glenda's lovely, do go and say hello!

Organic Wednesday - A change from our usual programming.

In which Get Lippie goes off on one and hopes she'll be forgiven ...

Here at Get Lippie, I have a lot of organic products, and I read a LOT of pseudo-scientific gubbins about why organic products are better than products that contain ingredients which are not organic. And, by and large, I take most  of these claims with a pinch of salt.  You can tell me that a product works because the contents are  harvested only by the light of a gibbous moon by virgins, then then ingredients are handed to fairies who use angel wings to mix them up (not actually that far-fetched a claim, to be honest) and I'll simply roll my eyes slightly (possibly whilst belming gently to myself) and then go back to smearing it wherever it's meant to be smeared and reading the ingredients list.

From reading that,  I'll know that a product works because it contains ingredients known to moisturise, or perfume, or colour and doesn't contain potential irritants. I'm a big fan of reading the ingredients list of any product I buy, organic or not.  More people should do it!

There are, however, two words which, when I encounter them on an organic product - and it is always an organic product I'm afraid, that will make me go all "HULK SMASH" on the offending article.  Those two words are:

Chemical Free

They make me crazy.  Because I'll assume two things.  That the makers of the products are idiots and, worse, that they think the people buying the products are idiots.  And that makes me angry.  Just because people may want to avoid increasingly synthetic products, it doesn't mean they're gullible.

There is nothing on this planet that is chemical-free.  I am chemicals.  You are chemicals.  Air is so full of chemicals it's astonishing we can breathe at all.  Water - the supposedly one of purest ingredients on earth is ... you guessed it ... chemicals!  ORGANIC INGREDIENTS CONTAIN CHEMICALS.  Everything does, and certainly everything on that pesky ingredients list will consist of chemicals in various guises. There simply is no such thing as chemical free.  Any product that tells you it's good because it doesn't contain "chemicals" is attempting to pull the wool over your eyes in order to get you to hand over your hard-earned pennies.

If a product is free of synthetic dyes, perfumes, colours, additives or preservatives, then that's great - to a point, but that's the subject of a whole other post - then quite rightly the packaging should mention it.  But I do wish organic producers wouldn't be so tricksy at times.   Sometimes you need a degree in double-speak to figure out if the products are entirely organic or not.  I really don't think you should be able to claim that a product is organic if it merely contains a couple of organic essential oils or something.  But again, that's the subject of another post.

What do you think of organic products? Does the provenance of the ingredients in your cosmetic items bother you at all? Did you make it to the end of this post? Are you a cosmetic brand who disagrees with what I've written here?  What drives YOU crazy about cosmetic claims or labelling?

Organic Wednesday - Naked Bodycare (quickie)

A little bird tells me that Naked Bodycare will be giving their Facebook fans a 50% off code for purchases made between January 29th-Feb 14th!  Go sign up now!


In the meantime, you can check out their range here.  I like Naked products, and will be reviewing some of their range in more detail for you soon, look out for an in-depth Organic Wednesday feature in the near future...

Organic Wednesday - Evolve

Evolve is a brand that's only come recently to my attention, but it's one I like, and the reason for it is fairly simple, the products are good, and they come in recyclable (and recycled) packaging.  A lot of organic brands make big claims about environmental friendliness, but I, for one, would be interested to know how many of them package their products in recycled milk bottles ...

Laura Rudoe, the founder of Evolve was previously involved with Nude Skincare (another favourite of mine) and it's good to see another affordable organic line becoming more readily available.

I tried Evolve's Gentle Cleansing Melt, which is a sugar-based cleansing product, designed not to irritate sensitive skin.


Evolve Say:

Pure pleasure...this gentle soap free cleansing balm melts away make up and impurities before transforming into a rich creamy milk on contact with warm water. It rinses away leaving skin clean, moisturised and soft to the touch. This amazingly versatile product can also be used as a rinse off massage oil, a soap free body cleanser, shaving oil and more.

Lippie Says: 

This is a gel-textured product, which you scoop from the jar, and apply to your (dry) face, then use water to emulsify, and rinse. It's a very firm texture, which I rub between my palms before applying to my face, and then I massage it all over in order to get it to dissolve my makeup. Then I  use the hot cloth method to remove the residue. I find that whilst it spreads easily over the skin, it doesn't have as much "slip" as an oil-based cleanser and, ironically, as a result it feels a wee bit greasier when it's in use than a cleansing oil.  Once you add water though, it emulsifies instantly into a milky lotion, and is very easy to remove.  I find that it doesn't leave my skin dry, but it doesn't remove eye makeup as well as an oily facial cleanser. There's no scent to this product at all, so if you're sensitive to strong-smelling products then this is ideal. I've not found that it irritates my exceedingly irritated skin.

