We use Orly nail polish in our organic beauty salon to complement our range of certified organic manicure and pedicure products. Unfortunately, there’s currently no such thing as an organic nail polish. The ingredients needed to make the nail varnish stay on the nail just aren’t available from organic sources, and the water based nail polishes we’ve tried are to put it bluntly, absolutely useless!

A product must first and foremost do what it’s supposed to, so nail polish that gives poor coverage or chips off in moments is not worth buying.

No such problems with Orly nail polish. The brand excludes the main undesirable ingredients usually found in nail polish, namely formaldehyde, DBP and toluene and it works beautifully. Coverage is excellent and applied properly with a suitable base and top coat we’ve found that Orly nail polish really lasts.

Although for professional use the large bottles offer the best value, we think that Orly minis are definitely the way to go for use at home. They are really great value so there’s no need to restrict yourself to just one colour and there’s plenty in these small bottles for the average home user. After all when did you ever get to the end of a bottle of nail varnish?

Take a look at the full range and “like” or “share” your favourites so we can see your favourites.

So it's time we must accept summer is truly over and the frosty morns of winter 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 containing rose are particularly nourishing as they offer the added boost of antioxidants and moisturising properties.

• 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.

• 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. For more healthy nutrition tips, why not come and see Matthew Reay our Nutritonal Therapist?

October 17th-23rd is Back Care Awareness week.

This year,  the focus is on the potential ill effects of children carrying heavy school bags each day.

Heavy bags put pressure on the discs between the spinal vertebrae, which can cause long term back pain in small and still-developing bodies.

Potential long-term effects may include: strains to the neck and shoulders resulting in headaches and early development of poor posture.

To try and keep your child pain-free, a few useful pointers to remember are:

- It is best to use a backpack rather than other types of bags, as it will avoid straining one shoulder alone, but even a backpack should not be overloaded.

- Buy a sturdy bag with wide and adjustable shoulder straps for your child.

- Check your child’s posture with the bag on. Make sure the child is not slouching or leaning forward.

- Make sure only necessary items are in the bag.

- Encourage your child to use their locker to its full capacity for any items they do not need to carry to and fro between school and home.

If you have any back care concerns why not book a consultation with Muniba Malik our Osteopath? Read more about Osteopathy...

Serums come in two forms, either a light water based gel consistency, which are great for hydrating the skin, or oil based serums which are good for counteracting dryness.  Skin that lacks water is described as being dehydrated whereas skin lacking oil is described as dry.

Both dehydration and dryness tend to affect skin as it ages, which is why serums tend to feature heavily in anti ageing skin care ranges. However, virtually everyone’s skin is dehydrated so a hydrating serum is an addition to the skin care routine that almost everyone will see a benefit from regardless of age.

You apply your serum after cleaning and toning and before applying your moisturiser or night cream so that this extra moisturising or hydrating layer is locked in. You only need to use a tiny bit so even though serums can sometimes seem quite expensive they are really good value.

Our skin changes throughout the year, the seasons, central heating and our general health and well being can all affect the way our skin looks and feels. Serums are a brilliant way to help your skin through these challenges whilst being able to stick with your favourite products for your core regime.

Browse our facial serums >>

Step 1. Create the perfect base.

Getting flawless looking skin doesn’t always mean piling on tonnes of heavy products. A tinted moisturiser to even out skin tone and give you a glow will create a natural fresh faced look just right for spring, without looking caked.

Step2. Enhance what you have.

If you have beautiful almond shaped eyes or a perfectly shaped lips, work with that feature and choose products to accentuate it. Allow either your eyes or your lips to lead the look, if you go for both you’re in danger of looking far too heavily made up.

Step 3. Try something different.

It’s all too easy to get stuck in a make up rut, using the same products day after day, year after year. But seasons change, and so do we. As we age we need to update our make up to ensure it still flatters our skin tone and style. Change one small thing and feel like a new woman. A gorgeous shade of eye shadow or a fabulous new lip gloss will give you a huge confidence boost without breaking the bank.

Step 4. Nurture your nails.

