While there is much attention on sourcing ingredients ethically from overseas, many herbs are still being cultivated for British natural and organic beauty brands, offering convenient solutions for today’s time-pressed green beauty kings and queens.

This article first appeared on BigGreenSmile.com, who deliver a wide range of natural beauty products direct to your home. To view the full article on native British beauty, please click here.

Photo credit: Joss Smithson

In the fifth and sadly, final episode, Channel 4’s Anna Richardson (of Supersize Vs Superskinny and My Big Fat Diet Show fame) demonstrates just how much skin we actually have on our body with buckets of candy!

This week there”s nothing quite sweeter as Anna Richardson once again looks into the British skincare routine, with one non-girly outdoors addict versus a beauty affcionado. With a little help from the experts, you can see what happens when they swap their regimes for three weeks.

We’ve got our final DIY skincare at home with Jergens® Naturals® rich and moisturising avocado body mask.

Ingredients

1 chopped avocado

1 mashed banana

Drizzle of honey

It’s another easy and fun recipe to follow.

1. Mix together the ingredients

2. Apply and leave on your body for twenty minutes and shower off…mmmn how appetizing!

Remember, you are what you put on your skin, so the more quality the ingredients , the more luxuriant the body pack shall we. Here at Greenmystyle.com we recommend organic where possible.

This recipe has been especially made by America’s best-selling bodycare range Jergens® Naturals® Skincare, loved by customers across the globe for over a century. Try its range of highly effective natural moisturisers, formulated from the finest plant-derived extracts, delivering effective body moisturisers for women of all ages, and for a variety of skin types. They’re 95% natural, highly effective and paraben free for beautiful skin.

Click here to find out more about Jergens® Naturals® or join them on Facebook

The parade, organised by Jergens Naturals, started along Carnaby Street, and gained momentum until finishing at Leicester Square. The message was “Plastic Is Out, Natural Is In”, which explains the very unnatural super-scary mannequins in the picture above. I think we can all agree with that message!

Showing her support for the parade, and for Jergens Naturals, Ruby said of the event: “I’ve always been a strong supporter of natural products, and it was great to be part of the day. The amount of people that came along to show their support for Jergens Naturals, body moisturisers was fantastic to see. It just goes to show that natural beauty really is the way forward.”

Jergens Naturals is a bestselling brand in the US. The body moisturisers have been available in the UK since March, in branches of Boots & Superdrug, for a recession-busting £4.88 for a 200ml bottle. The product boasts 95% natural ingredients, including plant derivatives, and is totally paraben-free..

Apparently, Ruby has been bringing back suitcases full of the stuff from the US for years!

The lively march will start at Carnaby Street and end in Leicester Square.  The team will be campaigning to highlight the importance of caring for your skin naturally. Come down and witness this event first-hand.  There will be a few surprises in store!!

Mannequins of all descriptions will be joining in the march. Jergens Naturals says: “The mannequins say it all – our skin is not synthetic so why use a moisturiser that is?”

Where:
Starting at the bottom of Carnaby Street (12.00), walking up towards Argyll Street, onto Regent Street and finally finishing at Leicester Square.

When:
Tuesday 26th May 2009, 12.00pm leaving from Carnaby Street.

Watch the trailer for the new Jergens TV ad

Promotional article

Check out the hot looks for this Spring.

Sarakan is free from sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), fluoride, sugar, artificial colours or preservatives and is not tested on animals, making it a great choice for both adults and children as well as being suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Its powerful natural ingredient for good dental health is an extract of Salvadora persica.

The use of Salvadora persica was discovered over 30 years ago by an army doctor serving in India who noticed his patients had great teeth and gums despite their poor diet.  He discovered that many used a ‘chewing stick’ to clean their teeth and gums.  These sticks came from the shrub Salvadora persica – known as ‘the toothbrush tree’ which is still used in its natural twig state by many Middle Eastern nations who rub the stick on their teeth and gums.

On his return to the UK the doctor developed a toothpaste with the extract and Sarakan was born!  With the natural antiseptic properties of Salvadora persica and flavoured with natural peppermint, clove and geranium, Sarakan naturally cleans, freshens and helps restore natural colour.

Sarakan has been approved by the British Dental Health Foundation, organiser of National Smile Month. This year’s theme for the event is ‘Look After Yourself – Brush For Health’, and will involve a number of events around the country to promote the broader health benefits of good dental care.

BDHF Chief Executive Dr Nigel Carter BDS LDS (RCS) said “The Foundation is delighted to give its approval to Sarakan toothpaste. The product offers an excellent natural alternative on the market, and is free from strong chemicals such as SLS.”

Greenmystyle.com editor Sarah Woodhead has been using Sarakan for the past month. “I don’t like to eat food packed with chemicals, so why would I choose to use toothpaste with chemicals in? Sarakan gives my teeth a fresh feel without leaving an overpowering after-taste. It feels gentle and effective at the same time.”

Sarakan toothpaste (£2.01) and mouthwash (£2.89) is available from Holland & Barratt, independent health stores and chemists.

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Katie writes:

Dear Sarah, after enjoying virtually perfect skin in my late teens and early twenties (women at parties would actually stop me to comment on it!) I now have depressingly spotty skin. I’m nearly 30 and this just shouldn’t be happening.

