My Secret Skincare Weapon

Natural skincare is the best. I can't even fathom to think of the crap I put on my skin. I've definitely learnt my lesson and switched things up over the years including vital ingredients like Aloe Vera!

Aloe Vera gel comes from a plant, when you peel an aloe leaf apart you will find the pure gel inside. It is an incredible at healing and soothing. I discovered it after a bad case of sunburn and the redness turned to tan overnight, I couldn't believe it, no peeling or soreness. The cold gel felt lush, so I thought hey, I'm going to slap this on my face and I have been doing it ever since.

If you don't have an aloe plant hanging about then you can pick up the gels pretty cheap, just make sure there aren't many added ingredients to the gel. I use the Aloe Pura range which is 99.9% pure aloe! You can pick it up for around £5 in Superdrug and Holland and Barrett.

The gel dries very quickly on the skin and I usually pop some moisturiser over the top but stick to a routine of using the plain aloe during the day and the gel with added tea tree at night. You can also use it in your hair for a mask or on any burn to cool and heal it.

I love budget beauty treasures. Share yours in the comments.

Happy Friday beauties.

Little Lottie

XO

Beauty Ingredients I avoid and why

From sensitive skin to allergies and acne, there are so many ingredients in our everyday beauty items and cosmetics that are toxic for our skin and can cause all kinds of reactions.

I was never aware of this when I was younger and would scrub my face far too much with harsh face washes that claimed to work miracles, I am now left with scarring and sensitivity that means harsh ingredients break me out a lot. A quick trip to the dermatologists office opened my eyes to what I was actually putting on my skin and I'm now a self confessed, serial ingredient counter, think calories but worse...

I've put together my list of ingredients that I personally try to avoid in my beauty collection for reasons that I have discovered through using them and experiencing a reaction, you may have no trouble with them at all. Most natural skincare and makeup items will also avoid these ingredients, hopefully I can help you to understand that label on your foundation a bit better with my guide.

1// Mineral Oil

Mineral Oils/paraffinum liquidum have broken me out countless times. They are a synthetic oil unlike essential oils and actually derive from petroleum! Have I put you off yet? Mineral oils are extracted from crude oil which contributes to making petrol so they are bad for our planet and our skin!

2// Perfume

Perfume is one of the hardest ingredients to avoid and is the first thing my dermatologist told me to steer clear of as it can sting and irritate sensitive/acne skin types. I now think if a product has to be perfumed to put it on my face, what is in it that they need to cover up with a scent? The 'ingredient' perfume/perfum can actually be made using over 3,000 chemicals but it's only ever listed as one ingredient on the label.

3// Talc

Talc is mostly used in powder products to create a mattifying affect, talcum powder was a popular product years ago for things like drying off after a shower but it does the job so well it's on my avoid list for drying out my sensitive skin.

4// SLS/SLES

SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) is added to many beauty items like cleansers, face washes and shampoos to make them foam. It is a type of detergent also used in INDUSTRIAL CLEANERS! I personally find this ingredient dries out my skin and scalp so avoid as much as possible but cosmetic companies struggle to find anything that works as well to replace it with.

5// Soap

Soap is another ingredient that cosmetic companies now try to avoid, you may notice cleansers labeled 'soap free'. Soap strips our skin of it's natural oils and so our skin over-produces sebum/oil causing blemishes and oiliness. Take the natural route and find a cleanser that wont through your PH off balance. I love using a mix of Olive Oil and Castor Oil.

6// Parabens

Parabens are a much debated over ingredient but have you noticed that recently when you pick up a moisturiser or foundation the label on the front says if it's paraben free? Parabens come with many names and are there to stop bacteria and mould growing in our 'wet' products like moisturisers. They are rumored to sink into our skin and enter our blood stream, increasing the risk of cancer. A natural alternative to Parabens would be Lavender oil but many cosmetics don't use this for various reasons (god knows why, it's bloomin lovely) You can find my favourite moisturiser here.

Finding brands that leave out any nasty ingredients is a task but Lush and Ren are among my favorites, read my Ren cleanser review here.

