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mens vegan shaving

Men’s shaving oil: vegan & organic for a perfect shave

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Here at Heavenly Organics Skin Care we love to create men’s skin care products which are not only great for you, but also the planet.

Unlike so many skin care products out there which are full of rubbish that we would never want to see anywhere near the skin, or even on the planet, ours are 100% vegan and completely organic!

razor
Photo by marykbaird at Morguefile.com

We’re particularly proud of our men’s shaving oil, which is made with a blend of the finest organic grapeseed oils and essential oils and will give you a close shave and leave your skin feeling super smooth.

The oil we use is non-comedogenic. Comedogenic means pore clogging and that’s not something we we want on our face.

The skin will easily accept and absorb this oil as if it were its own natural sebum. It’s also great at softening bristles, effectively preparing your facial hair for a smooth, close shave.

For great skin we should avoid shaving foam, because a product that foams generally means that it contains sodium lauryl sulphate, which is a known skin irritant.

Despite the fact that this ingredient is very harsh on the body and is often one people will try to avoid, it’s in many products – even toothpaste. By using our shaving oil you’ll avoid sodium lauryl sulphate completely and your skin will thank you for not using this harsh skin irritant.

Heavenly Organics shaving oil is really simple to use.

Before shaving we advise exfoliating the skin, as exfoliating removes the top layer of dead skin cells as well as additional toxins, which gives your razor and shaving oil a ‘clean slate’ and makes hair removal easier. If you’re looking for a men’s exfoliator we recommend choosing one of our organic exfoliating facial scrubs, which are gentle on the skin while effectively removing dead skin cells.

Once you’ve exfoliated simply wet the face, apply a small amount of oil to the face, and shave! It’ll give a close shave and leave your skin thoroughly moisturised. What’s more, there’s no clogging up of the razor either.

barber sop
Photo by jschumacher at Morguefile.com

To top up the moisture of your skin in the days after your shave, we recommend a product from our face care range. Our eye and face cream is the perfect men’s moisturiser, soothing, softening, nourishing and protecting your skin.

It’s made with delicate ingredients which are rich in vitamins and antioxidants, and will give your eyes and face that extra care.

Our unscented eye and face cream is particularly suitable for men who would like to moisturise without the aroma of chamomile, lavender or geranium.

The unscented cream is also perfect for those who experience sensitivity to the aromatic essential oils used in our fragranced facial skin care products.

We’ve had lots of great feedback on our men’s skin care products. Mr Heavenly Organics, who can be difficult to convert, uses our orange and grapefruit shaving oil to shave not only his face, but his head too! He loves the smooth results provided by our shaving oil, and says he wouldn’t go back to using shaving foam.

We would also like to make it clear that we do not discriminate against the hirsute! For men who prefer a hairier look, our beard oils will leave beards soft, nourished and smelling delightful!

Try our men’s exfoliator, moisturiser and shaving oil today. If you have any questions at all about these products, simply drop us a line and we’ll be very happy to answer them.

shrewsbury vegan fair

Shrewsbury Vegan Fair: Information & Stalls

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Last year’s vegan fair in Shrewsbury was a huge success, with around 2000 people turning up to sample the array of vegan goodies on offer.

Heavenly Organics couldn’t make it last year but we’re really looking forward to holding a stall at this year’s fair, which takes place on Saturday August 4th at The Morris Hall in Shrewsbury and promises to be the biggest vegan Shrewsbury fair to date.

 

shrewsbury vegan fair
Shrewsbury Vegan Fair 2017 was a great success! Photo: facebook.com/absolutelyveganmarketstall

 

You can find The Morris Hall at Bellstone,  Shrewsbury, SY1 1JB, Shropshire PLEASE NOTE THE NEW VENUE ADDRESS! The vegan fair starts at 10 a.m and runs until 4 p.m.

There’ll be a wide variety of hot and cold food, cakes, books, clothing, jewellery and gift stalls in the theatre itself, whilst outside in The Square you’ll find charity and vegan information stalls. The outside stalls will be open before 10 a.m. so there’ll be plenty to do if you arrive at the event early.

