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During this round of lockdown, we’re taking a break from makeup and prioritising the ‘three S’s’ instead: skincare, self-care and sustainability. Here are the products that have been giving us just that - from surprisingly tasty collagen drinks to eco-friendly toiletries and natural pampering products, why not shake up your beauty routine and give one or two of these a go?
Burts Bees Lip Balm
There’s a scary statistic that says we eat around 3kg of lip products every 3 years. Considering this, we want to be mindful of what we’re putting on our lips! This is why we love natural lip balms, like the range from Burt’s Bees. Just like we avoid chemicals in our food, it’s beneficial to avoid them in our skincare too!
MeTime by Katie Candle
If you ask us a candle is the perfect way to wind down, even on a warm summers day. Do your skincare have a candle on and watch your favourite Netflix show! We love MeTime by Katie candles as they are a socially conscious brand who promotes environmentally friendly packaging and vegan base products.
Locako Collagen Beauty Protein Ball
Locako’s Protein Brownie Balls are the perfect low carb delicious protein hit for a mid morning snack or afternoon sweet treat. The combination of Collagen, Healthy nuts and Pre/probiotics makes our tasty balls perfect for an everyday treat.
Ere Perez Wild Pansy Tinted Lipbar
Chemical laden lipsticks are a thing of the past now that we have natural alternatives to choose from. The Ere Perez Lipbar is perfect for when you want a pop of colour on your lips, but still want to keep it natural. Made up of hydrating ingredients, this lipbar keeps our lips looking and feeling moisturised too. Did you know that conventional lipsticks have been known to have toxic heavy metals in them? This is definitely something we want to avoid, especially knowing that we consume a large amount of the products we put on our lips. This summer we’re loving the soft pink tones and silky smooth feel that this lipbar brings.
Pukka Fresh Start
Herbal tea is a beneficial way to support natural beauty from within. The Fresh Start blend from Pukka Tea is a refreshing blend, bringing us the fresh properties of lemongrass, fennel seed, lemon and more. It supports our digestive health, and since our gut is linked to our skin health this means it helps encourage outer beauty. This soothing mix uses real food ingredients and contains no artificial colours or flavours, which are massive red flags when used in tea. Make up a big batch of this tea iced to have on a hot summer’s day when you need cooling down and rehydrating.
Organyc, Organic Cotton Pads
Cotton is one of the most sprayed crops and is sometimes referred to as ‘the world’s dirtiest crop’. When a crop is heavily sprayed, those chemicals live on in the fabric and consequently the products that it goes on to make. Now, think about putting that near one of our most sensitive areas and having it sitting there for hours on end. Not good right? The positive news is that the brand Organyc brings us a much better alternative with their Organic Cotton Pads. We can rest easy knowing that the crops used to grow the cotton for these pads are not sprayed with conventional chemical filled pesticides and insecticides.
Black Chicken Remedies Axilla Natural Deodorant Paste Original
Considering that our skin is our largest organ, we now know that what we put on our skin can be absorbed into our body. Just like we focus on eating real food ingredients, the same should go when it comes to putting it on our skin. Our underarms contain certain cells, glands and receptors that make it more sensitive to what we put on it. This means we should pay extra attention to the type of deodorant we’re using and switch to natural options like this Axilla Deodorant Paste from Black Chicken. Made up of ingredients that we can actually understand, it combines moisturising butters and oils, with beautiful essential oils that leave us smelling great. It’s free from parabens, harmful sweat blocking ingredients, alcohol and synthetic fragrances - all of the things we don’t want to see in our deodorants.
Les Huilettes Mon Huilette Cleanse
A cleanser is supposed to help us clean our face, not add to the chemical load. However, many conventional cleansers contain parabens, phthalates, SLS, SLES, formaldehyde, synthetic fragrances and other chemical ingredients. Many of these ingredients are seen to be endocrine disruptors, which can have a negative impact towards our hormone health. When choosing a cleanser, look for an option that doesn’t contain any of these. A great choice is the Cleanser from Les Huilettes, which uses real food ingredients including oils from fruits and florals. It leaves our skin feeling soft, smooth and clear, ready for the rest of our skincare regimen.
