Tag: skin
Sarah Heenan, natural beauty therapist and founder of online organic beauty boutique, www.lucyrose.biz, takes a look at the issues around skin sensitivities.
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.
![]()
July 22, 2010
I love looking fresh and glowing. Well, we all love to feel pampered and indulge in a little luxury once in a while. But juggling in between my marketing career, my little girl (now 2 and very demanding) and then GreenKiddie.co.uk, is melting my “me-time”. I am currently looking for a new skin care line which doesn’t require much of my time and makes my skin look healthy and beautiful in days. Well I was, until I tried a few Kosmea products – all natural and organic.
I’ve been given Skin Clinic™ 100% Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil to test for a few weeks. So here we go – I started applying 3-4 drops to my skin morning and night after cleansing and before applying my daily moisturiser. The tip here is that when applying to slightly damp skin it will allow for the oil to absorb quicker and deeper into the skin.
This organic oil has no scent, making it ideal for sensitive skin. It’s very easy to apply from the bottle, only a few drops are needed to be tipped into the palms of the hands and massaged into the facial skin. It sinks into the skin straight away. Instantly loved the fact that it is 100% natural – it gives a sense of well-being. After the first few days I realised it has balanced my sensitive combination skin perfectly: my cheeks are soft and moist and my T-zone is smooth and non-greasy. I need to confess that I was a little bit concerned that my oily parts of the skin may not like the oil. Wrong! The organic Rose Hip Oil actually balanced my skin and made it look even and beautiful! It’s luxurious, gorgeous oil that moisturises and a little goes a long way.
I notices a few wrinkled around the eyes recently (which, by the way, made me scream in front of the mirror… and then made me think about all those moments of my early 20s when live was so much easier and “wrinkles” sounded like a never-will-happen-to-me abstract word). Applying the Organic Rose Hip Oil promises to help me reduce the appearance of these fine lines and wrinkles, so it will never go off my toiletry shelf.
After a few lovely sunny days (no complaining about that) you know how your skin becomes a bit dryer and skin tone looks uneven. I tried the organic Rose Hip Oil and felt the difference straight away – my skin felt so soft and nourished! It soothes and rejuvenates the skin when massaged in, and it leaves the skin feeling soft and renewed after use.
A very useful beauty tip: I also tried mixing the oil with my foundation (still looking for the perfect natural one, any suggestions here?), then applied onto my skin for a dewy, glowing look!
It’s a very worthwhile investment into your daily beauty regime. For more on Kosmea’s Skin Clinic™ Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil click here. You can purchase the products at www.mypure.co.uk but some more exclusive products like the 42ml RHO are only available from www.kosmea.com. It’s free delivery in the UK when you spend over £30 and it comes with a free figt of 20ml Eighth Natural Wonder Revitalising Serum valued at £30.
![]()
May 31, 2010
Browsing for real nappies online stores, I came across a brilliant website, dedicated to making the world of reusables simpler to understand, and fabulously stylish too. The design got me at first sign, but more importantly the information provided made their fan forever! Cheeks and Cherries, this is the name of the online store, is designed for all those mums and dads who want to do the greener nappy thing, but don’t quite know where to start.
”I used eco-disposables with my first two children, and was only persuaded to give reusables a go when my sister gave me a couple of tiny but funky pocket nappies for my newborn son.”, confesses Alix Critchley, founder of Cheeks and Cherries. “Loving the gorgeous designs, and amazed at how easy it was, as well as how much better for the environment, the household budget (and the smell of our bins!) I got online to work out what other nappies I could buy.” Back then she got quite disappointed by what information some other websites provided.
Understandable, having three children, including a newborn, no human would be able to cope with the daily routine and put lots of efforts on cloth nappy research… Nor you would have time for call sales advisors to discuss the nappy options.
Bored by pages of confusing information, Alix started to think about creating her own real nappy online store. “Why not have some gorgeous stylish nappies to show off, and make the whole nappy-changing business a bit more fun”, she wonders. And this is how Cheeks and Cherries was born. For Alix it became a full-time job, and made sure everyone that need real nappy information would find it helpful, beautifully designed and easy-to-use.
Despite her passion about cloth nappies, she wouldn’t judge you for sometimes using disposables. Besides, there are some eco-friendly disposable options, free of chemicals and biodegradable like Bamboo Nature, Naty Nappy, Moltex Oko, or Tushi. Most families that use real nappies do also use disposables now and then, or more regularly. Disposables aren’t great, but most of us know that, we don’t need a lecture about it.
Cheeks and Cherries’ Philosophy is simple: Every little helps! Even just one reusable a day makes an appreciable difference to the amount in landfill by the time your little one is potty-trained. Don’t feel it has to be all or nothing.
At Cheeks and Cherries I not only found all real nappies in one and the same place, easy to pick up my best option and to bulk order. I also found great advice on types, sizes, and fabrics. And all that while enjoying myself browsing through its colourful and bold-designed pages.
To receive 15% off your first order quote “GREENKID15” at the time of purchasing the products – only for GreenKiddie friends!
You can download GreenKiddie’s Real Nappy Guide.
![]()
January 2, 2010
Aloe Vera has a long association with herbal medicine, although it is not known when its medical applications were first discovered. Aloe vera extracts have antibacterial and antifungal activities. It, actually, has got many properties, and to relieve eczema symptoms by moisturising and reducing the itchiness is just one of them.
In today’s days eczema in babies and small children is extremely common. It worries us as parents, but in many cases we feel unable to help much. The child’s skin gets inflamed and itchy, which makes the poor thing so miserable! The common mistake many parents make while trying to cure baby eczema is that they rely mainly on prescribed medications that only suppress the symptoms but won’t eliminate the underlying cause. There is always a lying problem underneath, no matter food allergy or other external or internal trigger. And infants are most prone to eczema because their immune system and digestive system are still developing. It is difficult to find out the reason usually, but what we can do is to try to avoid medicines fill of chemicals, which may trigger even more severe allergies, eczema and even asthma, and to find a natural treatment for the little sunshine.
It is true that skin care is an essential part in baby eczema treatment, but proper nutrition (baby’s and mother’s if breastfeeding) is also important as this is the only way to naturally strengthen the skin barrier, eliminate allergies and boost the immune system.
So How to Use Aloe Vera to Treat your Child’s Eczema
Aloe Vera is a miracle plant – it can sooth itching, moisturize skin, and reduce inflammation, associated with eczema.
As far as possible, you should use Aloe fresh from the plant, but remember it oxidises quickly upon exposure to air. If you cannot get Aloe fresh but only as a product, then be sure you get one that is as close to the natural plant as possible. Research or organic and 100% natural products online or check at your local health store.
If you apply Aloe topically, the fluids in Aloe Vera form a thin film on the surface of your baby’s skin. The juice will hydrate and moisture the skin. It will also help prevent from bacterial infection – common in cracked and dry eczema skin – due to its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Aloe Vera has the ability to penetrate to the inner layers of the skin, supplying moisture directly to the underlying tissue.
Another way to benefit from Aloe Vera properties is to be taken internally. So you can give it to your child (6 months +) as a juice – either before breakfast or before going to bed. Dr. Peter Atherton in one of his studies revealed that Aloe Vera works wonders on boosting child’s immune system. And by doing that it heals eczema.
Find other ways to treat eczema naturally.
![]()
October 19, 2009
