From Method’s Wild Rhubarb Anti-Bac All Purpose Cleaner (a big bottle steal at £3 for 828ml) to Dr Bronner’s Hemp + Citrus Pure Castille Liquid Soap shampoo, face+body wash, washing machine soap, floor cleaner, bathroom cleaner…the list goes on!..this fab 4 will make your summer easier – not to mention they’re healthier for the planet. Win-win.
And speaking of healthy, we’ve got news! Introducing the 2019 Beauty Shortlist WELLBEING Awards which will run alongside Beauty Shortlist Awards but will be judged by a panel of health experts including one of the UK’s top nutritionists, to be announced soon! Advance info HERE
Back to our clean beauty, clean home fab four…first up:
1. METHOD ANTI-BAC ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER
Made from a new naturally-derived lactic acid, and able to wipe out 99.9% of germs, this one’s a favourite at Big Green Smile (check out the reviews) Note: not suitable for porous surfaces like marble or limestone.
BUY HERE
2. BIONA RAW VIRGIN COCONUT OIL
The Ayurvedic dental hygiene “ritual” oil pulling can be a real health game-changer – it’s naturally anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial, and after swishing the oil around in your mouth (10 mins is good, you can build up to it, and do this while you do other stuff in the morning) you spit it out (don’t swallow).
Note: Don’t spit it into the sink as it’ll solidify and block it (e.g. the minute you run cold water) – instead, discard it into a bin. The oil literally “pulls” bacteria out of your mouth and expect a degree of teeth whitening, too.
As for multi-tasking, it’s the obvious…food, skin, hair conditioner/detangler, nails, (summer) heels. I’m personally not the biggest fan of coconut oil for use on the face, to me it feels a tad “comodogenic” but you can add a tiny amount to a hand cream (e.g. in winter) to help heal chapped skin. And in summer it’s your cheap and cheerful body oil.
When treating earache, I use half coconut oil, half oregano oil and rub around the OUTSIDE of the ear. Never (!!) put oregano oil inside your ear or get it anywhere near your eyes. It’s powerful stuff and will burn. I can’t even take oregano oil drops mixed in water or fruit juice, I do capsules instead (brilliant for warding off the first sign of flu or a cold or a stomach upset). In fact Oregano Oil (I use Zane Hellas, as Greek oregano has a reputation for potency) really should be our 5th Eco Multi-Tasker here!
I love mixing essential oils with coconut oil (e.g for travelling, decant enough coconut oil into a small jar to last you a week or so and mix separately with a mini essential oil once you’ve arrived so you can use the coconut oil for your hair or teeth, too, without the essential oil in it). It also works as a (very) subtle natural fragrance (I use a grapefruit and orange, or geranium and orange blend in summer) if your bottle of scent’s too big for a weekend away…
ALWAYS look for “Virgin” Coconut oil – e.g. Biona’s Raw Virgin Coconut Oil is ethically sourced from farmers in the Philippines.
£4.69/200g you can find it at Planet Organic HERE
3. DR BRONNER’S HEMP+CITRUS LIQUID CASTILLE SOAP
Like NYR’s Wild Rose Beauty Balm below, Dr Bronner’s liquid soaps won a Beauty Shortlist Award this year – they’re the most versatile multi-taskers on the market and have been around for so many years! I used to use these when I lived in LA. They come in a variety of sizes so you can “try before you buy” – another clever “bon voyage” product as there’s almost nothing you can’t use these for!
If you like peppermint, it’s one of my favourites but it’ll be a bit too “tingly” in the shower for some. Try washing your pillow cases in this – there’s nothing fresher! You can use the liquid in your washing machine, to clean floors, as a shampoo, face and body wash…and again the Peppermint makes a wonderfully fresh-smelling floor cleaner. I use the Citrus (orangey) blend for hand-washing dishes, and the Lavender in the shower or for hand-washing lingerie.
Ants and mosquitoes don’t like mint, and I’ve poured a trail of the liquid Peppermint around doors in Portugal, before, to help ward off wandering ants – another reason this product is a good floor cleaner!
