Looking behind the labels // Parabens

Many of us use cosmetics and health-care products without looking in detail at the ingredients. We trust that what we are using on our bodies is safe and has had the appropriate tests to ensure no nasty side effects - but do we really know what is in the products that we use? There has been a recent trend for products to include paraben-free and organic labels, but why is this? What are parabens, and should we be actively trying to avoid them?

What are Parabens?

Essentially parabens are chemical compounds that are used in cosmetics, health-care products and even some foods to preserve and prolong their life. They act to kill mould and fungi, thus helping the product to stay fresh and have a longer shelf life. Sounds pretty convenient for both companies and consumers, however parabens have received negative press due to their link to cancer.

Chemical structure of a paraben (a para-hydroxybenzoate) - what a mouthful!

Why are some people worried about Parabens?

Parabens have been linked to cancer, specifically breast cancer. Parabens have caused worry as they have an ability to mimic the hormone oestrogen - which is known to have a major role in the development of breast cancer. It is still not clear whether parabens contribute to the development of breast cancer, but they have been found in some breast cancer tumours. 

The chemical was found in 99% of samples from 40 women with breast cancer in a study by the University of Reading in 2004. Though this percentage seems worryingly high, this study did not compare the cancerous samples against women with healthy breast tissue - thus it does not prove that parabens are a cause of the cancer. It is important to note that the link between parabens and cancer has neither been proven or disproven. However, as a result of these studies those with a family history of breast cancer (myself included) may choose to opt for paraben-free alternatives to eliminate any possible cancer risks.

How do you look for Parabens?

Parabens are used in many different products as they are a cheap way to preserve goods. As they are so readily used, it can be difficult to find effective products that are paraben-free. If you are interested in using paraben-free products look out for labels and stickers stating that the product contains no parabens. Alternatively you can look at the ingredients. The most commonly used parabens are:

• methylparaben
• ethylparaben
• propylparaben
• butylparaben
• heptylparaben
• isobutylparaben

...though there are others.

How do you avoid Parabens?
There are many paraben-free brands available on the market and more companies are beginning to ditch parabens in favour of more natural preservatives. Some great paraben-free brands include: 

• Good Things
• Boots Botanics
• Badger
• Yes To
• Nivea's Pure & Natural range
• Pai Skincare
• Balance me
• Amie

Some paraben-free products replace parabens in favour of organic acids that act to preserve products without the need for parabens. Sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate and diazolidinyl urea are just three examples of these organic acids. If you are interested in paraben-free alternatives or organic products The Organic Pharmacy is a great resource for looking up and learning more about organic ingredients.

It is a personal choice whether or not to avoid parabens, but either way I think that it is important for consumers to be aware of what is in the products they use. Take a minute to look at the ingredients, if a product is packed full of unpronounceable chemicals maybe consider what you are putting onto your body. Personally my ethos is to try and avoid as many chemicals as I can as a precautionary measure, but it can be a bit of a hassle so it is not for everyone!

What are your thoughts on parabens? Do you worry about the chemicals that are in your health-care products? If you have any questions or comments please leave them below.

Sources: NHS UK, Wikipedia, Paraben.co.uk, breastcancerfund.org

MAC Lipstick in Vegas Volt // Review

This last week I have been on my summer holiday. I enjoyed sun, sea, sangria - and shopping (oh duty free how I love you!). Although it was only 5am when I got to the airport, I made a bee-line for the MAC counter in duty free looking for a summer lipstick to take away with me. I have my fair share of reds and pinks so I was looking for something a little different to add to my collection. 

I opted for Vegas Volt which is a coral - not too pink and not too orange, just a happy medium. MAC describe this colour as 'full power coral' which I think is pretty apt. For me this is a shade that epitomises summer and it looks fantastic with a tan! It is bright, but at the same time not 'in your face' bright. You can also tone the brightness down by blotting to get a different look and to make it more daytime appropriate (though personally I would wear this at full capacity day or night). This lipstick is quite interesting as it looks different in different lights; sometimes looking more pink, sometimes more orange, and sometimes brighter than others. To me this is a quirk that only adds to the uniqueness and appeal of this colour!

Vegas Volt is a amplified creme finish meaning that it is highly pigmented and lasts fantastically on the lips. The creme finish also prevents this lipstick from being too drying, which a great bonus if you decide to wear this in holiday sun! The lipstick has the classic MAC smell - a sweet vanilla scent which is not everyone's cup of tea, but I personally love it.

