Tag Archives: health

ORGANIC BEAUTY AT CONTENT

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CONTENT MARYLEBONE

A little while back, after struggling with some skin concerns, I went for an acupuncture facial at boutique organic skincare store, beauty salon and complementary therapies clinic, Content in Marylebone. I can safely say that what I discovered there has changed my view on beauty products for life. I’ve never been a real makeup fiend but I’ve always been fascinated by all the new lotions and potions brought out every two minutes by the various big beauty brands. I can think of many an agonising trip to the John Lewis beauty hall, spending ages traipsing from counter to counter, wondering which particular serum has the right composition to banish my eye bags or erase those pesky fine lines. But no more! I have seen the light! Never again will I waste my money buying into the beauty industry myth… and never again will I cover my poor skin with chemicals when all it wants is to be cleansed, soothed and nourished.

Why the change of heart then? Well, the lovely Laura Jones – acupuncturist, facialist, organic beauty expert and reiki master – taught me a lot me about the skin and what it does and doesn’t like. She made me realise that my expensive, synthetic beauty regime was really a chemical assault that was actually stressing and disrupting my skin, rather than allowing it to cleanse and heal. She also explained that most skin concerns are vary rarely topical problems, and instead relate to imbalances inside your body – in my case, the digestive organs.

Anyway, what I learnt from Laura in the treatment room, and from the lovely, knowledgeable staff on the shop floor, has been invaluable. Cleaning the crap out of my medicine cupboard and replacing it with a few select organic beauty staples was such a joyous moment. And incredibly freeing. Never again will I look at an advert for the latest miracle beauty product and think ‘Ooh! Do I need that?!! Will that stop me getting wrinkles? Will that cure my crow’s feet?!’. Because I know that, even if it will (which is highly unlikely), I don’t want it. Not only are those products expensive, they’re also harsh and over-hyped. Think about it, if natural foods can do so much good for your insides, why shouldn’t natural products do the same for your face?

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Intrigued? Well if you’re interested in ditching the chemicals and switching to natural, here are some tips from Content founder, Imelda Burke to get your started…

1) Loose the Lipstick – If you wear lipstick then you are eating it every day so there is no better place to start your update. Think about how much mineral oil and synthetic colour there is in each tube, how long it lasts you, and how much you have eaten over your lifetime. Switch to an organic lipstick from brands such as ILIA, ILIA, RMS Beauty or Vapour Cosmetics.

2) Switch Scents – Most people use perfume once a day, others much more often. Switching to an organic perfume from a brand such as the LA-based Strange Invisible Perfumes or the ParisianHonore Des Pres is a great way to avoid spraying fixatives and synthetic fragrance on yourself every day. Organic perfumes use a mixture of essential oils and absolutes to create base notes that last, and should be made from organic alcohol if an EDP or just lovely oils.

3) Get Sun Shade – Switch your synthetic sunscreen for a natural one. Using titanium dioxide and zinc oxide the natural sunscreens reflect rays away to protect it. The trick is in the application – make sure it is regular and that you are using a generous amount for maximum protection – rub well to avoid a white residue on the skin. For the face we love the John Masters SPF 30 and Vive Sana Solar to Polar.

4) Smelling Sweet – When it comes to deodorants, keep fresh with organic alcohol, essential oils and mineral salts. Leave the parabens, fragrance and aluminium on the shelf and make sure what you are using comes from a reputable organic skincare brand. If you’ve tried all others and found natural deodorants less than reliable than conventional counterparts, try the Soapwalla Cream Deodorant. It triumphs where others fail!

5) Think Big – Often used once or twice a day, body moisturiser is the product that that covers the majority of your skin, the body’s largest organ. By ditching the synthetic versions and going for an organic skin care product instead, you will cancel out the use of the synthetic ingredients over the majority of your body. When switching out products think big and ditch the products used on the largest area of skin first. For dry skin we love the Pai Comfrey and Calendula Organic Body Cream and the Laidbare Butter Me Up Body Butter . For Summer, nothing bets the golden shimmer of May Lindstrom’s The Good Stuff .

It can be overwhelming to change your ways at the beginning, but if you get started with these five tips and just replace a product at a time with a natural and organic version, it will feel less daunting. If you want to prioritise products, we recommend leaving the wash-off products to last – they are only in contact with the skin for a short time so less of a priority to begin with… although we still recommend switching them out when you can!

