bath bombs

12 January 2015

Sugarpuffish DIY Oat Bath Soak
You may already have heard of this but oats contain properties that may help soothe itching and reduce inflammation. My Doctor always wants to prescribe me Aveeno for my eczema but this brands is not for me. It is full of ingredients I avoid however it is formulated with colloidal oatmeal (finely ground oats). If you wish to include oats in your beauty routine, I would suggest starting with a bath. This natural remedy may not work for everyone but it is one I have been using for years.

You will need 
  • plain porridge oats (not the instant kind) 
  • elastic band 
  • muslin cloth or clean pair of tights 
Method 
  • Lay muslin cloth on a flat surface 
  • Place one or two handfuls of oats in the centre of cloth 
  • Gather the edges and secure with an elastic band to form a bundle (a hair tie, string or ribbon could be used if you do not have an elastic band to hand) 
  • Add the muslin oat bag to a bath, running water over it to help turn the water ‘milky’. On occasions squeeze the muslin bag to release more of the oat ‘milk’. 
  • Make sure the water temperature is not too hot as that can aggravate sensitive skin 
  • Now enjoy a soak in the bath. You can leave the oat bag in the water and use it to wash your body. 
  • When you are finished bathing, discard the oats in your food waste bin and the muslin cloth can be washed and reused. 
  • When drying yourself, remember to pat the towel on skin rather than rubbing

Sarah x

Disclaimer - not a substitute for medical advice/treatment, please carry out patch testing

20 September 2014

Chilly B Lavender Lullaby Luxury Bath Soak

UPDATE 2017 - CHILLY B re-branded to LOVE TO B

I am not a bath person, it stems from my childhood years of missing out on Mr Matey and having to bathe in paraffin eczema treatments. Recently, I have been trying to take some “me time” and relax in the tub. I’m still not completely swayed but I have enjoyed the excuse to buy bath products.

I placed an order with Chilly B and they kindly included Lavender Lullaby Luxury Bath Soak. This soak is a combination of Dead Sea and Himalayan salts with added Shea and Cocoa butter. The butters give a luxurious feel and after bathing my skin feels silky but not greasy. These salts also contains lavender petals which I think makes a pretty addition to your bathing experience. I love the packaging for its cute and pretty labels. The bath salts are available in screw top bottles or clip top jars.

Quintessentially English Lavender Fields Bath Bomb
I purchased a Quintessentially English Lavender Fields Bath Bomb from Adore Naturals. The ingredients are simple - Water (Aqua), Bicarbonate of soda, Citric acid, Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool. The subtle lavender scent was the only minor disappointment. I find lavender a comforting fragrance and would have preferred a bit more of it.  

I enjoyed bathing in the tub with both products and did not experience irritation or noticeable dryness to my skin. I definitely suggest adding both Quintessentially English bath bombs and Chilly B Luxury Bath Soak to your wish list and with Christmas (yes I dared to mention it in September!) approaching they would make lovely stocking fillers.

Sarah x


Disclaimer - Chilly B bath salts sent free of charge with my order, not sponsored, no affiliated links

4 September 2014


To Lush or not to Lush
Lush has been a hot topic around here since the preservative ‘debate’ which aired a few weeks back. The post I wrote has been very popular and greatly received so I’d like to thank everyone who took time to comment.

My Lush journey was short and sweet. When my attention was first drawn to natural skincare Lush did spring to my mind based on what friends had told me about products. In my teens I was a devoted Body Shop customer. Anyone remember the Banana Conditioner? I thought it was fabulous. In my mind, Lush had the potential to fill a gap in my heart after The Body Shop sold out to L'Oreal. That fondness for earthy and authentic ingredients is what led me over the Lush threshold and I was enticed by Dream Cream. I had seen many reviews which practically declared it as the “cure” for eczema. For me, sadly the dream was short lived because my eczema hated this product. In hindsight, the ingredients in Dream Cream make sense as oats, rose, cocoa butter, olive oil, chamomile and lavender are ideal for sensitive skin. However, with further research I began to understand that tea tree, triethanolamine, perfume and parabens were potiential irritants. It was a lesson learned and in a small way was a bit of a life saver because I was a step closer to understanding my skin.

I am writing this post in collaboration with Amber and Tamara. The idea is we each will show readers that cleaner ingredient dupes for Lush products are available. I have chosen three products from the Lush website and I will give you alternatives which in my opinion have better ingredients.

