Natural and Organic Fragrance Free Products

When you start to delve into the world of fragrance free or unscented products you might find that instead of finding your skincare or haircare products have less ingredients in them, they may actually have more ingredients in them. In some instances, what you will find is that many main stream commercial products disguise the fragrances or scent of a particular product by using addition chemicals to mask the odour. Obviously for people who have chemical sensitivities or allergies, this can cause more problems due to the increased exposure to chemicals. It makes sense, with the wealth of chemicals, toxins and pollutants in our environment today, it is no wonder that so many of us are trying to reduce our chemical and toxin exposure in our home environment.

Finding truly unscented and fragrance free products that are both natural and chemical free can be challenging, which is why at Down To Earth Organics we have created a separate category for those who want to reduce their chemical exposure and use natural unscented products in their home.

Unscented and fragrance free products can be useful in many different situations: mums and bubs tend to be a little more sensitive to scents. Many essential oils are not suitable for pregnancy, breastfeeding and newborns – fragrance free skincare products provide an easy solution to caring for baby’s sensitive skin. People with topical skin sensitivity can also benefit from using unscented or fragrance free products, using fragrance free laundry detergent and dish washing detergents can also be great for those with dermatitis, psoriasis and eczema (but doesn’t necessary get them out of doing the dishes!). Some medications can put additional stress on the body and the immune system, people undergoing chemotherapy or other drug treatments may find fragrance free skincare and cleaning products a useful substitute for chemical laden products.

Another advantage to natural unscented skincare and hair care products is that it gives you the flexibility create your own personalised natural products, this is great for people with a creative flair for using essential oils. You can create your own individually scented natural skincare product with organic essential oils, without the fuss of creating a whole new product from scratch.

Natural and organic fragrance free and unscented products are also a great solution for the whole family; it can eliminate the necessity to purchase a separate skincare or haircare product for everyone in the family, so everyone is happy!

To check out our range of natural and organic unscented and fragrance free skincare, haircare and cleaning products go to Down To Earth Organics – Your One Stop Natural andOrganic Shop.

Best Natural & Organic Skincare Products for Under $25

A common misconception with natural and organic skincare is that you have to spend big bucks to get a great skincare product. Fortunately, at Down To Earth Organics we have put together a group of our five favourite natural and organic skincare products under $25 - tried, tested and loved by us, in no particular order:

Sanctum Soothing Cream Cleanser in a generous 150g tube this subtly sweet scented cleanser will keep your skin clean and refreshed for ages. A great cream cleanser for sensitive skin, dry or mature skin, the formula is simple, effective and non-drying, so you don’t need to layer on your moisturiser afterwards. 

Kosmea Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil 20mL, this wonderful healing oil, with it’s natural earthy scent and warm amber colour is a great addition any skincare routine. Only a few drops massaged into moistened skin before bed gives you glowing dewy skin in the morning. Add a drop or two to your favourite natural moisturiser for extra nourishment for your skin, works great for scar healing too.

Avalon Organics Daily Moisturizer Lavender 50mL, this silky smooth moisturiser is a surprising winner in our eyes. With somewhat humble packaging, this natural face moisturiser is light and non oily and best compared to your favourite cream coloured blouse – classic, goes with everything and great for any occasion. 

Renew Purifying Facial Exfoliant 150mL, with it’s unique bamboo extract and invigorating botanical extracts, this facial exfoliant earns extra points from us for ingenuity. Perfect for skin that tends to get a little more oily, yet gentle enough for sensitive skin as a once to twice weekly treat. 

Sukin Antioxidant Eye Serum 35mL is another one of Sukin’s great economy buy natural skincare products. When it comes to value for money, this eye serum has much to offer. Really a cross between an eye gel and a serum, this soothing and cooling formula is great for tired eyes, after a day sitting at a computer monitor or a night out on the town. Light and silky, this is eye formula can be compared to some of it’s more expensive counterparts, and still come out on the top of the pack.

So, there you have it, five beautiful natural and organic skincare products that won’t break the bank. Look fabulous and keep your skin clean and healthy – naturally.

Check out our full range of natural and organic skincare products at Down To Earth Organics – YOUR ONE STOP NATURAL AND ORGANIC SHOP.

Managing Dry Winter Skin With Natural Moisturisers

Cool dry air, hot showers and indoor heating can wreak havoc on skin that tends to dryness. Finding a good natural moisturiser for dry skin can be a challenging, but over the years I have tried some great nourishing moisturisers that do a wonderful service for my somewhat challenging skin. 

Two of our best natural moisturisers that I have found for hydrating and nourishing skin are Weleda Skin Food and A’kin Unscented Replenishing Body Moist; both high on my favourites list in the winter months. The WeledaSkin Food is one of those products that has actually been around for quite some time, just a quick glance through the ingredients: lanolin, beeswax and almond oil you can tell that this product packs some serious emollient punch. For me the Weleda Skin Food is a fabulous treat for dry hands, especially after a day out in the garden, for a real treat use it at night on your hands with a pair of cotton gloves over the top to really help with the softening qualities of this natural moistuiser.

The A’kinUnscented Replenishing Body Moist is packed full of fantastic nourishing ingredients like organic avocado oil, certified organic shea butter and Australian macadamia oil – almost good enough to eat. While one of the bonuses of this A’kin moisturiser is that it is Australian, this natural unscented formula is also great for sensitive skin and also if you want a moisturiser that won’t overpower the scent of your preferred fragrance. I have found this product really suitable if you tend to get dry skin on your legs after shaving, a great all rounder really, and because it is unscented it is a suitable moisturiser for men too.

