Top ten products of 2008

Well, it’s the last day of 2008, and it has been quite a year. The Beijing Olympics, the USA electing their first black president, New Zealand returning to a National Government, just to name a few interesting events...but anyway, back to beauty stuff. I have tried a lot of great natural and organic beauty products this year. This list details the ten best products which I tried for the first time this year...and it was difficult to name just ten, because there were so many great products I tried! They are in no particular order.

Dr Hauschka Volume Mascara – It’s a great mascara! I have it in the black shade, it is very volumising, and defines lashes nicely. $45.

Trilogy Gentle Facial Exfoliant – A very fine grain facial scrub, good for getting rid of dead skin cells. $40 for 75ml.

Sukin Hydrating Body Lotion – affordable, effective, and smells great. $15 for 250ml, and $22 for 500ml.

UV Natural Sunscreen SPF 30+ - High SPF, non-drying, but also does not clog pores. $36 for 200g.

Ecostore Body Wash – Comes in a big bottle, smells good (three scents to choose from), it’s a great price, and it lasts for sooo long! - $8.99 for 400ml.

The Body Shop Nature’s Minerals Foundation – Nice and mattifying, gives good coverage. I have it in 01, the lightest shade. $45 for 5g.

Giovanni Nutrafix Hair Reconstructer – A great hair moisturising mask, good for a weekly treatment. $22.50 for 200g.

Ecostore Baby Nappy Balm – great for dry heels, cuticles, and for baby’s bum, (obviously) though I haven’t used it for that! $8.99 for 60ml

Evolu Purifying Mask – Great for a weekly treatment, and you only need to leave it on for five to ten minutes. Smells good too. $35 for 75ml.

Weleda Iris Moisture Cream - Nice and moisturising, but not greasy. $23.50 for 30ml.

Hope you all have a great new year! I’ll be back in 2009 with more product reviews, product info, ingredient spotlights, information on new products, and more.

Hand sanitisers

Hand sanitisers are useful for getting rid of all those icky germs on your hands when you're not near a tap. I believe that in the USA, there is quite a range of more natural hand sanitisers, but that isn't the case here. However, there are some options.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Hand Cleanse Gel is not really all that natural in terms of ingredients, but it is better than some of the other sanitisers out there. It's not tested on animals, and comes in a recyclable bottle, so that's good. $10 for 60ml.

There's also The Aromatherapy Company Antibacterial Hand Wash $8 for 50ml, available in Orange and Jasmine, Cocoa and Vanilla, Rose and Patchouli, and Lavender and Rosemary. Also not tested on animals, and the ingredients are a bit more natural than The Body Shop one.

Insect repellants

Insect bites can get very annoying, so make sure you protect yourself with an insect repellant like Botanica No Insects Repellant. It's available in a 100ml spray and a 100ml roll-on, both $15.95. I have it in the roll-on. Botanica also makes Total Outdoor Protection, an SPF 15 sunscreen with insect repellant in it, $15.95 for a 100ml roll-on.

Or Try MozzyOff, available in 15ml dropper bottle for $12.99, and a 100ml bottle for $24.99. MozzyOff and Botanica products are both available at pharmacies.

Travel/trial size packs

It's that time of year when a lot of people are going on holiday, and when you're going on holiday, dragging around a lot of big cosmetic bottles is annoying. Fortunately there are plenty of travel packs, which are particularly useful if you want to take tolietries on a plane, what with liquids, gels and aeresols restrictions. Whatever your skin type, there is a travel pack suitable for you! Here are some ideas.

For all skin types:

Sukin Travel Pack $33 - contains Purifying Shampoo 50ml, Nourishing Conditioner 50ml, Facial Moisturiser 50ml, Cream Cleanser 50ml, Hydrating Mist Toner 50ml

The Herb Farm Skincare Pack (all skin types) $49.30 - contains energising gel cleanser 50ml, rejuvenating facial mist 50ml, rose face cream 30ml, rose body lotion 50ml

Trilogy Travelers $60 - contains - 50ml cream cleanser, 50ml hydrating mist toner, 50ml energising face lotion, 50ml nourishing body lotion

Evolu Travel Tower $40 - a tower of six stacked 10ml pots, containing: Purifying Mask, Soothing Eye Gel, Night Cream, Day Cream, Creme Cleanser, Hand+Cuticle

Evolu Travel Valet $40 - contains Moisturising Day Cream with SPF15 20ml, Lip Treatment with SPF15 15ml, Silkening Shampoo 20ml, Enriching Conditioner 20ml, Travel Facecloth in a reusable see-through pack.

For normal skin:

Living Nature Skin Essentials - Energising $65 - contains 50ml Vitalising Cleanser, 50ml Hydrating Gel, 50ml Nourishing Day Cream, 2ml Firming Flax Cream, 2ml Nourishing Night Cream

For combination skin:

Living Nature Skin Essentials Pack - Combination Dry Skin $65 - contains 50ml Vitalising Cleanser, 50ml Extra Hydrating Gel, 50ml Nourishing Day Cream, 2ml Firming Flax Cream, 2ml Nourishing Night Cream

Living Nature Skin Essentials Pack - Combination Oily Skin $65 - contains

50ml Purifying Cleanser, 50ml Hydrating Gel, 50ml Balancing Day Lotion, 2ml Balancing Night Gel

For oily skin:

Trilogy A Fresh Start for combination to oily skin - contains Balancing Gel Cleanser 10ml, Engergising Face Lotion 10ml, Gentle Facial Exfoliant 10ml, Free Travel Bag

Living Nature Skin Essentials Pack - Balancing $65 - contains Living Nature Fabric Tote Bag with 50ml Purifying Cleanser, 50ml Hydrating Gel, 50ml Balancing Day Lotion, 2ml Firming Flax Cream, 2ml Balancing Night Gel

For acne-prone skin:

Living Nature Skin Essentials - Acne Prone Skin $74.50 - contains 50ml Purifying Cleanser, 50ml Hydrating Gel, 50ml Balancing Day Lotion, 10ml Rescue Gel

For dry skin:

Trilogy A Fresh Start for normal to dry skin contains - Cream Cleanser 10ml, Vital Moisturising Cream 10ml, Gentle Facial Exfoliant 10ml, Free Travel Bag

