natural Archives - Seren Holistic Lifestyles

Organic Skincare Interview with Peachy Clean

April 8, 2014 By Kat

I’m very excited to introduce our guest interview today Haley Thompson of Peachy Clean. This website is a one stop shop for all things natural, organic where nothing is tested on our furry friends. I discovered Peachy myself over a year ago in my quest for toxin free facial care. With such a vast selection of products (all tried & tested by Haley – this lady walks her talk!) & amazing complementary skin care advice via email I can guarantee you will find something to suit your budget & individual requirements.

We’re talking organic skin care today, read on to find out more…

What was your catalyst to move towards natural & organic skin care products?

I wanted to stop poisoning my system and improve my skin once and for all. When I first found out that some (most) of the ingredients in all the products I’d been using since birth were toxic – I didn’t believe it! Surely it has to be safe to be sold to the public? There’s no way they’d be selling me shampoo knowing that the ingredients had been scientifically linked to breast cancer and infertility right? My jaw dropped as I started researching all those ingredients I couldn’t pronounce on the back of my favourite and expensive beauty products. I felt cheated from all my hard earned money, lied to by every advert and campaign and deceived that even when I thought I was choosing safe products – there was almost always something toxic thrown in. I started telling a few friends about it and was just so shocked that no one seemed to know that simply using a face wash could be causing so much harm and the ingredients were often a big contributing factor to the skin problems in the first place! I actively started switching to natural and organic products – not putting a thing on my skin unless I’d researched every ingredient but it was so time consuming and to get the products I wanted was such a hassle! So I decided to start my own boutique where everything is a no-brainer – simple, safe shopping and no BS 😉

Can you share with us the benefits of using natural/organic skin care versus the mainstream chemical laden brands?

Having worked in the media as a radio announce, TV presenter, fashion emcee, model and reporter for so long, I get my hair and makeup done professionally quite a lot. My skin was so dry! I couldn’t wear foundation without it almost flaking off – so I spent more on luxury skin care thinking that would do the trick. Nothing worked – it wasn’t until I switched to natural that my skin actually improved. My skin is no longer harassed and irritated by cheap synthetic preservatives and chemicals, instead it was finally getting the nutrients and moisture it needed. Lip balm is a good example of the ‘regular’ skin care cycle – the parabens (preservatives) in regular lip balms actively dry your skin out and leach moisture, so when you but a balm on your lips you feel instantly soothed…until you need to keep reapplying and reapplying thinking that the lip balm is the only thing that works. If you stopped using the lip balm in the first place – you probably wouldn’t need it. It’s the same with skin care – the products I was using were giving me the dry flaky skin even though everything on the jar said the exact opposite!

In non-natural skin care products which ingredients are the most damaging to our skin & bodies?

Oh there are so many sneaky ones! The general rule of thumb is if you haven’t heard of it or can’t pronounce it – it’s usually not good. The worst ones to look for are; anything ending in the word ‘paraben’ (this can be methyl, butyl, propyl..etc) – it’s a super toxic and cheap preservative that has been linked to breast cancer, infertility, premature ageing of skin, birth defects, immune diseases… PEG’s and DEA’s – Nature doesn’t have initials. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate – a cheap ingredient that simply makes products foam and actively dries out skin – super toxic! Our skin is our largest organ and it absorbs and drinks up what we put on it so don’t put anything on your skin you wouldn’t eat.

There is quite a bit of Green – Washing happening in the beauty market. When selecting natural or organic products is there anything we should be looking for on the packaging to ensure we are getting the real deal?

Certifications are always a good sign – it means that an independent body has tested and approved the ingredients as safe. However not all great brands are certified – it’s a very expensive process and some of the smaller but still completely fabulous brands get by without it so you can’t always judge a product by lack of certification – look out for the main culprits above and remember if you don’t know what it is, wouldn’t eat it or can’t pronounce it, odds on it’s a chemical additive.

