It’s Wednesday today, which means I’ve been sugar-free for 9 days. I’ve also cut back drastically on wheat and dairy, substituting in things like spelt and rye bread, as well as almond, rice, oat and goat’s milk. I’m not really attempting to go wheat- or dairy-free remember. Just experimenting with some alternatives that are cleaner and leaner according to James Duigan‘s book.

I feel REALLY good. Over the last few days, I’ve noticed that I have more energy. Two stubborn patches of eczema on my neck and below my right eye are all but gone. The skin on my scalp is still murderously bad but that’s a longer-term project I think. Crucially, I feel a lot less stressed by it and a lot less anxious in general. I even got a little virusy bug that laid me low on Monday and Tuesday. This doesn’t sound like a good thing but I think it’s been in my system since sometime in early March. I think I’ve just been too stressed to get any symptoms (cortisol suppresses your immune system). So I take that as a sign that I’m a lot less stressed and now quite a bit healthier than I was before.

I actually get hungry now instead of getting sugar crashes. And it’s quite nice to feel properly hungry as opposed to the shaky ‘must-eat-something-now-even-if-it’s-cardboard’ feeling of the sugar rollercoaster. The cravings for sugar went away pretty quickly. I know from prior experience that they take about 4-5 days to wear off as blood sugar levels stabilise. Where I have suffered is in breaking the habits that come with sugary treats. Had a lovely day out in the New Forest on Sunday and would have done ANYTHING to sit in one of Lyndhurst’s cosy looking tea rooms, drink hot chocolate and eat cake. It wasn’t because of sugar cravings; it was just absolutely part of the ritual of a day like that and I really missed it. When the sugar comes back, I would gladly sacrifice any number of week-night chocolate bars on the sofa to ensure I can justify treats like that.

Five foodie things I know after week 1:

1. Peanut butter spread thickly on rice cakes is almost a cake substitute. Remember that not all peanut butters are created equal. There are brands out there with no sugar but they’re few and far between. Only one of the many options on offer in Waitrose had no sugar added so check the ingredients if you’re trying to avoid sugar.
2. Porridge with fruit is not ‘oogly’. I’ve been guilty of being a porridge purist in the past, in the same way that I don’t really like bits in my yoghurt (and am secretly 5 years old). But I’ve changed my mind. These are our regular combos, with oat milk – frozen berries; lightly mashed banana and manuka honey; a whole grated apple and a sprinkling of cinnamon.
3. Rice milk is naturally quite sweet and Rice Dream Vanilla Milk (which has just four ingredients, none of which is sugar) is amazing. Hoping to use this in a breakfast smoothie soon if I can stop just drinking it.
4. I had forgotten how much I loved my hand-held blender for making soup. The following is a great combo: oven roasted sweet potato, veggie stock, slow-cooked onions and a little bit of cooked chorizo (I tend to cook the onions with the chorizo so it releases its lovely paprika-y flavour and enough oil that I don’t need to add any more). To get enough soup for about 8 people use three large sweet potatos, 2 large onions, 1 small chorizo sausage and enough stock to comfortably cover everything in the pan. Then blend. I added a tin of Heinz tomato soup as well…
5. Jalapenos make everything better. Big bowls of salad for lunch have left me a bit cold in the past but I made a tuna salad I loved and I customised a salsa recipe from James Duiggan’s book. Both of them were MADE by the addition of jalapenos. Recipes below.

Tuna salad (serves 2 for a decent-sized lunch or up to 4 as a side salad)

You’ll need: A tin of tuna in sunflower oil (not no-drain tuna or the kind in spring water) / 8-10 cherry tomatoes (cut in half) / 8-10 chantenay carrots (topped and tailed) / half a cucumber (diced) / the juice of a lime / fresh spinach leaves / a handful of fresh parsley (chopped) / a handful of pumpkin seeds / a bunch of pickled jalapenos (roughly chopped)

• Chop up all the veg and combine it with the flaked tuna, half the oil from the tuna tin, the lime juice, the parsley and the jalapenos. Don’t add the spinach.
• Leave it to sit for at least an hour if you can to bring out the flavours.
• Make a bed out of spinach leaves and spoon the rest of the salad on top.
• Drizzle over any leftover ‘juice’ and sprinkle the pumpkin seeds on top.

