Review: Neal's Yard Remedies Frankincense Hydrating Cream

Frankincense Hydrating Cream by Neal's Yard Remedies (£23) 91% Organic
If my feelings towards this product could be summed up in one word it would be: Love. That would not make for a very interesting review but it gets the point across.

NYR is a company I am very fond of for a couple of reasons 1) I have loved the products I have used, 2) they do a fantastic range of 'organic' products and 3) they seem to be a very ethical company, they do not test on animals, they do not contain parabens, synthetic fragrances or colours, phthalates or mineral oils etc, the list goes on quite a bit (can be found under "About Us" on their website).

I first tried this product last year when Marie Claire magazine were giving away samples and I fell for it immediately. I have had a problem with skin care products for a long time in that my skin would become irritated and feel as if it were burning almost as soon as I applied them, this problem has gone from the cheaper products to the better quality ones (the worst being the Clinique 3 steps-for some mad reason the sales assistant analysed my then 18 year old, slightly greasy but quite sensitive skin as being the same as my mothers almost 50, very dry, mature and sensitive skin as being exactly the same. It did nothing for either of us except cause a great deal of discomfort and annoyance at spending so much money). I haven't had the slightest bit of bother with this one after using it for about a year twice a day, every day.

The cream is quite thick (the website states it is light which once applied to the face is true) and is more like a body butter than a liquid but it does not feel like this on your face and it absorbs easily without feeling sticky or unpleasant. The smell of the frankincense is lovely and makes it feel luxurious. It is designed for all skin types with the aim of reducing the appearance of fine lines, I have felt that when I use this my skin looks much better on the whole, a bit brighter, smoother and glowier. My only problem is that it is in a jar and I have long finger nails which I dislike putting into products (have been using a clean knife to take some out) but I do like the look of the glass jar rather than plastic.

I will continue to use this product for the forseeable future and think it is worth every penny.

(That said Marie Claire April issue has 20% off on NYR products both instore and online)

Review: Combined Products

Wrights Coal Tar Soap (£0.76-Tesco):This is a product that I have used every couple of years but could not decide whether or not I liked it that much, I think it is a good dependanble soap that can be used by all of the family but the smell is like Marmite in that you'll either love it or hate it. I like it up to a point, it smells clean and you feel that you can "trust" it to do its job properly and get your skin feeling squeeky clean and that there wont be alot of germs left. It can feel a bit hospitally to be honest and its a bit old fashioned. But over all its a decent soap and it serves its function.

E45 Cream (from about £2.50 for a small tube- the co-operative): A wonderful product that does not require a lengthy explaination. It moisturises fantastically, comes in many different sizes and doesn't cost the Earth. I first discovered it after my doctor suggested it for treating eczema (I get some little patches when stressed) as it is much cheaper than the prescriptions and does the job just as well (for the type I get anyway- there are alot of different types many of which might need to be a bit stronger). It stopped the itch and cleared up the horrible dry patches in under a week. They do have a massive bottle with a pump which is good to use on a daily basis to moisturise skin and try to prevent more outbreakes.

Barry M Nail polishes (from about £2.70- Superdrug and Boots): Have a wide variety of different colours and was vote the best inexpensive nail polish of the year by Instyle. It dries to have a nice shine and look nice and thick with two coats. It tends to be quite good in the chipping department (i.e. it doesnt chip much) but since its so thick (but not uneven) it can take a while to dry properly, but if you have time and patience it is well worth the results.