Exactly one year ago I began researching natural, organic and cruelty-free products to introduce into my everyday routine. I needed to make some changes after my skin became irritated by certain ingredients so I was on the search for the most gentle, skin-friendly products out there.
I shared my first haul of natural skincare and cosmetics last April and soon after I discovered some lovely natural hair care products too. Now, a year on, I’m stocking up on my favourite products and have tried out some new options so I thought I would let you know my thoughts…
Childs Farm
I actually used the Childs Farm SPF 50 Sunscreen all last year so I’ve restocked with it this year too. I think the formula may have changed a little since last year as it feels a little less ‘gluey’ and easier to spread, so I’m loving any changes they’ve made.
It’s still water-resistant, cruelty-free, vegan and suitable for sensitive skin and protects against UVA and UVB rays, so I’m sticking with it for the foreseeable future. I might try out the roll-on or spray SPF products too, watch this space!
I also bought some new haircare products from Childs Farm. I usually use the rhubarb and custard shampoo and conditioner but this time I was tempted by the new Coco-nourish range. Like all Childs Farm hair care products, it smells amazing and is vegan, cruelty-free and it’s packaged in recycled and recyclable plastic packaging.
Farmologie
While I was browsing the Child’s Farm website, I spotted that some products in the Farmologie range for grown-ups were on special offer. I snapped up some orange bath soak and a grapefruit body wash. It dermatologist approved and made in the UK, as well as being vegan and cruelty-free. The scents are gorgeous and the bubble bath creates lots of lovely foam. These are still on sale at 50% off on the Childs Farm website so it’s a good time to try them out.
Skinstation
While looking for a solution to my very dry skin, I browsed the Skinstation website and discovered the Dr Barbara Sturm range for the first time. The products are non-toxic, non-irritating and cruelty-free and are formulated to treat a range of issues for sensitive skin. The packaging for the serums and drops is made of glass, making it easy to recycle and the cardboard packaging is FSC certified and recyclable – all good news.
I haven’t tried the product for long enough to know whether it’s going to make a difference to my dry skin but I’m optimistic. If it works well, there are plenty of other options for skincare, haircare and even a kid’s range from this brand. However, the skincare prices start around 15Euros so it’s more of a treat than an everyday option for me.
Delhicious
It’s not the first time that I’ve bought something that I’ve seen on Dragon’s Den but I was very keen to try out this brand after seeing their Ayurvedic skincare range on the TV show. I bought the Min-tea moisture body balm and it’s the most beautifully fragranced product I own. It’s so fresh and minty and I love smelling it on my skin. It’s packaged in a plastic-free cardboard tube and is 100% natural, cruelty-free and vegan.
The texture of the product is a little grainy until it warms up when it comes into contact with the skin, so I need to rub it in thoroughly. I feel like it leaves a lot of slippery residue on my fingers so I like to wash that away but it is very good at soothing my chapped skin. I’m going to carry on testing it to see if it will clear up my dry patches completely, but I’m already much less dragon-scaley!
Umberto Giannini
While there was a sale on the Umberto Giannini website, I stocked up on my favourite hair colouring products. I’ve been using the Flowerology range to colour my hair for at least a year and I probably won’t use any other hair colours from now on. The main bonus for me is that the colours don’t smell horrid like at-home hair dye usually does and the formulas are really gentle.
To lighten my hair I use the Flowerology Extra light Blonde pack, which is vegan, cruelty-free and contains 95% natural and 75% organic ingredients. You can’t make extreme changes to your hair colour with this natural range – but it works well for me as I like to make my hair just a little lighter before using the pink temporary colour mask over the top, as this means I get a brighter shade of pink.
Kind and Free
I’ve been using the Kind & Free mascara since Christmas so it was time to replace it. While I was restocking with a couple of the mascaras I also spotted some make-up products in the range so I added these to my basket too.
After trying out a variety of cruelty-free, natural mascaras I’ve decided that this formula is my personal favourite. It’s a great buildable formula – you can get long, totally natural-looking lashes with one coat, and then deeper colour with two or three further coats. And the bonus is that it’s so gentle that it wipes off with just water – no make-up remover, soap or cotton pads needed!
I’m always sceptical about buying foundation or concealer online as my skin is so pale that it’s difficult to get a match unless I can try out the product. However, I took a chance on these and they are just the right colours. I got 01 Rose Ivory Kind & Free foundation and Fair concealer. The range is vegan and contains natural ingredients and the packaging is made with a percentage of recycled plastic.
Zerowater
Finally, I’d like to mention Zerowater as I’ve been trying to drink more water this year and it’s been a great help to have my jug of filtered water in the fridge. There’s nothing better than a glass of ice-cold water, is there? I know it’s not really a skincare product BUT staying hydrated is one of the best ways to improve the appearance of your skin and water IS natural so I’m counting it as one of my skincare essentials!
I hope that this blog post has helped you if you’re thinking of moving over to some natural skin- and hair-care products. Let me know your favourite cruelty-free and non-toxic products in the comments below, I’d love to find out about some more brands I can try out.
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Some items in this blog post have been gifted to me and the pink links indicate a gifted product, affiliate link or information source. All thoughts and opinions in this post are based on my own experience and I am not responsible for your experience 🙂
