After trawling through various paint companies’ claims about low or no VOCs (volatile organic compounds) – the odourless toxins that conventional paint can give off for years after the paint has dried on the walls – I went for the most credible sounding company Ecos Organic Paints. VOCs have been linked to respiratory problems and I was also keen to avoid synthetic paint for skin sensitivity reasons. – Note that Ecos is not certified organic as no certification exists for organic paints – organic in this sense just means that the paint contains natural mineral colours and no synthetic chemicals.

And yesterday I received an email from Ecos for the first time in four years (certainly not overload on direct marketing!) which announced that they had launched a new line of textured paint. This new range called Architects Paint took 6 years to develop and can apparently create a tactile stone-like surface very similar in appearance to natural limestone or sandstone.

I wanted to let you know about this company because there is a lot of ‘green wash’ about paint and I was also really pleased with the results with Ecos in my house. Granted, I only painted in white, but I’ve found the walls really easy to wipe clean after the odd spillage or when sticky handprints have found their way onto the paintwork. Ecos paint was also easy to apply and completely odourless – what a joy.

The absence of fumes and odours is one reason why Ecos claim to have attracted their largest client yet – the Louvre in Paris! The fumes in conventional paints apparently cause corrosion, discolouration and eventual destruction of precious artefacts – not ideal for the Mona Lisa.

If you’d like more information, here’s Ecos’ website www.ecosorganicpaints.co.uk. I think they’re a great choice for people with sensitive skin or for those who are just looking for a healthier, more environmentally-friendly type of paint. Ecos paint is available by mail order.

We receive a number of requests from distribution companies in China looking for organic skin care. In fact a lovely Chinese lady who sells to health stores contacted me this week. I had to give her the same answer as the others – until China changes their animal testing laws, we aren’t willing to sell Essential Care into China.

What’s going on? China stands out as the only major country worldwide that insists on cosmetics products being tested on animals. A European Union law on animal testing came into force in March this year which bans animal testing on all new cosmetics and their ingredients sold in the EU. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that what’s already on the shelves in Europe isn’t tested on animals. Major skin care brands that sell in China can get round this because they ‘have to’ test on animals to satisfy Chinese authorities.

Ricky Gervais brought a welcome shower of publicity to this last summer, hitting out at cosmetics companies that he claimed had abandoned their ethics in order to sell their products in markets such as China. Peter Dinklage has now joined the list of celebrities bringing awareness to the cause.

And an Australian consumer watchdog Choice has just conducted a report which illustrates that several popular cosmetic companies aren’t being honest with customers about their animal testing policies. Choice sent in mystery shoppers to approach cosmetics sales staff in Australia. It claimed sales people at the counters of brands like Dior, MAC and Lancôme were unaware of their brands’ policies on animal testing as well as current Chinese legislation on animal testing.

Quite a few natural and organic skin care brands are taking the same line as us with regard to selling in China. We don’t see why animals should ever have to suffer in the interest of consumer products, particularly as the testing might not yield the same results as in humans. We also think that cosmetics ingredients should never be potentially that unsafe that they can’t be tested on humans. And there are plenty of ways to test products in a laboratory on fake human skin.

Meanwhile millions of consumers in China aren’t able to enjoy the benefits of good natural skin care because the best brands are staying away. The nice lady from China who contacted me this week said that the Chinese government will publish a new policy about imported personal care products soon. This new content is apparently mainly about animal testing, so let’s hope good sense prevails…

The healing power of plants has long been known, but research avenues into natural skin care applications are now really opening up, or blossoming, if you'll pardon the pun...sorry it's Friday. Any way, there is some remarkable evidence on the skin benefits of plant extracts which I hope to share with you in a new blog series soon.

After a morning listening to all the exciting research into anti-ageing potential of various plant extracts, one enduring memory I will have of the symposium is a visit to the College's medicinal garden. Dr Henry Oakeley is the Garden Fellow with the loudspeaker and ascerbic wit who gave us a guided tour. He is a hilarious walking encyclopaedia of the plant kingdom. And he goes by the mantra of 'plants aren't necessarily always good for you'. In fact listening to him for half an hour could make you very careful about touching unknown leaves and roots again! He certainly underlined the importance leaving the formulating, extracting and remedying to the experts.

Nestled into the outskirts of Regent's Park, the Medicinal Garden is remarkable if not just for the size to plant species ratio. The plants - 1300 species in all - line the car park, and are gradually eating into the smallish lawn in the college grounds.

