9 Ingredients to Avoid in DIY Skincare Hacks And & what To Use Instead

There are so many D.I.Y skincare recipes floating around pintrest and the web in general and while they may look like they're saving you money, some of the ingredients in the recipes can actually damage the skin. I recommend checking out eMediHealth under the skin and beauty tab because their recipes are written by dermatologists and they list any potential ingredients that could irritate or cause a reaction for certain people. Additionally try patch testing on your hand or behind the ear for 48 hours before you apply it to your face. Keep reading to learn about which ingredients to avoid. 

1. The biggest misconception is to use lemon juice on the skin. Please don't use lemon anywhere on the face or body! When life gives you lemons make lemonade. Do not make a lemon DIY toner, face and body exfoliator or as a treatment to lighten the skin. Dermatologists are struggling to get the message heard that applying lemons to the skin is actually harmful. Lemon is highly acidic at pH 2 and can change the pH balance of your acid mantle (skin barrier) causing skin irritation and hyper pigmentation. Citrus oils are photo-toxic meaning that when you go outside in the sun, the lemon will irritate the skin and make it hyper sensitive to the sun. This can lead to a chemical burn which may cause permanent damage and excruciating pain. Additionally the acid content varies from lemon to lemon so you never know precisely how much acid you're using. While the first time using lemon juice might be OK, the next time could cause serious skin problems. 

2. Don't use bicarbonate of soda/ baking soda. Baking soda often appears in DIY recipes for face and body scrubs to exfoliate the skin or to help fight acne. Baking soda is not your friend. It is an alkali which will change the pH of the skin and cause deterioration of  the top layer of skin so that bacteria will seep in, causing reactive red skin and infections.  

What you should use instead of lemons or baking soda....

If you are looking for an exfoliating treatment try an AHA toner (Alpha Hydroxy Acid) with a pH between 3 and 4, this will be low enough to exfoliate without the dangers of using baking soda.  I have not stepped into the world of AHAs due to my sensitive skin, but I've recently read about the The Inky Lists PHA Toner. PHAs are similar to AHAs but have larger molecules and are less sensitising making it a better choice for more sensitive skin. The Independent Newspaper has a useful article here  they awarded Oskia Liquid Mask aid micro peel as it's best buy. It contains lactic acid which isn't as harsh as glycolic acid and works overnight. They also liked GOOP's G.tox malachite+ AHA pore refining tonic.  Paula's Choice pH skincare guide  recommends Resist Anti Aging 5% AHA Exfoliant and Skin Perfecting 8% AHA Lotion Exfoliant. Don't forget to wear at least SPF 30 immediately afterwards and a week after using AHAs.

3. Don't use Walnut shells to exfoliate your skin because they are too abrasive. 

The pieces are harsh and can create micro cuts/ injuries to your skin and make your skin prone to sensitivity. It can decrease the skins effectiveness in protecting against environment pollutants. 

What You should use instead

If you are looking for a physical exfoliator for your face use oats or chickpeas because they both have a neutral pH and once ground/milled are gentle on the skin. You need oats that are unflavoured, raw and in a dry state and grind them into a fine powder using a blender or a pestle and mortar. Do the same for chickpeas (garbanzo beans) for roughly 2 minutes until fine and the consistency of flour. Chickpeas have the added bonus of being rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants are substances that help protect the skin's surface from damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are molecules in the environment such as pollution, cigarette smoke and UV rays that damage your skin by clinging to your collagen and weakening elasticity and so aging the skin. 

You can also use poppy seeds or beads made of hardened oil like jojoba. Another alternative is to use a flannel/washcloth on wet skin.  

4. Don't use apple cider vinegar (ACV). It's been touted as a treatment for acne, fading blemish scars and age spots and for removing skin tags. However it does sting and long term undiluted ACV can burn the skin. Any acne sores will suffer burns or major irritation. If you get it in your eyes, you could experience inflammation or even a cornea burn. 

5. Don't put toothpaste on spots to make them go away, I tried this when I was a teenager and the toothpaste burnt my skin. Mint is an irritant and according to dermatologist Ranella Hirsch toothpaste can actually increase melanin production meaning it can create brown spots and discoloration in the areas where it was applied. 

What You should use instead of apple cider vinegar or toothpaste....

Use DILUTED  tea tree oil instead. According to WikiHow mix 2-3 drops of tea tree oil with 2 teaspoons of aloe vera gel or water (boiled first and then use cooled.) You can also use carrier oils such as olive oil with the tea tree oil, this may appear counterintuitive but you don't want the area of skin around the spot to become dry.  Apply using a cotton swab or fingers. Beware of applying it neat because can be very irritating.  You can buy Tisserand Organic Tea Tree oil or Neals Yard here.  Another option is to use Salicylic acid such as Paula's Choice BHA, benzoyl  peroxide or Corsx pimple master patches. 

6. Do not use Preparation H on your face. Preparation H is a cream to treat haemorrhoids. It's also used in beauty pageants, on the red carpet and on fashion runaways by makeup artists to reduce puffy eyes. However the effect is temporary and not without risk. Preparation H contains Phenylephrine which works by constricting blood vessels. Long term use may make it ineffective and can lead to rebound swelling. Preparation H also contains 1%  hydrocortisol, a topical steroid that can thin the skin on an already thin, delicate under eye area. It can also cause steroid acne and enlarged blood vessels, making your eyes look worse over time. Additionally it can cause allergies including eczema and if you accidentally get Preparation H in your eye it can do some serious damage. 

