Christmas ‘Party Season’ Tips

I think I’m still in denial that it’s nearly December as this year really has simply whizzed past, with a wonderful new baby in our lives. Early the other evening though, as I was out walking to soothe poor teething Baby Isabel before bed, I bumped into Maeve, one of my glamorous NCT Mummy friends. She was on her way out to a party, complete with fab sparkly dress and high heels. It reminded me afresh of all those clever tricks that one indulges in before a big night out and, with the Christmas party season just around the corner, I thought I’d share some insider tips with you, to ensure you have the most beautiful skin at all the festive gatherings.

Many of us spend ages debating which little black dress to buy and which killer heels look best, but skincare often comes last on the ‘getting ready to go’ list. And yet your skin is the one thing that people look at all the time!  The most important tip that I’ve picked up from the top make-up artists that we’ve worked with around the world, is that a great ‘face’ begins with great skin prep. I always swear too, that the time to start is actually the night before.

So, set aside just an hour or so to indulge in some true ‘me’ time, and your skin will glisten its thanks. Run yourself a delicious sensory Vital Oils bath (Comfort is my favourite for chilling out) and the skincare fun begins….. This is the time to dip into our ‘Special Treatments’ range – designed for you to ‘dip in’ and ‘dip out’ of, as you need. There are many star SOS treats here including deep cleansers, soothing masks and spot treatments; all designed to tackle a variety of skin issues. As with all our range, all the Special Treatments really do multi-task, making this the perfect ‘quick fix’ pit-stop for all your pre-party needs.

Everyone needs a good face mask before a party – it’s a prerequisite, as much as painting your nails. After cleansing, simply choose between Intensive Nourishing Treatment – a soothing moisture mask to intensively replenish lost moisture, leaving you with baby-soft skin (there is no better skin primer); or try Deep Cleansing Mask – a hard-working botanical mask to help rebalance and regulate oilier skins. (You can use all over, or just on specific areas such as the t zone or congested areas such as the jaw line). You could also use both these masks on different parts of your face, if you’re combination skin – for instance, Intensive Nourishing on dry cheeks and Deep Cleansing on the t zone. Then slough away dead skin cells on the body, to reveal luscious limbs for your LBD, with Energising Body Scrub – super-quick, this gentle foaming exfoliator works to energise and refresh the skin, shoulder to toe.

When you’re dry, finish your pampering session with Superskin Concentrate on the face, neck and décolletage - serious overnight skin-nourishing TLC for all skin types – and massage Superbalm into the cuticles on your hands and feet, sealing with Hand Repair to ensure your manicure is set off to its best.

And for the morning of the party? For those horrid emergency spots – why do they always rear their head before a big day?! – keep handbag-friendly Spot On to hand. This mini rollerball delivers a potent blend of non-drying essential oils to help tackle the causes of outbreaks, with tea tree, lavender and melissa as well as natural vitamin E.  If the day runs away, time is tight and you end up with only 30 minutes to go before the party, don’t worry! Opt for everyone’s hero, Brightening Treatment – this minute mask works quickly to brighten and bring a rosy glow to even the dullest of complexions, leaving skin soft, clean and radiant. What better emergency fix before you start making up? For your evening bag, as well as Spot On which you can also apply over make-up if necessary, take a mini Instant Boost Skin Tonic Spritzer to refresh and revive all the senses, and a mini Botanical Aftersun Gel. Our minis are perfectly portable, and the Aftersun Gel really comes into its own to soothe aching ‘dancing in high heels’ feet!

For the morning after - ouch! – gently does it; reach quickly for soothing eye lotion Eyebright to calm puffiness around the eye area, and soothe weary heads. Sprinkle liberally onto two cotton wool pads, place over the eye area, and lie back for 5 minutes as Eyebright works its gentle wonders. (If you’re super-organised, pop Eyebright in the fridge as you leave the house for the party, so you’re ready for the morning after!) A spritz of Instant Boost from your evening bag will also quickly revive all the senses. Energising Body Wash is a great ‘morning after’ choice, and the eucalyptus in Cleanse & Polish also helps wipe away the cobwebs…

And a final tip…. I often find that I can start going down with colds and horrid winter bugs in the run-up to Christmas, when you’re super busy. Try a morning dose of this, instead of your double-shot skinny latte: add a spoonful of manuka honey and a squeeze of fresh lemon to a cup of hot water. This comforting drink helps ward off the baddies - another example of how our botanicals can work in so many ways, manuka honey in our Deep Cleansing Mask helps soothe the skin but taken orally like this, it can also help ward off infection. Most good supermarkets sell it alongside standard honey. It’s well worth the investment.