There are free goody bags on offer for the first 100 people through the doors of the The Wightman, and the organisers say that if you’d like one you should turn up nice and early! The fair is completely free entry, and there’ll be lots of samples to try on the day as well.

Here’s a rundown of stallholders who’ll be at the fair:

 

• Good Carma Foods (alternative, whole food, dairy free products)

•  Deb’s Pantry (bakery specialising in vegan cakes and treats)

• Absolutely Vegan (vegan food)

• V Active (vegan books, mugs, tshirts and more)

• Lakeside Ethical Treats (natural, organic, fairtrade, local and vegan sweets and chocolates)

• Shropshire Veggies and Vegans (vegetarian and vegan group)

• The Ginger Cow (vegan cuisine)

• The Tipsy Badger (vegan bags made mostly from recycled materials)

• Shrewsbury Wellbeing Hypnotherapy (hypnotherapy and hypnosis)

• Shropshire Badger Group (network committed to protecting badgers)

• Happi Bakes (baked goods)

• IUVO Skincare (organic vegan skin care)

• Viva La Vegan (vegan clothing and accessories)

• Zainz Catering (traditional South East Asian food)

• The Pie Parlour and Bakery (gluten, dairy and egg free foods including vegan goods)

• Trishual (raw chocolate maker)

• Wear Your Voice (vegan and animal rights tshirts)

• Top Bathbombing (luxury bath bombs, hand made soaps and essential oils)

• Plant Bites (Wholefood, vegan, healthy snacks)

• Clean & Natural (organic skin and hair products)

• Enrichd (plant-based whole food supplements and superfoods)

• Butterbelle (all natural nut and seed spreads)

• Wolverhampton Vegans (vegan group)

• Anonymous For The Voiceless (vegan activism)

• Nature’s Kitchen (Sweet and savoury treats inspired by worldly cuisine)

• Fundraising stalls for vegan charities Veganuary and Animal Free Research UK

 

For more information you can find the Facebook event page for Shrewsbury Vegan Fair here.

Let’s celebrate vegan Shrewsbury! We’re really looking forward to seeing you all there!

 

 

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Skin conditions and how to treat them, naturally

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Our skin is the largest organ of our bodies yet it so often woefully neglected. Formed of two layers – the epidermis (consisting of 3 different layers), then underneath that the hypodermis or subcutaneous fatty tissue.

What are the skin’s functions?

The skin’s three functions are protection, regulation and sensation.

 

Protection: to protect the rest of the body from harm by acting as a barrier in different ways such as a barrier from temperature, external chemicals and anything that may cause our internal organs harm.  In essence it provides a level of immunity for our internal organs.

Regulation: the skin regulates body temperature by sweat, by altering the fluid balance, and by hair by altering the circulation (when we go goose pimply when we’re cold). It also synthesises vitamin D from the sun. Sweat also helps to eliminate unwanted bodily toxins.  Blood flow is regulated in the skin in accordance with the temperature to ensure the body’s core temperature remains stable.

Sensation: the skin contains nerve cells which send information to the rest of the body if changes are necessary. It also has receptors for heat, cold, touch and pain.

The skin is an amazing organ and it needs to be cared for in order to function well.  The skin often gives us a tell-tale sign of what is occurring inside our bodies. For example, if our body is allergic to something, if it is under stress, hormones are out of balance, if it has been threatened by an external factor.

 

treat skin conditions naturally

How can I naturally care for my skin?

Caring from within is essential with good nutrition, relaxation and sleep but also caring externally is equally imperative.

We encounter many customers who have struggled with various skin ailments.  Whilst our products aren’t dermatologically tested to help with specific skin conditions because of the extra costs involved, they do contain natural, organic ingredients that work harmoniously with the body to help it heal.  Our customers are our proof and many have reported results with our products.

Here’s a few skin conditions that our products should be able to assist with, naturally.