Chunky salsa (serves 4 as a side dish) - based on the Spicy Salsa from James Duigan’s Clean and Lean but customised (He didn’t include any tomatoes!! And he suggested coriander, which I loathe, hence the parsley substitute)

You’ll need: 1 red onion (finely chopped) / 10-12 cherry tomatoes (chopped) / juice of 1 lime / 1 large clove of garlic (crushed) / a bunch of pickled jalapenos (roughly chopped) / a handful of fresh parsley (finely chopped) / black pepper and sea salt for seasoning

• Chop up all the veg and combine everything in a bowl.
• Try to prepare at least an hour before eating to let the flavours develop.

Five foods that are great for reducing stress:

Go for foods that are rich in minerals like chromium and magnesium to help relieve feelings of stress and anxiety.

1. Oats
2. Sweet potato
3. Quinoa
4. Broccoli
5. Brazil nuts

Just to let you know that a random selection has determined that…

ANA

…will be the owner of a brand new bottle of Rio Rosa Mosqueta rosehip oil.

Congrats Ana – I’ll be in touch via email for details of where to send it.

NBC

x

Dr Organic Skin Lotion (from £6.99 for 200ml)

This is a brilliant lightweight lotion that keeps even my dry skin moisturised for the full day. You can find them at Holland & Barrett where, if you’re a regular, it’s worth getting a loyalty card. I’m just about to use my first points voucher to get myself a free body lotion! If your skin is on the drier side, you’re probably better off with the Olive oil, Moroccan Argan oil or Coconut oil blends as they contain a higher quantity of the more nourishing plant oils. However, I’ve also used and liked the Lavender, Rose, Vitamin E and Dead Sea Mineral versions. I like being able to switch it up every so often. The only one I really wasn’t keen on was the Aloe Vera version, which was entirely down to the smell. I just couldn’t get on with it. But that’s just me. Dr O also do body butters. I’ve never tried them but I want to. Maybe that’s where my loyalty points will go…

You can get full ingredients lists for all varieties on the Holland & Barrett website.

Jason Hand & Body Lotion (from £6.99 for 200ml)

This is a recent addition to the list. I’ve only tried the Hemp version so far – it’s currently about half empty on my bathroom shelf, so it was a quick promotion to the favourites list! To be honest, consistency and moisturising wise, I can’t really tell it apart from the Dr Organic range. So as far as I can see, it’s just a whole new range of smells to try! The Hemp version has a pleasant citrussy smell but I’ve got my eye on a few more, including the Cocoa Butter, Rosewater, Vanilla and the Wheatgerm & Vitamin E, which was recommended by a follower.

You can get full ingredients lists on the Jason website. You can also buy through them, or through Naturisimo.

Korres Body Milk (from £10 for 200ml) (and butters, although these are a couple of pounds pricier)

I love the Korres fragrance combinations. The way something smells is SO important to me and the Korres blends are often a little different. The body milks are quite light, very easily absorbed and yet also fairly intensive. I haven’t used the body butters as much but they definitely pack a little extra punch and would be one for the winter months if your skin is drier. I’m using the Basil Lemon body milk at the moment but other fragrance favourites include Coconut Milk and Vanilla Cinnamon. Korres used to be harder to come by but now it’s available in WAITROSE, which is why it’s featured in my bathroom a lot more. Fruit – check, veg – check, washing powder – check, yet another shower gel to add to the stash…umm – check.

You can check out the ingredients list on the Korres website. And if you’re quick, Korres body washes and body milks/butter are on offer at Waitrose – 20% off.

