Hi Guys,

Today i decided to do a post on my top ten natural beauty products that I’m using at the moment. I really love my natural beauty products and i just had to share my current natural beauty faves with you. I have never done a post of this kind before so i will go through my beauty routine and add some of my little luxuries that i use a couple of times a week, at the end. I’ll start off with my everyday  routine. It is a very quick routine since I’m lucky to have a spare few minutes to be honest! I do a lot of running around after my two babies in the mornings so i need a quick and easy to manage skincare once-over. I also adore nourishing my face and i really relish the effect of my products and the feel-good factor involved with properly cleansing and prepping my face for the day. Its my little bit of pampering that wakes me up and makes me feel great. I tend to have my shower first, which takes me a maximum of five minutes and then follow with face care as the pores are open from the heat. Thats if i have time! Otherwise i just do my facial routine whenever i get a chance. So i will start with my fave shower product for body care.

1 Peppermint and Lavender Scrub by Natural Healings. I happened to hear of this natural skincare shop when i was on holidays in Ireland, as its situated near where i come from. I had heard about the products online and through friends and there seemed to be a great buzz about them. As you have probably gathered, I’m a huge natural skincare fan so i was intrigued to hear of the beauty salons giving them 5 star ratings for these lovely scented natural oil and butter based creams and scrubs. I decided to check them out for myself and i wasn’t disappointed! I picked up a few bits online from their shop, which actually ships worldwide. The Peppermint and Lavender scrub was the first one i tried. It is a lovely minty and lavender potent aroma that just hypnotises the senses. I used it in the shower and the steam made the scent linger throughout the hall afterwards. Its not an overpowering scent but its completely addictive! I now love jumping in the shower and lavishly applying this gorgeous sea salt based essential oil scrub. It has a nice natural consistency and it has bits of real lavender in it. That is a lovely touch. So natural and gorgeous. My skin feels so soft after using. LOVE it!!

2 After my shower i have been applying a nice body butter around my stomach area as i recently had a baby and i have managed to avoid stretch marks! Yipee! I knew from the last time i was pregnant to start applying cocoa butter around my stomach area in order to avoid them. It has definitely worked so i kept it up because i heard from someone that they can appear months after the baby is born, so I’m not out of the woods yet! That’s why I’m using the lovely body butters from Natural Healings. I have a Citrus one and a Vanilla and Lavender one and both have cocoa butter in them so its great, since i kind of got bored of the plain cocoa butter smell. They both have the added bonus of shea butter and essential oils so great for elasticity and nourishment of the skin. I would say these are ideal for anyone with dry skin. I’ve been using them as a hand cream and on my elbows and knees for they help to moisturise. I don’t really bother with a full body lotion as i basically don’t have time anymore! Chance would be a fine thing, ha. However, I’m sure these would be great if you’re looking for a body lotion. Luckily, the oil in the scrub does a great job of moisturising so I’m happy with that! One thing i would advise is that if you’re shaving your legs, its probably better to do it before your shower or before using the scrub as it is quite oily so it might clog your razor. Unless if you use a throw-away one, then it probably won’t matter.

3 Moving on to my face wash. Sometimes i do my cleanser in the shower and sometimes not, depending on how much time i realistically have! I do love to use my latest fab find cleanser in the shower since it gets a lovely consistency with the right amount of water. Either way, it works the same. It is Neals Yard Remedies Organic Orange Flower Cleanser. It is actually supposed to be for dry or neglected skin but i happened to get a mini one and decided to give it a try on my combination skin. I was so happy with the results! Im delighted with it, it had shrunk my pores and gives me a lovely matt finish. I was pleasantly surprised as i thought it would be oily, since it is meant for dry skin. Actually i have found it to be ideal for my skin type and I’m definitely sticking with it. Its the best cleanser i have found in a very long time. Best part about it? Its natural and smells like Orange blossoms. Swoon.

4 Next up is my fave toner which i am forever gushing about. Couldn’t go without mentioning this gem of a toner that i adore. It comes in a lovely blue glass bottle and is so refreshing and cool to apply that i think I’m quite addicted to it! I love applying it and my skin drinks it in. It smells like a garden of roses too. I use a couple of cotton pads to apply it and its like your skin breathes a sigh of relief! It is Neals Yard Remedies Organic Rose Toner.

5 Next i apply my new fave lip balm from Natural Healings which is in a little easy to use stick which i can carry everywhere and its handy to apply in a hurry too. Im a complete lip balm fanatic so i always have one on me and to be honest, its hard to find natural ones, so i was delighted to find this one. I have done a whole blog post on toxins in beauty products so I’m extremely wary of chemicals in my skincare. I try and avoid them as much as possible and i have noticed some of the lip balms on the market that contain non-natural ingredients can actually make your lips worse. I was applying these lip balms and not realising that my lips were becoming dry all the time and chapping. I later found out that was due to irritants and toxins in those lip balms so beware. This however is a totally natural balm so i can apply it any time i like and have no dry or chapped lips.

