Did you know that globally, we throw away 150 billion water bottles every year? Line them up (nose to tail) and they’d stretch to the moon and back…50 times! Very few are recycled. Most bottles end up in landfills taking decades to decay.

Inspired by this, the guys behind Aquatina are launching Find-a-Fountain – a charity to encourage the use of free drinking water. Simply go to http://www.findafountain.org and you will be shown the nearest water source where you can fill your Aquatina for free. So far, its mainly London, but soon your help will be needed to map the rest of Britain!

The team behind Aquatina has spent weekends and lunch hours scouring the UK capital for free water sources. All the ones they’ve found have been mapped on the site. And it’s not just fountains. There are coffee shops, bars, pubs, shops and even offices where you can fill your Aquatina.

Aquatina are looking for sponsors to help build their website, restore drinking fountains, develop a FaF app, and to promote the drinking of tap water. If you think you can help, please get in touch – it’s great if we can all make a change – not tomorrow, but today!

And with our Summer Competitions just around the corner, stay tuned for more fresh & exciting news from Aquatina!

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1 banana

1 cup of fine oats, boiled in water or milk (I use Ready Break as it’s quick to prepare and it’s fortified with vitamins and minerals)

2 oranges

½ tbsp cinnamon

50g natural probiotic bio yogurt

Not much to explain: I just mix everything in the shaker and press the button. Voila – e perfectly healthy breakfast! My daughter also likes it as a snack. To make an immune booster banana oaty shake I add 2 tbsp of quinoa flakes to the oats before boiling them. We also just discovered a milled flaxseed with added cocoa & dried berries blend so I add a tablespoon to the shake. It contains flavanols (very beneficial antioxidants), and it is also high in Omega 3, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc and Selenium. It tastes even better and hopefully would help us survive the flu season.

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Parents are being advised to double check the tension of car seat harnesses, particularly when their babies and toddlers wear thick coats or snowsuits this winter. The advice comes from baby company Morrck, who says many UK parents don’t realise the effect that thick outdoor clothing can have on the fit of car seat harness straps or the potential consequences of straps being too loose.

“Parents may be very surprised at the amount of slack a coat or snow suit can cause. For a car seat harness to work properly, the straps need to be tightly strapped against the child’s chest. When a child wears a snowsuit or thick coat, the straps are usually adjusted to the thickness of the coat, not the chest. If the car was in an accident, the coat could compress, making the straps too loose and reducing the level of protection for the child,” explains Isobel Thompson, mum of three and founder of Morrck, creator of the Baby Hoodie.

So, what to do? Always test whether you have correct harness tension when using a coat or snowsuit, simply follow the steps below:

1/ Put the coat on the child.
2/ Strap the child into the car seat and tighten to ensure a snug fit.
3/ Remove the child from the car seat – without loosening the straps.
4/ Take the coat off the child.
5/ Strap the child back into the seat – but don’t adjust the straps.
6/ Do the Two finger test. If you can fit more than two fingers underneath the harness at the child’s 7/ shoulder bone, the harness tension needs to be tightened or avoid using the coat in the car seat.

For more information on the Two Finger Test and the Baby Hoodie, go to www.morrck.com and click on ‘car seat safety’. You can also see the crash test results on this page.

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The last decade has seen a dramatic rise in sensitised skin and allergic reactions.  This is mainly due to pollution, environmental factors and altered immunity. Most skin responses to cosmetics are a result of skin sensitisation. This happens when the ingredients penetrate the skin too quickly and the skin’s natural barrier function is impaired.  Once the product is removed from the skin the reaction will subside.

In most instances of skin allergy, the skin can become itchy, inflamed, red and sore.  Many main stream products made with harsh chemical ingredients and synthetic compounds will exaggerate these symptoms, so it is good to search for products with organic and natural ingredients which will help the skin function correctly and not just provide a short term fix.

Quite often you can be happily using a high street product and then, out of the blue, will start to have skin sensitivity.  This could be down to a change in ingredients in the product or it could be a result of the body reacting to a combination of products being used.

Three Reasons to go Natural

• We find one of the biggest reasons people turn to organic and natural products is because they have sensitive skin and are finding high street products over-fragranced and too harsh.  With organic and natural products there are no harsh chemicals, no artificial fragrances, quite simply the ingredients are all chosen to be effective, gentle and help the skin work naturally.
• Organic and natural brands are very transparent in their communications and include a comprehensive list of ingredients on the product, so that you can see clearly what it is made of.  If you do have allergies to a certain ingredient, it is very easy to check this.
• It is also the case that an individual can be allergic to a completely organic ingredient (for example, people can be sensitive to some of the Essential Oils) so it is important to be able to see at a glance what is in the product you are using.

