Extra Mild Shampoos and Conditioners
Posted by: ethicalchic on: March 12, 2012
Cebra ethical skincare Extra Mild Conditioners
I have created a range of very mild shampoos and conditioners for people with sensitive scalp and problem hair because I have been asked for an aromatherapy hair care range for a long time now.
The Cebra ethical skincare Extra Mild Shampoos use soap bark to cleanse your hair and scalp and wheat protein to strengthen hair and protect it from heat and environmental influences. There are 3 different versions which use a combination of essential oils that have a positive effect of each condition: mature hair, greasy scalp and itchy,flaky, dry scalp. Whilst these shampoos don’t produce a lot of lather they still are very effective cleansers. A huge amount of foam doesn’t mean your shampoo cleanses effectively – in most cases it means the addition of SLS make the shampoo foam thereby giving the impression that “the more, the better” – foam that is. All that does is dry out your hair, making it brittle and dull. Soap bark has been used for centuries to cleanse hair effectively but much more gently, without stripping it entirely of you hair’ own beneficial oils and your scalp’s (i.e. skin’s) sebum. This in turn means less itching, less flaking, regulated sebum output (especially for greasy scalps) and stronger hair that doesn’t break by just brushing it.
The Cebra ethical skinare Extra Mild Conditioner range has apricot oil (fairly traded) as one of it’s main ingredients. Apricot oil is a very light oil that coats hair follicles without weighing the hair down. It also nourishes the scalp without layering it with grease. Again there are essential oils of various origin in each type specific conditioner to match the shampoo and to support your hair’s regeneration. You will notice that your hair becomes much more manageable and soft without being weighed down or flat. It will also be better protected from heat such as from hair dryers.
All Cebra ethical skincare Extra Mild shampoos and conditioners come as 250 ml or 1000 ml volume and cost £6.50 RRP respectively £25 RRP for 1000 ml. Packaged in recycled and fully recyclable PET bottles.
All ingredients are either organic certified or grown and processed to organic principles and nothing is tested on animals, not the ingredients and not the finished product. 100% vegan and free from parabens and SLS.
Silky Body Powders
Posted by: ethicalchic on: September 15, 2011
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Silky Body Powder
I am pleased to announce a new range of silky body powders containing only 100% plant derived natural powders and flower absolutes. Launch date will be the 26th Sept. 2011.
Based on an old fashioned traditional powder recipe we are starting the range off with our luxurious Gardenia Silky Body Powder. We are using exquisite old fashioned label designs on modern jars to express the fusion of old and new. Refills will also be available to make the jars more eco friendly.
An old fashioned recycled cardboard jar specially made to hold our body powder will also be available soon. This will complete the more traditional look of the label.
The powders consist of a combination of organic arrowroot powder, organic maize starch, organic rice powder and are scented with precious essential oil absolutes (gardenia, jasmine, white lotus and rose to name just a few).
Accessories: Our large head baby brushes are the ideal tools to apply these powders to the body – eco friendly, sustainably harvested wood with super soft cruelty free goats hair bristles. Much better than powder puffs as they distribute the fine body powder more evenly onto skin and give a sensuous experience at the same time. However, we will offer a natural powder puff that can be reused (washable) as a more economic option to the powder brush and for the cost conscious customer.
Recipe for potent anti aging – anti wrinkle face mask
Posted by: ethicalchic on: September 6, 2011
Anti aging facial mask gel
If I feel that I am developing too many wrinkles and sagging skin then I use the following facial mask:
Organic Aloe Vera Seaweed Gel 92%
Tripeptide-5 2%
Nannochloropsis oculata extract with pullulan 4%
Lupine protein 2%
Mix all ingredients together in a sterile bowl or jug using a blender. Pour into an airless bottle and store in the fridge.
When making the mask you will need a piece of gauze – I am using our PureWipes and cut a hole in the middle where the nose pokes out. I don’t bother about holes for eyes and lips.
