Review - Naturals Beauty

A review on 2 products from Naturals Beauty

Tanya, from Naturals Beauty recently sent me two products to try and review. Both such great products. I'd first like to mention a bit about Naturals Beauty before I discuss the products.

Naturals Beauty:

"All our beauty products are handcrafted and made in small, fresh batches. No mass-manufactured products and we always use the highest quality natural ingredients & organic ingredients wherever possible. We’re committed to making products that are free from petrochemicals, parabens, synthetic fragrances and harmful chemicals. We do not test our products on animals, nor are any of our source products tested on animals." -

Isnt that great to know?

First up is the Milk Cleanser:

"A creamy lotion that gently cleanses the skin and removes impurities and make-up. The anti-aging properties of the polyphenols (apple extract) and the omega oils (avocado oil) will moisturise, smooth, hydrate and refresh the skin. Sutherlandia and Cucumber keeps the skin healthy and improves skin radiance" - Tanya

I really enjoy using this cleanser especially as the days have become colder, leading to your skin becoming drier. Usually when I wash my face in the shower, I feel like as soon as I step out of the shower, the first thing I reach for is my moisturiser. I really hate that 'dry' feeling some facewashes leave you with. This is why I'm a fan of this cleanser, the creaminess leaves your skin feeling great and not dried out, great especially for winter!

The second product I tried out from the Naturals Beauty range was the hydrating masque:

"A hydrating and purifying masque which will remove impurities from the skin, soothe, moisturise and nourish it. Chamomile extract have calming and protective properties. Anti-oxidants provided by Rooibos extract and Vitamin E to keep skin healthy and younger looking. Ideal for all skin types.

Use weekly. Apply a thin layer. Leave on for 20 min. Rinse with warm water" - Tanya

This masque became my Sunday night treat, but since you only need a thin layer and its light on your skin, I decided to use it twice a week. With the weather becoming colder, it really is a great product to keep your skin mositurised. Another great thing is that it doesnt even look like you have a masque on your face, you never know who might ring your doorbell ;) Use it whenever you feel your skin needs some loving!

Here is the link where Tanya gives some information on taking care of your skin in the colder months, it also has the link to her website where she has some fabulous products

Thank you Tanya for allowing me to test these great products!

xXx

The Glam Green Girl



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Glam and Green Autumn Care - Part 3

Part 3, the final part, on Autumn Care

 

So here we are, the final part of Glam and Green Autumn Care.. This part's contributors are Chantelle from SOil Organic Aromatherapy and Body Care and Tasha Saha from Miöja. Both Chantelle and Tasha will focus a bit more on the body - such great information!

Enjoy my Glam and Green darlings

Chantelle from SOil:

Chantelle believes that the most common winter skin complaint is dry skin and that you should start changing your skin care routine as of now. She suggests the following products (pictures to follow below)

•  For your body : Shea Butter - it helps nourish and protect dry skin. Shea butter is a natural moisturiser. It also helps improve skin conditions such as fading scars, eczema, psoriasis, burns, rashes, acne and stretch marks.
• For your face: An organic beauty balm. Made from Cape chamomile and Rosemary to decongest and tone the skin as well as Shea butter and lavender oil which helps regenerate cells and prevent wrinkles.
• For your health: Vaporising the following oils in oil burners or using them in steam inhalations can greatly reduce the risk of common winter colds (5 drops can also be added to a bath/dropped on the shower floor) which will protect skin and act as a steam inhalation. Chantelle suggests Tea Tree Oil and Eucalyptus Oil.

From previous post you'd know I'm fan of essential oils, tea tree oil & eucalyptus are among my favourites. Thanks for the information Chantelle, I never thought of using the oils on the shower floor!

Check out SOil's website for more great products - click here
PS: look out for a review on SOil products coming soon

Lastly, we have Tasha from Miöja

Tasha who is the founder of Miöja is also a yoga instructor so listen up yoga lovers ;)

Be Well This Winter

It’s a normal part of being in rhythm with the natural world to feel yourself slowing down as temperatures start to cool and winter approaches. When the days become shorter, it’s delicious to stay in by the fire with a trashy novel, drinking cocoa and sleeping in late whenever possible. During the colder months, we often become far less active, mummifying ourselves in layers of clothing and enjoying richer, stodgier foods.