It seems totally random – not necessarily related to the time of the month for example. I eat fairly well, my diet’s not packed with goodness but neither do I drink loads or eat chocolate. The spots will appear anywhere, on my cheeks, chin, around my eyebrows, at the top of my nose. It’s a mix of blackheads and proper full-on pimples. They can leave unsightly red marks afterwards. All in all, it’s depressing. I have to go to meetings with spots and I feel like a 14-year-old.

Sarah replies:

Adult acne is massively on the increase so you’re not alone Katie.

In many instances it is due to hormone imbalance which is attributed to (among other things) prolonged use of the contraceptive pill and rise of Xeno-oestregens – ‘foreign’ oestregens. These are found in chemical preservatives such as Parabens and Phenoxyethanol which are commonly used in beauty products and every-day toiletries (even ‘organic’ ones!).

Here are some tips to help decongest and rebalance your skin the natural way.

• Lightly exfoliate weekly and follow with a facial steam. You can do this at home with a towel and bowl of hot water. Add a drop of lavender oil to help draw out impurities. Finish with a splash of cold water to close the pores.

• Simplify your skincare regime. When you have a break-out it’s tempting to throw everything and the kitchen sink at it. This can overload the skin and result in further break-outs as your skin struggles to adjust to different moisture levels and ingredients. Less is more!

• Drink plenty of water to rehydrate the skin. Hot water and a slice of lemon will detox and decongest your complexion. Dandelion tea is also a great skin purifier and is thought to improve acne scars.

• Diet is key. Apricots, avocadoes and mangoes are all great skin foods for combating acne. Reduce dairy intake and avoid foods high in refined sugars.

• Catch-up on some shut-eye. Sleep boosts the immune system and is the time your skin gets to regenerate.

• Leave your skin to breathe at night. In the morning, moisturise with our Geranium & Thistle Cream. Geranium is brilliant at calming and rebalancing the skin while Thistle oil helps to clear congestion and reduce pore size.

• Lavender essential oil is good to apply directly on spots. It’s better than chemical spot creams which dry out the skin and is also kinder on the skin than tea tree oil. Apply with a cotton bud directly on to the spot twice a day.

• Avoid foaming face washes as these contain chemical detergents (e.g. sodium lauryl sulphate) which strip away your natural oils and result in excess sebum production and clogged pores.
• Avoid moisturisers containing beeswax. While a great natural ingredient it is solid at room temperature so can block the pores and cause spots.

Also read:

Sarah helps reader Lena combat dry and irritated skin

Visit the Pai Shop on Greenmystyle.com

Go straight to Pai’s website

Reader skin challenge – Hyper-sensitive skin

QueensOfVintage.com editor Lena, 29, writes: “I’ve been having problems with my skin for as long as I can remember. It’s extremely dry and hypersensitive and no matter how much and how often I moisturize, it still keeps flaking. I also have quite red, patchy skin, particularly on my face, which does make me feel quite self-conscious sometimes. Also, I get these little spots particularly on my arms and legs. I take multivitamin tables and moisturize with a zinc-rich cream but nothing seems to work. Please help!”

Sarah replies:

It sounds like you could be allergic to one or more of the ingredients in your skincare products. Hence why the more you apply the more your skin reacts and dries out.

1. Always read the ingredients list
Check the labels on your beauty products as they are seldom as ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ as they claim. Some of the key chemicals to avoid are:

- Propylene glycol: used as a moisturising agent this is a strong skin irritant that is also thought to damage the liver. It’s found in hydraulic fluids and in anti-freeze…so it’s perhaps not surprising why!
- Alcohol: strips away natural oils and can irritate and dry out the complexion. Tip: if alcohol appears near the top of the ingredients list, then there’s a lot of it!
- Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate: common Paraben (preservative) replacement but one that is starting to get bad press. It is a harsh skin irritant and is thought to break down into formaldehyde in the body.
- Sodium lauryl sulphate – foaming agent used in face washes and shampoos. It is very harsh on the skin and has been linked to eczema and dermatitis. Opt instead for a detergent-free cleansing cream. The Pai Camellia & Rose Cleanser is certified organic and is so gentle it can even be used round the eyes to remove make-up.

2. Condition your skin from the inside as well as out
Increase your intake of Essential Fatty Acids (that’s omega 3, 6 & 9 to you and me). Oily fish, nuts and flaxseed oil are all good sources and will help keep skin hydrated and supple.

3. Alkaline your diet
A lot of skin problems stem from the stomach. Ragnar Berg pioneered research in the 1930s that showed a link between highly acidic foods and skin flare-ups.

Worst offenders are: rice, bran, porridge oats, wheat, red meat and cheese. Alkaline foods include: cucumber, dried fruits (especially figs and raisins), leafy greens, carrots, spinach, bananas and potatoes.
4. Don’t moisturize too much.
Once a day should be sufficient if you are using the right product. Many dry skin sufferers make the mistake of opting for thick, cloying creams. Moisturisers should be chosen not for their density but for the quality of the plant oils used in them. A heavy duty cream can often mean heavy amounts of beeswax. Beeswax is solid at room temperature so can suffocate the skin.

Our Chamomile & Rosehip cream is popular with sensitive skin sufferers. Chamomile is packed with azulene – a natural anti-inflammatory – which cools and calms the skin beautifully, while rosehip helps to heal and strengthen the skin. This is quite a rich cream so should help combat your dryness too.

Visit the Pai shop on Greenmystyle.com

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