4. Ethics and skin sensitivities.

History -AKA how my ethics and skin-sensitivities evolved

I had always, from my teenage years when I was a vegetarian, searched out cosmetics and products that had not been tested on animals. It was very important to me and in view of this I had a love affair with The Body Shop as all of their products were not tested on animals and neither were the ingredients they used. I was lucky that living in Brighton meant that there was not only a Body Shop in the town but there was also a Neals Yard Remedies store and the fantastic Infinity Foods too. This also meant that not only was it perfectly possible to buy products not tested on animals but it was also possible to find out information and also buy raw ingredients to make my own creams and potions. I was perfectly happy with this state of affairs for many years, until getting pregnant. Two things happened to me at this point. One was that I started to develop really bad dandruff and a scaly scalp. The second was that I began to worry about what I would be using on my unborn child. I had never done any proper research on this but I just had a feeling that I didn't want to use the normal babycare ranges. My partner was still at University too so cost was also important and all of the 'natural' babycare ranges seemed very expensive. I made absolutely sure that I cooked all my own babyfood and breastfed for as long as I could to ward off allergies as best I could.

The big breakthrough in looking at these things carefully was when my second child was struck down with horrible, horrible eczema from about a year old. By this time the internet was very common and we used it a lot and so I searched for natural remedies to help with the eczema. This was when I came across the Imperfectly Natural Woman Forum which became like an online home for me. I brought Janey Lee Grace's book by the same name and it really helped me realise that there were lots of very easy and cheap (and not so cheap) ways of embracing natural cosmetics and skincare. The forum was a great source of help and I tried many remedies and also found the confidence to find a local homeopath who helped my daughter and myself immeasurably. She went from a child covered in eczema to being completely clear within a few months of finding a homeopath and switching not only my outlook to treating her but also my whole outlook in relation to what natural skincare and a natural life meant to me.

One thing I have learned as I've met more like-minded people is what my ethics now are in relation to natural skincare. I'm going to list them out to make them clearer:

1. Simple, natural ingredients that I know. I like to be able to know what I'm putting on my skin. Through reading about this stuff and talking to the many friends that I have who make their own products I know it is perfectly possible to make things that work without a huge list of chemical names on the bottle or tube. This for me is THE most important thing. I'm worried about the build-up of chemicals that surround most of us now in everyday life and the 'cocktail effect' and I want to keep things as simple as possible in my skincare and haircare routines.
2. Genuine Fairtrade and sustainability. The companies that I really like to buy from (see below) source their products from genuine sources of fairtrade products. I'm especially interested in my money going towards cooperatives that support communities in poorer parts of the world. If I'm buying oils I don't want to think about vast areas of the rainforests being cleared to supply me with what I want or for the indigenous peoples being cheated out of something that is rightfully theirs. I have always found that, many of these things are not much more expensive, and yet, I've seen that they can make a big difference to communities.
3. Still no animal testing. This is very important. I, or any other woman is not worth the suffering of other living creatures for something that does not need to be tested on animals. Ever.
4. Supporting small businesses. Something that has come as a small surprise to me but is pleasant and extremely interesting, is that almost all of the companies I now choose to buy from are small businesses, run with passion by women. The woman part is not a totally done deal and I wouldn't choose to buy from a company based solely on the fact that it is run by women, but it is interesting to note that it has enabled a few women to earn a living whilst working from home. This IS very important to me.
5. Integrity. Everyone I buy from I trust. This trust hasn't always come easily as I can be a bit sceptical by nature but the companies who I really like, I trust to tell me which ingredients they use or won't use and what may or may not work for me. Seriously. It does make good business sense for them if they want repeat orders that their customers trust them. The internet has made things much easier for customers to contact companies with questions and simple requests too.

So..... The companies who I would like to give a special shout out to and who I would recommend to my friends are (in no particular order):

Akamuti -we're talking the best ever facial cleansing cream for one thing plus a great source for raw ingredients for all your own lotions and potions and all really reasonably priced too.