The Herb Farm Skincare Pack (dry/mature skin) $53.20 - contains rose cream cleanser 50ml, rejuvenating facial mist 50ml, rosehip face cream 30ml, rosehip & citrus body lotion 50ml

Living Nature Skin Essentials Pack - Nourishing $65 - contains 50ml Vitalising Cleanser, 50ml Extra Hydrating Gel, 50ml Rich Day Cream, 2ml Firming Flax Cream, 2ml Nourishing Night Cream

For sensitive skin:

Living Nature Skin Essentials Pack - Sensitive Skin $65 - contains 50ml Vitalising Cleanser, 50ml Extra Hydrating Gel, 50ml Rich Day Cream, 2ml Firming Flax Cream, 2ml Nourishing Night Cream

For mature skin:

Living Nature Skin Essentials Pack - Mature Skin $65 - contains 50ml Vitalising Cleanser, 50ml Extra Hydrating Gel, 50ml Rich Day Cream, 2ml Firming Flax Cream, 2ml Nourishing Night Cream

For men:

Living Nature Skin Essentials - For Men $59 - contains 50ml Gentle Cleansing Shaving Gel, 50ml Soothing Plant Moisturiser, 50ml Soothing After Shave Gel in a Living Nature fabric tote bag

Concealers

I hope you all had a great Christmas! I did, but I'm really tired now, which means I have dark shadows under my eyes. Concealers are great for covering these shadows, as well as covering up pimples, redness, and scars. I like Couleur Caramel Corrective Cream, $31.30 for 3.5g, available in five shades, which I have in shade 02. I have also tried Living Nature Concealer, $32 for 7ml, and availabe in three shades, (I have it in Medium) but it gave me pimples, so perhaps would be better for someone with dry skin. The Couleur Caramel concealer has quite a dry finish to it, so probably wouldn't be so great for those with dry skin. Miessesnse Concealer, $26.90 for 5g, and available in four shades, is also good, but I haven't seen it anywhere in ages.

Some other options:

$40 and under: Dr Hauschka Concealer 2.5ml $37, available in three shades, Dr Hauschka Pure Care Cover Stick 2g $39, available in two shades

$60 and under: Aveda Inner Light™ Concealer 7g $59, available in six shades

Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas Eve, and it's raining. Maybe tomorrow will be a wet Christmas...but according to the weather forecast, it won't be, so let's hope they're right. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, and I'll be blogging again from Boxing Day onwards. Merry Christmas!

Foundations

Some women wear foundation every day, but I only wear it on special occasions. I like The Body Shop Nature's Minerals Foundation SPF25, $45 for 5g, which I have in 01, the lightest shade. It is available in five shades. I have also tried Bare Escentuals Foundation in Fairly Light. It's $78 for 9g, and is available in fifteen shades. I prefer The Body Shop one, because it is more mattifying, and it is a lot more affordable.

These are both mineral powder foundations, but there are a lot of natural liquid foundations available, like Living Nature Foundation, $49 for 30ml, and available in six shades.


Some other options:

Mineral foundation: Natio Mineral Loose Foundation 10g $23, available in three shades, Bloom Pure Mineral Powder Foundation 2.5g $39, available in three shades


Liquid foundation: Dr Hauschka Translucent Make-up 30ml $49, available in five shades, Living Nature Illuminating Tint 30ml $52, available in three shades, Aveda Inner Light™ Liquid Foundation SPF 12 30ml $73, available in twelve shades, Couleur Caramel Foundation Liquid 30ml $76.99, available in three shades

Cream foundation: Aveda Inner Light™ Dual Foundation SPF 12 7g $73, available in nine shades, Couleur Caramel Foundation Cream g $76.99, available in five shades

Bronzers

To give yourself a bronzed glow, in addition to fake tan, try using a bronzer. I like Dr Hauschka Bronzing Powder, $49 for 9g. Dr Haushcka also makes Translucent Bronze Concentrate, $58 for 30ml.

Some other options:

$25 and under: Natio Mineral Pressed Powder Bronzer in Sunswept 18.1g $23

$40 and under: Bloom Pure Minerals Radiant Touch in Sunkissed 2.5g $39

$50 and under: Living Nature Summer Bronze Pressed Powder $49

$60 and under: Couleur Caramel Terre Caramel Bronzer $55.99, available in four shades

$80 and under: Bare Escentuals Faux Tan Bronzing Powder 2.8g $78, Bare Escentuals Warmth Face Colour 2.8g $78

Gift ideas

I know it's quite late to be giving ideas on gifts, with Christmas only four days away, but here's some ideas anyway. Still plenty of time for last minute shopping!

There are a lot of nice gift packs around, as well as many small items that would make good stocking stuffers. Here's some ideas of what would be good to give various people. Just ideas, these things could be given to anyone you want, really.

For your mum, aunty or grandma: Living Nature Nature's Collection $22.95 - Kumerahou & Cinnamon Soap 70g, Manuka Honey & Calendula Petal Soap 70g, Manuka Oil & Clay Soap 70g

For your dad, uncle or grandad: The Herb Farm Patchouli & Orange Soap 90g $8.50

For your young daughter or sister: SHE Australia Lipgloss Tube $12.99 available in ten shades (I think)

For your young son or brother: Unearthed Bubbles Me Hearty Bubble Bath 375ml $8

For your adult daughter or sister: Living Nature Naturally Beautiful Eyes $69.95 - contains Eye Makeup Remover 100ml, Mascara Thickening - Jet Black, Eye Pencil - Midnight

For your adult son or brother: The Herb Farm Lime Shower Gel 12ml $14.90

For your your boyfriend/male partner/fiance/husband: Living Nature Men's Skincare Trio $59.95 - contains Gentle Cleansing Shaving Gel 50ml, Soothing Aftershave Gel 50ml, Soothing Moisturiser 50ml

For your girlfriend/female partner/fiancee/wife: The Herb Farm Pamper Pack $48.60 - contains pamper bath salts 150g, rose body butter 30ml, vanilla & orange lip balm 15ml, foot balm 30ml

Fake tans

You know the drill - protect yourself from the sun, and if you want to get a tan, do it safely by using a fake tanner. I like Alba Botanica Sun Golden Tan Sunless Tanning Lotion, $24 for 118ml. I'm also keen to try Nature's Gate Organics Advanced Care Upper Tanagement Self-Tanning Creme, $25 for 177ml.