Eczema /Psoriasis

The baby and body butters both contain a huge amount of shea butter which is a key ingredient that penetrates the dermal layers of the skin to heal deep within, hydrates the skin, provides anti-oxidants and reduces irritation and inflammation.

Click here to read one customer’s amazing review on how by using our Chamomile Baby Butter – she managed to get her child off steroids and antibiotics! This is why we do what we do.

 

Scarring & Stretch Marks

Again our body butters are heroes when it comes to scarring.  Shea butter hails again as it restores natural elasticity in the skin and improves the production of collagen. Many of our customers have reported dramatic results in scarring.

Keratoris Pilaris

This is a skin condition that I am all too familiar with.  It is also known as chicken skin because that is how it looks; little bumps on the skin, often on the backs of arms and legs and look like goose bumps and rough skin.  It is caused by the body creating an excess of the protein keratin which surrounds and blocks the hair follicles creating hard ‘plugs’.

As a kid people used to ask me if I was cold and I’d say yes because I was embarrassed about how my skin looked.  There does appear to be a strong link to gluten and keratosis pilaris and I wish I’d known this  decades ago. I certainly see a difference when I am strict and eliminate gluten from my diet.  Also the sun helps my skin.  But in addition to this, my life saver is our Detoxifying Face & Body Mask.  Containing bentonite clay which draws excess toxins from the skin by its negative charge when combined with water, immediate results can be seen and felt in the smoothness of the skin.  Of course, it draws out any unwanted toxins, whilst also putting ‘good stuff’ back into the skin.  It really is a wonder-clay.

Acne

Acne can be caused by a variety of issues such as diet, hormonal imbalances and even stress.  Whilst we highly recommend addressing that root cause, thankfully we have many products that can assist in combatting acne.  Firstly we would recommend products that contain tea tree (if your body isn’t too sensitive to it) or rose geranium as both essential oils are excellent for treating acne.  F

Firstly, our facial scrub.  This can be used up to twice a week and gently exfoliates and sloughs away the dead skin cells, clearing out the pores and smoothing out the complexion, allowing the skin to breathe.

Detoxifying Face & Body Mask.  As mentioned above, this mask draws out toxins from the body and puts goodness back in. It is extremely powerful and effective and can help reduce acne no end.  Like the facial scrub, we recommend using this up to twice a week and can be used  on alternate days to the facial scrub.

Cleanser

Our clay based cleanser is suitable for daily use and gently purifies, detoxifies and unclogs the pores whilst absorbing excess sebum (oil) from the skin.  These actions alone naturally help fight and prevent acne.

 

If you have any questions or would like to discuss anything in this article, feel free to contact us! We’ll be delighted to help.

 

carrot cruncher

Check Out These 7 Amazing Ethical Stores & Retailers

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Here at Heavenly Organics Skin Care we love to support ethical retailers who are also dedicated to selling sustainable products and making a positive change for humans, animals, and the planet. That’s why we’ve put together a shortlist of our favourite independent ethical stores – who also just so happen to stock our vegan, organic skin care products!

 

ethical wares

 

Ethical Wares

Ethical Wares is a 100% vegan footwear, clothing and lifestyle accessories store offering over 500 entirely cruelty-free products. Ethical Wares are also very careful to source responsibly made goods, with many of their products carrying the FairTrade mark.

What’s more, the shop’s income goes towards funding the care of 50 animals who live with the store owners in Wales, a huge family who include goats, sheep, pigs, horses, cats, dogs, rabbits – and even Aunt Dotty the cow!

https://www.ethicalwares.com

 

Brontosaurus Vegan Lifestyle Store

 

Brontosaurus Vegan Lifestyle Store

Just like their dinosaur namesake this Swansea-based grocery and lifestyle store is passionate about plants! Brontosaurus Vegan Lifestyle Store is 100% vegan and sells not only plant-based food but also nutritional supplements, cosmetics, toiletries, household products and much more.

