For every budget: Body butters

Body butters are great for super hydration, particularly now that the weather is getting colder.

Low-cost: Skinfood Body Butter 250g $15.99







Mid-range: Antipodes Jubilation Ultra Nourishing Body Cream 200ml $48



High-end: Origins Calm to your Senses Lavender and Vanilla 200ml $60

Shaving products

I shave my legs, cos I can’t handle the pain of waxing, or the bother of growing the hair for six weeks. I like Primal Earth Shaving Gel, $8.99 for 175ml, which I have in Extra Sensitive. It’s intended for men, but there’s no reason why women can’t use it. It is also available in Aloe Hydrate and Menthol Cool, but they both contain artificial colours and fragrances, whereas Extra Sensitive doesn’t. Primal Earth Shave Gels are available at New World, Countdown, Foodtown and Woolworths supermarkets, and the price varies depending on which supermarket you buy it at.

I also like Avalon Organics Cream Shave, $12.90 for 225ml, available in Aloe Unscented, Lavender, and Peppermint. I have tried in Aloe Unscented. I assume it’s a unisex product, because it doesn’t state whether it is for men or women. Skinfood Shave Gel, $9.99 for 100ml, is unisex, and it is quite good, but I find the tube runs out quite quickly.

Some other options:

$15 and under: Weleda Shaving Cream 75ml $11.50

$35 and under: Living Nature Soothing Shaving Cream 100ml $35

$45 and under: Aveda Men Shave Cream 250g $44

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

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

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

Green products for guys

There's probably no reason why guys can't use the same skincare products as women do. But there's a quite a big range of man-specific natural skincare products available, so if guys want something that smells and looks a bit more manly, they have a lot of choices. So if you're sick of your male significant other/relative/flatmate/friend using your skincare products (or if you're a guy who happens to be reading this), here are some suggestions.

Living Nature has a men's range, which consists of:
Eye Gel for Men $36
Soothing Moisturiser $34
Soothing Shaving Cream $34
Soothing Aftershave Gel $34
Gentle Cleansing Shaving Gel $34
Skin Essentials - For Men $55 (travel-sized pack containing 50ml Gentle Cleansing Shaving Gel, 50ml Soothing Plant Moisturiser, and 50ml Soothing Aftershave Gel)

Skinfood makes products which are unisex, including a shaving gel. Skinfood products are not as natural as those made by brands such as Living Nature, but they are free of parabens, sulfates, mineral oils, and artificial colours and fragrances. Skinfood products can be bought at Foodtown, Woolworths, New World and Countdown supermarkets. Their products are:

Cleans All (cleanser) $9.95
Light Moisturiser $9.95
Nourishing moisturiser $9.95
SPF 15+ Moisturiser $9.95
Mud Masque $9.95
Shave Gel $9.95
Exfoliating Scrub $9.95
Body Butter $12.95

Aveda has quite a few men's products, but I don't think they're all available in New Zealand. There is only one Aveda concept spa in New Zealand (Bodyscape Beauty Therapy Day Spa) in central Wellington), and I believe they're the only shop in the country which sells Aveda products. They can deliver Aveda products to anywhere in New Zealand though - check out their website: http://www.bodyscape.co.nz/. Men's products listed on their website are:

Aveda Men Shampoo Body Bar $27
Aveda Men Shave Cream $41
Aveda Men After-Shave Balm $41
Aveda Men Purefume™ Tonic $129

The Herb Farm makes a Men's Moisturiser - $13.80 for 30ml, $22.20 for 60ml, $33.00 for 120ml. They also include Active Natural Deodorant ($10.20), Lime Shower Gel ($13.80), and Patchouli & Orange Soap ($7.80) as being part of their men's range, although these are not man-specific product (like, they don't say 'for men' on them, so I guess they're unisex).

Weleda has a Moisture Cream for Men ($15.90), Shaving Cream ($10.90), and Aftershave Balm ($25.90).

If you're after something that's reasonably low-priced but still pretty natural, you could try one of Primal Earth's Organic Shave Gels. They cost $9.99 each, and are available at New World, Woolworths, Foodtown and Countdown Supermarkets. Primal Earth was developed buy a Kiwi guy who had trouble with allergic reactions. The products do not contain: sodium lauryl sulphates, parabens, formaldehydes, genetically modified ingredients, synthetic fillers, ethoxolated ingredients, mineral oils, PEGs, petroleum or phalates. The shave gels are available in Menthol Cool, Aloe Hydrate, and Extra Sensitive.

Another low-priced option for shaving is Avalon Organics Moisturizing Cream Shave ($14), available in Aloe Unscented, Lavender, and Peppermint.

Cleansers

Cleansers are an essential part of a good skincare routine. My personal favourite is Sukin's foaming facial cleanser, which can be bough for $12 at Health 2000 stores (and $9.90 at Commonsense Organics). It comes in both pump top and flip top lids.

I also like Weleda's Iris Cleansing Lotion which retails for about $19.90 at Health 2000 and Hardy's stores. I've also tried Skinfood's Cleans All cleanser, but found that too pore-clogging, and Natural Instinct's Foaming Facial Cleanser, which I found too drying. However, it may be alright for someone with oilier skin than me. I have combination/oily skin.

There's heaps of great cleansers out there, at a range of different prices. To list a few:

$10 and under: Skinfood Cleans All Cleanser $9.95

$15 and under: Sukin Foaming Facial Cleanser $12, Sukin Cream Cleanser $12, Natural Instinct Foaming Facial Cleanser $12, Natural Instinct Cream Cleanser $12

$20 and under: Weleda Iris Cleansing Lotion $19.90, The Herb Farm Energising Gel Cleanser $18.60

$30 and under: Kosmea Purifying Cream Cleanser $30, A'kin Sandelwood & Neroli Pure Facial Cleansing Gel $28.90, A'kin Rose & Geranium Pure Creamy Cleanser & Toner in One $28.90

$40 and under: Living Nature Purifying Cleanser $38.00, Living Nature Vitalising Cleanser $38.00, Trilogy Cream Cleanser $38.90, Trilogy Balancing Gel Cleanser $39.00, Antipodes Hallelujah Lime & Patchouli Cleanser $37.50, Evolu Relaxing Cream Cleanser $35, Comvita Huni Every Day Cleanser $39.00

Please note that these prices vary depending on where you shop.