Rule number one: be gentle with your skin. Give it time to ease itself into these higher UV days. Going to the park or beach and roasting yourself into a bright pink beetroot on the first hot weekend is an obvious no no. If you're a back yard bikini sun baker keep it down to no more than 15 minutes a day in direct sunlight. That way you'll build up a tan slowly and get your dose of Vitamin D. Sun worshipping is ok in moderate amounts. The sun is the greatest source of Vitamin D and it's vital we get enough of it as it regulates calcium metabolism and bone health, but it also regulates cell growth. That means it's good at preventing cancer. So it's a case of balance really. Just enough sunshine a day will keep the skin doctor away!

Rule number two: wear a good natural sunscreen. What you need is a good UV blocker to prevent the sun's rays penetrating the inner skin layers, damaging collagen and elastin fibers. Beware of the sunscreens laden with chemicals as these have been found to actually absorb UV rays, neutralizing them into the skin tissue. Natural sun creams block UV rays, are less irritating and are not toxic for the body. Some good natural sunscreens are: SPF8 Moisturising Sun Cream by Essential Care, Day Solution SPF 15 by Green People and SPF30 Baby and Child Sun Spray by Lavera.

Rule number three: nourish, nourish, nourish. Avoid premature aging by using a quality natural after sun lotion, rich body butter and intense night creams. If you feed your skin with moisturisers that are packed with nutrients and minerals it will reward you with a softness and suppleness sun bakers everywhere will be jealous of. Some of the best anti-aging organic creams are: Energy Sensation Moisturiser from Laveré, Jasmine Enriching Cream by Neal's Yard Remedies and Regenerative Night Cream by Madara.

Rule number four: if you can't make it, fake it. If your 15 minute quota of Vitamin D boosting, anti-cell damaging sunshine is not enough to give you the desired tanned glow you desire, fake it. There are some excellent fake tanning creams made with natural ingredients out there. The vegan Self Tan Lotion by Green People is great. As is the Self Tanning Lotion by Lavera. Follow with Silk Shimmer Lotion by Lavera for a beautiful sheen on top of your freshly tanned skin.

Synthetic preservatives have been given a bad wrap... a well deserved one. Certain preservatives have been found to cause dermatitis and other skin irritation as well as stimulate allergies.

The worst offenders are from the paraben family: methyl paraben, ethylparaben, butylparaben and propylparaben. Parabens act as oestrogen mimics and can disrupt the balance of hormones within the body. What's scary is the strong link between oestrogen mimics and cancer.

All products require some preserving ingredient to ensure they are safe and stay active, that is, effective for a minimum period of time. The only way you can get around a preservative-free skin care product that works is to make it yourself and use it immediately. This is a great idea if you have mountains of time on your hands but most of us don't so the alternative is to shop with your informed hat on and read the labels.

But even these need a little help from time to time. Sometimes even the most respected organic brands use synthetic preservatives in very tiny quantities to keep their products safe and effective. Soil Association beauty standards are renowned for being some of the strictest around and even permit certain preservatives such as phenoxyethanol.

The simplest preservatives are provided by nature. Good natural preservatives to look out for are organic herb and fruit extracts, essential oils, sugar and alcohol. Tea tree, propolis and manuka are a few effective ingredients that help to preserve natural products.

Our view is that preservative free is best but rarely practical, after that natural preservatives would be the preferred option and finally synthetics if really necessary. The most important thing is that the product is safe!

Today we have two great organic essential oil mixes to keep your pooch and pussy cats clean and itch-free happy. The best part about caring for your pet the natural way is you don't expose them to so many of the harsh toxic ingredients found in most conventional pet potions and lotions.

Flea Collar
Apply a few drops of citronella, garlic and cedarwood essential oils (undiluted) directly on to your pets collar. This will repel fleas on your cats and dogs without harming your furry friends whatsoever.

Coat Conditioner
Add two drops of pine and two drops of cedarwood essential oils to a bowl of warm water. Dip the brush you use to comb your pets hair into the water frequently whilst grooming. This will disinfect and conditions your pet's coat.

Now that the festive season has all but past it's time to take down the decorations, pack away the fairy lights and give the home a good old clean. Rather than exchanging dust and grime for a chemical cover why not clean your home with products that are safe. A recent EU study by Greenpeace found that house dust in EU homes was highly contaminated with hazardous chemicals.

Petroleum free, toxic free and biodegradable ingredients are what you should look out for. Here are a few natural and organic (yes you can get them!) cleaners you can swap those intoxicating products with.

Cleaners

Floor soap with natural linseed oil cleans floors very effectively and will also protect all non-treated floors like lino and tiles. Ecover have a Multi Surface Cleaner for laminated and varnished floors.

Natural toilet cleaners really do work. Ecover's have a naturally fresh pine scent that keeps my throne sparking. Alma Win also do a brilliant concentrate worth trying.

Bentley Organic's Kitchen & Surface Cleaner is certified organic by the Soil Association, which means it contains no harmful chemicals. Better still it kills 99.9% of household germs.

Cleaning Tools

A dish brush made from wood and natural bristles to wash the dishes with. You can get replaceable heads to avoid waste by throwing away the handle.

A glass polishing cloth is a great alternative to paper towels and all you need is a little water (no chemicals) to remove grease streaks from windows.

Organic cotton antibacterial surface wipes are good for outdoor use ie when camping as they contain bacteria killing agents but are also biodegradable and made from sustainable organic cotton.

Kids love to wiggle... they love to giggle... they love to create and they love to get their hands dirty. What better way to get them involved and learning about the world around them than to encourage them in the garden.As we head into winter it's a great time to spark their interest, starting them out in the small league - indoors - growing seedlings in pots or sprouting bean seeds in jam jars. Growing bulbs like gladiolus and lilies are terrific in the cooler months' as they need to be kept in a dark, cool place before planting.

Beans and Herbs has a huge selection of organic seeds. You can also buy ready-made gardens kits tailored to kids with simple directions and seedlings included. Rocket Gardens do a children's garden version.

Helping kids to create Christmas plant gifts can be lots of fun too. Decorating old jam jars and making handmade labels with recycled cards from last year are great to light up those sprouting seedlings. Mini cacti and venus flytraps are plants younger kids are always fascinated by, making the joy of giving and receiving even greater.

So for all those children's friends' birthdays coming up why not give the gift of nature and help spread a few green giggles amongst the small folk.