Avalon Organics Hand & Body Lotion (from £6.99 for 200ml)

I actually found these for the first time in the happy mecca for natural beauty lovers that is Whole Foods in Kensington. I went in there with a friend and she probably bitterly regreted it about 3 1/2 hours later. I don’t use these lotions as often but I have two particular favourites that I’d go back to in the warmer months. First, the Aloe Vera version, which has a slightly less lotiony texture and ever so slightly more gel-like texture. I also LOVE the Peppermint version because the menthol causes the best tingly-cooling sensation on the skin after applying. It’s amazing in the summer, particularly if your skin’s a bit frazzled by the sun, hayfever or eczema.

You can find Avalon at Holland & Barrett and Big Green Smile. Get ingredients listings on the Avalon Organics website.

Dr Bronner’s Body Lotion (from £8.29 for 236ml)

Dr Bronner lotions are super light so these are only really an option for me in the summer, when my skin’s behaving. However, if your skin is more normal, I heartily recommend them. They’re good value, the ingredients are almost the best of the bunch and they’ve got some AMAZING smells. When they’re not intense enough for my skin, I like to use them as hand lotions. The Patchouli & Lime version would be fab on my desk at work because that smell can’t fail to cheer you up no matter what the day throws at you. Lavender & Coconut is another winner.

Find them on LoveLula (with full ingredients). Interestingly, there’s also a small selection at ASOS that might grow.

On the 2^nd April, I began a new way of eating. I’m deliberately not using the word diet. It comes with negative associations and is usually about weight loss. I’m not trying to lose anything. I’m trying to change my mindset, my habits and achieve a healthier body that’s more resilient to stress and the effects of stress, like eczema.

Because I’m serious about making a change, I told plenty of people (lesson #1 in how to follow through – tell everyone and make failure public and embarrassing!). So I figured I’d explain myself by answering the questions I’ve been asked. That way you can skip to the bit you’re most interested in…

You’re doing what now?

For two months, I’m cutting out all refined sugar. And I’m going to switch some of my old favourites for alternatives to achieve a more varied diet and some new ways of thinking. I eat a lot of bread and wheat-based carbs like pasta. Even if you go wholegrain, it’s still mostly sugar in a different form. So I’m going to try other grains like spelt, buckwheat, rye and quinoa instead, as well as eating a few more pulses like lentils and beans. I also drink a lot of cow’s milk, which I’m going to switch for goat, almond, oat or rice milk. I’m going to ENSURE that I’m eating 5+ portions of fruit and veg every day, with an emphasis on the veg. And I’m going to make sure I eat a homemade breakfast and lunch EVERY DAY.

I’m using two books as inspiration – James Duigan’s Clean and Lean Diet and Dale Pinnock (The Medicinal Chef)’s Clear Skin Cookbook as inspiration. They’re worth reading. Links below if you’re interested in finding out more.

Why now?

Because I’m toxically stressed and it’s time to start dealing with it positively. If you’ve been reading for a while, you’ll know I’ve spent the last 18 months retraining, holding down a full-time job with hellish commute and trying to buy and sell a house in a recession. These are not stress-free experiences. Nor are they over. That sustained stress has had a pretty negative impact on my body. It’s made my eczema and seborrheic dermatitis the worst it’s ever been. It’s made me feel depressed and angry for sustained periods. It’s taken away my ability to rationalise my problems. I mean, who cries because they got stuck at a temporary traffic light?? Unstable, stressed people, that’s who. That stress isn’t going away any time soon and even moving house (please, please, please, please) and getting my new career plan back on track isn’t going to cure me of stress. It’s going to introduce a whole new range of stressful experiences that I haven’t anticipated yet. So I need to be more resilient to stress. I need to take better care of myself.

I’m also one of those ‘healthy’ people that because they know a lot about being healthy kid themselves that they manage it a lot more than they actually do. What I know and what I do are NOT THE SAME, no matter how much I kid myself. So it’s time to walk the walk.