Palm Oil is another product to look for – it causes so much devastation in the world and the manufacturing of it is almost single handedly wiping out orangutans and other species. Lots of ‘Natural’ cleaning products use it – it sounds natural but unless it’s from a sustainable source you can bet something or someone died for it to be included in the product.

Did you make the change gradually to natural skin care or did you bin everything chemical & start again from scratch?

Oh I binned everything straight away! I freaked right out once I knew the side effects! I even ditched a few of my friend’s products and replaced them with new organic products simply saying “I love you – I can’t let you put this on your skin” – I calmed down a little though ha ha! All you can do is tell people and let them make the choice for themselves. I’m always stunned to find people who simply don’t care. I think “ask someone who is battling breast cancer if they would stop using chemicals if there was even the slightest chance of it making a difference”. Once you switch and once you find a place to shop that you can trust (like Peachy Clean!) it’s easy-no effort required.

How quickly did you notice any changes too your skin once you switched over to natural products?

Seriously within a few days. Hair Care is different – a lot of people try natural hair care and hate it straight away and don’t give it another chance but there will always be a ‘detox’ period. Your hair needs to get rid of the chemical build up from the silicone coating from regular products. Your hair will feel like shit for the first week or two but ride it out ha! Once the build up has been stripped, the incredible natural products can go to work and actually treat and condition your hair (instead of just coating it and making you think it’s healthy). My hair is halfway to my bum and my hair-dresser always comments on what good condition it’s in – natural hair care is so much more effective than regular chemical stuff! Such a myth that you need chemical science to have shiny, healthy hair-it’s the exact opposite!

Did you feel your overall health/wellbeing improved once you went organic & natural?

Absolutely – once I started looking at ingredients and actively choosing what was better for me both my skin and my attitude to health changed. I have my green smoothies every day with my superfood supplements – I choose organic – “if you are what you eat, don’t be easy, cheap or fake” 😉 Feeling good is totally addictive 😉

Tell us about your morning and evening skin care routine, do they differ? (What products do you use?)

It always depends on what products I’m trialling at the time so I’m really lucky I get to have a fabulous bathroom cabinet that’s bursting with awesome products! My boy has a great routine too-he doesn’t care what he puts on so would always just buy the cheap nasty stuff from the supermarket if he bought anything at all – I love that I’ve seen the difference in his skin too! I love my serum 2-3 times a week for a boost! I use my Weleda Creamy Body Wash every day-it’s like showering in whipped cream and it’s so fab on my dry skin! Always brush with my Vitacare toothpaste (too much fluoride is toxic and we get enough from our drinking water), I love my Sodashi Clay Cleanser (6 1/2 months and going strong! So gentle but a demon on makeup) and also my AEOS Oil De Maq cleanser – I often don’t use a moisturiser after cleansing with this it’s so nourishing! The Sodashi Brightening Marine Mineral Mask is by far the best mask I’ve ever used – I use it before any special event and you can bet I’ll get a compliment on my skin! (Kat: LOVE this mask it is fabulous & lasts ages)

Do you have a #1 can’t live without skin care product?

A great serum! Serum’s are so under-rated! There’s a difference between ‘nourishing’ and ‘moisturising’ your skin. Nourishing your skin with an awesome serum (my absolute faves are the Sodashi Serums – Kat: LOVE the Sodashi Balancing Serum) means you’re feeding it the nutrients it needs to renew, protect, heal and glow! Especially in winter when a moisturiser just isn’t enough. You only need a few drops so again these beauties last forever – I won’t ever be without a fabulous serum now. It’s a real ‘hero’ product. If I was stranded on a desert island and only allowed one product though I would say my Loving Earth Coconut Oil though because it does everything! I use it as an eye makeup remover, hair treatment, body moisturiser, lip balm, cellulite treatment, rash cream, I even drink a teaspoon a day in my green smoothies and cook with it! Crazy good!

I struggle to keep up my full skin care routine when I travel. Have you any tips for not letting your skin miss out with a limited luggage allowance?

