herbalism

Under The Skin

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When it comes to choosing skincare and makeup products that are clean, sustainable and high performing there are so many options available. However there are some products that are under the radar and definitely worth knowing about. I have come across three new and notable brands that are definitely worth trying – Kjaer Weis, Inlight Beauty and By Sarah London. All three brands share a common ethos and that is to create beauty products that are natural, ethical, sustainable, good for your skin/body and are high performing.

You may already be familiar with the luxury makeup brand Kjaer Weis. Their makeup is certified organic, has unique sustainable packaging and is formulated without parabens, silicones, petrochemical emulsifiers and synthetic fragrances. Most conventional makeup brands contain a lot of the fillers and ingredients that Kjaer simply will not formulate their makeup with. When it comes to lipsticks, it is actually very important to choose a brand that won’t comprise on ingredients – because conventional lipsticks contain some toxic and nasty ingredients like lead, carmine (crushed up beetles) as well as other heavy metals that are quite detrimental to your health. Which is why I love Kjaer Weis makeup, it’s luxurious, high performing, sustainable and most importanlty formulated without harmful ingredients. Their innovative and intelligent packaging is an important aspect of the brands ethos to be a sustainable brand. All products can be refilled, so wastage is minimised. It’s very clever if you ask me! Their creamy, dreamy lipsticks are not only nourishing on your lips, they also come in a variety of stunning shades. “Good for the world. Great for your skin”.

As I mentioned above conventional lipsticks contain undesirable ingredients and so do most lip balms/glosses. If you look at most lip balms they either contain petroleum jelly (petroleum jelly does include carcinogenic compounds), mineral oil and synthetic fragrances – ingredients that should defineately be avoided. Personally these are ingredients I avoid and don’t want to use on my skin. Instead you should opt for lip balms that are plant-based and formulated with skin loving oils that help to soothe and protect your lips. By Sarah London has a wonderful multitasking and organic lip balm. It’s made with three ingredients, coconut oil, apricot oil and beeswax. It’s a smooth, moisturising balm that also doubles as a lovely hydrating and protecting balm for cuticles, hands, elbows and other dry areas on your body. The brand is a transparent and pride themselves on being honest and open about all their organic ingredients and never testing on animals.

When it comes to taking care of the skin on our body we often neglect it as we focus solely on our face. It is important to direct attention and some tender loving care to the rest of the skin on our bodies, to help repair and restore our skin especially in areas we don’t often pay attention to. I recently switched to using a body oil because of the benefits and ability to deeply moisturise and nourish my skin. As well as having the benefits of firming and toning the skin as well. Which is why I love using Inlight Beauty, this barnd has been on my radar to try and I have always been intruiged by their natural meets scinec formulations. This award-winning beauty brand have a beautiful body oil, Firm and Tone. As the name suggests it is ideal to help tighten, tone and ease water retention. Made with an abundance of powerful plant actives and herbs this body oil is brimming with natural goodness for your skin. This silky smooth oil is fabulous for post travel swelling, swelling in general and also a great detoxifying treatment for cellulite. It contains some notable and detoxing herbs that stimulate circulation and are also effective at cellulite prevention. Oil-based formula means a high concentration of active ingredients – no fillers just pure organic, cold pressed oils and Inlight’s Bio Lipophilic Matrix®. Founder and formulator Dr. Spiezia comes from a background in medicine, medical herbalist and is a renowned skin expert. Inlight beauty combines ancient alchemy and modern science techniques to maximise the energy and beauty of each ingredient, bringing beauty to life.

These three products are from Rêve En Vert Rêve En Vert (REV), an eco sustainable company that is passion about bettering the world through the medium of beauty, fashion and lifestyle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WILDCRAFTED ORGANICS

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Wildcrafted Organics is an Australian skincare line that is inspired by the healing power of plants. Nicole, the founder has a background in nutrition, botanical medicine and extensive experience in the area of herbalism. Her broad knowledge and practice in this field led her to create clean and pure skincare products that incorporate Australian botanicals that are unique and wild crafted. Read about the importance of wildcrafting in the interview with Nicole below.

What is wildcrafting?

Wildcrafting is the practice of harvesting certain plants from their natural or wild environment to use for food or medicinal purposes. Its something that has to be done sustainably and with considerable respect for the environment and in some cases would involve only removing a certain part of the plant so as not to endanger the species.

Why are wildcrafted ingredients so important to your line of products?

Wild Plants have grown without any interference, they develop differently as they must survive in the harshest of environments and it is here that they don’t just survive – they thrive where other plants could not exist. Incredibly high levels of antioxidants are produced to enable their survival and it is these bio active antioxidants that are so beneficial for our skin. The essence of all things “Wild” – Strength, Wisdom and Beauty.

Can you tell us more about where your ingredients come from?

I use only the purist organic or wildcrafted ingredients in my products and they come from all over the world but it is Australia’s unique botanicals that excite me the most. As an Island Australia is a sanctuary where nature evolves and flourishes in a pure environment, sheltered from the influence of the rest of the world. Australia has an abundance of unique botanicals that the Aboriginal people have been Wildcrafting for thousands of years and as these plants are studied using advanced extraction methods we are seeing incredibly high levels of bioactive ingredients. An example of this is Kakadu Plum which has the world s highest Vitamin C concentration, equivalent to 100x that of an orange. The Kakadu Plum powder I use  comes from the Dampier Peninsula just north of Broome in Australia and it is here that Bruno Dann is bringing back to his community the traditional ways of taking care of the land and the Kakadu Plum or Gumbinge trees, which is helping restore the amazing bush in this region. All profits from this product are sent back to the Nyui Nyui people who wild harvist it. Other native botanicals I use are found in pristine parts of  North/ North East Australia and are now being organically grown so as to ensure the sustainability and survival of the plant.

What are your favourite ingredients to work with?

I use a bioactive complex of three indigenous Australian plums Kakadu Plum, Illawarra Plum and Burdekin Plum. The research on this particular extract is compelling showing it to to contain incredibly high levels of antioxidants, stimulate Hyaluronic acid, pro-collagen 1and fibronectin synthesis in the skin reducing fine lines and wrinkles and increases hydration while strengthening the skins barrier.

What was the first product your created for Wildcrafted Organics?

The first product in the collection was my Wildflowers Rejuvinating Serum, from the beginnning it was so important to me that all of  the products were concentrated in skin loving ingredients, nutrients and bioactive botanicals – no ingredient is added to reduce cost or fill and all bioactives are used at the required level for efficacy. This product is used instead of a moisturiser and is basically a daily multi vitamin for your skin with a scent of wild jasmine and cacao.

What is your hero product from the line?

The Everlasting Beauty Balm Concentrate with 24 kt gold. So concentrated in skin regenerating / collagen promoting / healing butters and precious oils. It absorbs effortlessly into the skin leaving no trace but providing a level of nourishment that moisturisers just can’t compete with. Multi tasking it transforms into a luminous, skin loving foundation when mixed with your dry mineral make up and can be used anywhere that needs extra nourishment. Is suitable for all skin types but especially dry, stressed, scarred or sun damaged skin. Massage into the skin with a Gua Sha for an incredibly indulgent treat.