Recession Hurts More Than Just Your Pocket

So you maybe thinking you haven’t got much to be happy about, Christmas is looming, with more bills, children’s demands, and impending relatives. The weather is so awful that it feels like nighttime at 11 in the morning! You suspect at this stage you may have SAD. And you really just want to go back to bed instead of having another argument on the phone with your husband / wife about money or the kids when you are at work and everyone is listening!!

Sound familiar? Well, the current economic climate is not surprisingly affecting alot of people. Individuals reporting financial worries are increasing and this is having an adverse affect on health, relationships and wellbeing.

Chris Tapp, director of the national money education charity has wisely said that money concerns cause damage to more than just people's bank accounts, stating that: "It affects people's emotional wellbeing, it affects people's relationships, it affects people's health."
Money worries can lead to marriage break down and stress. Stress itself affects the body very negatively. Overall performance and wellbeing diminishes and disease can result if continued stress goes unchecked. Cancer, Asthma, Psoriasis and other diseases can set in when the body is battling stress due to deficiencies created in the immune system.

So more than ever, it’s really important to put things into perspective and do what Brian told us about so many years ago ‘try and look on the bright side of life’. I know, it’s really hard to do when you are feeling grim, but a little lesson from The Secret by Rhonda Byrne tells us that the more we just keep thinking about the crap we are in the worse its going to get, I know I’ve been there. Try and find something to turn it around, like a song that makes you happy or a place or a dream/wish, concentrate on what you want and try and turn the negative thoughts into positive ones, if not, the price you pay maybe more than just an empty pocket - your health and wellbeing maybe at stake and after that’s gone not much else matters.

Organic Skincare for New Mums

Bringing a child into the world is meant to be one of the most special things in the world. When people speak of the beauty of childbirth, women who have had a particularly traumatic experience whilst giving birth may be inclined to disagree! Whether the birth of your child was routine or the single worst experience of your life, your body is still ravaged by pregnancy and childbirth.

Your skin will be stretched to capacity, you’ll be unbelievably tired and ‘intimate areas’ will be sore at best... unspeakable at worst. Everything will be starting to improve when you bring baby home but your body will be on the road to recovery but there is still a long way to go.

Mother is often ignored in favour of baby by well-meaning and excited relatives. Many women feel as though they have lost their identity and the constant pressure and scrutiny is often too hard to bear. It’s too early for exercise but you’re keen to start working on getting your body back. Breastfeeding can burn up to 500 calories a day so dieting isn’t the best of ideas as baby needs all the nutrients it can get. What you CAN do however, is take good care of your skin. Too many new mothers cannot find time to even wash their hair. Natural grease is good for the condition of your hair but your skin needs a bit more attention. Not only can the right skincare moisturise your skin, the action of massaging your skin can drain excess fluid and make it appear firmer. This will clearly take time but once you incorporate it into your daily routine, the benefits will soon become apparent.

buyOrganics has released a small range of gift sets especially for mum and baby. Whether you have just had your first or fifth baby, you will appreciate the richness and luxury of these products. Every pregnancy is different and every baby is different. Some cry uncontrollably and need lots of attention whereas others are delightfully quiet and sleep blissfully throughout the night.

One of the most popular products in the gift sets in the Calendula olive nipple butter. Meant for women who suffer from chapped and sore nipples during breastfeeding, this treatment is thick, glossy and gives an immensely cooling relief.

Organic products are not just available for mummy, if you truly believe in the benefits of organic skincare, and wish to encourage your children to always choose organic over products laced with potentially dangerous chemicals, we have organic baby wipes, cotton wool as well as organic baby sun cream.

Miessence Organic Underarm Deodorant: Product Review

First Impressions
The Miessence Deodorants don’t differ in packaging, style and performance to any other deodorant on the market, they are however certified organic and completely free of any nasty parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances and most importantly the dreaded Aluminum Oxide which has been linked to Breast Cancer. The packaging is not flash or sophisticated- more functional. And it’s all recyclable (plastic though) but safe to use in the bathroom. It won’t break if it slips out of your hand. The lid removes easily to reveal an easy to use roll on which works without sticking, jamming or clogging. I’ve used these for about 2 years now, and haven’t had a problem to date.

