“It takes more than a cold flannel and some Body Shop oatmeal scrub for me…” Not one of my own pearls of wisdom this time. No, it’s Edina talking to Saffy in Ab Fab. Even in my late teens I knew I had more affinity with the mother than the daughter. Not something I should necessarily be proud of, I know.

But the Body Shop has thankfully moved on – as has the whole industry. And these days, what were in the time of Lacroix and Bolly tentatively called ‘natural’ beauty products, are better known as botanical, pure, organic, plant-derived… (Organic beauty stuff obviously has to be organic, and there are a few pretenders out there so if you’re not sure – and organic is what you want – then check their credentials first.)

Generally, though, what you’re getting if you go down this road rather than the ‘made in a lab’ one I discussed last week, are beauty products made with sustainable natural ingredients containing as few artificial additives as possible. Doesn’t sound too bad now, does it?

I’ve been road-testing some more of these types of ranges as a follow-up to my post last year about ‘natural’ skincare ranges. The first is Mir Skincare. The founder Gisele has a really interesting philosophy. “Just because a product is organic, sounds good enough to eat or is used by a myriad of celebrities is no indication that it is good for your skin”, she says. Sounds scarily like good sense. Her products have been formulated for people with sensitive and blemish-prone skin – but at the same time are suitable for all, excluding as they do many of the irritant or pore-clogging ingredients that other natural, sensitive, organic and specialist niche ranges include. I particularly liked the Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser (£22.00) and the Skin Silk Lotion (£33.00), which contains Moroccan argan oil.

Next up is The Herb Jar. They specialise in ‘skin care products that deliver regenerative and anti-ageing benefits with zero exposure to potentially harmful chemicals’. What really sets this range apart is that the products don’t contain water, either, which makes for some pretty unusual consistencies. Don’t be put off though. I tried the Sensitive Skin Care Natural Face Cream with Shea Butter, Marine Extracts and Vitamin E (£15.65), which is really lovely. It’s very, very thick but you warm it in your hands first and I can tell the jar will last for ages. It also smells like a Bounty. As well as this I tried the All Natural Exfoliating and Toning Face Mask (£15.05) which I will be honest is a fiddle as you have to mix it up yourself with water, but the clear, silky cheeks I got made it (just about) worth it.

Aromatherapy Associates is an old hand at this type of thing. They have a great philosophy though. Focusing on essential oils, they take the purest possible natural ingredients and use them to create blends that enhance the oil’s inherent properties, turning them into beautifully scented products. Their new anti-ageing skincare range is definitely worth a look but this week I wanted to tell you about Enrich Hair Oil (£22.50) which is my new favourite thing in the world. You slap it on before a wash (or even overnight) and its natural plant extracts and essential oils do magical things to your hair. No, really. It smells like a posh spa too. 11 out of 10.

Finally, I’m going to go back to a brand I have already mentioned a few times because I just think they’re great – so bear with me if you’ve heard about them before. Inlight Organic Skincare. Just love them. My latest crush from their range is the Organic Line Softener (£50.60), which as well as reducing the appearance of wrinkles can be used to help heal scar tissue and sort out patches of sun damage. Super stuff. Now where did I put that Bolly…

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