Currently Loving: Good Bubble Bubble Baths for Families & Sensitive Skin

 

Who doesn't love a bubble bath? Whether you're a baby or a grandmother, everyone in the family can enjoy Good Bubble's range of affordable, skin-friendly Bubble Baths!

Good Bubble is a Dragon's Den success story when founder Amy Wordsworth appeared on the popular TV show to secure £60,000 of funding to make her business become a reality. Fast forward to the present day and Good Bubble is bigger and better than ever, yet her bubble baths have remained the same thanks to their skin-friendly formulations which are developed by industry experts to be kind and gentle on newborn and sensitive skin.

Naturally derived, vegan-friendly and cruelty-free, Good Bubble's products feature fruit extracts with mild allergen-free fragrances for a fresh and fun bathtime experience. Their 'no tears, no nasties' resonates with many who only want the best for the family, at an affordable price. 

It's safe to say that I've been a fan of Good Bubble for a very long time, so it was high time that I shared some of my favourites from their Bubble Bath range with you all.

Good Bubble Bubbly Gruffalo Bath with Prickly Pear*

There's nothing prickly about this gorgeous fruity scent that has a cool and crisp fragrance. Made with Prickly Pear extract to help maintain the natural moisture levels of young and sensitive skin, this bubble bath delivers a lot of sulfate-free bubbles with just a squeeze under a running tap. 

Good Bubble The Snail & The Whale Lotus Flower & Sea Minerals Bubble Bath*

If you love classic fresh and clean scents, you can't go wrong with this one featuring the children's book illustration from The Snail & The Whale. Bursting with breezy Sea Minerals and the delightfully heady and floral aroma of Lotus Flower, it's one that adults will love just as much as the little ones.

Good Bubble Super Bubbly Bubble Bath with Dragon Fruit*

A tried and tested bestseller for a reason, this Dragon Fruit version is hugely popular with its subtle fresh and floral fragrance. Ideal for those who don't like overpowering scents such as babies and young kids, it's a real crowdpleaser in the tub.

Good Bubble Super Bubbly Bubble Bath with Cloudberry*

My last choice is quite similar to the Dragon Fruit in that it's more of a milder, subtle scent, but still wonderfully fresh and of course very bubbly! Cloudberry has more of a fruity berries aroma and it's great for sensitive skin.

Shop the full range at Lovelula.com

Have you tried anything from Good Bubble?

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Summer Living: 3 Things to Consider When Buying Outdoor Festoon Lights

 

Summer’s coming, and with it, the chance to enjoy evenings outside. And, thanks to warmer nights, the good times don’t have to end when the sun goes down. Buying outdoor festoon lights can help make back gardens and other spaces more welcoming after dark. Here are three things to think about when shopping for them.

1- Your physical needs

Save time and effort by looking at the space you want to fill with lights before you start shopping. This is because certain physical requirements dictate where you can install them.

The most important of these needs is the distance the lights will run from your power supply. For many, festoon lights are perfect for outdoor installations. This is because their garland design means you don’t have to settle for long, unsightly, and potentially dangerous, extension cables. Instead, festoon lighting allows you to fill the space between the plug and the last light with beautiful lighting.

And, for people with bigger gardens or spaces to fill, their chain design means you can connect lights together to make long runs.

Another thing to think about is the British weather. If you want to install outdoor lighting, you will have to consider how waterproof or splashproof lights, cords, and strings are. There are different ratings depending on what customers require. Helpfully, manufacturers use a standard Ingress/ International Protection (or IP) Code set by the International Electrotechnical Commission. Buyers often look for IP44 or higher ratings. If you are unsure, speak to a reputable retailer to make sure you get adequate protection for your needs.