But by giving in too entirely to the slow, heavy energies of the season we can compromise our internal balance. Our immunity can become weakened, making us more susceptible to colds and flu. We may put on weight, feel lethargic and have skin that looks dull and depleted. A few easy adjustments to your daily routine can help you to stay balanced this winter. Here are six natural ways to protect, nourish and invigorate your skin and keep your inner fire stoked, so that you stay warm and bright from the inside out.

Dry Skin Brushing for five minutes a day every morning gets your circulation jump-started; boosting your immunity, oxygenating skin cells and helping your body to throw off toxins. Expect smoother, brighter, more even skin and a spring in your step as you start the day. Click here for more detailed info and instructions. A gentle, natural exfoliator provides similar benefits to facial skin.

Moisture Within and Without can be supported by choosing a natural facial moisturiser and body cream with a richer formulation. Creams with plant oil bases are often high in valuable Essential Fatty Acids, which nourish and strengthen the skin against the elements. Even oily skins will benefit in the winter months, as applying cream after bathing helps to lock in moisture and keeps skin plump and gorgeous for longer. A good, natural clay mask can help to cleanse sluggish skin and blocked pores while providing intensive hydration. All-natural lip treatments protect and truly nourish delicate skin where petroleum-based formulas can inhibit production of the skins own lipids. Most importantly, remember to drink plenty of water on cold days as heaters and fires indoors can be even more dehydrating than the summer sun.

Warming Spices help to support and stimulate the circulation and make your digestive processes more efficient, counteracting that heavy, lethargic feeling. Eat foods spiced with Ayurvedic winter favorites ginger, cinnamon and cardamom, or drink spice infused tea. Massage oils and facial treatments containing these same warming plant extracts keep the skin and the senses awake and alive.

Temperature Control keeps your skin from suffering excessive dryness, and the rashes and bumps caused by overheating. Layer up with natural, breathable fabrics instead of artificial fibres, and make sure your sleepwear is light and natural too. Hot baths and showers can be profoundly drying to the skin so keep them cooler if you can.

Clear Congestion by using a Neti Pot at the first sign of the sniffles (or every morning as a preventative if you can!). Flushing the sinuses with warm salt water keeps the upper respiratory tract cleansed and prevents it from becoming a breeding ground for germs. Read more here Yogic breathing practices like Kaphalabhati cleanse every part of the respiratory system, oxygenate the cells for glowing skin and a wide-awake mind, and stimulate the digestion, preventing toxic build up in the body. Avoiding dairy, sugar, and yeasty or fried foods will also help to keep congestion to a minimum.

Keep Moving in a steady, sustained way with daily yoga to keep your body systems active and balanced without depleting your energy when it is at a natural ebb. Practicing Surya Namaskar/ Sun Salutes as you start your day can boost circulation to every part of the body and keep it from becoming inflexible in cold weather (making other forms of activity far more appealing!). Be sure to start very slowly and mindfully to allow your body to warm up before asking it to move at a more vigorous pace. Inversions, (poses where the head is lower than the hips) and standing balances are great cold weather poses too.

This winter, avoid ill health, depleted skin and the winter blues by working to balance the tendency towards lack of movement and holding on that the colder season brings. Internally, the correct food and fluid intake, gentle exercise and simple cleansing practices help to keep body and mind active and healthy. Externally, adapting to the winter environment by controlling skin temperature and using nourishing natural skincare keeps you looking and feeling vibrant and beautiful.

 Wishing you a warm and wonderful winter!

The suggestions given here are not intended as a substitute for consultation with a Medical or Alternative Health practitioner. Please seek out a qualified Yoga Instructor for training in yogic breathing practices and asana.

Thanks so much for that valuable info Tasha! In a couple of weeks I will be doing a review on a few of Mioja's products and will explain the brands views a bit more. A lot of you will be happy to know that Mioja is not only focused on being organic, but holistic too!