Naturally, minimising hot showers and using indoor heating only when necessary can reduce the environmental triggers contributing to dry winter skin, and it helps to keep your energy bills down too!  Also, make sure that you are nourishing your body from the inside out by staying well hydrated, if you find it challenging to drink water in the winter months you can substitute with herb teas.

Visit Down To Earth Organics to view our full range of Natural Body Moisturisers.

DownTo Earth Organics – YOUR ONE STOP NATURAL AND ORGANIC SHOP

What Ingredients Go Into Natural Face Moisturisers?

There are four main elements to organically based moisturiser products; the humectant, the emollient, the emulsifier, and the actives.

An humectant is a naturally occuring substance which helps keep skin moist by helping skin cells to draw water in. Common natural humectants include aloe vera, honey, vegetable glycerin, and oat extracts.

An emulsifier is the ingredient that stabilises the moisturiser and gives it its even texture. Common emulsifying ingredients include beeswax, soy lecithin, castor oil, and cetyl alcohol.

An emollient is an ingredient that softens and relaxes the skin, by slowing the evaporation of water. Natural emollients include almond oil , coconut oil, shea butter, argan (Moroccan) oil, beeswax and cocoa butter are all frequently used.

The actives are the ingredients which give the moisturiser its special therapeutic properties. These can include everything from botanical extracts, herbs and essential oils to naturally derived vitamins and minerals. Utilizing the unique qualities of these actives ingredients in natural skincare preparations often gives rise to the product itself is often named after its active ingredient.

When choosing the moisturiser that is best for you, consider your skin type and the level of moisturisation that you require. Down to Earth provides detailed descriptions for each product; browse the ingredients and the product description to check that it is right for you.

Click here to view our range of natural moisturisers at Down To Earth Organics.
 
Down To Earth Organics – YOUR ONE STOP NATURAL AND ORGANIC SHOP

Review: Antipodes Reincarnation Pure Facial Exfoliator

Three weeks into my tube of Reincarnation Pure Facial Exfoliator by fabulous NZ natural skincare brand Antipodes and my skin in is glowing, fresh and more youthful looking. This gentle exfoliant makes use of tiny jojoba beads and soothing, healing oils like calendula and carrot oil to create a rich creamy face scrub that is even suitable for the most sensitive skin. Also, the use of earthy essential oils like sandalwood and cedarwood make using this product an absolute delight for the senses.

With my highly sensitive and reactive skin, I was initially very cautious when I first started using this product. I found that using a large pea-sized dollop and very gently massaging into my skin worked perfectly to achieve a nice clean glow. Even for my tending to dry sensitive skin I found that I am able to use this product 3-4 times per week without any issues. I would suggest that those with more oily skin could use this product more vigorously and even more frequently to help with breakouts as the after effect with this product is slightly drying to the skin.

Overall, I would suggest this is one of (if not the) best natural facial exfoliants I have used, I would recommend this for normal to oily and young skin types, but also find it gentle and soothing enough for more mature skin or dry, sensitive skin types. My tube will definitely last me well into the new year and keep my skin glowing and fresh for the summer months!

On the packaging:

“Antipodes Reincarnation Pure Facial Exfoliator with 100% pure avocado oil, marigold flower, tonka bean and sandalwood.

Offer your skin a new life with this beautifully effective, extremely gentle Antipodes Reincarnation Pure Facial Exfoliator. Avocado oil and jojoba beads marry to lift away lifeless skin, leaving a fresh complexion that feels reborn. Healing calendula oil works to nurture and repair, while carrot seed extract helps clear and revitalise skin's surface. Exotic essential oils of sandalwood, sweet orange and tonka bean calm and balance your skin's appearance.

Directions for use: Gently blend Antipodes Reincarnation Pure Facial Exfoliator into moist skin at sunrise or whenever your skin calls for a new life. Rinse well with warm and pure water.”
 

Click here to see the full ingredient list for Antipodes Reincarnation Pure Facial Exfoliator

Down To Earth Organics – YOUR ONE STOP NATURAL AND ORGANIC SHOP

Down To Earth Organics – Launch of New Website Design

There is nothing like making use of a rainy public holiday to launch the new layout for our Down To Earth Organics website! We have performed a major, much needed overhaul of our website to improve ease of navigation through the site and make browsing a little easier on the eye.

Our online store has blossomed from humble beginnings in 2007 and has proudly evolved into one of Australia’s largest online stores stocking well over 1000 natural and organic skincare products, natural cosmetics, BPA free baby bottles and accessories, eco cleaning products and everything in between that you need to maintain a natural, organic, healthy & eco friendly lifestyle.

Obviously one of the new features that we will be resurrecting is our online blog where we will be posting articles on what is new in natural and organic skincare, hair care, health and eco cleaning, plus reviews of natural and organic products as well as articles about how to reduce your impact on the environment.

For those of you who have known us for a while know that we like to add the odd special treat into your order and have the occasional day when we offer free postage throughout Australia. This week, with the launch of our newly made-over website we are offering free postage throughout Australia until Sunday afternoon. To access this free postage, just add the code ORGANIC into the field: “redeem coupon” when you reach the shopping cart and the postage fee will be automatically subtracted from your cart (offer valid until 17^th June 2012).

With still more features and improvements in the pipeline for www.downtoearthorganics.com.au hope that you will enjoy our new easier to navigate website and visit us in the future for more updates and information. If you have any comments or opinions on our new website layout, please contact us at contactus@downtoearthorganics.com.au we hope to be hearing from you in the near future.