Nil Reusable Wool Make Up Remover Pads
Clean beauty should be good for us and the planet at the same time. Things like make-up remover pads can lead to increased waste and more resources being used up for single use products. Often, make-up remover pads are made from highly sprayed cotton, or synthetic fibres, which isn’t exactly the kind of thing we want to be wiping on our face when trying to clean it. Thankfully, Nil has created reusable make up removers that are soft and gentle for our skin, being made from organic wool. This makes them better for us, and the fact that they’re reusable makes them better for the planet. It’s a win-win!
WotNot For Sensitive Skin Face Wipes
For those with sensitive skin, it’s even more important that what gets put on the skin is natural and gentle. Wotnot is here to help with their Face Wipes, designed specifically for sensitive skin. Using ingredients that are both cleansing and hydrating, there are no harsh chemicals here. It’s not uncommon to look at a face wipe from a supermarket or chemist and not be able to understand a single ingredient used. Whereas with Wotnot, the natural ingredients originate from plants and are much more recognisable. In all honesty, this product is a great option for anyone looking to switch to natural alternatives, whether or not you have sensitive skin
Shea Purity Original Shea Body & Hair Butter 250ml
Summer is a time where more of our body is on show and it’s likely that we want nice hydrated skin. We also spend more time in the sun, which can leave our skin feeling dry. A good body butter is exactly what we need to help combat this and the Shea Body & Hair Butter from Shea Purity is just that! Using a moisturising blend of shea butter, coconut oil and olive oil, this thick body butter leaves our skin looking and feeling healthy. It doesn’t contain any chemicals, synthetic fragrances or harsh ingredients that leave our skin feeling dry, or give our body more detoxifying to do. Instead, it focuses on hydrating our skin and it can even be used on our hair!
Epzen Relax Bath Crystals
Take your bath to the next level with the Epzen Relax Bath Crystals. The perfect way to unwind, these Bath Crystals bring us the benefits of not only the magnesium salt, but also the relaxing essential oils. Soaking in magnesium salt allows us to absorb this important mineral directly through our skin. It has a calming effect, as well as helping to soothe any muscle soreness and tension. When we combine this with the power and aroma of the essential oils that have been specifically chosen for their calming properties, we’ll be left feeling lighter and more relaxed. These Bath Crystals tick all the natural beauty boxes, being scented with the pure essential oils, as opposed to fake fragrances that other conventional products tend to contain. We get the advantage of the natural ingredients, plus all of the benefits that come with these higher quality oils.
The Australian Natural Soap Company Guest Soap & Dr Bronner Citrus Pure-Castile Bar Soap
A key thing to look out for when buying a natural soap is ‘fragrance’ or ‘perfume’, which can be hiding any number of ingredients or chemicals under these umbrella terms. Just like in the food we eat, we like to know which ingredients go into our skincare products. It’s always so much better when we can see exactly which ingredients make up the smell of these kinds of products and we’re always happy to see pure essential oils on ingredient lists. Take a look at the soap range from The Australian Natural Soap Company for the perfect example of naturally scented soaps. And there’s so many amazing scents to choose from! We all want to smell good, and thankfully there are plenty of natural ingredients that can help us do that without compromising on our natural beauty values. Another product we love is the Dr Bronner Pure-Castile Bar Soap, a mix of hydrating oils and essential oils, for the ultimate natural soap.
Le Lapin Anti-aging serum
When choosing a serum, we’re looking for hydrating ingredients that will penetrate our skin, nourishing it on a deeper level. From the soothing properties of aloe vera, moisturizing oils like rosehip, jojoba and avocado to the antioxidant rich plant extracts, the Le lapin Anti-Aging Serum has us covered. It even contains vitamin E, which is an antioxidant and important nutrient for the health of our skin. The antioxidant rich ingredients present within, help to protect our skin from free radical damage and keep it looking and feeling healthy. This serum works perfectly under your favourite moisturiser and is that extra layer of protection and hydration. It even smells amazing, utilising the benefits and amazing scents of natural essential oils.