Cleanse your skin with a very mild cleanser such as our Uncover Me cleansing oil. Don’t use a toner instead apply a walnut size amount of the above gel onto your face. Moisten the gauze and put it onto your face making sure there are no air bubbles. Leave on for around 15 minutes or so. If the gauze dries out spray a little rosewater or purified water from a spray bottle over the gauze – it is important that the gauze stays relatively moist.
After 15 – 20 Minutes pull the gauze off your face starting from the chin upwards. Remove gel residue with a very gentle toner – pure rosewater is best (add a dash of glycerin which acts as a humectant). Follow with our Marula Argan Face Cream for best results.
This potent anti aging gel is available for professional use only from Cebra ethical skincare. Ask me for details if you are interested.
Natural Gel Based Hair Straightener
Posted by: ethicalchic on: August 6, 2011
Make Me Shine Hair straightening balm
I have very frizzy and curly hair that goes into a frenzy during humid weather conditions. Basically I look like a curly mop when it rains or it is about to rain. I also dye my hair (well, highlights…. Not very eco-friendly I know, but I try to use vegetable colour where possible). And as if that weren’t enough, I use hair straighteners on a daily basis as I like my hair poker straight. Sort of. I’ve got quite short hair of the pixie style…
As I don’t like silicone – it builds up on my hair and makes it dull and limp – I developed a natural straightening balm that really keeps my hair straight and protects it from too much heat at the same time. The balm is build around my aloe vera seaweed gel and contains natural additives such as mushroom extract, pseudo collagen which is derived from coconut, sea silk which is made from algae, olive bisabolol and yangu oil. A good splash of coconut glycerin acts as a humectant.
I can vouch for the effectiveness of this gel. I use it whenever I wash and blow dry my hair and I apply an extra amount when I straighten my hair. It hasn’t failed me once and my hair is soft, shiny and very healthy indeed.
Cucumber Aloe Vera Gel
If you want something even purer and you don’t use straighteners then try my Cucumber Aloe Vera Gel - a multi purpose product that acts as a super moisturizer and eye gel and can also be used as a deeply moisturising straightening gel to keep your hair smooth and
manageable. I recommend blow drying your hair – apply the gel to towel dry hair, leave your hair to dry naturally for 20 – 30 minutes (10 minutes during hot weather) and then blow dry it with a ceramic round brush. I guarantee super sleek hair without the need for straighteners.
Common and exotic natural skin exfoliants
Posted by: ethicalchic on: August 3, 2011
The advantage of natural (raw i.e. dry) exfoliants is that there are no preservatives present and most of them should come fairly cheap – if you buy them from a reputable source then natural plant-based scrubs would have been screened for toxins, impurities and refined and filtered before being packaged and sold as cosmetics.
Clays for example are excellent skin exfoliators and have been used for centuries to cleanse skin and eliminate impurities. There are various clay versions which all have a specific effect on various types of skin, from extremely sensitive skin to skin plagued by acne. There is green clay, pink clay, red clay and yellow clay. Then there is Fullers Earth, Kaolin and Rhassoul clay. The list is nigh on endless as far as clays are concerned and so are the possibilities…. use them as masks, mixed with lotion for a softer effect and as pure scrubs which you wash off with water straight after use (as opposed to masks which you leave on for anything from 2 to 10 minutes).
A relatively new and more exotic exfoliant – at least to me – is mesquite flour. This flour was a common food staple up until the 1920s and has is just now making a comeback as an alternative to wheat intolerance. It has a high protein, low-glycemic content and is gluten free. The dietary fibre content in mesquite flour is 25%. It is rich in calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc and lysine which is known to fight herpes. Mesquite flour has a sweet, nutty taste. I have used mesquite as a facial scrub in the past and found it to be excellent for very sensitive skin (rosacea for example). Just mix the flour with some rosewater, apply to clean, damp skin and massage in lightly, leave on for a minute or so and wash off with plenty of lukewarm water. Follow with a facial spritz and a nourishing cream.
