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How to wash curly hair, naturally!

February 19, 2018 · 20 Comments

How to wash curly hair, naturally!

How to wash curly hair, naturally!

 

I have had curly hair all my life and only last year did I find out how to wash and care for it properly. All those wasted years when I could have had really good hair!

Anyway, I am now spreading the word to all my fellow curlies. It’s all about ‘squish to condish and plopping!’

I follow the technique taught to me by my curl-specialist hairdresser. Yes, it’s a thing! Find someone trained in cutting and caring for curls – it makes the world of difference.  I then modified this technique over time to a more basic version for someone who works at home and doesn’t need to look fancy every day.

Us curly-headed people need to use the right products and the right method to keep our curls hydrated, defined and fizz free. There is a real art to it.

The first time I had my hair cut and washed this way I could not believe how good it looked!

 

What products to use:

If you have curly hair, it’s recommended to avoid sulphates, silicones, parabens and synthetic fragrance. Actually, I would encourage everyone to avoid those ingredients, not just curlies!

There are some great curly-specific products on the market but I struggled to find ones that were affordable and not full of nasty chemicals. Call me crazy, but I don’t want to spend $50 on a shampoo that’s bad for my health and the planet!

My curly genes are strong and I also have two curly-haired kids (that’s my gorgeous girl in the photo), so I need to buy something safe for all of us to use that isn’t going to break the budget.

I recently tried out some of  ecostore’s newly formulated shampoo and a conditioner for dry, damaged and coloured hair and was pleasantly surprised to find it worked a treat on our curly hair even thought it’s not specifically designed for curly hair!

Here’s what I like…

♥ Free of the sulphates, silicones, parabens and synthetic fragrance that are no-no for curls

♥ Is affordable (under $11 and sometimes on sale for even less)

♥ Is naturally derived (plant and mineral based)

♥ Has no nasty chemicals

♥ Uses renewable sugar-cane plastic packaging that can be recycled

♥ Has a concentrated formula so you only need to use a tiny bit

♥ Is not tested on animals

♥ Is free from genetically engineered products

♥ Has sustainable and ethical company practices

♥ Is easy to find (most Woolworths stores have it!)

Ecostore is a brand I have always used and trusted. Founded in New Zealand by Malcolm and Melanie Rands, they are experts in natural, low-toxin products.  They have complete transparency and list every ingredient in every product on the labels and on the website.

So as well as having good hair, you can do good every day for your health, your family and for the environment.

 

 

How to wash curly hair:

♥  First off, never brush your hair. Throw that brush away. I wish someone had told me that when I was a kid and used to brush my hair one hundred times and wondered why I always looked like a frizzy mess!

♥ Shampoo by gently massaging the scalp with fingertips and then scrunching the shampoo through the hair from the bottom up. Don’t rub the hair and mess up the curls. Rinse well, gently.

♥ Condition by emulsifying some conditioner with water in your hands and then applying to hair using a combing type action, in sections. Gently squeeze the conditioner into small sections of your hair at a time, while adding little trickles of water. Add more conditioner as you go. After it feels slippery all over (like cooked noodles), squish-scrunch your hair from the bottom up in small handfuls. This is called ‘squish to condish’ and should sound like you are walking in wet shoes.

♥ Rinse out gently- don’t have the shower on full spray, just trickling. Leave some of the conditioner still in your hair (I know this was freaking me out but I got used to it!)

♥ While your hair is still soaking wet, add some leave-in conditioner that you have emulsified in your hands. Use the same scrunch-squishing method to apply.

♥ Without rinsing or touching the hair,  jump out of the shower and flip your hair upside down over a micro-fibre hair turban and then tie it up (this is called ‘plopping’ –  it’s the technical term, I am not making that up!)

♥ After leaving it in the turban for about half an hour, take it out and gently adjust the hair so it’s sitting how you want it and then let it air-dry. It’s really important you don’t touch your hair while it’s drying. The more you fiddle with it, the more frizz you will get.

♥ When it’s completely dry, smooth out any fly-aways with more emulsified leave-in conditioner ( I only bother if I am going out in public!)

♥  I am very low-maintenance so this is enough for me. But if you want to get fancy, you can add some hair gel or styling products after the leave-in conditioner as well. And you can also use a hair dryer on a diffuser on a very low setting to dry it quicker.

 

So, if you have curly hair and have not discovered the right products and the right method, give it a go!

Have a play around, ‘squish to condish’ and see what works best for your hair.  Try out the ecostore shampoo and conditioner and let me know what you think.

