Radiant Skin Head to Toe
BeautyWhen we talk about skin health, it’s safe to say that we focus predominantly on the face. We spend so much time concentrating our efforts on this section alone that it’s incredibly easy to forget about the rest of our bodies. But our faces aren’t the only area that is susceptible to signs of damage, ageing, and various skin conditions.
In celebration of our new-look Hair & Body Care Collection, we’re discussing the importance of extending our skin focus and home routine beyond just the face, from the tips of our toes to the tops of our scalps.
SKIN AGEING
While our faces may be the first place we notice signs of ageing or symptoms of skin disorders, other areas of the body are just as (if not more!) prone to damage, particularly sun-exposed regions, such as the décolletage, arms and the backs of our hands, which are often neglected and go without sun protection.
UV radiation isn’t the only cause of accelerated ageing. Even those who are meticulous about applying sunscreen everywhere on their bodies can neglect the skin of the arms, hands, legs, torso and feet simply by forgetting to nourish these areas with moisture. The majority of soaps we use on a day-to-day basis remove our skin’s natural oils and moisturising factors. These oils not only keep our skin feeling soft and supple, but offer support and protection to our tissue and its components. So, when the skin becomes dry, this is when damage can occur. Cellular membranes, which are composed of lipids (oils) can become damaged over time, and so too can proteins such as collagen. This lack of moisture results in dullness, rough texture, visible dehydration lines, and faster-forming wrinkles as the collagen below begins to deteriorate.
Regular and adequate moisturisation is therefore one of the best preventative ageing measures we can take, and it's just as important to replenish these moisture levels everyday over the entire body (not just the face), particularly after using soap or body wash. Constant hand washing throughout the pandemic has also been a major cause of accelerated ageing on the hands – an area already prone to wrinkling, sagging, and crepey skin due to the skin’s natural thinness.
SELF CARE & WELLBEING
You aren’t just soothing your skin – you’re soothing your mind when you carry out your skincare routine. With such busy lifestyles, our twice-daily skincare routine is an amazing opportunity to unwind, remove ourselves from our current stressors, and be present by concentrating on something that makes us feel good. This opportunity can be missed by those who rush through their cleanse, serum application, moisturiser and sunscreen. By extending this routine to your entire body, you can create a much more sensorial experience that can sometimes feel like an entire meditation session.
Once you’ve completed your facial skincare steps, extend some of these protocols that little bit further. Treat your arms and legs to a bit of a massage as you moisturise every inch, envelope your senses with a full body experience, give yourself a mood boost and a pick-me-up with a soothing scalp massage as you apply a hydrating serum to your tresses. We guarantee that you will feel like a whole new person, simply by taking the time to treat your entire body to the nurturing it deserves.
NO NEED TO COMPROMISE ON HAIR & SCALP
For many, our hair is a major source of confidence, and when our hair or scalp doesn’t feel amazing, neither do we. Our scalp is home to thousands of sweat glands, oil glands, hair follicles, blood vessels and nerve endings just like the rest of our bodies. We don’t often think about what’s going on with the skin underneath our hair. It can become hot, itchy, dry, oily or uncomfortable, even experience conditions like dermatitis. In addition, our hair follicles are attached to tiny muscles, which can experience pain and tension (e.g. from a tight ponytail or headwear), so it only makes sense to take good care of it.
Formulating a natural hair product that works is a difficult thing to achieve due to the surfactants (foaming agents) required for a sufficient hair wash. That’s why there are so few truly natural or organic haircare products on the market. Thankfully, several new developments of green surfactants have been created of late, making it possible for us to incorporate haircare into our curation of natural, results-driven products. There are several other nasties to avoid when it comes to natural haircare too, such as: perfumes, certain sulphates, coating agents, artificial preservatives and more. All of these can cause irritation on the scalp, and/or affect the health and quality of our hair, and therefore, our confidence.
WHAT TO LOVE ABOUT OUR NEW-LOOK HAIR & BODY CARE COLLECTION
Our new-look Hair & Body Care Collection brings a luxurious selection of organic essentials to your bathroom, blended with the kinds of nourishing botanical nutrients you’ll find throughout our facial care. Not only this, our lovingly-crafted formulas have been packaged in post-consumer recycled plastic, which is manufactured from plastics that have been collected from beaches, oceans and landfill and repurposed to form this stunning pastel collection, which includes:
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Botanique Shampoo
A natural shampoo, gently scented with cucumber and desert lime, designed to restore shine, body and bounce. This gentle, hydrating shampoo is suitable for all hair types, including coloured, and removes residue stripping or irritating the scalp or hair. -
Botanique Conditioner
With the same subtle scent as our shampoo, this gentle, natural conditioner suits all hair types, including coloured, and assists with detangling, normalising, softening, and restoring the hair’s natural full-bodied condition. -
Botanique Wash
With an invigorating native citrus scent, this uplifting, non-drying formula is suitable for hands and body. It's infused with botanical extracts of Red Clover, Olive Leaf, Chamomile and soothing Aloe Vera. -
Botanique Lotion
This antioxidant-rich lotion with lashings of Shea Butter and soothing Aloe Vera will calm, hydrate and offer all over smoothness. With native extracts of Kakadu Plum, Sandalwood Seed and Kangaroo Paw Flower, this blend aims to restore elasticity and assists in diminishing the visible signs of ageing. Gently scented with extracts of Vanilla, Pink Grapefruit, Geranium and Ginger. -
Botanique Deodorant
A combination of botanical ingredients and pure essential oils work to neutralise body odour and eliminate bacteria. Toxins can be released naturally and without odour, while avoiding the absorption of harmful chemicals.
- DEA and its compounds – which can react to form carcinogenic nitrosamines.
- Phthalates – exposure to phthalates may cause health effects such as liver and kidney failure in young children when products containing phthalates are sucked or chewed for extended periods.
- Parabens – including methylparaben, butylparaben, propylparaben, isobutylparaben, ethylparaben. Numerous studies have shown that they interfere with hormone function by mimicking estrogen and are associated with breast cancer and male reproductive function.
WHERE DO I START?
Routines take time to build. Remember that each small step counts, so even if you aren’t ready to plunge head-first into an entire full-body routine, start with one small improvement and build from there. Work your way down your body one section at a time, starting with the neck. It’s extremely common to forget the neck altogether, only to notice its existence once it becomes wrinkled or lax.
When applying your serums to the face, bring them down the jawline onto the neck. These serums are your potent worker-bee skin health essentials, so feeding the neck with these products can make a world of difference to its skin quality, delaying that dreaded ‘turkey neck’ appearance. The skin on our neck is also delicate and prone to sensitisation, so can always benefit from some concentrated skincare to boost its resilience. Add that little bit extra and take your serums all the way down to the chest area (décolletage) if you’d like, treating the V-shaped ‘t-shirt’ region that often suffers from freckles, age spots, poor texture, diffused redness and burst vessels due to sun exposure.
The benefits that come from forming a complete body care ritual are endless. Not only will you be restoring skin health and longevity and delaying signs of ageing throughout, you will be experiencing a top-to-toe glow – from both the boost in circulation and through improved mental wellbeing. Taking the time to dedicate to your own relaxation and care, and nourishing your entire body, is a priceless reward that will continue to benefit you, no matter your age, gender, profession, or complexity of your personal care routine.
