REVIEW - Faith in Nature Clear Spring Laundry Liquid

I usually wash at 40°C so did this as normal when using the Faith in Nature Clear Spring Laundry Liquid. This product has a lovely fresh scent which is not overpowering. I used the suggested volume of liquid of 45ml which would result in the bottle lasting about 22 washes. This certainly seemed to be an adequate quantity with my laundry coming out of the machine clean and smelling fresh. As well as the usual grubbiness, I also tested this on muddy clothes, which came out clean too.

See the full review here.

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REVIEW - Beaming Baby Organic Skincare Baby Lotion

I tried the Beaming Baby Organic Skincare Baby Lotion on both my little one and myself as I often use baby lotion for body moisturising. This is a light lotion which rubs in easily and doesn’t have a strong scent. This, and its hypoallergenic properties, makes it ideal for children and I also found it pleasant to use myself. It seemed to do a good job of moisturising, leaving skin feeling soft.

See the full review here.

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REVIEW - Beaming Baby Organic Baby Wipes

What parent can manage without baby wipes either for bottoms or sticky hands and faces? As you can go through a large quantity, particularly with small babies, however, it is always good to find a product which is kinder to the environment. The Beaming Baby Organic Baby Wipes are not only organic, but also biodegrade and are even flushable. These wipes are scented but naturally so and they are hypoallergenic making them suitable for sensitive skin, so I was very happy to try them on my little one. They have a lovely soft feel to them and are damp without being too wet, and as such they do a good job of cleaning.

See the full review here.

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REVIEW - Beaming Baby Organic Baby Care Shampoo & Body Wash

The Beaming Baby Organic Baby Care Shampoo & Body Wash is a liquid rather than gel-type product, meaning you have to be careful not to pour too much onto the sponge, as you don’t need a large amount to create a decent lather and clean effectively. This applies both to body and hair. The product has a pleasant scent which is not overpowering and it caused no adverse effects on my little one’s eczema-prone skin, thus living up to its hypoallergenic label.

See the full review here.

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Charity Shop Sales Increases

Charity shops have been seeing clothes sales increase over the last year despite the opposite trend from high street stores. This is attributed to the fact that people are being more thrift but also that they are looking for more ethical purchases. Read more on this at the Guardian website.

Buying from charity shops is certainly a great way of finding bargains and recycling and second hand clothes shops are also a good place to bargain hunt. If you are getting rid of clothes certainly don't throw them in the bin, but pass them on to charity or sell them via Ebay or through a local second hand clothes store. In fact, the same goes for many items from books and music to ornaments and furniture.

Related UK Energy Saving Pages:
Recycling
Charity Recycling
Clothes Recycling

Related Blog Posts:
Marks & Spencer's Latest Green Initiative

You Could be Eligible for Insulation Grants

As the summer draws to an end, you may well be thinking about how you can save money on your heating bills this autumn and winter, especially given the increase in the price of utilities. There are many ways you can make your home more energy efficient, and a key area is insulation. Which is why we have teamed up with EnergyLink Ltd to offer you the chance to receive a free, no-obligation home survey to see whether you require insulation and whether you are eligible for a grant. If you are over 70 years of age or on certain benefits you could be eligible for a 100% grant and if not you could still qualify for a grant to cover up to 75% of the costs.

Depending on the type of insulation you may be interested in, check out some of the pages below for more information on insulation and to complete the survey. This will just take a few minutes and EnergyLink Ltd will contact you to arrange your home survey if you may be eligible for a grant.

Insulating Your Home
Cavity Wall Insulation
Loft Insulation

These and many other measures can make a real difference to how energy efficient your home is. Check out our Energy Saving Calculator for loads of other suggestions with details of potential costs and savings. Also visit our energy switch marketplace to see whether you could save money by switching your utilities provider.