Overall

It's a good general cleanser, and for an entirely organic product, it's reasonably priced at £10.99 for 100mls.  I don't think it would last as long as a liquid oil cleanser as you need to use a little more then you would a liquid, owing to it's lack of slip, but I suspect that a jar this size would last you a good month or two, depending if you cleansed once or twice a day.  I also think you'd need a separate eye makeup remover, but this isn't really an issue.  The only thing I'd change about this product is that I'd put it into a tube, personally I hate having to dig my fingers into a tub of anything and then apply it to my face, but that's my own odd issue ...

Organic Wednesday - Voya

Q: Why is the beach wet?

A: Because the sea weed!

Look, it's the first Organic Wednesday since Christmas, that's my only excuse for the terrible joke, I think I accidentally memorised my nephew's 101 Terrible Jokes book over the break! Luckily, this week's products aren't terrible, and I just hope Voya - a family run Irish company who specialise in luxurious seaweed based products - will forgive me ...

Have three products to talk to you about, conditioner, shower gel and a body lotion, and I have a guest blogger again, but first, a little bit about the company:

About Voya

Based in Strandhill, Ireland, the company runs one of the few remaining seaweed spas in Ireland, and they have a great love of organics, they've spend a lot of time over the last ten years or so developing their product range, for example, it took them six years to figure out the process of drying seaweed in a manner that merely puts it into "stasis" rather than killing it off entirely, as they say:

"Seaweed (an algae) dries when the tide goes out, and to prevent it from dying and keep its cell structures intact, it has developed a natural defence against this: slowly reducing its water content and entering a period of stasis or dormancy. Because of our ability to replicate this, we don’t have to treat our seaweed with harmful preservatives, and so the full recuperative power of wild seaweed is brought to you in each product."

Their products are entirely organic, and the company's philosophy is this:

"Inspired by the breathtaking natural beauty around us and the long-standing traditions of the area, VOYA has adopted organic and sustainable ways of creating our products. We use only sustainable harvesting practices to ensure that we don’t damage the delicate coastal environment that provides us with our certified organic seaweed. We then combine this with the best organic ingredients from around the world to bring you a unique seaweed bath experience and a range of products that not only heal the body but leave the skin silky smooth."


The Products

Forget Me Knot hair conditioner 

Because of my recent keratin treatment, hair products aren't something I'm experimenting too much with at the moment, so I invited another blogger (and my lovely housemate)  McTofu to try this one out for me.

Voya say:

"Forget Me Knot uses an express delivery formula that includes our organic seaweed and both vitamin B5 and vitamin E to add moisture, shine and protect hair from environmental damage. An effective conditioner with essential oils and natural active ingredients to help repair, protect, de-tangle and replenish the hair. As our organic formulations don't use harsh chemicals, you can use this product daily."

McTofu says:

"One advantage of living with a beauty blogger is that quite often some lovely products come my way. One such product is Voya ‘Forget Me Knot’ organic conditioner. Made from hand harvested seaweed, I was expecting it to smell of the sea, but no, it had a pleasant spicy, woody smell. Now, I’m a gal that is used to sweet smelling hair products, so I was not overly impressed with the scent when I squeezed a 50p sized blob onto my hand.

It spread through my hair evenly enough and I left it on for my usual time of about 3mins. It rinsed through easily and when dry, my hair seemed to comb through well without too much trouble from tangles. Once dry, I didn't notice that my hair was any glossier or smoother as it promised on the pack, however the scent really grew on me throughout the day. Voya Forget Me Knot is a nice product but it is slightly out of my price range for an every day conditioner, I liked it but don’t think it is a product that I would buy for myself."

 Get Lippie says:

The instructions for this product say to leave the conditioner in place for 15 minutes, another housemate has tried this product too, and really liked it, and she also commented on the unusual and pleasant smell.  Both testers have coloured and porous hair, the conditioner (which I'd actually consider more of a mask than a daily use product, owing to the long time it's recommended to leave it in place) is very thick, rich and seems to be really suitable for dry, coloured and/or processed hair.

Now onto (reviewed together underneath images):

Squeaky Clean body wash

 Voya says: 

"...Infused with the natural purifying properties of wild organic seaweed, sourced from Ireland’s untamed Atlantic coastline. Squeaky Clean captures the energy of this coastal environment in an invigorating body wash that will stimulate both your skin and senses. Our mild but effective organic foaming body wash contains essential oils and naturally-derived cleansing and conditioning agents to help soften the skin and leave it feeling clean, fresh and revived. The active seaweed extracts help to relieve muscle stress and fatigue. Use while showering for a real organic indulgence that will leave your skin refreshed and gently cleansed..."

