Bring Veganuary into Your Skincare

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“Veganuary is a name for going vegan, or not eating or using animal products, for the month of January”

For many people, Veganuary is a time to try to make the transition to a plant based diet and wean yourself off of animal products. It’s a great place to start if a cruelty-free lifestyle is something you covet, but there’s actually a lot more to it than just changing the food you eat, as many products also contain animal byproducts or rely on animal testing. With this in mind, we’ve curated a list of five of our favourite cruelty-free, vegan beauty products which can replace your usual skincare items for Veganuary and beyond. 

Aromatherapy Associates Hydrating Renewing Rose Cleanser

This cleanser from Aromatherapy Associates is a  vegan and nut-free blend of essential oils which combine to create an ultra-gentle yet supremely effective facial cleanser. Damask rose, jojoba and geranium help to brighten, hydrate and cleanse the skin, melting away impurities and leaving the skin dewy and fresh. 

Bloom and Blossom And Breathe Relaxing Shower Oil

Bloom and Blossom products are all 100% vegan and cruelty free made here in the UK from naturally derived ingredients. This shower oil is a great option if you’re trying to go vegan and the blend of frankincense, ylang ylang and lemongrass help relax and calm the skin and mind before sleep. It can be used in the shower or bath, depending on your preference.

Dermalogica Biolumin-C Serum

If you’re looking for a product which is vegan friendly and takes care of fine lines, wrinkles, sagging skin and hyperpigmentation then this is the serum for you. It contains a stable vitamin C complex, as well as lactic acid, sophora japonica flower extract and chia seed oil which will brighten, firm and prevent damage to the skin. Make sure you use an SPF while you’re using this serum as it can increase your skin’s sensitivity to the sun. 

Elemis Superfood AHA Glow Booster

AHAs, or alpha-hydroxy acids, are super-hero ingredients in skincare, using natural acids and enzymes to give lacklustre skin a boost. This glow booster from Elemis uses AHAs from cherry and pumpkin to create a formula which is instantly absorbed and offers a completely vegan, cruelty-free option for brightening your complexion. 

Orly Breathable Fresh Start

You may be surprised to learn that there are ingredients in many nail polishes which are decidedly NON-vegan. From pearl essence, which is derived from fish scales and can give nail polish a shine, to carmine, which made from boiled and crushed beetles, and oleic acid, made from animal fat or tallow, it can be hard to find a nail varnish which is even close to cruelty free. Fortunately, all of Orly’s polishes are vegan and cruelty free, so you can still enjoy colourful nails without the worry.

What Happens to your Body when You Give up Meat for Veganuary?

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animal, animal products, antioxidants, complexion, dairy, Dermalogica Redness Relief Essence, diet, Elemis Superfood Facial Wash, essential fats, fruit, inflammation, insulin, iron, meat, meat free, multivitamin, no meat, plant-based, skin, type 2 diabetes, Vegan, veganism, Veganuary, vegetables, Vitamin B12, weight gain

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Even if you’re a lifelong meat-eater, you’ve probably heard of Veganuary. The movement started in 2014, and encourages people to give up all animal products and go vegan for the month of January. It’s estimated that half a million people take part, worldwide, and “in January 2019, 500 companies promoted Veganuary and veganism, while more than 200 plant-based products and menus were launched”. With this in mind, we thought we’d take a look at the knock-on effects that giving up meat can have on your body, to give you the inspiration you need to go vegan, even if it’s just for a month:

Inflammation will be Reduced

If you eat cheese, red meat and other processed animal products, there’s a good chance that you’ll have more inflammation in your body than someone who doesn’t. If you suffer from redness and inflamed skin issues, there’s a good chance that your diet is making it worse. As well as giving up animal products, using Dermalogica Redness Relief Essence will help.

You’ll Make Your Gut Happier

There’s a lot of current wisdom which points to the fact that our microbiome, the balance of bacteria in our gut, is what controls how the rest of our body functions. Going vegan can give your microbiome a complete makeover, while using Elemis Superfood Facial Wash will help balance the skin’s own precious microbiome.

Cut Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Many people still think that diabetes is caused by eating sugar, but that’s simply not the case. Animal fat and nitrate preservatives in meat have been found to damage pancreatic cells, worsen inflammation, cause weight gain, and impair the way our insulin functions. By giving up animal products, you dramatically reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Your Skin Could Improve

When you cut meat and other animal products out of your diet, you tend to eat more fruit and veg, nuts, and other things which contain essential fats and antioxidants, which are all great for your skin. Supporting this with a proper skincare routine means that, by February, your skin could look better than ever.

You Might Need to Supplement

The one downside of giving up animal products is that you might lose certain nutrients from your diet. It is possible to get everything you need from a plant-based diet but this often takes a bit of time and some trial and error. Adding a multivitamin into your diet, and ensuring you’re getting enough iron and vitamin B12 will help you to stay feeling great without animal products.

How to eat for wellness in 2020

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Too many sausage rolls eaten?

Too many cocktails drunk?

Too many chocolates picked from the box?

Christmas is a time for fun and we all like to indulge, but all that rich food and sugary drinks can play havoc with our waistlines as well as our skin, teeth and mood.
Eating a healthy, well balanced, varied diet is key for good health and well-being and it can also help keep things like heart disease, strokes and certain cancers away.
We aren’t going to tell you to try a faddy diet or starve yourself because that won’t do anything for anyone, but we do have some ideas of how you can change what you eat and drink, and feel better for it.

