Category Archives: Bath oils and salts

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10-in-10: Pure Lochside Calm and Soothe Bath Oil

I wouldn’t have expected it to be bath weather but turns out it still is. And this week is continuing with the ‘grainy’ (that’s ‘grey’ and ‘rainy’) theme. The lovely people at Pure Lochside sent me some of their Calm and Soothe Bath Oil and I’ve had a couple of occasions to try it out over the last few weeks.

This has been good for two reasons. One, there’s nothing nicer than a steamy wallow with a top quality bath oil. And two, I’ve been doing a LOT of exercise recently*, and Pure Lochside’s Bath Oil is amazing if your muscles are feeling the burn a bit.

It’s a gorgeous smell. They only highlight lavender, chamomile and black pepper in the blurb on the packaging, but a quick look at the ingredients list revealed it also contained marjoram, pine, peppermint, eucalyptus and orange. I don’t know quite how to put it into words, but it’s a really sophisticated smell, with the subtle layers of an expensive perfume. The black pepper is a master stroke too. It’s one of my favourite essential oils; I just adore the smell. And it gives the blend a spicy twist that tingles in the back of your nose like an after note. Black pepper is excellent for relieving muscle tension, self-imposed or otherwise, and the blend also contains arnica oil, another well-known remedy for muscular aches and pains.

Pure Lochside as a brand is right up my street. Their entire range is based on holistic aromatherapy (which is what I’m currently training in) and if you want a simple but comprehensive summary of what that’s all about, do have a look at their website here. They also provide lots of clear information about the ingredients they do and don’t use in their products. My appetite is well and truly whetted and I look forward to trying more of the range. They’re not cheap, but you pay for top quality ingredients and a little goes a long way. They recommend just 1/2 – 1 teaspoon per bath with the bath oil, so it’ll take a good few baths to get through 100mls.

One warning if you are making a purchase though – do check the product shelf life. It’ll be the little symbol of the pot with a lid and a number inside. Because these products are made of predominantly organic ingredients, they don’t have the longer shelf lives of preservative-heavy products. You won’t get 12-24 months; it’ll be more like 6-9. So don’t get caught out!

Pure Lochside Calm and Soothe Bath Oil, £24. Available to purchase from Pure Lochside’s website. For more details on stockists, see here. And  a quick plea to the good people at Pure Lochside – please do put individual ingredients listings on the product page. I love the A-Z list of ingredients but it’s also incredibly useful to be able to see what’s in a product at a glance, particularly if you’ve got sensitive skin.

Ingredients: Helianthus annuus (organic sunflower) seed oil, Arnica montana extract, tocopherol acetate (vitamin E), Lavandula officinalis (high altitude lavender), Origanum majorana (organic marjoram), Pinus sylvestris (Scottish Highlands pine), Piper nigrum (organic black pepper), Mentha piperita (organic peppermint), Eucalyptus radiata (organic eucalyptus), Matricaria recutita (organic German chamomile), Anthemis nobilis (organic Roman chamomile), Citrus aurantium (organic orange), D-limonene, geraniol, linalool

*So, if you’re wondering about the exercise…it turns out that having tons of revision to do makes exercise look really appealing all of a sudden. I’m usually fairly active but I was a bit lax about proper exercise until about 3 1/2 weeks ago. Proper exercise being the type where you wear appropriate clothing and get shouted at by an instructor (via classes or videos). But when it was a straight up choice between exercise and revision, exercise won every time. And it turns out everything they say about exercise being really good for your brain is true. I’m convinced I wouldn’t have managed quite so much revision if my brain wasn’t being regularly flooded with oxygen!

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Magnesium flakes – bathing with purpose

I am a big fan of bathing with purpose. This doesn’t mean marching into the bathroom with a set jaw and enduring my bath with grim determination. Oh no. It’s all about validating a lovely, indulgent treat so it’s easier to justify the time out. I’m usually good at making time for myself but when things get busy, it’s often the indulgent treats that are first for the chop.

Bathing with purpose is ‘treatment bathing’. A guilt-free way of multi-tasking while totally relaxing. It’s also minimum effort, maximum output.

I lie back and relax, mustering up the strength to turn the occasional page, while the natural goodness I’ve added to the bath water does all the work.

