notesonbeauty has moved!!

Check out www.notesonbeauty.wordpress.com

Dejunk your make-up bag!

With spring well upon us, it is a great time to freshen up your look and give your make-up bag a good old spring clean. As well as cluttering up your bag and just not working as well, old make-up can harbour lots of bacteria. Most cosmetics now come with a 'best before' date, Debenhams did a survey asking women about their cosmetic bags and found that "it was out of date by an average of four years". Have a good look through and be ruthless (I know it can be hard - try going through a suitcase of make-up!) There is nothing like having a good clear out, it makes you feel good and you might discover some make-up gems you forgot you had! Follow this link to an article from The Telegraph for product life guidelines.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/fashionnews/7306570/Women-putting-looks-and-health-at-risk-by-using-old-cosmetics.html

While you're at it why not go through your skincare as well, it is easy to get stuck in a routine but your skin's needs can change with the seasons as well as other factors.

LoveLula

I have just received my new LoveLula spring/summer catalogue and as usual it is jam packed with organic products and ideas. If you haven't already checked out their site have a look, it is such a good resource for great organic brands as well as hints and tips for green beauty.
www.lovelula.com

The Volvic Challenge

When doing people’s make-up skin is always a hot topic with clients asking for advice on how to improve the condition of theirs. One of the questions I nearly always ask back is how much water are you drinking, and more often than not the answer is probably not enough.

Around two thirds of the human body is made of water, the brain is around 75-85% water and even mild dehydration can cause headaches, irritability and tiredness. Water is needed for every bodily function, it is lost just through breathing. Add things like exercise, air conditioning, caffeine and alcohol into the equation and imagine how much is lost on a daily basis. If you don’t replace that lost water you’re well on your way to dehydration, the skin carries a huge amount of water but is the first place to lose it. Dehydrated skin loses elasticity so will look older and lacklustre. It can feel itchy and blotchy and lead the way to fine lines and wrinkles.

Drinking enough water can sometimes be tough, especially in the colder months when all you want is a nice hot cup of something. Now the days are getting warmer, water drinking does seem to get easier, the Volvic challenge of drinking 1.5 litres of water a day has returned to our screens and it is a good thing to do as I found out when I tried it. I am quite good at my water consumption anyway but making a concerted effort to get my daily dose did make a difference with my skin and I certainly felt the benefit. Ok, it’s not going to solve every skin complaint or perform miracles but there is no denying it, water is very good for you!

This month I'm loving......

This month I'm loving Balance Me's Super Oil with Juniper and Bergamot.



I stopped using this brilliant oil for a while (was trying other things) and now I have gone back to it, I'm remembering how good it is! Packed full of hardworking essential oils, it works a treat on troublesome areas like thighs and bums by helping to detoxify and boost circulation. It is also super moisturising and smells amazing! Despite being an oil, it is not messy and disappears into the skin quickly. It is certified by Ecocert so even better!
www.balanceme.co.uk

Disposable Wipes - a costly convenience?

As a make-up artist, face wipes and wet wipes are a staple in my kit. They are quick and convenient to remove make-up after a job and are great for mopping up spillages and helping to keep the kit clean. With a huge amount of skincare brands offering their own facial wipes, they are also a favourite for many women to use at night and on holiday. Wipes are also fast becoming a regular in handbags and such as an alternative to washing hands on the go.

I recently found a very interesting read, 'Behind the label' is a column in The Ecologist, written by the editor Pat Thomas, he looks at everyday household products and their ingredients. For one issue he focused on Wet Ones Ultra Soft with Camomile Extract which are one of the highest sellers in the UK for adult wipes. Thomas says the wipes are meant to be effective against E.coli, Salmonella and Listeria on the skin, but once an unwashed hand touches the inside of the packet the germs can start breeding inside the packet. To deal with this, eight of the 25 ingredients are preservatives and antibacterials which can cause skin irritation, sensitisation and dermatitis as well as breaking down the skin's own protective barrier. Propylene glycol is high on the ingredients list, this is found in many cosmetic products as it alters the structure of the skin therefore allowing better penetration of products, it is also a main ingredient in anti-freeze and as you can imagine is a known skin irritant! I had a look at the ingredients in a few of the different wipes I had in my kit and it wasn't good, with many of the long listings featuring the whole of the paraben family, as well as propylene glycol and a whole host of other unpronouncable chemicals.

On top of the fact that these wipes are not great for our skin, they are also not good for the environment. Thomas' column also said "Figures from North America suggest that if you were to load all the disposable wipes purchased there last year on to 18-wheel lorries, the convoy would number 9,000 trucks, stretch for 68 miles, and would be carrying 83,000 tonnes of used convenience cloths". That is a lot of cloths! They also take a long time to biodegrade so although a quick cleanse for us, not for the environment, who knows how long they will be in the ground after they have been used.

Now we are used to the convenience of wipes it would be hard to stop using them completely, luckily there are alternatives available. I have been using baby wipes from Nature Babycare, these wipes have minimal chemicals and are biodegradable too. Beaming Baby also have a good range of wipes including facial cleansing wipes. So we don't have to give up our wipes just yet, as long as we make good choices in the ones we use and don't use too many!

Purity search for two brand ambassadors

Purity Organic Skincare are on the search for two beauty and brains brand ambassadors to spread the word on organic skincare. If you've got a passion for all things organic, love this range and think you've got what it takes then have a look at their site for all the details on how to enter.