2- Aesthetics

After thinking about practicalities, you get to turn your attention to more fun things like the colour of cables, lamp style, size, light bulb colour, and degrees Kelvin (known as ‘K’) rating. The light’s K rating matters because it is a universal standard designed to help buyers create the right effect. It grades the light appearance (or “temperature”) of the light. Warmer, softer lights tend to have lower ratings of 2000k to 3000k and give off an orange or yellow glow. Daylight brightness is simulated between 4500K to 6500K with a blue-white light. Cool white lights are found in between these ratings.

3- Retail experience

The first two points can help you decide what you need and want. But, for many, these choices can also help you decide what kind of retail experience will help you get your desired result.

Some things to look for are: if you prefer shopping online or in-person, paying shipping costs or having free shipping included, any warranty or after-sale service, trade or domestic use, the seller’s returns policy, the extent of expert help you need, future lighting installation expansion, and ease of replacing parts and bulbs.

The internet is a great resource to start your research, but so is speaking to a professional. Don’t hesitate to take advantage of free resources like sales staff at expert retailers. Sometimes a quick call can save you hours of time online.

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Eco Friendly Dental Care from Ordo: Mouthwash Concentrate & Complete Care Toothpaste review

 

Looking to reduce the plastic waste in your bathroom? Make a start with the products that you use every day such as your dental care, and you'll be on your way to a more sustainable lifestyle in no time at all! Brands such as Ordo make it easy with their recyclable toothpaste tubes and reusable mouthwash bottles.

With Greenpeace's latest plastic waste campaign hitting social media this past month, the reality of our carbon footprint on the planet is difficult to bear at the best of times, so I always suggest that people start by making small steps by cutting down on the plastic that they use every day. Dental care is something that most of us undertake every morning and night which makes it a great place to start.

I'll be honest here; I've tried a lot of zero waste solid dental toothtabs and mouthwash tablets, and I've yet to find one that I would permanently make a switch to, so if you're in the same situation, I'd suggest choosing products that have recyclable and reusable elements to help cut down on your plastic waste.

The Recyclable Toothpaste

Toothpaste tubes are a massive problem for the environment as most that are manufactured cannot be recycled, and when you think about the millions of toothpaste tubes that are used in just the UK alone, it makes sense to find an alternative option. 

Ordo's Complete Care Toothpaste* (80ml, £4.50, link) is made from fully recyclable HDPE instead, so it can be disposed of in your everyday plastic recycling bin. It's also a great toothpaste which is SLS-free, vegan, cruelty-free and suitable for sensitive teeth. Recommended by dentists, it'll help to strengthen tooth enamel and keep your smile looking whiter.

The Refillable Mouthwash: Ordo Mouthwash Concentrate & Reusable Mouthwash Bottle

Refill bottles make a big difference and are easy to make a swap to, which is why I love this handy duo from Ordo. Their Mouthwash Concentrate* (80ml, £6, link) is an affordable switch as the concentrated formula dilutes to make four bottles of mouthwash so it's a big win for your wallet and the environment. Formulated by dentists, the cruelty-free, vegan-friendly mouthwash concentrate is alcohol-free and helps to reduce plaque buildup and prevent cavities, as well as freshening your breath with its Cool Mint flavour.

To use, just add 20ml to the Ordo Resuable Mouthwash Bottle* (£7.50, link) and there's a handy line on the bottle to show you exactly how much to put in, and top up the rest with water. That's it! You can then just use it as you would any other mouthwash. Don't want to buy an extra bottle? No worries, simply add it to a bottle of your own with 330ml of water for the same result.

Shop the full range at ordolife.com

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Top 5: Skincare Tips For People Who Work Out

Going to the gym will help you to look after your body, but sweating for long periods of time can wreak havoc on your skin. If you’ve recently started working with one of the many certified personal trainers in London and have noticed your skin suffering, you might need to switch up your skincare routine. Don’t worry, with the following steps, you’ll be able to get your skin back on track in no time.