What you should use instead

If you're going for the DIY approach cold teabags are a safer choice to reduce any swelling but the effect is also temporary. If you want to reduce dark under eye circles then use an eye cream or solution with caffeine (such as The Ordinary here,  The Inky List here, Garden of Wisdom here)  or creams with “firming” or “lifting” properties that can tighten the skin around the eyes. You can also use gel packs or an anti-histamine to reduce puffy eyes.

7. Egg whites are common ingredients for 'tightening up' the skin. However their effects cease once you've rinsed the mask off but more importantly raw egg can be contaminated with Salmonella.  Therefore it is not a good idea to have uncooked egg so close to your mouth. There is also a risk of contracting a gastrointestinal tract infection or a localized skin infections especially if you already have blemishes that are trying to heal.  Additionally raw egg is a contaminant which hang around on surfaces for several hours, making your bathroom a health hazard. If you are allergic to eating eggs do not even attempt to put this on your skin. Egg whites are also mentioned in DIY nose pore strips to remove blackheads and whiteheads. However just like the Biore nose strips when you pull them off they can damage the skin. 

What you should use instead

If you want to tighten and minimise pores then try Tony Moly's Egg pore tightening cooling pack. This mask has bentonite and kaolin clay as well as egg shell powder to deep clean and minimise the appearance of pores. To remove blackheads I recommend this technique Make Up Savvy to decrease blackheads and shrink pores.

8. The “cinna-mask”  became a trend after beauty blogger Enjoy Phoenix praised cinnamon for purifying the skin. While Enjoy Phonenix was ok, some people who tried the mask experienced burns. Cinnamon is also a common ingredient in DIY lip plumping recipes as it irritates the skin making it swell and tingle like a lot of lip plumping lip glosses. However being allergic to cinnamon is actually very common but even if you're not allergic your skin may still be hypersensitive to it.

9. Cayenne Pepper is often used in skin recipes for 'glowing skin.' There is actually good evidence for this since cayenne pepper contains capsaicin which can soothe itching and dull skin.  It may also have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. However this does not mean that it's safe to use in DIY recipes as too much cayenne pepper can cause irritation and burning. Applying them to the lips as a 'plumping' treatment can cause serious irritation and burns. 

What you should use instead of cinnamon or cayenne pepper

If you are after something to purify your skin then try masks with kaolin and benonite clay. Make sure you buy cosmetic clay or pharmaceutical clay from a health or cosmetic store. Don't get it from an art supply shop. An alternative to cinnamon is honey it is antimicrobial, heals minor wounds and doesn't irritate the skin. However if you are allergic to honey, pollen or bees avoid applying honey on the skin. For people without known allergies, it is still important to test a small part of the skin before applying it to larger areas of the body. Make sure all traces are removed before bed as it can trap dirt and leave the skin sticky. 

If  you are after plump lips then try Rodials Dragon's Blood Lip mask it contains sodium hyuronate and 'dragon blood' or tree resin extract to moisturise and plump the the skin.   

If you are after 'glowing skin' then you should exfoliate the skin, this removes dead skin cells on the surface of the skin so that your skin looks smoother and reflect light. You can do this with a physical exfoliator (see number 3 above) or chemical toners (see number 2 above.) Use a good hydrating moisturiser because when skin is moisturised it reflects light, making the skin look glowy. You can also add Vitamin C serum to your routine which will brighten skin, lighten dark areas, boost collagen, heal skin and contains antioxidants to prevent damage to cells caused by free radicals. There are different types of vitamin C and they vary in strength, L-ascorbic Acid is the most effective but can be irritating while Ascorbyl palmitate is supposed to be the least irritating. Don't mix Vitamin C with retinol, use them on different nights. You can also mix a liquid highlighter in your foundation.  

Dermatologist Goldenberg recommends "a gentle cleanser, twice daily moisturizer (with sunscreen every morning), and a vitamin A cream at night, such as retin-A or retinol.” Drinking plenty of water, getting a good nights sleep and eating a diet low in salt and processed food should also improve your skin.

 

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Empties #3

Soap and Glory Smoulder Kohl eye liner 
This knocked my previous favourite eye liner Rimmel Eye Definer off it's top spot. Soap and Glory Smoulder Kohl liner is creamy and waterproof. It also comes with a pencil sharpener in the lid!  Unfortunately I lost the top to the sharpener and the last couple of inches dried up. This is my favourite black pencil liner and it's reasonably cheap.
Repurchase? Yes 

KVD Vegan Discovery Go Big or Go Home Mascara  (Formally Kat Von Dee Beauty)

I got this in my Christmas beauty calendar and the packaging is different than what's currently on sale. This mascara dried up very very quickly which may be to do with the toothpaste tube like packaging instead of a traditional mascara tube which is the current packaging . The brush is a bristle type brush and like the name the brush is very big! This creates a lot of volume to the lashes and is good  at separating lashes.  It does what it says on the tin lives up to it's claims. It retails for £20 and the mini is £11. I would buy this again, normally I would choose a mini size as I very rarely use up all the mascara in the tube within 3-4 months but I'm slightly concerned that it dried up so quickly.

Repurchase? Yes.