Wotnot Tinted Sunscreen
We all know the importance of being sunsmart and taking the necessary precautions to protect our skin from the sun, but conventional sunscreens can be notorious for containing all sorts of chemicals. We’re not joking when we say their ingredients lists look like they belong in a lab. They certainly don’t look like they belong on our skin, especially when we remember that our skin is our biggest organ and absorbs a lot of what we put onto it. Thankfully we don’t need to compromise on our natural beauty philosophy with the help of Wotnot Tinted Sunscreen. This product doubles up as sun protection and mineral make-up, giving us a lovely covering that makes our skin look flawless. It’s free from harsh ingredients and instead utilises moisturising oils and antioxidant rich fruit extracts. It also has the sunscreen approved ingredient titanium dioxide for its sun protecting properties, so we know we’re covered on all fronts.
Biogenesis Beauty Superfood
Beauty starts from within and we can’t go past a superfood powder that is packed full of our favourite skin loving ingredients. A mix of chlorella, collagen and vitamins C and E, this Biogenesis Beauty Superfood will help us glow from the inside out. Chlorella is a potent antioxidant and contains a number of skin loving ingredients. It’s also great for detoxification, which in turn benefits our skin. Collagen is a major component in our skin and therefore supports our skin integrity, while vitamins C and E are antioxidants that also play a role in skin health. We love that this powder is free from cheap fillers, additives, and refined sweeteners, which are sometimes snuck into conventional superfood powders. Instead, it’s naturally sweetened with stevia, which doesn’t cause a spike in our blood sugar levels, while still helping it taste great.
Be Fraiche Smooth & Glow Exfoliator Smooth & Glow Exfoliator
Be Fraiche Smooth & Glow Exfoliator Smooth & Glow Exfoliator is the ultimate glow-up for any Belle with dull, tired, and sensitive skin that needs a bit of TLC’s, fast! Our gentle formula is non-abrasive or gritty, helping time-poor Belles defy breakouts & tame persistent adult acne in a few precious minutes.
Tielka Tea Limonada Rosa
Did you know that some tea bags actually contain plastic that can leech into the tea that we drink? Plastic has been seen to contain xenoestrogens that can disrupt our hormones and endocrine system. It’s certainly not something we want to be drinking particles of. We love that Tielka use pyramid bags which are compostable and completely plastic free. It allows us to enjoy our daily cuppa stress free.
The Limonada Rosa blend uses local Australian tea leaves and is certified organic! This supports Aussie farmers and decreases our chemical load via the organic ingredients. It’s the perfect combination of refreshing and sweet and brings us some heart healthy properties along with immune support. It’s free from flavours, which seem to be sneaking their way into more and more teas on the market. Just the pure and nutritious stuff here!
Sleep Support and Calming Lavender Oil Roll-On
An easy to use and on-the-go product, the Sleep Support & Calming Lavender Oil Roll-On is a fantastic way to gain the benefits of this powerful essential oil. We all know how beneficial lavender can be when it comes to sleep and relaxation, but it’s important to use it the right way. When applying essential oils directly to our skin, they need to be diluted to the correct amount to ensure safe application. This roll-on has us covered provides us with the oil in a safe and effective way. Plus, we’re getting the pure lavender oil and all that it brings. Not just a lavender ‘fragrance’, which has none of the benefits. Keep this one in your hand bag for those days when you need an extra bit of calm.
Sanctum Hydrating Gel Mask & Sanctum Energising Eye Gel
Considering our skin is our largest organ, it’s so important to focus on natural skincare with ingredients that we’d be happy to absorb. We’re loving the Sanctum Hydrating Gel Mask and Eye Gel for their organic and naturally sourced ingredients. A big red flag in skincare is chemical fragrances that come under the umbrella of ‘parfum’ or ‘fragrance’. Something we love about Sanctum is they use natural essential oils for the amazing fragrance and benefits they bring.