And I need to give thanks to two people who were my catalysts for change.

First, Gemma at Buff Beauty. I’d been thinking about making a bigger commitment to being healthy for ages. Then I read her post on the 14^th March about breaking the habit. I love those moments when you’re feeling a certain way and someone comes along and puts your thoughts into words. Her post helped me realise that I’d been embedding some really bad habits, like rewarding myself for having battled another difficult day with sugar or a nice ‘easy’ – i.e. unhealthy – dinner. And I bought the James Duigan book she mentioned and discovered a way of thinking about food that really resonated with me.

http://buff-beauty.com/breaking-the-habit/ So thanks Gemma. I always get something positive from your lovely blog!

Secondly, my husband. The Man with the Camera. Because he’s agreed to do all of this with me. This is HUGE. There’s really little point changing my mindset if we end up with different ideas of normal and keep conflicting. It also means there won’t be sugary food in the house tempting me when I’m at my weakest. And it’s worth noting that he agreed to do all of this even after me pointing out that this would mean GIVING UP SUGAR IN HIS TEA. I nearly fell off my chair. I knew he was one of the good ones.

Why James Duigan and Dale Pinnock?

Because it’s not about faddy exclusions or the kind of menu planning that requires a university degree. With the exception of sugar, which I already know to be the food-devil in appealing packaging, nothing’s really out of bounds. It’s about sensible choices and appreciating the impact of the food you put in your body. I should point out, I’m not actually following the 14-day diet programme in James Duigan’s book – just the principles behind how you should eat.

Do you think you have food intolerances?

In a word, no. If I was intolerant to things like dairy (lactose) or wheat (gluten), I’d be seeing some hard-core digestive symptoms like bloating, indigestion, nausea or cramps. I believe my skin problems are stress-related; cortisol is the most harmful thing I (involuntarily) subject my body to on a daily basis.

But I do think I have the wrong attitude to ‘staple’ foods like cow’s milk or wheat-based products. According to James D, wheat contains a substance called phytates, which binds to minerals preventing them from being efficiently absorbed in the gut. If that’s happening, the amount of wheat I’m eating will definitely be stripping some of the vital minerals from my body and I need those minerals to keep my skin healthy. If I make the food I eat a bit purer, a bit more balanced, and a bit more varied then I expect to feel a bit healthier. That’s just common sense.

I have no intention of cutting out anything in the longer term. No, ‘I’m never eating wheat ever again’ because I don’t need to be that extreme and it makes me feel sad, which is a TERRIBLE way to start building a new mindset. Some people, including those suffering from the autoimmune condition coeliac disease, really do need to cut out gluten in all its forms. I don’t and I’m grateful for it. I think – to quote Elmo, who could probably tell me to do just about anything and I’d consider it – it’s about revisiting what I regard as my “sometimes foods”. If I eat wheat a couple of times a day, then it might start to have an effect on my overall health, particularly if it strips away some of my essential minerals. If I eat it occasionally, then it’s really not going to do any harm at all.

What are you hoping to get out of this?

Healthy habits. That’s it. That’s the reason for the two month window. I reckon that’s long enough to find some new foods, develop a new mindset when shopping and learn how to cook some new things. After that, I won’t need to reach for the pasta after a long day because it’s the only easy option available to my frazzled brain. It will no longer BE the only option. I’ll have a new repertoire of healthier options that are just as easy.

Shouldn’t you try yoga (or similar) for the stress?

Yes absolutely. Yoga and meditation will certainly help and I intend to do both those things. But because I’m not eating properly, I can never find the energy. If I get the food bit right, I’m hoping to have the oomph and motivation to focus on all the other things that will help reduce the stress.

What happens after the two months are up?

Not much. In fact, the less significant that milestone is, the better. I don’t want to get to the ‘finish line’ gagging to go back to normal. I want to be able to easily maintain a healthier balanced diet because the way we’re shopping and eating by then will have BECOME the new normal.