Marks and Spencer Absolute Ultimate Formula 8 hours Sleep Cream
This a great night-time moisturiser it's creamy rather than greasy and does a good job of hydrating the skin. It's paraben free and contains hyaluronic acid to hydrate your skin and anti aging ingredient peptides. It is fairly strongly scented, it a floral, fresh fragrance but it doesn't exacerbate my asthma.  I also haven't broken out despite my sensitive skin.   
Purchase? Yes 

Simple Moisture Cream with SPF30
Simple has unfortunately discontinued this product which I'm heartbroken about. It's a great light but nourishing moisturiser that contains SPF30. SPF30 is the recommended factor to protect skin. Most moisturisers go up to SFP15-20 which isn't enough.

Simple Dual Eye Make Up Remover
I chose this because I like the No 7 dual cleanser where you have oil and cleanser which you shake before use, The oil is good at removing waterproof mascara and eye liner. I found that I got through this quicker than my usual no 7 one but it does remove eye makeup well.

Repurchase? Yes

F.A.B Ultra Repair Hydrating Serum (Sample Not Pictured)
This is very similar to Hylamide's serum but slightly thicker. It has a clear gel texture, without much of a scent which is great as it's less irritating on the skin. It's good and as effective as Hylamide's version and would be worth picking up.
Purchase: Yes 

Murad Hydro-Dynamic Quenching Essence (sample Not pictured)
Essence lotion hails from Korea and is used after toner as an extra hydration step in a skincare routine. Murad's Hydro-Dynamic Quenching Essence contains Mexican Blue Agave leaf extract to improve the skin's ability to attract and retain water. A mixture of watermelon, apple, and lentil also help reduce dryness and flakiness. As well as improving hydration this essence contains glycolic Acid to gently exfoliate  so that your skin is smoothed. 

It is a gel consistency and smell slightly floral. I applied this 3 times on one side of my face. I found that my skin felt softer on the side I applied it or 'silkier' as Murad puts it. I didn't notice it contained glycolic acid until the final use. I have sensitive skin and it felt quite gentle but I'm not sure if the irritation would kick in the longer I used it. Because it has active ingredients of glycolic acid this essence acts more like a serum so that probably explains the high price point of £65. It works but it is expensive at £65.

Purchase? I'm not sure. This is seems gentle on my skin considering it contains glycolic acid but it's too expensive for me on my current budget.

Neutrogena Visibly Renew  Elasti-Boost Hand cream SPF20
A friend gave me a sample of this and I actually really like it. It has a nice fresh scent that's not overpowering. It's quite a thick formula which rubs in well but it does leave your hands tacky but not greasy afterwards. However it's a lightweight moisturiser and I feel that it's not moisturising enough  to use during the current pandemic. They say that your hands give away your age so having an SPF is a good idea to prevent brown spots though a higher SPF 30 would be better.

Purchase? Maybe 

Boots Strawberry Lip Balm
This is my go-to lip balm it's moisturising, doesn't leave a white tint or make your lips tingle  and cheap! The scent isn't too bad either.
Repurchase? Yes. 

Shampoo and conditioners

Philip Kingsley Anti Dandruff Shampoo
This shampoo contains the ani-microbal pirotone olamine to calm the scalp while cleaning your hair. It has a fresh but very subtle scent that smells to my like watermelon and cucumber. 

However I found that I had to wash my oily hair twice and I still had dandruff. 

Repurchase? No. 

Tresseme Moisture Rich Conditioner
This smells really nice and made my hair shiny and sleek.
Repurchase? I'm tempted to pick it up again but I'm trying to find MCI/MI free (preservative than can cause contact dermatitis) conditioners.

OUAI Leave in Conditioner  Travel sized 45ml £10 / 140ml £22
This is the first leave in conditioner I've tried and I love it- it's a lazy girl's dream or for those who live with lots of people and want to cut down your shower time! It contains vitamin E, argan oil and primrose oil to moisturise and condition hair, while hydrolysed protein minimises damage caused by heat styling. The thick consistency doesn't look like it would work with a mister but it does deliver a overall fine mist and feels lightweight on the hair. It offers UV protection as well as heat protection. It's MCI/MI free  (known irritating preservatives)  paraben free and  OUAI do not test on animals. It did make my hair feel soft and silky, but it doesn't detangle hair well. Additionally if  you're looking for rich hydration you'd need to get an intensive conditioner. I think that the sweet scent may be overpowering for some but I love it it's a gorgeous floral scent.
Repurchase? It is more than I'd usually pay and doesn't detangle hair but I might get another travel sized one as the scent is so gorgeous!

Palmers Olive Oil Replenishing Conditioner
I bought this because it did not contain MCI and MI preservatives, but it's also free from sulphates, parabens, phthalates, mineral oil and gluten. It does contain dimethicone so if you're avoiding silicone this may not be for you. Extra virgin olive oil is known for nourishing properties and promoting hair strength and shine. It also claims to soften tight curls. The soya bean oil and keratin amino acids protects the hair from environmental aggressors and hot styling tools so that hair will look smooth and less frizzy, softer, bouncier and easier to style. It also contains Jamaican Castor oil which has a high lipid content to relieve dry itchy scalps while protecting hair from damage. I did not find that this reduced any frizziness . It did leave my hair feel soft and nourished although not sure if it made any difference it breakage.  It did leave my hair shiny but most hair conditioners do. I have long straight hair so I can't comment on curls. Apart from my hairdryer I don't use any hot styling tools. I also only apply conditioner to the ends and mid-length of my hair due to having an oily scalp so I can't comment on whether it helped my scalp.