If your curls are dry and in bad condition, it can take a while to nurture them back to good health, so keep persevering. Be gentle with those curls and embrace them.

Let me know how you go and if you have any questions, leave me a comment below!

PS Find out more about ecostore here.

 

 

 

 

( this post is sponsored)

Filed In: FAMILY, SELF / Tagged: beauty, conditioner, curly girl, curly girl method, curly hair, eco beauty, ecostore, hair, hair care, shampoo

The Best Natural Makeup Brands

June 4, 2015 · 45 Comments

The Best Natural Makeup Brands

The Best Natural Makeup Brands

My daughter and I have had heaps of fun experimenting with brands and products over the last few months to bring you this epic round up of natural makeup!

I am pretty much a low-maintenance sort of girl and working from home means I only wear make up occasionally. However when I do wear it, I want it to be all natural and to look good! My teenage daughter loves makeup as is pretty normal with girls of that age. She likes totally different types and colours to me, so it was good to trial things from both perspectives.

Now just like skincare, makeup is such a personal thing. We all have different skin types and colourings and ages, so these are just our thoughts on how they went on our skin.

 

My tip is to try out some samples or travel kit sizes first and see how they go on your skin.

 

Why would you use natural makeup?

Well, regular make up can contain a whole load of toxic chemicals. David Suzuki says…

“One in eight of the 82,000 ingredients used in personal care products are industrial chemicals, including carcinogens, pesticides, reproductive toxins, and hormone disruptors. Many products include plasticizers (chemicals that keep concrete soft), degreasers (used to get grime off auto parts), and surfactants (they reduce surface tension in water, like in paint and inks). Imagine what that does to your skin, and to the environment!”

You can download his full report on toxic ingredients here. It’s an eye-opening read! Anything we put on our skin gets absorbed into our bloodstream. One or two suspect ingredients may be okay for us to handle but when you think of how many products we use and the cumulative effect, it starts to get worrying.

I use another two trusted resources in working out what to put on my skin – The Chemical Maze books and the EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database. Do your research and learn what to avoid and what is safe!

Thankfully over recent years, this information is becoming more mainstream and there are many companies making natural products.

 

Here is my round-up of the best natural makeup brands available in Australia.

 

Ere Perez♥ Ere Perez

Ere Perez are a big name in the natural makeup world and with good reason – it’s great stuff! Ere Perez is an Australian company, does not test on animals, has a vegan range and contains quality natural ingredients.

I am a long time lover of the Oat Milk liquid foundation – it’s beautifully light to wear and doesn’t feel greasy or weird on my skin. My daughter and I have been fighting over the Pure Rice Powder blush – it’s very subtle but gives you a nice healthy glow. Probably their best known and a little bit of a cult product is the Almond Oil Mascara. Yep, I agree – it’s fabulous! No itchy eyes with this one.

Ere Perez is in the mid range of pricing with foundations at $39.90 for 40ml and lipsticks at $29.90.

 

♥ MG Naturals  

MG Naturals stands for Mama Going Natural and is also Kailah, a natural new age mum from Queensland. Her range is fairly new and it’s available online. You can get foundation, BB cream, blusher and lip glaze. MG Naturals are all cruelty free, vegan, chemical free, hydrating & soothing and they are one of the few brands in the world who don’t use Titanium Dioxide, Boron Nitride or Magnesium Stearate in their make up lines.

My daughter and I tested the BB cream and we like it. It’s a very sheer, light coverage so it’s good for her to wear to school as it doesn’t look like you are wearing make up but still gives a nice polished look. It was a little too sheer for me so I needed another application. It feels heavenly on your skin though – very light and in fact I forgot I was wearing it!

MG Naturals is very reasonably priced with the foundations at $24.95 for 30ml  and the lip glazes at just $9.95 for 15ml. Find the range online and check out Kailah’s Facebook page, Mama Going Natural.

La Mav♥ La Mav

La Mav are an Australian made and owned company, despite their exotic sounding name! As well as being cruelty free and environmentally conscious, the range is based on scientifically proven bio-actives.

The make up line includes a BB Creme, mineral foundation, powder, bronzer and tinted lip treatments. All products contain Vitamin C and Rosehip Oil providing proven anti-ageing benefits while nourishing and protecting your skin from free radicals.