I really hope you've all enjoyed the 3 Autumn Care sections and learnt something new? Let me know what bit of information you found most interesting?

In case you missed the previous parts - here are the links Part 1 & Part 2

Seasons change, and so do we. So do our bodies, our skins, our lifestyles, our goals etc ~ embrace change

xXx

The Glam Green Girl

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Glam and Green Autumn Care - Part 2

Part 2 on how to take care of your skin and body in Autumn

Carrying on from my previous post - Glam and Green Autumn Care - Part 1 - Part 2 will have Sue Rowan from Balm Balm and Indie Lee from Indie Lee Co share what they believe you should know in order to take care of your skin in Autumn

Hope you all enjoy and can relate to the information presented

 Sue Rowan from Balm Balm shares her Autumn care tips and recommends products for you to try:

AUTUMN SKIN TIPS

Water can sometimes have a drying effect on your skin, so long, hot showers and baths may dry your skin out even more in the cold winter months.  Use an Oil Spray in the shower while your pores are open and your skin is wet.  This light oil emulsion will keep the healthy natural oils locked in and won’t dry your skin out.  Spray it into a bath as well and swirl around for a soft, non-oily bath.  It will also save you time in the morning by cutting out the need for a body moisturiser. 

This spray is light enough for those summer or autumn months when you don’t necessarily need a heavy moisturiser just yet.  You can use it once or twice a day on wet or dry skin.  In the evening, if you feel you need an extra boost of moisture, warm some organic Face Balm into your palms and massage all over - it is deeply moisturising for when your skin needs something a bit heavier)

-         Look for products that contain Jojoba Oil.  It moisturizes dry skin exceptionally well, due to its unique similarity to the skin's natural oil.  It’s often been referred to as ‘nature’s collagen’

-         Try and use natural/organic oils as they are easily absorbed deep into your skin where you need it the most

Thank you so much Sue xXx! The Bath & Body oil is definitely on my list of products to get!

Here's what Indie Lee had to suggest:

While the weather is getting cooler you still need to hydrate. We often forget to drink as much water as the winter approaches.

Your skin renews itself every 28 days - Don't forget to exfoliate with a natural body scrub once a week in the shower to remove dead cells and keep your skin glowing.

Body oils are wonderful to hydrate your skin during winter months. Remember to read your labels though. Petrolatum based oils are occlusive and therefore do not penetrate (or hydrate) your skin. Here's an easy body oil recipe that's great for massages too. You can use your favorite essential oils to change the scent. http://vimeo.com/15528732

Thank you Indie xXx

I definitely agree with Indie Lee and Sue Rowan about using oils, I've always been a big fan of using oils to moisturise the body.
I love adding a few drops of esssentail oil to my bath water - lavendar is my favourite for when I want to unwind. Eucaluptus oil is great during the winter months as it is a natural decongestive.

What are your favourite oils?

Here are a few links to previous posts on Balm Balm & Indie Lee:

Stay Glam and Green with Balm Balm

Balm Balm's Little Miracle Serum

Interviewing The Glam and Green Indie Lee

Look at for Part 3 coming soon ;)

xXx

The Glam Green Girl

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Glam and Green Autumn Care - Part 1

Autumn Care for your body & skin Part 1

As the southern hemisphere starts to experience colder weather, it is important to remember that the change in seasons also brings a change in our beauty routine. I've asked a few Glam & Green people from different brands to contribute and give information on what we should do for our skin and bodies in Autumn as well as winter.

Keep a look out as this is only part 1

hope you all enjoy xXx

My first contributor is Tessa Biagio form Essentially Tessa, as some of you may remember I've asked Tessa to contribute to a post before - Lovely Lavender - this is what she had to say about taking care of yourself in Autumn:

The glorious coloured leaves are covering the earth in a carpet of orange, red and gold.  The sun comes up a bit later and sets a bit earlier, yes it is officially autumn, and we feel the slight nibble of autumn's teeth on our skin.

