Inika Mineral Foundation

I swore a solemn promise, not so long ago, to seek out the best green make up, for my own personal use and rather ambitiously, my make up kit too. When I say green make up, I just need to add we're not talking Kermit. But you know that, and if you don't, it's about time you caught up!

So looking around there are the usual loose powdered foundations, which (I'm a little ashamed of admitting this... here goes)... I have never actually tried. I know! Shocker. Call myself a make up artist when there is an entire foundation format completely overlooked. The reason is this. I don't really like loose powders. There. I'm fussy. I can't really be bothered with the faff. And I spend enough of my time cleaning brushes in my kit to be bothered to clean my own in my make up bag! Fingers are my friends and they work very well with my Chanel. And yet not so well with powder.

But the quest has begun and with my aversion to powders it seemed right to opt for a liquid mineral base. It didn't have to be completely pure (let's face it, there ain't nothing pure about a made up face) but it did have to exclude the silicones (hate that feeling of siliconed skin), the parabens and PEGS etc too.

The first brand I've tried is Inika, completely surpassing my expectations on purity as they are a 100% natural make up range and from Australia too. Good going Oz. That means Inika exclude from all their products parabens, petrochemicals, fillers, talc, bismuth oxychloride, mineral oils, pthalates, GM ingredients and fragrances. They are also non-comedegenic as in they don't clog the pores which causes acne. You can read more about the brand and it's ethos on the website here.

I'm using the liquid foundation base in Cream, the lightest shade. A note on colour, seriously, wear the one meant for your skin. I have been dabbling in trying slightly warmer shades that I thought might lift my skin tone but it never looks quite right... if you want a warmer glow, think about a decent bronzer in the right places. Foundation goes all over and will unbalance your natural colouring, which will look just a little bit weird. Having said all that, there are only four shades in this range, which doesn't give you a lot of choice. I am using the lightest and although it is a little too light for my skin, it definitely doesn't look too chalky or ashen and it does seem to compliment my own skin tone. So there is a little flexibility there!

Trying it out on my hand, I was very impressed. But it is a curious formula. It's definitely more a cream, than a liquid and when I tried it out for the first time on my face I was a little concerned. But the key is this: abandon all prior understanding of how a foundation moves and behaves on contact with the skin. Don't expect this one to look or feel the same. Do persevere in applying it thoroughly. As you begin to blend it in it almost separates in a kind of patchy way. But once you finish blending, it does in fact leave you with a very even dewy kind of complexion.

Admittedly, it's not one for a full coverage effect, and my skin is reasonable happy so I'm not sure how well it would perform if I did have major skin complaints. But I do really like the finish. It is decent coverage, it's not wishy-washy. And the thing with maximum coverage is that is can actually draw attention to the very things you are trying to disguise like dryness, uneven texture, enlarged pores and spots. This almost completely disappears into the skin (eventually) leaving it looking mysteriously better and more even-toned without you really seeing why. Clever. Very clever in fact. The only thing I would add is that because it is quite a thick cream and it does move a little strangely on the skin, you must take care when blending around the eyes so as not to drag or pull the delicate skin in that area. Got it? Good.

What's really interesting, I think, is what makes up this foundation (excuse the pun). The first ingredient is aloe vera leaf juice, followed by shea butter, macademia nut oil, coconut oil and cocoa butter. You can't beat that for skin-friendliness. Much better in my eyes than the number one ingredient on a foundation I had been using, cyclopentasiloxane, which is a silicone.

I'm happy with this first venture into natural make up and I'm feeling quite smug about it actually because I have been wanting to 'greenify' this area of my life for some time now. I think products that get absorbed into your skin are the most important ones to address and so I will be happily wearing this, for the time being at least - I have a sneaky suspicion it will not last overly long as I feel like I have already used half the tube in about two weeks. This may be due to the squeezey tube / pump dispenser combo which is designed to keep air out and thus be more hygienic (nifty) but it does mean it feels like there's next to nothing left in the tube! I will keep you posted on this detail...