Don’t wear makeup to the gym

If you’re used to wearing makeup every time you leave the house, you’ve probably been working out with a full face without thinking too much about it. While you might look a million dollars, makeup actually contributes to the clogging of your pores as sweat builds up behind it. When you’re at the gym, your skin needs to be able to breathe easily. If you feel very self-conscious going out without makeup, swap your foundation for a light, tinted sunscreen or moisturiser. And if you’re worried about removing your makeup when you turn up at the gym, keep a small bottle of micellar water and some cotton pads to hand.

Wash your face after working out

Once you’ve finished exercising, you’ll want to get any sweat that’s accumulated on your skin washed off as soon as possible. Sometimes using just water will be enough, but if your skin isn’t too dry or sensitive, choose a creamy or oil-based cleanser to really melt any build-ups off your face.

Moisturise your skin

You should always moisturise your face after cleansing, but especially so after sweating in the gym. Choose a hydrating moisturiser that has a light texture that won’t clog your pores. Pay attention to your moisturiser’s packaging and check that the bottle says non-comedogenic, so you know it won’t contribute to any breakouts.

Keep it gentle

If your skincare routine usually contains anti-ageing serums and acid peels, you might want to hold off using them straight after working out. Instead, save them for your nighttime routine before bed. Always give your skin time to recover after sweating in the gym, as it will be more sensitive. To reduce redness and irritation, consider adding a cooling, soothing mist or gel to your post-workout routine. Look for ingredients like green tea, cucumber, aloe vera or cica.

Use a high-quality gym towel

The gym towel you use during your workout can significantly impact your skin, especially if you’re using it to wipe your face. Make sure you invest in a towel that’s of a medium absorbency and wicks away sweat from the surface of your skin. It’s also a good idea to change your towel often and wash it in between uses to avoid transferring bacteria to your skin. You should always have a separate towel for your face that you don’t use anything else, otherwise, it’s like spreading all the germs on your hands over your face. Make sure that this towel is only used for its intended purpose - wiping away sweat. Don’t use it interchangeably to wipe down machines or to sit on whilst your exercise!

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Judging the Cert Clean Beauty Awards 2022 - Face Mask Category - #CleanBeautyAwards

Over the past few months, I've been busy testing out this wonderful array of natural face masks and treatments for the Cert Clean Beauty Awards 2022. As the final judging date approaches, I thought it would be a good time for me to share some of my thoughts on these products.

What Are The Clean Beauty Awards?

The Clean Beauty Awards have been created by CertClean who is North America's leading certification for safer skincare. Although many of the products that I've tested out below fall into typical areas of green, vegan, natural and organic beauty, the general idea behind the awards isn't about how natural or organic a product is, it's about the overall safety of that product instead (in particular, CertClean focuses on products which are free from over 1400+ potentially harmful chemicals). 

One of the best things about CertClean is the huge panel of natural beauty advocates and bloggers who make up the judging panel - I believe this year is a record high with over 130 experts taking part!

As you all know, I'm a huge fan of face masks so I was delighted to be ask to judge the Face Mask category this year. Let's take a closer look at the products that I've been judging.

Ameōn Ice Cubes Supreme Energy 

Starting with the product that is more of a facial treatment than a mask, Ameōn Ice Cubes are a fascinating innovation which is designed to hydrate and rejuvenate whilst detoxifying. As the name suggests, this is indeed a frozen product; to use them you store the premade 'ice cubes' in the freezer and then use the mould and gauze provided to sweep it over the face in circular motions. It may sound a little strange at first, but it definitely helps to boost circulation and reduce redness, plus my skin felt so much smoother and softer afterwards. One to check out for sure!

La Vigne Derm Immortelle Bakuchiol Overnight Mask

Bakuchiol is one of the most popular natural ingredients in skincare right now and I can confirm that the hype surrounding this plant extract is totally justified. Hailed as a natural alternative to retinol, bakuchiol is quite simply an outstanding ingredient that delivers results fast. This Ayurvedic-inspired formula from La Vigne is brilliant for anyone who has those first signs of ageing such as fine lines and wrinkles, and it's great for plumping the skin back up to make it look smoother and younger. One of my favourites.