Happy partying!

Do come and share your own pre and post-party skincare tips here. We’d love to hear any of your own good suggestions that we can share during our next QVC shows - Liz & I both look forward to seeing you on QVC on Friday the 5th from 2pm!

Seasonal Treats & Diary Dates!

As Liz says below, it’s that exciting time again and we’ve already started the big countdown to Christmas, here at Liz Earle. I’m amazed at how this year has sped past – one counts every week of pregnancy so meticulously, and yet now that Baby Isabel is here, the seasons have just zipped past. Like many of you who have posted messages here, I too was really excited to watch this past weekend’s TSV and to start planning my Christmas gift list. As I’m still on maternity leave, it was the first time in years that I sat down to watch all the shows with my ‘customer hat’ on. I nearly ordered the TSV myself, I was so hooked. Unfortunately, I have a heavy cold and had to watch from bed (an interesting experience with a lively 7 months’ old baby!), but thoroughly enjoyed seeing all your messages & texts whizzing across the screen. It’s a real interactive experience, and I know many of you tune in with your skincare in front of you, to join in the demos! (I have to admit that I got so carried away watching Liz on the show, that I persuaded my husband to give Baby Izzy her daily bath early, after the 10am show, as I enjoyed the Orange Flower Body Wash baby discussions so much). Very exciting that we received three awards for Cleanse & Polish too last week – well done to our hero product.

Another product I foresee becoming one of our heroes is our new Orange Flower Hand Wash (UK, US, Ireland). I’ve only been using the hand wash for a few weeks but am amazed at how soft my hands are already (and I can tell you they are seriously under the kosh at the moment, with the changing season and cold weather biting into my buggy-clutching hands on daily walks, and the constant washing between nappy changes and feeds!). My other ‘mum’ friends are already pestering me for the secret of soft hands, but my hand wash has been - almost literally - glued to my basin to avoid it going walkabout! Even my husband is intrigued by the new addition to the Liz Earle family in our bathroom.

And my final ‘PS’, I am really excited to let you know that I am due back for a quick QVC show this coming Sunday morning (12th October). Part of the ‘Christmas Stocking Fillers’ show at 11am, I will be revealing a very special new kit with a new hero product! It will be the first time that we’ve aired this fab new product, so please join me on Sunday when I reveal our new kit and look out on the website for more brilliant gift ideas.

Christmas countdown

This week I started thinking about my Christmas list. Each Autumn, I retrieve the small notebook of festive jottings in which I write what I have given my nearest and dearest - partly to make sure I don’t repeat myself but also to keep track of the growing number of nephews, Godchildren and family friends I’d like to buy a little something special for over the next oh-so-short two months. I’ve also made a shopping list of the ingredients for our Christmas cake which I’ll make soon too, on an afternoon when all four children are home so they can all stir the fruity mixture and make a wish. Once made, I tightly wrap the cake in baking parchment and clingfilm (having first sprinkled liberally with brandy to soak in) and leave to ‘mature’ in the pantry until it’s iced. It’s a simple tradition, but one that, for me, marks the beginning of the Christmas countdown and I really enjoy the sense of anticipation for festivities yet to be enjoyed and presents soon to be wrapped (and with a bit of luck, unwrapped!).

This week has also been a busy one on the Island for the team as we get ready for one of the real highlights of the year on QVC, the shopping channel. This is our Christmas TSV and it is a hugely exciting 24-hour period of live broadcasting when we launch a very special offer (and lots more besides), live on-air. For those who have never been part of the experience, TSV stands for Today’s Special Value and QVC launch one every single day at midnight (yes, I know, but this is a very popular time of day for the QVC viewing family…). For one day only, we produce a beautiful set of skincare at an extremely ‘special’ price and promote this as our TSV. The exact contents have to remain a secret and so I’m afraid I’m absolutely not allowed to reveal the details, except to say that this year, the team have really excelled themselves and there’s something really very special that’s been included. Don’t say I didn’t tip you off in advance.