If you prefer a gradual tanning lotion, try Pure Innosense Summer Skin Body Lotion, $11 for 375ml. It smells amazing, and gives a nice golden glow. However, it has been difficult to find recently. SHE Australia Gradual Tanner is pretty good, although it does smell a little odd. It's $13.99 for 100ml.

If you want a temporary tan, one which washes off in the shower, try a body bronzer like Nature's Gate Advanced Organics Care Happy Glow Lucky Bronzing Creme, available in Fresh Floral Scent, and Clean Citrus Scent, $25 for 177ml.

Some other options:

Fake tan - Aveda Sun Source 150ml $59, Vani-T Liquid Sun® Organic Tanning Mist 200ml $39.60

Gradual tanning lotion - Vani-T Bronzing Custard 200ml $39.90

Body scrubs

Body scrubs are great for keeping your skin smooth, preventing ingrown hairs, and preparing for fake tan. I like Alba Botanica Hawaiian Sugar Cane Body Polish, $24.75 for 200g. I also like Upper Canada Naturally Coarse Salt Scrub, $20 for 300g. I have it Sweet Vanilla Fig. It smells and looks like a yummy dessert (but it probably doesn't taste like one!). It also comes in Cranberry Moro Orange, Wild Lime Mint, Pressed Olive Avacodo, and Red Tea Grape. For a scrub that combines salt and sugar, try Linden Leaves Salt Sugar Scrub, $24 for 200g.

Some other options:

$25 and under: Alba Botanica Sea Salt Body Scrub 200g $24.75

$30 and under: A'kin Sandalwood & Sweet Orange Invigorating Body Scrub 200ml $28.50, Trilogy Exfoliating Body Polish 150ml $26

$35 and under: Pure Fiji Coconut Creme Body Scrub 250ml $35 (available in Coconut, Frangipani, White Gingerlily, Mango, Pineapple, Passionflower, and Starfruit), Giovanni Cool Mint Lemonade Salt Scrub 300g $35

$40 and under: Evolu Exfoliating Body Polish 250ml $40

$65 and under: Pure Fiji Coconut Sugar Rub 470ml $65 (available in Coconut, Frangipani, White Gingerlily, Mango, Pineapple, Passionflower, and Starfruit)

Stuff that smells like chocolate

Chocolate is awesome. For a calorie-free treat, try these chocolate-scented products.

Giovanni Hot Chocolate Sugar Scrub
Just like a hot chocolate, only...scrubby. And you probably shouldn't drink it. $35 for 260g, available at Farmers and Hardy's stores.

Wychenwood Chocolate Marble Soap
Pretty, and it smells great. $4.50, available at Expressions Arts and Entertainment Centre in Upper Hutt, or buy online at http://www.wychenwood.co.nz/ .

Lush Soft Couer (The Honeymooner) Massage Bar
It has a centre of chocolate and honey...messy, but yummy! $14.50 for 30g. Buy at Lush stores, or online at http://www.lushnz.com/ .

Face masks

Using a face mask once a week is good for your skin. I like Trilogy Purifying Masque, $33.90 for 35ml. Evolu Purifying Mask $35 for 75ml, is also good. Although both these masks are for all skin types, they are clay-based masks, which are good for oily skin, as are mud masks. Another clay mask is Dr Hauschka Cleansing Clay Mask, $62 for 90g, which is in the form of a powder which you mix up with water. I didn't realise that it was a powder when testing it out at Farmers once, and spilt quite a large amount of it on the ground. Anyway, moving on from that...


People with drier skin will benefit from a moisturising mask in a gel or cream form, like Living Nature Ultra Nourishing Mask, $59 for 50ml. As for those with sensitive skin, try Weleda Almond Facial Masque, m$22.50 for 30ml.


Some other options:


$10 and under: Clear as Mud Face Mud $4 per 18g sachet, Skinfood Mud Masque 100ml $9.99


$25 and under: Clear as Mud, $24.99 for a box of seven 18g sachets


$30 and under: Weleda Iris Intensive Treatment Masque 30ml $25.50, Alba Botanica Hawaiian Papaya Enzyme Facial Mask 85g


$45 and under: Living Nature Deep Cleansing Mask - 10 5ml sachets for $42, Living Nature Hydrating Gel Mask 50ml $42, Antipodes Manuka Honey Treatment Mask 75ml


$80 and under: Ren Multi Mineral Detox Facial Mask 50ml $69, Ren F10 Enzymatic Skin Smoothing Facial Mask 50ml $74, Ren Jiaogulan Cell Energising Facial Mask 50ml $76

$90 and under: Dr Hauschka Firming Mask 30ml $89

$120 and under: Aveda Deep Cleansing Herbal Clay Masque 125ml $102, Aveda Intensive Hydrating Masque 150ml $117

Face exfoliants

To get rid of dead skin cells, exfoliate your face a couple of times a week. I like Trilogy Gentle Facial Exfoliant, $40 for 75ml. It's a very gentle, fine grain scrub. I have also used A'kin

Jojo & Corn Gentle Exfoliating Facial Scrub $ for 75ml, which is also very fine grain. Sukin Face Scrub, $12 for 125ml is also good, but the grains are not very fine.

Most of the facial exfoliation products I have seen exfoliate manually (ie, in the form of scrubs), however, Living Nature Vitalising Exfoliant, $42 for 50ml, does not do this; instead it uses fruit acids to exfoliate.