The store can be found at Swansea’s Indoor Market on Oxford Street in the city centre, and is open from 9.30 to 16:30, Monday to Saturday.

https://www.facebook.com/pg/brontosaurusvegan

 

carrot cruncher

 

Carrot Cruncher

If you’re looking for delicious organic and locally produced food in Carmarthenshire, Wales, look no further than the aptly-named Carrot Cruncher! The store sells a range of fresh local fruit and vegetables, as well as oils and vinegars, breads and cakes, and much more.

Carrot Cruncher is open daily between 10:00 and 17:00 and you’ll find the shop on Sycamore Street in Newcastle Emlyn.

https://www.facebook.com/Carrot-Cruncher-1993583520859158

 

cariad wholefoods

 

Cariad Wholefoods

An independent store located in Blandford Forum, Dorset, Cariad Wholesfoods specialises in – you guessed it – wholefoods! Cariad are passionate about selling organic, plant-based, responsibly sourced and ethically produced goods and they also strive to support local producers whenever possible. Vegans can shop safe in the knowledge that everything Cariad sells is 100% plant-based.

Cariad is located in the Georgian Passage, East Street, Blandford Forum and the shop is open Monday to Friday 10:00 to 17.30 and Saturday 9.30 to 17:00.

https://www.cariadwholefoods.com

 

friendly foods

 

Friendly Foods

Friendly Foods is a family-run ethical store which stocks a wide range of 100% vegan food products – over 1000, in fact! Committed to providing food that’s friendly to people, animals, and the planet, many of Friendly Foods’ products are not only vegan but also organic, raw and gluten free.

As well as food, the shop sells a growing range of personal care items, including many re-usable or zero waste products. You can find Friendly Foods on the Bridgnorth Road (A454) between Wolverhampton and Bridgnorth and the shop is open 6 days a week (closed Wednesdays) from 10:00 to 17:00.

https://www.friendlyfoods.uk.com

 

Animal Free Research

Animal Free Research UK (Hitchin)

Animal Free Research is the new name for the amazing charity formerly known as Dr Hadwen Trust, who fund and promote non-animal techniques to replace outdated and cruel animal experiments.

Sadly the charity shops set up by Animal Free Research proved unsustainable, and the store in Hove was closed in April with the Hitchin branch set to shut its doors in mid-June. You can however still support AFR’s incredibly important work by donating and purchasing goods through their eBay store.

https://www.charity.ebay.co.uk/charity/Animal-Free-Research-UK/10488

 

One Small Shop

 

One Small Shop

One Small Shop sells a wide range of ethical, vegan goods through their online store including clothing, cosmetics and accessories for both him and her, kids clothes and babygrows, and even balms and shampoos for our canine friends! One Small Shop is committed to supporting businesses who put principles first, whilst also making cool and beautiful products.

As well as selling goods through their website, this Hastings-based ethical retailer runs pop-up stalls at markets, where they offer a handy refill service to help reduce waste. Read more in the News section of their website.

https://www.onesmallshop.com

 

cut your plastic packaging

9 Great Ways To Cut Your Plastic Packaging

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The plastic free revolution has arrived and we couldn’t be happier!

Single use plastic in the food and drink industry is the main issue. Plastic is made from crude oil and is therefore a finite resource.  So much of this is ending up in our oceans, trapping and killing vast swathes of marine life as well as land animals and birds who often become tangled up in plastic and are unable to free themselves.  Something needs to be done and I cannot thank Sir David Attenborough enough for all he has done in raising this issue and bringing it to the attention of billions of us.

So what can we do?  As consumers we really do have the power to effect change.  We do not have to wait for the manufacturers to make changes (though thankfully so many already are in droves).

Here are a few suggestions of things we can all do to help save the planet of the plight of plastic:

Buy a veg box

There are local veg box schemes all over the country.  Just search the internet and I’m sure you’ll find one in your area.  Many are organic too and often come in box without plastic. Furthermore you’ll be supporting a local business! You could also check with them beforehand about plastic packaging and request that there is none in your box.