Ha ha! You should see photos from my last trip – I took around 30 of my favourite products with me! My boyfriend just laughed – he knows there’s nothing he can do about it ha! It was like trying to choose my favourite child ha! Both Sodashi and AEOS do fantastic kits – complete routines in smaller bottles perfect for travelling! I’ve used these kits a few times and honestly I was so impressed with how long they’ve lasted!! The AEOS Realive Serum in the AEOS Essentials Kit is still going strong 6 months later! A really great way to try a complete range before buying too. I always travel with my first aid cream – the Savi Soothing Cream. Anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and super soothing and calming. It’s come in handy so many times for everything from stinger bites, surfing rash and coral cuts, to mozzie bites and grazes! (Kat: Best thing for sunburn ever!)

How important are diet and exercise to maintaining healthful skin?

Think of it this way – if you drink too much champagne or eat dodgy food, you throw up right? (crass analogy sorry!) Your body is trying to expel the toxins. It’s similar with your skin. If you eat nothing but junk and don’t exercise…the body will expel toxins any way it can – including pimples, excess oil or dehydration from the liver working over time! Treat your body right to feel great but to look great too. Water, Rest, Love, Laughter and great skin care!

Going natural/organic can be expensive & off-putting for some people. How would you advise anyone wanting to make the switch on a tight budget?

I used to think this too – I’ve found some really great ranges that are completely inexpensive! Australian Bushflower Essences is a range that has nothing over $28! Weleda is another fabulous inexpensive range! You just have to look. Even with some of the dearer ranges they work out cheaper than most pharmacy ranges – for example, the super gorgeous Sodashi Clay Cleanser is $80 – my last one lasted almost 7 months! I would’ve bought 2-3 other cheaper cleansers in that time and ended up paying more! There’s a great quote by Joel Salatin ‘If you think organic is expensive, have you priced cancer lately?’ – it’s a bit of a scare tactic but it’s true. We only have our health and we only get one shot at it. I’ve included a few great ranges that are inexpensive so there’s no excuse not to ditch the chemicals!

Have you tried and tested all the products you sell on Peachy Clean?

Oh yeah! I’m a product junkie and I won’t sell anything I don’t love! I’ve tried a few expensive, well-known ranges and just been unimpressed. I don’t want any false advertising – if we sell it it’s because I’ve (or my guinea pig boyfriend) have used it and found it to be really good!

Would you consider starting your own Peachy Clean organic skin care range?

Oh that’s in the pipeline! I want to create a range of my favourite products made from the experience of using so many gorgeous products! It’ll be a long process though!

Are then any exciting new products coming to the Peachy Clean website soon?

We’ve just launched our new ‘Wellness’ category – because beauty is on the inside too! We now range of awesome organic Loving Earth superfoods like Acai Berry, Bee Pollen, Maca, Cacao, Goji Berries and Coconut Water powder etc and also glass straws so you can have your daily green smoothie without getting spinach stuck between your teeth or staining them from things like blueberries! Diet plays a bit part in the health of the skin but also if you’re feeling good and feeling happy – you can’t help but look beautiful! We wanted to provide a more holistic approach to beauty and wellbeing and want everyone to really look after themselves! Beauty really is on the inside 😉

Thank you Haley for a wonderfully informative insight into natural skin care. This has definitely made me pay more attention to labels & watch out for those sneaky toxic ingredients.

If you would like some advice on what skin care would be best for you please shoot Haley an email on: info@peachyclean.com.au (Please no SEO spruikers or spam) or head over to Peachy Clean to check out all the amazing products.

Here’s to happy, clean & toxin free faces!

Love Kat xx

The Wellness Warrior on tour

February 18, 2014 By Kat

Last Tuesday I was lucky enough to have snagged a much-coveted ticket to see Jess Ainscough aka The Wellness Warrior speak live in Perth. The tour was originally scheduled for October but due to a deeply personal situation for Jess she had to postpone. Now it’s February & Jess is bouncing back into the spot light.

