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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©Seren Holistic Lifestyles Blog 2013

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