After your base coat is dry, apply 1 or 2 coats of your chosen colour. Apply in long sweeping strokes from the nail bed to the tip. Try to leave a tiny gap next to the cuticle and at the sides of the nail. If you flood the nail bed and sides the result will be messy.

Try to have enough nail colour on the brush that you can work quickly and avoid having to re-dip the brush mid-nail.

Allow the polish to dry a little before applying a Top Coat. This will protect your colour and prevent chipping. If you have long nails, an expert tip is to run a little top coat under the free edge of the nail so that it completely seals the colour at the end of the nail too.

For the most professional finish you can then apply 1 to 2 drops of Flash Dry Drops to each nail to aid drying and leave them with a gorgeous high gloss finish.

If you have made any mistakes they can be whisked away easily with the an orange stick wrapped in cotton woll and dipped into Gentle Polish Remover to leave you with perfect, salon quality nails.

You can't currently find toothpaste that is 100% organic. The main ingredient chalk, is a naturally occurring product of nature and cannot be cultivated by man thus will not be certified organic by the certification bodies.

But you can find all-natural products that contain organic ingredients. When searching for a safer alternative to scrub your pearly whites the nasty ingredients to avoid are:

If you would like to avoid these ingredients, then the best option is to switch to a natural toothpaste.  At So Organic we have a wide range to choose from which all avoid the ingredients mentioned above.

One notable exception is fluoride*, because although it can be potentially harmful if swallowed, it does also have the ability to help remineralise the teeth and make them stronger which is why your dentist will recommend that you use a fluoride toothpaste.

We therefore stock a few toothpastes with fluoride for those customers that want it, but lots without it too. We label them clearly so that it's easy to tell the difference and make your selection.

If you need any advice or help choosing please don't hesitate to get in touch or call us on 020 8465 5600, our specialists use all the products themselves and are always happy to help. 

When the cold weather hits it’s always a shock to the system, but now the cold snap has arrived with a vengeance, your skin might be feeling the effects.

It could be tight chapped cheeks or a sore nose following a cold, or perhaps cracked lips that don’t seem to improve no matter how much lip balm you slick on. Whatever the issue, when the cold weather strikes, you’ll need to give your skin some serious TLC to get things back on track.

Rehydrate by adding a serum to your usual skincare routine, and protect the skin when you are outside with a rich daily moisture cream.

Boost your routine with the addition of nourishing face mask to add some extra moisture too. Some moisturising masks can even be put on at bedtime and left to soak in all night for a super intensive moisture boost.

If you are under the weather with the winter snuffles, then our cold relief bath oil or bath salt with the decongestant scent of eucalyptus is just the thing to help you breathe more easily.

And if you have fond memories of mum rubbing Vick on your chest for coughs and colds, take a look at our Aromatic Chest Rub, a gorgeous warming & decongestant aroma in a totally organic formulation.

Conventional lip balms based on petroleum oils and synthetic fragrances are usually the chief culprit for cracked and sore lips that never heal. Opt for an organic lip balm packed with natural oils that actively nourish and soothe the skin and see an immediate benefit. From £2.95.

We hope these winter skincare tips; provide a little relief from your cold weather skincare troubles. Hang on in there; it will be spring before you know it (hopefully!)

We use them all the time, but many of us fail to give our hands any sort of care and attention at all. We lovingly slather on the lotions and potions to keep our faces young and beautiful, protect them from the sun and dutifully use our scrubs and masks. But how often do we give our hands the same care? Make time for a little bit of home hand care and it will really pay dividends.

Little and often

It doesn’t have to be complicated, buy a few tubes of organic hand cream and leave them in strategic places; your desk, handbag, next to the sink and then just apply a little bit each time you notice the tube! It will pay off and in no time at all your hands will be looking better, feeling softer and you’ll be well on the way to improving your nails too.

 Intense moisture hit

At the very least keep a really rich organic hand cream or hand balm next to your bed and apply some each night before going to sleep. That way your hands will get a little care at least once a day.

