"Oh what a lovely smell...."

Everyday we hear positive comments about the lovely smell within our little shop. It's a joke that you only have to arrive in the courtyard at the Red House Glass Cone, and then you simply follow your nose to find our shop!

It's amazing how smells can be so evocative, and it's nice to know that we can create such a postive reaction. The second comment we usually hear is how our products do not smell like the ones on the high street, and descriptions usually include words like: uplifting, relaxing, gorgeous, sophisticated and above all...natural. It's at this point, we usually have to explain about the difference between synthetic fragrances and the pure aromatherapy grade essential oils that we use.

So what are essential oils? A technical definition would be: concentrated, hydrophobic liquids (i.e they won't mix with water) containing volatile aroma compounds derived from plants. More simply they are the natural oils extracted from plant material. Usually this is via steam distillation, but they can also be expressed (such as squeezing the peel of citrus fruits) or by solvent extraction. The cost of essential oils varies according to how difficult it is to extract the essence - so this is why citrus oils are typically cheap whereas rose (which may require kilos of rose petals to produce a single ounce of rose otto essential oil) is very expensive.

Essential oils are highly concentrated essences, each with it's own distinctive aroma, which should be handled with knowledge and care. They should not be applied undiluted on to the skin. They are sold in small bottles which have a dropper attachment and this is so they can be carefully measured out, and there is less chance of them being accidentally injested. They should always be stored in a cool, dark place away from animals and children. Aromatherapists use these volatile aromatic compounds to assist a person's mood or health, and research is still ongoing to evaluate the effectiveness of aromatherapy as an alternative therapy.

So why do we use essential oils in our products? Well, we think it's better to use natural essences on the skin rather than synthetics. But great care has to be taken when developing skincare products, since even these "natural" plant oils can irritate sensitive skin if they are used in the wrong concentration. That's why we use controlled percentages in our products so customers can enjoy the soothing benefits of these lovely fragrances, safe in the knowledge that they are well within the limits that are laid down within the EU's Cosmetic's Directive which governs the sale of all cosmetic products manufactured in Europe. Despite these concerns, we believe that natural essences are more harmonious for the skin, than many of the cheaper synthetic alternatives that are available.

We hope you found this little article interesting and the next time you say "what a lovely smell", you can now appreciate that you're admiring a natural fragrance that's captured the essence of many plants species.

Orang 2 palm-free goat's milk soap

This is a quick note to mention that Orang 2, our new palm-free orangutan friendly soap, is now ready for sale!

A couple of weeks ago we told you about how the very first batch of Orang 2 soap had been donated to Borneo Orangutan Survival UK. We're very pleased to say that it seems to be selling well at the BOS UK events.

Our own batch of this brand new soap has completed it's curing period, so it has been added to the charity page of The Natural Soapworks website. So if you'd like to one of the first to try out this lovely sweet but citrussy natural goat's milk soap, please visit: http://www.naturalsoapworks.co.uk/CharitySkincare.aspx and £1 from the sale of each Orang 2 bar will be donated to BOS UK!

Gok at the Red House Glass Cone

Did any eagle eyed viewers spot the location for this week's Gok's Fashion fix?

Yes it was none other than the Red House Glass Cone in Stourbridge! We were all treated to some TV excitement in March when Gok and his crew came to see Mandy Moore from Wordsley, and our famous local landmark was used as the back drop for filming.

You will have seen the washing line set up by the canal, and Gok and Mandy arrived on a barge for the filming. It was a pretty poor day weatherwise, but luckily the showers held off for long enough to film Mandy's reaction as she arrived, and Gok advising her on her fashion choices. Gok was really lovely and supportive all day, helping Mandy to get over the shock of seeing all of her clothes on display for all to see.

Well done Mandy, you looked fabulous at the end of the programme so hopefully you'll pop in to see us all and show off your new wardrobe!

For anyone that missed Tuesday's show, you'll have to check out the repeat programmes of Gok's Fashion Fix on Channel 4 or watch the episode on-line.

NEW! Natroma Gentle Facial Exfoliators

This week we're introducing a new product into the Natroma range - our lovely gentle facial exfoliators! So we thought it might be useful to add a few lines about why exfoliation is so good for the skin.