I do love the squeeze tube packaging and the fact they have left some of the label transparent so that you can see how much product is left. I recommend using a comb to distribute the product even if it's mid to long length hair (I avoid my scalp as I have oily hair) because otherwise it will leave behind blobs in the bath. It has a mild refreshing scent.
Re-purchase? This was ok. Didn't blow me away but it's alright. The tube did last me a long time I want to try out other conditioners free from MCI and MI.

What Make Up Means To M.E. - Why I Wear It & Why I Started My Blog

There are two main reasons why I like makeup, firstly I love that it can transform you into something different. I like the fact that you can create a completely different look without a change of clothes. Secondly I love getting ready to go out and for me doing my makeup for a night out is as much fun as actually going out! However I'm quite laid back and I don't wear makeup everyday. I will wear it for work to look presentable and when I meet friends at the weekend or for a night out to look my best. I don't really care if a boyfriend or any of my friends sees me without any make up on.

When I started getting interested in makeup 

When I started secondary school I was allowed to wear nail polish and I typically a wore glitter or a different shade of purple or blue on each finger. At about 13 years old I began wearing Rimmel white or silver eye shadow to make my eyes stand out behind my glasses. I also wore Collection 2000 (as it was known back then) black mascara and clear or pink lip gloss. After watching renowned make up artist Kevyn Aucoin on the Ricki Lake show I went out and bought his book Making Faces, where he used make up to transform celebrities into looking like other celebrities. Some of them were incredible. I also used to tear out the pages from Bliss and Sugar! magazines for make up inspiration. 

I discovered eyeliner when I went to university. I used Bourjois liquid eyeliner in black and while it's not the easiest eyeliner to start off with I found it much easier to use than pencil liner. I didn't start wearing foundation until I was 20 years old. The reason I hadn't worn foundation before was that the high street in the '90's only offered pink toned foundations and I have a yellow toned tan complexion. (They still lean this way despite the multi cultural makeup of the UK.) My first foundation was from Clinique because they had more inclusive shades and I had a bit more money to spend than I did in my teenage years. I later found the shades ran too terracotta instead of yellow and I'm still trying to find my Holy Grail foundation (Shu Uemura and Estee Lauder have been the best matches so far.) After foundation my first high end product I bought for myself were Lancome's Juicy Tubes as they were really popular at the time.  After I left university I wore makeup to look presentable for work.

Feeling Ill

In my late 20's I knew there was something physically wrong with me health-wise but I didn't know what it was. I caught the flu but while the rest of the symptoms disappeared I still had this unrelenting, extreme tiredness every day. I would get jelly legs and collapse while washing up the dishes on a Friday or Sunday night. If I got less than 11 hours sleep I would be unable to walk from the top of the bed to the bottom of the bed without collapsing. Some days I could barely talk. It was making me depressed because I had barely any energy to carry on with my usual routines and duties in my life. So I began to start wearing thicker foundation and used make up as a mask to cover how unhappy I was and to make sure that people wouldn't notice I was unhappy or ill. It sounds a bit illogical but I was a teacher and your job involves putting up a front or a performance in the classroom and the make up was part of my costume.

Anyway my life ground to a halt when I came home on the last day of school in May. The physical exhaustion made me bed bound for two weeks and then housebound for around 18 months. This time in my life was about survival. I couldn't even hold a graphite pencil or a metal dinner fork because it was too heavy for me as my muscles had wasted away. I could only walk a few metres. After my big collapse I was finally diagnosed with M.E. or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (now renamed as Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease ) but that didn't really help very much as the only advice the specialist had was that I was young at 27 and would recover but gave me no information on how to get better or any treatment or leaflets and discharged me! (I managed to get some treatment later and it helped a little bit but didn't 'cure' me or eliminate the dysfunctional tiredness. NHS treatment is limited: there's Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, graded exercise and some doctors will administer Vitamin B12 injections.) There is no long term cure at this point in time and research is underfunded.

M.E. often starts with someone having the flu, stomach flu, glandular fever (mono.) or shingles. Then some of the symptoms go way but you don't recover or bounce back to normal and the debilitating  tiredness remains leaving you only able to function at a much lower level. This can be 50% or less than normal. Think about your own life, operating at 50% means you will have to turn down nights at the pubs, cinema trips, visiting family, going to church, holidays, cleaning the house, not showering  as much as you like in order to keep your job or your family together. To survive from one day to the next you may just have to do the minimum or what you are able to do so you don't collapse and becoming bed bound or suffer pain from too much stimulation (light, noise, smells.) M.E. can result in years of being housebound or bedbound rather than just 'lockdowns' which have an end date. 

The current pandemic has seen the rise of  'Long Covid' or Long haulers, where people don't fully recover from the Covid 19 virus. They share some of the same symptoms of M.E. notably the extreme physical and mental fatigue, memory problems and 'brain fog' where it is difficult to understand or engage in a conversation, read or follow a TV show. The UK government has donated £18.5 million to fund 4 studies of long COVID in the hope to understand and develop treatment that may have implications for M.E. treatments as well.  