File sparingly

Files your nails little and often with a gentle glass file or emery board (never use a metal file they’re just too harsh). Keep several around the house and in your desk and hand bag so that the minute you feel a snag or rough edge you can smooth it out properly rather than resorting to nibbling!

Scrub until smooth

Exfoliate your hands one or twice a week, pour about a teaspoonful of salt into the palm of your hand, mix in a little oil (either plain vegetable oil or your favourite body oil, either will do) and massage it all together. Rub over the backs of your hands and between the fingers as well as over the palms. Massage around the finger tips too (avoiding any cuts of course as it will sting) as this will help with softening and loosening your cuticles

Cuticle Care

If you care for your hands regularly, you’ll find that the cuticles stay looking great without much effort. If you do anything to them at all, simply massage in a few drops of cuticle oil and use an orange wood stick to gently push them back. Steer clear of tools to cut and clip your cuticles, leave that to the professionals as you risk introducing infections and damaging your nail bed if you get it wrong. 

Limit polish

There’s no such thing as totally natural nail varnish. In my experience water based ones don’t work and for me unless a product does its job properly there’s no point using it. The most natural finish for your nails is to gently buff them to a natural shine, which on well cared for nails looks like a beautiful French polish. If you must use nail varnish then go for one that is as free from nasties as possible, Orly is a good professional quality one which is 3 free (i.e. Free from DBP, Formaldehyde and Toluene). It gives a really long lasting professional finish. We have just added the Benecos Natural Nail Polish to our range too; these have a 5 free formula which means they don’t contain DBP, Formaldehyde, Toluene, Camphor or Colophony.

Home manicure essentials.

Skin Blossom Rose Geranium Hand Cream £5.95 for 75ml

Dr Hauschka Neem Nail Oil £16.25

Badger Balm Cuticle Care Balm £4.99 for 21g

Orly Nail Varnish £5.60 for 5.3ml or £10.50 for 18ml

Visit us online for all your organic beauty treats. For expert beauty advice call me and my team of products specialists on 0800 169 2579 or email us with your questions.

Without the summer sun to give us a glow, many of us find that blotches and uneven skin tone are more of a problem in colder weather.  To even things out and restore radiance a foundation is a better bet than a tinted moisturiser and mineral foundations allow you to build up coverage as much as you like without ever feeling heavy or caked.  Lily Lolo Mineral foundation is a real find. The finish is as good, if not better, and the application is as easy as any other mineral powder foundation we’ve tried (and we’ve tried a lot!) and the price is just a tiny £14.99 a pot.

You really need a kabuki brush to apply mineral foundation. The super kabuki from Lily Lolo is £15.99 and works really well, the silky bristles feel wonderful on the skin and are vegan friendly too.

Blend together eye shadow shades of gold, brown, bronze and taupe to set the autumnal tone for your look. Lavera eyeshadow quattro's in either Indian Dream or Cappuccino Cream are ideal and from only £12.50 for 4 beautiful shades are ultra affordable too.

Choose eyeliner to complement your eye shadow shades; Lavera for soft and smudgy, and Dr Hauschka for something slightly firmer (but certainly not hard) to enable you to draw a more precise line.  Finish off your masterpiece and frame your eyes with good mascara. Our top picks are Dr Hauschka Volume Mascara in black for maximum definition and build, and Lavera Volume mascara in black or brown to lengthen and separate lashes with silky sheen.

In colder weather, a good lipstick can help protect your lips from the elements whilst finishing off your look perfectly. Organic Lipsticks are a real treat to use; they glide on silkily to leave lips soft and smooth with colour that really stays. For a glossier finish the Lavera Brilliant Care lipsticks are heaven, they feel just like wearing lip balm and come in 4 gorgeous shades all of which complement the autumn colour palette beautifully.