If you’ve never heard of Jess take a look at her awesome & inspiring blog right here. I started following her about eighteen months ago. A quick 101; Jess was diagnosed with a rare & incurable type of cancer, epithelioid sarcoma, in her left arm at just 22 years old. The hard-core party girl thought her life was over. After an unsuccessful bought of chemo the cancer returned. Jess’s only option for survival doctors told her was to amputate her arm. Even then this would only buy her a few more years until it spread further.

Jess knew there had to be another way & decided to tackle her cancer with the holistic method of Gerson Therapy. Six years on Jess is thriving & is definitely one of Australia’s number one healthy lifestyle ambassadors.

The tour was to celebrate the launch of Jess’s book ‘Make Peace with your Plate.’ I first purchased this when it was released as an ebook a few years ago. That didn’t stop me purchasing a hard copy now Hay House has published it. I find it handier especially for recipes & tips to be able to flick rather than click.

The Perth event sold out within a day the first time round. A bigger venue was found that sold out again. With the rescheduled date & an even bigger venue selling out it was a full house. Go Perth’s wellness tribe!

When I first arrived (super early as usual) I thought I’d got the wrong place. The foyer was filled with young, glamorous & glossy folk. I thought I’d walked into Perth fashion week. That l left me feeling a wee bit self conscious in my baggy yoga pants, flip-flops & Bali bag. Ha at least I’d slicked on some (organic) makeup. Not to worry at all. I was actually really pleased that Jess was reaching out to these hot young things & educating them early on healthful lifestyle choices. Wellness is awesome. To quote Jess, “You can love green juice & nice shoes.”

My early arrival enabled me to secure a front row centre seat. I no longer care about going to events alone. It’s nice to meet new people. The lady next to me struck up a conversation & we happily chatted about our common interest in wellness.

In person Jess was super glam. Sporting an angelic white cotton dress & sky-high heels. She was open, funny, cursed a little & above all was down to earth normal. The damage to her left arm was visible. Her left wrist was strapped up; I could see a few scars & she had minimal mobility in her left fingers. Still, she had her arm. Jess to me is a ‘glowing & radiant’ picture of health. “A cancer thriver” Jess calls herself.

Jess’s number one message was strongly based around the individual. Gerson therapy suited Jess. It isn’t for everyone & she fully backs that. You must find your own way to heal by listening & observing what your own body is telling you. I agree. The body is amazing & has it’s own way to self-heal; you just need to help it along with good nutrition. Jess’s message was ‘ditch the diet dogma’ do what is right for you. Eat what your body tells you too. Forget rules & labels. Don’t beat yourself if you eat an egg despite regarding yourself a vegan. If your body wants an egg, eat it. If you bloat up like a balloon after a steak then don’t eat it.

Obviously being a wellness advocate Jess couldn’t stress more how a plant based & organic diet does work best for optimum health. Jess is a living example how she tackled her cancer through a very clean vegan diet & oodles of coffee enemas. (I still haven’t tried one!) There really isn’t a place for processed food in our diets. Eat straight from the ground as nature intended.

An example Jess gave regarding processed food vs real food was an experiment she set up at home. Jess put three different types of food out on her kitchen bench to see how long each lasted till they perished.

A homemade salad sandwich using all fresh organic produce.
A shop bought packaged salad sandwich.
A McDonalds cheeseburger.

The organic sandwich didn’t last more than a day before the creatures moved in to chow down on it & the vegetables perished. The shop sandwich lasted a little longer but not much. The Macca’s cheeseburger sat there for SIX MONTHS! Nothing would touch it & it didn’t even go moldy. Hmm something very wrong there. Bugs & insects are not stupid. They know what good food is; they are part of nature too & want to eat well. They did not recognize the cheeseburger as food. Who wants a cheeseburger now?

