Five Products to Help You Go Sulphate-Free

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Photo by Matthew Tkocz on Unsplash

In recent years, there has been an ever-increasing focus on “natural” beauty products and many people have overhauled their entire beauty routine to exclude certain ingredients. One of the most maligned of these is sulphate. 

Sulphates are the number one most common ingredient found in hair care products even today, and you know you’re encountering them when you see names like sodium laureth sulphate, sodium lauryl sulphate, and ammonium laureth sulphate on an ingredient label. 

To be fair to sulphates, they aren’t always worthy of the bad press they’ve received – the chemical itself is basically the thing in products that helps to give you a bubbly lather. However, if you’re trying to opt for sulphate-free products, here are some that you can try:

REN Clean Skincare Atlantic Kelp And Magnesium Anti-Fatigue Energising Hand Wash

While some people want a mega-lather when washing their hands so that they feel clean, the ingredients in standard bar soap can be very drying and irritating. This hand wash from REN Clean Skincare is a gentle sulphate-free daily hand wash to deeply cleanse, moisturise and revive tired hands. It helps to repair damaged skin and ensure that your hands are clean and protected. 

Elemis Absolute Eye Mask

Elemis Absolute Eye Mask helps to hydrate and support the eye contour, as well as reducing the appearance of fine lines. It hydrates, nourishes and revitalises the eye area as well as helping to reduce dark circles and puffiness. As well as being free from sulphates, it also contains no parabens, DEA, mineral oil or artificial colours, giving you the confidence that your delicate eye area will be protected. 

Nine Yards Go Loud Volume Shampoo

As we mentioned above, shampoo is one of the most common places to find sulphates and has therefore been the subject of the most scrutiny when it comes to beauty products. This volumising shampoo from Nine Yards has a a mild sulphate free cleansing base, making it ideal for fine, thin or limp hair in need of delicate cleansing without weighing the hair down. The formula is 100% vegan and contains natural extracts of shea butter, gallic rose flower extract, damask rose oil, green tea and aloe vera and wheat protein.    

Refinery Face Wash

Refinery Face Wash is a deep cleansing, sulphate free face wash that will help to balance and purify the skin. It’s packed with bergamot and spearmint to freshen and stimulate skin while the antiseptic properties of lavender and cedarwood help maintain a blemish free complexion. Impurities are washed away, leaving skin clear and revitalised.

This Works Stress Check Gentle Wash

This gentle wash from This Works is designed to be used all over your body and contains  ylang ylang and vitamin B5 for a worry-free wash that won’t damage the integrity of your skin. This all-over daily wash effectively cleanses the skin leaving it protected, comfortable and soothingly scented so that both your skin and your mood feel a little more balanced as you go about your day.

Luxury Bathing Without a Bath

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Photo by Sora Shimazaki

A trip to a spa can be a fantastic way to treat your mind and body to some rest and relaxation, as well as giving your skin a thorough pampering. However a spa may not be an option right now, for whatever reason, so recreating the experience at home may be the next best thing. You may find, if you only have a shower at home and not a bath, that you don’t feel as though you benefit from the fully relaxing experience of a proper spa, but we’ve put together a list of products which will take your shower to the next level and give you a sensory experience to mimic being professionally pampered.

Aromatherapy Associates De-Stress Mind Bath and Shower Oil

This shower oil from Aromatherapy Associates is made from a calming blend of frankincense, petitgrain and wild chamomile which combine to calm the mind and relax the body. To get the full therapeutic experience you should massage the oil all over your body prior to stepping into a warm shower, and this will also enhance the aromatherapy benefits as the heat will spread the fragrance allowing you to deeply inhale the relaxing aroma.

Bloom and Blossom And Breathe Relaxing Shower Oil

This shower oil from Bloom and Blossom is another naturally derived oil which has been created to soothe the mind and body, as well as treating your skin. It contains a blend of frankincense, ylang ylang and lemongrass which combine to create a luxurious and soothing fragrance. Once activated by the heat of the shower, the fragrance will combine with the steam for a relaxing and therapeutic experience.

Elemis Exotic Frangipani Monoi Shower Cream

Using a truly luxurious body wash is a great way to elevate your everyday shower experience and this Exotic Frangipani Monoi Shower Cream from Elemis is exactly that. This skin-friendly formulation completely cleanses the body without stripping away any of the protective surface oils and contains a rich infusion of exotic oils which have a naturally exotic and indulgent fragrance.