Performance
The Aroma free deodorant is just as it says, Aroma free. It literally smells of nothing and feedback from many customers is positive with no reported irritation. The Tahitian Breeze Miessence Deodorant, smells slightly sweet and spicy, and I love it, again no irritation although I’m using it regularly. The Ancient Spice deodorant smells a lot spicier like warm cloves. I have had a few reports, not many, but still have had a few that the Ancient Spice one can cause irritation in some people. So if you are particularly sensitive, I would stick to the Aroma free or Tahitian. My husband uses the Tahitian and is happy with the scent, so I would recommend them all for either sex.

Purity
The ingredients in all the Miessence Deodorants are really simple, consisting of a base of Aloe Vera, Sodium Bicarbonate, non gmo xantham gum and bitter orange fruit extract. The Scented versions contain essential oil extracts to give them their scent, such as Patchouli, Geranium and Ylang Ylang in the Tahitian.

How to Use
When you roll them on, they do leave a wet residue, which for best results you need to flap your arms around to help dry. When dry, all of these organic deodorants are particularly effective at destroying and preventing odour, but need to be used regularly to be effective (at least once a day, especially after showering). They will not stop you sweating if you do sweat a lot as they are not anti-perspirants. Antiperspirants are actually not good for the body as it is important for our body to sweat out the toxins within our system.

The Good
A good reliable deodorant, nicely scented with aroma free versions for the extremely sensitive, totally pure. Customers normally order this item in bulk from me and continue to order it once they’ve tried it once. Excellent shelf life, the sell by date is about a year ahead, so its not going off in a hurry, unless you leave it in the heat/sunlight. Keeps you smelling good all day, unless you’re doing very strenuous work, then you may need to apply again in the day.

The Not So Good
Pricier obviously than cheap high street versions, but that’s understandable given the purity and organic certification of the ingredients. But still cheaper than Green People, and its come all the way from Australia (they do carbon offset the shipping). Won’t stop the sweaty wet patch developing under your arms if you normally suffer from that, but no organic deodorant will. Not the longest lasting bottle of roll on, but not the shortest either - about average in relation to other deodorants really.

In Summary
A good solid entry into the organic underarm deodorant market; the Miessence underarm deodorant slots perfectly into the not-too-cheap, nor-too-expensive area but provides great resultsa and keeps you feeling (and smelling) fresh!

Organic Beauty Salons on the Up!!

You may wonder why I am blogging about an organic beauty salon that’s just opened in Newmarket USA when it’s a million miles from my home in London UK. The reason is because its one of a growing trend of salons that are deciding to go green.

The beauty industry professionals are the ones who are at the delivering end of beauty to people on an everyday basis. They’re the ones, who pluck and wax and tong and curl and straighten. For so many years now, they have been limited by the performance of regular products being superior over organic products which were unsophisticated and not performance orientated. Or maybe its just been ignorance about health and concern for glamour that has put organic on the back shelves until now. Now we see a change beginning to happen, the market is being flooded by organic and natural beauty products that are glamorous, science based and have superiority over their predecessors by far, and hence the slow infiltration into salons is beginning.

I for one am desperate for a facial. Not because my skins terrible but because I love being pampered, and it is really good for your skin and complexion to have the attention. But I feel so guilty. Every salon I go to has products that I would never use at home. Actually more than guilt it’s a feeling of it being not good enough. Having said that I wouldn’t want to pay £100 pounds for a facial. I tried that with a natural beauty salon not so long ago and although I loved the facial, lets get real, I’m a mum, with growing kids and bills to pay, supported by my ever forgiving husband who tolerates my need for green and lack of cash!

This beauty salon in Newmarket, Organic Bonita is led by ever inspiring people -Tammy Pierce to be precise, who realises that natural and organic beauty products are more healthy, she wants the looks, and the performance but she wants to be healthy and green.

“The entire well-being approach to life doesn't have to end with going to the grocery store and buying organic food” said Pierce. “That approach can be applied to everything that goes into your hair and onto your skin.”

“My goal is to get the word out there that organic products are so good for you and yet so cost-effective and, in this time of our economy, we all want something that's good for us, long-lasting and most importantly cost-effective.”

“It's not all about making money” said Pierce. “It's a business and I have to make a living and I'm happy with that and I want to be successful, but I also want to be a part of the community by giving something back.”

Now why can’t I find more salons and beauty therapists like that in North West London? The woman is an inspiration. I’m sure that my wait won’t last very long and bit by bit more salons are going to catch on. What do I love about this Newmarket salon – they don’t see healthy as an excuse to rip people off!!