As the cycle of seasons experience a change so do we go through a bodily change. Autumn is the time for cleansing and preparing our bodies for the cycle of re birth in spring. This is the time to make sure the immune system has a clear pathway to function optimally. If we take in consideration that our blood travels about 19 000km a day, isn't it worth the reflection and the understanding that we could assist the inner functions of our marvelous bodies.

In the words of Barack Obama: "Yes You Can!" we can assist our bodies. Your skin might feel a bit drier, due to the atmospheric change; the wind might cut a bit deeper, leaving our skins flaky and patchy, especially elbows, knees and hands. Remember the traveling blood and its 19 000 km journey around your body? It travels to feed and to nourish every organ and every cell. How can you make the feeding more efficient? By skin brushing. You remove the dead skin by brushing every day, you assist the lymphatic system by stimulating its laborious quest to rid the body of toxins. By doing so you improve the condition of your skin as well as the function of your immune system. And remember the skin is your first defense against the invasion of harmful bacteria and viruses. By keeping the skin glowing, healthy and free from excess dryness you protect your inner organs, your inner army of defense.

Autumn is the time to focus more on oil based lotions and creams, the thin layer of oil that you massage into your skin is further protection against harmful invasions, and if it is enhanced with aroma oils you will not experience the dreaded cold and flu symptoms. The best way to apply this precious oil is to first skin brush, preferably in the morning, this will further the course of protection,  massage the immune and skin strengthening oil into the body, then you should take a warm shower. The heat of the shower will help the oil to penetrate deeper into the body, giving our blood the change to absorb the protective qualities of the aroma oils.

So as the leaves fall, as the cold creeps closer and closer, remember, skin brush every day, use a good quality, preferably enhanced with aroma oils, body lotion or better still, body oil. Keep warm, instead of an electric blanket use a hot water bottle to warm up your bed. Keep healthy! 

Tessa has some really wonderful products that are so well priced - go check her facebook page and get in contact with her, Tessa will create products specifically for you and your needs

Ps: Tessa is making an amazing natural hair oil soon-cant wait to do a post on it soon!

My second contributor is Tanya du Bois from Naturals Beauty

- here are a few tips from her and the products she suggests using:

·         Avoid using harsh soaps

·         Add hydration by using a serum first – our Sweet Orange Wrinkle Banisher is wonderful under the Essentials Collection night cream

·         When washing your face use lukewarm rather than hot water

·         If you use a gel cleanser in Summer switch over to a Milk cleanser for the Autumn and Winter months – it’s a lot richer and more moisturising to your skin. I highly recommend our Essentials Collection milk cleanser if you are moving over to Milk

·         Exfoliate! Exfoliation will remove dead skin cells and allow new skin to grow. When exfoliating your body use circulation motions starting from the feet up towards the neck area. Exfoliation should be done twice a week. After the 2^nd exfoliation apply a hydrating masque for 15 – 20min. Stay away from clay based masques as these will draw moisture from your skin

·         Your feet and hands require extra attention as they have less oil glands than the rest of your body. After your bath or shower, go over your feed with a foot file. Then, before bed, smear your hands and feet with a good natural body butter (our avocado body butter is perfect for this). Cover your feet with socks and your hands with gloves. This will lock in the moisture overnight leaving you with silky soft hands and feet!

Tanya recommends the following:

Milk Cleanser

A creamy lotion that gently cleanses the skin and removes impurities and make-up. The anti-aging properties of the polyphenols (apple extract) and the omega oils (avocado oil) will moisturise, smooth, hydrate and refresh the skin. Sutherlandia and Cucumber keeps the skin healthy and improves skin radiance.

Hydrating Masque

A hydrating and purifying masque which will remove impurities from the skin, soothe, moisturise and nourish it. Chamomile extract have calming and protective properties. Anti-oxidants provided by Rooibos extract and Vitamin E to keep skin healthy and younger looking. Ideal for all skin types.

Use weekly. Apply a thin layer. Leave on for 20 min. Rinse with warm water.

I'll will be posting a review on these two products soon - so keep an eye out for the review

click here to see what products Tanya has on her website

I really hope you lovely people enjoyed this post and that you're looking forward to the rest ~ leave me a comment, dying to know what you think ;)

xXx

The Glam Green Girl

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