Eat breakfast
We know this isn’t for everyone, but eating breakfast is the best way to start your day. Don’t load up on cereals packed with sugar or knock back an energy drink when you wake up, because you will crash and burn. Wholemeal toast with peanut butter, a fruit and veg smoothie, porridge with banana and blueberries or avocado smash are all perfect morning starters and they will see you through the morning.

A starter for five
Old news maybe, but eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day is the goal. It doesn’t matter if it’s fresh, frozen, tinned, juiced or dried, but get in the habit of having five servings and if you can go further, you are winning.

Drink more water
It’s clear… drink more water if you want to feel good. The advice is to drink between 6 and 8 glasses of water a day and this will impact you mind, body and skin. You might also want to cut the caffeine and fizzy drinks and switch to herbal teas which will help hydrate and calm you.

Keep snacks in your bag
Dried fruit, nuts, rice cakes, bananas and home-made date bars can be kept in your bag, car or desk drawer and not only will they fill you up, they are so much better for you than a bar of chocolate or slice of cake. Yes, have treats, but now and again and not every day.

Make switches
White bread and pasta aren’t going to really do much for you, so why not switch to wholegrain alternatives? Sweet potatoes are a brilliant source of vitamin C, so leave the mash for another day, and a bowl of berries will beat a bag of sweets any day.

Go plant based
This isn’t for everyone but cutting animal products out of your diet isn’t a bad idea. If a full vegan diet isn’t right, maybe think about being veggie or if this is still too much, go meat and dairy free a couple of days and week and let natural plant goodness fill your plate and your tummy.

Exercise more
We aren’t saying that you need to train for a marathon or become an Iron Man candidate but moving your body goes hand in hand with improving your diet. The weather might still be cold, but a run around the park will warm you up, a swim is a low impact exercise many of us can do and if you want to spice up your life, how about a salsa class with a friend? Don’t sign up for an expensive gym membership in January that you won’t use, but do look for something you will enjoy, because then you will want to do it, and you’ll be glad you did. Do remember, that going for a job doesn’t mean you can then eat a massive take-away, but you can make curries and soups from scratch that will nourish your body for longer.

Got a tip for us, let us know as we are all for a happier, healthier 2020.

Team Pure Beauty

Pumpkins aren’t just for Halloween

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31 October, adore, ageing, antioxidant vitamin A and C, Australian caviar lime, avocado, balance, beauty products, bright, brisk walk, broccoli pumpkin seed oil, cell turnover, Cherry, concentrate formula, cream, dark spots, dead cells, Dermalogica Pure Light SPF 50, Dermalogica Rapid Reveal Peel, dullness, Elemis Superfood AHA Glow Booster, Elemis Superfood Facial Wash, gel cleanser, glowing skin, Halloween, healthy, hipster salad, hyperpigmentation, kale, luminous, microbiome, natural, natural pre-biotic, Nettle, nutrient-dense, outdoor-fresh glow, peek, plant-based, plant-based concentrate formula, pumpkin fruit ferment, pumpkins, radiant skin, real results, Red Algae, resurface, Rice Bran, safe, Safflower Seeds, sea, seaweed, smooth, smoothie, sun, super greens, tired, UV light, vampires, Vegan, Wheatgrass, witching hour

Did you know that pumpkins are packed with natural enzymes and acids which increase cell turnover so that skin is bright and smooth? Well they do, and the good news doesn’t stop there. This Halloween staple also contains antioxidant vitamin A and C which help soften and soothe skin and get ageing under control.

With all the said, let’s look at some of the products we sell on the site and see which ones you could use to get great skin before 31 October.

We absolutely adore the Elemis Superfood Facial Wash and for good reason! This gel cleanser is full of the nutrient-dense super greens you’d expect to find in a smoothie, but we don’t suggest drinking it! From the very first time you use this product, you are left with radiant skin and an outdoor-fresh glow that will look as if you’ve been for a brisk walk by the sea. Avocado, broccoli and pumpkin seed oil might usually be found in a hipster salad, but in this case, they have been combined with a natural pre-biotic to balance the skin’s microbiome and with wheatgrass, nettle and kale too, your complexion will look luminous and bright.

You might not be thinking about the sun when the witching hour approaches, but the Dermalogica Pure Light SPF 50 treats hyperpigmentation and keeps you safe from the UV light that can strike at any time of the year. It’s the pumpkin fruit ferment in this cream, that helps exfoliate away dead cells and eliminate dark spots cause by the sun. Red algae, seaweed and safflower seeds have all been added to the mix to create a product at we think you will love. Apply to cleansed and toned skin before you go outside and this will work well all year round and keep those Halloween vampires away.

For a vegan option, why not give the Elemis Superfood AHA Glow Booster a go? This plant-based concentrate formula is ideal if you want to have healthy, glowing skin all year round but won’t have you looking as orange as a pumpkin – do not worry. This is ideal for anyone whose skin is a little tired and needs a helping hand to look brighter and happier again. Pumpkin and cherry extracts, which are both rich in AHAs and enzymes, have been mixed with rice water and green tea seed oil and once you have given the bottle a shake, you are ready to smooth away the dullness and let the light in.

If you are looking for real results from your beauty products, look no further than the Dermalogica Rapid Reveal Peel. This maximum strength exfoliant contains acids and fermented plant enzymes to increase skin renewal and reveal new, firmer skin with reduced fine lines and wrinkles. Pumpkin together with rice bran, resurface and even out skin tone, while Australian caviar lime brightens skin so you are left with a more radiant, but still natural, complexion. With each packet containing 10 applications you have the right amount for perfect results each time you use this peel.

If you would like more details, why not get in touch and see what pumpkin potions and lotions you can use to make your skin come to life this Halloween.

Team Pure