One of the best things for me about the event is the opportunity it gives me to chat live on-air to callers who ring into the studio – which always reminds me of the live phone-ins I used to do on Richard and Judy’s This Morning programme so very many years ago. I love it because it’s so real and inter-active – we also get lots of text messages and emails coming through, so do tune in and join me if you’ve not done so before, especially if you’ve any wonderful stories or skincare experiences to share.

One of the things I’ll be launching on Saturday is our brand new Christmas box range and this year they are all especially beautiful. We’ve spent almost the entire year working on these (our first planning meeting happens in January, just after we’ve taken the tinsel down). We’ve lots of shapes, colour and sizes but the overall theme features a beautiful beach botanical Eryngium maritimum, or Sea Holly. Up-close, the flower of this special, spikey plant looks just like an intricate snowflake but it’s actually an endangered species, found in very few places and one of them is on our very own Isle of Wight. I was fascinated by this unusual botanical, which is not only beautiful and rare, but also extremely useful as this coastal plant has an extensive root system that helps bind sand on our sea shore. This is especially important in areas where there has been much coastal development, as it can help preserve sand dunes and the unique wildlife habitat they attract. If you’re visiting the Island, watch out for this pretty plant which we’ve spotted growing wild in Yarmouth’s Norton Spit, St Helen’s Duver and Newtowns Creek, but don’t pick it as it’s on the Sussex Rare Species Inventory (and even has regional protection in Northern France).

I do hope you’ll be able to tune in over the weekend and join me – either at our live midnight launch, or for some of the many live shows being broadcast throughout Saturday, from mid-morning right the way through the day until late evening. And do let us know what you think of both the shows and our new Christmas boxes by leaving a comment here on the Blog – the team and I really hope you’ll be as dazzled and delighted as we all are.

Baby news!

We have some exciting news to share with you all – Caroline’s baby daughter, Isabel Anne, was born Tuesday 4th March weighing 6lb 8oz. Both mother and baby are very well.

Hospital – My Mini Favourites

Well, this is my last blog for a few weeks, as today is my last ‘working’ day (I love my job, so it hardly counts as work to me!) and then I’m off for a few months on maternity leave. The time has just flown by and I can’t believe that the 40 weeks of pregnancy is nearly up now!

Of all the tips that I have to share with other mums-to-be - and those who have been in hospital too – I would say that Nourishing Botanical Body Cream (UK, US). has been my bodycare ‘lifeline’. It’s so easy to apply, if you are a little immobile, but delivers all that much-needed richness to your skin. As you get bigger in pregnancy (and actually also as you get older, like my grandmother), it’s hard to bend down, but the ease with which this sumptuous, velvety-soft body cream sinks in, makes daily moisutrising a doddle, even if I can’t see my toes! Orange Flower Body Wash has also been a regular favourite throughout the 9 months – not just for its multi-tasking bath & shower use (though I’ve had to stop bathing now, as I’m getting so big that I worry I’ll end up like Marilyn Monroe, calling the fire brigade as I’m stuck in the bath!), but also for its delicious, comforting neroli aroma - sheer heaven! For anyone recovering from illness, or just out of hospital, this soothing naturally-foaming body wash really does lift the spirits.

Best of all, everything comes in mini travel size - and very generous sizes, they are too. I‘m due to stay in hospital for at least 4 days next week, due to some complications, so I will be carefully selecting my mini Liz Earle choices this weekend, to remind me of home and give me a boost. I’ll probably end up sharing them with the other new mums-to-be, though, so perhaps I’d better take some spares?! (I always find – whether I’m travelling, or out and about, that as soon as people see the Liz Earle packaging or catch an aroma such as Superbalm or Orange Flower Body Wash, then they immediately recognise the range and are dying to get their hands on some! It’s really a best-kept secret that I just love to share…) For me, my hospital choices of minis will be: Superbalm for my dry lips, Hand Repair (after all that hand-washing after nappy-changing!), Orange Flower Body Wash for heavenly showers, Nourishing Botanical Body Cream for smoothing onto my body, as I try to get back into shape again, gradually! And of course, I will be packing my invincible Cleanse & Polish and skin-comforting Superskin Moisturiser (the hospital makes my skin feel very dry), plus the spritzer of Instant Boost to refresh and revive. All packed and ready to go! My husband and I are just dying to meet our baby now!

