With the warmer days of summer just around the corner, it’s time to turn our thoughts to summer skin care. Leave behind the days of heavy winter creams, perfect for protecting against the cold, but far too rich for summer, when you need light as air formulations to instantly hydrate without a hint of greasiness and fresh cleansers and toners to leave skin feeling clean and clear.

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

If the warmer weather has to 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.  If washes are not your thing, the One Step Cleanser and Toner from Weleda (£10.16) is another good bet. A milky lotion that’s good for removing make up and these days of decreasing baggage allowances it’s 2 in 1 cleansing and toning formulation mean you can downsize your toiletries bag.

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. The NEW Iris Hydrating Lotion from Weleda (£10.95) fits the bill perfectly as a lightweight option for al skin types

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. A budget priced alternative would be Weleda Mallow Body Lotion (£9.95), but do treat yourself to Dr H if and when you can. It and you are worth it!

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!

There are many types of dermatitis - psoriasis, bullous and childhood dermatitis are but some. Perhaps one of the most common is allergic contact dermatitis caused by external compounds, preservatives, fragrances, or plants (ie poison ivy dermatitis).

If you've suffered from a red itchy rash on your finger after wearing rings that contain nickel or had itchy eyes with the application of mascara you may have a contact allergy. Today so many of us are exposed to chemicals in almost every aspect of our everyday life that some peoples immune systems are being triggered more easily by even small irritants. The thing about these types of allergies is that the skin won't necessarily react on first exposure; it can take a number of exposures before you're skin becomes sensitive.

The most common causes of allergy contact dermatitis are nickel, gold, synthetic fragrance, balsam of peru (found in skin care products and perfume), thimerosal (a mercury-based preservative used in vaccines), neomycin sulfate and bacitracin (topical antibiotics), formaldehyde (preservative in paper products, paints, building materials, medications and household cleaners), quaternium-15 (preservative found in skin care products and industrial products like paints, polishes and waxes) and cobalt chloride (metal found in medical products, hair dye, antiperspirants, and snaps, buttons and tools)

To find out if you have dermatitis take a patch test like the True Test which examines the skin's reaction to 29 different allergens. You skin care regime is one of the first places to look if you suffer from skin sensitivities and possibly allergic contact dermatitis.

Use an organic skin care range like Essential Care (which was created specifically for very sensitive skin), No Scent by Green People or SOS by Barefoot Botanicals. Removing allergy triggers from your life will slowly ease discomfort of skin irritations caused by this kind of dermatitis. It may not happen over night but within a few weeks your skin will be thanking you.

Summer is all but here and it's time to get your skin in tip top, fit for outdoor viewing shape! To make your prep time a little more efficient we've put together a list of all the essential summertime products to keep you looking and feeling beautiful and comfortable.

For many of us our bodies haven't seen the light of day in months so it's a good idea to start with the wax, exfoliate, tan regime to get key areas like your legs and bikini line into spiffing shape. Moom is an excellent natural waxing treatment - easy, safe, and ultra effective. See our natural waxing blog for ways to keep your body naturally hairless longer. Natural fake tans - somewhat of an oxymoron but yes they do exist. The Lavera Sun Sensitive Self Tanning Lotion for the body is certified by BDIH and is vegan as is their Summer Glow Self Tan for the face. To prepare your body for tanning exfoliation is a must if you want to avoid streaks and blotchy spots. Delicious organic body scrubs like the Sensuous Sugar Scrub by Green People and face scrubs like the Gentle Facial Exfoliant with Organic Rosehip Oil by Trilogy are great. Exfoliating brushes and anti-cellulite lotions (like Madara's Anti-Cellulite Cream) and oils (like Weleda's Birch Oil) also do wonders for preparing the skin for tanning.

Of course don't forget the sunscreen to prevent skin damage and premature aging. Lavera, Green People and Essential Care make a range of brilliant SPF formulations for the body, face, lips and little ones. Chemical free mineral sunscreens and after sun lotion are the best thing short of a hat and covering up to protect you from intense rays this summer.

For holiday time, rather than lugging around full size cleansers, toners, moisturises etc it's a good idea to invest in travel size products. Most of the leading organic skincare ranges now make travel size or trial size versions allowing us to travel light but still equipped!

Other good travel items like face wipes, insect repellent and baby sun spray may also be a good idea if travelling with a family.

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.

The condition of skin varies with age from person to person but generally speaking the natural response to aging is similar. At forty, collagen in the skin starts to break down. The skin looses some of its elasticity and vibrancy. Fine lines start to become more prominent around the eyes and mouth. As menopause passes oestrogen levels drop and with it so does the skin. By sixty wrinkles are deeper and discolouring more evident. In essence as time goes by the epidermis, or outer layer of the skin, becomes more fragile and we need to take better care of it.

To counteract the maturing process, it's helpful to use skin lifting and firming moisturisers. Facial oils are great for aging skin as they replenish the dryer areas and often include rose hips which contain antioxidants and essential fatty acids - well known for their anti-aging, line reducing properties.

Vitamin A has been proven to decrease the effects of sun damaged skin. As it naturally decreases in our bodies with age, using products high in this vitamin A, in addition to using SPF for UV protection, will at least slow damage caused by the sun.

Exfoliate with a brush or scrub regularly to remove dead cells and improve skin texture. Take care to make broad strokes towards the heart to help remove toxins from the upper layers of the skin by increasing circulation in your lymphatic system. The same goes when applying cellulite and moisturising crèmes.

And a final tip many women forget to apply moisturiser to the neck and décolletage. This area, along with the hands, is often one of the first areas to show the clocks ticking so try not to forget these areas in your daily routine.

Three of our favourite products for mature skin are:

Energy Sensation Moisturiser by Lavere

Pure Organic Rose Hip Oil by Trilogy

Rosa Fina Radiance Anti-Ageing Day Cream by Barefoot Botanicals