Sheabutter Cottage -You must try the coconut oil from here as well as the Monoi de Tahiti which is coconut oil infised with gardenia flowers. Just the most amazing luxury. Akua (who runs the show there) is a mine of information and one amazing fairtrade supplier who really does walk the walk. A great source of raw oils and other interesting ingredients.

Handmade Naturals -Rossi who runs this amazing shop both in the real world as well as on the net is a powerhouse. She makes most of the products which she sells herself and if you are looking for serious skin-nurture you will find it here. Both me and my daughter swear by her shower gels which are some of the most natural gels you can find and they really are luxury and ethical all rolled into one. Her condioner is also the best I've ever used. The bottle lasts ages too.

Pure Nuff Stuff -This is a shop and internet business based in Cornwall and they really were pioneers of absolute ethics combined with functional, no-nonsense affordable products. Does that make them sound a bit utilitarian? It isn't meant to. They brought properly ethical, natural skincare into the affordability realms of everyone's pocket and I salute them for it. I adore their soaps and their showergels. Their advocado cream cleanser is wonderful stuff as is their lipgloss.

Natural Spa Supplies -This is quite a new addition for me but I discovered this company through a friend of mine and I have totally embraced the rhassoul mud from here for hair and face washing. The crystal deodorant from here is also the best I've ever used and I've tried out a fair few crystal deods. Minimal packaging too is a total plus and loads of info on how to make the mud work for you.

Organ-nics -This is a real shop and internet store who stocks a lot of the products which I love. Nic herself is the person you meet if you trek to Tunbridge Wells to the physical shop and she also has many allergies and skin-sensitivities which is what prompted her to set up the shop. I love going for a poke around in the physical shop but if you're new to this malarky or feeling blinded by science then contact Nic for a bit of help and advice on finding your way.

This list is not exhaustive. It's really intended as a taster for those interested in natural skincare or wishing to become better acquainted. I still believe though that these companies do give some of the best value and the highest quality on the internet. Maybe you've got a site which you swear by and you'd like to share with me. I would love your comments.

3. You can get creative and make your own skincare treats for very little cash. Plus it's fun!

I've always enjoyed making stuff. My own skincare stuff is no exception. It has to be quite easy for me to source ingredients though. If you read number one on this list it will tell you about how I make my own perfume/ body spray. I like to make other things too both for myself and as gifts. I collect many ideas from around the web and I would like to direct you to the places where I have found recipes that I've tried myself. I'm not a copy-cat and you never know what you might find to tickle your fancy when you're blog-hopping.

Anyway the first recipe which I love, and I'm actually a bit loath to share as I was planning on making some of these for friends who have Birhtdays coming up and I don't know if I want to mar my glory by revealing how easy they are. Anyway, they are called Scrubby Bars and are very similar to something sold by a Well-Known High Street store that you normally smell before you see. ;-) You don't need many ingredients and here is the link: Shirley's scrubby bars I use a well known greek yoghurt pot as my mould for these and I use ground almonds.

The next recipe is for a fantastic facepack that comes from a well known but inexpensive Natural and Ethical skincare company down in Cornwall. They often have really good recipes so check out their site. They are also a good source of ethically sourced raw ingredients for your recipes too! The recipe that I like is for their honey and oat facial scrub (think more along the lines of a face pack that happens to exfoliate!) and you can find it here: Honey and Oat Facial Scrub. Also check out the other idea on this page for the Oat Milk Bath. Very calming for eczema -prone skin.

The third recipe I have also made for prezzies and it is bath melts. It is from an article written on what is one of my fave resources. I have to say that you might want to check out the ethics of some of the stuff recommended here these days but the forum is a great source of information. The recipe can be found on this page: Bath Melts Also do have a go at the very simple Sugar Scrub which I have made for myself but would also make fab prezzies for your female friends.

I hope these recipes and resources will show you that there are lots of great recipes out there, using natural ingredients and easy methods that you can have a go at making yourself. They also give good results. I would be very interested to see what everyone else is making. New ideas are always most welcome.

