Each and every year we plague ourselves with the guilt of broken New Years resolutions, covering everything from learning to drive to quitting smoking and, heaven-forbid, giving up chocolate.
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This year I’m intending to do something that should be a little bit easier to maintain and should benefit more than myself – I’m ditching the fancy cosmetics (at least for personal use, never fear; I shall still be reviewing the odd product for these illustrious pages!) and turning to nature for my skin, hair and body care, avoiding all products containing animal ingredients, SLS, SLES, Parabens, Petrochemicals and all the other nasties that do no good to our bodies or our environment.

Animal testing is also a no-no. In my search I have come across a few real gems, so I thought that I would share them with your good selves.
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(hair care)

Tints of Nature hair colour range (102ml RRP £8.99) – As someone who’s been dying her hair since she was 8 years old, now that I’m at an age where greys must surely soon be showing themselves, no amount of good-intentioned health- and environmental-friendliness is going to make me give up on colourants.

I had thought that I was going to have to resort to henna powder, which if teenage memory serves, is awkward to prep, takes an inordinately long time to work and has a somewhat... pungent aroma, so it was with relief that I discovered Tints of Nature, a henna-based dye that is to all intents and purposes indistinguishable from standard hair colour in terms of packaging, application, use and coverage but is completely free from all the bad stuff and is instead created from a base of fantastically nourishing natural products, such as Aloe, Comfrey, Orange, Grapefruit and Chamomile. Hair is left silky soft and beautifully coloured.

One word of warning however, although this is a natural product an allergy test is still an essential part of the process. Allergic reactions are still incredibly rare, but repeated use of colourants can increase the risk of an irritation which can result in anaphylaxis, so it’s really not worth the risk to miss the test.

Tints of Nature products are available from a wide range of cosmetic retailers, as well as online at www.tintsofnature.com

James Forward for Maison dAnu Colour specific styling and hair care range – Mason dAnu already have a name for themselves for producing wonderful natural body care products, but they have recently teamed up with celeb colourist James Forward to create ‘a comprehensive colour specific styling and hair care range.’ Sweetly scented and packed with nourishing ingredients, such as Jojoba Oil, Calendula, Geranium and Salvia Extract, these products work wonders for tired and abused hair whilst helping to maintain sparkling colour.

There are 18 products within the range, so you should be able to find something to suit your needs, from blonde brightening to moulding wax. I recently tried the Cherish Keratin Infused Shampoo (236ml RRP £18), Cherish Keratin Infused Conditioner (236ml RRP £23) and the deeply hydrating Cherish Keratin Infused Hair Mask (251ml RRP £28), it would be too much to hope that the damage I’ve inflicted on my locks over the years would be immediately repaired, but after just a few uses my hair does feel softer and a little less brittle, so I have great hopes for this range. All Maison dAnu products are manufactured using clean technology, whilst maintaining a natural and ethical focus.

For more information on, or to purchase the James Forward for Maison dAnu styling and hair care range visit www.maisondanu.co.uk

Organic Care Systems hair care – If you’re looking for truly natural non-dye-specific hair care products you can’t go far wrong with the range presented by Organic Care Systems. Again, they offer a shampooing and styling solution for pretty much every hair type and need, using a different combination of organic oils and extracts to attain soft, healthy hair.

I found the Power Build Shampoo (250m RRP £10.95), Conditioner (200ml RRP £10.95) and Reconstructor (150ml RRP £11.95) to work wonders, producing a nice lather unusual in SLS-free products and leaving my hair feeling clean and tangle-free. The products have a low PH balance, which works to improve the condition of the hair cuticle (the outermost part of the strand) and use wheat proteins, natural oils and vitamin B5 to strengthen and add volume to your lustrous locks.

For more information on, or to purchase Organic Care Systems hair care range visit www.organiccoloursystems.com

Maison D’Anu Face & Body Genie in a Bottle (200ml £28.00) – Love to cleanse your face, but hate the tight dehydrated feeling of your skin afterwards? This is the product for you – an oil-based rinseable cleanser which gently breaks up and removes make-up and the impurities that gather on the skin throughout the day without disturbing the skins naturals PH-balance or stripping it of moisture.

This is an absolute pleasure to use, with the sensuality of the warm oil being massaged into your skin before a light rinse, leaving your face feeling clean, soft and wonderfully hydrated.

For more information on, or to purchase Maison dAnu products visit www.maisondanu.co.uk

Maison D’Anu Glow Enzyme Mask (100ml RRP £38.00)– with natural beta hydroxy acids, papaya extract and pineapple extract, Maison D’Anu’s Glow Enzyme Mask is designed to give tired winter skin a boost, targeting and removing dead skin cells without harming the healthy, leaving you with a softly radiant complexion.

To use, simply cleanse you face and neck and smooth on a fine layer of the mask, relax for ten minutes and rinse. Et voila; super soft and blooming skin awaits. The product in created from 99% natural ingredients gathered worldwide.

