Every House of Steep product is designed with relaxation in mind including their Cleansing Calm Foot Spray and Herb Soak Salts (below) made by Branch & Vine, my new line! If you try anything out, I would love to hear what you think.

Photo Credit: House of Steep

1. Please tell us a little about your journey and the founding of Living by Nature. Living Nature approached me to be their first ever spokesperson. It was perfect timing as at that time, I was seriously looking at my life and how I was going to approach my 40′s and the aging process. After making the decision that I was going to age naturally, and trialling the product for six months, I joined forces with Living Nature. Living Nature was founded in 1987 by Suzanne Hall who started using NZ native plants to make skincare products for her own skin as she wanted to use only natural ingredients. Today it is privately NZ owned.
2. How does living in New Zealand impact the formulation of the line? NZ is known for its nature and its native plants which have been used medicinally by Maori (people of NZ) for centuries. So, the range is based on the unique native botanicals like Harakeke Flax, Totarol, Manuka Honey, Manuka Oil, Hallo Clay and Kelp found only here in NZ.
3. What sets Living Nature apart from other natural beauty companies? Firstly, all the products are 100% natural and not many companies can say that. Living Nature’s products carry the BDIH Certified Natural Cosmetics Seal which is a world-leading independent auditor of natural skincare, and set some of the most rigorous standards worldwide for naturalness. The products are made here in NZ at the Living Nature’s own factory where all product development, formulation, filling and dispatching is done. Even the packaging has no nasties in it and is recyclable and 100% free from BPA and phthalates. The recyclable paper packaging uses vegetable dyes and inks and no chloride or dioxin.
4. Could you choose one or two Living Nature products as your favorite(s)? I find this really hard to do as I love so many of the products equally! But I would say the Radiance Night Oil which my skin just loves because of the wonderful bouquet of naturally healing and restorative oils-calendula, jojoba, rose,rosehip oil, frankincense, the smell is blissful! Lovely to apply just before bed. The Extra Hydrating Gel is exceptional as it truly nourishes and balances the skin and restores the vitality to my skin which at my age is a must.
5. What products would you recommend to someone trying Living Nature for the first time? Obviously, the products should be in harmony with a person’s skin and its needs ie dry/oily/normal/mature etc. But I think The Radiance Night Oil, Vitalising Cleanser which is a very gentle and effective cleanser, Eye Make Up Remover-again so gentle, no stinging or oiliness with this product and Firming Flax Cream- fantastic for softening fine lines.

Lorraine Downes, New Zealand’s only ever Miss Universe and former Dancing With The Stars champion, joined Living Nature in 2010 to encourage women around the world to turn to 100% natural skincare as the healthy, safe and effective alternative to synthetic beauty products. Lorraine’s love of New Zealand and the miracle properties of the ancient native botanicals is what propels her to help women discover what she has discovered — you can take the healing and rejuvenating properties of nature and apply them to yourself. As a professional image consultant, she has worked with women for 25 years.

  {Louise Henderson, Living Nature’s Global Marketing Manager

& Lorraine Downes, Living Nature’s Spokeswoman}

1.  Avoid processed  sugar – I do this on a daily basis, but I REALLY do this when I feel a cold coming on since sugar weakens the immune system.

2.  Soak your feet – Another thing I pretty much do daily. It’s such a relaxing and detoxifying habit. I add some of my herb soak salts to very warm water and let my feet soak for about 10 minutes.

3.  Moisturize your feet – After a foot bath is the perfect time to put a therapeutic balm on your feet and some nice comfy socks.  Some of my favorite balms to use include Buddha Nose’s  I Booster Salve and Waxelene (“The Petroleum Jelly Alternative” with SO many uses). I notice I always sleep especially well when I do this before bed.

4.  Sleep well  – There’s nothing like high quality sleep to help you overcome a battle with a bug. I think the advise of 7-9 hours seems about right, but everyone is different.

5.  Consume lots of hot liquids – Green tea, plain hot water with fresh lemon juice and homemade chicken soup are my favorites.

6.  Eat garlic – I always love to eat garlic, but I definitely up the ante if I’m not feeling well. Garlic is nature’s antibiotic.