Inika Liquid Mineral Foundation in four shades 30ml £25 approximately
Available in store from Whole Foods retailers. I got mine at Content Beauty / Well Being in store but also available online.

Daniel Galvin Jr Organic Haircare

The haircare issue is one I have found quite hard to get my head around (gah!!). Going natural on moisturisers and shower gels is reasonably easy if you know what to avoid and you shop in the right places. But I have previously been rather underwhelmed with the alternatives to haircare. Many shampoos that avoid the common chemicals found in shampoo and conditioner left my hair feeling a little lack-lustre. OK, but not great. And by the second day, or sometimes even just after washing, my hair often felt too flyaway or static. Now, this may be due to other factors, like central heating and such like, which does cause havoc with my hair, but these days are over. For I have found Daniel Galvin Jr. Amen.

So, what is so good about Daniel Galnvin Jr. Organic Haircare. And what is so bad about conventional shampoos? We're talking about pretty much the same ingredients as skincare, but lets ask Graham (remember Blind Date?) for a quick reminder...

SLS or SLES is a harsh detergent that strips the skin (and hair) of its natural moisture and protective layers, leading to dryness and potentially irritating skin conditions such as eczema. 

Parabens are the oestrogen-mimicking preservatives which can disrupt the natural hormone balance, which has put it under question in relation to breast cancer - excessive oestrogen is a factor in developing breast cancer.. 

Petroleum / mineral oil, can wrap skin, and hair for that matter, in a plastic like film, clogging pores and hair shafts and anything in its wake, upsettig moisture levels and potentially leading to dryness and chapping. 

Synthetic fragrances, something I haven't actually gone into much before but I should. These can be any number of chemicals, mostly undesirable for their carcinogenic properties. As fragrance ingredients are never itemised, this goes unvetted and therefore is completely untrustworthy. In my opinion.

Synthetic colours, again something I haven't banged on about but should. These are often listed as FD & C  followed by a number and they can include numerous carcinogens. 

And another new one which I promise will get its seperate post, Triethanolamine or TEA.This is a biggy. And also includes cousins DEA and MEA. It can be suggested on labels (the very cheek of it!) that this comes from a natural source - coconuts - often listed as cocomide DEA for example. But don't be fooled. As well as possibly causing skin and eye irritation, redness etc. it can combine with another ingredient -amines and form nitrosamines which are highly carcinogenic! Arghhh.

And there is one more to mention, especially relevant to haircare this time (although it blights many skin moisturisers etc.) silicones. Anything ending in -icone is genrally a silicone I believe. These are in conditioners as it gives the sense of silky hair. But your hair isn't silky. The silicone is. This might not bother some and certainly when you research it there are plenty of silicone supporters. But it is interesting that there is a move away from it. Tresemme for one have launched a 'natural' range. I use quotation marks there to highlight my scepticism on that but I will look into it. 

Anyway. That about covers the basics...

So Daniel Galvin Jr. Organic haircare. It avoids all these. I'm using the Hairjuice with honeydew melon extracts, suitable for all hair types. Same for the conditioner too. So it lathers beautifully. Smells delicious and very shampooey. All tropical and fruity. It rinses as you would expect and the conditioner performs in just the same way. Nothing untoward. A normal hairwashing experience. I highlight this because in days gone by, where natural formulations weren't that hot, what you would do for a little bit of lather was unmentionable. This, however is frustration-free. Happy days. And the results are just as satisfying. Clean, happy hair, no frizz, no tangles (at least no more, my hair loves a fight with itself) and a very silky finish. It looks good. Not just nice, not just like hair but lovely hair. If I do say so myself. The best bit. They cost about a fiver. AND you can buy it in the supermarket, at least you can if you shop in Waitrose. The range also includes products for coloured / treated hair and a range called Hangover Hair for sorting out stressed out locks. Thanks Daniel. And while we're here, if you fancy going for luxury level, his sister, Louise does a natural haircare range too...But I haven't tried that yet so we'll see...

Daniel Galvin Jr Organic Hairjuice £3.99 at Daniel Galvin Jr

Also availalbe at Waitrose.