Anyway a year later when I was physically able to do a few more things, I made a New Year's resolution to start wearing make up again. I wasn't working and didn't have a boyfriend, the make up was for me. I felt well enough to start concentrating on grooming again. It was also to recapture some of the old me. I went out and bought some lightweight make up brushes. Then I started playing around with makeup, copying looks from magazines, working it out as there weren't any guides or listed products beside the pictures. Around 2009-2010, UK makeup artist Lauren Luke became a big sensation on Youtube and and I began watching her videos.

I was still housebound and so any visitors to the house was a big event and excuse to wear makeup! When I saw people they would say that 'you don't look ill'  because I was wearing makeup. I still wore it because I felt so drained and shit all the time I didn't want to have to look shit as well. Anyway I really got into watching Youtube make up tutorials. I loved Tiffany D she is a true artist and amazingly talented but unfortunately doesn't do tutorials or much makeup content these days. I learnt the most from Sineady Cady (The Makeup Chair) as her tutorials were really easy to follow. I also watched Wayne Goss who seemed honest and succinct. I liked a lot of his makeup hacks and techniques especially his contouring video here.

Why I started this blog.

One of my symptoms of having M.E. / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome was forgetting how to spell. It was like that type information had gone missing from my memory. Somehow I found the beauty review site MakeupAlley. I started writing reviews on make up products I had used and I found my spelling was improving. Then I thought why not have all my reviews together in a blog? I loved writing and also hoped to help people through giving honest reviews and find other people who were also into makeup as much as I was. I didn't have any sisters to talk to and my mum wasn't into make up. She thought my interest in make up was frivolous but for me it was an escape. While blogging I've also picked up other skills such as styling photographs, using social media and a bit of HTML.

Why I wear Make up 

Makeup is something I wear for me, to look presentable and feel special and I would put it on to meet up with friends. However since the pandemic I haven't been wearing much makeup but writing this reminds me of how much I love it and going to make an effort to keep up my morale (and I have a lot of mascaras in my stash to test!) I must stress that my reasons for wearing makeup have been my own personal experience, others with M.E /CFS have their own reasons for wearing make up.

While I haven't recovered from M.E. I credit The Lightening Process for improving my quality of life. The best way of explaining it is NLP and self hypnosis. You use previous memories of a healthy you to remind your body how it used to function when it was well. You reunite the body and mind.  It helped me to break the boom bust cycle where you do a lot on your good days as you finally have some energy and then payback happens where you end being bed bound for the rest of the week. The lightening process gave me energy to be spontaneous, I'm no longer housebound, I can walk further and generally seem to be improving. 

Although this diagram is for Dysautonomia it applies to most chronic illnesses

The advice I would give to anyone suffering from fatigue is to write down your daily activities and categorise them as low or high energy. So changing my bed, walking to the post box, having a shower, or phoning the bank require a lot of energy. Reading a book or writing a blog post are low energy tasks for me. It will be different for lots of people. Plan a daily schedule where you make sure high energy tasks are spread out with lower energy tasks in-between.  There's also pacing which you kind of learn anyway which means you 'rest' (don't sleep or watch TV or read because they are activities not a proper rest) or mediate and cut back on activities you have to do. If you used to do a three hour clean and tidy blitz, you now need to divide the tasks into bite sizes and breaks across the day (s). Otherwise you may push yourself too far and be unable to do anything for days after.  Maybe you used to jam pack your schedule or were always late because you underestimated how much time you had. Now you need to overestimate how long activities take and add buffer zones of rest in-between. These rest breaks can be 15 minutes, a few hours or day in-between. You may need to delegate household chores or work part time or have to stay home and rest. I only do one thing a day so if I have to go to a hospital appointment that will be the only thing I do that day. I will rest and sleep afterwards. And the following day will be resting indoors as well

If someone tells you that they can't meet up tomorrow because they had a bath yesterday- BELIEVE THEM as preposterous as it seems because if you have M.E. you only have so much energy to live on for the week because sleep and food don't seem to top up your energy enough to function fully. The spoons theory explains living with chronic illness well. This pandemic has meant that many people have experienced the loneliness of isolation that many with chronic illness live with. So please post covid, remember to include and check up on your friend or family member who happens to have a chronic illness.  If anyone has lost someone directly or indirectly to covid my heart goes out to you. 

If anyone wants to know more about having Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/M.E. tweet me or send me an Instagram DM. For more information or to make a donation contact ME Association  or Action for ME  (U.K) 

Kind Natured Sea Minerals & Mint Revitalising Foot Scrub

Just like our face, our feet also require attention so I always use a foot scrub come spring/summer to get my feet sandal ready. I recently picked up Kind Natured Sea Minerals & Mint Revitalising Foot Scrub without having heard of the brand before. Their products range includes skincare and hair care. All their products are 97% natural, the remaining 3% often consists of fragrance & preservatives that are essential to creating a functional product. Whenever possible they use fragrances that are derived from plants but have to label them as 'non-natural' due to the extraction process they have been under. Their goal is to create a 100% natural product. They claim that they "always test on people rather than animals" so are cruelty free but aren't registered  as part of an official scheme (there's no leaping bunny logo.) I love the name as it refers to the 'natural' ingredients and has happy, positive connotations.  