The most obvious things to add are natural plant or essential oils and I’ll come back to these in the future, I’m sure. But I wanted to find out about some of the less well-known options for treatment bathing.

Magnesium.

I was vaguely aware of the importance of magnesium in our diet. It’s a vital component in the uptake of calcium in our bodies and calcium itself is pretty essential to many processes within the body, not least the maintenance of healthy bones. Magnesium-rich foods include tofu, salmon, bananas, spinach, sardines, seeds like pumpkin seeds and nuts such as almonds, brazils and cashews.

Pharmacist Shabir Daya writes at length about magnesium on Victoria Health’s editorial page. It makes for really interesting reading. How’s this for a list of possible side effects resulting from magnesium deficiency: fatigue, PMS, insomnia, brittle bones, cramps, anxiety, headaches and kidney stones. Yikes.

You can increase your levels of magnesium through supplements or by spraying on Magnesium oil, which will be absorbed by the skin, entering the bloodstream. But I was most interested in the bathing option because of the promise that magnesium would smooth and soften my skin, helping to reduce the irritation and redness of my eczema.

I’ve had three magnesium baths now. Always in the evening. And I can’t quite believe the effects.

I suffer quite badly with night itching. Basically, as my skin heats up during sleep, it can bring on a poison-ivy like effect in any eczema on my skin. Calming it down requires a 5-10 minute wander to cool the skin or liberal application of aloe vera gel. If I manage to stay asleep, I usually wake up with unexplained scratch marks on my arms, back and lower legs.

The nights after the magnesium baths? No itching. I also slept better which was either a direct effect of the magnesium or as an indirect result of my calmer skin.

I don’t believe in miracle products, particularly when it comes to the skin. But the magnesium flakes really do seem to deliver immediate relief.

If you’re interested, the flakes have no visible effect on the bath whatsoever. They don’t smell and they don’t change the colour of the water or cause it to go cloudy (except immediately after adding and before they dissolve). If you prefer a luxurious bath to a utilitarian one, add some natural plant or essential oils. If you wanted to turbo-charge the sleep-inducing effect, add some lavender.

And a final tip, if your skin is really sensitive. Keep the water on the warm side of tepid, but not too hot. You can also slather on a body oil before getting in to protect your skin from the dehydrating effects of hot water. Just make sure it’s a completely natural, preferably organic, oil. NO MINERAL OILS. They’ll inhibit the absorption of the magnesium by forming a barrier on the skin. Weleda and Neal’s Yard Remedies do good body oils.

BetterYou Magnesium flakes are available from Victoria Health (1kg for £9.95) or from Amazon.

Decant into a sealable glass jar for a more aesthetic effect in your bathroom...

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Introducing The Lavender Lady

Today, I’m really pleased to introduce The Lavender Lady, or Viv Trusler as she is otherwise known. Viv is an excellent example of what I was hoping would happen when I got into beauty blogging. She is a small-scale manufacturer, in full control of her production process and with a friendly and holistic approach to her products and customers. Plus she has an email “open door” and was kind enough to respond to my messages and to agree to an email interview to accompany this post, which you can see below.

I love being able to speak directly to the creator of a brand. I have nothing whatsoever against big brands – they’re usually big and successful for a reason. But nothing beats one-to-one communication with the heart and mind behind the products, whether it’s to ask a question, seek advice or recommendations, or just to satisfy my own curiosity about something I find interesting or inspirational. It makes the beauty industry seem like a warmer and more collaborative place to be.

And in the way of the blogosphere, I found out about The Lavender Lady through a good natural-beauty blog which I also recommend you check out – www.healingbeauty.com

The Lavender Lady, aka Viv, is based in Devon, where her products are handmade using simple, natural ingredients. No prizes for guessing that the core ingredient is….<drum roll please>…lavender. And since I wholeheartedly share Viv’s passion for this little, fragrant purple cloud of a plant, I think that’s an excellent choice. I could waffle at length here about the various benefits of lavender but Viv does that much more succinctly in her interview.

So onto the products themselves. The Lavender Lady’s range is simple but well balanced encompassing products for bath, body and the home. I’ve been testing out the Lavender lip balm, Lavender bath salts, Lavender bath and body oil and the Lavender body butter.

