Cornish Cream - the non fat kind

I find Google is my best friend on a Sunday afternoon it is a great way to discover  products.  I recently came across Cornish Creams, handmade skin care from The Tamar Valley in Cornwall.  Christine makes chemical free products which she sells via her website and local markets.  I asked for some samples to review and she kindly agreed.

I received samples of Aunty Ruby's Cream (ideal for mature skin), Mike's Special Cream (ideal for eczema & psoriasis), Simply Moisturiser, Natural Lip Balm, Primrose Lip Balm and Naked Olive Oil Soap.  All her products have tested well but a couple really stood out for me.

I have really enjoyed using the lip balm.  There are three ingredients in the Natural lip balm Cornish Beeswax, Almond Oil and Coconut butter.  I can not recall ever using a lip balm that does not contain a fragrance/flavour and it has made a pleasant change.  The balm has a good consistency and texture, it is not sticky nor heavy on the lips.  It absorbs and leaves my skin feeling soft.  The simple (but effective) ingredients are why I like this product as it reduces the risk of allergens making it ideal for sensitive skin.  The Primrose version differs only in terms of ingredients - Cornish Beeswax, Evening Primrose Oil, Shea Butter, Sea Buckthorn with a slight fragrance from Bergamot Essential Oil.  There are other lip balm flavours available you can chose from Avocado, Blue Raspberry and Spearmint.

It has been a number of years since I used a solid soap but I have enjoyed using the Naked Olive Oil soap.  It has held together in the soap dish and not turned to mush.  It lathers nicely and I have been very impressed because I have not experienced any dryness on my hands which is a common problem for me.  The BF even gave his approval and said he liked using it.  When you use a soap like this containing simple effective ingredients you soon question why other brands feel the need to pad out their products with chemicals. Cornish Cream soaps are environmentally friendly because they not made using palm oil. 

If you are on a budget you may be interested in Simply Moisturiser.  Christine has created a "credit crunch" cream which does not have the added extras of her other creams but still contains effective ingredients (Coconut Butter, Almond Oil & Cornish Spring Water).  It is suitable for face and body making it a good multi purpose product for those of us feeling the pinch.  

It is always nice to find someone who has a passion for what they do and this reflects in the quality of their products.  I recommend you check out Cornish Creams. 

Disclaimer – I was sent these products free of charge, all opinions are my own and I am not being paid to do this review or to promote the website/product.

  

Booja Booja Dairy Free Ice Cream

Every now and then I like to mix it up on my blog and move away from beauty and focus on Free From food.  I finally manage to track down Booja Booja Dairy Free Ice Cream.  Let me tell you this is one product that is difficult to find I have known about it for years but never seen it stocked anywhere local.  Booja Booja make the most amazing Dairy Free Champagne Truffles so I had high expectations.

Firstly let me tell you this ice cream is organic, suitable for Vegans and is soya cholesterol and gluten free.  It is available in five flavours - Coconut Hullabaloo, Smiling Vanilla M'Gorilla, Pompompous Maple Pecan, Hunky Punky Chocolate and Feisty Winjin Ginger.  My local shop only had two of the flavours in stock so I opted for Coconut Hullabaloo, perfect for a coconut addict like myself.  

I am sorry Booja but I was very disappointed.  It was nice ice cream but that is all it was.  The texture was a little on the watery side and it did not have the creamy taste I dream about.  My usual brand for dairy free ice cream is Swedish Glace which I will be sticking to in future.  It beats this one on taste, texture and price.  Can you believe I paid £5.99 for a 500ml tub? Yes madness on my part as Swedish Glace is £2.09 for 750ml.  Sorry everyone but I really don’t understand why you are all raving about this ice cream. 

I read that Booja Booja have a no supermarket policy so you need to look in independent health food shops to find it.

Welsh Beauties - Earthbound Organics

Earthbound Organics is based in Wales and some of the ingredients are handpicked from the Welsh countryside.  There are no chemical nasties in Earthbound products.  I came across the website whilst browsing online and asked if I could review some products.  I was sent Organic Rose Toner, Honey Mud Mask, Jojoba & Vitamin E cream and Chickweed & Calendula cream (ideal for eczema).

