hair colour

26 December 2022

Green Beauty Brands that stood the test of time: A look back at 2011 Blog Posts

As 2022 draws to a close I thought it might be interesting to look back on my first year of blogging. It all began in May 2011 and I was curious to see how many of those early posts had stood the test of time. Sadly there a several brands that no longer exist but there are some products that remain staples in my home.

Whilst the Faith In Nature Cacao Body Wash has long since disappeared I'm still using their products. Currently in my collection I have the Jojoba and Avocado body washes and Dragonfruit hand wash. I've always found Faith in Nature to be a reasonably priced brand and these days you can find on the high street and local refill stores. I had paired up my original body wash review with a post about Nakd raw fruit & nut bars. I'm still a loyal customer and eat them on a daily basis. Current favourite flavours are Bakewell and Peanut.

I don't use Dr Bronner's as often as I once did but you'll still find it in my home as it's the best liquid soap to use for washing out makeup brushes. Over the years I found it a little too drying on my skin so for me, its main purpose is now household cleaning.

I'm still using Naturtint Hazelnut Blonde hair colourant but honestly I'm now contemplating whether it's time to ditch it and embrace the grey; only time will tell.

I can safely say that I'm still bitter that Alpro still haven't launched the Macchiato drink which I had on my trip to Amsterdam.

Konjac Sponges have remained in my life but I now only use the body sponges. Over the years I tried out several brands but we (my husband and I) are currently re-purchasing from Friendly Soap.

I'm still sadden to this day at the loss of Brownearth body butters. They were a favourite for a long time. You can of course find lots of decent green brands offering different variations of shea body butters either with this standalone ingredient or combining with others such as coconut or cocoa butter.

I'm can't quite believe that I first discovered Evolve Organic Beauty back in 2011. I remember the branding was very different back in the day. Evolve is definitely one of those brands that I revisit over and over again, dipping into products as the range has expanded. Currently I'm trying out the Bio-Retinol + C Booster and I've placed an order for the Bio-Retinol Gold Mask in the Boxing Day sales!

I remember using Organic Surge shower gels regularly back in the early years. I thought they were lost forever but recently discovered they re-branded to Organic Works (OW).

Oh my the photo on this post about TK Maxx is terrible but I wanted to say that I still visit stores looking for beauty bargains.

In my first month of blogging I wrote about my struggles with sun cream that was suitable for eczema prone skin. I just wanted to say that through many trials I eventually settled on Green People. This is a brand I had been using long before the blog started. It is very much a staple to this day. I am a fan of their scent free moisturisers and of course facial sun cream.

I hope that you have enjoyed this look back over 2011 and comparing it with 2022. At this time I'm not sure whether I'll continue blogging into 2023 but you can always find me over on social media if you'd like to connect.

Happy New Year to you all!

Sarah x

3 January 2013

December Empties featuring Balmology, Nourish London, Naturtint, Organic Surge
It’s that time again for me to blog my trash. Pictured above are my empty bottles from December.

Organic Surge Sugared Almond Shower Gel - I’ve enjoyed using this shower gel, it doesn’t dry out my skin, has a delicate scent and not too expensive. I will probably repurchase at some point once I get through the stash Santa gave me.

Jane Maddern Hand Wash - this is a nice hand wash, with a pleasant scent and non drying. 

Sophyto Tocotrienol Super Skin Concentrate - this was a sample bottle that I have finally used up. A little goes a long way. It’s a nice product but the price puts me off repurchasing however, I do recommend if you can afford it.

Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment – I have been using up this product, it's left over from my pre-green stash. I won't be re-purchasing as I'm seeking a better brand with kinder ingredients.

Balmology Comfort Balm - it’s taken 12 months to use this up as I need very little plus I tested other balms in between but I always come back to this. It’s perfect for my eczema and I highly recommend. I have already started my second jar of this balm.

Nourish London Cleanser - A nice product but not suited to me so I would not repurchase.

Aloe Dent Whitening Toothpaste – This was a gift with purchase. I was pleasantly surprised as this was my first experience of natural plant based toothpaste. It has a pleasant minty taste and I would consider buying the full size.

Unique Nature Shampoo - a nice shampoo that I picked up at TK Maxx. Worth a try if you can track it down.

Sarakan Mouthwash - I have been buying this mouthwash for a year may be longer. It’s a firm favourite for me and I will continue to repurchase.

Naturtint - not pictured here as I forgot but I am still colouring my hair every 6 to 8 weeks. I am trying to go longer between applications to limit my exposure to dyes. I'm very happy with Naturtint hair colourant so I will continue to purchase.

Sarah x

9 June 2011

Naturtint Permanent Hair Colour
(Images updated in 2020 and yes I'm still using Naturtint 7N Hazelnut Blonde)

I started going grey in my 20’s and was not willing to accept them into my life, so I have been colouring my hair ever since. Almost 2 years ago I was made redundant and was unemployed for a short amount of time so I had to make cut backs and decided to go back to home colouring. I never gave much thought to chemicals in hair dye until I used a Boots brand that nearly made me pass out from the strong toxic aroma.

The chemicals to avoid in hair colourants are Paraphenylenediamine (PPD), ammonia, peroxide, resorcinonl and parabens. From what I understand you need a certain amount of PPD to successfully cover grey. I have tried a few alternatives to mainstream box dyes. There are some alternative brands that have reduced the worrying ingredients in their products. I've experimented with  Daniel Field, Logona and Sanotint. I do not have any major complaint with them but the brand that by far works best on my troublesome greys is Naturtint.

I've been using Naturtint for around two years. It is a permanent hair colour formulated without ammonia, resorcinol and parabens but it does contain PPD and hydrogen peroxide. If you'd like PPD free then opt for Naturtint Semi-Permanent colours. I am not willing to accept the greys so this is my compromise and an improvement over mainstream brands. I find Naturtint hair dye very easy to use, it is a non drip formula, easy to apply (I use a colouring brush for use of application on roots) and there is no strong odour. After colouring my hair always feels very soft. If I get any colour on my skin or bathroom surfaces as long as I wipe immediately it will remove with warm water. To maintain my colour I make sure to use sulphate free shampoo and conditioners. My greys usually pop back around four weeks but I can usually hold out until week six before I choose to touch up my roots.

Naturtint is available to buy online but I also purchase at Holland & Barrett which is very convenient. If you're familiar with home colouring the box contains the expected kit required – a bottle of hair colorant and hair developer (which you mix together), instructions, plastic gloves and tube of conditioner for aftercare. 
Naturtint Permanent Hair Colour
My tips for successful colouring at home are –

- Remember with all dyes chemical free or otherwise a patch test is important, even if you have been colouring your hair for years with the same product, you can still develop an allergic reaction. 
- Take your time colouring your hair, do not do it in a hurry that way you can achieve a more professional look. I have had hairdressers comment on how well I dye my own hair. 
- Always wear old clothes and protect surfaces and flooring if you tend to make a mess 
- If you do not like the plastic gloves provided buy latex-free gloves from the chemist (usually found with first aid products) 
- I mix the product in the bottle and decant into a bowl. Then apply the colourant with a professional dye brush, this way I find I can brush onto the roots for better coverage. 

- Combing through the product with a wide tooth comb gives a more natural coverage so the colour does not look flat. Save some of the conditioner and use it a couple of weeks later as treatment boost for your new colour.

- For greys opt for multi tonal colour as it looks natural and re-growth is less likely to show after couple of weeks. Greys can feel prominent with darker colours which may not be to your personal liking. If you only have a few grey hair you may wish to choose a semi-permanent colour or try highlights/lowlights to camouflage.

Sarah x

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