Some other options:

$10 and under: Skinfood Exfoliating Scrub 100ml $9.99

$15 and under: Natural Instinct Facial Scrub 125ml $12, The Herb Farm Rosehip Exfoliant 30ml $13.60, The Herb Farm Vanilla Seasalt Exfoliant 30ml $13.60

$20 and under: Viola Organics Renew Exfoliator 65g $15.90

$25 and under: Alba Botanica Hawaiian Pineapple Enzyme Facial Scrub 118ml $20.75, Kosmea Refining Rosehip Scrub 125g $22.50, The Herb Farm Rosehip Exfoliant 60ml $22.70, The Herb Farm Vanilla Seasalt Exfoliant 60ml $22.70, Avalon Organics Lavender Exfoliating Enzyme Scrub 100ml $24

$35 and under: Bod Facial Exfoliant 60g $34.90

$40 and under: Evolu Renewing Facial Exfoliator 125ml $37

$45 and under: Antipodes Reincarnation Pure Face Exfoliator 75ml $45, Ayurda Invigorating Scrub 65ml $45

$55 and under: Ayurda Gel Scrub 100g $52

Sukin Travel Pack

New from Sukin is a travel pack for $33 (which, unfortunately, I can't find a picture of) containing:

Purifying Shampoo
Nourishing Conditioner
Facial Moisturiser
Cream Cleanser
Hydrating Mist Toner

All are in 50ml bottles, useful for taking on holiday (especially if you are going overseas, and need small bottles for on the plane), or for trying out new products without buying the full-size versions.

Sweepstake at 1GreenProduct.com

The website 1GreenProduct.com is giving away two prize packs from a company called LaLicious. The packs are worth $100 (US dollars) each, and contain Tahitian Flower sugar souffle scrub, body soap, body oil and body butter. Contest ends November 4th at 11:59 p.m (not sure what time zone this is though). It is open to US residents only, so if you are a US residents, and wish to enter, follow this link

LaLicious is an all-natural, line of bath and beauty products, which is sulfate-free, paraben-free and cruelty-free.

Body Butter

When you want something a bit more thick and rich than body lotion, try body butter. I like Skinfood body butter, $14.95 for 250ml. There are a lot of other options. For example:

$20 and under: Upper Canada Naturally Body Butter 200g $20, available in Cranberry Moro Orange, Wild Lime Mint, Red Tea Grape, Sweet Vanilla Fig, and Pressed Olive Avocado

$30 and under: Greenland less=more Body Butter 200ml $26, available in Bergamot, Pomegranate, Cocoa-Vanilla, and Cranberry

$40 and under: Bod Amazonian Nut Body Butter 200g $39.90

$45 and under: Pure Fiji Body Butter $40.90, available in Coconut, Frangipani, White Gingerlily, Mango, Pineapple, Passionfruit, and Starfruit, Bod Frangipani, Aloe and Cucumber Body Butter 470g $44.90, Antipodes Jubilation Ultra Nourishing Body Cream 200ml $45

$50 and under: Crabtree & Evelyn Naturals Body Butter 200g $49, available in Avocado Butter, Olive & Basil, Cocoa Butter, Nutmeg & Cardamom, Illipe Butter, Lemongrass & Sugar, and Mango Butter & Grapefruit

The Body Shop Nature's Minerals

A lot of brands have been bringing out mineral makeup lines lately. The Body Shop has recently launched Nature's Minerals. The Nature's Minerals line consists of:

Foundation SPF25 5g $45, available in six shades

Cheek Colour 2g $30, available in Pink Quartz, Golden Terracotta, Warm Copper, and Brown Topaz

Eye Colour 1g $25, available in Platinum Silver, Radiant Graphite, Golden Emerald, Pink Opal, Bronzed Amber, and Molten Brown
Foundation Brush $38
Blusher Brush $36
Eye shadow brush $20

There are no unescessary fillers in these products - all you'll find is minerals and clay. The SPF is higher than any other mineral makeup that I'm aware of. While this makeup is somewhat expensive, it is a lot more affordable than some other minerals on the market.

I got the foundation in the lightest shade using the 20% off birthday voucher which I got from the I Love My Body Club. I didn't buy the foundation brush; I used a powder brush to apply it. I really like it - it gives good coverage, and it has a matte finish, thanks to the clay I suppose. It is also supposed to be good for blemishes - due to the zinc oxide, I guess.

I also bought the eye shadow in Golden Emerald. It's a little bit more sheer than I'd like, but it works well when I layer it over a brown eyeshadow. I didn't buy the eyeshadow brush, I used one which I already had.

Soap

If you prefer bar soap to liquid hand wash and body wash, there are a lot of natural soaps to choose from. I like Dr Bronner's Bar Soap, available in Almond, Unscented Baby-Mild, Citrus Orange, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Peppermint, Rose, and Tea Tree. $5.40 for 140g.

I also like Trade Aid Soap, available in Rose, Neem, Cucumber, Green Apple, Clove, Honey Scented (does not contain actual honey, as all the soaps are free from animal ingredients), Jasmine, Sandalwood, Coconut, and Cinnamon. The soaps are 80g, and are $1.95 from Trade Aid stores for a limited time.

Ecostore also a selection of soaps - Manuka Honey & Kelp, Orange & Cinnamon, Goats Milk, Lemongrass, Lavender, Vanilla, Manuka & Oatmeal, Peppermint & Honey, Sandalwood, all $3.95 for 100g. Coconut, Lemongrass, Manuka Honey & Kelp, and Vanilla soaps are also available in boxes, $3.70 for 80g.

Obviously, these are just a selection of the many natural soaps which are available on the market.

Teen products

When you're a teenager, your skin can really start acting up. Oiliness, blackheads, pimples, clogged pores...not fun. Not all teenagers get acne, but it is pretty common. A lot of teens are also on a tight budget, so I'm focusing on affordable skincare, bodycare, and makeup.

A foaming cleanser is best for acne-prone, oily or combination skin types. Try Sukin Fomaing Facial Cleanser, $12 for 125ml, or Natural Instinct Foaming Facial Cleanser, also $12 for 125ml.

A good ingredient for oily skin is witch hazel, which can be found in both of the above cleansers, as well as in a lot of toners, such as Natural Instinct Toner, $12 for 125ml.

Natural Instinct Aloe Vera Gel ($12 for 125ml, and $19 for 250ml) works well as a moisturiser, and Weleda Iris Moisture Cream, $23.50 for 30ml, is also good, as it contains witch hazel.

Exfoliating two or three times a week helps get rid of dead skin cells which might otherwise clog your pores. Try Skinfood Exfoliating Scrub, $9.99 for 100ml, or Sukin Facial Scrub, $12 for 125ml.

