BEDM 25: Trying something new: Beauty blogging: organic products

Tomorrow's brief for BEDM is stepping outside your comfort zone. In fact, I will be doing something for that tomorrow, sort of, as well but since today is about National Barbecue Day and I haven't had a barbecue (vegetable and egg vermicelli FYI), I figured I would promote tomorrow's brief today instead.

Beauty blogging. I have read a fair few beauty reviews of products on some of my favourite bloggers' domains but I confess, hoping I am not offending anyone I like, it's not really my thing. I read and comment out of liking and affection for the particular blogger, but it's not something that grabs me or I would ever consider myself any sort of expert at or have any zest for. I am also not a products driven person either. Sure, I love my Yves St Laurent Touche eclat, Urban decay glitter shadows and I love my CK be perfume and numerous other items but I don't have a yearning to try new things that often.

Therefore, I figured reviewing some beauty products might possibly be a brave choice for me to take me outside my comfort zone. I'm really not sure what to talk about but I will give it a try.

What DOES particularly interest me about beauty products is the use of natural ingredients, organic ingredients and those that are lacking elements such as Sodium Laureth sulfates and avoiding certain products which have dodgy connotations. I have tried brands like Green People, Weleda,Jason organics, Neal's Yard remedies and Dr Hauschka amongst others.

I came across a brand called 'Herbfarmacy' when I was on holiday in Hay-on-Wye a few years ago.  Dr Paul Richard 's ran small shop and beauty treatment room selling products using herbs grown around Hay.  We bought some at the time,loving the premise of this brand and CBC bought me some further products for Christmas.  This Christmas, I asked if he could buy me a few more of the products as I liked them so much.


Here is the description of Herbfarmacy in their own words:

Herbfarmacy is the home of organic British skin care. Dr Paul Richards, a member of the Soil Association, has been growing organic herbs on our farm in Herefordshire for 30 years. Using Paul’s expertise we steep the herbs for many weeks to produce oils rich with their benefits. Our skin care products are ideal for people with sensitive skin and, of course, have only been tested on us! We are a dedicated team of local people, passionate about the benefits of organic herbs and proud of the products we produce.

1.  Citrus Handcream
This was sent as a sample along with our order and CBC, who is a confirmed snob when it comes to products, is a firm fan. He has conserved this sample well and says just a small amount is soothing and works well on his rough hands. It is very rich BUT does not leave you with a greasy feeling on your hands which for me, is an ABSOLUTE must when it comes to handcream. I physically cannot sleep if I can feel a hand-cream product on my hands or it has a pungent, non-natural smell.  One well known brand of Citrus handcream really did keep me awake with its artificial smell whereas this product has a delicious, delicate smell.  CBC feels similarly.  You can purchase it from here for £12.95.  The key notes are: Sweet Orange, bergamot, mandarin, sweet grapefruit and it uses 81% organic ingredients. It is also good for Vegans. CBC has said he will definitely buy a larger version of this as he's enjoyed it alot.

2.   Rose and echinacea toner
I have had this bottle for absolutely ages ever since CBC bought me the first gift set of Herbfarmacy products. It lasts a very long time so even if you think the price is a little too high, it really does have longevity and doesn't lose its smell.  This product comes usefully in a pump-action bottle so you can spray it onto your face and blot with a tissue. It has a wonderful rose smell. Considering I don't like the smell of roses themselves, I cannot get enough of rose in the form of rose-tea or facial products. It is the perfect product morning or evening after cleansing and I feel the smell soothes me especially as I go to bed and cools my skin pleasingly. It contains 98% organic ingredients.
You can purchase it here for £17.50 or a small bottle for £5.00, It also comes in the gift and travel packs, both of which I have had.

3.  Wash off cleansing mousse

To use this product, you apply and massage in a thin layer to the skin and then use a warm, damp muslin cloth to remove it.  I like the subtle smell of this. I am still not the hugest fan of using cream-cleansers as opposed to gels or soap (psychological I think), so I don't use this every day,  but this does stop my skin from drying out which it usually does when I use soap (ayuvedic handmade soaps) on other days. It removes make-up well and it does feel like you have actually cleansed your face which I am not always convinced about cream-cleansers.  use a  can be bought here for £15.50 for 95ml or also still in a small jar 20g for £4.00. It contains Chamomile, Marshmallow and oils like Rose Geranium and Ylang Ylang which I know my skin appreciates. I remember a lady asking in the shop if the shopkeeper knew how to make edible marshmallows from marshmallow plant when I first bought this. This product received acclaim in the 2014 NaturalBeauty Magazine awards which I am not surprised about. 80% of the ingredients are organic.

4.  Starweed Face Cream
CBC has been using this cream so I thought I'd offer you a male perspective on beauty products. I have a different fragrance which I haven't opened yet and it is a while since I finished my last jar of Herbfarmacy face-cream.  I have been using up all my other sample bottles and travel-sized bottles that I have been accumulating over the years.   CBC assures me it is not at all greasy to apply and it feels natural, not like you have applied cream (which he detests). It has a very subtle fragrance (I've smelt it and it is very gently herby in a way that males would like but also myself), it is hardly noticeable once applied, which he thinks is a good thing. Once you've applied it, you don't feel it on your skin all day, it is well absorbed but does feel moisturised.  At the end of the day, if you wash it off, you still notice it on your skin though.  This product good for combination (me!) and sensitive skin and can be bought for £15.65 here.  It is nourishing but gentle, not too thick and I think I might give this a go next time as I can't stand thick feeling creams and this feels like it will fit the bill. If you have a man you'd like to buy something different for, I recommend this!

So is there anything I don't like about the products? Not really! If I had to say something, my own personal, (very small) objection to the face-creams, is not the product themselves,they are wonderful, but that the packaging has changed. When we bought our first set of Herbfarmacy face moisturising creams, they came in Glass jars that you dipped your fingers into and could easily rescue every last morsel of this delicious product (and I like recycling glass) but now in the pump bottle, I am not sure you can get every last drop and I don't want to waste any of this wonderful cream. I presume the change is for hygiene and preserving reasons.


Fundamentally, what I like about the products is that it started off locally, in Hay, which is a town that really is proud of the area and individual, local products. I bought them from the founder and creator's own shop. They have received acclaim through national beauty awards. Obviously, they are slightly more expensive than high-street generic products but I do think it is important to know pretty much what every ingredient is going onto your skin, not a long stream of miscellaneous, mysterious sounding laboratory creations that you do not know the long-term effects of, which is the case with most of what I come across.  And of course, knowing exactly WHERE the products came from too. This is not some anonymous firm.  I sincerely think they are worth the cost.

There are many more products available.  You can also try samples of the products when you order something else. We received about 5 mini-samples with our order of 2 full-sized moisturisers before Christmas and we'd only ordered 2 to try!

Would you try any of these products?  What's your opinion on natural beauty? Is it worth the price? And how did I do as a beauty blogger?

xxx

This is one of my final week of 'Blog every day in May' posts!