KEY POINTS:
Food has been the main subject of conversation around the Viva office lately as the winners for the Viva Takeout Awards (due to be announced in the next week or so) have been thrashed out. This got me noticing how much the beauty cupboard resembles a pantry, full
of colourful ingredients with names that sound edible and which smell delicious. Old favourites remain: tangy citrus, soothing peppermint and rosemary oils and anti-oxidant rich green tea and plant extracts. But, as with food fashions, what's in vogue comes and goes. The latest must-haves are coffee berry and pomegranate - and look out for more use of honey and native plant extracts.
1 Eco Store Plant-Based Hand Wash, Coconut and Vanilla $5.99
Eco Store Soaps $3
Two firm favourite additions to skincare, often found in body lotions, are used here in liquid soap. If you like coconut, you'll love the scent of this and its moisturising feel. Eco-Store also makes good cake soaps, coconut included, but also manuka honey and kelp and orange and cinnamon.
From the Eco-Store, health food shops and supermarkets.
2 Moloya Natural lemongrass clay soap $9
This clay soap, with a zingy fresh fragrance to wake you up in the morning hails from Gisborne and has a fine, smooth texture. Gentle enough to use all over, including for shaving. It lathers well and doesn't dry out skin. The packaging says "take me to the Kiwi coast".
Like the Eco-Store, Olive and Pacifica items, could easily add to our list of Christmas mail suggestions from last week.
3 Origins Gloomaway, Grapefruit body wash and bubble bath $52
Grown-up bubble bath; an invigorating elixir that will lift your spirits. Time to turn the tap on ...
4 MediHoney Derma Cream $19.80
With anti-bacterial honey, this barrier cream is designed to moisturise dry skin and protect fragile skin, including under dressings. Can be used on skin prone to eczema and dermatitis. Smells a bit medicinal, as befitting a natural treatment now winning respect for its healing properties. MediHoney is also found in a Barrier Cream ideal for babies and the two creams from Comvita can be bought as a set for mother and child gifts.
5 Olive Shower Gel $10.90
Extra virgin olive oil, high in vitamins and anti-oxidants, is the key ingredient in the Olive range from the Simunovich Estate, south of Auckland, The gel has a light, pleasant scent and smooth finish and its maker, Branka Simunovich, who is continuing a 200-year-old family tradition of growing olives and harnessing their goodness in soaps and other skincare, swears by olive oil so much she has a little tipple as a health tonic every morning.
6 Priori CoffeeBerry Revitalising Cleanser $120
Priori claims to be the first natural skincare line with cosmetic-grade anti-ageing benefits. It uses coffee berry extract, newly lauded for its powerful concentrations of anti-oxidants, in a complete skincare range.
7 St Ives Body Polish, Oatmeal & Shea Butter $10.90
This is a great buy, an in-shower exfoliator with a nice texture, using nautral sugar crystals and oatmeal to gently give skin a scurry over and shea butter for a smooth finish. There's also a matching body wash.