Once or twice a week, after exfoliating, use a clay or mud face mask to draw out impurities. Skinfood Mud Masque, $9.99 for 100ml contains clay, and Rotorua mud. Clear as Mud Face Mud contains bentonite mud from Parehaka. It's $4 per sachet, or $24.99 for a box of ten sachets.

Some teens have dry skin. A creamy cleanser is better for dry skin. Try Skinfood Cleans All Cleanser, $9.99 for 100ml, Sukin Cream Cleanser, $12 for 125ml, or Natural Instinct Cream Cleanser, $12 for 12ml. For moisturiser, try Skinfood Nourishing Moisturiser, $9.99 for 100ml, Sukin Moisturiser, $12 for 125ml, or Natural Instinct Moisturiser, $12 for 125ml.

There are a lot of great natural body washes out there. One of the most affordable ones is Pure Innosenses Shower Gel, $11 for 375 ml, available in Reviving (Chamomile and Feijoa), Relaxing (Lavender and Iris), Energising (Rosemary and Citrus), and Hydrating (Peach). Also great is Sukin Botanical Body Wash, $12.99 for 250ml, $16.99 for 500ml, and $24.99 for 1 litre.

Pure Innosense Body Lotion is also pretty good. It's $12 for 375ml, and is available in Reviving (Chamomile and Feijoa), Relaxing (Lavender and Iris), Summer Skin (a gradual tanning lotion, scented with vanilla and mandarin), and Sensitive Skin (fragrance free). I like Sukin Hydrating Body Lotion, $12.99 for 250ml, and $21.99 for 500ml.

Not all natural makeup is expensive, so for teens on a budget, here are some options:

Foundation: Natio Mineral Loose Foundation (available in Beach Sand, Desert Sand, and Sunset) 10g $23

Blusher: Natio Mineral Blusher (available in Sweet Petal) $16 , Natio Mineral Brush N Blush (available in Rose) 3.1g $15

Eyeshadow: Natio Mineral Sparkle Dust Eyeshadow Compact (colours are Pink, Aubergine, Copper, and White) 0.3g $18 , Natio Mineral Eye Shimmer (available in Silver, Rose, Lilac, and Gold) 1.5g $15, SHE Australia Dusting Powders (not specifically for eyes, but could be used as eyeshadows. Available in quite a few shades, not sure what they all are.) $12.95

Bronzer: Natio Mineral Pressed Powder Bronzer (available in Sunswept) 18.1g $23

Lip colour: Alba Terratints Lip Balm (available in Blaze, Bloom, Dawn, Garnet, Sienna, and Sunset, although I've only seen it in Blaze, Bloom, and Sienna) 4.2g $8.9

Nail Polish: SHE Australia Nail Varnish (available in fourteen colours, not sure what they are) $14.90

I haven't yet come across any particularly low-cost natural concealers, eyeliners or mascaras.

Stockists

Sukin: Commonsense Organics, Health 2000, Farmers

Natural Instinct: Homestead Health, various pharmacies

Skinfood: Woolworths, Foodtown, Countdown, New World

Natio: Farmers, various pharmacies

SHE Australia: Various pharmacies

Alba Botanica: Commonsense Organics, Homestead Health

Pure Innosense: Various Pharmacies

Origins Smileage Plus™ Lip Tint

I'm not sure if this is a new product, but it's only been available at Kirkaldies for the last couple of months. Origins Smileage Plus™ Lip Tint is 95% organic, and comes in six shades - Off Beet, Organic Plum, Vintage, Eco-Pink, Sugar Cane, and Raw Honey. It's $32 for 2g.

Lip balms with SPF

Your lips need protecting from the sun as well as your skin. For the colder months I like Apicare Protect Me Beeswax Lip Balm SF 15, $7.20 for 4.5g. It moisturises really well.

Alba Botanica Sun Lipcare SPF 18 Lip Balm is also good. It's $8 for 4.2g. So is Evolu Healing Lip Treatment SPF 15, $19 for 10ml.

For a higher SPF, I like Comvita Lip Balm SPF 30, $11 for 5g. Or try Dr Hauschka Sunscreen Stick SPF 30, $26 for 4.9g.

Moisturisers with SPF

I don't use a moisturiser with SPF myself, (I just use regular moisturiser, then sunblock over that) but there are a lot of them out there.

The most affordable ones I have found are Avalon Organics Lavender Moisture Plus Lotion with SPF 18, $31.30 for 200ml, and Vitamin C Moisture Plus Lotion SPF 15, $27.25 for 100ml.

Then there's Living Nature Daily Defence with SPF 15. It's $55 for 100ml, and is suitable for all skin types. Or Evolu Moisturising Day Cream with Sunscreen SPF 15, $47 for 75ml, also suitable for all skin types.

Or, for something more high end, Aveda Tourmaline Charged Protecting Lotion SF15/Oil Free, $132 for 75ml. Another Aveda moisturiser with SPF is Inner Light™ Tinted Moisture SPF 15, $88 for 50ml, which I have mentioned in a post about tinted moisturisers.

Product Review: Weleda Iris Moisture Cream

Because my skin was getting dry, two months ago

I switched from using aloe vera gel to using an actual moisturiser. I went for Weleda Iris Moisture Cream.

Price: $23.50

Packaging: A metal tube with a plastic screw-on lid. Comes in a cardboard box.

Size: 30ml

Suitable for: Normal to oily skin.

Available at: Health 2000, Hardy's, Commonsense Organics, Homestead Health, various pharmacies.

Pros: Non-greasy, moisturises well, good price.

Cons: Although it is affordable, you get a very small amount for your money.

Verdict: This is a nice light moisturiser, and it hasn't made me get pimples or clogged pores. I don't like to use too much of it because the tube is so small. I'm onto my second tube already - the first one lasted about a month and a half. However, using a small amount seems to work fine, so that's good. I only use it around my eyes and on dry areas at night, unless I've use a scrub and/or mask beforehand.

After-Sun Products

If you get sunburnt, one of the best things you can put on it is aloe vera. If you have your own aloe plant, squeeze some on, and if not, buy some aloe vera gel. I like Natural Instinct Pure Aloe Vera Gel, which is 98% aloe vera. It's $12 for 125ml. Sukin also makes an aloe vera gel, but I tried using this on a burn I had from the iron, and it stung because of the alcohol in it. So I prefer the Natural Instinct gel.