Comes in lots of blends – Rose, Tea Tree, Unscented, etc.
Dr Bronner was born into a 3-generation soap-making family and the brand has expanded into men’s shaving products, lip balms, toothpaste (I quite liked the Peppermint but it’s not sharply minty enough for me so I don’t think I’d repurchase).
BUY from BIG GREEN SMILE HERE
If you’re taking a baby on holiday this month, I think you’d love the 59ml Unscented size if this product is new to you. Here’s why (from Big Green Smile’s site). It’s a steal at just £2.15 and a way to “try before you buy” a larger size.
Unlike any you’ve ever used. Dr. Bronner’s castile liquid soap is a combination of organic extra virgin coconut, olive oil, jojoba and hemp oils, together with pure essential oils, creates a unique soap that cleans effectively without being aggressive and produces a velvety-lather that leaves the skin silky-smooth and refreshed.
Dr. Bronner’s unscented, fragrance free baby mild liquid castile soap contains no fragrance so is great for people who have allergies or sensitive skin. Of course it is great for babies as well. All oils and essential oils are certified organic to the US National Organic Standards Program.
These simple, ecologically formulated soaps are gentle enough for washing body, face or hair, but also powerful enough for tasks like dishwashing, mopping, laundry and even pest control. Different tasks call for different dilutions of the soap.
- Packaged in 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles.
- Travel-sized – pop it in a bag and take it wherever you go
4. NEAL’S YARD REMEDIES WILD ROSE BEAUTY BALM
(99% Organic Ingredients)
Ahhh…this is a good one!! And one of the most popular Beauty Shortlist Awards winners of the almost last 8 years (2019 will be Year 8 and if you missed last week’s news…here it is!
The mini 15g pots are hard to find, they were in the Awards Winners Set which has sold out, and have appeared in bright red and gold Christmas Star ornament boxes but they’ve vanished like little shooting stars! Never mind, it’s such a great SOS/multi-tasker it’s worth going straight for a 50g pot (£40) as once you fall in love with it, you can’t get enough of it.
Here are a few ways to use this deliciously unctuous balm (see below for the ingredients list).
As an…
- Exfoliating cleanser. Use with an organic muslin cloth for a gently exfoliating radiance boost.
- Intense moisture boost.
- Balancing, redness-reducing facial mask – leave on for 30 mins
- Intense overnight treatment.
- Nurturing lip balm. Nourishes lips to help prevent dryness and chapping.
- Nourishing nail balm – massage in.
- Add a tiny amount to enrich your hand cream
- Nourish dry elbows and heels
I wash off the label and use the indigo glass jar as a tea light holder when I’ve finished a pot, it gives a deep blue glow…I posted one on my Instagram.
Rosa rubiginosa (Wild rose) seed oil*, Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba) seed oil*, Cera alba (Beeswax)*, Butyrospermum parkii (Shea butter)*, Cannabis sativa (Hemp) seed oil*, Borago officinalis (Starflower) seed oil*, Boswellia carterii (Frankincense) oil, Ascorbyl palmitate, Pelargonium graveolens (Geranium) flower oil*, Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) leaf oil*, Cymbopogon martini (Palmarosa) herb oil*, Pogostemon cablin (Patchouli) leaf oil*, Geraniol, Citronellol, Limonene, Linalool, Citral, Farnesol.
*Organically produced ingredient. Natural constituent of essential oils listed.
Made with 99% organic ingredients.
Buy online at Neal’s Yard Remedies HERE
What are the eco beauty or home multi-taskers you’re using right now that you’d recommend?
AND SOME NEWS!
Introducing the first Beauty Shortlist WELLBEING Awards – click here for more info HERE on how to submit products for 2019
Both the 2019 Beauty Shortlist and Wellbeing Awards are now open (early) for entries. Look out for the official press release and judging panel, who’ll will be announced next month. Once again, these awards are global and samples can be sent to London, New York or Sydney.
For questions, or more info, please email Hannah at hannahbeautyshortlist@gmail.com
If you’re launching a new eco beauty, health or lifestyle product, please get in touch, we’d love to hear more.