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Skin

24 chemical-free beauty treats

Want to switch to more natural products? It couldn’t be easier with so many brands now creating chemical-free and organic ranges. Suzanne Baum highlights the best for summer

As people become more conscious of ingredient lists and environmental impact, that a plethora of natural and organic beauty and skincare lines have sprung up over the last few years. Using only certified organic ingredients can be limiting, so not all brands go that far, but you can take comfort in knowing all the products listed here use either organic or a mix of natural ingredients. Here are our tried and tested picks.

SKIN

therapi

Therapi Honey Skincare Hydrating Facial Toner in Orange Blossom, £25
This organic floral-water based toner is a must have if you suffer from dry skin. It soaked easily into my skin and instantly eased the tightness I had been feeling across my T-zone area. What makes this toner so appealing is its citrusy scent, which is so uplifting it gives you an instant summer hit.

Huile

Huile 27 bio-nourishing cell regenerating oil, £59
Made up of 100 per cent natural origin ingredients this oil claims to repair restore and protect all skin types. At £59 you would hope it would work wonders and according to our tester it did. Her dull and dry skin felt instantly nourished and the dry oil texture left no sticky residue-just a light natural woody fragrance. So eco-friendly it can be used all over the body and hair.

Vitality Mask

S5 Vitality Mask, £42
Face masks are everywhere but this certified organic product stands outs. My 42 year old sister, who tested it, claimed it left her skin so hydrated she would be tempted to use it more than once a week. The fact it only needs to sink into the skin for five minutes before washing off makes it a great beauty-fix for tired, busy skin. The mask left skin feeling much fresher and more ‘awake. It also felt soothed in areas that were sensitive and sore.

Germaine

Germaine de Capuccini Organic Anti-Ageing Hydrating Toning Lotion, £32.75
Calm down sore and irritated skin with this toning lotion, part of the brand’s Naturae range that is 100 per cent organic. Formulated with essential oils and ingredients derived from ecologically cultivated plants, you will find absolutely no nasties in this product. After a small application of the toner skin was left feeling refreshed, clean and soft.

kahina toning mist

Kahina Toning Mist, £38
Kahina Giving Beauty is a holistic line of organic skincare and this toning mist is an all-in-one skin saver. As well as hydrating my very dry face as part of my morning and evening skincare routine, I found it worked magic at work. You may feel sceptical about mists but spritzing my face in the middle of the day to make my skin feel fresh and dewy was a great pick-me-up.

origins cleanser

Origins Ginzeng Refreshing Scrub Cleanser, £18.50
Although not classified as organic, Origins is a natural skincare range and this product, recently launched, is eco-friendly too. This is a 2 in 1 product that works to cleanse as well as gently exfoliate, working to wake up tired skin. The scent of fresh orange is wonderful  and I felt after using this product that my skin was so clean I was reluctant to apply makeup on top of it.

One Love

One Love Organics Brand New Day, £34
Cleverly designed to look like baking powder, the new powder exfoliator, Brand New Day, is activated by just adding water. I found the scrub comforting to use and my skin felt  refreshed and well cleansed afterwards. The product contains soothing organic sweet pea flour and fresh pineapple enzymes that polish off dead skin cells while helping to protect the new ones. It leaves skin bright and soft and the light buffing grains are gentle enough for those with sensitive skin.

Perfect Pores

Angela Langford Natural Organic Serum, Perfect Pores (30ml), £26.55
This face serum from the organic skincare brand is packed full of active ingredients that will help improve the appearance of your skin, diminish open pores and protect your skin from nasty elements that can cause wrinkles. Use first thing in the morning on clean skin to get the best effect. The packaging is worth a mention as it is so pretty and the serum smells divine.

BODY

Dr Hashuka Moisterizer

Dr Hauschka Bodymilk Citroen Lemongrass, £24
This ‘vegan’ product is quite a thick cream to apply but it sank into the skin in seconds and left me with soft and smooth arms, neck and thighs. The scent of lemon is  intense and I found people commenting on my lovely smell, which was in fact down to the bodymilk and not any perfume. This is luxury in a bottle.

Antipodes Handcream

Antipodes Delight Hand & Body Cream, £24.99
Delight, the new moisturiser from the organic skincare brand Antipodes, is a true skin saviour. Containing a sweet fragrance of vintage gardenia with silky macadamia nut oil, it completely soothed our tester’s hands, which were sore from bouts of eczema. It is the perfect all-over cream for most skin conditions but because it contains only natural ingredients our tester was willing to give it a shot and was so relieved it didn’t aggravate her sore palms. Big thumbs up!

janijira

Janjira Thai Lime and Ginger Sugar Milky Body Scrub 250 ml, £32
The scent of this is absolutely gorgeous….one whiff and I was instantly hooked by its exotic combination of spicy and rich fragrances. Leaving aside the smell however and this is one seriously great body scrub. It uses refined sugar to help exfoliate, enhance, smoothen and brighten the skin and although it buffs well it is not a harsh product so your body will be left feeling silky and well nourished.