I have enjoyed using the Honey Mud Mask.  My BF found it rather amusing his first comment when he saw me wearing it was “I didn't realise you had joined the SAS”.  The mask contains green clay, rosewater and honey.  It is a bit messy but that is to be expected and it dries out with a tightening effect.  I normally use a moisturising mask (e.g one that is absorbed into the skin) so this was a change for me.  As the mask dries you can feel your skin tighten. When I removed the mask my skin was soft and refreshed.  I personally do not think it is a product I would purchase for myself but if you like the effects of a mud mask this would be one to consider.

I was not able to test the Jojoba & Vitamin E cream as it contains orange oil (one of my allergies) so I gave it to Ickle Sugarpuffish (my sister) to test.  Here are her thoughts……

"When I first opened the pot the cream reminded me of butter icing.  The texture is soft to the touch and fragrance has a lovely hint of citrus.  It absorbed straight into my skin leaving no sticky residue.  My face feels so soft and I even used it all over my body.  This is a fantastic cream and great value for money.  I will be buying this cream for myself."

The Chickweed & Calendula Cream has been pleasant to use.  For clarification I currently have mild patchy eczema with unbroken skin but I was previously using another product which produced good results.  I cannot decide whether this cream is having an effect on my eczema but it certainly is not doing it any harm.  I have passed the product onto my best friend who has eczema and I will report back at a later stage with her thoughts.

Overall Earthbound Organic products have been a pleasure to use.  My one criticism is I found the fragrance of the mask and toner a little overpowering for my senses. 

Disclaimer – I was sent these products free of charge, all opinions are my own and I am not being paid to do this review or to promote the website/product.

Balance Me Body Wash

As you all know the other weekend I picked up the September issue of Red Magazine because it came with a Balance Me Body Wash.  If you are not already familiar with the brand then let me tell you Balance Me has an impressive free from list - no parabens, sulphates, petroleum, mineral oils, silicones, dea, pegs, propylene glycol, artificial fragrances and colours. 

I chose the Rose Otto and have been using it every day.  It has a pleasant aroma, lathers reasonably well and does not irritate or dry out my skin.  It does what you would expect and want from a body wash.  In comparison to my regular shower gel (Naked's Ooh la la Coco de Mer) the consistency and texture is runny and light whereas Naked is creamy and thick. 

I would not purchase a full size 260ml bottle as it costs £12.25.  If I was given this product as a gift I would not complain but I am not prepared to spend £12 of my own money on a body wash.  I get the same, if not slightly better results from Naked and that costs £3.79 for 250ml.  At the end of the day the choice is yours if you have the money to spend then treat yourself or if you are looking for a luxury gift then this would be ideal.  My opinion is that shower gels fulfils a basic need and Balance Me is like any other body wash/shower gel on the market.  

Has anyone else tried Balance Me products?

  

Let me tell you about...Naturally Thinking

Naturally Thinking is a great company that hand makes chemical free aromatherapy skin care at affordable prices.  I discovered the website a few years ago and have used many of their products.  The range of products available from Naturally Thinking is large and varied so rather than list them all in this post you may like to click here.


If you are looking for a low cost but effective paraben free and vegan friendly moisturiser then check out Naturally Thinking.  The range has 8 different face creams for a variety of skin types.  Prices range from £5 to £14 and my personal favourite is Lavender & Geranium (£7).  This cream absorbs easily and keeps dry patches moisturised.  You can compliment your chosen moisturiser with a cleanser, face wash, toner, face masks, exfoliator and eye treatment, all of which are very reasonably priced.  

Even though I am not currently using any of their products, I do feel they are worthy of a mention.  We are all feeling the effects of the credit crunch and they are a brand I turn to when my bank account is almost running on empty.  I have never been disappointed with the quality of these products so that is why I have confidence in recommending them. Delivery is available within UK and Worldwide.

Have a great weekend everyone

Caring Naturally with Tisserand Hand Creams

I am probably not the only women in the world obsessed with hand cream.  I usually have a tube in my handbag and another at work.  I can not tolerate dry hands.   The winter months are always the worst and if my hands dry out I will flare up with eczema.