Hayo’u Mineral Shower Wash

This shower wash from Hayo’u is packed with iconic Chinese ingredients such as lotus flower, frankincense and ylang ylang, all of which have been used for thousands of years to improve circulation and reduce stress. The ingredients combine to create an invigorating, mind-clearing fragrance which will make you feel sharper and more energised after every use. It’s perfect if you’re feeling sluggish and want a self-indulgent shower to help focus your mind and align your senses. 

This Works Deep Sleep Shower Gel

If you’re planning to have a spa-experience shower, doing it just before bed is a great idea, especially if you’ve been struggling to sleep. This Deep Sleep Shower Gel from This Works contains a blend of lavender, camomile and vetivert to calm and soothe, whilst softening and protecting the skin. The ingredients are all renowned for their soothing, sleep-inducing properties and will help you to feel as though you’ve been thoroughly pampered before you drift off into a deep, natural sleep. 

Five Products to Help Soothe Anxiety

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alcohol, alleviate, anti-viral, antibacterial, anxiety, aromatherapy, bath, bathing, bergamot oil, boost, Clary Sage, COVID-19, cruelty free, depression, Frankincense, geranium, hand cleanser, harmonise, lemongrass, linden blossom, lockdown, lotus flower, luxurious, mental health, moisturised, natural ingredients, oils, olfactory, pandemic, Public Health England, rebalance, Relax, rescue breaths, ritual, rose flower water, Sandalwood, scented candles, senses, soak, soothe, stress, therapeutic, Vegan, Vetivert, warm, ylang ylang

Photo by Max van den Oetelaar on Unsplash

A recent study in the British Journal of Clinical Psychology has revealed that levels of anxiety are at an all time high within the UK’s population. In fact, the prevalence of anxiety has increased by a whopping 27.88% since the first lockdown, taking mental health-related issues to the forefront of many people’s minds. Self care is an incredibly important part of maintaining good mental health, so with this in mind, we’ve curated a list of five key products which can help to alleviate anxiety. 

Aromatherapy Associates Inner Strength Bath and Shower Oil

Soaking in a warm bath is a great way to help you to relax and to quieten down the anxiety that is swimming around your head at the end of a long day. This bath and shower oil from Aromatherapy Associates has been formulated to create a luxurious bathing experience and contains clary sage which is known to soothe anxiety, sandalwood which is said to ground your emotions and geranium which is able to help to rebalance your mind.

Evolve Organic Beauty Keep Calm and Spray On

If your anxiety is health related, due to the effects of living through a pandemic, then this product will have a doubly good effect for you. Keep Calm And Spray On from Evolve Organic Beauty is a spray-on hand cleanser which contains 70% alcohol. This is a full 10% above the minimum amount recommended by Public Health England to kill the COVID-19 virus, so you know that you’ll be well protected, health wise. It also contains bergamot oil which has been found to help relieve anxiety, improve modes and also holds anti-viral properties.

Hayo’u Scented Candle

The olfactory sense is perhaps one of the most powerful when it comes to helping temper our emotions, which is why scented candles can be a great ally when anxiety is taking hold. This scented candle from Hayo’u contains an indulgent blend of lotus flower, frankincense, lemongrass and ylang ylang oils, which help to reduce stress and anxiety, as well as relaxing your nervous system and boosting your mood. It’s also recommended that you practice a rescue breath ritual while the candle is burning to really increase the effects of the blend of fragrances.

Bloom and Blossom All Night Long Calming Sleep Spray

Suffering with anxiety can play havoc with your sleep cycle, making it difficult to fall asleep and leaving you feeling unrested once you wake up. Bloom And Blossom have created this All Night Long Calming Sleep Spray which is made from 99% natural ingredients and helps you to reduce anxiety and drift off into a deep sleep. It is made in the UK, it’s 100% vegan and cruelty free and contains frankincense, rose flower water and linden blossom, which all help to reduce stress. 