KPS Essentials La Luna Rose Peel Masque

I love a good natural peeling treatment and I've thoroughly enjoyed testing out the KPS Essentials La Luna Rose Peel Masque. Packed with Glycolic Acid, Rose distillate and Pearl powder extracts, it gently exfoliates and removes dull dead skin cells for a brighter result. This is one that I would reach for in my skincare routine about once a week to keep my complexion glowing.

Byroe Golden Carrot Overnight Relief Mask

Initially, I was excited to try out this luxury mask from New York based brand, Byroe, but I feel it's fallen a little short off the mark for me personally, and is perhaps the less effective of all of the face masks and treatments that I've tried for CertClean. Described as an Overnight Relief Mask that intensely hydrates, brightens and soothes troubled skin, I sadly found this much too rich and thick for my oily/combination skin. That said, I would perhaps recommend it to those who have drier or more mature skin types instead.

Epoch Glacial Marine Mud

Next up, we have the Epoch Glacial Marine Mud mask which is formulated with more than 50 different minerals and trace elements that are sourced from the Pacific Northwest. This is a straight up, easy to use mud mask that's ideal for multi-masking or applying all over if you have oily skin that's prone to blemishes and breakouts. It does the job well, but did leave my skin very dry afterwards so following up with a good moisturiser or facial oil is a must.

Moor Spa Kelp Enzyme Mask

Finally, the last product that I tried for the judging panel comes from Moor Spa and I may be a little biased here, but I've used and loved this particular product before! Check out my previous review of Moor Spa Kelp Enzyme Mask here. It's similar in some ways to the Epoch Mud mask above, though I personally like this a lot more and would happily continue to repurchase it in the future as it doesn't dry out my skin or leave it feeling stripped afterwards. The blend of fossilized Sea Kelp definitely seems to have a much bigger detoxifying effect on my skin and it's amazing for drawing out all of your impurities, including those pesky stubborn blackheads! Highly recommended. 

Keep in touch online to see who the winner of this category is in the upcoming Cert Clean Beauty Awards 2022!

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Summer Skincare: Nourish Skin Protecting Daily Moisturiser SPF 25 review

 

With a heatwave on its way next week, now's the perfect time to get your hands on the brand new Skin Protecting Daily Moisturiser SPF 25 from London-based natural brand, Nourish.

What is it and what does it do?

This newbie is a great addition to Nourish's skincare range and is described as an all-year-round daily moisturiser with SPF 25 to help protect the skin against damaging UVA and UVB rays. I think it's important to mention this dual protection as some products only protect against either/or UVA/UVB and this one does both!

Packaging

Glass jar with an aluminum lid.

Natural & ethical credentials

Contains 55% organic ingredients which are certified by COSMOS. Cruelty-free and vegan certified as well.

What's in it?

Lots of antioxidants and anti-aging active natural ingredients such as Kale, Turmeric, Camellia, Rose Hip Oil, Hyaluronic Acid, Argan Oil, and Pumpkin seed oil. There's also some wonderful soothing ingredients like Aloe Vera, Borage Oil and Bisabolol. A really interesting and well-formulated blend. And not forgetting the reef-safe broad spectrum protection of SPF 25.

Full INCI: Aqua, Zinc Oxide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Rosa Damascena (Rose) Flower Water*, Jojoba Esters, Glycerin**, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Behenate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Isostearic Acid, Lecithin, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil*, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Extract, Borago Officinalis (Borage) seed oil*, Rosa canina (Rosehip) fruit oil*, Crambe Abyssinica (Abyssinian) Seed Oil*, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Seed Oil, Macadamia Integrifolia/Tetraphylla Seed oil*, Camellia Oleifera (Camellia) Seed Oil*, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe) Leaf Juice*, Sodium Hyaluronate, Alaria Esculenta Extract, Brassica oleracea acephala (kale) leaf extract*, Tocopherol, Bisabolol, Selaginella Lepidophylla Extract, Hexapeptide-11, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) seed oil**, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Lactobacillus Ferment, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate. *From organic agriculture. **Made using both organic and non organic ingedients. 55% organic origin and 100% natural origin.

