Living Nature 100% natural skincare and make-up

I’m so thrilled to be able to trial and promote Living Nature - 100% pure, certified natural skin care and cosmetics range from New Zealand.   Their range is really extensive, I’m a huge fan of their make-up – currently their lipstick and tinted moisturisers are my new best friends !

Living Nature founded in 1987, in New Zealand, was one of the world’s first companies to produce a skin care line without the use of synthetic preservatives or parabens.  Using the native healing plants of New Zealand that are organic and wild crafted, Living Nature is a pioneer in blending science and nature to create high performance, naturally potent botanical products.  None of their products contain synthetic preservatives such as parabens, alcohol, phenoloxyethanol, sodium lauryl sulphate, artificial fragrances, phthalates and petroleum and mineral based oils along with other chemical nasties and they’re certified natural under the strict standards of BDIH, Germany, a world-leading independent auditor of natural skin care and cosmetics.

They have the best makeup remover I’ve come across, a brilliant facial oil The Radiance night oil and the Firming flax serum which has been voted winner the skin serum category of the natural health and beauty awards/

Its an  anti-ageing treatment that effectively firms, smoothes and softens the skin to minimise the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and

Its scientifically-proven to benefit the health and beauty of skin.  In-vitro tests, at the highly respected ABICH Laboratories in Italy, confirmed that the advanced, all-natural formulation of Living Nature’s Firming Flax Serum maximises the healing and renewal process of the skin that takes place during sleep.   Crucially, Firming Flax Serum was shown to increase synthesis of Hyaluronic Acid, which is naturally produced by skin and gives it its firmness and protection against moisture loss, by up to 86% after 48 hours after exposure.

Active Manuka Honey is included in this unique rejuvenating serum for its ultra-moisturising, nourishing, rejuvenating and protecting benefits.  Manuka Honey also possesses special antibacterial, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties that help stimulate the body’s natural repair processes,  It also contains Harakeke, (I confess I'd never heard of that before) - the New Zealand Flax plant also provides Living Nature’s Firming Flax Serum with intense soothing, hydrating, antiseptic and healing benefits and Rosehip oil is included for its potent antioxidant properties that help prevent signs of ageing on the skin.

I’ve been applying it before bedtime and I’ve just realised you can mix it with a drop of their Radiance night  oil for an even more intensive treatment.  You'll find Living Nature in some health stores and -

www.livingnature.com.

Beat insomnia with A Vogel Dormeasan sleep remedy

Alongside back pain, insomnia is one of the most sited reasons for days off work in the Uk, a staggering number of people have problems sleeping and it costs the national health a small fortune in sleeping pills and people then often complain that they either become addictive or don’t actually work.

For most of us, our immune systems are pretty strong, we can cope with a reasonable amount of stress and anxiety but we absolutely can’t function without restorative sleep.    We need it to restore us to full function after a period of wearing ourselves out. During the night, tissues are repaired, organs rest or finish cycles such as flushing out toxins, and the brain filters the events of the day.

The problem comes when sleep is disturbed. Missing the time to repair and restore, we find our brains struggling to cope, memory slipping, concentration below par, muscles fatigued, skin dull and eyes lack-lustre.   The good news is there are some natural sleep aids and of course diet plays a part,  foods containing tryptophan such as turkey and lettuce interesting can help before bedtime and it’s a good idea to avoid eating too late and avoid rich spicy foods and alcohol, but when you’re in need of something more, a brilliant natural sleep remedy is this one from a long established company A Vogel – they are one of the companies whose herbal preparations are licensed under the new guidelines and along with their brilliant Echinacea this product -

Dormeasan is one I always try and keep in the medicine cabinet    Its  a herbal sleep remedy made from extracts of freshly harvested, organically grown Valerian root and Hops.  based upon long-standing use as a traditional remedy   Its important to stress that Dormeasan is not a ‘sleeping pill’.    

It's a herbal sleeping aid and won’t normally leave you feeling groggy in the morning. Unlike many sleep remedies, Dormeasan is available in the form of a liquid herbal tincture. Taken just half an hour before bed-time, it can help if you worry that you can't sleep – encouraging a more natural sleep, helping you sleep better and wake feeling refreshed.