Another “exotic” scrub is sodium bicarbonate. I say exotic because I had no idea I could use it to exfoliate my skin. Thinking about it is logical – sodium bicarbonate softens hard water and is used widely in toothpaste and other cosmetics. You just mix a tablespoon of sodium bicarbonate with 3 – 4 tablespoons of rosewater, apply to clean skin, lightly massage in and wash off immediately with lots of warm water. I prefer to use it in the shower as this gets rid of all the fine grains which may otherwise be left on my skin. Not unpleasant but I don’t like my skin to feel like sandpaper hence I use this scrub in the shower. I then use a toner and a nourishing day cream – it leaves skin supple and glowing. Not for very sensitive skin I hasten to add, more suitable to normal and combination skin types.
Cebra Microderm Polishing Gel - available on request
If you feel very adventurous and brave then you can use very finely powdered pumice stone. I am offering a microderm polishing gel that contains pumice powder and it is an excellent and very safe exfoliant for oily and combination skin. I prefer to use it that way because I find that the aloe seaweed gel carries the pumice powder ver well and application and use is made so much easier. However, if you suffer from very rough heels then try and use the pumice powder dampened with a little bit of water, scrub your feet vigorously, wash off and follow with a foot cream. It keeps dry and cracking skin at bay for days and weeks if used regularly!
There is also sandalwood powder available now as a mild exfoliant. However I wouldn’t recommend it as sandalwood is now faced with extinction due to demand for sandalwood essential oil which has led to a decimation of the plant in India and personally I don’t want to contribute to a further decline of the trees.
There are also other plant derived exfoliants such as olive kernels, peach kernels, almond shells and many more and it is a case of personal preference to which type of natural exfoliant you use but all of them can be used on their own or suspended in a light lotion. Just make sure you use you own concoction straight away as plant-based (botanical) and other added ingredients cause your lotions or gels to deteriorate quickly if you do not add adequate preservatives – you don’t want to end up with a nasty rash or worse, an infection because you couldn’t see the mould or bacteria that formed in your homemade scrub. If in doubt use a ready made scrub that lists all ingredients.
Pros and Cons of Eco Friendly Labels
Posted by: ethicalchic on: July 15, 2011
New recycled paper labels printed with eco friendly inks
We are switching to recycled paper labels printed with eco friendly ink and they are bio degradable as opposed to vinyl labels which are detrimental to the environment and wildlife and don’t decompose. This means that our labels aren’t waterproof. Please bear this in mind as the drawback of these labels is that they may run and peel when introduced to water or very damp areas (such as showers).
If you are very unhappy with this new approach then please let us know. The more feedback we get from our customers the better service we can offer and improve our packaging and quality of our products. Please don’t hesitate and email me any time with your suggestions and ideas.
Marula Argan Lotion
Posted by: ethicalchic on: July 14, 2011
Argan nuts
Exiting news – a new super lotion is in the making here at Cebra ethical skincare. I am so thrilled with our marula oil that I decided to create a “power” lotion packed with anti oxidants and skin protecting ingredients and all based on two major oils: marula and argan oil. A good dollop of nilotica shea butter plus Ghanaian shea butter will give the lotion that sumptuously silky and smooth feeling and make it creamy yet quick to sink in.
The new lotion will be unscented and is therefore suitable for even the most sensitive of skins. Ideal as a daily moisturizer and make-up remover – those of you who buy my products regularly will know that I strive to make each skincare product multi use and this new marula argan lotion is no exemption. It may also be used as a deep conditioning hair mask / pre shampoo hair conditioner – ideal for coarse, dry and frizzy hair as it smooths the hair follicles and leaves your hair shiny and manageable.
The argan oil that I am using in this lotion is organic certified and completely unrefined – and of course fair trade. You cannot get better than that! You can find further information about argan oil on the wikipedia site – click here.