Refuse

Simply do not buy plastic shrouded foods. Easier said than done, I know!  But there are alternatives.  More and more shops are popping up now where you can take your own container and buy items such as rice and pasta loose.

Refill

Refill your own bottle instead of buying a plastic one. Free water filling stations are popping up all over the place now where you can refill your own bottle! Or, simply, plan ahead and make sure you have enough fluids to last you the day.

Give your plastic back

Where I live we are lucky enough to have an amazing green grocer/deli that sells organic and local fruit and veg. They offer paper bags to put your produce in but they did sell grapes in plastic box.  I asked if I could put them in a paper bag instead and gave them the box back.  I did this twice.  The third time I shopped there, the grapes were in a box loose with no plastic boxes!   Message received and understood!

Reuse

Plastic is everywhere but always consider whether or not you can reuse the plastic before putting it out for recycling.  What about using pots to pot seedlings in to grow your own vegetables? Or upcycle them for kids’ craft projects? In fact, never mind kids’ craft projects, what about your own!

Make your own

Instead of buying certain foods, why not make your own and save on the packaging altogether.  Of course this is more time consuming than picking something up in your weekly shop.  I make my own vegan butter.  It honestly only takes minutes, it’s plastic free, palm oil free and tastes far better than shop bought too!

Choose glass

There is ALWAYS another way.  For example, if you’re a peanut butter lover like me, there are several companies who sell it in glass jars instead of plastic.  Certain glass jars are also great for storing leftovers in too.

Pass it on

Had an order through the post and it’s covered in bubble wrap?  Businesses like us will happily take it off your hands and reuse it for our online orders too.

Use your voice

Contact your favourite food manufacturers and ask them to stop using plastic.  There are great alternatives out there such as PLA. PLA is a plastic alternative and stands for polylactic acid.  It is made from renewable resources such as corn starch, tapioca roots, or sugarcane and is compostable.  What’s not to love?

At Heavenly Organics, we swapped from plastic to glass a couple of years ago and so many of our customers really appreciate it.  We also offer refill products wherever possible.

This list of suggestions is by no means exhaustive and you may consider some of these suggestions too difficult but we can all do our bit.  We can all make a change; let’s make that change a positive one!

 

Professional & Blogger Product Reviews

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Here you’ll find links to our professional and blogger reviews. 

Some are from years back and you’ll really see from the images how we’ve changed and progressed!

Metro – Orange & Grapefruit Facial Cleanser

Becks Bunny Free Beauty  – Peppermint Foot Balm

The Vegan Punk – Various vegan skin care products

Monsoon of Random – Shampoo & Peppermint Foot Balm

Be Healthy Now – Range of Citrus Products

LDN Vegans – Orange & Grapefruit Shaving Oil, Cedarwood Beard Oil & Lavender Body Butter

Self Sufficient Café – Various products

Shop Palm Oil Free – Lemongrass Body Oil, Orange & Lime Body Scrub & Rose Geranium Facial Oil

Charm Of Love – Various Products

 

Coconut oil
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Is Coconut Oil Bad For My Face?

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I regularly meet people who come to me for advice on what best to use as a moisturiser on their face.  Many people have said they’ve used coconut oil but found they got breakouts.  The reason this happened  is that coconut oil scores highly on the comedogenic ratings. This means it can clog up pores which can lead to breakouts.

Coconut oil

The comedogenic rating goes from zero to five.

5 virtually guaranteeing to clog your pores.

Coconut oil has a rating of 4.

We never recommend the use of coconut oil on the face for this reason.

 

 

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What is #veganhour ?

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What is #veganhour? #veganhour logo

#veganhour is on Twitter every Tuesday 7-8pm UK time.   It is an hour devoted to chat about veganism, with no specific themes other than veganism.  People are free to share vegan finds and ask questions. #veganhour is for everyone: vegan, non-vegan or vegan-curious.  To join in simply enter #veganhour into your search box and click on ‘latest’ to see what others are tweeting in and equally enter #veganhour in your own tweets. Follow the @veganhour account for updates. I realised there was a missing # hour on Twitter and so decided to launch #veganhour in May 2013.  I wasn’t sure how it would be received but now seeing it trending virtually every week!