Orico

Orico Superseed Dry Vitamin Multi-Oil, £19
We have been using oils to moisturise our skin for centuries as they are an excellent source of moisture, antioxidants and vitamins. With so many brands offering body oils it is difficult to know, which to buy. This certified organic product is worth every penny and quickly gaining cult status among London’s healthistas. A multi-purpose, fast-absorbing oil packed full of super-nourishing and replenishing ingredients for the face, body, hair, hands and nails, it really is divine (Healthista Editor Anna Magee is a big Orico fan).

pai

Pai Comfrey & Calendula Calming Body Cream, £22
Being a natural skincare product this is particularly useful for eczema sufferers or those with very dry skin, which can become irritated by the salty sea and sand. It both hydrates and calms down sore skin and also doubles up as a brilliant after-sun treatment

lavera foot cream

Lavera Foot Cream, £5.45
This natural brand is perfect for summer feet that are in need of some pampering. A quick-absorbing natural cream infuses the skin with organic macadamia oil to nourish and protect. A caring formula augmented with healing clay works against excessive sweating and minimises odour.

MAKE-UP

Nvey ECO Organic Moisturising Liquid Foundation 512(72DPI CROPPED)

Nvey Eco Moisture Rich Fluid Foundation, £22.99
This organic make-up brand that hails from Australia ticks all the right boxes when it comes to needing a flawless complexion. Provided you pick the right colour (there are six in total) I found I got even coverage with the cool natural shade that covered up oily areas on my face and sat on the skin comfortably. Unlike other foundations, I found there was no need to reapply it throughout the day.

Blush Trio

Dr Hauschka Matte and Shimmer Blush Trio, £29
This new product, part of the Chorus Colour Cosmetics Collection, features the shades a divine mix of berry, pink and sandstone shades that combine to give you a rose dummy glow that looks natural and instantly wakes up a tired face. Loved it.

green people mascara

Green People Volumising Mascara, £14.75
One of the best-known organic beauty brands in the UK, you can be guaranteed this mascara comes with no nasties. The brush is cleverly designed with thin bristles to enhance eyelashes by lengthening, loading and combing. A few light strokes are all it took to effectively make my eyelashes stand out.

Antipodes Foundation

Antipodes Performance Plus Mineral Foundation, £27.99
This foundation, available in pale pink, light yellow, medium beige and tan, provides a buildable, light to medium coverage. It takes me a long time to find a foundation that suits my skin tone but the light yellow shade worked fantastically. After applying it with my fingers I felt like my small acne scars and moles were covered up so well you couldn’t see them. In fact, my skin looked so flawless, I am definitely going to use this on a daily basis in place of my old foundation.

HAIR

label m

Label M Organic Moisturising Lemongrass Shampoo 200 ml, £13.95
This shampoo is a perfect way to start your day as I found the lemongrass scent really helped awaken me and make my hair smell great for the whole day. I loved the fact that my hair felt instantly clean and glossy after use; this I think has something to do with the fact being more natural means there is perhaps less build up of products that can sometimes leave my hair looking lacklustre. Although it suggests using it two to three times a week I used it daily and it didn’t leave my hair feeling greasy, just freshly clean.

rahua

Rahua Omega 9 Hair Mask, £47
At this sort of price you would expect top results and I am happy to report it really is excellent value for money. Just a tiny amount goes a long way in ensuring hair feels smooth, hydrated and glossy. I was keen to trial this as my hair is in a terrible condition and I honestly feel like it rejuvenated my locks and the oil sank into my roots without making them feel at all greasy.

Fushi Argan & Amalaki shampoo and conditioner

Fushi Argan and Amalaki Shampoo, £9.95
Free from sulphates and parabens, which is always a plus for me, this shampoo produced excellent results. By this I mean my hair, which is very dry and split, felt as though it had been moisturised so well it was left shiny and smooth. Even my split ends, which usually look so frazzled were unnoticeable; this must have something to do with the addition of Argan oil, Camellia oil and Brahmi extract that all help to produce a glossy glow.

FRAGRANCEinfusion perfume

Infusion Organique Buddha’s Fig Petit Parfum, £24.50
Infusion Organique brings the powers of the fig tree to your home, with Buddha’s Fig. Infused with certified organic fig extract, rose-geranium essence, and organic lemongrass oil and blended with essences of wood and amber, Buddha’s Fig creates a heavenly scent that lingers all day.

Balm Balm Bergamot

Balm Balm Bergamot, £20
Bergamot is a light and refreshing fragrance that comes in a number of different scents depending on your ‘mood.’ This is a 100 per cent organic Eau de Parfum containing just essential oil and pure grain alcohol so is extremely eco-friendly. My favourite smell is the ‘Studious’ one that contains a mixture of spearmint and lavender.

Jo Malone

Jo Malone Lime Basil and Mandarin Cologne, £40
Although not organic I want to give a mention to the Jo Malone range as it uses mainly natural ingredients. This unisex cologne has such an addictive smell I kept reapplying it day and night even though it is long lasting. The lime gives it a zesty edge that’s instantly awakening in the heat. The only problem I had was keeping my husband’s hands off the bottle….it may be designed for both, but I don’t intend to share it.

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