A Hair Colouring Lesson For Us All

It was reported today that a young lady from Greater Manchester has endured horrific burns due to using a home hair colouring product. The young lady involved is just 22 and is now recovering at home after three days in hospital. There has been no indication of whether her injuries have rendered her scarred for life.

This poor woman is unfortunately serving as a grave warning to all women who wish to change the colour of their hair. She claims to have done a patch test although general opinion appears to be split. Either she DID do a patch test and it was insufficient or she did not do a patch test as she claimed.

The lady who works in a call centre became increasingly blistered over a matter of days. In my opinion, she should have sought medical advice immediately, I do wonder if her lovely face could have been saved if she had been more assertive. Mothers across the world want to keep their children safe and out of pain, I can imagine this story will prompt many women to warn their younger daughters about the perils of home hair colouring.

At buyOrganics, we will soon be stocking organic hair dye. However, this does not mean that people who choose to use this product will not have to do a patch test. People can be allergic to odd things or develop an allergy over time. When it comes to hair dye, whether it is organic or not I would always advise someone to test a product out on their skin beforehand. It may be inconvenient but it could be the difference between a slight inconvenience or a shocking allergic reaction.

Natural Health & Beauty Awards 2009

2,008 readers and a panel of dermatologists helped select the 25 winners of the 5th Annual Beauty Awards.

Votes were cast at www.naturalhealthmag.com for their favorite products. Out of the mass of nominations and submissions, 25 of the year’s best beauty products were chosen.

Some of the submissions and winners may seem suspect to those who appreciate products that are organic and natural from start to finish.

I’m not sure what the deciding factors were but I think they could have done with some help from Stacey and Jo Fairley and their Green Beauty Bible!

Here are the winners -

FACIAL CLEANSER
Olay Definity Penetrating Mousse Cleanser

FACIAL EXFOLIATOR
Skin 2 Skin Oatmeal & Pomegranate Scrub

EYE CREAM
Yes to Cucumbers Eye Love Cucumbers Soothing Eye Gel

FACIAL MOISTURIZER
AVEENO Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturizer

FACIAL NIGHT CREAM
Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins Night Health Bedtime Face Cream

ANTI-AGING FACIAL TREATMENT
Aveda Green Science Firming Face Creme

LIP BALM
Burt’s Bees Sun Protecting Lip Balm SPF 8 with Passionfruit

HAND CREAM
The Healing Seed Virgin Organic Hempseed Oil Hand Cream

BODY MOISTURIZER
Avalon Organics Grapefruit & Geranium Hand & Body Lotion

BODY SCRUB
Aura Cacia Nourishing Body Polishes Fair Trade Certified

SELF-TANNER
Pur Minerals Get a Little

BAR SOAP
Dove Go Fresh Burst Beauty Bar

BODY WASH
Nature’s Gate Pomegranate Sunflower Velvet Moisture Body Wash

SUN CARE
John Masters Organics SPF 30 Natural Mineral Sunscreen

SHAMPOO
Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Lavender Mint Moisturizing Shampoo

CONDITIONER
L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Color Care Moisture Conditioner

HAIR COLOR
Natural Instincts Champagne Indulgence Collection

HAIR STYLING PRODUCT
Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion Smooth Vitality Smoothing Crème

BLUSH
The Body Shop Nature’s Minerals Cheek Color

CONCEALER
Jane Iredale Zap & Hide

EYE SHADOW
Almay Pure Blends Eyeshadow

FOUNDATION
Physicians Formula Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin Liquid Foundation SPF 15

LIP COLOR
Aubrey Organics Natural Lips Sheer Tint

MASCARA
Kiehl’s Marvelous Mineral Mascara

NAIL POLISH
Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Nail Color

Worried About Customer Deliveries Through the Postal Strike?

We realise that the postal strike may be making you worry about whether or not your order will get to you or not. That’s why we are sending all packages of #40 or more through DHL by 48 hour delivery. That way we can ensure that goods get to you regardless. So if you want to be guaranteed of getting your parcel quickly, please make sure over the next week that your order is over 40 and we can beat this strike together.

Orders under 40 sent through Royal mail may take a bit longer to get to you but are still important to us, so if you have not received your parcel within 28 days then please let us know!

Regards,

Sonia