For more info, or to book a treatment, head to Beingontent.com, or call +44 (0) 20 3075 1006

EASY AYURVEDIC SPRING DETOX

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According to Ayruveda, spring is actually the best time to think about cleansing and detoxing your body… not after Christmas and New Year when you are still effectively in hibernation mode. An ancient Indian philosophy that uses diet, herbal prescriptions, massage and yogic breathing to help you maintain a balanced lifestyle, Ayurveda states that a cleanse as the seasons change prevents the build up of toxins that can cause illnesses and ailments later in the year. So, I’m really excited to hear that wonderful London-based Ayurvedic therapist, Geeta Vara, is hosting a ‘spring clean’ workshop in April, explaining how you can boost your energy, vitality, immunity through simple changes to your diet and lifestyle. The talk will cover the following areas:

  • An introduction to Ayurveda and your doshic constitution
  • The importance of your digestive fire ‘Agni’ in the detox process
  • The benefits of Ayurvedic detoxification and how it differs from other cleanse/detox processes
  • Foods that heal and foods that harm during a detox
  • Tips for a safe detox at home

When and where…
Evolve Wellness Centre
10 Kendrick Mews
South Kensington
SW7 3HG

Tuesday april 17th | 6:30-8:30 pm

Price: £12 early bird before 7/4/2012 | £15 thereafter

How to book…

click here or call Evolve at 020 7581 4090.


AEROBICS… HOW RETRO

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This morning’s little joy came in the unlikely form of an aerobics class (I don’t get out much). I woke up and thought I ought to drag myself off to the gym, but I couldn’t face the drudgery of the treadmill so I checked the class timetable and there it was… Aerobics with Coral. I literally can’t remember how long it’s been since I’ve seen a good old fashioned aerobics class on a gym timetable; it seems to be considered outdated and dull compared to your Zumba, Capo Combat, Body Vive (I have no idea what that is), pole dancing, willPower & grace (yes, that is the name of an actual gym class), ViPR, Kettlebells and Get Fit with Mel B (no, I’d really rather not). So I trotted off with visions of the lovely Jane Fonda in my head, looking all graceful in her fab leotard/legwarmer combos, thinking, ‘That’s the ticket, a bit of gentle exercise is exactly what Sunday mornings are for’. Well I got that wrong. Coral is seriously hardcore, and as a fellow class-goer told me afterwards, has earnt herself the nickname, ‘Bionic Woman’. But, all that jumping around was surprisingly enjoyable, and best of all, the simple steps are easy to follow so you spend more time working out and less time paralysed with panic trying to work out what everyone else is doing, falling over your feet and feeling like a total numpty. I will definitely be going back for more. Might even get myself a leotard. GRAPEVINE!

STOP FEELING TIRED, START FEELING BRILLIANT

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Anyone feeling knackered? Got that ‘ohhhhhh my god I just want to curl up in a ball and sleep for a week feeling’? And then, when you wake up in the morning, the sheer disbelief as you hear your alarm going off, and utter dread for the coming day as you drag yourself through the necessities of getting ready for work? Well then I highly recommend you go get yourself a copy of Spent by Frank Lipman. An American doctor trained in both Western and Eastern medicine, Lipman realised that the very cultures that seem to run on high stress and exhaustion have no means of dealing with it, and so devised a method from his combined studies that helps restore balance in both body and mind. If you’re really rundown, you might want to consider following his program pretty closely, as it’s really helped me when I’ve been plagued by winter illnesses in the past. But, if you’re just generally stressed and tired then there’s lots of valuable advice to help improve wellbeing… from tips for a really good night’s sleep, to exercises for muscle tension and nutritious recipes to revive and restore frazzled brains and bodies. The best thing about his philosophy is that it’s all about moderation… rather killing yourself at the gym, or putting yourself on a crazy diet. I love his gentle tone and somehow his words seem soothing in themselves; suggestions are even as simple as getting more sunlight and listening to reggae. Now that’s the kind of wellbeing plan I’m after. You can keep your colonic irrigation and your intravenous vitamin drips Simon Cowell, thanks anyway.

RRP £10.99, buy online here

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