Taking a little extra care of your hands, by remembering to use a good hand cream and perhaps having the occasional manicure will pay dividends. Well groomed hands and nails complete your look and now the weathers warming up and it’s time for the gloves to come off, if you’ve been neglecting yours now’s the time to put things right.

If you need any help in choosing products, or have any questions on concerns about any aspect of beauty and skin care, drop me an email. I’d love to help.

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

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 makeup 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. Muslins 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. Organic Cotton Muslin Flannel - £3 each, 2 for £5 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 Sensuous Sugar Scrub by Green People - £19.50 for 245g. Based on organic raw cane sugar blended with nourishing oils such as jojoba, rosehip and pomegranate this certified organic body scrub leaves skin beautifully soft and smooth as well as deeply moisturised.

Get the most out of your scrub and avoid wasting it by applying to dry or just damp skin while standing in the shower. Massage into the areas you want to target in circular motions and then turn on the shower and rinse away leaving silky soft skin. If you apply while the shower is running most of the product will be washed away before it gets the chance to do its job properly! Exfoliating in the morning is a great way to give yourself a boost of energy for the day too, and if you dare to finish off with an icy blast from a cold a shower you’ll really boost the circulation!

Use a scrub no more than a couple of times per week to avoid over exfoliation but if you do enjoy the sensation of light exfoliation then why not use a body buffer to apply your shower gel every day? It makes the shower gel go much further, enhances the bubbles and gives a light exfoliation at the same time. I use the Body Buffer by Urban Spa (£2.20) in my shower; it’s lasted for ages and is much better than the alternatives you may have seen on the high street.

However make-up and hair styles can be updated in anticipation of the changing seasons without the risk of doctors waiting rooms, and the predicted trends for Spring 2011 are enough to sate the appetite for change.

First of beautiful bright lips were seen all over the catwalks in a variety of shades, oranges and watermelon was especially popular and the Lavera Sunset Orange and Dr. Hauschka Soft Coral especially fit the bill.

If you prefer to make your eyes the main feature of you face then bold popping colours were everywhere, for the fashionista the Nvey 160 Turquoise Shimmer makes an impact, but for the more conservative try Green People’s Eco Eye Trio in Aqua to create as much or as little impact as you like. When making the eyes the focus it’s best to keep lips nude but soft looking, try the Barefoot Botanical Smooch Penetrating Lip Salve for kissable lips!

In terms of hair, the most prominent trends were side partings held in place with pins or a clip, ‘messy’ up dos for a casual chic or high buns for high glamour. Using a paddle brush will help you achieve all this looks and the Hair Spray by Lavera or John Masters Hair Texturiser will keep styles in place all day.

As a long time sufferer I know that often pills are not the answer to Migraine pain nor do I want to be regularly taking pain killers for something that though horrible painful and inconvenient is not life threatening. The causes of migraines vary from person to person and suffers can learn their triggers and avoid them up to a point. However there are those caused by hormonal changes, stress and tiredness which are much more difficult to avoid in everyday life. Working at So Organic means that I have been able to talk to a lot of our holistic therapists who practice in our Therapy Rooms to get their advice.

Matthew Reay our Nutritionist advised me to cut down on carbohydrates and to eat lots of magnesium rich foods such a spinach and nuts, I now try to eat a portion of unsalted nuts per day and eat spinach as much as possible while avoiding eating carbs with my evening meal, instead having lots of vegetable alternatives such as mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes. I’ve really noticed a difference in the regularity of my migraines after making these dietary changes.

Our old Massage therapist Kristy taught me some gentle moves to also help such as using both hands and very gently kneading the top of the head, working down the neck and across the shoulders and back up again, this is very soothing and helps distract from the pain. We have a new Massage Therapist now since Kristy emigrated so I will be asking Mike what his tips are.

Lyndsay Brown our Body Talk therapists helped me understand that my body was trying to tell me something when a Migraine occurred and that often it was because I wasn’t drinking enough water throughout the day, therefore I’ve increased my water intake as well. As all Migraine suffers know there isn’t a magically solution to stop Migraines but using the both I have at least managed to decrease the amount I suffer from without increasing my amount of medicine!