Just like with our food, we like being able to understand what’s going into our skincare and beauty products. Looking at the Sanctum ingredients brings us comfort knowing we’re getting the power of the plants.
Shampoo With A Purpose Bar
If you’re keen to make your beauty routine more sustainable, switching to a shampoo bar is a simple way to start. With nourishing ingredients like shea butter and argan oil, Shampoo With A Purpose's solid shampoo is one that actually gives your hair a solid wash - and as much product as you'd get from six shampoo bottles.
Morlife Calm Berry Beauty Water
Upgrade your daily H20 with some help from Morlife’s naturopathically formulated beauty supplement. This beautiful blue beverage is brimming with all the good stuff for your skin, hair and nails; from antioxidant-rich vitamin C (which also promotes collagen production), to trademarked Verisol Hydrolysed Collagen Peptides, which bypass digestion and go straight to the bloodstream so they can get to work, stat. The blue hue is all natural too, derived from blue spirulina for an extra dose of goodness.
The Base Collective Beauty Sleep Wash
Our new favourite body wash, we’ve been slathering this magical stuff on in the shower at night and all agree we’ve been sleeping so much better since.The ‘secret’ ingredients? Lavender essential oil and organic chamomile extract. Complete with magnesium and organ white tea extract to help soothe dry, irritated skin, you’ll wake up to healthier, happier skin too.
The NFCo Bio Toothbrush & St and and Blak Activated Charcoal Toothpaste
Next time you need a new toothbrush, pick this biodegradable one from NFco and you’ll be helping the planet every time you brush your teeth. Complete with a cute nylon stand, the plastic-free Monsoon Mist Toothbrush boasts a handle and packaging made from non-GMO cornstarch, plus recyclable nylon bristles. Team it with a squeeze of NFCo's minty Blak Toothpaste and you'll be brushing your way to naturally whiter teeth, too!
Antipodes Aura Mask
Infused with sweet vanilla pod and zesty mandarin, bring the spa vibes to your bathroom with this luxe mask by cult beauty brand Antipodes. Friendly to most skin types, this won’t leave your skin feeling dry and irritated like face masks often can. Thanks to ingredients like wild-sourced New Zealand manuka honey, think of it as a dual-action mask that locks in moisture all while calming angry blemishes. Awesome for alleviating the inevitable mask-ne.
Fermio Collagen + Clarity
A skincare supplement with added benefits, Fermio’s Collagen + Clarity delivers patented marine collagen dipeptides that offer superior absorption, along with vitamin C to support collagen production and provide skin-protective antioxidants. One small but mighty sachet also gives you Fermio’s signature blend of 66-triple fermented plant foods to promote a healthy and diverse range of good gut flora. To top it off, you’ll get a good dose of nootropics - natural cognitive-enhancing compounds - from ingredients like New Zealand blackcurrant. Sold.
No Ugly - Skin Drink
Skincare in a soft drink? Yep, it’s a thing, with one small bottle of No Ugly Skin giving you a solid dose of all the good stuff to help you get your glow on. We’re talking vitamin C, sustainably sourced marine collagen and Enzogenol - a natural plant extract with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory superpowers. Of course it’s naturally sugar-free, too.
Koala Eco Natural Hand and Surface Spray
A hand and surface sanitiser that doesn’t smell like it came from a lab, this chemical-free product has been a heaven-scented saviour over lockdown. Lavender, tea tree and peppermint essential oils make this a triple-threat surface spray - one with natural antiseptic, calming and invigorating properties. We never thought we’d associate hand sanitiser with self-care, so props to Koala Eco!
Burt’s Bees Advanced Relief Lip Balm
You can always count on Burt’s Bees for natural and effective skincare products. Formulated with nourishing beeswax and jojoba oil, plus antioxidant-rich turmeric for extra protection, this is the lip balm we reach for when our lips need some extra TLC. Free from the stuff we’d rather not put on our lips (including SLS and the ‘three Ps’ - parabens, phthalates and petrolatum), it’s also fragrance-free, making it suitable for even the most chapped, sensitive lips.