If you're looking for a more natural skincare routine I highly recommend cutting out these ingredients and see if you notice a difference.

Little Lottie 

XO  

Product of the month

I can without a doubt name this the product of the month without hesitation. Nothing else even entered my mind.

After feeding my latest blog crush and binge reading Emtalks, who is beautiful and raves about this product, I couldn't resist picking it up when I saw it in Primark, of all places. The Palmers Cocoa butter gradual tan smells good enough to eat and sinks in so quickly! I've always thought that gradual tanners took a million coats to take affect (& I'm too lazy to apply it all the time) but after just one application I noticed a difference! 

I'm not one for fake tan, it comes off on the bed, looks orange and streaky half the time and is a bit of a chore to slap on. Lately I've been getting dry skin and razor rash, (not a good look) so I figured cocoa butter will battle dryness and the tan will hide the rash, the theory worked out pretty well. 

I also didn't notice it come off on my clothes, (only the yummy chocolate smell) and it didn't all instantly rub off in the shower, even after exfoliating! Have I convinced you yet? 

Having a tan is like having a super power... I feel more confident, healthy, wear less makeup and get my skin out more. It's genius. 

Try it yourself for just £4 at Primark or at feelunique.com 

What's your product of the month? Leave a comment!

Little Lottie 

XO

Wondrous oils!

On my discovery of natural skincare oils seemed to pop up everywhere, after years of brands selling OIL FREE everything they are now including nut and other oils in as many products as they can. I like to go straight to the source and have experimented with a lot of different types but found a use for all of them.

If you want a bargain multi tasker oils are the best thing for it and here are a few of my favourites...

Coconut oil - Holland and Barrett

The most recent beauty oil craze has of course been Coconut oil, you can truly use this for anything from a healthier frying option to a teeth whitener. I personally find coconut oil to heavy for my hair so often do an overnight treatment and wash out with plenty of shampoo for an intense conditioning treatment. My favourite use for the oil is as a body moisturiser, it feels amazing and nourishes skin for days. A big jar has lasted me a year and it's definitely a purse friendly product. Ensure your coconut oil is cold pressed as heat destroys the beneficial properties. 

Castor Oil - Holland and Barrett 

Next in popularity has to be castor oil, famous for being a great massage oil and a key member in the oil cleansing method castor oil has made a pretty big impact on acne sufferers. The oil actually dries the skin so mixing it with other cleansing oils is the best option to help heal any blemishes. I use castor oil in face masks with an ultra moisturising oil like coconut to nourish the skin.

Jojaba Oil - eBay

Jojaba oil has been reported to help problematic skin as it has the same sebum type oil that out skin naturally produces however it can sometimes have the opposite affect and cause brekouts which is what I suffered with after prolonged use so jojaba oil is now my everyday hair conditioner. Every night I run some of this luxurious oil through my tips for an overnight hair fix.

Organic Pumpkin seed oil - eBay 

This is an odd one and is only really popular for cooking with however this rich green oil is my favourite cleanser to date! It contains so many vitamins that my skin is drinking up and I use it morning and night for a one step cleanse! Easy peasy. I use a Muslim cloth or hot flannel to remove any residue.

I hope I've inspired you to consider oil and a friend not a foe with my extensive collection.

Leave a comment of your favourite oil or natural beauty product! 

Little Lottie xo

Lush King of Skin. Moisture Magic!

It's rare that I make a visit into Lush despite the enticing smell that can be recognised from 3 shops down. 

However after hearing the lovely Tanya Burr rave about the King of Skin body butter I had to investigate. 

I was looking for a body moisturiser as I'm so lazy when it comes to it and I'm off to sunny Cyprus in a week so much moisture will be needed to prolong my tan (hopeful pale Charlotte!) 

After smelling the delicious crown I had to make the purchase and I've got to admit the product may even convert me into moisturising everyday (i'm not making any promises) 

The scent is what I would describe as a vanilla  flavoured chocolate orange which sort of makes me want to eat it (like all the other Lush products!) 

The crown isn't easy to hold as it melts in your hand whilst in use so I have used cling film to prevent myself ending up with a melted yellow poo on my desk. 