REVIEW - Beaming Baby Organic Facial Cleansing Wipes

This product comes in a pack of 25 wipes and they are designed for removing water-based make-up. I didn’t try them on my eyes as there is no mention of suitability for this sensitive area, but I used them to remove my other make-up at the end of the day. They have a light, pleasant scent and easily removed make-up. The wipes have a damp feel and your face is left feeling moist, which I like as you don’t feel the need to rinse with water. Due to the dampness, I waited a few minutes before moisturising, although my skin was not left feeling taut and dry even before this, as can be the case with some cleansing products.

See the full review here.

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REVIEW - Soapods

These are the most unusual green washing product I have tried and I didn’t know what to expect! In order to use Soapods you simply put six to eight nutshells in the little cotton bag provided and pop them into your washing machine.....

So the million dollar question; do they work? Well, yes! I washed muddy and even grass-stained clothes with the Soapods and they did a great job. At about £5 for a 190g bag these are good value, too, and the producer suggests that you may be able to use even less nutshells and for a greater number of washes if you have fairly clean laundry or are in a soft water area.

See the full review here.

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REVIEW - Faith in Nature Lavender & Geranium Shower Gel/Foam Bath

The lavender and geranium scent of the Faith in Nature Lavender & Geranium Shower Gel/Foam Bath is lovely without being overpowering. Lavender is, of course, supposed to have calming properties so this would be great for a relaxing evening bath. I used it as a shower gel, however, and it produced a good lather without having to use loads of product. My skin can be a little sensitive, but I didn’t find this product to be irritating and it is reassuring to be using natural products.

See the full review here.

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House of Lords Believes Government Should Focus on Business Waste

A House of Lords committee has criticised the government for focussing too much on reducing consumer waste when supermarkets and businesses are responsible for the majority of waste produced. Issues such as excessive packaging and cheap 'throw-away' clothes are a big problem according to the inquiry.

Certainly there is a lot of sense in this report, with packaging noted as a significant waste issue. As consumers, however, we can certainly continue to do our bit, but perhaps this inquiry will encourage the government to look at the wider picture...

See more details of the report at the Telegraph website.

Related blog posts:
Changing the Way We Work - Greening Your Office
Big Business Thinks About Carbon Footprints

REVIEW - Powermonkey Solar Charger

The Powermonkey solar Charger draws power directly from the sun giving you free power wherever you are! It will charge mobile phones, ipods and cameras. It really is a handy device about the size of a small computer mouse which can easily fit in your rucksack or case and I was able to recharge my mobile phone twice and it still had power within the Powermonkey. Charging of a completely flat Ipod took the usual time but it did not seem to have used much of the charge from within the slave.

See the full review here.

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REVIEW - Paper Logmaker

At a time when fuel prices are continuing to increase the Paper Logmaker is a great way to recycle your paper for fuel and also save money. A good time to make your logs would be on a cold evening as you soon get warm forcing paper into the tube to make it as compact as possible. Although many of us recycle our paper there is still a tremendous amount going into landfill so using the Logmaker reduces this waste.

See the full review here.

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REVIEW - Green People 10 Itch Away Shampoo

The 10 Itch Away Shampoo says it is good for dry, itchy and flaky scalp and also helps to guard against a build-up of dead skin cells and your hair certainly does feel good after washing. On the downside it was not as effective on my Dandruff but if you use this on alternative washes alongside a good dandruff shampoo it should do the trick.

See the full review here.

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REVIEW - Faith in Nature Lavender & Geranium Shampoo

This shampoo smells lovely and produces a good lather. You therefore don’t need to use much product to feel that you are doing a good job and the shampoo is effective, leaving hair clean and soft. As I have hair erring towards greasy, however, I asked a friend with dryer hair what she thought. She also gave positive feedback and found it to be gentle and effective on her hair too.

To see the full review click here.

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REVIEW - Beyond Organic Trial/Weekender Range

Firstly, the Organic Moisturising Day Cream. This yellow cream appears quite thick, but you actually only need a little and it is very easily absorbed giving a lovely base for make-up. My combination skin certainly liked this product and was left smooth and soft.

Next, the Organic Regenerating Night Cream. This is also a thick yellow cream, which feels gorgeous after cleansing in the evening. As with the Day Cream, very little product is needed to get good coverage and the skin is left soft and supple.