Dormeasan Valerian-Hops oral drops 50 ml £9.15

A vogel products are widely available in health shops and some chemists.

http://www.avogel.co.uk/

Doidy cup from Bickiepegs - natural and healthy alternative to spouted cups and bottles

Is your little one sucking frantically on a plastic trainer cup ?  this could change everything !

If you’ve just welcomed a new addition to the family or you know someone who has, I want to tell you about a revolutionary product that you simply must have, I came across the Doidy cup when my little girl was a few months old and I was really fed up I hadn’t known about it for my other 3 kids, I’d done some research and found that speech therapists don’t recommend the usual plastic training cups that babies drink from as they were seeing children aged 5 and over with speech problems due partly to the use of spouted training cups.  I've never liked them either, I always worried about the plastic especially when it got scratched and if you’ve ever tried to drink from one of those cups you’ll know just what an odd shape you have to force you mouth into to get anything through the spout.

They come in a great range of colours and the unique design helps children to drink from a rim rather than forcing their lips into an unnatural position to drink from a spout or bottle.

I'm not a fan of the plastic and importantly Doidy cups are made from food safe materials and don't contain bisphenol, pvc or phthalates.

You can use them from 3 months or earlier and they're fine for expressed breast milk, recommended by health professionals and  by the national Childbirth trust.

You can buy them at lots of nursery outlets and John Lewis and from

http://www.bickiepegs.co.uk/

Yes - the company behind the Doidy cup are also behind ......................

Bickiepegs teething biscuits, a unique brand developed many years ago by a leading Harley St Paediatrician and used for many years in royal nurseries 

They’re not wheat and gluten free but they do contain

matural wheatgerm and wheatflour.   Theres no added sugar, salt, additives, colourings or chemicals and they are handmade in a dedicated bakery in Scotland 

Of course the idea of the teething biscuits is to encourage chewing skills to develop correctly by exercising the jaws

They're recommended by health professionals, dentists and midwives, you can find them in chemists, supermarkets and at -  

www.bickiepegs.co.uk

Rainforest Foods - premium organic supplements and superfoods

You'll have heard all about the benefits of superfoods and you're probably wondering if theres a definitive list - well not really, in my opinion many natural foods are 'super' but I suppose the term ‘superfood’ is used to describe a food that is significantly rich in nutrients that have health benefits.  Superfoods are antioxidant agents, rich in vitamins, minerals, they’re anti inflammatory, a good protein source which is great for vegans, blood sugar stabilizing agents.  We're all aware of blueberries, broccoli and avocado and raw chocolate as superfoods but others are much more exotic, and are not generally as available – chlorella, spirulina, maca, maqui berry and Acai berry, for example. 

Acai - I'm a big fan !

Acai is a small purple berry, regarded widely as one of the Earth's most nutritious foods.  It is one of the world’s richest sources of antho cyanins. It contains more of these antioxidant compounds than red wine !! (probably better for you too !)

The people of the Brazilian Amazon region have been consuming Acai for centuries. They farm it in sympathy with the delicate ecosystem of their native land.   Its immense antioxidant content helps maintain the body, protecting against heart disease, cancer, arthritis and premature ageing

Its antioxidants promote recovery from serious disease

Its fantastic combination of Omega fatty acids aid digestive and cardiovascular health

Many of the world's greatest athletes now include Acai in the dietary element of their training regimes.  Its easily-absorbed proteins help build and maintain muscle, aiding muscle recovery and tissue repair during sports training. 

Because of the 'rarity' of superfoods such as Acai we often need to

access them as supplements and a great brand is Rainforest Foods - a manufacturer and wholesaler of premium organic food supplements. It prides itself on sourcing only the finest of nature's foods from the very best suppliers and bringing these products tous at a realistic price.  Their  range that is nearly all organic and certified by the soil association. Importantly their products are pure and free from binders, fillers and additives.   (a big problem with some of the cheaper supplement brands)

Acai’s high fat content means that it tends to go off much quicker than most fruit, typically within 24 hours. As soon as it is picked its sent to processing plants. There are several ways to process Acai flesh, but by far the best is freeze-drying. The result is a powdered product that contains as much as possible of the fresh fruit’s nutrition, and I'm assured that Rainforests process supports the amazon rainforest and is fairly traded

You can buy freeze dried Acai Berry capsules and a whole range of superfoods from  http://www.rainforestfoods.co.uk/