Skincare Science
Learning the facts about natural cosmetics
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Today's blog is a guest post by Cassie Brewer, a freelance writer and beauty enthusiast based in California. In this article she looks at th...
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Dry skin is common. If you experience dry skin on your face, you might find that it’s seasonal or you might suffer all year round. When your...
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If you're like me, you go through lip balm like there's no tomorrow. And if you're like me, you're also always misplacing your lip balms so ...
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Making your own natural skincare products can be simple. This isn’t a statement you’ll frequently hear in the mainstream media because most ...
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With so many different cleansers to choose from in the shops, it's hard to know what makes a good cleanser. In my latest blog post, I want t...
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Here's a question for you. What is the main ingredient used in your beauty products?
With the media full of the horrors of mainstream cos...
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Following on from the great success of my '20 best oils for treating eczema' article, it's clear to me that people are keen to find out more...
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When I first started this blog, I wrote about the fantastic properties of a natural hedgerow oil. I briefly touched on a clinical study that...
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I read an article this week about squalene oil extracted from shark livers to make expensive creams and lotions. It is thought that around 3...
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Why use oils for eczema?
Eczema (also known as dermatitis) is a dry skin condition. It is widely considered the most common skin disease....
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Happy Easter! As today is our modern day for gorging on chocolate or cocoa in all its various forms, I wanted to write about the uses of coc...
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A true hydrosol or hydrolat is the flower water that is collected when plants are steam distilled for their essential oils. Hydrosols have a...
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Lots of people are scared of applying oil to their face. They think it will make their skin greasy or give them spots or they simply don't l...
Plants in Beauty
Botanical extracts in natural skincare
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I went out 'chestnutting' with my family today. We live in the south part of rural England and now that it's autumn, the trees around our house are laden with sweet chestnuts (Castanea sativa) which are fantastic when roasted. So I thought it would be fun to look at the scientific skincare properties of the chestnut, focusing on two different species - the s[...]
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If I mention liquorice to you, you probably think I'm talking about confectionery. I am originally from the Netherlands and it's a well-known Dutch delicacy which you can buy in every supermarket and corner shop. However, did you know that liquorice is actually a wonderful skincare herb?
Liquorice or licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is a leafy green plant wh[...]
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Chamomile is one of the best skincare herbs available and is particularly useful for skin conditions such as contact dermatitis (eczema). This apple-scented herb comes in several different forms, but thankfully they all offer natural beauty benefits.
Chamomile is antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic. It is also considered to be hyp[...]
Skincare Myths
Separating fact from fiction in natural skincare
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If you are into natural skincare, you will have seen the statistics flying around the internet about 60% of your cosmetics ending up in your...
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I continuously come across natural skincare articles on the internet written by well-meaning people who want to teach you to use natural ski...
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In my recent series on cosmetic chemistry I've covered topics such as 'can cosmetics be absorbed into your bloodstream?', 'what's the main i...
Skincare Business Secrets
Coaching hints & tips on how to run your business
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Over the last year, I've been extremely busy growing Formula Botanica, the online Organic Cosmetic Science School. Formula Botanica teaches ...
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One of the common cries for help I receive tends to go a bit like this:
“Help! My skincare potion is really good for healing and curing...
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Today's guest blog is by Khulan Davaadorj. Khulan is on a very exciting journey as Mongolia's first Organic Skincare Entrepreneur. She is bu...
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I feel extremely fortunate to be able to introduce you to our guest blogger today - Khulan Davaadorj. Khulan is on a very exciting journey a...
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Money, money, money
Always sunny
In a rich man's world
Aha-ahaaa
All the things I could do
If I had a little money
-Abba-
Ahhh indeed...
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Whether you're just starting out or wanting to extend your range, it can be tricky to find the right product, usually because you want to ma...
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Have you ever thought about the use of colour in skincare branding? What if I told you that colour is a very powerful way of conveying the m...
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Picture this...
At one point in my business life I attended a lot of exhibitions and photo shoots and quickly realised that putting on a ...
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Today’s blog is a guest post by Louis Dyer, a graphic designer who frequently works with skincare businesses around the world. In this artic...
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Here's a little something you can try, to widen your horizon: go sit in a small box. Or, if you don't have a box small enough, squeeze into ...
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The first time I ever heard of a Mastermind, I thought the person talking was referring to that long-running BBC quiz show. But as it turned...
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Every morning Geeta Sood drops her two children off at school. After she’s seen them on their way, she heads off to her part-time job for a ...
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Today's blog is a guest post by All Waste Matters, specialists in collecting and recycling hazardous waste produced from the printing, photo...
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Formula Botanica, the online Organic Skincare School, has this month come under new ownership and management. Herb & Hedgerow, a Dor...
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This blog post is exciting for many reasons. Firstly, it's 2014 and this year holds many exciting new things for Herb & Hedgerow. Second...
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This question has been puzzling me for a while now. The more I delve into the science behind cosmetic formulation, the more I am surprised a...
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Following on from my recent interview with Laura Sanchez, Founder of Lypsso, I am creating a series of interviews with inspirational women. ...
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I tweet as @herbBlurb on Twitter. Twitter is a brilliant platform for the beauty industry as there are hundreds of influential beauty blogge...
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I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Laura Sanchez, the founder of Lypsso. We'd been chatting about natural beauty and thought it wou...
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Do you love social media? I do. I've been on the internet for 18 years and it's never been more connected than it is today. Virtually everyo...
Cosmeceuticals
Anti-ageing properties in plants
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This blog post is the part of a series I'm writing on cosmeceuticals and their biologically active plant-derived ingredients. This month we'...
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This blog post is the part of a series I'm writing on cosmeceuticals and their biologically active plant-derived ingredients. This month we'...
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This blog post is the first part of a series I'm writing on cosmeceuticals and their biologically active plant-derived ingredients. I alread...
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Along with some of my other blog series, I'm planning on writing a series to profile cosmeceuticals and their biologically active plant-deri...
Beauty History
Using natural ingredients through the ages
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In a slight departure from my usual articles about herbs and their uses in skincare, I thought it would be fun to look at Yuletide herbs and...
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If you've been anywhere near social media in the last year, you'll have noticed that everyone has gone mad for quotes. Everywhere I look, I'...
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Olive oil, that golden cold pressed oil we all know and love, is commonly used in cooking, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and even as fuel. It h...
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Honey isn't just wonderful to eat, it also has great natural skincare properties. You've probably never thought about slathering sticky swee...
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Rice has been used as a natural beauty treatment for thousands of years to relieve inflammation associated with skin diseases and for cleans...
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From Babylonians to Samurai warriors
Vinegar is one of the oldest fermentation processes known to humankind. The oldest fermentation proces...
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Ancient Egypt & Rome
Cleopatra, the last pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, was renowned throughout history for her radiant skin and her stunnin...
