So the first thing I wondered when I wanted to make the switch to organics was what to change first. I was already trying to eat healthier so I stepped it up (start from the inside and all that) just trying to get mainly organic fruit and veg and not buying pre packaged food! My Boyfriend and I have always said we would prefer to buy quality and sacrifice other things to buy the fresher tastier food. Anyway back to the point, I decided I wanted to change my everyday routine so I started with deodorant.
I had been using dove cream deodorant as I believed a cream deodorant was a)going to be more moisturising as I have very sensitive armpit skin b)wouldn’t sting as much after shaving and c) wouldn’t have to wait for it to dry. After switching to natural however, looking back although it did do all those things to a certain extent, (apart for the fact it was sneakily transferring toxins into my cells) it was MAKING me smell rather than stopping. I kinda knew deep down that my sweat didn’t smell, but my clothes were definitely getting a weird smell at the armpit area (not a nasty sweaty smell but a deodorant one if you know what I mean). Since using a natural deo. this has definitely stopped so I know it definitely was the Dove one.
Anyway I researched into natural deos as soon as possible and came across a few that kept popping up as well as quite a few people making their own. On American blogs Soapwalla is very popular but as far as I was aware at the time we couldn’t get it over here. I have now since learned it is available from beingcontent.com or on etsy.com; it is a balm deodorant much like my favoured cream deo from dove and would have ideally tried this. So I had a look on sites like Naturisimo and Love Lula to compare what people had said about different ones and decided on Green People Roll on Natural Deodorant.
As it was the first time trying a natural deo. I decided on Green People as it was one of the more common brands and I looked into the company background and liked what I read. Another selling point for me was the description ‘A fragrance-free, ultra-mild natural deodorant for sensitive skin.’ It also has no Aluminium, Parabens, ethyl alcohol and artificial fragrances. Perfect. (apart from it being a roll on but as this was unknown territory that was ok by me).
Having used it for about 4 months now I can safely say it does what is says on the tin. It is very gentle, has no fragrance and does not give me a weird deodorant smell! I just want to note that this is a deodorant not an antiperspirant therefore it will not stop you sweating but ‘reduces bacterial growth’. I wouldn’t choose an antiperspirant natural or not as I believe sweating is only natural and anything that tries to stop that is going to do more bad than good.
One last thing is unfortunately it does still sting right after shaving as it is a liquid and not a cream. For these occasions as long as I’m not doing any strenuous exercise I use coconut oil (AMAZING PRODUCT) which just adds a bit of extra needed moisture right after shaving! And on that note I will definitely be trying Soapwalla next unless anyone else can recommend a good brand for sensitive skin?
Ingredients
Thanks
Lilian xx
Source http://www.naturisimo.com (also I think the packaging has changed since I bought mine).
Once I had tried the balm I was intrigued to try more and was soon emailing Samantha about my skin concerns. It felt amazing to be able to get some great advice and get the right products for my skin which I had never done before opting instead to buy my skincare from Boots or supermarkets. For those who are interested I definitely have combination skin! I have the usually oily T-zone and randomly eyelids but quite dry under eye and cheeks and Lips.
Samantha recommended I try the dry/ mature range as although I had an oily T-zone the ingredients in this range are meant to balance the skin and condition it. I bought the gift set which included a cleanser, toner, day cream, night cream, and muslin cloth and a little bag to carry it in! The set is £45 which is great value for money and would make a great little present as it is presented so beautifully.
This is an oil based cleanser with the main ingredient being olive oil hence it smells and looks like oil. I would say it is very heavy as you will definitely need a muslin cloth to remove it but leaves skin feeling soft and smooth afterwards. Because of the heaviness it removes all traces of makeup to give your skin a thorough clean.
Dry/Mature Facial Toner
This is a liquid toner that you apply to a cotton pad and swipe around the face. It has a pleasant smell of the main ingredient chamomile that does ‘hydrate, regenerate and sooth’ the skin. It is more of a moisturising toner rather than refreshing which ties in to the dry/mature range nicely.
Dry/Mature Day Cream
This moisturiser looks like processed mushrooms in a jar but don’t let the look put you off! It again has quite a strong smell so if fragrance isn’t your thing this range probably won’t be to your liking. Once on the skin it takes a good massage to melt it in with a feeling of zingyness (yes that is a word I just made up) at first leaving you with glowing moisturised skin.
Dry Night Cream
As opposed to the day cream this does look like your typical moisturiser and unlike the day cream has a subtle sweet smell to it. Like the day cream however again it takes a good massage to sink into the skin leaving you with soft, soothed skin when you wake up in the morning.