The lip balm is a hard, waxy balm that you can soften with your finger to melt slightly before application. It smells divine (of course) and is soothing and smoothing without being overly greasy. This makes it perfect for repeat application (if you want a quick hit of the aroma) or as a base applied 1-2 minutes before your lipstick. It’s even become part of my ‘last thing before lights out’ beauty ritual; the smell is the perfect pre-sleep soother.

I’ve used the bath salts on a couple of occasions now and I think they’re a really nice and refreshingly simple idea. The salts combine dead sea salts with lavender essential oil. Dead sea salts have been shown to help aid sleep and to soothe dry, itchy or problem skin. Add that to the healing and relaxing properties of the lavender and you’ve got a really effective combined sleep and skin aid.

I think my favourite product has been the Lavender bath and body oil. Given that I was also using the bath salts, I stuck to using this as a body moisturiser and it’s probably the best way to get a really concentrated hit of the fragrance. Again, the ingredients are so simple, combining the lavender with grapeseed oil. I’m a big fan of using oils in place of body lotion and grapeseed is a great option – it’s very high in polyunsaturated fatty acids which makes it very light and easily absorbed. I could even detect a faint, warm trace of the aroma on my skin at the end of the day.

Finally the Lavender body butter. This is a light-textured lotion with a gentle lavender fragrance. It was really easily absorbed and left my skin feeling soft. While it probably wouldn’t be quite rich enough if my skin was very dry, it could actually be layered over a light film of body oil for a real moisturising double-whammy.

You can buy the full range at The Lavender Lady’s website: http://www.thelavenderlady.co.uk/default.htm

Everything is very reasonably priced with the lip butter at £2.50, the bath salts at £5 for 250g and £9 for 500g, £5 for 100ml of body oil and the body butter starting at £3.50 for 60ml.

A lovely starting place might be the gift set, priced at £15.

With 60g of the body butter, soap, 100ml of bath/body oil, lip balm and a lavender candle with an 18hr burn time, it’s a complete pamper evening in a box. Or it would make a lovely present.

And now, enough of me. Over to The Lavender Lady, in her own words:

Why did you choose Lavender?

I have always had a love of gardening and herbs, and this has developed into a passion for lavender, which has been used for centuries because of its healing, soothing and relaxing properties. Years ago I had a small business/cottage industry in Wiltshire which was called ‘Vivienne Trusler Herb Gardens’ where I grew and sold herbs mostly in containers. I initially grew just culinary herbs but gradually expanded into a number of beautifully aromatic herbs as well, including lavender. It was a successful business but rather seasonal!

What gave you the idea for The Lavender Lady and what were you doing before?

About three years ago, I started my present home-based business here in the depths of Devon. With my grandmother’s sewing machine, a few yards of fabric and some dried lavender, I started to make lavender bags which became very popular and, by attending a number of local fairs and markets, I soon became known as The Lavender Lady! After a couple of years my small business developed to include my own range of bath and body products, all containing natural ingredients with no harsh chemicals.

What’s your skin care philosophy?

Regards skin care, I believe that this starts from within –  a good healthy diet, with fresh fruit and vegetables and lots of water to drink, together with regular exercise and a good night’s sleep. I also believe in regular and thorough moisturising with natural products – all over the body including one’s feet ! My body butter, with the added lavender pure essential oil, is ideal. Lavender has antiseptic and anti-fungal properties and it is beneficial for treating acne, psoriasis and eczema. If my body butter is applied to the skin at night, it will help promote sleep because the lavender calms the nerves and relaxes the muscles.  

I’m really inspired by people who set up their own enterprises. What has been the hardest and the most rewarding aspect of having your own brand?

I am not sure about the hardest aspect of having my own brand but the most rewarding aspect is having my customers return to buy more of my products because they are appreciating the quality and the affordability! I have only been selling these bath and body products for the last twelve months but they are proving to be extremely popular down here in the West Country. My new website www.thelavenderlady.co.uk emphasises this – ‘Natural, handmade in Devon’.

 I sell at various local weekly and monthly markets and at fairs, fetes and shows throughout the year, which I thoroughly enjoy. I get very enthusiastic, I love the atmosphere and I love meeting and chatting with all my customers. In fact, I love everything about my business and I find great satisfaction in the popularity of my products! My website has only been up and running for the last month but I hope that it will soon attract new customers from further afield!  

