GREEN WAY TO CLEAN

Now we all want to do our bit for the environment, don't we? If you answered no to that question, you are terrible. It's not always easy to be the greenest but there are small steps we can take to make a huge difference to our world.

Did you know that making small changes to your skincare regime can make a massive difference to the environment? Last night, I went to an event that was set up to spread awareness about the issue that is the "Microbead". My friend Alys, our Uni's Environmental officer and leader of Bournemouth Beach Champions, invited me to an event that has changed the way I look at skincare. With the LUSH Cosmetics and Litter Free Coast & Sea teams on hand to tell us all about the dangers of microbeads and the importance of good quality, sustainable ingredients, I learned an awful lot to say the least.

A microbead. What is it? You may have seen them advertised on the front of face and body scrubs. Microbeads are tiny plastic particles that are contained in a LOT of skincare products to give them exfoliating properties. You've probably heard about how they are so amazing for gently, yet effectively, getting rid of dry skin and impurities. They're in your toothpaste and you've probably used them thousands of times without even realising you're using them. But did you know these are extremely damaging to marine life? As they are flushed away into our water treatment system, too small to be filtered, they are passed into the surrounding seas and waterways to be consumed by animals. The beads are tiny, relative to the size of a human, but as they are ingested into the food chain, fish are becoming polluted with plastic. If that's not bad enough, these fish are being consumed by us.

Now you may not think that that's so bad. But these particles are non-biodegradable and as more and more are being used the pollution problem gets bigger and bigger. So how do we combat the problem? There's an app for that. The "Beat the Microbead" App lets you scan the barcode of the skincare products that you may not know contain microbeads. It's pretty handy to have when making your choice whilst shopping, or to find out whether any steps in your regime contain the pesky little particles. Search for it in the iTunes or Android app stores to download for free.

Another rule of thumb is to just go for the brands that you are confident will not contain any such nasties. The Body Shop have been working to remove them from their products since 2013. LUSH cosmetics do not even use microbeads, as the only plastic they ever use are for the recyclable tubs that their product comes in. I scanned my Boots Botanics "Purifying Face Scrub: All Bright" and found it contained no microbeads. The Botanics range is usually on offer so is relatively cheap; good for the environment and GREAT for your skin.

Make sure your toothpaste is free of plastic before buying it too. LUSH do these amazing tablet form toothpaste alternatives called "Toothy Tabs" that come in a variety of flavours and leave your teeth clean and your mouth fresh.

SPEAKING OF LUSH. What a fantastic company they are! With a lot of their profits and proceeds going to good causes worldwide, I will definitely be purchasing more from them. They even work with those growing and providing the natural ingredients for their products to create a sustainable livelihood for the workers and their families. Investing into small villages and communities to create sustainability for now and the future of their residents, it is clear to see they are passionate about their products and the people who make them.

At the event, I made my own LUSH bath bomb (similar to this one), and received some freebies! The Therapy¿ Massage Bar is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. It is made with organic cocoa and shea butter, with sweet orange, lavender and neroli organic essential oils. Massage the bar into your hands and skin for a perfectly indulgent experience. It is just what you need for a little bit of TLC. It smells absolutely DIVINE and the way it just works with the temperature of your skin and luxuriously melts means it is perfect for a speedy pamper. The lavender oil is great for helping to reduce the appearance of scarring and is just a wonderful, calming scent. I genuinely can't stop sniffing it, it smells so good. It is a great alternative to liquid moisturisers and will last for around 2 and a half months.

I also picked up a Mask of Magnaniminty face and body mask and I can't wait to try it. It contains Kaolin clay which is quite absorbent so is helpful in drawing out impurities. It contains ground aduki beans and evening primrose seeds to gently exfoliate the skin as you wipe the mask clean. The peppermint oil is great for awakening and invigorating skin, with the honey adding calming and antiseptic properties. It is good for getting rid of oily skin and spots, and can be used on your face and back (or anywhere these problems persist). This mask sounds like it's going to be a good all rounder. It will apparently make my skin feel tight and toned, which is great as it's feeling rather droopy and drab at this moment in time!

My evening at Bournemouth Uni's Eco Pamper Night was one well spent. I feel a bit more inspired to do more for the environment and for myself so that's great. I'm in love with LUSH and now want to work for them, and I feel a bit more aware about what I put on my face and bod. Not just in a "Will my skin agree with it???" kind of way, but being a bit more mindful as to where it comes from and where it ends up.

And I made a bath bomb. Bloody exciting.


P.S. I also picked up a free bottle of "Freshu" and it's bloody brilliant. It turns regular tissue into a wet wipe, so you don't end up flushing baby wipes down the loo all the time, clogging everything up and ruining sewers etc. Just thought you should all know about this! A clean bum is a happy one ;)