Overall thoughts

Despite being a new product, it does have a very similar look and feel to other products of this nature that I've tried from comparable brands. The texture is nice and lightweight, but it's worth remembering that it does contain Zinc Oxide as part of the sun protection so it typically feels a little more difficult to absorb into the skin. On my oily/combination skin, it feels quite fresh with a matte finish which I really like, though drier skin types may not. I'd recommend it for sensitive skin as I've experienced no problems with breakouts.

As with all-natural sunscreens with Zinc Oxide, I was a bit worried about the dreaded 'white cast/ghost face' look, especially as I have an olive coloured complexion that goes quite dark and tans very easily. Thankfully, I didn't experience too much of an issue with this personally, but it may be less appealing to darker skin tones than mine. 

Protection wise though, I have been enjoying having this in my summer skincare routine! I've had no problems with sunburn since the sun has come out in the UK so it certainly looks to be doing its intended job. The fully recyclable/reusable jar is also a winner for me as I'm trying to reduce my plastic consumption and find that many, if not most, sunscreens are packaged in those difficult to recycle plastic tubes. Definitely worth a try!

Nourish Skin Protecting Daily Moisturiser SPF 25* (50ml, £28) available from nourishskinrange.com

What's new in your summer skincare routine?

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Green Beauty: LoveLula Beauty Box - April 2022 review

 

In our ever-changing world, it's always quite sad to see something come to an end that's been with us for so long, and I'm afraid to say that April's LoveLula beauty box is the very last one. 

However, green beauty fans, there's no need to fret! Instead of a regular monthly subscription box, LoveLula are going to be releasing a series of edited one-off boxes throughout the year instead, so you can still get your beauty fix from them and I'll still be sharing their contents with you all on here. 

But for now, let's take a look at the last LoveLula monthly box which is worth £50.

PHB Ethical Beauty Lavender Hero Gel

You guys know how much I love a good multi-purpose product and with summer literally around the corner, PHB Ethical Beauty's Lavender Hero Gel will be your personal hero all summer long (and beyond!). If you haven't tried this hidden beauty gem before, it's a lightweight soothing organic gel with extracts of Arnica, Lavender and Neem. You can use it acne, eczema and sunburn, as well as being a gentle moisturiser and primer. Basically, if you have any redness or irritation, this Hero Gel is on hand to help you.

Soul Tree Indian Rose Face Wash

Having recently written up a feature on my favourite products from Soul Tree, I was of course absolutely thrilled to see a full-size bottle of their Indian Rose Face Wash in this box. Formulated for dry to normal skin types, this Ayurvedic natural cleanser is rich in antioxidants to help keep skin nourished, whilst also keeping blemishes at bay. It features natural ingredients such as Turmeric and Honey that are known for their brightening and antibacterial properties so I have high hopes for it!   

Balm Balm Vegan Face Balm

With a rich blend of Shea Butter, Argan Oil, Rice Bran Wax and Jojoba Oil, this Vegan Face Balm from Balm Balm is a fantastic all-rounder that soothes, moisturises and nourishes the skin. It also won't clog pores and has a lovely uplifting essential oil blend for a subtle natural fragrance which makes it such a pleasure to use. As with all balms of this nature, a little goes a long way, so you can expect to use this little jar of magic for many months to come.

Madara Derma Collagen Hydra Silk Firming Cream

Last, but not least, there's a sample of the popular Madara Derma Collagen Hydra Silk Firming Cream. Formulated with clever biotech-derived natural Peptides, Microalgae and Hyaluronic Acid, this silky cream moisturiser helps to hydrate, firm and protect the skin's natural barrier, whilst boosting healthy collagen production.

Will you be checking out the future one-off LoveLula Beauty Boxes?

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