Lush Butterball Bath Bomb - Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Coca Butter, Synthetic Musk, Ylang Ylang & perfume

You could replace with -

Natural Bubbles Bath Creamers - Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Zea Mays Starch, Butyrospermum Parkii (shea butter), Theobroma Cacao (cocoa butter), Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender), Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool

Strong scents of bubblegum and candy are delightful but they will be artificial. This has the potential to cause problems for your skin, so whilst natural alternatives may not have the same allure with sugary scents at least you shouldn't get an itchy lady garden after bathing. Alternatively, I would also recommend Quintessentially English. They produce lovely bath bombs with flower petals if you want a bit of something extra in the tub.

Lush Fairtrade Foot Lotion - Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Arnica Infusion, Fairtrade Almond Oil, Fairtrade organic cocoa butter, Glycerine, Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine, Spearmint Oil, Peppermint Oil, Tagetes Oil, Lanolin, Cetearyl Alcohol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume, Colour 17200, Methylparaben Propylparaben 

You could replace with -

Chilly B Restoring Foot Butter - Ingredients: Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii), Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao), Sweet Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis), Vitamin E (Tocopherol) Peppermint (Mentha piperita), Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia), Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulas).

I have been testing out Chilly B and think it works very well on my dry feet. It is super easy to find a foot cream without lanolin, perfume, parabens and colours. Most natural and organic brands have one in their range.

Lush Dream Steam - Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Perfume, Lavender Oil, Rose Absolute, Chamomile Blue Oil, Tea Tree Oil *Citronellol *Geraniol *Limonene *Linalool, Rose Petals 

You could replace with - 

Bathing Beauty Face Tea for Shy Skin - Ingredients: Dried Calendula Officinalis, (calendula), Anthemis Nobilis (chamomile), Chickweed 

In regards to Lush Dream Steam, aside from entertainment value (the tablet will fizz), the sodium bicarbonate in Dream Steam doesn't offer any benefits to the skin. Bathing Beauty products come without the fizz but also avoid the dreaded PERFUME! 

If you have a favourite Lush product and you would like a ditch it for better ingredients, get in touch with me (or Amber and Tamara) and I am sure we can find you an alternative.

Sarah x

10 September 2013

Chilly B Natural & Handmade
I recently came across Chilly B (now known as Love to B) via Google and the website immediately grabbed my attention. Chilly B is a family run company based in Dorset and they specialise in soaps but have branched out into skincare. Products are free from undesirable ingredients such as parabens, phthalates and SLS and they are 100% natural where possible. Any product which requires a preservative will contain Phenoxyethanol.

I recently had a lovely conversation with Julie who is the owner and founder. We share the same passion for natural personal care products. Julie's story about how Chilly B was created is much the same as others, it starts with eczema and leads to gaining awareness for the harmful ingredients in skincare.

When I first discovered the website I was particularly drawn to the beautiful soaps. I like the idea that you can buy the soap naked, boxed or wrapped. This makes it versatile for gifting or if you are buying for yourself and do not require the extra packaging.

I think Chilly B's products will appeal to everyone so I highly recommend you browse the website and bookmark it for when pay day arrives. I have been informed the site is getting a make over and the updated version will launch soon. 

Has anyone else discovered Chilly B?

Sarah x

22 May 2013

Love to B skincare
Sadly Miss Polly Natural Skincare has ceased trading. I'd like to offer an alternative recommendation in Love to B. Back in 2010, the Love to b story began in Dorset when an anxious Julie was looking for an effective natural and non-steroidal treatment for her daughter's eczema. If you love handmade, natural skincare then visit Love to B shop in Ringwood, Hampshire or order online, you will not be disappointed.

18 March 2013

Love to B bath bombs and salts
Bath bombs and melts are little luxuries which I use when I want to feel relaxed and pampered, creating a home spa. I choose to avoid Lush so need to turn my attention to alternative brands. I had been using a product called a "bath creamer" a cross between a bomb and melt, it fizzes like a bath bomb but leaves the water silky from shea and cocoa butter. The oil element is a nice treat to help moisturise skin but without being overly greasy. The company that made the bath creamers stopped trading so I'm editing this post to suggest alternative pampering bath products.

Here are some suggestions for you - 

Bramblewood Soap Co - luxury bath fizzies and bath teas

LJ Naturals - indulgent bath melts, made with six plant oils and butters

Love to B - a range of mineral bath salts and bath bombs

Pure Thoughts - mineral bath salts

Quintessentially English - a collection of bath bombs, fizzies, bath cupcakes, salts, milks and oils

Sarah x

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