NYRO, Product of the month

July Product of the Month – The Whole Bee Lovely Range!

Why have one favourite product when you can have a whole range!

Last month was World Bee Day and there is so much in the news and on social media about saving the bees that I just had to give the whole Bee Lovely range a shout out.  Not only that this range is divine and I regularly have at least two items from it on the go at home.  As you can see from the photo those currently in use are the hand wash and the all over balm.

The whole range smells of honey and orange but not in an over-powering sickly way, more of a fresh happy way.  And for every products sold from the range Neal’s Yard give 3% to bee friendly charities, raising £120,000 to date.  They always have done and as far as I’m aware they always will do, so passionate are they about ecology in general and saving the bees.  Have a look at their bee saving campaign here.

Happy

I love using the shower gel first thing in the morning, the orange essential oil makes me smile and really sets me up for a happy start to the day.  Having done a Facebook live in my group (Medulla Holistic Living) about various moisturising products, I re-discovered the All Over Balm.  I use it mainly as face mask but it is quite heavy and I do find I need a facewash to remove it – though it feels amazing afterwards.  But I also like it as a heel balm particularly at this time of year when we’re in flip flops and sandals.  As I say it’s quite oily so pop it on with some old socks and head for bed or pop your feet up for half an hour.

Packaging

Neal’s Yard promote the Bee Lovely range as our family friend range because of the happy fragrance and yellow packaging.  The essential oils will brighten up children and are perfectly safe for them.

Because it is safe for children most of the packaging is plastic, we don’t want the wee ones dropping the glass bottle of handwash!  And all our shower gels come in plastic bottles for the same reason, we don’t want them slipping and breaking in the bottom of the shower.  However, and it’s a big however; ALL the plastic that Neal’s Yard use is already recycled and if you live close enough to a store then you can return all your empties to be further recycled.  If you live locally to me then you can return all your empties to me directly and I am finding lots of ways to use them.

If you are on social media do give us a shout out using #savethebees and if you purchase something from the range pop up a photo too please.  Don’t forget you can find me mainly on Facebook and Instagram but also on Twitter and Linked In all using the same handle @medullaspace – come and say Hi!

NYRO, Product of the month

June product of the month – Beauty Sleep Body Butter

Welcome to my Product of the Month where I review my current favourite and this month my bedside companion Beauty Sleep Body Butter is in the limelight.

One of the things I love best about Neal’s Yard Remedies are the smells (in fact this is the reason I have gone on to study aromatherapy) and for me, this body butter is the ultimate in luxury, comfort, relaxation…….the list could go on.  This rich and very thick cream is wonderful for dry legs and arms and is particularly effective as an overnight hand and foot cream!  In fact this is the one that is in my bedside drawer and I use it on my hands most nights.

Like most of you, my feet dry out in sandals but particularly flip flops and I have started to use this on my feet and it is making a real difference.

I won’t get started on the reflexology of dry heals and flip flops – they really are cruel to our feet, legs, hips and body as a whole – but we do insist on wearing them!

This deeply nourishing cream is packed full of shea butter, beeswax, cocoa seed butter and other natural oils that soften and hydrate the skin and of course, it is completely free of any man-made chemicals or nasties.

Then the magic of aromatherapy gets to work………the main scent to come through is ylang ylang, considered to be one of the most exotic and luxurious of all scents.  It is uplifting to the mood as well as calming and balancing to the mind.  Other main essentials oils are clary sage and patchouli, neither of which come through individually in the smell but altogether they create a heady, relaxing, soothing blend.  Patchouli is useful aid to exhaustion and stress, whilst clary sage calms nerves and creates a sense of peace.  A combination that instantly lifts as you open the pot then calms and soothes for good night sleep – that’s not a sales quote that’s my real experience!

The Beauty Sleep range has recently been extended and now includes a foaming bath and body lotion as well as the already popular facial concentrate and supplement capsules; but for me the ultimate indulgence is this body butter – pure heaven in a pot!