I’ll be back online soon, during my maternity leave, to keep you updated – but thank you for all your kind ‘good luck’ messages. Be in touch soon……

Mother’s Day Ideas

This year, I’m very excited about Mothering Sunday (2 March).

At 37 weeks’ pregnant this week, it’s just occurred to me that it’ll be my first proper ‘mother’s day’ (well, ‘mother-to-be’). I love Mothering Sunday - such a great idea to celebrate all our mums do for us and to heap affection onto your mother, and treat her to some well-deserved TLC. This year, I want to give something very special to both my wonderful mother and also my kind mother-in-law, who have both been so supportive with our new baby coming and the various complications that have been involved so far….. Here I am feeling huge and not very mobile, yet I’m spoiled really as I can just sit online, and simply browse our website for some gift ideas (UK, US) What could be easier?! We have so much to choose from….. where to start?!

Here are some handy hints, that I hope you find helpful too, as you choose how to treat your special mum:

It can sometimes be tricky to give skincare to a mother-in-law, if you’re not sure what she uses or what her skin type is – so why not opt for something luxurious for the body instead? My mother is a huge lover of body goodies anyway, so I will probably opt for the beautifully-boxed ‘Body Kit’ (UK, US) for both Mummy and my mother-in-law. This super duo are amongst our best-sellers, and the aromas are as divine as your skin feels after use. In fact, these two are my current pregnancy lifeline products too, so it’s quite apt really. The stunning box is also so useful – it’s not just a flimsy cardboard box that you sometimes find disappointing with department store coffrets - it’s a solid, stylish, high quality box, with silky soft finish and beautifully ‘Liz Earled’ in every way. Our boxes are often the talk of the town, so don’t just take my word for it! They cost £25.00.

If you are feeling decadent (or maybe a wee bit guilty that you can’t be there on Mothering Sunday in person), why not splash out on our Ultimate Hamper?(UK, US) (I’m secretly hoping for one of these when I’m in the maternity ward – hope my husband’s reading this!) Packed with all our best-sellers, this comes beautifully wrapped with a personal card – so all you need to do, is pick up the phone, order the gift to be sent and simply ask any of our friendly Customer Centre team to add your own personal message to the card. Hey presto, it’s that simple. Perfect for busy peeps all over the country. This costs £141.50.

And of course, lots of mums of all ages are raving about the new Superskin Moisturiser(UK, US) . Let her in on the big secret, with the gorgeous mini size of 15ml. This is literally a baby of the big size – a luxurious pot of super-rich cream - a really affordable little option at £11.00 and bound to go down a treat.

Everything that we send is loving hand-wrapped by our island team, with tissue paper and beautiful stickers – all year round – but it makes Mothering Sunday that little bit special – and saves you all the hard work.

Good luck, and do email us (UK, US) if you need any more help with gift ideas!

Happy New Year!

With the party season over and the New Year now upon us, this is the perfect time for a seasonal detox and a fresh look at instilling healthier habits for the year ahead. Back in the days before children I would make a regular fast at this time of year, cleaning out the system with a rigorous week-long fruit and water regime. This is certainly one of the most effective ways to internally cleanse the system and rid the body of its build-up of sugary, highly processed foods, caffeine and alcohol. But as an older, busier, working mother I find I’m less able to cope with the strictness of this extreme form of detox (which can necessitate frequent lie-downs to cope with tiredness or caffeine-withdrawl headaches). So now I have a modified spring-clean, which I still find effective, especially in breaking the cycle of bad habits accumulated over Christmas.