We totally love the amazing  La Mav Organic BB Creme which has become very famous. I think it’s the best BB cream I have tried – so smooth on the skin and it looks invisible. We were equally impressed with the mineral foundation – it gives the skin a beautiful coverage with light-reflecting particles giving off a nice glow. The lip tint is also ingenious – it feels incredibly moisturizing and stayed on my lips and then I realized it was actually a hydrating lip treatment with bioactive, anti-ageing ingredients and not just a lip gloss! I tried the nude colour which was a very natural look with a hint of glossiness.

La Mav is in the middle of the pricing range with the BB Creme at $39.95 for 5oml and the Lip Tints at $19.95 for 8ml.

♥ Inika

Inika is a beautiful brand, with half the range certified organic and the other half all natural. Pure minerals, organic active botanicals and quality ingredients are used to give a natural finish. They are also certified vegan and cruelty free. I love that all the packaging is recyclable and some products are made from recycled materials.

The range is extensive and you will find everything you need from primers to lip tints. It’s great quality and lovely to use. The foundation is light, smooth and looks flawless but I found it a little too light in coverage for me.  The Lip Tint that I tried (Cherish) was beautiful – gorgeously hydrating and smooth and great staying power. But being a natural sort of girl, I wasn’t a fan of the dark purple colour. The Champagne Creme eyeshadow is awesome as a base for your eye make up. I use the organic eyeliner regularly – the little sharpener on the end is brilliant.

Inika is a the high-end of the pricing range with foundations at $65 for 30ml and lipsticks at$36.50.

 

Zuii Organic

♥ Zuii Organic

One of the few brands to have the entire range certified organic, Australian made Zuii Organic stands out for its tag line ‘wear flowers on your face’.  Floral botanicals are used in the creation of the products with rose and jasmine featuring. As well as being cruelty free, Zuii Organics are also vegan friendly, gluten free and toxin free.

The range is the most extensive I have seen, with loads of colours to suit everyone. They don’t do mineral powders, but they have liquid and powder foundations as well as primers. The products contain things like Vitamin C and E as well as the floral botanicals, so it’s actually good for your skin!

Zuii Organic is the first natural make up I ever tried. I am still a huge fan of the foundation – it’s exactly the right colour for me with flawless coverage and a smooth finish while still looking natural to wear.  I also love the melon blush and the hibiscus lip tint. The products seem to last forever. The only thing I wasn’t keen on in is the concealer pencil – the texure is a little cakey for me and it didn’t sit well on my skin.

Zuii Organic is surprisingly in the mid-price range with foundations at $40 for 30ml and lipsticks at $26.

Adorn Cosmetics♥ Adorn Cosmetics 

Adorn Cosmetics are also a popular name in natural makeup. The range is non-toxic, natural, organic, vegan, and Australian made and owned. They even have earth-friendly product refills and have no palm oil. All the range is made from natural, pure mineral and organic ingredients from sustainable sources.

They have a huge range including liquid, mineral and cream foundations, primers, bronzers, mascara, lip pencils and balms. I love the Hydrating Primer and think I need to add a primer into my makeup routine. It just makes the makeup sit so well on your skin (and probably that extra bonus for skin like mine that is no longer in the flush of youth!). I preferred the liquid foundation over the mineral powder and creme foundation, but that is a personal preference.

Adorn is very much on the higher end of the pricing scale with foundations at $65 for 30mls and lipsticks at $40 for 6g.

♥ Eco Minerals

Eco Minerals is a small Aussie company based in Byron Bay. They are certified vegan, don’t test on animals and contain no palm oil or nasties. As the name suggests, they specialize in mineral make up and the range includes mineral based foundation powders, blush, bronzer, eye shadows as well as mascara and concealers.

Check out the online colour match app which will help you pick the right shade for you. I selected a mineral foundation using the app and it was pretty accurate – perhaps a touch too yellow on me but nothing that looks out of place. I am not usually a fan of mineral makeup as I find it sits funny on my skin and doesn’t help the look of my large pores. However this one is quite good! The natural spf of 24 is a definite highlight.

Eco Minerals is in the high end pricing range with $33.00 for 5g of mineral foundation. I love that you can get a refill for your pot though, so it’s eco-friendly. Refills are $28.60.

Check out Eco Minerals online here.

♥ Lily Lolo

Lily Lolo is a UK brand of mineral makeup with everything from BB cream to nail polish in the range. My daughter particularly liked this range for the funky packaging (street cred!) and the affordable price.  The quality is fabulous and free of any parabens, synthetic perfumes or dyes.