Also for the face and neck is the Organic Rejuvenating Serum. I particularly used this product on my under eye area which is prone to occasional dryness. You only need the tiniest amount and I found that it improved dryness and left skin really soft......

The final of the four products in the Beyond Organic Trial/Weekender Range is the Organic Rescue Salve.....I have not been using the cream for very long, but already the skin is feeling softer and less dry so I will certainly be continuing with this product.

See the full review here.

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National Trust See 95% Cut In Plastic Bag Usage

Following the National Trust's decision to charge 5p for plastic carrier bags in its stores from May this year (see our post on this here), they have noted a 95% drop in their use. Customers are bringing their own bags and also buying the reusable ones available in the National Trust shops. See article in the Telegraph for more details of the environmental initiative.

Following similar findings from Marks & Spencer, surely other retailers will start to follow suit??

Related UK Energy Saving Pages:
Eco Friendly Bags

Related Blog Posts:
New Concerns Over Plastic in the Seas
Budget Doesn't Go Green Enough
UK Energy Saving Looks Back Over a Year of Change in the Lives of Free Plastic Bags

REVIEW - Wattson Energy Monitor

The Efergy , Eco-Eye and Wattson can all display the current electricity usage in Watts, but whereas Efergy and Eco-Eye display equivalent daily carbon emissions and financial cost, Wattson displays the equivalent cost per year. Therefore, when the kettle is on, Wattson will display £3,000 which is the amount it would cost if the kettle were left on for a whole year. Because of its futuristic design the Wattson is also a fascinating addition as a focal point and conversation piece especially when the lights move from blue to red as consumption increases.

See the full review here.

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REVIEW - Beyond Organic Mother & Baby Pack

Firstly, I’ll give you my thoughts on the Beyond Organic Chamomile & Calendula Baby Oil. As is suggested by the manufacturer, this is suitable both for babies and adults so I gave it a try on both! This product has a lovely scent, which is quite delicate, making it particularly pleasant as an eye make-up remover and for use with children. As an eye make-up remover I found it to be effective and I also tried it after showering.......

So, onto the Tamanu with Shea and Cocoa Butters Stretch Mark Cream. This has a stronger scent, which is quite different to any other brands I have used but is very much a natural smell..... I didn’t use this product for a long length of time so it is difficult to tell whether it made a real difference to stretch marks, but it is a lovely thick cream which would certainly also appeal for pampering a pregnancy bump! You don’t need much cream either, so it would last a while.

See the full review here.

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REVIEW - Afterglow Organic Lip Love Lipstick

In my opinion there are a couple of critical criteria for a good lipstick; that it does not dry out lips, and that the colour is long lasting. So I gave the Afterglow Organic Lip Love Lipstick a try to see how it performed. Firstly, it has a standard consistency and is easy to apply and get good coverage either direct from the tube or using a lip brush. It also has quite a typical, not unpleasant, lipstick taste. In terms of being long lasting, I found this product to perform as well as other lipsticks I use. I also discerned no drying effect, making it a pleasant product to use. Overall, therefore, this lipstick ticks all the performance boxes.

See the full review here.

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Could You Save Money on Your Gas and Electricity Bills?

In light of the current massive increases in utility prices, there has probably never been a better time to make sure you are getting a good deal. Check out our energy switch marketplace to see if you can get a better deal. You can also choose to select green tariffs which utilise renewable energy for electricity.

REVIEW - Afterglow Mineral Eye Shadow

The Afterglow Mineral Eye Shadow is in a classic pot (which is 100% recyclable) but is a loose powder rather than pressed like many products. I wondered whether this would be as easy to apply as my usual product, but actually there was no problem. The information I received with the eye shadow stated that it could be used dry or wet, so I tried both methods and both were effective. It was easy to get an even coverage and you didn’t need to use much product. The shimmer effect is not over the top so I found it suitable for day or night wear. Eyes can obviously be quite a sensitive area, so I think many of us stick to what we know, but I had no reaction to this product, and it is promoted as being gluten-free so suitable for those with a gluten sensitivity.

See the full review here.

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