For more information on, or to purchase Maison dAnu products visit www.maisondanu.co.uk  

Green People Facial Oil (30ml RRP £16.95) – Marketed as a natural anti-aging  product, this certified organic oil is bursting with natural active ingredients; sweet almond oil, Omega-3&6-rich jojoba and rosehip oils, avocado, thistle, sunflower, rosemary and more all working together to create an intensely hydrating cosmetic designed to ‘prevent premature ageing and improve the skin’s elasticity’.

The oil should only be applied lightly – it’s a small bottle, but a little goes a long way – with the tips of the fingers, gently smoothing, rather than rubbing. Free from Parabens, Lanolin, ethyl alcohol, artificial perfumes, petrochemicals, phthalates and colourants Green People products really do live up to their brand name.

Green People Facial Oil is available from a wide variety of independent retailers and online at www.greenpeople.co.uk

Natures Inspiration Rhassoul Clay/Moroccan Red Clay Mask (80g RRP £10.00) – Handmade in Ireland using organic ingredients and free from all unpleasant chemicals, Natures Inspiration products are sold in reusable and recyclable packaging and nothing they use is tested on animals, so all in all they’re pretty much the perfect company!

The Rhassoul /Moroccan Red Clay Mask is something of an unusual product – for starters it arrives in its basic dried clay form and needs to be mixed at home, which leaves you feeling pleasingly involved in the whole process... At least, that’s how it left me feeling!

Once you have created your mask, simply leave it to dry on the skin for five-ten minutes and pad off with warm water. The high mineral content of the mask – which can also be used on the scalp – smoothes and tones the skin, absorbs excess oils and toxins and helps to improve elasticity.

For more information on the Natures Inspiration Rhassoul Clay/Moroccan Red Clay Mask visit www.naturesinspiration.co.uk

Douvall’s Organic Argan Oil Moisturiser (50ml RRP £25 or 15ml RRP £12) – Argan Oil seems to be the in thing at the moment; you can scarcely find a beauty product that doesn’t contain it... And with good reason.

Native to Morocco, Argan Oil ‘contains twice as much Vitamin E as Olive Oil, to deeply hydrate skin, plus essential fatty acids Omega 6 & 9 which restore the skins pH balance and reduce the appearance of fine lines’. The oil is almost scent-free and is something of a miracle elixir, working to combat stretch marks, Eczema and Psoriasis, acne and the signs of aging. It can be used for massage and bathing and even gently rubbed into the ends of damaged hair for a natural moisture boost.

100% Organic Douvall’s Moisturiser has been created from ingredients hand-picked and blended by a Moroccan woman’s co-operative, so it not only does great things for you and your body, but by purchasing it you will be supporting a fantastic fair-trade business.

Douvall’s Organic Argan Oil Moisturiser is available from Urban Retreat, Harrods and online at www.beautique.com and www.douvalls.com

Sranrom Urban Wellness Range – The tagline that Sranrom have gone for is ‘the philosophy of well-being’, with the creation of products that have been developed based on the ancient concept of aromatherapy, the idea that our moods and sense of happiness, comfort and security can be influenced by the use of certain herbs (no, not the one you’re thinking of!).

The range is comprised of five collections – Calm Down, Get Lively, Sleep Tight, Feel Good and Clear Mind – designed to balance your inner world with the application of outer skincare products. I have recently tried a number of Sranrom products and where as I’m not absolutely convinced of an improvement to my state of mind originating with their use, I am persuaded of the quality of the products.

My personal favourite is the Calm Down Room and Body Mist (100ml RRP £18), made up of a luscious combination of Lemongrass and Kaffir Lime, one whiff of which is enough to open my mind like the unfolding petals of a flower. The Sleep Tight Body Cream (200g RRP £14) is rich and smoothing with a wonderful scent of ylang ylang flowers and lavender oil, while the Get Lively Shower Gel (200ml RRP £12) with its warming mix of ginger and orange is the perfect start to any day.

For more information on the Sranrom Urban Wellness Range visit www.sranrom.com

Sugar Strip Ease (250g RRP £9.99) – this is probably the ultimate natural bodycare product, being made, as it is, from nothing more than sugar, syrup and water. If you’re looking for something a little longer lasting than shaving and rather a lot less damaging than wax, turn your attention to a beauty regime that has been in practice since the age of the ancient Egyptians and personally favoured by none other than Cleopatra!

Sugar Strip Ease is a simple and effective hair removal technique which adheres to the hairs and not to the skin, leaving legs (and other body bits!) silky soft and glowing with natural beauty. Although not pain-free by any chalk, Sugar Strip Ease is not quite as eye-wateringly excruciating as other hair-removal methods as it does not damage the skin in anyway. It is also water soluble, should you lose your bottle part way through! BUAV approved as cruelty free and suitable for vegans, this is the perfect natural hair removal solution.

Sugar Strip Ease is available from the following stockists: www.sugarstripease.com,  www.victoriahealth.com, Boots and www.feelunique.com

Viridian Organic Raw Coconut Oil (500g RRP £14) – This isn’t so much of a targeted product, more an all over, slather it on and make your skin happy kinda thing! Rich in antioxidants and fatty acids that penetrate into the underlying tissues, coconut oil has long be known as a fantastic skin conditioner, helping to relieve chronic dry skin, harmlessly removing dead cells, deeply hydrating tissues and even helping with the treatment of dandruff and boosting tired and damaged hair.