The biggest take home message I got from the evening is wellness can be fun. Change is uncomfortable; it’s hard & challenging. Find a way that works for you. A juice combo that makes you want to leap out of bed & crank up the juicer. As David Wolfe says ‘don’t wait for a crisis to happen before you change your diet.’ Also don’t let the fear of getting sick or dying to be the reason to get healthful. Do it because you love your body & wish to care & nourish it the best you can. Your body will respond.

The other guest speakers were awesome too. The amazing & stunning Melissa Ambrosini, musician Wes Carr & local Perthling Paul Reid owner of Solomon’s café in Highgate. All shared their own stories of finding their path to health. Beating anxiety, drink & drugs despite being in the high pressure entertainment industry. Paul is a muso too & Mel used to dance at the Moulin Rouge as well as TV present. Wes show cased his talents by playing a few rocking tunes & we had a mini dance party to round off the evening.

Just sitting in the theatre that night I could see wellness was cool. It wasn’t weird or hippy or grungy. Wellness can be glamorous too. It’s up to you what you make it. Just because you are looking after your health you don’t have to change who you are. If you like wearing nice clothes & curling your hair there is no reason why you still can’t do that. Just don’t judge your life on the material, what you have or have not or how big your pay cheque is. Fixating on the material won’t make you happy. Be content with what you have right now by staying present. “Pretty things are just the icing on the cake” is how Jess put it.

Meditation was big on the ‘must do’ list. I back this 100%. Sitting in stillness with yourself every day is the only way you’ll discover who you are & what makes you tick. The more you know the real you ‘inside’ by leading from your heart rather than you head will make life flow. All the speakers advocated Transcendental Meditation (TM) as a practice of choice (The Beatles were also keen practitioners who worked directly with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi). I’ve never tried it personally but I’m currently looking into it. I can say though any type of meditation is beneficial & doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.

To wrap up…be yourself, love yourself & cherish the present moment for the gift it is. The more you love yourself the more that love will return back to you. Go easy though, be kind to you & take a few small steps at a time.

Love K xx

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Holistic Skin Care Interview with Peachy Clean

May 20, 2013 By Kat

I’m very excited to introduce our guest interview today Haley Thompson of Peachy Clean. This website is a one stop shop for all things natural, organic & nothing is tested on our furry friends. I discovered Peachy myself over six months ago in my quest for toxin free facial care. With such a vast selection of products, all tried & tested by Haley (this lady walks her talk!) & amazing complementary skin care advice via email I can guarantee you will find something to suit your budget & individual requirements.

We’re talking holistic skin care today, read on to find out more…

What was your catalyst to move towards natural & organic skin care products?

I wanted to stop poisoning my system and improve my skin once and for all. When I first found out that some (most) of the ingredients in all the products I’d been using since birth were toxic – I didn’t believe it! Surely it has to be safe to be sold to the public? There’s no way they’d be selling me shampoo knowing that the ingredients had been scientifically linked to breast cancer and infertility right? My jaw dropped as I started researching all those ingredients I couldn’t pronounce on the back of my favourite and expensive beauty products. I felt cheated from all my hard earned money, lied to by every advert and campaign and deceived that even when I thought I was choosing safe products – there was almost always something toxic thrown in. I started telling a few friends about it and was just so shocked that no one seemed to know that simply using a face wash could be causing so much harm and the ingredients were often a big contributing factor to the skin problems in the first place! I actively started switching to natural and organic products – not putting a thing on my skin unless I’d researched every ingredient but it was so time consuming and to get the products I wanted was such a hassle! So I decided to start my own boutique where everything is a no-brainer – simple, safe shopping and no BS 😉

Can you share with us the benefits of using natural/organic skin care versus the mainstream chemical laden brands?

