Are sulphate shampoos causing your hair loss? Why I’m saying Yes To Carrots!

I’m constantly searching for hair products that do not contain sulfates or silicon. My reasons are as follows:

Sulfates, which are very common in shampoo and skin care products, strip your hair (or skin) of natural oils causing it to dry out. In fact, they even aggravate the problem of hair loss. And silicone shampoos or conditioners can weigh your hair down and make it look flat and greasy, especially if you’ve naturally curly hair.

Sometimes with natural shampoos and conditioners you only get a day or so out of your hair before you need to wash it again, however when I used Yes To Carrots Nourishing Carrot Shampoo I found I got up to four days (I know, I’m scummy, but believe me with hair as long as mine you don’t want wash it every other day.) I apply the shampoo, massage my scalp and leave it there for a couple of more minutes almost like a mask for my scalp.

I also use the conditioner from this line which I adore, though it might be a little light for my very thick hair, or perhaps I should leave it on for longer.

Overall I’ve been so impressed with this line that I’ve repurchased their body wash twice and image I will purchase it again. The smell is absolutely gorgeous, one of the nicest, cleanest scents I’ve ever come across.

Yes to Carrots Eye and Makeup Remover is next on my ‘wish list’!

To buy try amazon or click here for Irish retailers

Voya – helping us start the day over.

You know how sometimes changing your outfit can make you feel better. There’s nothing like a pink tulle skirt to lift my spirits. Or my wanna-be cashmere jumper with the red heart. Or a pair of shoes so gloriously high they almost tilt me over the edge I’m already teetering on.

In the same way the perfect yin to the yang of a bad day (and today was one of those days) is to shed my skin, or at least the top layer. It almost feels like starting over. Washing away the day. Hence, I’m a big fan of exfoliators.

For my face I have long favoured chemical exfoliators (such as skin brighteners containing salicylic acid), and for my body I’ve use various physical exfoliators (including exfoliating gloves, towels and scrubs). These products help shed old dead cells leaving skin dewy and smooth. Or at least that’s the idea.

However, of late, I’ve found the physical exfoliator I was using left my skin dry, so I’d reduced how often I used it and ultimately tried a new brand – Voya Body Buff (Time to Shine). I wasn’t familiar with this brand but I liked the fact that the ingredients were organic – made from hand-harvested seaweed.

The scent is certainly natural, almost sea-like but very light, and the consistency is creamy with moderate grains.

When I first lathered it on my skin I thought it was fairly similar to other exfoliators I’d used so my expectations weren’t particularly high. But after I showered and dried I noticed something which made me very happy. My skin was silk to touch without even the slightest hint of dryness. In fact I was so impressed I also used this body product on my face which yielded similar results. I’m looking forward to trying products from the rest of their range.

Price: €10

For full range see: www.voya.ie

Vegan Beauty Products

Be Fine, the vegan skin care line is an exciting addition to the organic skincare market.

In the past my problem with organic or natural products is that although I expect them to feel nice and even smell nice, I don’t actually expect them to ‘do’ very much, yet there’s a huge market for natural skin care.

Why?

Because the active ingredients are derived from plants ingredients. The warming clay mask’s heat comes not from chemicals, but from cardamom and kaolin, a natural clay with drawing and oil-absorbing properties. And the exfoliating cleanser’s oomph comes from sugar cane extract rather than a lab-made exfoliant.  For many people who have sensitive skin, or who are recovering from various illnesses and want to ensure everything they put into their body is natural, these are a fantastic choice.

For me, I like to mix and match between the natural products like the Be Fine exfoliants and then use an anti-aging cream that has been proven in a lab to WORK!

Unlike many other organic ranges Be Fine is very well priced, whether it be eye cream, face wash, moisturizer, intense facial masque, lip treatment or individual-use cleanser pads, no item is more than €25.

Drink yourself beautiful

We all know that beauty comes from the inside but now the beauty industry have taken this quite literally and are bringing drinkable cosmetics to the market.

BORBA Skin Care Products offer drinkable products for different needs from treating acne-prone skin to reducing fine lines and wrinkles, hydrating skin and firming elasticity.

Even the companies we don’t necessarily associate with healthy drinks like Coca-Cola are jumping on the band wagon and developing a tea-based drink with L’Oréal, destined for the beauty shelves.

Similar products in Japan such as the phenomenally popular Nutraceutical drinks are one of the fastest growing areas of their drinks industry.

There is no debate that what we put into our body is reflected in our skin and bodies and I’ve no doubt these cosmetic drinks will be huge. These products are not yet available in Ireland so I’ll be sticking to Aloe Vera juice and water, both help to rebuild and maintain the skin.