And:

Softly Does It body lotion

Voya says:

"When it comes to taking care of your skin, our silky blend of wild seaweed extracts and organic essential oils provides a completely natural, deep moisturising experience that can help prevent signs of ageing and cellulite as well as improve skin tone and elasticity. Blended with basil and lime, patchouli, clove, mandarin and lemon organic essential oils, Softly Does It is best when massaged into your skin after showering or bathing, and offers a real organic indulgence that will keep your skin moisturised and feeling luxuriously smooth."

Get Lippie says:

I tried these, and I really liked them.  The shower gel is a clear gel-product, it doesn't lather overmuch (due no doubt to the lack of SLS and other nasties) but leaves you feeling fresh and clean and delicately scented with the unusual, but very lovely, mixture of sweet basil and clove that the entire range has.  It doesn't appear to leave my skin dry, and I'm not flaky after using it.

The body lotion is a medium-weight cream that I found took a fair bit of rubbing to absorb, but it's not a chore to use.  The scent does last, but not in an overpowering kind of way, so I don't think you'd have too much trouble with clashing smells if you use this. The softening effect is lovely, and appears to last for a while.  They're definitely products I'll continue to use!

Voya products are available from http://www.voya.ie/default.aspx and start at around nine euro.  The range includes skincare, bodycare and haircare products as well as candles and teas ... Seaweed teas sound kind of interesting, don't you think?

The small print: The products were provided free for review purposes.  All reviews remain impartial regardless of the source.

Organic Wednesday - Purity Organic Skincare

Another week, another guest blogger here at Get Lippie. Seona was lovely enough to offer to try out a couple of products for me, and we're looking at Purity Skincare this week. Purity say that less is more in beauty (a philosophy with which I heartily concur), and, according to their website, they have some pretty serious organic credentials.  They say:

"Purity Organic Skincare is a British brand, conceived and created to bring intelligent, sustainable and organic beauty to each and every one of us. Purity Organic Skincare is EcoCert certified, with 98% of the ingredients of natural origin and an average of 82% of the ingredients processed from organic farming."

We were sent some of their facial exfoliator and their anti ageing serum and mask to try -sadly I couldn't try these products as I was in the middle of trying another skin care range, the reviews of which I'll bring you soon - here's Seona's opinions:

"I am an unlikely person to review skincare. I am rubbish at looking after my skin. I manage to take my eye makeup off, but I go to bed with my foundation still on. I do wash my face in the morning and moisturise, but that’s about it. So when my face started breaking out it probably wasn’t surprising. I was therefore very happy to help Get Lippie out by trying some of the new Purity Organic Skincare range.

Facial exfoliator

This is billed as a deep pore exfoliator and contains ground coconut shell to do the exfoliating, with coconut oil, sweet almond oil, glycerine and aloe vera to do the moisturising.  The coconut shell is the first thing I noticed, it’s kind of scratchy. Yes I know exfoliators are meant to be, well, exfoliating, but this is one of the bad boys. The first time I used it I didn’t take account of this and promptly took the top off a spot. Not quite the exfoliation I was after. The exfoliating bits are also quite dispersed, so sometimes it’s very scratchy, and sometimes nada.

However, with a lighter touch I got much better results. It is a little scratchier and more dispersed than I normally like my exfoliators, but it certainly did the job. I am prone to blackheads on my nose and it often feels a bit bumpy to the touch. This left my nose smooth and bump free.

Which brings me on to all those oils. You certainly notice them. In between the scratchy coconut shell, the lotion feels incredibly rich and soft on the face. I loved it, I wanted to take the shell out and just have the facewash. Afterwards my face still felt lovely and soft, without that ‘tight’ feeling some cleansers and exfoilators can give you.

I can’t say I’d rush out and buy it myself, but it certainly does the job. If the exfoliation was a little gentler I would, but I prefer a gentler, every day exfoliator.

Anti-ageing serum & mask

The face mask left me bemused to start with. It’s a thick gel like mask, again fragrance free. The instructions on the pot say to smooth over the face and either rinse off after 10 minutes, or leave on. Leave on? What, not remove? Weird.  It was only on reading the accompanying info that I realised it’s “leave on overnight”. So not forever then. But still, how’s that work then?