I am a fickle customer and I swap brands continually.  I have been impressed by many but I am never 100% satisfied.  For a hand cream to stand out it must be chemical free to reduce the chance of irritation and moisturise without leaving a greasy residue. 

My current favourite is Tisserand Aromatherapy hand & nail cream in Lavender.

I am a huge fan of Lavender as I find it very soothing and relaxing.  The natural fragrance in this product is perfect, it is a heady scent that makes the task of applying the cream a real pleasure.  It is always a good pick me up when I am having a stressful day in the office.

The cream has a good consistency not too thick but not too thin and as you massage into your skin it feels silky.  It absorbs without leaving a residue and I find I do not have to re-apply regularly.  It really does what it says on the tube “refreshing fragrance, this fast absorbing cream will leave the hands feeling intensely moisturised and super soft”.  I could not describe it any better.  

There are two other varieties of hand cream available - Intensive Oil Rich and Rejuvenating Wild Rose & Lemon Leaf.  Tisserand hand creams are organic, free from synthetic fragrance & parabens and suitable for vegans.  A 75ml tube will cost you £6.75

What is your favourite hand cream?  Have you tried Tisserand products?  

Post Weekend Catch Up

I hope everyone has had a good weekend?  I noticed I gained a few more followers so I would like to say Hello, Thank You and I look forward to your comments.  It also gives me a warm fuzzy feeling to know that I have now nudge over 100 followers.

For me the weekend was about simple pleasures and some new discoveries.  I was like a kid at Christmas when I discovered Starbucks have re-launched their Frappucinos - yes I am late to the party, I don't frequent Starbucks regularly.  The new Frapps can be made Dairy Free perfect for those of you who are Vegan or have a Milk Allergy (the latter being me!).  My local Starbucks was a little bit sketchy with the details so there is still some research to be done because I am not sure if all varieties are suitable.  You can definitely have the Strawberry & Cream and it is delicious.  I will be fully embracing my new found freedom but my bank account might not be thanking me.  Why is Starbucks expensive? Plus they charge you extra for Soya Milk *sigh!*

As you are probably aware subscription beauty boxes have been launched in the UK.  You can guess why I do not subscribe to Glossybox so I have been keeping an eye out to see if anyone would cotton on to the fact that there would be a gap in the market for a natural beauty box.  Well I found one girls....Amarya have launched a £10 a month box.  I have not subscribe just yet as I am still weighing up the expense and waiting to read some blogger reviews. 

I made some savvy purchases at the weekend so look out for upcoming reviews.  Red Magazine has included a Balance Me shower gel (chemical free brand) with the September issue.  You get a 125ml tube for the price of the magazine £3.80 not bad considering the full size retails for £12 - one of the reasons why I have never tried it before.  I had a mooch around Superdrug (I am a Boots Girl) and discovered Superdrug's own brand Feminine Wipes (£1.49). They are paraben free so I grabbed a packet to try.  I also bought Naked Perfect Getaway Cleanser because it was on special offer (half price £2.24).  This is another product which I was determined to track down but the mistake I was making was only looking in Boots *doh!*.

I also kept the Postman busy this weekend with parcel deliveries.  I have been on the look out for products to try and have made a few requests for samples.  Cornish Creams and Earthbound have been kind enough to fulfil my request, so keep an eye out for a review in a couple of weeks.


Monday Morning Blues hit me hard this morning and I am counting down to the next weekend.  Tell me Girls what new discoveries did you make this weekend? Good or Bad.

Just a quick update....I wrote to Starbucks they confirmed all new Frapps are Vegan friendly with exception of the Caramel Drizzle on top of the Caramel Frappuccino (plus remember to ask for no whip cream). 