They are at the lower end of the pricing scale with lipsticks at $19 and foundations at $29.50 for 10g.

 

♥ Raww Australian Organics

Raww are a new brand in Australia and fast becoming very popular! All the makeup products are certified cruelty free, all natural and made in Australia.

The ingredient list includes superfoods like coconut water, avocado oil and green tea to nourish your skin. I have the Wildberry Foundation and it smells amazing. I love the light, natural feel of the foundation – you forget you are wearing it and there is no irritating itchiness. The coverage is medium but you can build it up with layers if you want to.

It’s well-priced with 30ml of foundation for $34.99 and lipsticks for $24.99

 

♥ Nature Delivers

I met the lovely Jo from Nature Delivers a few years ago at an expo. I love her makeup! It’s very affordable, it looks nice and it’s all natural. There is everything you need including mineral powders, blush, bronzer, concealers, eyeshadow, eyeliners, mascara and lipsticks and lipglosses. You can even buy a set and save a bit of cash – great for gifts.

My daughter is a big fan of the mineral powder and we order it regularly. I think my favourite is the eye shadows and the lip gloss wands – I love the natural look and the colours are all very subtle and natural. The mascara is also one of our favourites.

Nature Delivers is very reasonably priced with the foundations at $41 for 15g and the lipsticks at $24. Jo only sells at markets around Byron Bay and online (this is how she keeps the prices so nice). Check out Jo’s website here and on Facebook here.

 

♥ Benecos

Benecos are a German brand that’s recently landed in Australia. It’s the best budget-friendly brand I have tried. My teenager loves it because she can afford it herself and it’s still good quality and all natural.

I was surprised at how good the coverage was with the foundation when I used it myself! Recommended for those who want something natural but don’t want to spend a fortune.

Where to shop:

You can find some of these brands in health food stores or eco-stores, but I find the range to be limited. I usually shop online for the more extensive range of products available. I order samples and try out the colours before I commit to the full size products.

 

♥ Biome Eco Store.  Founded by Tracey Bailey, this small family business is a favourite. They stock a huge range of things, that are organic, natural, recycled and fairtrade; makeup being just one of their lines. Tracey has a rewards program, free shipping over $130 and a 5% discount.

 

I couldn’t talk about make up without mentioning the great range of bamboo make up brushes by Eco Tools. They are vegan, eco-friendly and cruelty free.

 

Again, I will reiterate that make up is such a personal thing so get your hands on some samples and have a play. I would love to know your experiences with natural make up and what you love! Leave us a comment.

 

You might also want to read:

The Best Australian Natural Skincare Brands

The Best Natural Perfumes

The Best Natural Sunscreens

The Best Natural Insect Repellents

 

 

{this post contains some sponsored content and affiliate links}

Filed In: SELF / Tagged: cosmetics, eco beauty, green beauty, lipstick, makeup, mascara, mineral makeup, natural beauty, natural makeup, non toxic makeup, organic beauty, organic makeup

The Best Australian Natural Skincare Brands

June 19, 2014 · 43 Comments


The Best Australian Natural Skincare Brands

 

I often get asked what natural skincare brands are best, so I have made you a list with some of my favourites. Skincare is such a personal thing though, so try a few out and find something that suits your skin. Some places have options of sample packs or travel packs, which is a great way to go to see if you like a range. I have added in a few little discounts that I could find for you as well. For specific information, click on the links!

 

“The average woman uses 12 products containing 168 different ingredients daily” EWG

 

Why would you use natural skincare?

The skin is our largest organ and whatever you put on it, goes directly into your blood stream and to your organs. Much of the skincare in the marketplace is full of nasty toxins that have been linked with cancers, allergies, asthma, hormone disruption and so much more. There is also the accumulative effect to consider of using these products, day in day out over your lifetime.

 

Unfortunately, the labelling laws in our country are a little behind the times and products can use the natural or organic labels even if they only contain tiny amounts of natural ingredients. As consumers, we have to educate ourselves and be a little savvy. My top tip is that if something claims to be organic and it’s less than $10, it’s probably not. Good quality organic and natural ingredients are not cheap to produce so you do have to pay for the quality. But, to be honest, I can’t put a price on my health, so I choose to use great quality natural products and cut back on other expenses.

 

I use two trusted resources in working out what to put on my skin – The Chemical Maze books and the EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database. Do your research and learn what to avoid and what is safe!