The Ingredients Minefield

Where there is sensitivity to Essential Oils it is important, when checking ingredients, to check out the source, especially with fragrances.  For example, Limonene is the term used for the synthetic fragrance, Lemon, but is also the name for Lemon Essential Oil. In order to differentiate, there is usually an asterisk or a comment next to the ingredient, stating ‘from natural essential oils’.

However, there are now many ranges which are free from fragrances and herbal flower extracts.  These include the Lavera Neutral and Green People’s Organic Base No Scent collection.

Everybody is Different

It is also important to remember that each of us are individual and hence our skin requirements are also very specific.  Just because the product is natural and organic and has worked for someone else, doesn’t mean it will work for you, so it is important to try and test the product first and find the best product for you.  At Lucy Rose you can receive one-to-one advice either over the ‘phone or via email, and just to be on the safe side, there is a free sample service so that you can try first.

Be Prepared for a Skin Detox

A few people find that when switching to more natural ingredients they experience a detox period of maybe a week, where the body adjusts and the skin may feel uncomfortable or may ‘break out’.  This usually lasts no longer than a week and once the skin has adjusted it will feel better than ever.

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My new discovery is their SPF cosmetics range – ideal for the surprisingly hot UK summer this year! For the last month I’ve been testing three of their products with SPF 15, giving me additional sun care natural protection. My daily skincare routine now starts with applying the Day Solution SPF15 – a daily moisturiser with UVA & UVB protection with 85.10% organic ingredients. This gentle skin defence cream, rich in essential fatty acids, is formulated using UV Filters derived from Edelweiss extract, Titanium Dioxide and Cinnamon to achieve a sun protector factor of 15, protecting from both UVA and UVB rays.

Containing Aloe Vera, green tea, rosemary and chamomile extracts, as well as hemp, rose geranium and jojoba oil, this moisturiser nourishes the skin and prevents from premature ageing. It’s suitable for all skin types, especially sensitive like mine. I love the pump bottle, too, as it’s far more hygienic and comfortable to use. After just a few appliances my skin is left moisturised and re-balanced all day long.

I then move to applying the Green People No Scent Soft Lips SPF8, which is designed to protect and soften dry, chapped lips. I find it ideal for the hot summer weather, when the delicate skin of my lips needs some extra care to keep them soft and appealing. It’s a great nourishing lip balm with UV protection and 70% organic ingredients. My lips get natural sheen from berry wax and fairly traded Cupuaca butter. This mild no-scent formulation (no essential oils) is just perfect for dry, sore and chapped lips and looks fab over my lipstick for a subtle gloss effect! The Green People No Scent Soft Lips balm contains an SPF to provide effective UV protection from the suns harsh rays, while 100% pure plant oils offer long-lasting hydration for soft, supple lips skin.

What I find most exciting is adding some extra sun protection via my powder. The Green People’s Pressed Mineral Powder SPF15 is a 3-in-1 foundation, powder and SPF15 Sun Protection – effective and cost-saving, love it! Mine is honey-tinted, but it’s also available in Caramel or Maple. The 3-in-1 foundation, powder and sunscreen SPF15 gave my skin a natural complexion with a matte finish and no tide mark! Minerals reflect the light to minimise fine lines and wrinkles (I’m just over 30 now, so this is important for me).

Traditional makeup is made with a lot of unnatural, chemical ingredients, which resulted in skin problems. Green People’s Pressed Mineral Powder is 100% natural and gentle to the skin and don’t clog pores, allowing the skin to breathe. The added jojoba and sunflower oil beautifies the skin even more, making this powder my best friend from now on.

A little tip on how to apply it: Swirl, Buff, Tap! Swirl brush head twice around outer edge of the powder, buffing up the minerals, and tap off any excess powder. Apply in downward strokes moving inwards (the way your hairs go) starting with the left cheek, reapply powder and move to the right cheek, reapply, add to T-zone, reapply and cover under the nose and chin. As your skin tone changes between winter and summer, try blending Caramel or Maple with Honey for the perfect match!

Of course, if you expect to be in the sun for any length of time, it is still advised that you apply a traditional sunscreen product for maximum protection. Green People have a great range of sunscreens for both mums who love their skin and the give it the best possible (natural and toxic-free) care, but also for babies and children! Have a look at their full sunscreen products range here. There is free post during July!

See, I am sure you will now understand and won’t blame me for having an affair. My husband won’t even notice, as everything looks so natural on the skin, only making it look more healthy and beautiful!

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