Sort Yourself for Autumn:
Summer means the beach, and the sun, and salt, and swimming and sunscreen and good times. It also means that at the end of it you have a few more wrinkles and your hair doesn’t look “beachy” it looks like a birds nest.
I’ve put together some of the things that I’ve been using to get myself back to my usual pale skinned and thin haired look.
Most of the stuff I use now is as naturally derived as possible (for something you buy from a store, and is reasonably priced / available in Australia).
This means that 80% of beauty or hygiene products I buy are from Lush.
Why?
I read a really great book a few years ago called “Diary of an Eco Outlaw” while I was working at Van Dusen Gardens in Vancouver, B.C. You can read the Amazon description I’ve linked, but basically what the book was about was the dirty dealings of the chemical companies that are tied to most of what we use to clean our homes and ourselves. Working in a botanical garden (usually alone) while reading this book rocked my world. Although a full time student, and mostly broke, I threw out all of my beauty and hygiene products and refused to use anything linked to petro chemical companies. I also stopped eating meat.
A few years later, I’ve definitely backslid – but I still use natural products whenever possible. Now I am working full time, and am able to afford Lush products to cover the essentials – namely hair and skin / face care.
Ok. What’s the deal with Lush? Isn’t it gimmicky and overpriced?
Lush, like any successful business, has some things that could be done better. Through a cursory search of the internet for “bad news”, I’ve found – product quality can vary (which makes sense, because by using “fresh” materials quality will indeed vary.) Sometimes the sales people are pushy. Some of the products are over-priced for what you get. You can still find sulfates and parabens in their products. Also, Lush is political, sometimes. To protest animal testing they had a female volunteer undergo 10 hours of “testing”. and some people did not like it (the author of that linked article). In Australia they are supporting campaigns to re-evaluate the way the Australian government is treating asylum seekers.
(I agree with the political stuff – and I wish more companies were clear about their political agenda).
Ok.
Below are some of my “picks” to transition from Summer to Autumn.
Sort your face:
I don’t really wear a lot of make – up, especially with the heat in Australia and the humidity, and then the air-con … it’s just doesn’t feel great having a lot of stuff on your skin. I usually wear moisturiser / tinted sunscreen or light foundation, mascara and maybe a lipstick. Hopefully I’ve done something to maintain my eyebrows and I’m good to go. When I do have a lot of make – up on, I don’t really know how to act or what to do. I also look like this:
A friend of a friend needed people to be models for a make-up exam. My make – up lady did really well, according to the person giving the test.
I usually look like this:
Including the hearts over my head.
Oh Apple, we love a gimmick !
Another reason I don’t wear makeup is because I am also incredibly lazy at night time. The urge to go to sleep usually hits me like a ton of bricks, and it is difficult enough to get my teeth brushed and out of my clothes.
Make – Up Remover / Moisture:
Bring on the 9 – 5 Cleansing Lotion:
Lush says:
Mark created this one a long time ago and named it ‘Orchid Oil Cleanser.’ It’s taken a while to get it into Lush, but our customers were crying out for a liquid cleanser. Orchids and everlasting flower soothe and clean the skin thoroughly with a mild antibacterial action, and almond smoothes the skin. It’s great for taking off stubborn make-up and gives a fresh feeling after use.
Kath says:
I can use this as a normal cleanser. I can use this stuff without water. I can wipe it off with a dry face cloth. It smells nice, and it prevents my skin from breaking out. When I have racoon eyes (from forgetting to take off the aforementioned mascara) it is strong enough to get waterproof mascara off, without getting in my eyes and stinging. You only need a dollop, and a small bottle can last you several months. I’m on my second bottle, and I bought one for Kate too.
5 stars !
Sunscreen / Moisturiser:
I used to spend quite a bit on Clinique products. I once lived with a girl that was really into expensive make-up, and I was kind of enthralled by it. I still enjoy Clinique, and I think it’s great for sensitive skin, but it is also really expensive. I was using their Superdefense moisturizing cream which retails for $70.00 – $85.00. I had the whole set of Clinique products, but those eventually needed to be replaced, and I was too intimidated by the makeup counter to go and check it out (I’m not shelling out serious cash unless I am sure that the make-up works for me – too many tipsy incidents at duty free purchasing foundation that doesn’t work). Anyway, I bought a lot of tinted moisturisers and foundations with SPF 15 – 30, because I don’t want to look 45 or get skin cancer.
Lush can’t make sunscreen because sunscreen is essentially chemical soup.
Through approximately 6 months of experimentation, I’ve settled on Oil of Olay Daily Defence moisturiser with SPF 30.
Oil of Olay says:
Infuse sensitive skin with moisture and help protect it against damaging sun rays for skin that looks healthier and younger.
• Protects against the sun’s harmful burning rays with SPF 30
• Replenishes moisture with conditioners including vitamins E, B3, and pro-vitamin B5
Kath says:
It’s 15 dollars, and you can buy it at the grocery store. The “sensitive” formula does not make your skin break out, and I have not gotten a sun burn. Also, it is funny to note that the Daily Defence Moisturiser is listed as “sun damage lotion” via their website. They must turn down the “sun damage lotion” for the Australian market.
