Graham's Natural Skincare

Grahams skincare are natural based products for people who suffer from skin conditions such as Eczema or Psoriasis.  It is new to the UK and comes all the way from Australia and I was very lucky to get to try out a shampoo*, conditioner* and some bath oil*.

Grahams describe themselves as being:

“NEW to the UK Grahams Skincare, Australia’s best-selling natural skincare range of top-to-toe treatments for eczema and sensitive skin conditions has been borne out of a fathers’ desire to ensure his son did not have to suffer from such debilitating physical and psychological effects of severe eczema”.

Living in London, we have hard water and it is one of the things which my hairdresser thinks irritates my scalp (as well as stress) and every now and again I suffer from a flare up of dry skin and my scalp can become a snow globe and it is really annoying.  So I am more than happy to try anything that will help.

Each product came packaged in this lovely bright yellowness as you can see below, a product you certainly wouldn’t miss if it was on the shelves in your local drug store with the bright blue lid giving it a real finish.  Colour aside, the packaging is fairly simple to look at and everything you need to know if before your eyes.

The Shampoo and Conditioner both contain manuka honey and coconut and I should mention they are also SLS Free for those of you will need to know and that they include a gentle blend of organic and natural ingredients to relieve and protect a dry and sensitive scalp.  When using the shampoo, the first thing which shocked me was that the shampoo itself is a pale blue colour, not what I was expecting and having taken the lid off to look inside both bottles, it seems that the shampoo and conditioner are infact blue!  Colour aside, they smell divine, the honey and coconut scent hit your sense of smell as soon as they are released.

Having used this on my hair for the last month, really well timed because my scalp has been a nightmare, I have to say I am impressed that it helped clear up my issue, it didn't cause build up, didn’t make my hair any greasier and left my hair smelling really lovely.  The same with the conditioner, though I don’t tend to condition every time I wash my hair because it simply doesn't work for me, when I did use this, it left my hair really lovely and soft with no knots. Also, when I used my GHD’s to straighten, they glided through my hair.

Then we come to the bath oil.  My favourite of all 3 products and something I really love.  Whenever my skin feels really dry, despite how much I moisturise, I love to add a bit of oil to my skincare routine and sometime there is nothing better than a bath oil.  This particular bath oil contains manuka oil and honey as well as other natural oils such as Olive Oil, Apricot Kernal Oil, Almond Oil, Emu Oil and Vitamin E oil all of which help to cleanse, replenish, nourish and protect the skin without drying it out.

As you add a few drops to your bath water, and I mean a few drops because it is an oil and adding too much can make your bath slippery when you get into it, you can see the oil within the water, so it isn't a good idea to wash your hair (does anyone still do that?).  As you get into the water the oil literally coats your skin and once you emerge from the same water, again taking care not to slip, my skin was amazingly soft, the rough skin on my elbows as was very smooth, the same with my knees and I for one am very impressed with this product.  It can also be used on its own as a massage oil and is gentle enough on the skin to be used on a daily basis.

If you have a scalp issues like me or suffer from Eczema or Psoriasis, I would highly recommend trying out these products.  They are available HERE.

Beauty Products I want to try in 2014!

Not quite a wishlist but when you read other peoples blogs and think "Ooh I want to try that" I decided that I would create a list of products I want to try:

So it is almost like having a wishlist really, some of them I have seen reviewed and some of them I haven't, but they are:

1. Billion Dollar Brows Brow Boost - Billion Dollar Brows Brow Boost is a deep conditioning treatment formulated to help strengthen and condition thin, weak brows which mine most certainly are due to over-plucking and one dreadful waxing experience in a salon (never again).  Retails for around £25

2. NARS At First Sight Eye & Cheek Palette which includes - Deep Throat Blush and Laguna Bronze as well as Eyeshadow Top Row: All About Eve, Nouveau Monde and Eyeshadow Bottom Row: Bellissima, Cordura (II).  Retails for £45

3. This Works dream believers - I often suffer from broken sleep (cats meoqing at the window to come in and out all the time) and this little kit has a really lovely description "Wrap yourself in a cocoon of soothing essential oils – any place, any time – with our versatile hand and body cream, deep sleep dream cream. Let the calming properties of Lavender relax your senses by applying our protective sleep balm to your pulse points". which makes me want it more.  Currently on offer for £16 (and I have the sleep balm already).

4. Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish - seems to be a cult favourite amongst the world of #bbloggers and is yet to be a bandwagon that I am to jump on. Prices start at £14.75

5. Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot - an oil absorbing, shine controlling face powder for all skin types, which sounds perfect to me and is available in Boots for £12.

6. Glam Glow Mud Mask - Another product that I see frequently on beauty blogs and people rave about it, so naturally I want to try it.  Apparently great for when you need great skin and a glowing complexion in just 10 minutes.  Retails at around £25

The next three products are listed because I am intrigued, slightly scared and a bit obsessed with them:

7. Rodial Dragons Blood Eye Cream - The product description for this is fabulous

"This instantly cooling gel refreshes and hydrates puffy tired eyes with Rose Water, Arnica and Dragons Blood. Instantly brighter, the delicate eye area is restructured to thicken translucent skin and plump wrinkles. Hyaluronic Acid comforts dehydrated skin and refines the skin's surface for wide awake eyes" - it contains Dragons Blood!!  Anyway it costs £45.  I also want the Snake Mask which I have a sample of somewhere in one of my jars, I just haven't tried it yet, hence why it doesn't appear on my list.

8. Heaven by Deborah Mitchell Bee Venom Mask - Again the intrigue comes with the words Bee and venom it sound stingy but is it really?

"Containing Manuka Honey, renowned for its soothing and healing properties, it also contains the magic Bee Venom ingredient that works to control the facial muscles for immediate lifting, tightening and firming, whilst getting to work on frown lines and wrinkles"  and it costs £25.30 for 15ml

9. Dr Organic Snail Gel - Yes another gruesome sounding product and I simply want to try it because it sounds totally gross and it does actually contain Snail Slime, here is the description:

"Dr. Organic Snail Gel is a moisturising, soothing, anti-aging gel which harnesses the remarkable cosmetic benefits of Helix Aspersia Muller, a unique substance the snail produces to quickly regenerate its own shell and skin when damaged. Combined with organic Aloe Vera and our proprietary blend of bioactive ingredients it effectively soothes and hydrates the skin". It retails for £19.99

The final products on my list isn't something gruesome sounding it is:

10. Naked 3 Palette - Yes totally hopping on the bandwagon with this one, it seems like everyone has it and I don't and from the three of them, this would be my preference.  Retails for £37

11. MAC - Not just a Lipstick but there have been quite a few products that I have seen of late that I really want to try, the only problem is the stores scare me.  I have only ever walked into one and was pounced upon before I had even shut the door with the lady telling me how many amazing products she could see me wearing, that I turned around and left. Oh and Sharon and Kelly Osbourne doing a range - I want it!

So there you have a list of products that I really want to try in 2014.  Do you have a list and have you tried any or many of these?