Revive your make up bag for autumn and get a Free Make Up bag worth £14.99 when you spend over £30 on make up while stocks last.

Here’s our top picks for a summer routine to leave skin feeling fresh as a daisy.

If the warmer weather has you reaching for a face wash rather than your regular cleanser, Trilogy Balancing Gel Cleanser (£22.50) is a great choice. Although best for combination skin types its gentle formula won’t strip and can be a good summer choice for drier types too. 

Don’t rule out toners altogether though, as there’s nothing to beat the refreshing spritz of a gentle organic toner when summer weather’s left you hot and bothered. Barefoot Rosa Fina Facial Spritz (£17) is an exquisitely scented treat and as it’s a handy sized 30ml can even be taken as a carry on. Trilogy’s toner (£17.50) is beautiful too and comes in a bigger 100ml bottle to help your budget go further.

Much as we love the sun, it’s important not to forget to protect skin from its damaging rays and in summer a moisturiser with an SPF is a must. New for 2012 is Lovea’s SPF50 face cream (£15.99), which will give your skin ultimate protection in a certified organic formula. If SPF50 is a little too high for you, our perennial best seller is Green People Day Solution SPF15 (£14.95). A best seller for good reason, this is an organic beauty classic that suits all skin types and offers great value for money.  In the evening or when you want a break from your SPF cream, summer calls for ultra light moisturising lotion to hydrate your skin without overloading it with oil, as the warm weather causes us to perspire more and our skin can feel a little oilier in summer too. 

With the all important summer facial routine sorted you might want to consider summer options for body care too.

We love the new certified organic sunscreens from Lovea Bio with SPFs from 15 to 50, tanning sprays and after sun they have the complete package for the whole family at a great price. And for summer picnics, plane trips and other times when you might not have access to water to you’re your hand, Bentley Hand Sanitizer (£3.05) is a perfect handbag standby.

Lavera’s 2 in1 hair and body wash (£6.45) is a brilliant holiday buy to help downsize your bag but don’t forget that after the ravages of sun, sea and sand your hair might need a little extra TLC so why not treat it to a hair mask for either normal or dry hair?

And at the end of the day in the sun, it always feels so good to smooth on some body lotion and treat skin to much need moisture boost. If your budget can stretch the Dr Hauschka Body Moisturisers (from £22.95) are a real delight. Light fluid formulas that absorb instantly but leave skin as deeply hydrated as much heavier creams. 

Don’t forget if you need any advice on choosing the perfect products for you just contact us or call on 020 8465 5600, our skin care experts are always happy to help.

Happy Summer!

New Year, new you?
It’s that time of year when we all decide things are going to be different as we set out on the road to good intentions.

Here are my simple beauty resolutions from my skincare routine that are easy to keep up with - and you will quickly see (and feel) the benefits!

Always cleanse at night…
Cleansing properly every night is the single most important thing you can do for your skin. Removing grime and make up before going to bed allows skin to breathe and enables your skin’s natural night time renewal process to work as it should.

Skin that is free from air borne pollutants, and make up residues can work on restoring its natural balance during the night. The most important thing is to cleanse daily with something that suits your skin.

I remove all cleansers with warm water and a muslin flannel, as it gently exfoliates leaving skin super soft and using water helps to give a really deep clean feeling too.

Muslin face cloths are a great way to save money as you can wash and reuse them, unlike cotton wool, and the gentle exfoliating action might mean that you could drop a product from your routine too. £3 each, or 5 for £12.

Exfoliate regularly…
Exfoliation for the body is one of the things that is so easily forgotten and dropped from your body care routine, but one that pays huge dividends if you do manage to remember to keep it up.

Although they still seem far away, the bare-skinned days of summer will be upon us before we know it and if you’ve started early with the buffing and scrubbing, when the sun takes us by surprise again on the those first glorious days of late spring sunshine, you will be able to bare your arms with pride (and only a hint of smugness!).