3.5 Stars! (-1.5 because Oil of Olay is owned by Procter and Gamble and this also I’ve been watching House of Cards and have turned up the paranoia again)
Sort your hair:
I am also struggling with growing my hair out for a wedding in May. My hair is fine and there is a lot of it. The longer it gets, the more it seems to fall out and cause nastiness in our drains. I also have weird looking baby hairs sticking out. I’ve been called frumpy by the man I live with. I think it has to do with my hair.
Split Ends / Birds Nests
Lush says:
A treatment for thin and fine hair. The route to mighty fine hair! Fine hair needs careful looking after, this treatment is packed full of ingredients to revitalise it from root to tip. There’s honey to soften; fresh eggs to add protein to the hair and scalp and to add shine; along with some extra virgin olive oil to strengthen and condition the hair. It’s one of Mark Constantine’s trichology creams from the early days when he worked at a well-known West End hair salon and really needed to sort people’s hair out. Roots works on the scalp to make it beautifully healthy, which in turn makes your hair healthy, strong, shiny and voluminous. He added lots of menthol to the recipe, which stimulates the scalp and encourages hair to grow to its full length, giving the appearance of thicker hair.
How to use this one: Get someone to apply to dry hair for you and give you a lovely head massage! Get this one onto the scalp first and gently massage, then coat the hair and leave it on for 20 minutes. Gently shampoo out and condition as normal. Use 3 times a week for a couple of weeks to see real improvement
Kath says:
I’m only on the second application. The instructions on the actual container and the website are different. I did not receive a head massage. I got the treatment into my scalp and half onto my hair. Because of the overall stickiness and the fineness of my hair, my hands ended up coated in stickiness and hair – this was not as gross as pulling hair from the drain, but it was gross. I did leave it on my hair for 20+ minutes. The first time I didn’t shampoo it out, so my scalp was a little greasy, the second time I did – and my hair is indeed softer. I agree with Mark Constantine. Someone needs to sort my hair out. However, at $20.00 a container, and a lot of fine hair, I don’t think this is it.
3 Stars!
Colour Safe Shampoo:
One of the reasons my hair is the way it is, is because I like changing it. Since I am growing it out, that means I am putting dyes in my hair every 3 months or so. Every lady that colours their hair has been pressured to buy the “colour safe” shampoos and conditioners at the hair salon. If not dyeing at the hair salon – your boxed dye likely recommends something similar. Sulfates or salts in shampoo (the stuff that makes shampoo lather) we’ve been told, are your enemy because they will strip the colour from your hair, so you have to dye it again sooner rather than later.
Blousey – is free of sulfates and salts, and is made out of bananas.
Lush says:
A thick, deeply moisturising shampoo that hydrates your hair and restores it to its former glory.
This banana-rich shampoo won’t split in the face of a challenge. It’s bursting with butters, bananas and berries to revive and protect hair from harm (such as blow-drying). With no lemon juice or astringent ingredients, it’s ideal for maintaining coloured hair as it won’t strip it away. Its British hedgerow-inspired scent is the same as our Flower’s Barrow Gorilla perfume.
Kath says:
Without the sulfates or salts, there is little foaming action from this shampoo, and I’ve found that you need to put in some elbow grease to get it through your hair. I also find that I get a bit of a build-up on my scalp, so I actually rotate Blousey with a sulfate free shampoo from the grocery store to keep everything in check. This does smell pretty good post shower, kind of like a nice smelling hippy.
I give it a 3.5 our of 5 – as with Roots, with the consistency of my hair and the consistency of the shampoo I end up with goo and hair on my hands. I would still rather use this than a salon shampoo – it is not cheap at $25.00 per pot, but it is still cheaper than what you would get in a salon, and lasts for 3 – 4 months.
Differences between “natural” and not natural beauty products:
We grow up with commercially produced toothpaste, soap, deodorant and shampoo (unless you had parents that were natural before it was cool). All of these things have been designed in a lab to work and feel a certain way. Shampoo should lather, toothpaste should taste like mint and foam up, deodorant should stop us from sweating, and last for up to 48 hours.
Once you move to naturally derived hygiene and beauty products, things change. When you cut out the chemicals, it doesn’t work the same (or as well, depending on your perspective). Your tolerance and ability to use natural products correlates with your personal preference and situation. I tried using Lush’s natural deodorant powder because my deodorant was making my underarms break out in an ugly and itchy rash. The natural deodorant powder didn’t cut it though. I’m a teacher and I am around people all day. I can’t smell. Even a little bit.
Natural toothpaste has fared better – Grant’s of Australia Herbal Mineral toothpaste doesn’t foam, but apparently the Aloe Vera is fighting potential cavities and promoting gum health. It tastes funny, but it was actually cheaper than Crest, and I think we could eat it if we ever needed to. You don’t want to eat commercial toothpaste. It’s basically soap you put in your mouth.
And that’s probably the take – away from my experience with natural products. Do you want to put something on your skin (which is your largest organ) that you would not be able to eat, should you ever need to? I still use a lot of commercial and unnatural products, but we are working at phasing them out, where we can.
What do you think? What do you use?
Any tips for the change of season beauty regime? How do you feel about using “natural” stuff?
Kath
kath or kate 