If you really want to pamper your skin, protect it and nourish it then the new Cebra marula argan lotion is a must. Well worth the money as it is fresh and made to order and it contains the best ingredients that nature has on offer. Your skin will thank you for it.
Launch date: 15th August 2011. 250ml in recycled PET bottle with recyclable lotion pump. Anticipated retail price: £14.95.
Pure Unrefined Marula Oil
Posted by: ethicalchic on: July 8, 2011
Ripe marula fruits
Unrefined marula oil is something of a wonder moisturizer for dry and cracked skin. The fruit itself is very versatile and edible. It is made into beer and liqueur in southern parts of Africa where the trees are abundant. The oil from the seeds is of a clear yellow colour with a slight brown tinge and has a slightly nutty aroma. Its value for the cosmetic industry lies in its high anti oxidant and free radical scavenging properties that improves skin hydration, smoothness and reduces redness. Marula oil is high in oleic acid which plays an important part in maintaining healthy skin. Marula oil is very stable and has a long shelf life and it can safely be used around the eyes which most other oils can’t.
Use marula oil as a daily moisturizer, to treat rosacea, rough and dry skin and dull and aging skin. It can also be used on babies and toddlers and the oil is perfect as a base oil for massage.
I am launching our own unrefined, organic, cold pressed, fairtrade marula oil (from Swaziland) in 50ml bottles at a price of £6.95 per bottle on 10th July 2011.
Black Soap Bars
Posted by: ethicalchic on: May 27, 2011
Black soap from Ghana is such a wonderful cleanser. It is made with lots of raw shea butter, coconut oil and banana ash. It cleanses skin without drying it out, deals with impurities, produces a lovely lather and normally comes unscented (but it does have a mild earthy aroma).
Black soap from Ghana
Ordinarily you receive a rather big lump of soap when you buy in bulk. Or lots of small lumps in a large paper bag. You can easily form soap bars by either cutting pieces off the large lump or taking lots of smaller pieces, put them into a glass bowl, add a bit of spring water ( 2 – 3 tbsp) and put the whole lot into the microwave. Cover with a glass lid or plate and melt for 1 minute. You don’t want a mashy globb – just a gooey consistency. Take the bowl out of the microwave and mix the contents with a fork. Then take a spoon and press the soap into your soap form (mine is made of wood, but an aluminium cast will do just as well). Smooth out the top and leave the soap to cool. I put mine in the fridge if I can’t wait or if it is hot (i.e. in the summer).
Check after a couple of hours and if the soap has hardened take the form, run a blunt knife around the edges and the soap should come out of the form (you may have to turn the form over and lightly knock it onto your counter top for the soap to come out). Then take a large sharp knife and cut the block of soap into pieces as required.
And there you have them – nice square soap bars (or round ones if you use preformed silicone soap forms).
New EcoCert and Cosmos approved preservative system
Posted by: ethicalchic on: May 10, 2011
I have just been told that there is a new natural preservative available for small scale producers that is EcoCert and Cosmos certified. The new preservative contains: Benzyl Alcohol, Salicylic Acid, Glycerine, Sorbic Acid which makes it unsuitable for baby products (as it contains salicylic acidc) but an excellent alternative preservative for all other products, even detergents (shampoos, hand washes etc.).
This preservative offers broad spectrum protection against bacteria, yeast and moulds and is a non-paraben, non-formaldehyde, non-isothiazolone based preservative system. It is widely accepted globally and ha s a low odour which makes it ideal for use in unscented or fragrance free skincare products but also for use with delicate essential oils. It can also be used over a wide spectrum of ph values (three to eight) which means in most products one does not need to introduce lactic or citric acid as a ph regulator.
Make Me Smile Shampoo and Bodywash
I am in the process of changing the Make Me Smile shampoo and bodywash by replacing the ingredients with EcoCert approved ingredients and I shall use the new preservative to find out whether it works. I keep you posted.