Also, you could try using a specific after-sun product, like Bod Frangipani, Aloe & Cucumber Body Butter, $46.50 for 470g. This is designed to cool the skin after sun exposure. Another option is Dr Hauschka After Sun Lotion, $29.50 for 100ml.

I got very mildly sunburnt when I was in Australia. Fortunately there was no pain or peeling, but the sunburnt areas got very dry and a bit flaky, so I used Ecostore Baby Nappy Balm on these areas, and it helped a lot. The nappy balm is $11.95 for 60ml, although you can get it for a few dollars cheaper than this if you buy it at a supermarket instead of at a health store or online.

Sunblock

Wearing sunscreen is majorly important. I am pretty militant about it. I live under a gigantic ozone hole (or near it anyway; I think it's directly above Antarctica), so I slather it on all year round.

It's now officially spring, so I'm wearing SPF 30. I was using Natural Instinct Natural Mineral Sunblock Cream SPF 30+, but it is quite drying. Although my skin is oily/combo, it can also dry out quite easily, and this sunscreen was also causing a dry patch/rash thing on my neck, and causing my hands to get dry, with cracks on my knuckles. However, I slathered it all over myself when I was in Australia, and it's great on everything apart from hands, face, and neck.

It costs $14.99 for 125g, $24.99 for 250g, and $35.99 for 500ml. It's the most affordable natural sunblock I've found, although it isn't really all that natural compared to a lot of other sunblocks.

So, for my face, neck and hands, I use UV Natural Sunscreen SPF 30+, $36 for 200g. Yes, it is quite expensive, but a little goes a long way. It's not drying at all. It feels very thick, greasy, and heavy, but it hasn't given me any pimples. It makes my face look all shiny when I first put it on, but that goes away after a while.
In the colder months (May, June, July, and August), I go for a lower SPF. For my face and neck, I like Weleda Edelweiss Sun Cream SPF 20, $18.90 for 50ml. Yes, Edelweiss, like the song in The Sound of Music! I get that song stuck in my head whenever I buy this sunblock. It doesn't clog my pores or make my face white; instead it gives me nice glow (but not in a tanned sort of way, obviously). It also smells great.

For the rest of me, I use the gorgeous-smelling NOM (No Ordinary Moments) SPF 15 Sunscreen, $22.90 for 177ml. This also comes in SPF 25, also 177ml, for $23.50.

I also like Alba Hawaiian Green Tea SPF 30+ Sunscreen, $20.25 for 118ml, and Alba Organic Lavender Sunscreen SPF 30, $21 for 118ml. These use chemical sun filters rather than mineral ones, but a lot of the ingredients are quite natural.

If you want a face-specific sunblock, you could try Nature's Gate Organics Advanced Care Be Solective Sunscreen For Face SPF 30, $25 for 88ml. It is a chemical rather than a physical sunblock. For a lower SPF, try Alba Facial Sunscreen SPF 20, 118ml for $21, Aveda Dual Nature Face Protection SPF 15, $59 for 50ml, or Dr Hauschka Protective Face Cream SPF 8, $54 for 30ml.

Some other options (not just for face-specific sunblocks, for sunblocks in general).

$25 and under: Alba Fragrance Free Sunscreen SPF 15 118ml $21, Alba Sports Sunscreen SPF 30+ 118ml $21

$30 and under: Soleo Organics All-Natural Sunscreen SPF 30 75g $29.95

$35 and under: Dr Hauschka Sunscreen Lotion SPF 15 Sensitive 100ml $34, Weleda Edelweiss Sun Lotion SPF 15 $34.90

$45 and under: Aveda Daily-Light Guard™ SPF 15 150ml $44

$50 and under: Dr Hauschka Sun Spray SPF 15 150ml $45.90

Back across this side of the ditch

I came back from Australia on Sunday afternoon. I had a great time over there - it was really nice weather over there, and I did a lot of fun tourist stuff, as well as a lot of shopping. I bought a LOT of natural beauty products, some of which can't be bought over here, others which are a lot cheaper over there (even taking into account the exchange rate). There a lot of brands available over there which aren't available over here. Such as:

Burt's Bees
Badger Balms
Juice Beauty
Juice Organics
Lavera
Ganache for Lips
Korres
Jurlique
Yes to Carrots
House of Herbs
Beauty and the Bees
Babies Only
Rainforest Remedies

But I'm really trying to focus on brands and products that you can get over here (and get ordered into New Zealand, although I'm not really an expert on this, as I don't tend to do online shopping), so I won't dwell on that too much. But if you do happen to be over there, keep an eye out for those brands.

Crossing the ditch

Very early tomorrow morning (6:50AM) I'm crossing the ditch (the Tasman Sea) to spend a week in the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. So I won't be posting for at least a week. Hopefully it should be a lot warmer over there than it is here!

Natio Pure Mineral Makeup

A while ago, I posted about Natio Mineral Radiance. Natio has just released another mineral makeup line, Pure Mineral Makeup, which consists of:

Mineral Loose Foundation in Beach Sand, Desert Sand, and Sunset $23

Mineral Blusher in Sweet Petal $16

Mineral Sparkle Dust Eyeshadow Compact (shades are Pink, Aubergine, Copper, and White) $18

Mineral Pressed Powder Bronzer in Sunswept $23 (the same bronzer is also part of the Natio Mineral Radiance range)

'Tween products

Preteens or ''tweens' (ages 8 - 12) will have different skincare needs to younger kids. Puberty often brings oily skin and/or acne, so a foaming facial cleanser containing witch hazel may be helpful - try Sukin Foaming Facial Cleanser, $12 for 125ml, or Natural Instinct Foaming Facial Cleanser, also $12 for 125ml.

This is nothing to with skincare or anything - but, if you want your daughter to use more natural menstrual products, check out Natracare. They make enviromentally friendly menstrual products - their tampons are made from organic cotton - and their website is pretty cool - check it out at http://www.natracare.com/ It has a lot of really interesting info on it.

For girls who are just starting to get interested in makeup, suggest they try a glossy lip balm like Living Nature Lip Balm, $16 for 10ml, or a tinted lip balm like Alba Botanica Terratints, $8.99 for 4.2g.