The only downside of this lipstick is that it can settle in the creases of the lips after a few hours of wear, but this can be easily rectified by reapplication. Overall this lipstick is a joy to wear and whenever I wear it, it will remind me of happy holidays! 

Vegas Volt retails for £15.00 and is available from MAC counters and online. Do you have a favourite summer lipstick?

Boots Ingredients Coconut & Almond Body Butter // Review

In my first blog post I confessed how much I love body butters, and this is a love with no foreseeable end in sight. The most recent addition to my body butter collection is the Boots Ingredients Coconut and Almond body butter. What drew me to this product was firstly my love of anything coconut scented, and secondly the very reasonable price - £3.05 for 200 ml. 

Boots describe this product as follows, 'With extracts of Coconut & Almond, Boots Ingredients Body Butter is specially formulated to moisturise and hydrate your skin, leaving it soft and smooth.'

The product itself smells coco-nutty (albeit slightly synthetic) and the scent lingers on the skin after application - a factor that I look for in a good body butter. The scent of coconut reminds me of summer holidays and always brings a smile to my face, and this Coconut and Almond fragrance is no exception. The butter does take a while to sink into the skin, so is perhaps best applied at night or first thing in the morning when you are not in a rush to get dressed. That being said, once it had absorbed it left my skin feeling hydrated and soft.

I can't say that I have fallen in love with this product, but for a cheaper body butter it does the job nicely. This body butter is available from Boots stores and online, retailing for £3.05. 

Do you like coconut scented products? Or do you have a favourite body butter?

Lasting Finish Kate Moss for Rimmel Lipstick in 03 // Review

Nude lipstick. Two little words that fill me with fear. For years I have lusted after the thought of a perfect nude shade that compliments my skin-tone and does not leave me with the dreaded 'invisible' lips phenomenon, but I have never found the correct shade. In the past I have attempted the nude lipstick, but my attempts were either too pale, too brown or too pink, just never looking quite right. 

As a result I soon gave up my nude lipstick endeavours and opted for brighter shades, favouring pinks and reds. However, around a fortnight ago I realised my graduation ceremony was looming... should I go lipstick-less? Lip gloss was a no-no due to the embarrassing likelihood of the 'wind-sticking-my-hair-to-my-lips' scenario that all us girls have experienced at one time or another, and pink or red shades seemed a little too daring for such a formal event. So once again I found myself toying with the idea of nude.

My first port of call on the hunt for a nude lipstick was Rimmel. I have had good experiences with their lipsticks in the past, particularly the Kate Moss line which I have featured on the blog before. I know that the formulas work well and leave a nice finish so I was confident that the line would be the right option to choose. As for shade choices there were a couple of nudes in the range that caught my eye, but I eventually opted for the shade 03.

03 is a nude with a slight pinky undertone. It is not too pink and not too brown, in my opinion the perfect balance of both for my skin-tone. The lipstick made my lips look like a polished version of themselves, nothing too obvious or over the top, so perfect for formal occasions such as my graduation.

On the day I was really happy with the way the lipstick looked. I had to reapply a couple of times, but it was comfortable to wear and felt moisturising. I also love the smell of these lipsticks so was quite happy when it came to reapplying because I could catch a whiff of the sweet vanilla scent! This lipstick has quickly become my favourite nude choice and I will definitely be wearing it on a regular basis.

The Rimmel Lasting Finish Kate Moss Lipsticks retail for £5.49 and are available from Boots and Superdrug stores and online. 

Do you have a go-to nude lipstick? Let me know your favourite in the comments!

Nivea Pure & Natural Facial Cleansing Wipes // Review

When I am travelling or feeling particularly lazy, there is nothing easier than cleansing face wipes to remove make-up. This week I was away from home for a few days so picked up some new facial wipes to use. I like wipes for travelling as they are convenient, take up little space in your luggage, are easy to use and easily disposed of. Quick and simple, just what you want when you are away from home.

For my trip away I opted for the Nivea Visage Pure & Natural Facial Cleansing wipes. I chose these wipes firstly because they were on a half price offer, but also because their ingredients are 95% of natural origin (something that instantly caught my eye and appealed to my chemical awareness radar). These wipes are free from parabens, silicones, colourants, mineral oils and alcohol - a promising list of things that I would like to avoid in my skin care routine. 

