Welcome to Our Favourite Products, a monthly feature of the products keeping our skin glowing, mood lifted and health high. It's a combination of the new things we've tried over the previous month and historic repeat purchases that we think you might love too. And as part of our editorial policy, every product we write about is vegan, cruelty-free and 100% natural and where possible organic. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the idea of incorporating clean beauty and wellness products into your daily routine — or even finding them, we hope you find the following helpful. And as a reminder, a constant favourite of mine — clean filtered water. Drink it frequently, daily. Here's what I'm loving this month:
Babylena Calcium Liniment
My constant companion. Calcium Liniment is a traditional French mixture, made of olive oil and lime water, applied to soothe irritated baby's bum. I use it as a face cleanser. I know, weird. The story started nine years ago, Garance Dore’s dermatologist advised her to quit tap water on her face, for the sake of her skin. I decided to give it a try and found only one cleanser that didn’t require tap water in the process. Later, I came across this interview of the incredible looking Norma Kamali—check on her, she is 74 years old! And so Norma uses olive oil a lot, including calcium liniment to hydrate and clean her skin, face and body. Here was my perfect cleanser. An essential part of my routine since, Babylena Calcium Liniment leaves my skin plumper, healthy and nourished. I never have redness or significant acne break-outs. I choose Babylena because the ingredient list is the closest to the original recipe, and organic. I buy a bulk-size bottle when I go to France, to last a long time. Bonus, I discovered this online french pharmacy recently, and they ship internationally!
Aleph Serum Primer
The thing is, I don’t like to hoard (too many) beauty products, it takes space. So anything labelled as multi-functional calls my attention. That is why I picked up the Aleph Serum Primer in the first place, that and the clean-beauty mention. I gave an in-depth review of this product, and after a few months, I can confirm my love for this facial serum. Light, packed with highly concentrated ingredients, free from (almost) everything, collagen building, anti-ageing, the list goes on, and there are results. Priming my skin daily, I don’t really need foundation, my skin is naturally glowing and smooth. I almost finished the bottle, and I will get another one.
Nail buffer block
I discovered the buffer block thanks to Trace. She gets her nails done wonderfully, in no time thanks to this essential. This block is a step by step guide of what to do on your nails to achieve a beautiful manicure, each face giving the direction according to the polishing surface. I am kind of a lazy person regarding skincare, makeup, and everything beauty, yet I love these things. So I decided to try the buffer block. And according to Trace, you will keep it for a decade.
Now Zinc complement
When COVID-19 hit New Zealand at the end of February, we thought of boosting our immunity by taking key supplements, including zinc, as recommended by a GP. Oral zinc is generally advised to strengthen and protect the immune system. Also, this zinc supplement contributes to reducing acne, maintaining skin health. So far, none of us in the house has been infected by the virus. My skin is looking pretty good. It might not, or it might be of the zinc complement.
Ethique Hair Sampler
I haven't cut my hair for a year and a half. It is long, undyed, so I am always on a hunt for a gentle yet effective shampoo. For my birthday in March, my friends gifted me a lovely bundle of natural beauty products, including this collection of hair bars from Ethique. The sample pack consists of three shampoos and two conditioners. Perfect timing. Plastic-free and cost-effective, these bars last quite some time. At the moment I am using The Heali Kiwi shampoo with the Guardian conditioner bars. I got an itchy skull lately between shampoos, and this combination seems to smooth my skin and relieve it from itchiness. My hair feels clean, healthy, shiny and easy to groom. I'll be using these guys till the last bit.
Little Fox lip balm
Don’t be fooled by its packaging. This lip balm means serious business. I don’t know about you, but I prefer my lips moisturised and smooth. However, all the balms I owned left my lips quite dry after a while, which is counter-intuitive. So I forgot about lip balm. Then Tracey gave me this Little Fox Lemon Balm and Tea Tree stick and my life changed, at least my lips, forever. My impressions on the first application, tea tree fragrance is fresh, and texture is pleasantly light. That is already positive; I don’t like to sense the weight of beauty products when I wear them. Then my lips felt super soft, nourished, plumped, even past the hour. Love. Yet there is more. This cute lip balm, hand-crafted in Australia contains Melissa, also called lemon balm. It is a potent essential oil that, according to the maker, effectively treats cold sore break-out. Since I suffer from cold sores when I get a high fever, this lip balm specificity is the cherry on the top. A lip balm to consume without moderation.
Everything we create is an effort to participate in a culture shift. All products featured are independently selected and curated by the authors, and we only feature items we use or would use ourselves that align with our values. As part of our business model, we do work with affiliates such as Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases if you decide to purchase through our links. The price would be the same to you either way, but if you find value in our work, then these affiliate links are a way to support it. We only recommend brands, makers and products we use — that we support. Transparency is important to us, so if you have any questions, please reach out to us.