Hair styling products

Although there is not quite as much variety of natural hair styling products as there is natural shampoo and conditioners, there are quite a few options.

For gel, Giovanni L.A. Natural Styling Gel, $25.50 for 200ml, is pretty good, as is Miessense Shape Styling Gel, $29.95 for 250ml. I have used both of these, although I prefer waxes to gels.

I am currently using Giovanni Glam Traxx Stick Wax, $27.50, but I can't find this product in the new packaging, so it may have been discontinued. However, Giovanni makes Wicked Wax, although they call it a pomade.

I really like Ecokid Bubbalicious Shaping Paste, $25.95 for 100g. Yes, it's designed for kids to put in their hair to keep headlice away, but I find it works great on my hair, which is wavy/curly - it helps define the curls.

Folr anti-frizz serums, I like Giovanni Frizz Be Gone Super Smoothing Anti Frizz Serum, $25.50 for 78ml. To hold my hair in place, I use Giovanni L.A. Hold Hair Spritz $25.50.

Some other options:

Gels: Aveda Brilliant Retexturing Gel, $19 for 25ml, and $56 for 150ml; Aveda Confixor Liquid Gel 250ml, $49 Alba Botanica Strong Hold Style Gel, 198g.

Waxes: Aveda Custom Control™ Gel Wax 100ml $56

Mousses: Giovanni Styling Foam Natural Mousse Air Turbo Charged $25.50, Aveda Phomollient™ Styling Foam 200 $38

Clays: Ecokid Tuff Stuff Matte Hair Clay 100g $25.95, Aveda Men Pure-formance Grooming Clay 75ml $49

Hairsprays: Aveda Witch Hazel Light Hold Hairspray 250ml $38, Aveda Brilliant™ Hair Spray, $13 for 50ml, and $49 for 250ml

Cool brand: Living Nature

Living Nature was founded in 1987 by Suzanne Hall. The brand's signature ingredient is Manuka honey. They hold the following standards:

No Synthetic Preservatives
No ingredients we consider potentially harmful
No Mineral Oils
No Irradated Ingredients
No Herbicide or Pesticide Residues
No Genetically Modified Ingredients
No Animal Ingredients (except for honey, beeswax, and carmine)
No Animal Testing
Always Use High Quantities of Bioactive Ingredients
Only Use Recyclable, Reusable, Reduced Packaging

Living Nature makes skin care products, body care products, mother and baby care products, men's products, hair care products, healing products, and makeup. I have quite a bit of their makeup - their eyeliners are great.

Leave-in conditioners

After washing my hair, I slather it in leave-in conditioner, to help combat the dryness and frizziness. I use A'kin Lavender & Anthyllis 24 Hour Intensive Leave-In Conditioner 150ml, $15.30. Leave-in conditioners give your hair a bit of extra moisture, and help to protect it against heat styling.

Some other options:

$25 and under: Giovanni Vitapro Fusion Leave-In Hair Treatment 150ml $22.50, Giovanni Direct Leave-In Conditioner 250ml $22.50

$30 and under: MOP Leave-in Conditioner 200ml $30

Hair masks

Once a week I use a hair mask - Giovanni Nutrafix Hair Reconstructer -instead of a conditioner. It's $22.50 for 200g. It is intended for hair that has been colour treated, and heat styled a lot, which mine isn't, but it is quite dry with a tendency to get frizzy, so the mask helps with that.

Some other options:

$20 and under: A'kin Ginkgo & Jojoba Intensive Moisture Vitamin Mask 150ml $15.30

$30 and under: Trilogy Botanical Moisture Mask for dry hair 95ml $29.95

$40 and under: MOP Extreme Moisture Treatment 200ml $32, MOP C-System Reconstructive Treatment 200ml $37

Ingredient Spotlight: Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is great for soothing skin, particularly burnt, irritated, or sunburnt skin. Having your own aloe plant is a great idea, because you can use the gel straight from the leaves.

Alternately, you can buy an aloe vera gel. A lot of aloe vera gels don't contain all that high a percentage of aloe vera, but Natural Instinct Aloe Vera Gel contains 98% aloe vera. It is $12 for 125ml. Sukin Aloe Vera Gel is also $12 for 125ml, but I prefer the Natural Instinct gel, because the Sukin one has alcohol in it, which can sting burnt skin.

I have recently been using the Natural Instinct Aloe Vera Gel as an eye makeup remover, and it works quite well. It does sting my eyes a bit, and I do have a bit of trouble with my contacts getting blurry and irritated, but usually rinsing them a bit more thorougly than I would have previously seems to help.

Kids' products

We've covered products for babies, but what about kids? There are plenty of natural, eco-friendly personal care products that are designed just for kids.

To keep kids' teeth clean, try Snappy Jaws toothpaste, $5 for 100g, from Health 2000 and Commonsense Organics. It's free from fluoride, sugar, and Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, and it comes in three different flavours: Punchy Pineapple, Awesome Orange, and Strawberry. Another kids' toothpaste is Weleda Children Tooth Gel, 50ml for $6.80, available from Health 2000 and Commonsense Organics. It is designed especially for milk teeth.

To protect your kids from the sun, slather them in a kids' sunblock, like Dr Hauschka Sunscreen Cream for Children SPF 30, $40.20 for 100ml. This is quite an expensive option; a cheaper one is Alba Botanica Kids' Sunscreen, SPF 30+, $19.95 for 118ml. Both are available from Health 2000, and the Dr Hauschka one from Farmers, Hardy's, and Commonsense Organics as well.

Headlice is often a problem when children are young (it sure was for me!), and there are many natural products to treat and prevent lice. Ecokid is an Australian brand of hair care products for kids, designed to prevent and treat headlice. The range consists of:

Prevent (Shampoo) 250ml $25.95

Prevent Sensitive (Shampoo) 250ml $25.95

Nourish (Hydrating Conditioner) 250ml $25.95

Daily Leave in Tonic (Leave in Conditioner) 500ml $29.95

Tuff Stuff (Leave in Clay) 100g $25.95

Bubbalicious (Shaping Paste) 100g $25.95

Lice Bomb (Nasty to Lice, not kids) 50ml $32.50

I have used Bubbalicious, and while I'm not a kid, I really liked it. I think it smells great, but apparantely lice don't agree, and it helps keep them away. Stockists can be found on the Ecokid website. New Zealand brand Botanica also has some products to treat head lice: Mr Nits 50ml and 100ml ($27.90) sprays, and Mr Nits Once-a-Week 100ml bottle ($19.90). Nature's Nurse has Lice Lather Treatment Shampoo, $18.95 for 100ml, Lice Lather Preventative Spray, $15.95 for 100ml, and Head Lice & Nit Removal Comb, $11.95. Check out their website for stockists.