We’ll bring back everything in moderation, including a bit of sugar every now and then I’m sure. We’ll just be starting from a totally new place and thinking in a new way.

Will you be writing about it?

Yes. I’ll try to check in weekly to update on how it’s going and foodie discoveries I make along the way. But if you’d be particularly interested in hearing about anything in particular, let me know.

If anyone out there has had experience of eating the James Duigan way or just mixing it up a bit in the kitchen, I’d love to hear from you. There’s strength in solidarity!

For now, I’m off to eat an apple. Instead of a bar of chocolate. It’s one choice at a time people…

James Duigan – the website (which is a bit more about the exercise programme than the food stuff) and the book

Dale Pinnock – the website, and the book

Photos © Natural Beauty Cabinet. Please do not reproduce without permission.

BUT Happy Easter! all the same. To help us soldier through – and to give our winter-ravaged skin some much needed love – the kind people at Rio Rosa Mosqueta have given me a bottle of their rosehip oil to give away. My love for rosehip permeates the NBC so I won’t repeat myself here. But if you’d like to know more, have a look here and here.

And if you’d like to be entered into the draw for the bottle of Rio Rosa Mosqueta Rosehip Oil, it’s ever so simple.

1. Leave me a comment below.

2. Remember to tell me how you follow the blog – email or twitter.

I’ll leave the giveaway open till next weekend and then I’ll announce the winner.

NBC x

But I really like Dr Organic’s Instant Tightening Eye Serum. The argan oil isn’t buried at the bottom of the ingredients list, which is positive. It also includes Kigelia Africana fruit extract. This is the so-called sausage fruit, which is credited with skin tightening properties and appears as a key ingredient in Liz Earle’s Superskin Bust & Neck Treatment. There are also a couple of mints in there, which could account for the tingling on application.

It’s a nice light lotion and absorbs quickly without residual stickiness. It doesn’t smell strongly, tingles a bit as it goes on and has definitely made my eyes look more awake. I’m only at the ‘fine lines’ stage and I think the serum helps to reduce the effect of them by hydrating the eye area. If you had more visible crows’ feet or issues with sagging or puffiness, it’s well worth checking the serum out for its tightening and lifting claims.

Available from Holland & Barrett stores nationwide (in the UK), or from the Holland & Barrett website. £11.99 for 30ml.

Ingredients: Aloe barbadensis leaf juice, Aqua, Glycerin, Coco-caprylate, Cetearyl alcohol, Glyceryl stearate, Argania spinosa (Argan) oil, Polyglyceryl-3 dicitrate/stearate, Sodium magnesium silicate, Argania spinosa kernel extract, Sodium cocoyl glutamate, Carbomer, Argania spinosa extract, Sodium stearoyl glutamate, Carrageenan, Kigelia Africana fruit extract, Hibiscus sabdariffa flower extract, Adansonia digitata fruit extract, Citrus aurantium dulcis, Eugenia caryophyllus (Clove) leaf oil, Pelargonium graveolens (Geranium) oil, Citrus limon peel oil, Pogostemon cablin (Patchouli) oil, Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Cinnamon) leaf oil, Aniba rosaeodora (Rosewood) oil, Mentha arvensis herb oil, Citrus nobilis (Mandarin) peel oil, Vanilla planifolia (Vanilla) fruit extract, Mentha spicata herb oil, Sodium phytate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium dehydroacetate, Benzyl alcohol, Dehydroacetic acid, Citric acid, Limonene, Eugenol, Linalool, Citronellol, Geraniol.

Check out the full range on the website. You can opt for the Cleansing Balm with neroli and sweet basil, the nourishing neroli and frankincense Beauty Balm or the soothing calendula and comfrey Comfort Balm. Over to Catherine…

What does ‘naturally beautiful’ mean to you?