The full 2 hour tour takes place on the first Wednesday of the month at 2pm. It is free of charge and incredibly worthwhile, especially for the dose of humour from Dr Oakeley.

The CEW awards are the beauty industry's Oscars and just to be in the final and beat a number of high street brands along the way was quite something. In the Eco category we were up against giants of the sector in the form of Melvita (the winners), Intelligent Nutrients, and Weleda, all of whom are many orders of magnitude larger than us. Thank you to the judges and category sponsors Givaudan for getting us this far.

CEW raises a lot of money for cancer charities and a considerable donation was made at today's event to the Eve Appeal. It's fantastic that the beauty industry can unite and put the focus of an awards ceremony on this extremely worthwhile cause.

More about the awards will be published in YOU magazine on Sunday. 

And finally just wanted to share the quote by Frederic Fekkai on the table cards as it made me smile: "Spend more less time in the mirror and more time feeling wonderful!" A good thought for a hopefully sunny weekend!

Eczema still affects me - particularly cold weather or stress levels can trigger itchy hands, and my daughter has inherited the family tendency to eczema-prone skin.

But are we any closer to knowing what causes eczema or how to treat it? This week is National Allergy Week and of all the allergy-related conditions, I wanted to put the spotlight on this irritating – in more ways than one – condition.

Eczema is tricky because it has so many causes. Scientists at the University of Oregon State recently found that eczema may be due to a malfunctioning protein which is a genetically inherited condition. But as yet no cure or permanent solution for eczema has been found and we are still in a situation where minimising and managing it is the best we can do.

Some people can live with eczema-prone skin - without suffering outbreaks, and indeed many people grow out of childhood eczema. The key is knowing what your specific triggers or allergens are. But the triggers of eczema are widespread – I mentioned climatic conditions and stress, but there are many others: dairy products, wheat, cats and other animals, bacteria, synthetic chemicals (particularly fragrance and harsh detergents) in cosmetics and cleaning products, dust, road pollution, too much washing, the list goes on.

The best advice we believe is to keep a diary of outbreaks and healthy phases, noting what you eat, what you’ve done on that particular day and where you’ve been, so that you can establish a trend Allergy testing if you can persuade a doctor to invest in it, is also worthwhile. This can be particularly useful for identifying allergies to food such as dairy or wheat.

As well as the above allergens, we would also suggest being wary of aqueous cream which is routinely prescribed by doctors. A recent study found that it can actually make the symptoms of eczema worse. It is mistakenly prescribed as a moisturiser when it fact it was originally developed as a soap. Being alkaline - whereas the skin has a naturally low pH (mildly acidic) - it can break down the skin’s natural barrier if left on as a cream. This is exacerbated in children whose skin is thinner than adult skin. So other than being cheap aqueous cream really doesn’t have much benefit.

What is universally agreed upon is that people with eczema need a good moisturiser because they do not produce enough natural oil in their skin, so it tends to become dry, cracked and irritated.

There is then some discord on what’s the best moisturiser for eczema. Most GPs are still of the opinion that a liquid paraffin cream is beneficial. Those in the natural camp like us would vehemently disagree! We believe that until the miracle cure is found, reducing your allergen exposure* and good natural skin care is the key to keeping eczema at bay:

Good quality plant oils rich in skin-soluble vitamins help to replenish dry, damaged skin. ‘Dead’ oils like liquid paraffin or mineral oil provide no nutritional benefit and can provide an occlusive layer that stops the skin from breathing. Plant extracts have demonstrated genuine benefits in reducing inflammation and helping skin repair – there is particularly good documented evidence around certain extracts of aloe vera, virgin coconut oil, calendula and chamomile. Anecdotally there is a growing body of evidence too. We receive amazing testimonials from customers who have seen excellent results after switching from ‘conventional’ to natural ways of managing allergy-prone skin.

For more info and suggestions around this topic, have a look at our full information sheet on eczema.

*With skincare it’s crucial to avoid a moisturiser, or any toiletries or household cleaning products that contain ingredients unsuitable for sensitive skin. Artificial fragrance (usually denoted on the label as parfum) and sulphate detergents are two of the major culprits but there are unfortunately many others. Certified organic skincare is usually the safest route for peace of mind.

As the weather improves, so does the skin’s circulation and cell turnover. This increased activity and self-generated moisture means that most skins require a lighter, less rich moisturiser than during winter. In natural skincare, this means moisturisers that use lighter base oils like jojoba, sunflower and coconut oils.