What are your tips for growing lavender?

Lavender is a wonderfully aromatic perennial shrub and has a host of benefits. In ancient times, sprigs were thrown into baths to perfume the water. It is easy to grow and found in abundance on the Mediterranean. It can be grown from seed, root division or from cuttings. It thrives in full sunshine and in well-drained soil. It is important to cut the lavender plant hard back after it has flowered (which will be by the end of August) to prevent the bush becoming straggly. This also encourages new growth the following year. Some of the smaller species of lavender grow very well in pots – positioned on the patio or terrace, they give out a beautiful aroma as one passes. The flowers can be collected to be dried for lavender bags, sachets and pot-pourris and this should be done when the flowers are showing colour but before opening.

What are your ideas for new products/launches?

At the moment, I do not have any new products or launches in mind. My latest product, which came out four months ago, was the Lavender Pillow Spray, which comes in the most beautiful glass bottle. It can be used to freshen your linen or laundry or used on your pillow at night to help you sleep. It has the most wonderful fresh lavender aroma and could easily also be used as a room spray. I simply love it!

Disclosure: Viv was kind enough to send me samples of the products trialled for this review. However, in keeping with my own policy, I’m writing about them here because I like them and would happily recommend them to others. If I hadn’t liked them, you wouldn’t be reading about them.

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Bathing indulgence – Dr Hauschka Bath Care Kit

I’m very into oils; for eating, fragrancing me and my home, moisturising both my face and body or adding to my bath. I will write more about oils because they are so very multi-purpose and so often dismissed (as I did for many years) as greasy and comedogenic. This time around though, I’m focusing on bath oils because they’re an easy way to get started.  

At the time that this post goes out, I’ll be deep in the wilds of Snowdonia. We’re treating ourselves to a couple of days away in a B&B, with the usual emphasis on eating, walking, (hopefully) sea-swimming and as much green as possible. There will be aching muscles and therefore there will also be baths. I find that foaming baths are just too drying. Most contain the now infamous sodium lauryl (or laureth) sulfate (SLS or SLES), a detergent found in many bath and shower products. It’s a cheap and effective foaming agent but it’s also a skin and eye irritant and can cause the skin to become flaky and rough with prolonged exposure. The jury’s split on whether it’s also a carcinogen but it seems best avoided either way, particularly if you’re sitting in the water for a while and not sluicing it straight off in the shower.

The easiest way to avoid it in the bath is to use oils. True, you don’t get clouds of filmy bubbles but if you pick a product containing aromatherapy oils you do get a genuinely nurturing, more holistic experience. I’ve been trying out the Dr Hauschka bath oils and I really like them. I picked up the Bath Care Kit in John Lewis a little while ago and it’s proven to be the perfect tester. For £12.77, you get 5 10ml samples of each of the five bath oils in their range – Lavender, Sage, Spruce, Rosemary and Lemon. The packaging itself is stylishly simple and a safe way to transport the oils on a weekend away; the 5 glass vials are packed into a metal tin, embossed with the Dr.H logo. Playing with the sample bottles (reminiscent of test tube vials) while engulfed in the steam from a hot bath is a bit like being a mad scientist. Each 10ml vial will probably last for 2 or 3 baths and you can also mix and match to suit your needs. The Lavender and Spruce oils are soothing, Sage and Rosemary are revitalising and Lemon is refreshing and uplifting. Just a couple of teaspoons is enough to fragrance the whole room.

  Dr Hauschka Bath Care Kit – £12.77, available from the Dr Hauschka website, John Lewis and selected independent stores nationwide.

Ingredients: Sulfated Castor (Ricinus Communis) Oil, Glycerin, Plant alcohol, Fragrance, Citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool, Limonene, Citral, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) seed oil + [Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) essential oil, Coumarin / Lavender bath oil], [Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) peel oil, Xanthophyll / Lemon bath oil], [Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis) essential oil, Jojoba (Buxus Chinensis) oil / Rosemary bath oil], [Salvia Officinalis (Sage) oil / Sage bath oil], [Picea Excelsa Leaf oil, Arachis Hypogaea (Peanut) oil, Chlorophyllin-Copper-Complex CI 75810 / Spruce bath oil]