The good thing is it melts onto the skin easily without having to scrub your skin to death.  It blends around the whole body a bit like an oil and the results are great!

It does leave a slight residue on the skin afterwards but as a fan of coconut and hair oil myself I don't mind this and my skin sucked in all the moisture after about 10 minutes. 

As with a lot of Lush products the scent sticks around for a while which I love with this product but I would recommend going to Lush and giving it a sniff yourself as my description is probably completely inaccurate! 

If you have any favourite lush products comment below! 

Charlotte x

High-street Luxury Bath Time.

I love to occasionally re-create a spa retreat in my bathroom and give myself that extra pamper. (Because we're worth it)

Usually my showers consist of the same old shampoo, conditioner, body wash and all that jazz but once a week I recommend a switch up, your skin and hair will love the sudden change and feels like your trying a product again for the first time.

I started by taking 2 teaspoons of cold-pressed coconut oil and melting it in my hands to make a hair mask. Slather this all over your locks and throw into a bun (it gets slimey) Whilst you're at it pat a small amount onto your face for a moisture zap!

Usually I would leave this overnight but this time it stayed on for a few hours.

Raw Coconut Oil - Holland and Barett £11

Into the shower I hopped and whipped out the new Herbal Essences Moroccan My Shine shampoo and conditioner, which may I add is superb. I stopped using Herbal Essences as it is very perfumed but my love of oils over-ruled with this purchase and I'm hooked again! Smells amazing, feels amazing, now I know why Nicole is always screaming in the shower. 

Herbal Essences Moroccan my Shine £3.79

After my intense conditioning sesh I tend to skip any after shower hair treatments but as a treat I will often rub in a nut size amount of the Toni and Guy prep Leave in Conditioner.

Toni and Guy Prep Leave in Conditioner

To make my skin as silky soft as my hair I coat myself in Lush King of Skin body bar which smells delicious and is so quick to apply, simply rub the crown shaped body butter in all the right places for irresistibley dewy skin. (Read my Lush review here)


After all that pampering I like to let my hair do it's thing then I roll it all up in my Superdrug foam sleep in rollers. For a final touch get into some fabulous pj's and add a hair wrap to keep those curls tight!  (I always pat some coconut oil under my eyes and on my lips for an overnight treat)

My shower set from Yesstyle.com

Coconut oil makes a great lip treatment

The results; effortless curls and hair like silk!

What do you use on pamper night?

Little Lottie xo

Lottie tries: Eye cream.

Eye cream... Is it a moisturiser, anti-ager or cover up?

Boots Simply Sensitive Eye Cream

Maybe at the age of 18 i shouldn't be concerning myself with eye cream at all but since some Boots vouchers came through my letter box and I  received one for discount on the Boots Simply Sensitive range I've had a little tube sat on my dresser.

I eventually tried it, after all, the skin under your eyes is one of the most delicate and should be looked after. I think that fact alone made me think I didn't want to irritate my eyes with lotions and potions and so hadn't bothered with the extra expense. 

Oh Boy was I wrong, I love it! It has a tiny price tag and the benefits of using it definitly show. Looking at the lengthy ingredient list on expensive eye creams often puts me off but this little beauty makes any under-eye concealer glide on! (There is none of that flaky/cakey look under your eyes when you're trying to hide the night before) 

I'm impressed with the moisture boost my little eye bags receive from this baragin and I encourage all ages to either use a moisturiser under eyes or go for something simple like this. 

Before

Dewy Afterglow

I personally use this after cleansing but try to avoid slathering it on over twice a day. You only need the smallest amount to create a gorgeous dewy effect that makes the eyes appear more awake.

A little disclaimer: I have sensitive skin that reacts to perfume but don't have any eye problems such as dark circles or puffiness so this works well as a treat for my eyes but I wouldn't be able to tell you if it works on noticeable problems.

As a natural alternative I use coconut oil under my eyes before I get some shut eye.

I hope this was helpful to anyone debating eyecream and if you know of any other benefitial eye juices let me know!

Little Lottie xo