The first thing that I noticed when using these wipes was the strong scent. The scent, although pleasant and fresh, was particularly strong and overpowering for my personal preference. The packaging claims to remove make-up and mascara whilst being suitable for sensitive eyes, however I would disagree with this. I found that whilst removing the make-up from my eyes, I had problems with irritation and a stinging sensation. I have never encountered this issue with other facial wipes so I believe that it may be caused by the strong scent. For this reason I would suggest that those with sensitive skin or eyes may have issues with the scent of this product causing irritation in spite of the claims that these wipes are suitable for all skin types.

Despite the reaction that my eyes had to this product, the wipes did perform well. They effectively removed all traces of make-up (including a particularly stubbon waterproof mascara!) and left my skin feeling fresh and clean. 

Although these Nivea Pure & Natural wipes sounded ideal for me, I have to say that I am disappointed due to the issues I had with the scent of this product. If Nivea had a fragrance free version of these cleansing wipes I am sure that I would love them, but unfortunately they do not and thus I shall not be repurchasing these Pure & Natural wipes.

The Nivea Visage Pure & Natural Facial Cleansing Wipes retail for £3.09 and are available from Boots and Superdrug stores as well as on the Nivea website.

Do you use cleansing facial wipes to remove make-up? If so, which is your go-to brand for facial wipes? Let me know in the comments as I am always looking for new suggestions!

Nivea Milk & Honey Lip Balm // Review

Lip balms are an important staple in most people's beauty regimes. You want something that hydrates the lips and combats any unsightly dry skin, whilst being easy and pleasant to apply. That's where Nivea's Milk & Honey lip balm steps in. 

This lip balm is a part of the Pure and Natural range where up to 95% of ingredients are from natural origin - right up my street! This particular lip balm contains natural ingredients that are organically grown and is 100% free from preservatives. As the name suggests this lip balm has a sweet milk and honey scent, very pleasant but at the same time not too overpowering. If (like me) you tend to favour sweet and edible scents then this product is definitely one to try.

The product itself is in stick form so very easy to apply and more hygienic than a pot lip balm. The balm is a bright yellow colour, something that would perhaps be a little off-putting to some people, however there is no colour transfer when the product is applied to the lips. When I use this product in public places I do wonder whether people think I'm applying a yellow lipstick and I have had a few funny looks!

I found this lip balm effective at moisturising my lips and it did not feel too greasy or sticky, so is comfortable to wear. Overall I really enjoyed using this lip balm and would definitely repurchase it. 

Nivea's Milk & Honey lip balm retails for £1.99 for 4.8g and is available from supermarkets, Superdrug and Boots stores, and on the Nivea website.

Do you have a favourite lip balm product? Let me know in the comments as I am always looking for new recommendations! 

Boots Botanics Rosewater Toning Spritz // Review

I love the idea of using natural products in my skincare routine. The thought of applying products that are filled with chemicals and unnecessary ingredients bothers me. I do not see the point of using bad ingredients when there are alternate options that don't cost the earth! (both literally and metaphorically).

With this ethos in mind, my first port of call was the Boots Botanics line, and in particular, the organic range. This range is free from parabens and is made using natural plant ingredients that have been approved by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It certainly sounds impressive but the important thing is do the products work?

The first product that I trialled from the line was the Rosewater Toning Spritz. This is a 100% organic toning spritz that you spray onto your face to cleanse and refresh. Personally I like to spray this product on liberally after cleansing and remove the excess with a cotton pad. This product is great to use just before bed or even in the morning before applying make-up. It leaves your skin feeling clean, soft and prepped for the day without being at all harsh or stripping.

I found the toning spritz both refreshing and effective in removing any last traces of makeup. The scent is delightfully rose, but in no way artificial, just very natural and pure. This product only contains five ingredients; Aqua (water), Alcohol denat., Glycerin, Rosa Damascena flower oil, Citronellol. Plus it is 100% organic. Simple.

I thoroughly enjoyed using this product and would definitely repurchase it. I think that it is reasonably priced and contains good natural ingredients so I did not feel guilty spritzing this liberally all over my face! I found that the bottle lasted a good amount of time, especially considering that I was using this daily. The spray bottle is easy to use and it dispensed just the right amount of liquid - no case of unnecessarily drenched faces here! 

The Botanics Rosewater Toning Spritz retails for £4.99 for 150ml. The Botanics range often has regular offers available so keep a look out if you're interested in trying anything from the line. The Botanics line is available from both Boots stores and online. 

I will be reviewing more Botanics products in near future so keep an eye-out if you are interested in what else is available in the range. What do you think about Organic skincare? Have you tried anything from Boots Botanics? Let me know in the comments below!