Make regular exfoliation your New Year’s resolution and come summer you’ll be so happy you kept it up. Little and often is the best way to exfoliate, you want to polish your skin to a gentle glow rather than scratching it with harsh, rough granules.

For dry skin, my all time favourite body scrub is the Acorelle Body Scrub - it's a bargain at just £12.99 for 200ml. Based on crushed olive stones and apricot kernels blended with nourishing aloe vera this certified organic body scrub leaves skin beautifully soft and smooth as well as deeply moisturised with theinvigorating scent of lemon.

So it's time we must accept summer is truly over and the frosty morns of Autumn are within weary sight, but that's no excuse to jump into hibernation just yet.

In fact, now's the best time to give your skin a quick lift, to shed the dry cells of those fading summer tans and re-boost and re-energise with some much needed beauty treatments and tender care.

Here are a few quick tips to do just that:

 • Mist It: Toner sprays are terrific to revive the face with a spray of fresh nutrients. Toners, such as Dr Hauschka and Madara are particularly nourishing as they offer the added boost of antioxidants and moisturising properties. Leaving your face damp with toner and applying your moisturiser straight on top aids absorption too, you'll find heaver winter creams sink in much faser with this simple tip. 

• Scrub It: Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate! Using body scrubs helps the body to shed dry and dead skin cells - which after a summer of intense UV rays (well for those who holidayed in the Mediterranean at least) and drying out will be just what the skin doctor ordered. Using broad strokes towards the heart will help boost circulation, pumping blood faster around your body to keep you a little warmer as those chilly days start to creep in. Lovea and Laidbare both offer really affordable yet effective options, the Laidbare one is gente enough for your face too! 

 • Hydrate: Central heating can really sap skin's moisture levels levels it feeling dehydrated. Use an extra hydrating moisturiser susch as SOS by Madara, or add a serum to your routine, we love Green People's Hydrating Firming Serum.

• Eat more berries: Increase your intake of foods that are loaded with antioxidants like raspberries and blueberries. Mexican and red kidney beans are also very high sources of antioxidants, as is green tea. These will not only strengthen your immune system they help to brighten and lift even the dullest of skin. 

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Home-made kindle pine cones are a great idea to save from buying chemical fire lighters and a whole lot better for your family's health, and of course the environment.

Dry pine cones burn very well and with the added oil and wax they make excellent fire starters and quite beautiful natural gifts.

These natural fuellers are very easy to make. In preparation you need to collect fallen pine cones (some craft stores stock them) and keep all the wax from your old used candles (you can also by clean pelletted wax from many craft stores).

1) Prepare paper cases or grease proof muffin tins ready for setting wax.

2) Clean off any labels and pull out the remaining wick.

3) Melt your wax in a double boiler, adding essential oils for an extra room filling aroma when the pine cones burn. Lemongrass or Rose Geranium work well with the natural scent of pine. 

4) Dip the pine cones into the hot wax and place into paper cases. 

5) Leave for 30 minutes or until set. 

6) For a colourful flame roll tips of the scales of the pine cone in a little salt for a yellow flame, salt substitute for a violet flame and Epsom salts for white flames. 

7) Place a few cones beneath and above kindling to help light your fire. The pine cone, depending on its size, should burn for up to 10 minutes. 

Some places charge up to £4 for wax coated pine cones but we think it's far prettier and a whole lot more eco-friendly to make our own - and it couldn't be easier if we tried!

Happy Christmas!

My role during my weekly Nutrition clinics at So Organic and in all my Nutrition work with patients is an approach that works with the individual, most importantly, on many different levels to support the body to help alleviate or prevent illness and disease, supporting the body towards normal everyday function and importantly to promote optimal health.

