Natural or Organic - What is the Difference?

Natural by definition, is different from organic.

Organic means that the ingredients that go into your product were grown, harvested and produced without the use of harmful chemicals such as pesticides or herbicides, as these tend to remain accumulated in the plant or animal by-product.

By choosing organic you are ensuring that the product you are using contains purer, more vital ingredients, just as nature intended.

Natural products simply use plants as part of their ingredients, these are not necessarily from organic sources.

But as always read your labels as often these ingredients are added as a marketing ploy and are used in such small amounts as to be useless.

When choosing organic or natural ingredients, ensure you buy from reputable company's, not those fuelled by fashion, and when buying organic skin care, look for those who have been certified as organic.

Is Green Beautiful?

The answer is undoubtedly - 'YES'.

People are now starting to realise that organic beauty products can actually perform better than conventional ones.

They not only reduce the allergy and health risks that occur from synthetic additives, chemicals and colourants but organic ingredients have a high nutritional and vitamin content that actually feeds the skin.

Organic beauty products can also produce much better results in terms of anti-ageing and skin repair than high-tech ingredients made in a laboratory.

Organic beauty products have moved on in leaps and bounds from where they were a few years go and now there are a number of ranges that offer a wide variety of textures to suit all skin types and genuinely incorporate the benefits of plant ingredients.

Our favourite brands are Trevarno Organic Skin Care and Beyond Organic Skin Care.

Would You Like Kissable Lips All Year Long?

During the winter our lips can tend to dry out fastest leaving them in need of intensive protection and moisture, whilst the summer can heat them and leave them feeling sore. But all is not lost; for soft kissable lips all year round, follow our simple10 step plan:

1. Avoid licking your lips or biting the skin on the surface of your lips as it strips them of their natural oils, making them dry out faster.
   
   
2. Drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration.
   
   
3. In some cases sensitive or chapped lips could indicate sensitivity to an ingredient in your lipstick or toothpaste, so try switching products.
   
   
4. When outdoors use a lip balm to protect your lips from the elements.
   
   
5. Add a base coat of lip balm before applying lipstick, especially during the dry winter months for extra protection.
   
   
6. But avoid mainstream lipsticks while lips are recovering as the artificial ingredients them can further irritate chapped lips.
   
   
7. Apply lip balm before going to bed to help to moisturise lips while you sleep.
   
   
8. Never use a product that contains petroleum as it can cause photosensitivity and strips the natural oils from the skin and actually cause chapping and dryness, it can also cause premature ageing.
   
   
9. Choose a product that is organic, natural and full of nourishing and healing ingredients.
   
   
10. Because your lips can make you feel sexy, treat your self to our favourite nourishing lipsticks. View our favourite range of certified organic lipsticks.

At Last A Genuine Organic Make-Up Range

We are very excited to welcome a new range of totally organic cosmetics to the UK.

For a while we have been looking for a range of make up that is free from chemicals and toxins, yet wonderful to use.

Unfortunately, those organic brands that I have tried before have left me a little disappointed, but when I tried NVEY I knew we had found a brand that I would be confident to recommend to others.

Nvey Eco products are:

• Paraben Free


• Many are Preservative Free


• Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLS) Free


• Propylene Glycol Free


• GM Free

Also Nvey Eco products are:

• Not Tested On Animals


• Have No Petroleum Based Ingredients


• Contain No Talc

More information on Nvey Organic Make-Up

View Nvey Eco Organic Make-Up Range

Hope in a Bottle, Is That All You Are Buying?

As long as cosmetic companies can sell us 'hope in a bottle' they are on to a good thing. A cream that promises that your wrinkles will disappear, give your firmer skin or that will make you more attractive seems like a good investment.

Of course we may not believe the sales pitch, but we give it a go as there is always hope. But do they actually cost us more than the money we hand over for them?

Is a potential allergic reaction or a contribution to cancer really worth the risk?

In her book A Consumers Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients, Ruth Winter M.S. points out that there is actually no toxicity information for around 56% of ingredients used in the manufacture of cosmetics, 28% have less than minimal information and for only 2% is it possible to do a complete health hazard assessment!

The truth is that when most people suffer from a reaction with a particular product they will not report it and just discontinue its use. So we may never really know the true extent to which these products are affecting our health.

Use this guide check out the products in your cosmetics.

Browse our recommended shop for safe organic and natural alternatives for your skin care.

The Life of Your Skin

In your 20’s
During your 20’s skin renewal is at its best. Your complexion should be at its best and stabilised after your teenage years.
If you are of good health your skin should be clear and only need a basic skin care regime.
Avoid using soaps on your face as they can strip your skin or natural oils leaving it dry and be sure to moisturise regularly.
It is important to pay close attention to your neck, throat and hands and ensure that you are using a suitable eye cream.
If your skin is still prone to being oily, it could be that your hormones are still stabilising, so use oil-free skin care products.

In your 30’s
During your 30’s your skin renewal begins to slow and fine lines and wrinkles can become more prominent. Your skin care regime should now start to include exfoliating twice a week and an eye cream should be used twice a day.

In your 40’s
During your 40’s the skin starts to lose its natural ability to retain moisture, which can lead to dry skin. You should use a rich moisturiser morning and night.
Fine lines, wrinkles, broken veins and dull skin can start to become more of a problem, make sure that you use products specifically designed for this type of skin. Products containing Rose are particularly beneficial for these conditions.