The Kind Natured Sea Minerals & Mint Revitalising Foot Scrub is free from sulphates, parabens and petrochemicals (mineral oil) and is vegan. The sea minerals include sea salt and pumice, to exfoliate the skin. The red algae extract (Chondrus Crispus (Carageenan) Extract) Fucus vesiculosus extract, (a type of brown algae) and Laminaria Digitata Extract, (another type of brown algae/kelp) soothe and moisturise the skin.  The peppermint oil is to refresh and revitalise the feet. I appreciate that they haven't added a lot of essential oils to this product as they can irritate my sensitive skin and it's a habit a lot of natural skincare brands fall into which is to stuff their products with as many essential oils they can for the fragrance. There's just peppermint oil in the formula which is listed as no 12 out of 18 ingredients appearing towards the end of the list. 

The colour of the tube stands out and it has a 'window' where you can see the product which is nice as often you can't see what's inside until you get home. The flip top lid is very practical. 

Kind Natured claim that this scrub will "revive and smooth overworked feet." It's very abrasive scrub with oats, sea salt and pumice, it feels like they've chosen everything they can think of that's rough to the touch and put them all in one formula. When I tested it on my hand it felt sharp and rough and almost sore when I rubbed the scrub across my hand so I was worried it would be too rough and unpleasant to use but actually was ok.  It’s a rough scrub but luckily it didn’t leave any cuts on my skin but I wouldn't apply this in a rush as you need to massage it gently.  I applied the scrub on the top of my feet, heel and between my toes and it left my skin looking fresh and pink rubbing away all the grey winter skin cells. My feet felt incredibly soft and smooth afterwards although it was a little sore in-between my toes. It smells very minty and I felt a very slight tingle afterwards and it felt very refreshing. I think that this scrub would be good at getting rid of callouses. The packaging in relatively unisex and I think this would suit men as their skin is thicker and tougher. 

Kind Natured Sea Minerals & Mint Revitalising Foot Scrub is priced at £4.99 for 150ml making it one of the cheapest foot scrubs. 

In conclusion I think that this is very effective and does what it says. I will happily finish the tube but because of it's abrasive nature I wouldn't repurchase. If you're interested in natural skin products at an affordable price then check out Kind Natured, they offer free shipping over £10 on the Kind Natured website . Their products are also available in Boots and on Amazon.  

8 Beauty Shows You Need To Watch!

Reality TV Competitions

Glow Up Britain's Next Make Up Star (BBC3 Tuesdays/ iplayer /  Netflix)

Glow up is a British reality show where ten aspiring make up artists compete for a contract assisting the worlds biggest make up artists. For 8 weeks they have to live and compete against each other.  The show is back for a third series, now hosted by Maya Jama with judges Dominic Skinner (global senior artist for MAC Cosmetics) and Val Garland (make up director of L'Oreal Paris and a contributing beauty editor at British Vogue magazine.)  After seeing Val Garlands name beside so many catwalk looks it was nice to put a face to the name. I can see why they chose her because she is very theatrical. The show's assignments involve creating looks for fashion magazines, catwalk shows and backstage theatre make up. Special guests have included Michelle Visage. Season 1 is available on Netflix and Seasons 1-3 are available on  the BBC iplayer. 

Face Off (Amazon Prime. /Amazon prime with Hayu.)

This show follows special effects makeup artists as they compete to win  US$100,000 and a year's supply of makeup from Alcone. It is hosted by actress McKenzie Westmore and judged by film and TV make up artists Glenn Hetrick, Ve Neill and Michael Westmore. It feels like the same set up as Project Runway but Face Off was produced and aired by the Sy fi channel. I loved watching  the contestants working with materials like clay, prosthetics, silicone, latex and moulds. While the first two series were focussed on drama the later seasons concentrated on the artistry side of the competition. 

Season 1 is on Amazon Prime. Seasons 8, 9 & 10 Amazon prime with Hayu. 

Documentaries

Make Up A Glamorous History (BBC 2  Tuesdays 9pm/ iplayer. Youtube Documentaries channel here)

This show takes a historical look at what people applied to their faces in the name of beauty. It is a three part series hosted by renown makeup artist  Lisa Eldridge , who has a fascination for how makeup was used throughout  history and has written the book “ Face Paint” on the subject.  Only this time instead of reading about it you can see what all these handmade cosmetics looked like on the skin. The first show explores the Georgian period, next week will focus on the Victorian period and the last show will focus on the early 20th century (probably the 1920's.) Is it very reminiscent of Lucy Worsely's series on the Georgians and Victorians, although this series has a slightly different perspective because Lisa employs her make up artist background to make and compare authentic formulas. She  uses cochineal (crushed beetles, still used today) applied with Spanish wool to give a natural blush that resembles Benefit Cosmetics Benetint.  The show also looks at the hairstyles of the period as well. At the end she puts all the traditional make up techniques to make up a model and style her hair. It's great if you have a curiosity about makeup, or love learning about history. It's very useful if you are interested in becoming a makeup artist or costume designer. 

Broken (Netflix Episode 1 Makeup Mayhem)
This show looks at the current beauty industry, comparing heavyweight giant L'oreal to indie Youtube Guru Marlene Stell of  Make Up Geek and fast fashion /make up Colorpop. Colorpop explain that they can produce so many items because they manufacture in house in America, which keeps costs down. They then focus on counterfeit beauty and why it is so dangerous. I was really shocked when a girl described buying a fake Kylie Lip Kit that had superglue in it and ended up sealing her lips together! The reporters interview custom officers and the police about counterfeit beauty products. We are shown the infamous Santee Alley which is jam packed with market stalls selling large batches of high end counterfeit make up. The police do try to shut them down but it's an ongoing operation like the game 'Whack a Mole', new ones always pop up. This was the first documentary I watched on the topic and I found it really educational and fascinating.

