There are so many products out there claiming to be natural and organic, free from parabens and SLS, recyclable and carbon neutral that it's tricky, as a consumer, to pick the real deal from the fakers. There's only one way to guarantee what's in your face cream - make it yourself?
Ease yourself in gently with L'Occitane's new Ma Creme Nature face cream, £25, which launches in March. The pack comes with all the tools and ingredients you need make everything by hand. It's quick, easy and relatively mess free to make, but prepare it in advance - you need to leave it in the fridge for 12 hours before use. The downside? Because it's preservative free it has to be kept chilled, but nail polishes last longer in the fridge too, so why not section off a whole beauty shelf in the door?
If you want a real challenge, head to Neal's Yard Remedies. Pick up Recipes for Natural Beauty, £9.99, by Romy Fraser which includes recipes for everything from hair care to foot products and everything in between. I'm partial to the Rose and Almond Hand Cream recipe (see below), while the Honey and Orange Body Scrub is an effective pre-bikini treat.
Rose and Almond Hand Cream by Neal's Yard Remedies
(All ingredients are available from Neal's Yard Remedies)
Melt the cocoa butter, beeswax and almond oil over a bowl of hot water. Heat the rosewater slightly and dissolve the emulsifying wax into it. Stir the rosewater and emulsifying wax into the oily mixture very slowly and stir until the cream cools. Add the rose absolute and stir. Store in a jar in the refrigerator; it will keep for up to two months.
Too much like hard work? Visit kateloganbeauty.com. Kate makes every product to order, from foot balms to facial oils. I love her Rose Otto Healing Balm, £17.99.