I loved this range and would recommend it to anyone with very dry or mature skin as although it moisturises it does rejuvenate and plump as well. For me however I felt it was a little too heavy for my skin so I asked if I could try the Oily/Combination skin set as well. Again I really liked the range but felt some things worked better for me.
I would usually include the ingredients but as I am reviewing quite a lot this post would just go on forever!! I think some of the ingredients have also been updated since I got mine in January so for further information email Samantha and try this range or check out the website for more information: http://www.jinsei-skincare.co.uk
In the picture is also the body moisturiser but I shall review that in another post.
Lilian x
As mentioned in the previous post the first proper natural skincare range I tried was Jinsei.
‘Jinsei Skincare is a family run business passionate about producing all natural, organic body care products without the use of any harmful or harsh ingredients. It was set up and is run by Mother and Daughter team Gillian and Samantha Burt.’
Although not certified Organic they use certified ingredients whenever they can. Samantha and her mum handmake all the products themsleves so they know exactly what goes into the products. Because of this they are able to make products to order if there is nothing that fits exactly what you want on their website.
The first product I tried was the orange & Niaouli Lip Blam.
The packaging describes it as a reviving and uplifting luxurious lip balm which I can confirm is true. It has a great fragrance, more of the niaouli than the orange, and moisturises well. The only thing is it has a yellow colour so if you put too much on you do get yellow lips but saying that it is great to leave on at night. It helped clear up some cold sores I had straight away as the ingredients have antibacterial properties. It also contains SPF which would make this great for the beach.
Ingredients:
Calendula Oil* (calendula officinalis), Beeswax* (cera flava), Coconut Butter* (cocos nucifera), Tiosol (simondsia chinensis, titanium dioxide), Manuka Honey UMF 25+ (leptospermum scoparium), Vitamin E (tocopherol acetate, glycine soya oil, helianthuus annuus seed oil), Carnauba Wax (copernicia cerifera), Niaouli Essential Oil* (melalueca viridiflora), Orange Essential Oil* (citrus sinensis), d-Limonene†
*Indicates certified organically grown
†Indicates chemical constituents naturally present in essential oils and preservative.
May contain traces of nut oils.
All Jinsei products come in a glass bottles and jars, which isn’t too great for travel but means they are recyclable and dog proof, as you may see in the picture mine did try and have a good chew! They are also affordable and great value for money, the balm being £4.99 and although it is a small pot you do not need to use a lot so it will last you ages!
After trying this wonderful lip blam it left me wanting to try more….
Source from http://www.jinsei-skincare.co.uk/
From a young age I had terrible eczema to the point when my mum had to bandage my hands up at night to stop me scratching. Luckily as I grew older and chose more natural products rather than using the prescribed eczema creams it subsided dramatically, only flaring up nowadays in the inside of my arms when I’m stressed. However I have always found sensitivity to soap on my face and have never used it since.
I like most consumers got taken in by the ‘natural’ products available in supermarkets that may contain a certain amount of Aloe Vera, or Tea Tree but not significant amounts and still containing un-clean chemicals. I kept wondering why my deodorant wasn’t moisturising and my toothpaste foaming up too much until I was introduced to a real natural skincare range Jinsei. It is run by the lovely Samantha and her mum who I emailed about my skin concerns and she helpfully recommended me the right products for my skin. (More in the next post)
Jinsei got my organic juices flowing and I was soon researching and reading everything I could on natural and organic skincare. I soon realised that no matter how expensive or ‘amazing’ a product was if it was not right for your skin and full of potentially toxic chemicals it will do more damage than good!
This is when I decided to change to organics and I haven’t looked back since! This Blog is my journey to becoming an organic convert, I hope you enjoy!
I am a 23 yr old who has always had a passion for nature and creativity. As you can probably tell from my blog name my blog will mainly focus on Organic and Natural Skincare. I have only been using truly organic and natural products since January 2012 but I have fully converted my whole skincare routine. I am in the process of changing my makeup but I have quite a collection of non natural makeup to use. I have been giving some away but a lot of it is quite high end stuff and can’t justify throwing away £30 worth of product!!
I like to use a mixture of high end (when money allows) and lower end products and like to mix it up depending on how my skin and hair is reacting to the products. Since switching my skincare I have also been trying to switch my other purchases to more organic ones such as food and clothes etc. I would like to do more but not living in my own house is a bit restricting!
I also enjoy photography and the arts: dance, film, TV and theatre so I will be doing some reviews on things I have seen and photographed (mainly my dog!!) as well.
I hope this gives you a good introduction to my blog and hope it will be something you can enjoy!
Lilian xx
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