We spend a lot of time thinking about what we’re putting in our bodies, focusing on whole foods and for some, only organic will do. But when it comes to what we put on our body we often revert to the classic drugstore buys. The same way it’s harmful to ingest chemicals, it’s harmful to use chemicals on your body. In fact, Dr Frank Lipman believes we should be able to eat our cosmetics!
When looking for the best in natural beauty and body products, we naturally headed to Faithful to Nature, known for their incredible selection of organic and natural goods.
I’ve spent the past month immersing myself in green beauty and body products and came out with some of my current favorite items. They also happen to mostly be made by local South African companies.
If you’re tempted to switch out your cosmetics in favor of natural beauty buys, start with these tried, tested and approved picks.
Victorian Garden Rosemary and Vanilla Shampoo (R135) and Victorian Garden Argan & Vanilla Conditioner (R125)
Both the Victorian Garden shampoo and conditioner are organic and cruelty-free. The shampoo is vegan-friendly, but because the conditioner contains beeswax, it is vegetarian. They come in sleek little bottles that are perfect for tight spaces.
I’ve been using them together and love the way they smell and how soft my hair feels after.
The shampoo has a fresh “foresty” smell from the rosemary and lathers well. They do warn that if you’re just starting using natural shampoos you can experience a hair “detox”, where your hair feels tangled and more dry. I did not experience this at all, and found that using this followed by the conditioner left my hair nice and soft.
The conditioner has a mild vanilla smell and is super moisturizing and nourishing thanks to ingredients like Argan Oil, Shea Butter, and Beeswax. It also has Pro-Vitamin B5 which helps nourish your hair.
What I love
As someone with thinner hair that gets greasier quicker and an affinity for regular sweaty exercise, I end up washing my hair either every day or every second day. There has been a lot of discussion about how washing your hair less is healthier, but this is largely to do with ingredients found in regular shampoos and conditioners. The Victorian Garden Shampoo is PH balanced and mild, so you can use it daily without it damaging your hair.
Best for
Daily use + Dry/Itchy Scalps + Brittle Hair
No harmful ingredients mean it’s mild enough for daily use. The Shea butter also helps soothe itchy scalps and nourish brittle hair. If you heat style your hair often, the conditioner will help with brittle and dry ends.
Get Victorian Garden Rosemary and Vanilla Shampoo here
Get Victorian Garden Argan & Vanilla Conditioner here
Hey Gorgeous Rebellious Mane Tamer 2-in-1 Shampoo & Conditioner (R145)
I have never been a fan of 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioners until I tried this one from Hey Gorgeous. It contains Jojoba which helps cleanse your hair while nourishing it and leaving it soft. It’s natural; vegan and cruelty free and is a South African brand.
It lathers well, leaves no residue and made my hair feel soft and tangle free. My hair, however, is naturally wavy and dries pretty much tangle free. We also tested it on very curly hair that does get knotty and it didn’t make a noticeable difference in detangling it.
What I love
I loved that it was a one-step wash that cleansed and left my hair soft. More often than not, I let my hair dry naturally, and the shampoo and conditioner makes a big difference in how it ends up looking. My hair felt soft, it waved well and I had no frizz – a big win.
Best for
Travel + naturally straight//wavy hair
If you need to travel with your own cosmetics, this is a great option that’ll save you space. The detangling will work on straight and wavy hair.
Get Hey Gorgeous Rebellious Mane Tamer 2-in-1 Shampoo & Conditioner here
Natural Lab Lemongrass Bodywash (R49)
This is my favorite body wash, largely due to the bright and zesty smell, which makes it feel like you’ve jumped into a jug of lemonade in the best possible way. It’s vegan, has no parabens, petroleum, sulphates or artificial colourants or fragrances. The fragrance comes from the lemongrass oil and that together with the aloe juice leaves you with skin that doesn’t feel dry or tight.
What I love
Aside from the smell, it comes in the cutest squeeze tube.
Best for
Morning showers + citrus lovers
If you love the smell of lemon, you’ll love this body wash! It’s also best in the morning, as the bright fragrance is a great way to wake up.
