Feb 4, 20215 min read

How To Get & GIVE More From Your Skincare Ritual!

Skin care and our personal care habits are a big topic, we know, and trust us - you have our sympathy! - but keep being kind to yourself and remember, it’s a journey and with some experimentation (and tips from this blog post!) you will get there and land a routine that works perfectly for you and not only that but contributes to the planet and wider community whilst you’re at it! From #eco-friendly product chains to funding education for children, your personal care story could have the potential to change lives.

“Join the many millions of people converting to more sustainable products.”

In this article we want to strip it back to the basics whilst offering you a comprehensive guide on what a healthy and soul-nourishing skin care ritual could look like. We will be covering what the current climate is like out there, what to look out for in ingredients lists, the difference between organic, natural and vegan products, what it means to embrace the art of self- care and a UK #skincare brand that is changing the landscape of and we absolutely can’t get enough and just have to share with you!

Every day, we are lovingly given the opportunity, by the wonderful gift that is free-will, to make small and deliberate/ conscious choices to build a lifestyle that supports us living in a healthy, compassionate and sustainable way. We are all consumers and whilst shopping for most of us has probably been a big past time for well… many many years… applying a more conscious intent to our buying habits can not only transform our internal #wellbeing for the better, but provide safety, protection and optimal benefit for future generations and Mother Earth, and by our maths, time is not on our side, so the quicker we can get as many people on board, the better for all.

“Every small purchase we each make affects not only us, but the entire planet.”

Our skin is the biggest organ in our body and the way it looks, feels, and behaves can often be directly linked to the cosmetic choices we make. Synthetic cosmetics are known to cause major harm to the environment and our overall health, you’ll be surprised as to just HOW many “clean” products have these in. Though there have been efforts by some to combat these issues, the industry is saturated with product lines that make false claims and take short cuts.

What should we be looking out for?

Make sure your product is labeled Certified organic. This means it’s made of 95% or more organic ingredients all of which have been derived from plant sources. It certifies that these ingredients were grown without pesticides, bioengineered genes, or petroleum- based fertilisers, which could be toxic to the environment. Also, these ingredients were farmed using organic and #sustainable methods that recycle materials and promote biodiversity.
Natural products are simply derived from natural sources without added synthetic compounds. One of the biggest misconceptions is the idea of natural versus organic and that they are one in the same. To clarify this, a product can be natural and organic, but not all natural products are organic, or even 100% #natural. It’s important for all of your skincare to be natural for your overall health, but the benefit of using natural and organic skincare provides your skin with the purest form of the ingredient on the market.
Check that the products you are considering have the leaping bunny which is an internationally recognised symbol guaranteeing consumers that no animal tests were used in the development of any product displaying it. Also, it’s worth noting that just because a product is cruelty free doesn’t mean it’s vegan.
The beneficial ingredients you want to see in your products include; Vitamin C, Lycopene, Super Vitamin E, Lutein, Betacarotene, Astaxanthin, Hyaluronic Acid, and D Ribose.
Stay well away from products that read just ’fragrance’ or ‘parfum’ in the ingredients list as this can be a cover up for a huge amount of chemicals, in some cases up to 3000!
It is known that many drugstore and luxury brands add drying agents to products such as moisturisers, lip balm, and conditioner. If you truly want your products to moisturise, make sure they say “sulphate-free.”

“Give your bodies what it deserves by switching to what it really needs: natural and organic skincare.“

Clean beauty means safer ingredients backed by a standard that ensures thoughtful evaluation and an emphasis on natural materials.

Why Vegan?

There are many benefits to walking the #vegan path, especially when it comes to beauty.

Using vegan #beauty products guarantees that you are not causing any harm to animals or eco-systems. With the innovation in green technology producing so many exciting, effective vegan ingredients, fortunately it’s become much easier to be a conscious consumer when it comes to ethical skincare.

Animal-derived ingredients tend to go through much more intense cleansing which makes their refinement process lengthy and complex. Vegan on the other hand have a much shorter and more simple production process and so the final product is considerably more fresh, clean and compassionate towards the environment and it’s inhabitants.

Vegan skincare is the best choice for the planet. It takes 12 times as much land, 13 times as much fossil fuel and 15 times as much water to produce the same amount of animal protein versus plant protein.

“Safe skincare should be good for you, but also for the planet.”

Embracing the art of self-care

It is important for us to feel good within our skin, and in this fast-paced modern society we can easily neglect our own care and even begin to put ourselves down due to comparative thinking and high exposure to unrealistic beauty standards.

Through being mindful of not only our thoughts but our self- love practices, we can elevate our personal care and natural beauty to heights that astound us and pay dividends on many layers.

There is a spiritual ritual factor to using cleansers, oils and creams. Start even before you get into the shower. Speak words of gratitude and loving kindness to your body. Feel the total relief as you un-ping that bra strap and let your chest expand to it’s fullness for the first time in what seems an eternity. Lather every inch of your being when you get into that shower and smile at your sacredness. Get high on the natural aroma’s and splash your face like you’re by the ocean. Slow right down, take the time to adorn your body in these natural substances, actually touch and press into yourself as an act of love. Spend that extra time rubbing and showing deep affection and acceptance to the areas you aren’t so confident about - whether that be your left breast or the 3rd toe on your right foot - send love to them all! Use this time to awaken relaxation, deliver nourishment and set in motion the return to a state of wholeness.

Evolving your self-care routine into something special will help you to keep it consistent, bringing the intended results into your reality with much more efficiency and effectiveness.

“To be in awe and reverence of your body and live within it as your temple and most sacred place will transform your relationship with the world around you.”

A UK brand we truly stand by here at House of Leyla is #Tropic skincare, who are on a mission to make a conscious change- equal parts of ethical, effective and empowering. All of their products are natural, organic, vegan and made with #natural #sustainably sourced ingredients.

Other things to know about Tropic:

They double off-set their emissions
They use recyclable and refillable packaging
They have partnered with United World Schools, meaning every £50 spent funds 1 school day. 2.5 million school days have been funded so far!