I would have to say I don’t believe there can be a single definition for naturally beautiful as “beauty” itself is perceived differently across cultures, age groups and is further separated by physical appearance and inner beauty…

“Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it” – Confucius

However in terms of a beauty regime or rather what appears in my ‘natural beauty cabinet’ then the best word to describe what it means to me is ‘Simplicity’… I believe we can achieve naturally radiant skin by simply restricting our exposure to the vast array of synthetic chemicals found in our food and beauty products. Having a natural approach to beauty to me is choosing to use ingredients found directly in nature, which have undergone minimal processing – gentler on our skin and kinder to our environment.

What’s in your natural beauty cabinet?

As I personally believe simplicity is key to natural beauty my cabinet is fairly minimal! Having developed my own brand of organic and preservative free balms I naturally (excuse the pun) only use Balmology products for my daily skincare.

Balmology Neroli and Sweet Basil Cleansing Balm is the product I can’t be without. I find oil-based cleansers the most effective yet gentle method of cleansing without stripping the skins natural oils – working on the chemistry that ‘like dissolves like’. The blend of nutrient rich cold pressed plant oils literally melts away any dirt, grime and makeup leaving decongested, visibly brighter and silky soft skin. Massaging this aromatic balm into your face at the end of the day is so relaxing and makes taking off my make up a luxurious treat rather than a chore.

A favorite natural brand of mine is Dr. Hauschka and I absolutely love their deodorants. Their Floral deodorant is an essential product for my cabinet – natural, gentle yet really effective whilst also having a beautiful scent. Free from antiperspirants, this instead uses Zinc ricinoleate to absorb odours naturally without clogging pores while Neem leaf and Sage extracts deodorise.

My love of simplicity also means using the very best quality and purest ingredients. My absolute favourite company is NHR Organic Oils who offer 100% Organic food grade certified oils – both cold-pressed plant and seed oils rich in natural vitamins, minerals and nutrients and beautifully aromatic, potent essential oils. I exclusively use these oils in my Balmology range but also use their oils individually for my specific daily needs. Their pure Argan oil is a current favourite of mine – rich in vitamins, antioxidants and essential fatty acids; this wonderful oil is suitable for moisturising all skin types. It is even helpful in preventing stretch marks and scarring. The oil comes from the kernels of the Argan tree found almost exclusively in Morocco and a true ‘beauty secret’ of the Berber woman.

Continuing the theme of oils the last essential item in my natural beauty cabinet (or rather fridge!) is Flaxseed Oil. Cold-pressed Flaxseed Oil or Linseed Oil as it is sometimes known is nature’s richest source of Omega-3. Benefits of taking this essential fatty acid as a supplement include healthy cholesterol levels, a strengthened immune system and more supple joints. However as a mild sufferer of scalp psoriasis, I am especially interested in its anti-inflammatory action that has significantly helped to calm my irritated skin. It not only reduces any inflammation but also works to moisturise from within resulting in smoother and healthier looking skin.

Finally… not strictly an item from my natural beauty cabinet but something I find essential is Yoga. Since I have been practicing I have noticed huge improvements in my flexibility, strength and posture. Yet perhaps the greatest benefit is the way it leaves me feeling – after every practice I feel relaxed, yet energized and always happy! Although I’m very new to Yoga, now I have discovered the benefits I can’t imagine being without it – regular practice leaves me feeling naturally beautiful!

What or who do you think is naturally beautiful?

A spider web is one of the most beautiful natural wonders. Such a delicate, fragile looking structure yet five times as strong as the same weight of steel. The intricate design is a great example of natural beauty – both beautiful and purposeful.

We stayed in Alnmouth, right where the coast meets the estuary and just down the road from Alnwick, home to Harry Potter’s castle (known locally as Alnwick Castle, of course). It was a fantastic base for exploring – everything we saw was less than 3/4 of an hour’s drive away and there was so much more we didn’t get time to see. All in all, I totally fell in love with the Northumberland and if you’re looking for a UK-based destination, you won’t be short of amazing stuff to see and do.