Get Natural Lab Lemongrass Bodywash here
Earthsap Body Wash – Wild Rose & Vanilla (R84)
This has a very pleasant and mild vanilla fragrance. It also contains wild rose oil which helps improves circulation, boosts your immune system and eases stress. It’s vegan and has no harmful chemicals, preservatives, chlorine or bleach. It’s also 100% biodegradable.
What I love
It smells really nice, but it’s not overpowering. I liked using this and then either following up with a vanilla scented body lotion or some perfume as the body wash doesn’t leave a strong scent once washed off.
Best for
Night Baths + perfume users
The rose oil is perfect to help you unwind after a long day. It’s also a great option if you use perfume daily and want a body wash that leaves you smelling fresh but not overly fragrant.
Get Earthsap Body Wash – Wild Rose & Vanilla here
Natraloe Hand & Body Lotion (R110)
I’ve been using this almost daily and adore it. It has a delicious vanilla fragrance and feels rich and creamy without being sticky. It spreads easy and leaves you feeling beautifully soft. It has Aloe forex gel and sweet almond oil to soothe your skin and keep it hydrated. It also has wheat germ, which repairs the damage done to your skin by harmful environmental factors; along with jojoba for added nutrients.
What I love
The pump bottle which is easy and convenient to use. I also love the way it smells, spreads and rubs into your skin, making you feel soft, not greasy.
Best for
Dry winter skin + layering
It’s incredibly nourishing and has left my dry winter skin looking a lot more vibrant. When using this, I like starting with the Victoria Garden Shampoo and Conditioner, followed by the Earthsap Body wash and lastly this lotion. It makes me feel like I’m wrapped in a delicious vanilla cloud.
Get Natraloe Hand & Body Lotion here
Simply bee Hand and Body Lotion (R62)
This is a very gentle body lotion made out of bee by-products like honey, propolis, and beeswax. It also has shea butter which has essential nutrients your skin needs. It’s vegetarian and has a very mild scent, which is great for days when you want to wear a perfume or just go unscented. It’s got a rich and creamy texture but doesn’t leave you feeling greasy.
What I love
I love the pump bottle; it makes application a lot easier. I also love it as a mildly scented body lotion for days I want to go with a perfume.
Best for
Sensitive skin
It’s really gentle, making it great for sensitive skin. It’s a nice body lotion that doesn’t have an overpowering fragrance, for those who prefer something more unscented.
Get Simply Bee Body and Hand Lotion here
ROK Deodorant Crystal Stick (R129)
This is the most unique deodorant I’ve come across. The roll-on stone deodorant is made from pure mineral salts and is completely scent free so it works for both men and women. To use it, you wet the stick and apply like you would a regular deodorant. The stick dries back up within minutes.
I was incredibly skeptical as to it working, as you don’t have the “I’ve just put on deodorant” smell. Nonetheless, one application in the morning lasted an entire day, which included a yoga and booty barre class, with no odour at all. It can also be used to remove odours from feet.
What I love
I love that it felt good, dried immediately after I put it on and actually worked. It also doesn’t stain clothes or leave dreaded white deodorant marks on black clothing.
Best for
Men + women + dark coloured clothing
If you wear a lot of black, this is the perfect deodorant as it doesn’t leave marks. It’s also a great pick if you don’t like fragrant deodorants.
Get ROK Deodorant Crystal Stone here
Simply Bee Natural Roll on Deodorant (R78)
It’s a natural vegetarian roll on deodorant that works on sensitive skin and doesn’t clog your pores. I found the fragrance quite strong, but find it hard to pin point what it smells like. It has a combination of essential oils like lemongrass, lavender, and neroli, which reminded me of walking into a yoga studio or natural beauty shop.
It’s worked for me the entire day, plus lasted through a run. They do say it’s unisex, but I think it’s more of a feminine scent.
What I love
It felt good on, caused no irritation and worked!
Best for
Summer
You need to wait for it to dry before getting dressed, so it gets cold in winter. If you love essential oils, you’ll love the smell.
Get Simply Bee Natural Roll on Deodorant here
Esse Gel Cleanser (R220)
I’ve been using this Esse cleanser for normal to oily skin every morning. It’s an organic, vegan and cruelty-free water based product suitable for all skin types. I found it very gentle, due to the balanced PH. It also contains antioxidant actives from barley grass and grapefruit seed. It’s scented with spearmint and peppermint essential oils, which stimulate microcirculation and ensures a deep down clean.