Beauty Laid Bare (BBC 3 iplayer/ Some clips available on Youtube)
This documentary follows four twenty-somethings with different attitudes towards makeup. They head to America to reveal the ugly truth behind the glamorous, multi-billion dollar beauty industry. First there's Chloe a makeup artist and influencer from Belfast; Casey, who uses makeup to express his identity as a gay man and Resh from Manchester who uses make up to help her self esteem and use as a coping mechanism after an acid attack. Finally there's Queenie, from London who doesn't really care about the beauty industry and is cynical about all marketing claims.

The three episodes cover Beauty Con,  Colorpop and Benefit Cosmetics factory tour, counterfeit products, plastic packaging recycling and the effects on sewage system. They also look at common ingredients such as parabens and talc mines contaminated with asbestos. The most poignant moment was watching the production of candelia wax which uses sulphuric acid in the process. It hits too close to home for Resh when she realises that the ingredient in the creams she uses to treat and camouflage her burns uses the very same acid she was attacked with to produce candelia wax. The workers are not given any protective equipment even though the work is so dangerous. It is a very interesting and eye opening documentary that thoroughly examines the beauty industry-  but beware you may never look at cosmetics in the same way again.

Unmasked Make-Up's Big Secret (BBC 3 iplayer/ The Truth About My Make Up Youtube  )
What makes our lipstick glossy and foundation smooth? Palm oil. It's used in 70% of beauty products but what is this ingredient doing to our planet? This documentary follows Emmy Burbidge, a beauty salon owner and makeup artist taking a trip to Papa New Guinea to investigate the production of palm oil and their consequences such as deforestation, sustainability and unfair trade practices. Supermarket chain Iceland created an animated Christmas TV advert in 2018 that promoted their own labelled products as being free of palm oil. This advert was controversy banned on TV for criticising the use of palm oil, you can see the advert on Youtube here. 

Bargain Beauty A Toxic Gamble ( Facebook) 
This documentary is presented by Natalia Jorquera and it investigates counterfeit beauty products in the UK and uncovers why people buy them, citing the pressure social media has. After sending some counterfeit make up to the lab they reveal high levels of toxic ingredients such as lead, paint stripper and faeces (yes you read that right, poo). They interview dermatologist Dr Anjali Mahto, who describes the symptoms that using fake make up can cause including skin rashes, allergies and even chemical burns Additionally some of the metals that have been found in fake products have the potential to cause long term problems with the nervous system and brain. They also interviewed vlogger Maya Gibson who did a video using counterfeit products, when she turned the camera off just 5 minutes later she got an acne flare, spots and part chemical burn on her lips. They also showed examples of genuine and fake products and asked beauty therapy students to tell them apart and found that many of them gave the wrong answer.

Based on a true story / Historial Drama

Self Made (Netflix)

This show is inspired by Madam C J Walker who in 1910 became America's first female self made millionaire after founding a company making hair care products and cosmetics for black women. It stars Octavia Spencer as Sarah Breedlove (a character based on Walker) and friend turned rival Addie, played by Carmen Ejogo.  

The Scent of Spring- Cherry Blossom Body Moisturisers from Rituals & The Body Shop Review

Spring is my favourite season, it's full of optimism, blue skies, more sun, cheerful daffodils, fields of bluebells and of course cherry blossom showers. Japan is known for the Sakura festival which celebrates the blooming of cherry blossom flowers known as 'Sakura' flowers during springtime. People go to parks and picnic under the cherry blossom trees eating special blossom-themed food and sake. It's an ancient tradition that was popularised during the Heian Period (794 to 1185 AD), when emperors and the court of the Imperial Palace began hosting viewing parties and feasting under the blooming branches of the trees. In Japanese culture cherry blossoms symbolise the fragility and the beauty of life because the flowers have such a short time span (they only bloom for 4-10 days). It's a reminder that life is beautiful but that it is also tragically short. Samurai soldiers paid tribute to Sakura trees as a symbol of their own short lives, they serve as a visual reminder of how precious and how precarious life is. Japanese poets described the Sakura blooms as 'spring snow' marking a new season of rebirth of nature and purity. 

Both Sweet cherry fruit extract and cherry blossom flower extract are skin conditioners, they hydrate and soften the skin. They also contain antioxidants which interact with and neutralize free radicals, thus preventing them from causing damage to the skin. They protect the skin against the effect of pollution and ageing, firming skin as well as brightening and soothing it. 

Rituals have a wide range of products in their Ritual of Sakura collection, ranging from perfume, bath products, candles, incense and even washing detergent, in fact there are around 30 products! The tagline 'celebrate each day as a new beginning' perfectly encompasses the Japanese symbol of rebirth and a nice motto to start the day fresh using these products. While cherry blossoms represent the fragility of life in Japanese culture, rice is a symbol of abundance, happiness, and fertility. 

The Ritual Of Sakura Magic Touch Body Cream contains organic rice milk and cherry blossom. Rice milk extract makes your skin soft, supple, and gives it a healthy glow. The sweet cherry fruit extract provides the scent, while the sunflower seed oil soothes and hydrates the skin. The scent is quite strong, very sweet and floral. The texture is like a whipped cream, it feels a little greasy applying but it dries down to a dry slightly waxy, smooth finish. It 's very moisturising and leaves skin really soft and nourished. 