Having worked in the media as a radio announce, TV presenter, fashion emcee, model and reporter for so long, I get my hair and makeup done professionally quite a lot. My skin was so dry! I couldn’t wear foundation without it almost flaking off – so I spent more on luxury skin care thinking that would do the trick. Nothing worked – it wasn’t until I switched to natural that my skin actually improved. My skin is no longer harassed and irritated by cheap synthetic preservatives and chemicals, instead it was finally getting the nutrients and moisture it needed. Lip balm is a good example of the ‘regular’ skin care cycle – the parabens (preservatives) in regular lip balms actively dry your skin out and leach moisture, so when you but a balm on your lips you feel instantly soothed…until you need to keep reapplying and reapplying thinking that the lip balm is the only thing that works. If you stopped using the lip balm in the first place – you probably wouldn’t need it. It’s the same with skin care – the products I was using were giving me the dry flaky skin even though everything on the jar said the exact opposite!

In non-natural skin care products which ingredients are the most damaging to our skin & bodies?

Oh there are so many sneaky ones! The general rule of thumb is if you haven’t heard of it or can’t pronounce it – it’s usually not good. The worst ones to look for are; anything ending in the word ‘paraben’ (this can be methyl, butyl, propyl..etc) – it’s a super toxic and cheap preservative that has been linked to breast cancer, infertility, premature ageing of skin, birth defects, immune diseases… PEG’s and DEA’s – Nature doesn’t have initials. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate – a cheap ingredient that simply makes products foam and actively dries out skin – super toxic! Our skin is our largest organ and it absorbs and drinks up what we put on it so don’t put anything on your skin you wouldn’t eat.

There is quite a bit of Green-Washing happening in the beauty market. When selecting natural or organic products is there anything we should be looking for on the packaging to ensure we are getting the real deal?

Certifications are always a good sign – it means that an independent body has tested and approved the ingredients as safe. However not all great brands are certified – it’s a very expensive process and some of the smaller but still completely fabulous brands get by without it so you can’t always judge a product by lack of certification – look out for the main culprits above and remember if you don’t know what it is, wouldn’t eat it or can’t pronounce it, odds on it’s a chemical additive.

Palm Oil is another product to look for – it causes so much devastation in the world and the manufacturing of it is almost single handedly wiping out orangutans and other species. Lots of ‘Natural’ cleaning products use it – it sounds natural but unless it’s from a sustainable source you can bet something or someone died for it to be included in the product.

Did you make the change gradually to natural skin care or did you bin everything chemical & start again from scratch?

Oh I binned everything straight away! I freaked right out once I knew the side effects! I even ditched a few of my friend’s products and replaced them with new organic products simply saying “I love you – I can’t let you put this on your skin” – I calmed down a little though ha ha! All you can do is tell people and let them make the choice for themselves. I’m always stunned to find people who simply don’t care. I think “ask someone who is battling breast cancer if they would stop using chemicals if there was even the slightest chance of it making a difference”. Once you switch and once you find a place to shop that you can trust (like Peachy Clean!) it’s easy-no effort required.

How quickly did you notice any changes too your skin once you switched over to natural products?

Seriously within a few days. Hair Care is different – a lot of people try natural hair care and hate it straight away and don’t give it another chance but there will always be a ‘detox’ period. Your hair needs to get rid of the chemical build up from the silicone coating from regular products. Your hair will feel like shit for the first week or two but ride it out ha! Once the build up has been stripped, the incredible natural products can go to work and actually treat and condition your hair (instead of just coating it and making you think it’s healthy). My hair is halfway to my bum and my hair-dresser always comments on what good condition it’s in – natural hair care is so much more effective than regular chemical stuff! Such a myth that you need chemical science to have shiny, healthy hair-it’s the exact opposite!

Did you feel your overall health/wellbeing improved once you went organic & natural?

Absolutely – once I started looking at ingredients and actively choosing what was better for me both my skin and my attitude to health changed. I have my green smoothies every day with my superfood supplements – I choose organic – “if you are what you eat, don’t be easy, cheap or fake” 😉 Feeling good is totally addictive 😉

Tell us about your morning and evening skin care routine, do they differ? (What products do you use?)