Well it didn’t first time. I like to put my face masks on in the bath. I’m relaxing, it’s convenient, I’m all steamy so I figure it must help open the pores. However, I don’t think it’s the right way to do it, as using this mask in the bath means it’s always too wet to leave on. And it didn’t seem to do much to my skin either, except leave it a bit shiny.
So I tried again, treating the mask properly this time. Out of the bath, away from any steam, nice thick layer on the face. Now, this mask is suitable for sensitive skins, so I wasn’t expecting it to dry. But it did. And how! Within about a minute it had dried on my face and I got to do that hilarious “pull funny faces and feel the mask crack” thing. It’s not just me that does that, right? This was fine at first. But it kept getting tighter and I found the sensation quite unpleasant.  Plus bits kept flaking off my face. I couldn’t leave it on overnight as it felt too “there”. So I left it for an hour or so and then washed it off.

I have to say, this worked much better than I expected. My face was exceptionally smooth afterwards. I had an independent tester on hand to verify this, he agreed that my skin was very soft. It didn’t feel ‘cleaner’, but this isn’t billed as a mask for deep cleaning. It says it will help boost your skin’s natural regeneration process, repair the skin, boost moisture retention, and improve the look and feel of your skin. It certainly improves the feel, it plumped up the little lines around my eyes that appear when I’m dehydrated, and left me glowy. Did it improve my skin’s natural regeneration process? I have no idea. I’m not even sure I know what that means. But I liked my super-soft skin and I would definitely buy it myself. But I don’t think I’ll ever sleep in it, too weird."

Purity Organic Skincare is available from Superdrug or online at purityorganicskincare.co.uk and cost between £4.99 to £8.99, but a little bird tells me that ALL purity products will have £2 off during January, so snap some up!

Organic Wednesday - Surya Brasil

To continue with Hair Week at Get Lippie this week, we're going to have a look at Surya Brasil's Amazonia Preciosa hair masks, and we have another guest blogger, the lovely Helen, who is going to review the product for us.

About Surya and Amazonia Preciosa

Surya's Amazonia Preciosa line is an incredibly natural range of haircare, all products of which are ecco-certified.  According to the website, each of the products contains: 

• No sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, artificial colouring or fragrance
• No parabens, solvents, GMOs or other components that are harmful to health
• Ethically wild crafted raw materials from the Amazon Forest
• The Preciosa essential oil is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
• The Andiroba essential oil is certified by IBAMA, Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources
• All flasks and packages are made of recyclable material.
• Innovative, mild preservative system. No formaldehyde releasers or potential xeonestrogens.
• Five formulas utilizing Brazilian fruits and nuts to address different hair types.

All the products are suitable for vegans, and are tested on humans rather than animals! Today, we're going to look at the Brazil Nut hair mask which is specifically formulated for dry and damaged hair.

Helen Says:

"Whilst the whole of the UK was watching the X-Factor final on Sunday night, I decided to wash my hair.  This was prompted by the fact that Ms Lippie had passed over a hair mask to try out for her Organic Wednesday slot.  Now I know that she often complains about her ‘difficult’ hair, but I do think that mine puts up a good fight in that category. It has a mind of its own on most days, and any dampness causes a ‘frizziness’ overload.  This Surya Mask was made especially for dry hair and mine was certainly in that state having just come back from a ski holiday where I wore a helmet all day, every day

After washing my hair with my normal shampoo, I took the top of the tube and squirted some onto my hand.  It had a pleasant nutty smell – reminding me a bit of a Christmas stocking from my childhood – the flavour/aroma was Brazil nut. The understated packaging didn’t indicate how much to use so I used a walnut sized lump to start with. As my hair is very short and doesn’t normally need much product, I thought this would be enough, however, this amount disappeared virtually straight away. I'm not sure if I didn’t use enough or my hair was so dry that it needed more help than usual.  I then added extra, using an amount about the size of half a small apple in the end. It went into my hair very easily with no greasiness or stickiness, but unfortunately the smell faded quickly – it would have been nice to smell like nuts for a while.  After 15 minutes sitting in the bath with a towel wrapped around my head, I rinsed off the remainder of the mask.  This process happened very easily with no residue left after a very short period of rinsing.

As for the results, although my hair was definitely softer and more controllable afterwards, it was not a life changing transformation. I must confess that I have had better results from other leave-in conditioners previously. However, the mask was very easy to use and to rinse out, had a pleasant smell and texture and did not feel ‘gloopy’ when on my hair. If you are looking to use a mask with no chemicals in it, it works well enough, but I think I will be sticking to my usual conditioner."  