As you know, we are big fans of coconut oil and use it in a number of Essential Care products (it's also a favourite of mine to roast potatoes in, but that's another story!). Recently I was writing about the importance of coconut oil quality and that we are very particular about where our coconut oil comes from. But it's the sunny weather benefits of coconut oil in skin care that are also very interesting. -

Coconut oil in particular provides excellent skin care in warmer climates as it is light, non-greasy and easily absorbed. There’s a reason that women in Sri Lanka and the Philippines just use coconut oil every day on their typically healthy, youthful skin (despite the sun) – and it’s not just to do with a local abundance of coconut trees! Being a saturated ‘fat’ it is very resistant to being oxidised by sunlight and will protect the skin against skin-aging and damaging free radical generation and help it stay firm and elastic. The antioxidants in virgin coconut oil also reinforce the scavenging of free radicals. Note that it isn’t recommended to use coconut oil alone as a sun-screen like Filipino women do, but there is increasing evidence that it does offer some sun-screening properties.

Coconut oil is also unique amongst oils as one of its main medium-chain fatty acids, lauric acid has been shown in peer-reviewed studies to help with skin problems like acne and eczema due to its antibacterial action. One of our customers even claimed that the Coconut Candy Scrub had cleared her eczema. Coconut oil is for sure an excellent ingredient for sensitive skin.

But finally, be sure that the skin care you choose uses organic and non-chemically refined coconut oil as the vitamin content, and thus its beneficial properties, will be at the highest. 

If you feel like freshening up your skincare collection for spring, here are some ideal Essential Care products where coconut is a key ingredient: -

Creamy Coconut Cleanser - remove airborne dirt, makeup and tired skin cells gently but effectively without drying.

Organic Rose Moisturiser - the utlimate antioxidant face and eye cream with virgin coconut oil, jojoba, sea buckthorn and 3 precious extracts of organic rose.

Organic Coconut Candy Scrub - an exquisite body scrub packed with vitamins and glycolic acid to prepare your skin for summer. - For gentle face exfoliation, try our Honey & Oat Soap or 2 in 1 Purifying Mint Mask.

Gentle Herb Shampoo / Tea Tree & Herb Shampoo - packed with organic coconut amd biodynamic herbs, our shampoos are not just brilliant cleansers, but also a 2-in-1 conditioning product too, particularly for those with itchy or sensitive scalps. 

Savoury nibbles time. I have to admit I was drawn to this particular brand of crackers and biscuits by the packaging (I wish it wasn’t the case because it should be the product inside that’s most important…but); the box illustrations are really beautiful.

Golden Apple is a Slovenian brand producing Organic Raw Crackers as well as a Raw Wild Garlic Pesto which is to die for. As well as being very nutritious, they are apparently suitable for vegans, diabetics and people with gluten intolerance. The parent company of the brand, Azimut Vester seems to have done some wonderful work in sustainability in Slovenia and clearly has its heart in the right place. I don’t know where or if the crackers are available in the UK yet, but I hope they’ll be taken on at some point by the organic food connoisseurs like Riverford or Abel & Cole.

The main course option is pizza by What on Earth hand-made in a London pizza kitchen. I’m still a bit surprised I’ve never come across this brand before, because they have been around for 15 years and their pizzas are apparently legendary. And with reason. They’re seriously tasty. I’d go as far as to say the best pizza I’ve ever eaten. Somehow just being organic makes them feel healthy, but there’s also a lightness to the bases and fresh, succulence to the topping that erodes any rationale for guilt on pizza pigging. Riverford, Abel and Cole, Ocado, please stock these pizzas, they are fantastic.

As a quick entry for the pre-dessert are these golden berries.

They looked to me like candied Mirabelle plums, but apparently there’s a difference and they are a South American variety. The downside is the food miles of course. Very yummy any way. Available in health food stores.

What on Earth get my overwhelming vote again for pudding.

This is exquisite organic chocolate cheesecake and scrumptious carrot cake made in What on Earth’s organic patisserie in Somerset. What I love most about these desserts - apart from the delicious flavour and creaminess of the cheese and the carrot cake topping - is that they’re not too sweet. Bravo. Finally a brand that gets it right. The box designs are really fun too. (Alarm bells ringing that I’m becoming a packaging junky…)

And finally to top off the tasting menu, some petits fours. Enter Booja Booja. This gourmet dairy-free chocolate manufacturer from our neighbouring county of Norfolk has deservedly grown and grown since starting in 1999. Their champagne truffles are the favourites at Essential Care.