7.  Have some honey – Another superb natural germ fighter. Add a teaspoon to tea for a sore throat or a tablespoon to the juice of one lemon for a natural cough remedy (see previous post).

8.  Oil your nostrils – It sounds weird, but it’s an excellent way to keep germs out of your nose. To prevent your nasal passages from getting dry just put a little olive oil or sesame oil on a Q-tip/clean finger and coat the inside of your nostrils. This is an especially good practice before traveling on a plane.

9.  Keep the heat down – I am very big on not putting the heat too high during the winter because I hate how it makes my sinuses feel dry/stuffy.  I prefer putting on another layer of clothing before cranking the heat up to anything above the low 70s.

 I really hope these recommendations help you during cold season and throughout the year. Be well! :) ~Annie

Some pluses (aside from the wonderful scent itself) — it’s under $10, it’s easy to carry with you, it promotes relaxation, and it never gives me headaches (like many conventional perfumes). The stick also comes in Tea Tree (great for bug bites & blemishes), Eucalyptus (helps with cold symptoms) and Peppermint (excellent for headache relief).

Hope everyone has a great start to the week!

Well after many, many years and many, many natural deodorants, I think I have finally found one that I’m going to stick with. It’s Lavanila The Healthy Deodorant.  I specifically like the Vanilla Lavender version of this silky deodorant, but there are a few other great scent options. I have to warn you about the price… it’s $18… I know, so expensive for a deodorant, but my thrifty self actually thinks it’s worth it. It smells so nice and the scent really lasts all day. In a way, you can consider it an $18 perfume — now that’s a good deal, right? Let me know if you give it a try!

This scrub thoroughly, but not harshly, exfoliates skin through two main ingredients — sea kelp and walnut. After using this scrub your face immediately feels super clean and refreshed, but not dry. The natural ingredients in this scrub actually accomplish 3 goals with 1 product –  the top layer of skin is exfoliated, pores are cleansed and new cell growth is stimulated. The scent? Mild, refreshing and minty. Oh and did I mention the color? Dark, dark green – like shockingly green – it’s quite fun.  This is a strong claim, but I really think it might be the best scrub I’ve used to date!

{via}

A couple of shots from creating the bath soaks…

(adding lavender to a batch of the Balanced & Carefree soak)

(some completed Grounded soaks)

The bath soaks are available in 3 varieties (notice each one has a type of tea included):

Balanced & Carefree – A stress-relieving combination of lavender and chamomile tea
Grounded – A stabilizing tonic of patchouli, cinnamon and ginger with oolong tea
Invigorating – A refreshing blend of peppermint and sweet orange with green tea

And the the Cleansing Calm Foot Spray is blend of black tea, peppermint, rosemary, eucalyptus and tea tree oils, which is ideal for reducing foot odor and refreshing tired feet.

I hope you might give one (or more) of these a try. If you do, I would love to hear what you think. Thank you in advance for the support!

In addition to the move, I’ve been meaning to tell everyone some other exciting news… I’ve previously mentioned a relatively new company called blissmo, which is an amazing site for finding and purchasing the best organic and eco-friendly products at up to 70% off. Well, I’m very excited to announce that I recently became one of the blissmo curators helping to find the fab lines and products being featured on a daily basis! (That’s me bottom left)

Have a great rest of the week (in case I’m not back from unpacking before it ends)!

Back-story: I plotted with Dylan’s younger brother, Gavin, to surprise him and come to DC for the day from NY. Dylan almost jumped out of his skin last night when there was a knock on the door at 11:30pm and Gavin was standing there. It was SOOO great. I had told Dylan to take today off because I had something planned so now the two of them have the day together to wander around DC :)

A few of our favorite places from the past and for the future…

{New Zealand}

{Belgium}

{San Francisco}

{Bora Bora}

{Ireland}

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY LOVE!!!

Grits & Honey Scrub

Other great products by HollyBeth:

Wildflower Dry Oil – so nourishing to the face and neck with a regenerative mix of oils and plant extracts.

Lavender Hand Cream (98% organic) – rich and relaxing with sweet almond oil as the #1 ingredient and of course, lavender.

Happy happy weekend everyone!