In their annual report on ‘How we shop, live and look’ John Lewis reported this year that sales of products with hyaluronic acid, were up 94%. They call it ‘this year’s miracle ingredient’, so what exactly is hyaluronic acid? and why is it so popular? Well, it’s commonly known as ‘the fountain of youth’ so…
Bathtime relaxation Here’s how to create a jar full of loveliness to destress, ease and delight. Make it for a special friend, or as a gift to yourself. This is so simple to make, but requires a little forethought in macerating the herbs to create your own blend herbal oil. It’s an especially thoughtful gift…
The gift of natural skincare. Natural skincare is the on-trend gift for Christmas 2018. Read on to find out why and how to select the perfect gift. The ‘it’ gift. On our struggling high streets, one category stands out as a growing, buoyant market that excites its customers and sustains innovation and developing product ranges:…
Balms and Creams Skincare products come in many forms from purely water based like a simple plant infusion to the waxy balms that need just a smear in application. Balms and creams sit at different points along this spectrum. And the defining aspect of the spectrum: water. Water content While it’s true that a whole…
Hand cream of Dreams What does it take to make the perfect hand cream? That’s the question you ask when starting to formulate a new product. Of course, for everyone the answer may be different, but when I started to think about what a perfect hand cream should be like, the ideas started rolling. Learn…
A world of inspiration How do you clean your face? It’s something we do day-in, day-out, often without much thought. Such a simple act, it’s incredible how many different ways there are around the world for getting clean. Clean up your act Whatever you were taught when growing up, and whether you followed that advice…
Witches or wise women? Having seemingly super-natural powers could get you condemned as a ‘witch’. But, viewing these historical characters with a modern, less superstitious eye, we can see the practices of some really wise women who truly knew their herbs. Modern understanding We recognise that our body absorbs the food we consume, ingesting, digesting,…
Turning to nature for our skincare ingredients we find offerings from all corners of the world, skin secrets waiting to be discovered and deployed. But are the real benefits to be found closer to home? Exotic ingredients are curious and, by definition, different and unusual. They excite and entice, but do they also present a…
Blackberry and Honeysuckle Lotion for oily skin When your skin is oily it needs bringing back into balance. This blackberry and honeysuckle lotion makes use of dry oils and a range of emollient and humectant ingredients to bring your skin into balance. You are producing oils to lubricate your skin, but if it seems over-oily,…
Blackberry leaves for brightening the skin The blackberry plant scrambles through hedgerows putting on enormous growth each season, seemingly stretching out more and more each day. All this growth is fuelled by the powerhouse of energy contained in the blackberry leaves. Use these leaves in creating your own skincare and see that plant power taking…