 

 

 

 

NYRO, Product of the month

May Product of the Month – Frankincense Intense Cleansing Melt

This month I’m focusing on the brand new Frankincense Intense Cleansing Melt.  Sometimes we all need a boost, a treat, a pick-me up and this gorgeous melting cleanser is exactly that.  This multi texture cleanser feels soooo indulgent and not only is amazingly good for the complexion but also our mental health as it’s packed full of frankincense, bergamot, mandarin and turmeric for good measure!  I first tried this at the Neal’s Yard Conference at the beginning of March – when life was very different, just before lockdown, and fell in love with it then.  Of course, I already knew (and loved) the Frankincense Intense range with all its magical anti-aging goodness but the feel of this is completely different.

When I squeeze it out of the tube it comes out as a thick clear gel, which I then apply to my face and gently begin to massage in.  As it warms with my skin temperature it melts into an oil which is much easier to massage and much better for cleaning the dirt and pollutants from my pores.  (Keep an eye out for my online facial workshops where I will show how to apply this and how to cleanse effectively.)  When I feel I’ve enjoyed enough of a massage and cleansed sufficiently, I remove it by adding a little water and the oil turns white and milky so that I can wipe it away easily without leaving an oily residue.  It does however leave my skin feeling really very soft and moisturised.

Whilst I have used the Calendula Cleanser for many years, this has now become my special cleanser – you know, for days when it’s all been a bit of challenge or I’m not quite feeling myself.  The smell of the frankincense and mild citrus background is automatically uplifting and soothing on the mind and I know that my skin will benefit from the Boswellia Sacra essential oil that will sink in deep and ease out some of the fine lines gathering around my eyes and mouth.

At the conference I was given a pack of sample sachets and asked in a previous newsletter for volunteers to try it out for me, so I could gauge what everyone else felt about it too.  Here are some of the comments I received back:

 

NYRO, Product of the month

April product of the Month – Hand Defence Range

Neal’s Yard Organic Defence spray has always been a popular item and a staple in many people’s handbags, baby bags, cars etc. 

It has a 70% alcohol content which makes it a trustworthy hand sanitiser at any time.  But unlike hand sanitiser gels, this fresh scented liquid does not dry out hands and I often feel leave mine feeling softer.

Using the powers of aromatherapy, the essential oils contained in this range have anti-bacterial, cleansing, immune-stimulating and calming properties, making it wonderfully soothing and uplifting for our mental health as well as boosting our protection.

The range now contains two difference size spray (30ml natural defence and 50ml organic defence), a refill bottle, a blend of oil for a diffusers or cleaning products and a hand rub with a flip-top lid.

Holistic, NYRO, Product of the month

March Product of the Month – Organic Echinacea Tincture

I had all kinds of ‘refresh and rejuvenate for spring’ ideas for my March product of the month but with the Coronavirus getting ever closer I felt I should offer some natural and organic ways to try and keep healthy.  Alongside a healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables we can take a number of supplements that can help to boost our immune system.  Now I’m not a herbalist or nutritionist and as you know Product of the Month started as my favourite of the moment from the wonderful and wide range from Neal’s Yard Remedies Organic.  So this is me sharing with you what I’m taking and using currently, rather than telling you what you should use or take.

There are many supplements that claim to boost the immune system but my favourites are Echinacea Tincture and Elderberry Syrup (which was my October Product of the Month)

Why is it even important to boost our immune system?  I don’t know about you, but “boosting the immune system” is a phrase I see a lot of online and in the press.  And for me it’s almost become one of those phrases that loses it’s meaning in the constant repetition – a sound-bite or whatever the press jargon phrase is these days!

So let’s go back to basics.  The immune system is the body’s internal defence mechanism which guards against disease-causing organisms – namely bacteria and viruses.  Because it affects the whole body it is also affected by everything that goes on in our lives – good and bad.  We can use vaccinations, a healthy diet and supplements to improve our immune system but as it can be negatively affected by stress, it is also a good idea to make changes to our lifestyle too.  Creating habits that avoid stress such as regular exercise, meditation or time in nature, which are my favourite stress busters, can all be beneficial to helping our immune systems and increasing the likelihood of our remaining healthy.

And finally, one other candidate for product of the month in this little group is the amazing Organic Defence Handspray (or essential oil blend for a diffuser).  A blend of herbs and essential oils with antiviral and antibacterial properties which work together as an effective and oh-so-lovely-smelling hand sanitiser.

Organic Defence Hand Spray 50mlOrganic Defence Aromatherapy Blend 10ml