2. It is possible to find a mascara that is good for your eyes and still does what it should.

Isn't it funny that what we're aiming for when we buy a mascara is the longest, darkest lashes possible? You know the one that makes you look like you've attached a black spider to your eyelid. I don't know if I'm aiming for that these days. I'm not sure I ever was, but those adverts can be pretty tempting can't they? You know the ones don't you? The ones that tell you that you are totally entitled to whatever they want to sell you at any cost. I think when I was aiming for that was when I used to believe the adverts on TV. I don't really do that any more. Now I tend to look in the mirror and see if I think something enhances how I look and I like the way it makes me look. I guess I should own up here that I never, ever, read any of those 'celeb' mags either. They are very bad for your self image imho.

Anyway, back to Mascara. What I look for in a mascara is definition and making my lashes look darker. I think a good mascara should frame your eyes. It is definitely possible to get this with a natural mascara.The one I use is the Sante Mascara in Brown but I also have it on good authority that the Logona one is very good too. I must admit I do have fairly long lashes and I'm mousy so brown suits me. I've found that one coat works for me for a natural, everyday look. If I'm going out I put on one coat, let it dry and then put on a second and even maybe a third coat. Makes me look all glam and I do like to look glamorous when I'm out on the town. It also doesn't make my eyes sore either which is what used to happen when I used high-street mascaras. I also know this one is not tested on animals and has natural ingredients. These things are as important to me as much as function.

The only thing about this is that it isn't waterproof. For some people this might be a stumbling block, but to be honest, it works better for me. I often found that those waterproof mascaras would flake onto my cheeks. This doesn't flake. If it gets wet then it smudges, but you can wipe it off without leaving panda eyes with a bit of wet tissue and then reapply. It also washes out of bedlinen even with eco washing methods such as non-bio washing liquid. You also don't need any 'special' eye make-up remover. See the post before this to see how I take off my eye make up just with some oil. This to me is a real bonus.

The other thing about this is that these mascaras are no more than £15. This is about what you would pay on the high street for a mid-range mascara these days. This to me is a real bonus. I do find it very annoying when friends say to me, 'I would love to use natural, organic stuff but I just can't afford it.' You then discover that they go and spend £25 quite regularly on a Mascara at one of the Cosmetic Counters in a well known high street department store. Also, when you think of how much a pared back skincare regime is saving you, £13 on a Mascara isn't going to break the bank. I'm not sure there is anything not to like about my Mascara and I won't be changing what I buy any time soon.

Remember that I welcome comments, suggestions or questions about anything I write here, so what are you waiting for?? :-)

1. You don't need to spend a lot of money to get perfectly fabulous skincare products -even for allergy-prone skin

I know a lot of women won't believe me. They'll think I'm going to talk about compromises and general crabbiness and grubbiness. They think I plait my underarm hair. I must admit that I've never felt like this but I have a lot of friends who do. They are generally the friends who spend a lot of time reading 'lifestyle' magazines and believing what beauty editors say. The one thing you need to know right now is, whether they admit to it or not, those editors are sent a lot of free stuff to try. If they say nasty things that free stuff doesn't get sent to them any more. They don't have to go and spend £30 of their hard-earned cash on that cream. Even the beauty editors in 'Natural' Mags all have an agenda and work along similar lines. It must be hard for them to figure out fact from fiction and advertising revenue that might stop and therefore harm your magazine. That's a lot of pressure. I don't have that pressure. No one sends me stuff to review. If they did then I would write a review and say why I was writing a review. I've tried a lot of things over the years with my oily but sensitive skin. I want to share what I've found. Simple as that.

Anyway back on track. It is perfectly possible, in fact I recommend it, even for oily skin to use some sort of oil as a facial cleanser. This can be olive but I prefer almond oil. You simply wet your face, put about 3-4 drops of oil into your palm and then smooth it all over your face, including closed eyes to get rid of eye make-up. Find a non nut based oil for nut allergy sufferers, maybe Jojoba, which is actually a wax? You can buy a 100ml bottle of Almond oil for under £5 and this will last you about 6months. You then wet a flannel and use this to rinse your face until it's clean. Great make-up remover but also great cleanser and gentle exfoliator. You will also find you don't need much moisturiser if any. I don't use toner. I don't think it's necessary and it's very drying, especially for oily skin, which, contrary to popular belief, you don't need to dry out as this just makes it more oily as the more you strip the natural oils the more your skin will try and compensate.