I have a 70ml tube which retails for £5.50 which is pretty affordable for a brand that's more on the luxury side especially as it's a cream rather than a lotion. The larger size is a tub containing 220mls of product and costs £18.50. Both sizes are packaged in recyclable plastic (they have the recycled logo on the packaging.) Rituals also sell refills that can be popped into the original large tub and are slightly cheaper at £15.50. Like most of The Ritual of Sakura range the packaging looks clean and classic in black and white colours and a subtle use of pink for the Japanese character and product tagline. The newer product releases are packaged with pink caps or transparent light pink and lilac bottles which look much prettier. This is the first product I've tried from the brand and I want to investigate their make up line as well!

Rituals have issued a statement saying their products are cruelty free "We never test any of our products or ingredients on animals, and we don’t ask any third parties to perform animal testing for us. Rituals is included on the list of brands satisfying the non-animal-testing criteria of the Proefdiervrij foundation." However I couldn't find this statement on the Rituals website. Rituals does not have a leaping bunny logo on their products as they are not certified by any major animal rights organisation. They do have some vegan products but not all their products are vegan.

The other product cherry blossom body moisturiser I have is The Body Shop Japanese Cherry Blossom Body lotion which is a light moisturiser fragranced with sweet magnolia, cherry blossom and hinoki wood accords. 

The scent of The Body Shop Japanese Cherry Blossom Body lotion is quite strong, very sweet and floral, I prefer it to the Rituals body cream because the addition of magnolia adds more dimension. The scent lasts for hours but is very faint the next day. It's a lightweight lotion that really does makes your skin feel smooth and softer. Right at the top of the ingredients list are Brazil nut oil and babassu oil which smooth and soften skin as well as being antioxidants. This lotion also contains shea butter which is another antioxidant best known for moisturising dry skin.  The cherry blossom flower extract is at the lower end of the list than the Rituals magic touch body cream suggesting it's included for the scent rather than the skin conditioning properties, however because there are other moisturising ingredients I don't think it matters much. I'm impressed with the quality of moisturising ingredients and that The Body Shop didn't skimp on the amounts.

The packaging has a similar colour scheme to The Ritual's Sakura magic touch body cream but with a floral pattern and the bottle has a easy to use cap that you push one side down and the other side flips up revealing the opening,  The amount of product is 250ml which retails for £10 which I think is reasonably priced. Currently it's on sale for £2- so if you're looking for a new body lotion or love sweet, floral scents then grab it because  it's a bargain! 

EDIT The Body Shop Japanese Cherry Blossom Lotion is now only available as part of the Japanese Cherry Blossom Premium Selection gift set which includes the body lotion (250ml) shower gel (250ml)  and fragrance mist (100ml)  and retails at  £20. 

The Body Shop built their brand to be against animal testing, but when it was sold to L'oreal in 2006, many people boycotted the brand because of it's association to non cruelty free parent company L'oreal. In 2017 The Body Shop was bought by Natura, a Brazilian beauty group that is cruelty free. the Body Shop is certified cruelty free by Cruelty Free International. This is one of the most reliable certifications a brand can get, because they are routinely audited to ensure their cruelty free status. (source) Some of their products are vegan others like their honey mask are not. 

W7 Unicorn Nail Polishes Review with Swatches

W7 Cosmetics have brought back their Unicorn collection from 2018 consisting of five duo- chrome nail polishes. W7 describe these polishes as having 'iridescent and pearlescent beams of colour.' The shades are named after unicorns, the ones I have are Serenity 192 which is a hot pink base with a yellow shift that can look orange like a sunset in some lights, and Gratiana 193 is a dusty rose base with a green shift that reminds me of a pink carnation for some reason! The rest of the collection includes Alanana 194 (lilac base with a cool pink shift)  Breanna 195 (lilac base with an electric blue shift) and Drisana 196 (a grey base with a slight blue shift.) The bottles contain 15ml /0.5 fl Oz of product and retail for £2.95. I wanted to take a close up picture of the bottles so you can see the duo chrome shift. With Gratiana it's hard to see the shift in the bottle and on camera. 

W7 Unicorn Nail Polish in Gratiana

W7  unicorn nail polish in Serenity 

The W7 nail polish brush is long and medium thick making it easier to apply the polish. I also love the embossed W7 logo on the top of the nail polish cap.

Serenity is almost opaque after one coat however two coats enhances the colour and provides even coverage, it's a lovely colour for summer. The nail polish started to wear down three days after applying and then chipped on the fourth day which isn't too bad considering I have been typing and washing up without gloves. 

Gratiana needed three layers to reach opacity, the polish is thinner than Serenity and the shift is  subtle, making it harder to catch the green shift on camera. It also chipped very easily the next day so it's fussier to apply and more high maintenance than Serenity.  

Looking at all the shades in the collection it would have been nice to have more variation in colour maybe a dark red, green or gold polish as the collection is very pink/blue/purple.

If you like the colours and duo chrome polishes you should snap them up as the shades are unique and they are very affordable, especially as W7 do not charge for shipping in the UK. W7 Cosmetics also do not test on animals.  You can buy W7's Unicorn nail polish for £2.95 here.