Alnmouth beach

Alnmouth estuary bathed in evening sunshine

The coastline near Craster

The fountains at Alnwick Gardens

Alnwick Gardens

Alnwick Gardens

Dunstanburgh Castle

Cragside

Cragside

Cragside

Holy Island

Lindisfarne Castle, Holy Island

Photos © Natural Beauty Cabinet. Please do not reproduce without permission.

This is the time of year when holidays get booked. Either we’ve been desperate for our new holiday allowances at work. Or we’re so glum over the winter marathon that we need a glimmer of sunshine on the horizon in order to find the energy to get out of bed.

But what can you do if you can’t get away anytime soon? You might be saving the pennies for something else. Or be – like me, hoping to move house at some point but with no real idea when – utterly beholden to a schedule that you can’t set? I’d been feeling a bit down over the lack of holiday when something happened the other day that got me thinking about the real ethos of a holiday and how it might be possible to capture that without going away.

I’d dropped a friend home and used my sat nav to find another way back to avoid some hideous traffic through the centre of town. I ended up driving in the sunshine through the village of Sonning, just on the outskirts of Reading. It was utterly beautiful; full of gorgeous-looking pubs and tempting looking footpaths leading off into green. Now, the existence of Sonning wasn’t in itself a revelation. I knew it was there. I’d heard it was pretty. But I’d never got around to going.

I think a lot of us fall into patterns without necessarily being aware of it. We drive the same routes, eat the same things, visit the same places and think the same thoughts. It’s also easy to become blinkered by familiarity. My sister lives in Kent, a county I don’t know very well. When I’m there, everything is new and I pay attention to detail in a way I just don’t at home. Every pretty little village we pass through on our way somewhere is a new opportunity to find something great, whether it be a quirky shop, amazing pub or undiscovered path. Most of those places are like Sonning, but I never drive around Berkshire – which I know reasonably but not brilliantly well – with the same head on.

The things that make holidays so fun are relatively simple. Less stress, more sunshine (depending on your destination) and exploring new things, new places and new experiences.

Driving a different route and discovering a new place was a very simple thing. But it made me feel a bit happier and I have an idea about something I can do on my next free weekend. I can’t magic up sunshine, but I can take a road I haven’t taken before. Exploring is such a holiday kind of thing and I so rarely do it at home. I go to new places, granted, but I usually end up planning things well in advance so as not to waste my previous weekends and remove some of the spontaneity or the joy of the unexpected as a result.

I utterly hate the term ‘staycationing’, but I like the idea of finding a way to feel those holiday feelings when I can’t travel for real. So I’m going to mix it up a bit on occasion. And I’m going to really try and see the things that are most familiar to me with the eyes of someone who hasn’t ever seen them before.

Photos © Natural Beauty Cabinet. Please do not reproduce without permission.

I thought I’d missed the boat on my planned ‘winter kit list’ but given winter’s set to go on indefinitely, I’ve decided to post it up. I’ve used all of the following this winter and included them here because I LOVE them. Many are products I’d continue using into the spring and summer months, but they are so good for delicate, sore winter skin.

Can’t-go-wrong skincare:

• Antipodes Grapeseed Butter Cleanser – I raved about this a couple of weeks back. Have developed an unhealthy obsession with it – to the point where I’m probably only days away from anxiety dreams in which there are global shortages or – horrors – it is discontinued.
• Spiezia Organic Facial Cleanser – I’ve been using this up alongside the new Antipodes one. It’s my morning shower option because the floral smell just suits mornings. I reviewed this here.
• Antipodes Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day Cream – again, I love this. I’m not going to go on about it here because Antipodes deserves its own dedicated post and I’ll try and get to it soon.
• REN Bio Retinoid Anti-Ageing Concentrate – featured in a rosehip update a few days back. Works beautifully under moisturiser. I’m not sure it would work alone on winter skin – I think you need a bit more nourishment. But oilier skins may find this is sufficient on its own during warmer months.
• Original Sprout Face & Body Sunscreen – a new suncare discovery. I’ll feature it soon.
• Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint – not strictly speaking skincare but my choice of winter SPF on days when I’m not outside a lot (or at all…). This is really moisturising and therefore soothing for dry or sore winter skin. I reviewed it here.