 

♥ Twenty8

Twenty8 is a 100% natural range, free from all synthetic chemicals, preservatives and fragrances. Twenty8 is a truly holistic aromatherapy based range, working on both a cellular and psychological level. Kim uses only the highest quality products using therapeutic-grade, botanical ingredients which penetrate deeply into the layers of the skin to deliver exceptional results. I love these products – the aromatherapy oils really make it a special experience.

Check out Twenty8 online.

♥  Eco by Sonya

Eco by Sonya Driver started with one product – Eco Tan and it’s grown to become an Aussie favourite over the last few years. The gorgeous skincare range is certified organic and powered by fruits, vegetables and seeds. Vegan and cruelty free, Eco by Sonya has no synthetic ingredients and no SLS’s or parabens.

Get it online here.

kelapa organic skincare♥ Kelapa Organics

Kelapa Organics is a boutique luxury organic skin care company with a hero ingredient of coconut oil. The products are 100% natural, made with certified organic ingredients, vegan friendly and accredited cruelty free. Kelapa Organics is an Australian owned family business and is based in Melbourne where all the products are made.

As well as skin care, Kelapa also have haircare, bath, baby and body care in the range. Get free shipping when you spend over $50 and $10 off your first order when you sign up.  I found the skin care range to be great on my face – it’s beautiful quality and feels very luxurious.

Find Kelapa Organics online. 

 

 

Gaia Skincare

 ♥ Gaia Skincare

Gaia provides nourishing skincare products that feed your skin and keep it healthy. Gaia have the whole family covered with GAIA Pure Pregnancy, GAIA Natural Baby, GAIA Skin+Body and GAIA Made for Men. They are Australian made and owned and specifically tailored for sensitive skin, combining natural and certified organic oils and extracts.  Essential oils, rather than synthetic fragrances are used. My family love this range – the boys use the men’s range regularly and the NNAD will not use any other shave gel. A very affordable natural range that is also great quality.

Check them out online and get some free samples or find a local stockist. 

 

The Jojoba Company

♥ The Jojoba Company

 The Jojoba Company has created a natural range of skin and body care products with a strong focus on anti-aging and skin­­­ health.

 

The company are committed to not testing on animals or using animal derivatives, parabens, chemicals, sulphates, artificial fragrances, colours, perfumes, PEGs, mineral oil or petrochemicals.

Check out The Jojoba Company online.

 

Here are some other Aussie natural skincare companies to check out:

 

Black Chicken Remedies –  All Black Chicken organic beauty products are hand made with natural ingredients, no parabens, no petrochemicals and no artificial ingredients. Black Chicken Remedies are free from animal cruelty and capture the powerful and anti ageing benefits of therapeutic oils and plant extracts.

La Mav – Certified organic, Australian made and cruelty free. Love the BB Creme!

Antipodes – These are a New Zealand brand (but I love them, so it’s okay!!) Inspired by the natural beauty in NZ, Antipodes do things with style, from the full traceability of ingredients from sustainably cultivated plants, to local production and recyclable packaging.

Mokosh – Fremantle brand, Mokosh is organic, preservative-free, certified organic, palm oil-free and fair trade. They take an unconventional approach to their formulations, using no water. The moisturisers are thus very concentrated – up to 5 times more than a standard lotion.

Vanessa Megan – Quality natural and organic products, certified cruelty free with recyclable packaging. The beautiful products are luxurious, scientifically proven, eco-friendly, and completely natural and organic.

MV Organic Skincare – Originally developed for those with extreme skin sensitivities such as eczema and rosacea, these products are very gentle and effective. Pure quality and enriched with rare and precious oils, this is a luxury skincare range.

Divine – Divine is a premium quality certified organic skincare range formulated by Therese Kerr in Northern NSW.

 

 

Where to shop?

You can find some of these brands in health food stores or eco-stores, but I prefer to shop online for the great range of products available.

 

♥ Biome Eco Store. Founded by Tracey Bailey, this small family business is a favourite. They stock a huge range of things, that are organic, natural, recycled and fairtrade; skincare being just one of their lines. Tracey has a rewards program, free shipping over $130 and a 5% discount.

 

You might also like to read:

The Best Natural Makeup Brands

The Best Natural Perfumes

The Best Natural Sunscreens

The Best Natural Insect Repellents

 

{this post contains some sponsored content and affiliate links}

Filed In: SELF / Tagged: aromatherapy, Australian skin care, clean beauty, eco beauty, essential oils, green beauty, mukti, natural, natural beauty, natural skin care, oils, organic skincare, skincare

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