Images from shabbyblogs.com & mycutegraphics.com

Natural Facial Cleansers

 Firstly, I am someone who prefers a cream cleanser that was not always the case but as I get older my skin has changed and it requires some TLC which I think a cream cleanser provides.  When I first changed my skin care routine to chemical free products I started out with now very famous and award winning Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish.  It is an amazing product but over the years the cost has slowly increased and I have sort out cheaper alternatives.  For some time I was using Akin Rose & Geranium Creamy Cleanser which I highly recommend but then I was made redundant and I had to consider my budget again.   In 2009 (I checked my order history!) I switched to Natural Being Manuka Creamy Cleanser.  I was attracted by the price point of £4.99 for 100ml.

The brand is from New Zealand and is free from chemical nasties.  It contains manuka honey which is known for antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and healing properties.  If you currently use products containing Tea Tree I would recommend switching to Manuka.  The healing properties are stronger in Manuka and it is not as harsh on the skin as Tea Tree. 

This is a light cream cleanser which I apply to damp skin and remove with a muslin cloth.  After cleansing my skin feels refreshed but never dehydrated, it removes my foundation with ease and it never irritates my sensitive skin.  It does not have a strong fragrance in fact to my senses it smells of very little.  However, there seems to be a love it or hate it reaction to the fragrance if you read the reviews at My Pure website.  Overall, I can not be without this product it ticks all the boxes for me.  For the first time since 2009 I have been trying other cleansers as I want  to expand my blog but honestly after a few days I find myself switching back to this one.  

There are other products in the range to compliment the cleanser and the range caters to various skin types, for example, there is a foaming wash for oiler skin types.  I have tried the Rich Day Moisturiser it is a lovely product.  Personally I found during the winter months my skin was to dry and it was not quite up to the job but don't let that put you off trying it for yourself.

Click here for a link to the company website which will be useful for my followers in USA & Canada.  For those of you in the UK I have only known it to be stocked at MyPure and I did find it at Calendula in Southwold. 

Ingredients: Aqua (water), Cetearyl olivate, Sorbitan olivate, Macadamia ternifolia (macadamia) seed oil, Persea gratissima (avocado) oil, Glucose, Sclerotium gum, Decyl glucoside, Mel (manuka honey), Potassium sorbate, Parfum (fragrance)*, Glucose oxidase, Lactoperoxidase, Tocopherol (vitamin E), Leptospermum scoparium (manuka) oil, Geraniol*, Limonene*, Linalool*. (* From natural essential oils)

Have you tried Konjac Sponges?

If you have not heard about Konjac Sponges they are 100% natural because they are made from plant fibres (Konjac potatoes).  I had to try one for myself so I purchased the Original version.

The sponge is dome shaped and easily fits into the palm of your hand.  The sponge has a net structure and is extremely soft and squidgy, perfect for delicate sensitive skin types.  Apparently there is no need to use additional cleansers with the sponge you can simply hydrate it with water and cleanse away dirt.  I prefer to use a cleanser as I was not convinced I was removing all my makeup.  I admit this may just be my mind playing tricks on me but it just feels wrong to only be using water.

Overall, I prefer to use the sponge instead of my usual muslin cloth.  I am really impressed by how my skin feels after using it.  It is a pleasure to use the softness is wonderful making it perfect for eczema suffers. 

According to the website on average it will last for 3 months, can be sterilised in boiling water and can be composted when it is time to dispose of it.  In addition to the Original sponge there are other sponges to chose depending if you wish to address a specific skin type.  There is a choice of red, green and pink French clay or bamboo charcoal or baby.  Prices range from £5.25 to £5.75 from http://www.konjacspongecompany.com/

Has anyone else tried these sponges?

My Hero Product

This small tube is a staple item in my handbag and my life saver.  I discovered it on my travels around Australia and have been using it for a number of years.  Little did I know that it was a celebrity must have product.

Pawpaw or Papaya has fantastic health and healing properties.  Raw papaya is rich in vitamins and minerals and the active ingredient in salves is the enzyme papain.

  

My tube of salve is multipurpose it makes a fantastic lip balm, heals cuts, moisturises dry skin and most of all calms my itchy eczema.  If anyone has a skin condition that they cannot ‘cure’ I always recommend giving Pawpaw a try as it often does the job.  Some suggestions for uses of pawpaw are nappy rash, dry skin, cuts, abrasions, chafing, heat rash, mosquito bites, insect bites, sunburn, eczema, psoriasis & open wounds.