What I love
I love the smell of it. The spearmint and peppermint are refreshing and gently wake you up. It’s also very gentle and I found it cleaned without irritating my skin, and my skin is less oily during the day.
Best for
Young oily skin + mornings
Although anyone can use it, it’s made with young oily skin in mind. It’s also my preferred morning face wash because of the refreshing feel.
Get Esse Gel Cleanser here
Skin Creamery Facial Cleansing Powder (R230)
Ever since Feige discovered Bentonite Clay as a powerful facial mask, I use it weekly, so when I saw that this Skin Creamery facial scrub’s first ingredient was Bentonite I was excited to try it.
This scrub is a blend of natural ingredients packed with herbs and minerals that gently work to remove excess oil and deeply cleanse impurities. Buchu Powder helps calm irritation and puffiness. Baobab powder buffs and brightens your skin, and also gives the scrub a slight Boabab fragrance. It has that grainy feel of an exfoliator from macadamia nut shell powder, which encourages skin renewal.
It’s not as harsh as the pure Bentonite Clay Mask, and while you do feel like you need to moisturize after, it doesn’t make your skin feel tight. I’ve been using it every night as I feel like it really cleanses and removes any makeup left on my face.
What I love
I love the gorgeous white bottle it comes in, which I’m planning on repurposing by adding a single flower once I’ve finished it. I also like that it makes your skin feel really clean without feeling harsh.
Best for
Night time use + blackheads + acne
If you suffer from breakouts or blackheads, this is a great scrub. The bentonite draws out impurities and the nut powder helps exfoliate your skin
Get Skin Creamery Facial Scrub here
Konjacu Bamboo Charcoal Facial Sponge (R169)
This black facial sponge is made from real konjac root and infused with bamboo charcoal. It helps draw out impurities and excess oil, leaving your skin soft, healthy and clean. It can be used alone, or you can add your cleanser and use the sponge to massage it into your face, which I have been doing. The ingredients in the sponge help improve circulation, remove dirt and excess oil and promote cell growth.
I’ve been using this sponge to apply both my morning cleanser and night scrub and have noticed my skin is clearer and brighter.
What I love
The sponge comes dry and hard, but the minute you run water over it, it turns soft and plump and feels great on your skin.
Best For
Using with a face wash
I’ve always washed my face using just my hands, but the sponge encourages you to go a bit slower, to get the full benefits of the wash.
Get the Konjacu Charcoal Bamboo Facial Sponge here
Olgani Mineral Rich Evening Toothpaste (R65)
This mineral rich toothpaste is meant to be used only at night to help increase the amount of minerals in the saliva and enhance the natural process of remineralisation. It‘s a blend of organic Coconut Oil, Bentonite Clay, Calcium Carbonate, ionic minerals from Cal/Meg Mineralife™ and Peppermint and Tea Tree oil.
While it has a slightly minty fragrance, it doesn’t have a minty taste. It reminded me of going to the Dentist and getting a tooth cleaning – it tastes very similar to the paste Dentists use for cleaning and leaves your mouth feeling very clean. I must admit, getting used to the taste has been hard.
What I love
I love the way my teeth felt like I had them professionally cleaned.
Best for
Night use
It’s a night only toothpaste, plus I feel in the morning you need something a lot more minty.
Get the Olgani Mineral Rich Evening Toothpaste here
The Environmental Toothbrush (R49)
These stunning looking toothbrushes were designed by a dentist and are 100% biodegradable. They’re made from bamboo and while they’ve been tested to last for 8 months, it is recommended to replace them every 1-4 months. Once you’re done, you can put the toothbrush and packaging into a compost heap or your garden where it will decompose without pollution
What I love
I love the minimal look and the gentle feel of the bristles.
Best for
Daily use
There are 3 varieties, a medium, soft and child soft bristle so you can select based on your tooth sensitivity
Get the Environmental Toothbrush here
This post was brought to you in partnership with Faithful to Nature, an online Organic Shop which stocks a range of green foods, cosmetics, appliances and more. Head over here to shop – orders over R350 ship for free or follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @faithfultonature
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