So there you go.  Have you tried Surya?  The masks are available from Liberty, and cost £10.  I estimate you'd get about four treatments from one tube. I actually have someone else trialling this particular mask (I'm trying to limit the amount of products I use at the moment) and I'll bring you their thoughts on the product when I have them.

Thanks for your input, Helen!

The Small Print: This product was sent to us for review purposes.  All reviews are honest, no matter how the product arrives at GLHQ.

Organic Wednesday - Badger Balms

So, a couple of weeks ago, I mentioned lip balms and asked for some suggestions for new ones. I really shouldn't be asking for recommendations, as a bit later on that day I went to my lip balm drawer (what, you mean you don't have a drawer devoted purely to lip balm?)  and found these babies.  Actually, the pic above shows only some of the Badger Balms I have, there are a few more hanging around.  I'm a big fan of them, in case you can't tell!

About Badger:

The original Badger "Healing Balm" is based on a concoction of  extra virgin olive oil, beeswax, castor oil, aloe vera and essential oil of sweet birch (it smells very like root beer, in fact!), and was invented in 1995 by Bill Whyte of New Hampshire.  The brand has since diversified from this one balm into aromatherapy products, hand care, lip care, body butters, soaps and sunscreens.  Badger don't test on animals, only use organic (food grade) ingredients and contain no petrochemicals.

Lippie Says:

I really like these formulations, unlike balms containing petrochemical ingredients, these don't just soothe your lips whilst they're actually sitting on your lips, but keep on protecting and soothing even after there's no balm visibly left on your lips.  Some more mineral-oil based balms can actually leave your lips feeling worse after they've worn off, but not these.  I discovered them via their "Healing Hands" balm, which I've used as a hand cream, and I also swear by their cuticle cream, which is a lovely lemon-scented butter, which works wonders for your nails, I discovered. My favourite of the lip balm sticks is the Chai Rose flavour, which I think has been discontinued, much to my distress.  I also really like their relaxation balms, I don't, in all honesty know how effective they are as aromatherapy products, but they smell nice, and they're lovely to use.

But, don't just take my word for it:

Mr Lippie says:

"Not being someone who regularly uses skincare products of any kind, I was a touch dubious when Get Lippie thrust a small tin of Badger ‘Healing Balm’ upon me, with many exhortations to ‘USE this, dammit!’. Opening it didn’t really help my qualms, as I was faced with a malignant yellow substance that was sticky/slimey to touch, and a waft of overpowering Menthol odour drifted out. I really didn’t think that extract of Badger was supposed to smell like this (nor was I sure what healing powers it had for dry skin), but I gamely resolved to try it anyway. I’ve got dry skin on my elbows (the word ‘scaly’) has been used), so I applied this to them once a day for about a week. The smell disappears in small quantities, the stickiness washes away quite easily, and, luckily, my elbows have not turned yellow. And, more to the point, it actually seems to work – which is nice. My elbows are actually becoming significantly smoother. So, overall, a thumbs up."

High praise indeed, if you ask me.

Editors Note:  No Badgers are harmed in the making of Badger Balm - there are no animal ingredients in any of the products from the range, except beeswax. 

Organic Wednesday - Neal's Yard

Just a very, very, very quick post today, I'm rushed for time, and I need to gather my thoughts for my Selfridges/Wholefoods saga post tomorrow!

Winter's really set in this week, and it's now officially running up to Christmas, so I thought I'd feature something at least a little bit topical this week: Neal's Yard Frankincense Cream.  I love this stuff, with the change in the weather I find you sometimes need something very soothing and cushion-y to protect your skin, and this moisturiser works a treat.  It's rich enough to protect even my dry and sensitive skin from the weather, but it applies matte, so if your skin is more on the oily side, then you won't find it turning you into a greasy mess after a couple of hours either.

And it smells divine!  Kind of deep, and incense-ish. The scent doesn't linger, but it's a nice smell whilst it's around.  I noticed earlier today that Neal's Yard are doing limited edition tubes of this for £10.50 at the moment, which is an ideal way to try the cream, it normally retails for £20 per 50g jar (pshaw!  I hate moisturisers in jars, so unhygenic!) so if you're needing something a little richer, and not too on the pricey side, this is great.  I got a tube this size free with a magazine a while ago, and it lasted for a couple of months of daily use - a little goes a long way.  That said, I bought stocked up and bought two more tubes at lunchtime! I've been using it for a while alongside Nude Facial Cleansing Oil and Elemental Herbology Cell Food serum, and I can honestly say I love the way my skin looks at the moment - not something I say very often at all. More about the other two products in my daily routine later ...

My products were obtained from Neal's Yard, Kensington Church Street.  No PR companies were harmed in the writing of this post.