It always depends on what products I’m trialling at the time so I’m really lucky I get to have a fabulous bathroom cabinet that’s bursting with awesome products! My boy has a great routine too-he doesn’t care what he puts on so would always just buy the cheap nasty stuff from the supermarket if he bought anything at all – I love that I’ve seen the difference in his skin too! I love my serum 2-3 times a week for a boost! I use my Weleda Creamy Body Wash every day-it’s like showering in whipped cream and it’s so fab on my dry skin! Always brush with my Vitacare toothpaste (too much fluoride is toxic and we get enough from our drinking water), I love my Sodashi Clay Cleanser (6 1/2 months and going strong! So gentle but a demon on makeup) and also my AEOS Oil De Maq cleanser – I often don’t use a moisturiser after cleansing with this it’s so nourishing! The Sodashi Brightening Marine Mineral Mask is by far the best mask I’ve ever used – I use it before any special event and you can bet I’ll get a compliment on my skin! (Seren: LOVE this mask it is fabulous & lasts ages)

Do you have a #1 can’t live without skin care product?

A great serum! Serum’s are so under-rated! There’s a difference between ‘nourishing’ and ‘moisturising’ your skin. Nourishing your skin with an awesome serum (my absolute faves are the Sodashi Serums – Seren: LOVE the Sodashi Balancing Serum) means you’re feeding it the nutrients it needs to renew, protect, heal and glow! Especially in winter when a moisturiser just isn’t enough. You only need a few drops so again these beauties last forever – I won’t ever be without a fabulous serum now. It’s a real ‘hero’ product. If I was stranded on a desert island and only allowed one product though I would say my Loving Earth Coconut Oil though because it does everything! I use it as an eye makeup remover, hair treatment, body moisturiser, lip balm, cellulite treatment, rash cream, I even drink a teaspoon a day in my green smoothies and cook with it! Crazy good!

I struggle to keep up my full skin care routine when I travel. Have you any tips for not letting your skin miss out with a limited luggage allowance?

Ha ha! You should see photos from my last trip – I took around 30 of my favourite products with me! My boyfriend just laughed – he knows there’s nothing he can do about it ha! It was like trying to choose my favourite child ha! Both Sodashi and AEOS do fantastic kits – complete routines in smaller bottles perfect for travelling! I’ve used these kits a few times and honestly I was so impressed with how long they’ve lasted!! The AEOS Realive Serum in the AEOS Essentials Kit is still going strong 6 months later! A really great way to try a complete range before buying too. I always travel with my first aid cream – the Savi Soothing Cream. Anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and super soothing and calming. It’s come in handy so many times for everything from stinger bites, surfing rash and coral cuts, to mozzie bites and grazes!

How important are diet and exercise to maintaining healthful skin?

Think of it this way – if you drink too much champagne or eat dodgy food, you throw up right? (crass analogy sorry!) Your body is trying to expel the toxins. It’s similar with your skin. If you eat nothing but junk and don’t exercise…the body will expel toxins any way it can – including pimples, excess oil or dehydration from the liver working over time! Treat your body right to feel great but to look great too. Water, Rest, Love, Laughter and great skin care!

Going natural/organic can be expensive & off-putting for some people. How would you advise anyone wanting to make the switch on a tight budget?

I used to think this too – I’ve found some really great ranges that are completely inexpensive! Australian Bushflower Essences is a range that has nothing over $28! Weleda is another fabulous inexpensive range! You just have to look. Even with some of the dearer ranges they work out cheaper than most pharmacy ranges – for example, the super gorgeous Sodashi Clay Cleanser is $80 – my last one lasted almost 7 months! I would’ve bought 2-3 other cheaper cleansers in that time and ended up paying more! There’s a great quote by Joel Salatin ‘If you think organic is expensive, have you priced cancer lately?’ – it’s a bit of a scare tactic but it’s true. We only have our health and we only get one shot at it. I’ve included a few great ranges that are inexpensive so there’s no excuse not to ditch the chemicals!

Have you tried and tested all the products you sell on Peachy Clean?