This Works Deep Sleep Bath Soak

When using aromatherapy to alleviate anxiety, alternating between fragrance blends can help your body to remain receptive to the different smells. This Deep Sleep Bath Soak from This Works is intended to melt away your anxiety, harmonise your mind and body and leave you feeling moisturised, relaxed and ready for sleep. Lavender, chamomile and vetivert are the main therapeutic fragrances within this product, which is also 100% natural, vegan, and cruelty free.

Five Products to Banish Blue Monday

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aromatherapy, awaken, basil, bed linens, Bergamont, blue, Blue Monday, clean, clothes, cruelty free, depressing, energy, essential oils, fMRI, fragrances, furnishings, geranium, Glycerin, Grapefruit, invigorate, January, lime, listlessness, low moods, mango, mind boosting, mood, morning, natural, Neroli, orange, pandemic, psychologists, pulse point, reinvigorating, reusable cotton pad, rollerball, rosemary, sanitise, scientific, senses, shower, skin, supercharge, target, thyme, uplifting, user studies, Vegan, vitality, weather, ylang ylang

Photo by Julia Avamotive from Pexels

If you have so much as looked at a newspaper, social media, or watch any television, you will probably be aware that today is referred to as ’Blue Monday’ Back in 2005, a holiday company decided that the third Monday in January was officially the most depressing day of the year and although this has since been dismissed as pseudoscience by psychologists, lots of people are still feeling the pinch.

Most of us still haven’t had a payday since Christmas, we’re still in the middle of a pandemic and the weather hasn’t exactly been fantastic, so we wouldn’t be surprised if many people were feeling rather blue at the moment. With this in mind we curated a list of products that we stock here are pure beauty, which are all designed to have a mood boosting effect.

Evolve Organic Beauty Keep Calm and Spray On

Essential oils and aromatherapy can be a powerful ally against low moods, especially if you choose the right combination of fragrances. This hand cleanser from Evolve Organic contains bergamot for its anti-viral properties as well as its uplifting scent, which means that even though you’re still having to sanitise your hands 100 times a day, you’ll get a little lift each time you use this product. It also contains glycerin to keep your hands hydrated and can even be used with a reusable cotton pad to clean any surfaces as well as your hands.

This Works Stress Check Mood Manager 

Although the ingredients in this product are 99% natural, the blend was created using highly scientific methods to prove its efficacy. The blend has been proven in fMRI and user studies and helps to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. The mist can be used on your skin, clothes, furnishings and even your bed linens to clear your mind and give you a positive lift and is even recommended for calming your nerves before using public transport.

Elemis Revitalise-Me Shower Gel

If you know you’re going to have a potentially stressful or busy day ahead then starting the day with an uplifting shower gel such as Revitalise Me from Elemis is a good way to bolster yourself. It contains thyme, basil and neroli essential oils, as well as orange and lime which awaken the senses and invigorate your skin. Finally, a mango derived cleansing agent cleans your skin deeply, to ensure that you are as clean as you are uplifted.

Aromatherapy Associates Revive Morning Roller Ball

Roller balls are a fantastic delivery method for essential oils as they allow you to target the pulse point on your body to get the maximum effect. This Revive Morning Rollerball from Aromatherapy Associates is 100% natural and contains neroli and grapefruit essential oils. It’s totally portable which means that you can reapply it throughout the day and the combination of fragrances is reviving and reinvigorating to the mind.

This Works Energy Bank Shower Gel

This shower gel from This Works is called ‘Energy Bank’ as it promises to supercharge your senses. It helps you to wake up and banishes morning listlessness, leaving your mind and body charged and ready to face the day. It’s 99% natural and cruelty free and boasts geranium, ylang ylang and rosemary, which combine to restore vitality and stimulate the body and mind.

Bring Veganuary into Your Skincare

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acids, AHAs, animal testing, animals, Aromatherapy Associates Hydrating Renewing Rose Cleanser, bath, bathe, beetles, boost, brighten, carmine, Cherry, Chia Seed Oil, Cruelty, cruelty-free, damage, Damask rose, dermalogica, Dermalogica Biolumin-C Serum, firm, fish scales, Frankincense, geranium, hyperpigmentation, jojoba, lacklustre, Lactic Acid, lemongrass, natural, naturally derived, oldie acid, Orly, Orly Breathable Fresh Start, pearl essence, plant-based, pumpkin, skin, sophora japonica flower extract, SPF, tallow, Vegan, Veganuary, ylang ylang

“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.