The salve pictured here is made by Simmons & Co.  It is a thick consistency and I reckon this 25g tube has lasted me almost a year.  Sadly, I recently read that it is no longer being manufactured as Mr Simmons has retired but I must not fear as there are other brands on the market.  However it is still a sad loss as I know this one so well.  One word of warning is there are some brands of Pawpaw that contain petrochemicals.  Lucas Pawpaw Ointment (in a red tube) is often featured in magazines but it is petroleum jelly based whereas Simmons contains natural waxes.

In the past I have purchase this product from http://www.pawpawshop.co.uk.  I have also seen it in the Australian Shop in Covent Garden, London.

On a funny note I know a Labrador with particular fondness for this product and I found her with my tube of Pawpaw between her teeth.  She had got into my handbag and decided that was what she wanted to eat and she ignored the chewy sweets.

Just for Fun - Top 10 Award

Rules: Mention the person who tagged you

Pass on the award to 10 other bloggers

Say 10 things about you

Name your Top 10 Products

Su of My Perfume Diaries recently awarded me with the Top 10 Award.  I thought I would enter into the spirit of things and respond to the tag.  I am going to skip the 10 things about me part because I can not think of anything interesting but here are my Top 10 products.

1. Gwdihw lip balm in cherry flavour

2. Boots Natural Collection Nail Polish in Twinkleberry 

3. Brown Earth Mango, Shea & Coco Butter body cream

4. Laidbare Hair Today Gone Tomorrow

5. Liz Earle Intensive Nourishing Treatment Mask

6. Natural Being Manuka Creamy Cleanser

7. Tisserand Lavender Oil

8. Macadamia Hair Oil

9. Su's handmade Cherry Sorbet fragrance

10. Alba Terra Gloss in Bloom

I pass on the Top 10 Award to the following lovely ladies

1. Sugar and Silk

2. Annabellacinderella

3. DeyiMizu

4. Little Gray Fox

5. Nixola's Lala Land

6. Kissed By Sweets

7. Saloule

8. Frivolous Loves

9. Cruelty Free Beauty Junkie

10. Jade By The Sea

Special Offer for my Followers

The other day I blogged about Pure Thoughts click here.  I decided to let them know what I thought about my purchase.  Imagine my surprise when they emailed back and informed me they would like to offer my readers a discount.

The offer is £1 off any whipped shea butter for the month of August - the code SUGARPUFFISH (Upper Case) needs to be entered in the voucher code box during checkout and the discount will be applied.

A huge thank you to Pure Thoughts and I hope my Readers are able to make use of the offer.

Fake Natural Skincare - Sanex Zero, Jergens, Lush

I feel there are number of products on the market that claim to be natural and organic but are full of chemicals.  It is all about clever marketing, ambiguous wording and fancy packaging.  If you decide to opt for chemical free skin care you need to become a savvy shopper and learn the chemical lingo.  As the saying goes “do not judge a book by its cover”.  It is a skill that takes a little while to perfect and I do not always get it right, remember the Body Shop shower gel? Click Here

The inspiration for this blog post came from a sample of Sanex Zero % which drop out of a magazine I was reading.  At first glance this product gives you the impression that it contains zero chemicals simply from its name and the list of 0% ingredients.  Turn the packaging around and you read “contains a reduced number of ingredients” which is a clever use of words.  Cast your eye over the ingredients and the truth is revealed – it contains SLS and parfum.  This product puzzles me why go to all the trouble of removing parabens, colourants, phthalates and phenoxyethanol but leave in parfum and sodium laureth sulphate (SLS)? 

Another product that gets my blood boiling is Jergens Natural.  I am getting fed up of hearing this product promoted as a “natural” skin cream.  The 95% natural ingredients part is rather misleading as it does not mean that 95% of the product is natural.  Jergens have removed petrochemicals and parabens but left in Myristyl Myristate, Cyclopentasiloxane, PEG-100 Stearate, Ceteareth-20. 