Made from 100% organic coconut oil, this product is free from all additives, fillers, artificial flavours, colourings, binders or coatings and is actually edible, although I must confess that I’ve yet to try it on anything other than my skin. Grown and made by hand in the Philippines using an age-old process on behalf of Viridian, a company with a strong philanthropic ethos, this is very much a feel-good product, whichever way you look at it.

For more information and stockists of Viridian Organic Raw Coconut Oil visitwww.viridian-nutrition.com.

Essential Care Organic Coconut Candy Scrub (200g RRP £28.00) – Natural or otherwise, this is one of the best exfoliators I’ve come across. Sugar cane crystals, rich in glycolic acid to rejuvenate tired skin, gently remove dead cells, while gloriously scented virgin coconut oil and cocoa butter deeply moisturise, leaving you feeling all shiny new, squeaky clean and magnificently soft and supple.

This product has won a bushel of awards over the years, including the Best Organic Bodycare Product 2009 in the Soil Association Organic Beauty Awards and Winner of The Green Beauty Bible Award 2009. It is Soil Association certified, suitable for vegans and made entirely from organic natural ingredients, so is suitable for every skin type, even the most sensitive. I love it and can’t recommend it highly enough.

Essential Care Organic Coconut Candy Scrub is available from www.essential-care.co.uk, as well as a variety of independent retailers and etailers.

bareMinerals® Original SPF15 Foundation (8g RRP £23) – bareMinerals® really are THE producers of natural cosmetics, whether you’re looking for fake tan or lipstick, they will have something to answer your needs.

At Christmas I had a play with their wonderful High Shine eye shadow and now I’ve been lucky enough to get my sticky little mitts on a pot of their lovely foundation. I’ve never really been much of a one for using powder, finding a cream foundation to give better coverage, but the bareMinerals® Original SPF15 has made me a convert. The powder goes on perfectly smoothly and somehow contrives to give the impression that your skin is bare, but naturally blessed with a wonderful complexion!

Awarded the Skin Cancer Foundation Seal of Recommendation, the foundation provides natural SPF 15 broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection and has been ‘clinically proven to actually be good for the skin’ and ‘improves overall skin health and appearance over time’.

bareMinerals® Original SPF15 Foundation is available in 20 mix and match shades for all skin tones and types and can pr purchased from Bare Escentuals Boutiques, department stores, selected Spas & salons and selected online retailers including www.bareminerals.co.uk

Marks and Spencer Perfection Natural Finish Mineral Loose Powder Blusher (12m RRP £9.50) – If you would rather purchase from the high street, M&S have recently launched their Perfection Natural Finish range, which comprises a small collection of cosmetics made completely from natural mineral powders. Suitable for all skin types, the blusher is light weight and blendable, free from fragrances and preservatives and adds a lovely incandescent hint of colour to the skin with no danger of the Aunt Sally-effect.

This is a simple, natural user-friendly product available at a very reasonable price.

The Marks and Spencer Perfection Natural Finish Mineral Loose Powder Blusher is available from most M&S high street stores.

(everyday essentials)

retarDEX Toothpaste and Oral Rinse – It’s not all that often that one writes a review about toothpaste, but if you truly wish to go the whole hog and embark on an entirely natural lifestyle, then waving goodbye to your usual SLS-packed toothpaste is a must.

I must confess to being slightly wary about this one; being 33 and filling-free I’m somewhat loyal to the brand I’ve been using throughout my entire life, but I read a little leaflet about retarDEX and thought I may as well give it go. Firstly, let’s just cover what part SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulphate) actually plays in oral hygiene... The honest answer is not an awfully big one.

It’s basically a foaming agent, the same product used to make shampoos lather up and bubble-baths bubbly and floor cleaners look like they’re actually doing something. Some researchers believe that SLS can cause irritations to the skin and the mouth, others believe that’s nonsense, so it’s all rather inconclusive. But, I don’t know about you, irritants aside, I’m not really looking for a toothpaste that makes me froth at the mouth! So, once you’ve taken the SLS out of the picture, all you’re left with is an effective tooth-cleaning agent and aside from the unfortunate name, retarDEX is just that.

It tastes like any other toothpaste, leaves teeth clean and sparkly and doesn’t end with you spitting a load of nasty chemicals down the drain to pollute the environment.

retarDEX  is available from a wide variety of high street chemists and online.

Moa Green Balm (12ml RRP £9.99) – This is a multi-tasking handbag must-have that no woman, let alone mum, should be without. It soothes bites, spots, scratches and stings, works as a cleanser, calms shaving rash, softens cold winter hands and dry skin and can even be diluted with hot water and gargled to alleviate sore throats.

In fact, the only thing it doesn’t seem to do is boil the kettle and sacrifice itself ready for your service, and I’m sure it would do, if only it had arms with which to press the button! Completely natural and crammed with healing ingredients, from Sweet Almond to Yarrow and many things in between, this is a little handbag saviour.

Moa Green Balm is available from a wide variety of high street chemists, health stores and online retailers, include www.Amazon.co.uk.