So why should we exfoliate?

Exfoliating is a skin treatment where the upper layers of dead skin cells are sloughed off by using a mechanical method (such as a brush, loofah, or scrub product) or chemically (such as enzyme/AHA fruit peel/chemical peel mask). We would advocate the mechanical method since some chemical products have been shown to damage the skin if used incorrectly.

The average person generates a new layer of skin every two to four weeks in a continuous cycle which moves old (keratinized) dead cells to the surface so they can be shed. Exfoliation works by sloughing off the uppermost layer of these dead cells to reveal the fresher, younger and more translucent cells which are underneath. If the older cells are not removed they can clog the sebaceous pores, leading to spots or blackheads and a generally poor complexion. Also as we age, skin cell turnover slows down, so facial exfoliation encourages a faster cell turnover so the skin looks plumper and fresher. As an added bonus, exfoliation prepares the skin to absorb and react more effectively to moisturizers or lotions which are applied afterwards.

How to exfoliate and how often

You can exfoliate any part of the skin but you need to treat facial skin with special care, using gentle products which are free from gritty abrasives (such as nut shells). The best thing is to choose an exfoliating product which is the least irritating to your skin and apply it to dampened skin using a circular motion. We’d suggest that you should exfoliate once or twice each week. For oily and less sensitive skin it’s fine to use an exfoliator every other day, but sensitive skin types will probably find that once or twice each week is more than enough.

Our new Gentle Exfoliators

Our gentle exfoliators have been carefully formulated with lots of skin-kind natural ingredients to soothe delicate facial skin. It's never a good idea to apply harsh or abrasive products to the face since these can irritate the skin making it sore and uncomfortable. Therefore our exoliator creams really are gentle, and contain tiny jojoba beads. These are perfect spheres, and they can be safely massaged very lightly across the skin to exfoliate without any nasty after-effects.

We're also chosen our ingredients very carefully - gentle jojoba, papaya seed, evening primrose and comfrey oils are teamed up with D-Panthenol, Sea Buckthorn and Echium botanical extracts. This is a lightly textured cream, which can be rinsed off with water. We'd recommend using one of our muslin cloths to completely remove all of the tiny jojoba beads, followed by a spritz of hydrolat toner and the application of some moisturiser to finish off your mini facial treatment. There are two varieties to choose from: rose or orange blossom (neroli), so further details can be found at: http://www.natroma.co.uk/store/d5-exfoliators-rhassoul-clay-masks/

To celebrate this new product launch, until the end of May we're offering a 5% discount off Natroma website orders. Quote: SPRING at the checkout to receive your discount!

Why your cleanser needs a muslin cloth

We've noticed that muslin cloths are a bit of a mystery to some visitors to the studio. At first this came as a bit of shock since we've been using them for years, and think they should be an essential part of any skincare regime.

So why are they so good? It's because they are great for removing facial cleansers and masks, since they gently exfoliate the skin at the same time. The trick is to apply the cream cleanser or mask product and gently massage across the skin. Then rinse the muslin cloth in hand-hot water, and wring it out so it feels warm and damp when applied to the skin. The cloth will feel really soft, so there's no danger of scratching or irritating the skin - and you will feel cleaner and refreshed after each use since they lightly stimulate the skin.

The nice thing about muslin cloths is that they can easily be laundered and re-used, so they're good for the environment. We'd suggest that you should have at least a couple of muslin cloths, so whilst one is being used the other is in the wash. Ours have a nice weave so they dry quickly and unlike a traditional flannel, they won't be a breeding ground for bacteria. We also took a while sourcing our cloths for Natroma and have them specially made for us by a small English community company, so it's also nice to know that we're supporting training and job creation too.

So the next time you buy a cleanser, why not try a muslin cloth? We're sure that you'll love the way your skin feels, and they'll become an essential part of your daily skincare regime! As a special encouragement to try out muslin cloths during May 2009, we'll send you a FREE muslin cloth when you purchase a full size 100ml Natroma Cleanser. This offer will apply to studio and website orders received before 31 May 2009.