Moisturiser? Well if you do have dry patches then all you need is a drop of your fave oil. Use one drop of Almond oil or jojoba which is my fave, especially if you are worried about wrinkles. Neither are very expensive. As for overnight moisturising. Don't do it on the whole. I found it just makes my skin too oily. I've also heard that friends with dry skin get addicted to expensive night creams. These clog up your bathroom cabinets and surfaces and your skin. However, we all go through phases when you do get dry patches that are annoying. Coconut oil is the answer for these. You just need a small, pea sized amount smoothed over your face and then go to bed. In the morning you will wake up with lovely soft skin as it is naturally exfoliating too.

Talking of Coconut oil, I look no further than this for all my body moisturising needs too. And I'm a person who has always suffered with a spotty back and chest. Those moisturisers you find in boots just clog your skin as they are full of mineral oils designed to lock moisture to the skin so it can't escape. All the waste products your skin is trying to get rid of can't and don't escape. Coconut oil is high in natural fatty acids which not only help remove some of the dead skin and therefore unclogs it, but also nourishes your skin. You can add a drop of your favourite essential oil to this if you are looking for a natural perfume too.

In fact this is much more effective than spraying yourself with hugely expensive, chemical-laiden perfumes. For one thing, you end up with a hint of fragrance and secondly have you ever wondered why you are paying £45 for a bottle of perfume? Do you think that that fancy shaped glass bottle and the contents cost that? What you are also doing is paying the wages of the beautiful person advertising it on TV and buying into a huge fraud. Those perfume companies (and even celebrities and fashion houses) spend a lot of money on clever advertising on making you want something because you are conned into thinking that if you buy their product you are thus enabling yourself to obtain a certain lifestyle. Are you really that gullible? Think carefully and notice those adverts. Are they trying to help you or sell stuff to you by making you feel insecure about yourself?

A much nicer way to make natural perfume is to buy yourself a 100ml spray bottle, add about 20drops of essential oil (you can have a go making your own blend -go to the library and borrow a good book on aromatherapy to see what works with what before you spend a fortune on essential oils) and then top up with orange flower water or rosewater and a tablespoon of vodka (as a preservative and scent fixative) shake and leave to settle for two days before using for the scents to mix and merge.

What about hair and skin? Well I'm very allergic to a lot of shampoo bases and I've tried a lot of things but my hair is thick and oily. The best thing I've found? Rhassoul mud. All you need to do is mix it with water, leave for 10 minutes. Come back and slather it on wet hair. Leave it on for 10minutes. Then rinse out really well. Most people are okay with this but on my hair I need to use a vinegar rinse too to get rid of all traces. For this I just use 100mls of cider vinegar in a small plastic cup topped up with warm water. I then use this as a final rinse. This also works as a great conditioner after normal shampoo too. You can also use rhassoul as a facial cleanser or face-pack and and as a natural bodywash. Just massage into your skin (you don't need loads) left for a few minutes and then rinsed under the shower. If this isn't for you then there are loads of great natural and gentle shower gels, shampoos and soaps around which use much gentler foaming bases than the norm.

That is really about all you need to look good, without spending a fortune. If I've missed anything, or you want further help or advice or you want to say something about this, then please feel free to leave a comment.

...I know about natural skincare and makeup

Here come the first eleven. :-)

Introduction

I have a lot of interests. I'm going to write about my top 11 things on a variety of subjects here. It will be a reflection of me. I was tempted to write ten things but that's a bit conventional. I then thought about writing about a dozen things. Conventional too? Why can't it be an odd number? Not thirteen. Unlucky. Fifteen? Hmmmmm no, still quite conventional counting in fives... why not 11 then? Why not indeed.