A hit of intense chocolate with an ever-surprising punch of something much stronger. To be savoured. Availability is mostly online (Ocado, A Lot of Chocolate).

Hope I haven’t made you too peckish. 

Lucky me also got the opportunity to discover and sample some wonderful emerging products in the organic world. I thought you might like to hear about my pick of the best of the bunch, so over the next couple of days I’ll bring you a couple of blog posts about what’s new and great in organic – from chocolate to fabric softener!

And it’s with cleaning products that I’d like to begin. Meet Christina Hawkes from Greenscents.

She was motivated to create her own organic cleaning range for similar reasons as Margaret with Essential Care – a family with eczema-prone and sensitive skin. Christina found that cleaning products were a particular problem and set out to create something better. Fast forward to 2012 and Greenscents became the only Soil Association certified producer of a whole range of organic laundry and household supplies.

Their lovely ingredients include cocoa butter and jojoba oil to protect and rehydrate the skin, organic aloe vera, and seaweed extract to help skin moisture. Rather than harsh detergents they use natural saponins such as soapwort.

And this is not something produced in a huge factory – Greenscents make their own products in a workshop in Somerset using pure local Exmoor water.

So I have never been as eager as I was on Monday night for my children to smear dinner all over our glass dining table so I could clean it and test out the powers of the Lavender Multi-surface Cleansing Spray.

I can happily report that firstly my children fulfilled their role of creating plenty of mess, but that also the Greenscents spray performed just as well if not better than other natural and conventional cleaning products that I’ve tried.

Other good news is that the packaging is rather lovely. So if you tend to leave cleaning sprays out of the cupboard like I do, not only is it no problem if little fingers actuate the spray nozzle, but also it will not ruin the aesthetics of your room!

I'm clearly not the only person who loves these natural cleaning products. Greenscents' Organic Creamy Polish was a Finalist in the Natural and Organic Products Europe awards this year. With 297 entrants that's really not bad. And that follows another finalist spot last year for the Minty Laundry Conditioner.

Find out more about and order products from Greenscents at www.greenscents.co.uk

Essential Care’s makeup range is one of three finalists in the Eco Award category. It’s quite an achievement as the products not only had to demonstrate innovation and progress in all aspects of sustainability, but also perform... And as a not-very-big-company, we were particularly thrilled to have beaten major high street and international brands into the final.

Followers of this blog will know that our makeup is one of Margaret’s proudest achievements. It took years of research not only to find sustainable packaging, but also to create lipsticks, mascaras, concealers and eyeshadows that create beautiful colour and benefit the skin. Each and every makeup product is 100% natural and contains at least seven organic active ingredients.

Raw certified organic and Fairtrade shea butter in the lipsticks and eye pencils made these the first UK makeup products ever to achieve Fairtrade status. And the mascara, lipsticks and eyeshadows were the first ever to be certified to Soil Association organic standards.

So we keep our fingers crossed that we might be lucky enough to win on April 26^th… Our concealer also has another chance at a prize having been shortlisted for the Free From Skincare Awards.

The first is kind of a cheat as it’s a present to myself. - I’d had a couple of big meetings in France last week and in advance I went online shopping at my favourite clothing label, the wonderful People Tree. Just have a look at this gorgeous ‘Stella’ black dress – certified organic and Fairtrade. The stretch cotton is just so soft and the fit is great. Highly recommended! What always amazes me about People Tree is that despite not having the supply chain advantages of ‘fast fashion’ – because organic / Fairtrade clothing just doesn’t work like that they still manage to create on-trend clothes.

The lovely thing about having a mum who formulates gorgeous skincare products is that a parcel can turn up on my doorstep one day with a new product to try. What arrived on my birthday wasn’t exactly a new product, but a personal favourite –a custom-made rose bodywash. Yummy! Now I have for sometime being persuading Margaret to launch this as part of the Essential Care bodywash range rather than just give to me for Christmas and birthdays, but as she rightly points out, it is somewhat extravagant to put incredibly expensive organic rose damascene oil down the plughole. But oh it’s nice as a treat... (Let us know if this is something you’d like!)

And last but very not least came some sporty presents from hubby - a much needed sports watch for my brain-oxygenating runs around Richmond Park and a thermal top to combat this ongoing ridiculously cold weather! And finally the most adorable piece of artwork from my daughter...