Natural hand wash review

While doing the groceries, I came along thankyou hand wash. Naturally I just had to pick up a bottle to replace my chemically-laden hand wash I was currently using! I chose the Botanical sweet orange & almond one, but they also make a Botanical patchouli and vanilla scented one too.
Thankyou is a social company which donates money from each of their products to life-changing projects in developing countries. They give you an individual track your impact number on each product, so you can go to their website thankyou and find out exactly who the product you purchased is going to help.
My hand wash is helping 263 people in Bahalal (HHE), Timor-Leste towards hygiene education and sanitation. This is a great idea, to help us, the consumer, become more involved in the project, and to help educate us. We tend to take things for granted, and don't realise how well off we actually are.
Thankyou started out with bottled water, because Australians spend $600 million of dollars each year on bottled water, yet there are nearly 800 million people in the world who don't have access to safe water. They decided to bottle water and sell it to help out those who have none. They have now expanded into food and body care.
This is an amazing company, and their products are natural and very reasonably priced for what they are!
My hand wash smells divine, a lovely citrus smell. It foams up really well, which I was surprised at, as a lot of natural beauty products I've previously used don't tend to.
This product uses ingredients derived from nature. It has no sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) , sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), propylene glycol, parabens, harsh petrochemicals, triethanolamine, synthetic fragrances, harsh detergents, animal derivatives, mineral oils or artificial colours. Basically it doesn't contain any nasties, that we all should be avoiding for our health. All products are also ethically sourced.
It is vegan friendly, not tested on animals and made in Australia.
I purchased mine from Coles for around $7.50 for a 500ml bottle, which is a great buy for a natural product, with such good-quality ingredients. Plus you don't need to use much, so this will last a long time. Although, I can't wait for it to end already, so that I can purchase the patchouli and vanilla one to try!
The only slight problem I have found is that it isn't very moisturising, but in saying that, it doesn't dry out your hands either. This is well worth it for all the nasties you are avoiding by using this product.

PROS
* All natural ingredients
* Money goes to developing countries in need
* Not tested on animals
* Made in Australia
* Cost-effective
* Smells divine
* Foams up well
* You can track who you are helping by purchasing their product

CONS
* Not very moisturising

I give this product 4.5 out of 5 flowers. It is made by such a great company, uses natural ingredients, and foams up well. What is there not to love about it? I will definitely be trying more of their products in the future, and hope to see more variety on our shelves too.

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Aloe vera gel review

All my life I have struggled with acne, and have never found the right products to use. Proactiv was the best product I found, but it was really dehydrating for my skin, which in turn causes more acne, and bleached my pillowcases and towels, which is a major concern for me. Every time I tried to use a moisturiser my face would break out. I just couldn't win!
Then I heard about the benefits of aloe vera gel and I decided this would be perfect, especially given my natural lifestyle change I was undergoing. I decided it couldn't hurt to give it a try.
I cannot recommend this product highly enough! It has been amazing for me. The condition of my skin is so much better, and combined with my new natural skincare routine, and healthy eating, my skin is improving.
I purchased Plunkett's Aloe Vera Gel from The Chemist Warehouse for about $7.50, which makes it such a cheap moisturiser compared to most products out there.
The benefits for your skin are incredible - It provides a long-lasting film that protects wounds and skin. It speeds up the healing process and naturally promotes the production of new skin cell growth.
Aloe vera properties include anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-oxidant, removes dead skin, relieves itching, tones skin, hydrates and stimulates collagen production. I am devastated I didn't find this product years ago!
It is also great for sunburn, shaving rash, insect bites, burns, cuts, grazes and nappy rash.
It is 99% pure, uses certified organic aloe vera, and all natural ingredients. It is also Australian made and owned.
It doesn't cause acne and heals scars well, but it won't prevent acne.

PROS
* Organic aloe vera
* Natural ingredients
* 99% pure
* Inexpensive
* Australian made
* Soothing
* Heals scars
* Hydrating
* Anti-inflammatory
* Anti-bacterial
* Anti-fungal
* Tones skin
* Promotes new skin cell growth
* Speeds up healing

CONS
* None

I give this product 5 out of 5 flowers. It is a miraculous product and I absolutely love it. The condition of my skin is amazing. I never recall my face being this moisturised before, especially without it causing acne. I would recommend this for anyone and it is also very handy to carry around in your handbag as it has so many uses!

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Natural sunscreen review

Today has been a scorcher at home with temperatures over 40°C, and it's only spring!! It's going to be a very long hot, dry summer around here.
After mowing the lawn and gardening all morning, hubby and I decided the best way to survive was in the blow-up kiddies pool we had. We were already quite sunburnt from being outside all morning, so I took this opportunity to test out my new natural sunscreen I had purchased earlier.
Natural Instinct Natural Sunscreen SPF 30.
By first glance this sunscreen is amazing. It is full of natural ingredients with no nasties added to it. It's enriched with jojoba, shea butter, green tea, rosehip, vitamin E, Beeswax (to achieve water resistance - therefore not suitable for vegans) and has the active ingredient zinc oxide 220mg/g.
It has an SPF 30, which is the highest you can get without adding chemicals. SPF 30 allows 3% of sun rays to get to skin, whereas SPF 50 allows 2% to get through.
It is made in Australia and not tested in animals, which I love.
It is also 3 hours water resistant, just what we needed.
I purchased this from the Chemist Warehouse for around $18.50, which is a good price considering it's a natural sunscreen.
But, unfortunately, it had a major downside for me. It leaves you really, really white, no matter how long you try and rub it in, it just won't go away. I shook it first, as the instructions directed, but this didn't help at all. It looked ridiculous! It would be ok for at home use, so it's not a complete waste of money, but I would never been seen in public with it on.
On saying this though, it did do its job well and we didn't get burnt any more, even though we were in the water. However, we were only out for about 45 mins, and clouds were coming and going. The back of the pool ended up with the sunscreen all over it from rubbing off our back.
It claims to moisturise, condition and replenish the skin, but I personally did not notice a difference at all.

PROS
* Nautral ingredients
* Reasonably priced
* Water resistant
* Not tested on animals
* Australian made

CONS
* Doesn't rub in properly
* Leaves a residue on surfaces you rub up against
* Leaves you looking horribly white

I give this product 2 out of 5 flowers. I would use this product as a last resort, it is a way better for you than normal sunscreens, but I would not choose to use, it which is a shame!

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