Oh yeah! I’m a product junkie and I won’t sell anything I don’t love! I’ve tried a few expensive, well-known ranges and just been unimpressed. I don’t want any false advertising – if we sell it it’s because I’ve (or my guinea pig boyfriend) have used it and found it to be really good!

Would you consider starting your own Peachy Clean organic skin care range?

Oh that’s in the pipeline! I want to create a range of my favourite products made from the experience of using so many gorgeous products! It’ll be a long process though!

Are then any exciting new products coming to the Peachy Clean website soon?

We’ve just launched our new ‘Wellness’ category – because beauty is on the inside too! We now range of awesome organic Loving Earth superfoods like Acai Berry, Bee Pollen, Maca, Cacao, Goji Berries and Coconut Water powder etc and also glass straws so you can have your daily green smoothie without getting spinach stuck between your teeth or staining them from things like blueberries! Diet plays a bit part in the health of the skin but also if you’re feeling good and feeling happy – you can’t help but look beautiful! We wanted to provide a more holistic approach to beauty and wellbeing and want everyone to really look after themselves! Beauty really is on the inside 😉

Thank you Haley for a wonderfully informative insight into natural skin care. This has definitely made me pay more attention to labels & watch out for those sneaky toxic ingredients.

If you would like some advice on what skin care would be best for you please shoot Haley an email on: info@peachyclean.com.au (Please no SEO spruikers or spam) or head over to Peachy Clean to check out all the amazing products.

Here’s to happy, clean & toxin free faces!

Love Seren xx

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Organic Dreadlock Care

May 15, 2013 By Kat

Dreadlocks conjure up the image of crusty hippies right? Well aren’t hippie’s tree hugging, eco warriors who will go to any lengths to save the environment? Excuse the stereotypes but I feel these people will fit right in on this blog. I live with a dreadlocked hippy that couldn’t be happier up to his elbow in dirt, recycling and hugging a few trees.

It might be misunderstood that dreadlocks are a low maintenance, lazy way to wear one’s hair. Alas quite the opposite. To keep dreadlocks nice, tidy and non- stinky takes a lot of work. Washing, drying and rolling dreads take a lot of time, especially if they are new. Some people like to get their frizzy roots tightened up every few months and re-waxed. If dreads are not aired out properly after washing you could get a mildew problem that may well start to smell like mould.

Healthy scalps will avoid dandruff, flaking & itching. Commercial hair care products that are highly chemical based or fragranced can be the cause of the above. Fragrances can get trapped in dreads & may leave an undesired smell. If you do find yourself with scabby scalp problems tea tree oil will work a treat.

There are many products out there made for dread care. Being a ‘holistic’ blog I try to encourage the use of organic. My dreadlocked buddy uses locally hand made soap to wash his ‘creatures’ every few weeks. On the advice of his ‘dreadlocks hairdresser’ he avoids all commercial hair care products. We found a great local organic brand call Savi Australia who not only make awesome skin care but dreadlocks products. (Which are on sale at the moment, bonus) All Australian certified organic and affordable.

Out of the six dread products we test-drove three. The ‘Dread Butter’ didn’t last very long on a full, long head of dreads but the result was fantastic. Frizz free, tight, conditioned and shiny. It smells pretty good. ‘Dread Locked’ spray is pretty handy for a quick spritz. An essential oil based spray to help the formation of new dread and enhancing the strength of mature locks. My favourite that I use on my own hair for a freshen up to is the ‘Dread Fume.’ It does what it says on the bottle. Perfumes your dreads with ‘pure aromatic essentials oils’. It can be sprayed on the body too. To me it smells a Northern Hemisphere Christmas with aloe Vera juice, cinnamon oil, lemongrass oil, clove oil, lime oil and cedar wood.

Dreadlocks don’t have to be crusty with all these lovely organic products available. Just as with everything in life a little love and effort will keep them looking fresh & funky.

Love Seren xx

Posts Tagged ‘natural’