For kids who like to paint their nails, there are some safer options out there. SHE Australia Nail Varnishes come in fourteen colours, and are free from formaldehyde and toulene. $14.90 each from selected pharmacies. Sparitual nail polishes are free from formaldehyde, toulene, and dibutyl phthlate. They come in heaps and heaps of different shades, although I've only seen a small selection available. I've seen them at Nature Unplugged, and Bodyscape Beauty Therapy Day Spa (New Zealand's only Aveda concept spa), both in Wellington, although I'm sure they're available in other parts of the country. The nail polishes are $25 each.

For bubble baths, Unearthed has four kids' bubble baths: Planet Bubbles, Bubbles Me Hearty, Sea Bubbles, and Bubble Magic, each $7 for 375ml. They are free from parabens, SLES, artificial colours, and artificial fragrances. They do, however, contain Ammonium Laureth (or Lauryl, can't remember which) Sulphate, so if you want to avoid sulphates altogether, you could go for Bod for Bubs Bubble and Squeakie Clean, $24.90 for 300ml. I mentioned it previously here. It is intended for babies, but it would be fine for anyone to use. Unearthed bubble baths can be bought at Hardy's and selected pharmacies, and Bubble and Squeakie Clean from Nature Unplugged, and Hardy's.

Products to treat eczema

Fortunately, I don't suffer from eczema myself. But a lot of people do, and there are natural treatments available.

Xma Ease is a cream made with all natural ingredients, including collidal silver and jojoba oil. It is free of steroids. Available in a 60ml tube ($21.50) and a 100ml tube ($36). It can be bought at an number of different pharmacies and health stores - check out their website for stockists.

Some other good products are Natralia Nourish Eczema & Psoriasis Wash 200ml (not sure of the price), and Natralia Nourish Eczema & Psoriasis Cream 50g (22.99). Available at Health 2000 stores.

Product review: Natio Mineral Radiance Blush 'n Brush

A while ago, I mentioned Natio's Mineral Radiance range. I finally bought the blusher a couple of weeks ago. It was not easy to find! It was sold out at Farmers, and I managed to get it from a pharmacy a few weeks ago.

Review

Packaging: A tube, with a brush on top, so the product comes through the brush. Can be unscrewed.

Price: $15

Size: 3.1g

Suitable for: All skin types

Available at: Farmers, selected pharmacies.

Pros: Affordable, nice colour, good quality

Cons: Packaging is not all that great, only comes in one colour.

Verdict: I really like this blusher, but the packaging isn't that good. The brush isn't very good quality, and feels scratchy and painful on my face (would be even worse for someone with very sensitive skin). But I have solved this problem by uscrewing the container from the brush, tipping a bit of blusher onto a tissue, and using a blusher brush to apply it. But be careful with this - if you're clumsy (which I am), and/or in a hurry (which I often am), you may spill it all over the place. Fortunately, I have not yet done this.

The colour of this (Rose, according to the website, although it says Rose Glow on my one - go figure) is a nice warm pink, which works well on my skin tone - I'm white with yellow undertones. However, it obviously wouldn't work on all skin tones. It has a bit of a shimmer to it, but it's pretty subtle.

So overall, a great product, not so great packaging. I think this would be better in a traditional mineral makeup style container - one with holes for the powder to come through. But it is very reasonably priced for mineral makeup, it's a nice, good quality product, and my way of applying it works well, so I really can't complain too much.

Tinted lip balms

Like tinted moisturiser, tinted lip balm gives a bit of colour without being too full-on. A really good, affordable tinted lip balm I like is Alba Botanica Terratints, $8.99 for 4.2g, from Commonsense Organics and Homestead Health. It's available in six shades - Blaze, Bloom, Dawn, Garnet, Sienna, and Sunset, though I have only seen it in Blaze, Bloom and Sienna. I have tried Bloom, a nice shimmery pink, and also Sunlit, a bronze, which has now been discontinued. It has a yummy peppermint smell. It also has an an SPF of 8, although the ones I've seen say 18 - maybe it's been reformulated and the new ones haven't reached New Zealand yet? Anyway, while this gives the lips a really good amount of colour, I don't find it all that moisturising, so I put it on over another lip balm.

Aveda Lip Tint SPF 15, however, moisturises the lips really well, I've found. It's $27 for 4.25g, and comes in eight shades - Apricot, Copper, Coco Plum, Berry, Frosted Tulipa, Spice, Peony, and Verbena. The amount of colour it gives is awesome, as much as you'd get from a sheer lipstick. I used to have it in the peachy shade Apricot, now long used up, and I'd definitely like to try it in other shades. It lasts a really long time on the lips (like a few hours, which I consider to be a long time, at least), and it smells and tastes great.

For a much more subtly tinted balm, you could try Kereru Lipsalve in Geranium - pink, or Natural Rose - pink. Both $4.50 from Commonsense Organics. The balms are coloured with carmine, so vegetarians and vegans may wish to go for another tinted balm instead of this one.

Tinted moisturisers

Tinted moisturiser is useful if you don't want the full coverage of a foundation, but you don't want to be bare-faced either. I don't use one myself, but there are a few natural ones available.

The most affordable one is Living Nature Clear Lights Tinted Moisturiser, $45 for 50ml. It comes in three shades: Dawn Light, Day Light, and Evening Light. It's suitable for all skin types.

The next one up in the price range is Dr Hauschka Toned Day Cream, $58 for 30ml. It comes in only one shade. It can be used on normal, dry, or sensitive skin.

The most expensive one is Aveda Inner Light™ Tinted Moisture SPF 15, $79 for 50ml. It's oil free, and comes in six shades: Aspen, Beechwood, Sweet Tea, Sandstone, Sienna, and Burl. It doesn't say what skin types it is suitable for.