Personalized Nutrition for personalized health is my goal for my patients, dealing with prevention and underlying causes instead of symptoms of illness and chronic disease. Health is more than the absence of disease:

Using a more personalized, individual approach to preventative and optimal health, good Nutrition, or Nutritional Therapy can help all manner of people of any ages with a wide range of conditions. These may include specialized areas l deal with such as:

• Energy imbalance, fatigue and excess tiredness

• digestive dysfunction such as IBS, Celiac’s, Low or Excess acid, food Intolerances and allergies, bloating and other digestive issues

• Stress management

• Female Hormone imbalance

• Skin conditions such as eczema and Psoriasis

• Male Health

• Female and Male pre pregnancy and fertility advice

• Post pregnancy diet and fitness advice

• Infant and child food advice and cooking sessions

• Weight management programmes

• Fitness and lifestyle advice

With this type of Bio chemical individuality approach towards nutrition, diet and fitness, seeing health as a positive vitality not just the absence of disease, promoting prevention and optimal health to all, Nutritional therapists in their work may also give advice and recommendations to those with an array of varied clinical imbalances including:

• Depression and other mental health issues

• Immune function and susceptibility to illness and infection

• Migraine

• Acne

• Arthritis

• Osteoporosis

• Chronic fatigue/ME • Circulatory conditions

• Candida

• Insomnia

• Blood pressure issues

• Sports Nutrition

• Cholesterol balance

• Obesity

• Child behaviour difficulties

With my Nutrition clinics, l like many other practitioners recognise that each individual is unique and important and therefore require not 'one size fit all'....."well it worked for her lm sure it will work for me" approach, but the 'what's right for me approach'...., which l can tell you of years of experience can be a ongoing process when it comes to finding what's right for our diet, lifestyle and health.

The Nutrition Consultation Process

For tailored individual care, clients will receive a detailed Health, Nutrition and Lifestyle Questionnaire prior to our first meeting that is to be completed and returned beforehand or bought along to the meeting. Along with this questionnaire, the client will have detailed at least 5 days dietary intake in a food diary to help assist the practitioner detail help and advice where it is needed or required.

The First consultation will usually last one and a half hours, during which we consider the detail of the questionnaire and food diary, taking an extensive case history, discussing health and wellbeing and any overriding issues the client has and establish Health and Lifestyle goals for the client.

Prior to the first consultation l will have started the process of looking in detail at the patients health issues and ultimate goals, and along with the Consultation in clinic l will hopefully be able to better explain potential underlying causes of any health concerns and how from that point on, a tailored, individual Nutrition and lifestyle plan will be of benefit to the client, which will delivered to the client following the first consultation. This plan discussed and negotiated with the client will be a individual Nutrition and lifestyle plan aimed at addressing concerns, symptoms and other complaints with the ultimate aim of improving health for the long term needs of the client and empowering them to take control of their health and their life, instead of waiting for illness and disease to take over them.

Follow Up Clinics

Follow up clinics are usually advised 4-6 weeks after the initial consultation whilst progress, follow up information, telephone and email sessions will be available to the client to assist them during the time following the consultation where sometimes significant changes to diet and lifestyle maybe taking place and support may be needed, and always welcomed from a Therapists point of view. A Clinic visit or telephone based follow up consultation will usually take 45 minutes, though this may take longer at the clients request. Follow up clinics may continue at the clients request if the client feels they will be of benefit to them to do so, whilst some clients may need only one follow up session.

My Role your Role

In essence, l see my role during my Nutrition clinics as the supplier of knowledge, of facts, of science that may help everyone on a individual basis, to enpower them once they have the right tools, take control of their own health, know their own bodies, know what their body needs to maintain optimal health and live life instead of worrying about health and the potential for illness and disease.

If that means that are only see clients a few times, so bit, hopefully that means l have done my job and done it well.

So why not see me, a Nutritional Therapist, at one of my Nutrition clinics

At So Organic Therapy Rooms: Thursday 4-8pm Sunday 2-6pm

Until the End of March: £20 off!!! Contact So Organic or direct to Ray of Sunshine Nutrition: 07793 017534 Or Matthew Reay: matt.reayofsunshine@hotmail.co.uk