Editor Katy Sunnassee shares some
of her favourite health, beauty and
wellness finds – all in cool blue…
Blueiron Liquid Iron Food Supplement
Feeling tired all the time can be down to a number of factors, one of which can be low iron levels. I’ve recently been taking this Blueiron Liquid Iron (£16) formula. It contains encapsulated iron, which means your body only absorbs what it needs and you have no nasty side effects (think constipation!). It’s sweetened with pear juice, as opposed to glucose, and contains wild blueberries and casts delicious! Things like this can often taste medicinal but this really does taste of blueberries, plus the formula is light and watery, as opposed to thick and gloopy. I take a teaspoonful anytime I’m flagging.
Body scrub: ELEMIS Sea Lavender & Samphire Salt Scrub
Thanks to having super-dry skin, I’m always on the look out for body scrubs to buff away dead flakes and get to work on the unsightly keratosis pilaris on my upper arms. This new ELEMIS Sea Lavender & Samphire Salt Scrub (£38) does the job nicely – plus I love its marine-based ingredients what with living on the coast.
MONAT’s Lash & Brow Enhancing Serum
I’ve always had long, dark lashes and thick eyebrows, however, I also have a stress-related habit of picking them, resulting in sparse areas and a gap in the hairs on one eyelid where I pulled out a clump and they never regrew! So I thought I’d give MONAT’s Lash & Brow Enhancing Serum (£55) a go. It’s the first lash serum I’ve tried as it’s natural, unlike a lot of chemical counterparts, and contains hair-enhancing ingredients including vegetable-based keratin to increase hair strength and condition, red clover to reduce hormone-related hair loss, and a peptide that reinforces hair follicles. I’ve experienced no irritation and am sure it’s helped closed the small gap in my eyelashes as when I look in the mirror I now can’t remember which eyelid it was, so it must have made a difference!
Toothpaste: Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint All-One Toothpaste
I’ve avoided using toothpastes containing fluoride since discovering it’s a neurotoxin. Luckily, there are so many great natural formulas around and right now I’m using Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint All-One Toothpaste (£7.19). As well as being fluoride-free is also free from sodium lauryl sulfate, triclosan and diethanolamine, all of which can irritate the mouth and gut. It’s made with organic peppermint oil, menthol crystals, coconut oil and flour and aloe juice, plus baking soda to whiten.
Skincare: bea Skin Care’s Super Strength Vitamin C 25% & Hyaluronic Acid Serum
Having a baby put paid to my skincare routine last year. So, now I’m upping the ante and using products designed to bolster, brighten and smooth. Vitamin C and hyaluronic acid do just that, so I’ve been slathering on bea Skin Care’s Super Strength Vitamin C 25% & Hyaluronic Acid Serum (£51), which contains more vitamin C than most. It’s designed to remedy sun damage, pigmentation, acne, rosacea and signs of ageing while improving hydration. It’s super lightweight and my skin drinks it in. I use it on my neck too.
Book: Sattva: The Ayurvedic Way to Live Well
I’m drawn to books that promote a slower, more mindful existence, encouraging us to connect to nature’s cycles. Sattva: The Ayurvedic Way to Live Well by Eminé and Paul Rushton (£14.99) does this and more. I adore Emine’s calming, poetic prose that makes me feel more grounded simply reading it. I’m less than half way in and already I’m making small changes. Awake early the other morning after soothing my son back to sleep, instead of burying my head back into the pillow I crept downstairs and out in the garden to listen to the dawn chorus – a very ‘sattvic’ thing to do, according to the authors.
Gut health: Symprove Probiotic liquid
I love taking probiotics as I believe gut health is so important for general wellbeing. So when I discovered Symprove in 2013 at a health show in London, I was intrigued as it was the first liquid probiotic I’d ever seen. The taste is an acquired one – you’ll probably turn your nose up the first few times! – but it’s well worth getting accustomed to as it’s so good for you. I can tell the difference straight away as it keeps me nice and regular! I take a cupful (you get a measuring cup with the box) as many mornings as I can remember. Although only containing four strains of bacteria – Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus plantarum – the liquid has been proven in studies to survive the acidity of the GI tract so it reaches your large intestine intact, unlike some probiotic capsules that don’t make it past your stomach.
This shows a used Aquasana filter (left) and a new one on the right, showing just how much crap is taken out of the water!
Water: Aquasana Rhino Whole House Water Filtration System
About five years ago I had an Aquasana Rhino Whole House Water Filtration System fitted (from £729, aquasanaeurope.com), which reduces chlorine and chlorine-resistant parasites, scale, metal, pesticides, herbicides, pharmaceuticals and industrial solvents – all substances that can be in UK tap water. It’s hooked up to the mains, so the water from every single tap and shower is filtered. I can really taste the difference – or rather notice the smell of chlorine – when I have a glass of water at someone else’s house now. It was and still is a financial commitment – you have to change the cartridges every six months (£39.95 for four) – but just look at the gunk it removes! I consider it to be a real investment in health.
Bath Salts: Westlab Magnesium Flakes
It’s not often I get to relax in the bath these days, but when I do I love to add magnesium flakes or salts, such as the Westlab Magnesium Flakes (£6.50). Magnesium is a mineral we could all probably do with more of – most of us are deficient, apparently – and it helps with all manner of bodily functions. It’s also crucial for helping your muscles relax and for helping you sleep well (and I’m only now starting to catch up on sleep, a year-and-a-half after my son was born, so the more help I can get, the better!)
Lip product: Beauty Kitchen Natruline Lip Treatment
Regular readers of my Ed’s Edit column will have noticed a theme for featuring lip products, as my lips are almost always parched, despite how much I drink. Gone are the days when I’d use Vaseline or other petroleum-based products on them though. Petroleum jelly is a by product of the oil industry, and while it seals skin with a water-protective barrier, it does nothing to nourish the skin underneath and, in fact, stops it being able to breath. This little tin from Natruline (£2.99) while looking like the it’s petroleum-based relative is completely natural. With no petroleum or any other harmful chemicals, it helps to lock in moisture thanks to natural and sustainable ingredients such as beeswax, castor seed oil, castor oil and carnauba wax. I keep it in my desk drawer for regular applications. It doesn’t last the eight hours the blurb promises, but that’s OK as I’m happy to reapply!