If you really want to make me mad just say “Lush” to me.  Lush is hiding behind its image of natural handmade products but it is far from being natural.  The majority of their products are full of parabens, parfum and SLS. Lush brush this off by telling you they only use a small of amount preservatives so it doesn't count. Lush marketing hooked me in many years ago when I was less knowledgeable.   I purchased Dream Cream, a product which gets recommended for eczema.  After a bad reaction I read the label properly and it contains parabens.  I found a very interesting article about Lush and I recommend you take time to read it Click Here.

If you wish to research the ingredients in your skin care products I can point you in the direction of http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ or simply do a Google search.  I have previously blogged my own list of ingredients to avoid Click here.

16/08/11 Update - there was another brand I forgot to add to this post - Nivea Pure & Natural thebeautyshortlist.com

Dr Organic Manuka Honey Face Scrub

Dr Organic is a large skincare line which can be found on the high street at Holland & Barrett.  I have been looking at the range for months and months but never took the plunge into making a purchase.

The brand contains no harsh chemicals and all products are suitable for vegetarians (some are vegan friendly).  You will find a variety of skin care items within the following ranges - Aloe Vera, Pomegranate, Tea Tree, Vitamin E, Lavender, Virgin Olive Oil, Royal Jelly, Rose Otto & Manuka Honey.

I had been looking for a natural face scrub/exfoliator for quite some time.  Even though I have sensitive skin I like to use a face scrub so I can eliminate flaky dry patches.   It is important that the scub is very gentle in order not to aggravate my skin.

Dr Organic has a face scrub in 3 of its ranges - Manuka Honey, Rose Otto and Virgin Olive Oil.  I opted for Manuka Honey because it is known for its excellent healing properties.

So the packaging blurb says “A bioactive deep cleansing exfoliant with natural skin restoring and nourishing properties. Bioactive Organic Manuka Honey has a host of skin repairing a restoring properties. In combination with a complex blend of bioactive, natural and organic ingredients and formulated using natural micro particles of volcanic lava, corn cob powder and ground fruit seed, we have produced an exceptionally deep cleansing, repairing exfoliant that removes impurities and excess oil whilst restoring, nourishing and moisturising the skin to give a radiant youthful glow.”

This scrub has a very strong smell of honey which I like but I can see that it might not suit every sense of smell.  The product has a cream consistency.  The grains are very fine but still have enough abrasion to do the job.  After using this product my skin is soft, glowing and does not feel tight or dry.  I do not have to apply my moisturiser immediately after I have scrubbed.

The entire range has a really good price point.  I purchased this scrub for £5.99 (125ml) there was a slight variation in price between this one and the Rose Otto and Olive Oil but only by a few pennies.  Overall I am very impressed.  I am definitely going to be purchasing this product again and will be taking a look at the other skin care products by Dr Organic.

Has anyone else tried Dr Organic?  I would love to hear what you think.

Pure Thoughts Whipped Shea Butter

I cannot remember how I came across the website but I have known about Pure Thoughts (website link) long before I have been blogging.  In the past I have purchased their soaps as they make lovely gifts.   All the products made by Pure Thoughts are free from parabens, SLS, petrochemicals, artificial fragrance, colours and preservatives.

This time round I decided to indulge myself in the skin care line and purchased the Lavender & Jojoba Shea Butter body cream/butter. 

This cream is super thick, rich and very luxurious.  It is not something you slap on when you are in a hurry, this is a product to take your time with and pamper every part of your body.  It takes a little while for the product to sink in so I use it before bedtime and then when I wake up in the morning there is no residue just super smooth soft skin.  You are definitely going to love this product if you have extremely dry skin and I can see myself really benefiting from it during the winter months.

A 45g jar costs £6.95 which is a bargain for such a lovely product.  It goes a long way and Pure Thoughts recommend using it sparingly.  It is available with other fragrances – peppermint and tangerine plus there is an unscented version.  Other products on offer include soaps, balms, face masks and scrubs, bath bombs and melts and gift sets.   

I would also like to compliment the company on fast delivery and attention to detail as my order included a free mini soap.

Delivery is limited to UK Mainland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands.