Beauty and Skin Care, Lifestyle

How I Check Beauty Products Ingredients

by natjtanLeave a Comment on How I Check Beauty Products Ingredients

A while back I shared how I find out which beauty products are cruelty free, a hugely important aspect for me when it comes to beauty products. Today in continuation I’m sharing how I find out if the ingredients are good or bad.

I prefer natural, clean beauty products and I’m learning what’s clean doesn’t necessarily meaning it’s not derived from petrochemicals. Vegan products are a bonus. As many of you know I’m on a mission to reduce the amount of plastic I consume. This too includes what’s in beauty products. The packaging I try to opt for less plastic however I’ve always said beauty products are one of my biggest plastic areas. 

Many times looking on online an ingredient says it’s synthetic and has a low rating on ewg.com for toxicity meaning they’re clean and safe. However I prefer not to put petrochemicals on my skin anymore! ewg.com is a great place to start looking at the toxicity rating of products. 0 being least hazardous, 10 being the highest. A few natural ingredients might have a rating of 3-5 based on the allergic reaction but I prefer them over synthetic! I’m no angel some nasty ingredients sip through, I’m okay this time or some I know the brand has sourced the best option of it. I also understand that what is natural can also be processed. On the whole I try to avoid the nasty ones. It’s easier with skincare products than makeup. Makeup I try to opt for the lesser badder ingredients.

The main ingredients for concern are: Sulphates, parabens, synthetic fragrance, synthetic colours, T.E.A, D.E.A, silicones, PEGs. ethoxylates, formaldehydes, phthalates, synthetic preservatives, synthetic glycols. These can all individually cause anything from hormone disrupters, skin rashes to I’m sure polluting the environment. In addition I try to avoid palm oil and it’s derivatives as I prefer orangutans. This can be more tricky as like coconut oil (the ‘good’ oil but still has its problems enviromentally) it’s derivatives are used mixed with other ingredients or are the petrochemical Continue reading “How I Check Beauty Products Ingredients” →

Beauty and Skin Care, Lifestyle

Beauty Finds: Mists, Toners, Masks and Eyeshadow. Kora Organics, Freshly Cosmetics and Honest Beauty.

by natjtanLeave a Comment on Beauty Finds: Mists, Toners, Masks and Eyeshadow. Kora Organics, Freshly Cosmetics and Honest Beauty.

Welcome back to another Beauty Finds! As always all products are cruelty free, natural as possible with my honest thoughts. So grab cup of tea and let’s begin!

There are a few requirements I look for in beauty products: cruelty free, natural, vegan better (I’m vegan but I eat honey. Beeswax depending on the brand I’m okay with. I know bad vegan. I haven’t eaten meat in almost 20 years. The honey I try to make sure is local or national from a good source). No snail slime. I try to avoid palm oil and it’s derivatives as I prefer orangutans. Nasty ingredients such as SLS, parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals etc and their derivatives are out. I opt for clean ingredients although what’s clean can also be petrochemical derived. I’m not perfect, some slip through. I find it annoying purchasing online the list of ingredients isn’t inclusive when reading them on the packaging. Maybe I sped read. I usually put them back spotting an ingredient I don’t like. I’m sure I drive shop assistances crazy while I check ingredients online. Make up, it’s more tricky so I go for cruelty free brands opting for those with containing less petrochemicals. Silicones I try only to use in BB creams and concealers as they love clogging my skin. If lotions and moisturisers contain silicones, I don’t go near them! 

Products that are clean, natural, cruelty free and Korean, well, there goes the money! My love of Korean products might be waning but it’s still there. My skin type’s, oily, combo, sensitive, acne prone, at times dry and now anti ageing. Those lines are coming through fast.  

I’ve always said, beauty products are one of my biggest plastic consumption as I reduce the amount of plastic I use. More brands are awaking to being less plastic both in packaging and ingredients which I appreciate! I try if possible opt for the lesser plastic packaging. It’s hard though. Okay Nat, less beauty products! Some of these products I tested last summer through to winter. I like to use them of a while to see if they work. Some products you know straight away work or don’t, some you have to give time, others you have to see through the hype to see if they do or don’t. 

Kora Organics Sleeping Mask

A lightweight bouncy gel treatment mask that boosts hydration to deliver smoother, plumper looking skin. Wake up with your skin super soft and glowing. Thanks To: Certified Organic Silver Ear Mushroom, Coconut Milk, Caviar Lime and Kadadu Plum for boosting hydration to deliver super soft, plumper looking, glowing skin.

I was keen to try this as a friend introduced me to Kora Organics and that sleeping masks are huge in Korea. Kora Organics (Australian, not Korean) is perhaps one of the most famous internationally available organic, cleanest, natural skincare lines. It’s not cheap, products last a long time. A long time. A little goes a long way. Ingredients you can tell are high quality. While I can’t get this in Spain, my friend who introduced my to Kora Organics kindly bought me back one from Australia (paid her back of course!) and P also got me one from the USA last year. Continue reading “Beauty Finds: Mists, Toners, Masks and Eyeshadow. Kora Organics, Freshly Cosmetics and Honest Beauty.” →

Animal Kingdom, Nature, Photography, Travel

San Francisco Botanical Gardens 

by natjtan2 Comments on San Francisco Botanical Gardens 

9,000 different plants from all over the world at San Francisco Botanical Gardens take you on a journey across the globe. You can’t just look in one direction ahead! Looking up magnolias, redwoods, looking down camellias, herbs, moss. Each twist and turn of the paths takes you almost if there’s no one around a secret garden on the other side of the world. Or down the road in the California garden!

We had enough of the city, wanting some fresh air when we visited San Francisco earlier this year. The botanical gardens and Japanese Tea Garden were a few places on our list of places to go thinking they’re in the same garden. The Japanese Tea Garden is in the same park, Golden Gate Park but not in the same garden if that makes sense. Golden Gate Park while it looks close to the centre or downtown San Francisco isn’t. For some reason looking at the map of San Fransisco bay area I thought it was like a European town with everything more of less in walking or a metro distance. Err, no! You need a car to get around, unless you want to do multiple buses, taxis or Uber. A car worked out cheaper than Uber. We stayed just outside San Francisco in Belmont, Redwood Shores and I think the garden was a 40 minute drive away. We’d thought we’d have enough time to do both however the botanical gardens were bigger than we’d expected. By the time we’d left (after a who’s right which way back to the entrance! I think we both compromised and worked it out) it was 16.30 winter closing hours.

Bamboo gardenDSCF0072Puffer fish!

We could have easily have spent more time in the gardens. It’s split into Californian indigenous plants within their own geographic location and into South America, Asia Africa and Europe. The Mediterranean Garden features native Californian plants along side plants from South-western Australia, Chile and South Africa all grouped within their own geographical location. The Mild Temperate Climate features plants from Eastern Australia, New Zealand and a Japanese Moon Continue reading “San Francisco Botanical Gardens “ →

Animal Kingdom, Fitness, Lifestyle, Thought, Weekend Friday Favourites

Weekend Friday Favourites

by natjtanLeave a Comment on Weekend Friday Favourites

Happy Spring!

 Here comes the warm! 

How are you?! I hope you’re okay!

If you’re isolating, under lockdown yet are allowed to run or cycle outside for exercise and aren’t afraid, please run and cycle outside! Here in Spain we’re under Covid-19 lockdown. We’re allowed out for food, medicine, the bank, doctors, work or to walk the dog. From Monday, Catalunya region needs a form saying where you’re going to and from. Any other reason is out. Fines are in place. So soak up the sunshine out, soak up the greenery, soak up the spring flowers I can only see from my balcony!

 

Cherry blossom last week. I can only imagine how much more in bloom it is

This Weekend Friday Favourites, things that have made me smile recently or caught might be a little all over the place. Some might be about what I’m grateful for now my world is vastly smaller. 

Sea View

I’m thankful I have a sea view from all the windows and balconies. There’s some grey concrete jungle inbetween, but I can see nature, some greenery and trees. The weather gets rainy next week, which helps me deal with the days better. I have morning sun Continue reading “Weekend Friday Favourites” →

Lifestyle, Nature, Thought, Travel

February 2020 Snow Moon

by natjtanLeave a Comment on February 2020 Snow Moon

February’s Snow Moon was a little special for the same reason Januarys’ Wolf Moon. I got to see it from the other side of the world! Oahu, Hawaii and the Big Sur, California!

Famed with trees like a two stag beetle stand off. Or spider. Pfeiffer Beach California

I’m not sure why I or us humans like the moon. Maybe like the sun it’s its constant yet ever changing predictable presence. Maybe it’s connection to nature. Maybe as its inspired thousands of stories. Maybe it’s its mystery. Maybe it’s because the night isn’t so dark, there’s light and light always triumphs the dark.

Anyways don’t forget to look up into the sky! Both the night and day sky and dream big!

Oahu Moon. In traffic the power lines caught my eye. Only later I noticed the moon! Okay, I know this is a bad shot, however as you’ll see in the next photoIt was only two days between the two shots. Five hours apart by plane. Two locations on Earth, difference perspective. Here a Big Sur Continue reading “February 2020 Snow Moon” →