 

 

I wanted to write a little piece about it on our here because quite simply, I am very passionate about veganism.  It is at the heart of everything I do. #veganhour is a huge success thanks to everyone who participates in it. We have major brands who join in and that is surely down to the exponential rise in veganism.  They see the chance to promote their vegan products to the already converted. A win-win for everyone.

As I write, Veganuary is well underway with 160K people so far signed up.  That is over triple the number who signed up last year and we’re still counting! I have so much respect for the Veganuary team.  I met one of the team at vegan festival in Liverpool before Veganuary was launched a few years back.   They were telling me about the concept. I thought it sounded great at the time but WOAH what they’ve turned into a reality is staggering.  Of course, none of this could happen without all these incredible people making the pledge to at least try being vegan for January.  A vast majority remain vegan afterwards too.

It is such an honour to feel part of a movement where we’re seeing the transition to a kinder and more peaceful world in great waves.   When I first became vegan back in July 2007, veganism was still deemed as extreme but with the rapid growth in the vast volumes of people switching to a plant based lifestyle in the past few years, veganism is mainstream now! 

About five years ago I’d be heard saying “in twenty years, veganism will be so much more mainstream”.  That twenty years has turned into three!  It is quite simply brilliant!

Click here for an article on #veganhour published in Plant Based News.

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What does zero waste really mean?

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Let’s talk about zero waste.

Firstly, what does zero waste mean? Well, it is a philosophy that encourages items to be reused or repurposed in order for something NOT to be discarded and end up in landfill.

We LOVE zero waste and that is why we at Heavenly Organics offer refills in compostable bags where possible. Where this is not possible, for example with our oils, then we offer £2 off your next order for every jar or bottle that is returned to us. We trialled offering body butters in refills and well – that was a messy affair and one that we’ve since ditched!

 

Dented Lid Discount information

 

However, zero waste is not always as squeaky clean as it may initially appear. I recently stumbled upon some zero waste products. They were toiletries and were thoughtfully wrapped in paper, where they are so often clad in plastic. ‘Great’ I thought to myself, ‘this is ground-breaking and transformative’. Then I read the ingredients. These products contained a skin irritant that is widely used in toiletries: Sodium Lauryl Sulphate. This product would inevitably end up contaminating the ground, water systems and our oceans. Yet it is a classed as zero waste product. Good for the skin and the planet? Definitely not.

I will often be heard saying that ‘it is the whole process’. For example, something may be natural, yet it’s not organic, so there has been some unnecessary damage to the earth in its production because pesticides have been used. Or indeed a product may be organic but it’s not vegan. Therefore animals have been harmed in its making. Furthermore, I have encountered people along life’s journey who will discuss the importance of eating organically yet they use chemical-laden household products to clean their homes and do very little exercise.

Of course, none of us is perfect and Heavenly Organics Skin Care has certainly made vast improvements since we started over 6 years ago. I shudder at some of the packaging we used to begin with (bad advice). When I decided we had to ditch plastic and the last plastic packaging I needed to replace was lip balm tubes, I researched and researched to find a planet-friendly lip balm tube. I could find recycled cardboard lip balm tubes but I’d have to have them shipped over from USA. I then found a manufacturer of compostable lip balm tubes. Excitement began to simmer but they were again US manufacturers so the cost of transportation from the environmental perspective ruled it out. But to put a final nail in the proverbial coffin, the tubes contained not only palm oil but casein (from cow’s milk). Despair. So lip balms in tins it is!

There is much to be considered and a holistic and open-minded approach is advisable. After all, we are all continually emerging and learning. All of us at different paces.
“Be the change you wish to see in the world” – Mahatma Gandhi

 

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