6 My absolute favourite all-rounder is NYR Rose Beauty Balm. It literally works for everything! It is a face mask, exfoliator, eyebrow tamer, highlighter – if you want a sheen on your cheeks, cuticle replenisher, dry skin balm and moisturiser in one! It is made with rose petals and it smells completely divine! What a great product, its even won loads of awards. Best Beauty balm 2017 for one. Desert island must-have for sure. It comes with a lovely organic cotton face cloth for applying the mask with. 5 Ways to use Wild Rose Beauty Balm – 1. Gentle Cleanser – use with the enclosed muslin cloth for a gentle exfoliating radiance boost 2. Intense moisture boost – apply to clean skin . Cover with a warm muslin cloth and relax for 30mins 3. Nourishing facial massage – massage into freshly cleansed skin for a deep moisture boost 4. Nurturing lip balm – nourishes lips to prevent dryness 5. Complexion highlighter – add a small amount to cheekbones for a healthy glow. Ultimate Beauty Must-Have!! Award winning one pot wonder. From cleansing faces to taming eyebrows Tackles dry skin on elbows and knees. “Its sure to be the most versatile product in your beauty stash” – Stylist. Make up artists and beauty editors swear by it. Winner 2016 Best Beauty – Stylist Winner – Beauty Shortlist Awards 2016 Winner – Ultimate Natural Beauty Bible Awards.

7 Next in line are my little luxury items that i use once or twice a week for a little indulgence. I like to treat myself to a nice foot soak. I was introduced to these fabulous bath mixes by my best friend who uses them regularly and also, her kids love them so i tried them and i was amazed at the results! They smell absolutely addictive! Im now hooked on them and feel like i have just stepped out of the spa every time i use them! They come in a lovely brown paper packet, lovely resealable packaging and you only need a little so it goes a long way! Just pop a small amount into your hot water and they fizz and disolve nicely. The kids love that bit! Then breathe in the lovely aroma and relax while your feet get a lovely pampering as you sit back and do nothing! Yay, the little things in life. They are made with  Epsom salt, baking soda, essential oils and witch hazel, all with fantastic benefits.My faves are the May Chang bath mix which is lovely citrus smelling and the lavender and peppermint cos i can’t get enough of that fragrance. Also from Natural Healings.

8 Gutsy Body Scrub. Another little ritual i do is a full body scrub after stepping out of the shower or bath in the evening, once a week or so. They say its best done at night before bed as the oils will work best then. I do a very quick rinse but i don’t scrub as you want to leave the oils on the skin to do the work. Dab your body dry. I end up looking like I’ve been in a mud bath with the full body scrub i use, as i use it on my face and basically cover myself from head to toe in the stuff. It smells like chocolate and coffee. I have to say, this stuff is really great for getting rid of acne scars. It is quite a harsh scrub as it has large natural sugar pieces so i have to be extremely gentle on the face area but basically, it works! My scars are less visible over time which is a huge thumbs up. I bought it because i read someone else had used it and it got rid of their scars. Apparently it can be used for scars, cellulite and stretch marks. It has all natural ingredients so this is a keeper!

9 My final natural beauty faves that i apply for a lovely fragrance since i don’t use perfume are, NYR Lavender and Aloe deodorant which is all natural, certified organic and smells amazing! I was glad to find a natural spray deodorant as I’m not that keen on any other application for deodorant. Its just a preference i have but they do a roll-on version too. At first when i smelt it, i thought it was a bit of an odd smell but now I’m hooked! I love the smell and love spraying it on. I even spray it on my body. I bring it out with me in my handbag if its really hot as i sometimes need to re-apply it but i used it all winter once a day and it was fine. Its extremely hot here now so its just in case!

10 I also use a lovely roll-on essential oil called Remedies to Roll. I have one for Energy and one for Relaxation and they smell so good that I’m constantly smelling my wrists when i have it on. You roll it on your pulse points for aromatherapy on the go. I use them as perfumes!

So those are my Top Ten Natural Beauty Faves. Hope you like the post and do feel free to comment if you have any questions or would like any help choosing the correct products for your skin.

I decided to throw in a couple of graphs to show you the dangers of toxins in beauty products and what’s involved. No need to worry about any nasty toxins or chemicals in any of the products mentioned here so you can be safe in the knowledge your skin is protected with these lovely examples. Hope you enjoyed todays post and if you would like to check out these products, here are the links to the online shops:

To buy any of the Neals Yard Remedies products listed above click here

To buy any product from Natural Healings, this is the website www.naturalhealings.ie

The Gutsy body and face scrub is available from www.gutsybody.com