In your 50’s
During your 50’s your skin renewal can have decreased by as much as 50%, the skin can’t retain as much moisture and the skin becomes less resilient to external influences. After the menopause the skin can become much drier and thinner. Use moisture rich products, including a cream cleanser and avoid alcohol-based toners and ensure that you use specialised products for your eyes and your lips.

Your Daily Skin Care Routine

We all wash our faces everyday, but what should you be doing to make the most of your skin. Well the answer really is as simple as 1, 2, 3.

1. Cleanse,

2. Tone,

3. Moisturise.

Why cleanse your skin?
It is important to cleanse your skin each morning and each might. Start by selecting a good quality natural facial cleanser. A facial cleanser will help to clear away all impurities that your face picks up, but without drying out your skin.

How to cleanse your skin.
If you are wearing eye makeup, remove this first. Then apply your natural cleanser with your fingertips, using gentle upward and outward movements. Rinse the cleanser from your face using warm water.

Why tone your skin?
Using a toner refreshes the skin and helps to refine the texture of your skin. It also removes any final traces of your cleanser.

How to tone your skin.
Soak a cotton wool pad with toner and then when wipe gently over your skin, using an upward movement and avoiding the eye area.

Why moisturise your skin?
It is important to replenish moisture that has been lost from the skin. This moisture can be lost due to things such as the weather, pollution and air conditioning.
You will need to choose a skin moisturiser dependant on your skin type and the time of year. You will probably find that you need a lighter moisturiser for your skin in the summer months.

How to moisturise your skin.
Apply your moisturiser gently with the tips of your fingers and smooth on to your face and throat using upward circular strokes. When using a specialised eye cream ensure that you apply it before your moisturiser. Use only a small amount of eye cream and pat it gently on to this delicate area.

Back to Basics... What's Your Skin Type?

Your skin is the largest organ of your body. It provides the first form of natural protective defence to bacterial, fungal or any other substance that may try to invade you.
The skin is made up of several layers and it can take around 15 days in younger people and up to 45 days in older people for the base layer to move through to the outer most layer. This outer most layer is the layer of skin that you can see. To know if a particular skin care product has actually had any affect can take this full cycle to show any results.

The skin is regarded as a person’s life - “they tried to save their skin”.
Because the skin is so vital to us it is important to look after it correctly, the following advice is provided to try and help you to make the right choices in your daily skin care regime.

Identifying Your Skin Type

Answer the following questions to try to help you identify the type of skin that you have. This will determine which products will be most beneficial for you to use.

1. How often do you experience blackheads or spots?
a) Frequently
b) Sometimes
c) Not very often

2. Describe the size of the pores of your skin
a) Large and obvious
b) Only noticeable in the T zone area (around the forehead, nose and chin)
c) Hardly noticeable at all

3. Does your skin ever feel tight or dry?
a) Not very often
b) Sometimes
c) Frequently

4. Do you ever have flaky skin?
a) Not very often
b) Sometimes
c) Frequently

5. Shortly after cleansing does your skin ever appear shiny?
a) Frequently
b) Only in the T zone
c) Not very often

For each ‘a’ you give yourself 1 point
For each ‘b’ give yourself 2 points
For each ‘c’ give yourself 3 points.

What your score means:
5-10 points – Your skin is normal to oily. The lower your score the more prone to oiliness your skin will be.
11-15 points – Your skin is normal to dry. The higher your score the more prone to dryness your skin will be.
This should help you to decide which skin care products will be most suitable for your skin type.

Isn't it Time You Became an Organic Beauty?

People are often concerned about the food that they eat, they choose organic produce because not only does it taste better but you can be sure that it doesn't contain any unnecessary and harmful chemicals or pesticides. But have you ever considered what you put on your skin.

It’s a fact that your body can absorb up to 2kg of chemicals a year just from the products that you put on your skin.

Times Are Changing

The good news is that due to growing public awareness and companies that are interested in more than just profit, a number of cosmetic companies are now making a greater range of natural and organic beauty products. This ensures that consumers don't have to compromise on performance in order to avoid toxic chemicals. There are wonderful body creams, relaxing soaks and even organic shampoos and conditioners. They come packed full of natural and organic ingredients and avoid the use of chemicals that are linked to health issues. If you are concerned or confused about what to look for, check your current products for these toxic ingredients.

However, be aware as to be labelled organic or natural a product only has to contain a small amount of the substance for it to be marketed as such. In fact it can still be full of hazardous chemicals, so start reading your labels.

Allergies

The term ‘fragrance’ or ‘parfum’ on a beauty label can mean that the ingredient contains up to 100 different substances, this can be difficult if you are sensitive to a particular ingredient. In fact these synthetic fragrances contribute to one third of all allergies to cosmetics.

The Environment

By choosing organic and natural products you will also be helping the environment, as not only are chemicals not used in the making of the product but our waters stay cleaner too. Shampoos, deodorants and perfumes contain chemicals called phalates and when you wash them off in the bath or shower they go down your plug hole, into the drains and end up in our streams, rivers and the sea. These phalates have been linked to reproductive problems in a variety of aquatic animals.

So all in all it makes perfect sense to become an organic beauty.