Happy bodies:

• Yes to Carrots Hydrating shower gel and Yes to Cucumber Calming shower gel – lovely and soothing for the winter months, even if the fragrances are more spring-like…
• Australian Organics Jojoba Oil Exfoliating body wash – it’s important to keep scrubbing throughout the winter but I usually opt for a less abrasive option if my skin is sensitive. This scrub is more of a body wash with added scrub so I can use it more often for a very little exfoliation each time. Smells heavenly too.
• Barefoot Botanicals SOS Daily Rich body lotion – previously reviewed here and a must-buy for dry, scaly legs.
• Dr Organics Skin Lotions – perfect lotions for use year-round and soon to feature in their very own review because they’ve become such staples for me. Richer options for winter skin include Coconut, Vitamin E, Olive oil and Argan oil.
• Jojoba oil – while my skin needs a bit more moisturising in the winter months, I find it irritating to slather on something rich and heavy first thing if it means I have to wait 10-15 minutes to get dressed while it’s cold. Plus, if I had 10-15 minutes spare of a morning, I would actually be somebody else (someone who went to bed on time, got up immediately when their alarm went off and was eternally smug). I’m not. A super-quick option is to put a thin layer of body oil onto dry or damaged spots then layer your normal light moisturiser over the top. The moisturiser seals in the oil so you don’t have to wait out the tacky, when-will-it-sink-in stage. Jojoba oil is a good choice because it’s lightweight and closest in composition to the sebum found naturally on skin.

Resilient innards:

Ok, so listen up. I didn’t get ill this winter. Not once. I have been bug-free since about September of last year. This is UNHEARD of. I’m usually ill at least once and, more commonly, I get those Russian Doll illnesses where being run down and worn out from the first one leads to the second one and so on. I also have a bad habit of going to bed too late. Normally 3-4 late nights and I’m already feeling the early sniffles of some germ. But NOT THIS WINTER. And I’ve most certainly not been going virtuously to bed at 9pm every night.

I’ve been using three things consistently since September (and a bit before then too) and I would now never chance a winter without them.

• Baobab fruit powder: for a turbo-charged hit of Vitamin C, amongst other goodies. Please don’t replace your 5-7 portions of fruit and veg a day with this. But feel free to take this when you need an extra hit. I don’t take it daily. I tend to reserve it for days when I’ve slept badly, eaten poorly the day before or am just feeling generally tired. I reckon it’s the last barrier between me and illness and it’s worked, more than once. Organic Burst do a great one. I reviewed them here.
• Zinc supplements: recommended as a skin supplement by Liz Earle, zinc is actually an immune support. I initially started taking it for my eczema because a healthy immune system supports good skin in the same way that a healthy digestive system does (don’t you just love the glorious interconnectedness of bodies??). However, I reckon it’s also been a godsend for fending off winter bugs.
• Vitamin D: I wrote about this here and swear by it for beating the lurgy. I’d take this for the 6 months of the year when I wasn’t getting enough vitamin D from the sun (Apr – Sept, if we’re lucky).

UPDATE (15.03): Thanks to a comment from the lovely Sarah at Sugarpuffish I realised there was a glaring omission from my winter skin kit – the Comfort and Nourish balms from Balmology. Currently there’s a pot of the Comfort balm on my bedside table and I use it for pretty much everything, from lips to hands to stubborn patches of eczema. It’s become such a part of my routine at night that I ironically forgot all about it. But that’s now been put right. If you haven’t already, check out balmology, particularly if you have dry or eczema-prone skin.

Photos © Natural Beauty Cabinet. Please do not reproduce without permission.