I’ve found that even small changes in what we eat and drink can bring about a big difference to the way we look and feel. The key is to maximise energy-enhancers and minimise energy-sappers. For me, the first thing to go is refined sugar, found in almost everything from breakfast cereals to processed foods and the more obvious cakes, biscuits and sweets. It’s so easy to over-load with sugar during the festive season, so cutting it out in the New Year takes a bit of provisions planning, but brings great benefits. You’ll find you have more sustained energy throughout the day instead of bursts of sugar-rush activity followed by a noticeable sugar-slump. I switch to porridge in the morning, simply made with water and drizzled with a tiny bit of local honey and a sprinkling of sunflower seeds for sweetness. Instead of cakes and biscuits, I stock the cupboard with rice cakes and corn thins and spread these with organic peanut or almond butter – a fantastic energy-boosting snack. I find my caffeine quota definitely creeps up towards the end of the year, so I try to redress the balance now by swapping rocket-fuel expressos for a gentler cup of de-caff or weak tea. However, I don’t go cold-turkey and give up caffeine altogether, as I find the withdrawal headaches are too debilitating and don’t respond to painkillers (not good for the system in any case). My less draconian detox regime involves cutting down on coffee and strong tea by one cup a day, until I’m down to a single mug at breakfast. Only then, after a week or so of gradual withdrawl, will I give it up altogether. Similarly with alcohol, I’ll make a tactical retreat over a week or so, gradually making the couple of glasses or so in the evening much smaller until eventually they’re gone altogether and I haven’t felt too deprived about it. The only thing I’ll dramatically increase is drinking water – yes, I know it’s an old chestnut, but there’s no doubt that drinking much more water (aim for 1.5 – 2 litres a day) really is a tremendous health and beauty benefit.

The plant kingdom offers plenty of detox boosters too. My favourites at the moment are fresh herbal teas – not the kind out of a packet but simply made by adding boiling water to pieces of fresh plants. For an uplifting and re-energising pep-up, try a few slices of fresh ginger steeped in hot water (sweeten with a little honey if needed). This is especially good at this time of year as it’s highly anti-bacterial and is an excellent internal cleanser. I drink lots of this if I’m feeling under the weather and it really helps. It’s also the traditional remedy for any kind of nausea or sickness (even a self-induced hangover…). Another excellent internal cleanser is fresh peppermint. Simply steep a small bunch of fresh mint leaves in hot water and leave to infuse for a few minutes. I find this is usually sweet enough to drink without honey and it’s especially good after meals as a digestive settler and stomach soother. A very good natural remedy for bloating, indigestion or general over-indulgence also.

Don’t forget that the physical process of body-brushing is one of the best ways to stimulate a sluggish circulation and help clear a build-up of toxins from the system. Dry brushing the body each morning, working upwards from the soles of the feet in long, sweeping movements (working towards the heart) might sound strange, but it really helps give our internal lymph system a physical boost, which in turn increases the amount of cellular debris and waste matter that our lymph system carries out of the body. I’m such a fan of body brushing that we have a downloadable fact sheet (UK , US) with further information and we also stock a super natural-bristle brush with a long detachable handle for ease of use. The best time to use this is before jumping into a warm shower, when you can rinse away any dislodged dead skin cells. And right now we have even more reason to make this an invigorating experience, with the launch this week of our brand new Energising Body Wash (UK & Coming Soon in the US) – my new favourite way to start the day.

MBE Investiture at Buckingham Palace

Today was the Big Day for Kim and me, as the time came to meet HM The Queen for our MBE Investiture at Buckingham Palace. It had been in the diary for such a long time that it didn’t seem quite real when the actual day finally dawned. I arrived at the Palace first, dressed head to toe in the best of British design as I thought that would be most appropriate. I wore a suit made by the young designer Katherine Hooker, who works exclusively with British-made fabrics such as Harris tweed and Viyella, I chose a pale blue, lightweight Shetland tweed suit, edged in a cotton print that echoed the colours of our packaging – soft green, porcelain, blues and even a hint of the aubergine shade of the men’s range. I found I had arrived so early that the front gates were still locked, so I asked a Metropolitan Policewoman nearby which entrance I should use. She pointed to the nearest gate and then said “you’re Liz Earle aren’t you? I watch you all the time on TV and just love Cleanse & Polish!” What a great start to the day! As my family and I went through the huge black gates at the front of the Palace, we were ushered through the inner courtyard and into the building itself. Smartly uniformed members of the Household Cavalry stood to unflinching attention as we walked through the red-carpeted corridors bedecked with gilt mirrors, priceless oil paintings and huge sparkling crystal chandeliers. At the top of the stairs, guests were being ushered into the State Ballroom to be seated, whilst the recipients of various honours were shown into other rooms. There were only a couple of others there when I arrived and a lovely lady came up to me and commented on how much she liked my suit. I thanked her and told her I had chosen the colours to echo the packaging of my skincare company “I know” she replied “I use all your range and am looking forward to visiting your London shop!” At that moment Kim arrived, and we exchanged smiles with Zara Philips, the Queen’s granddaughter, who was also receiving an MBE that day for services to equestrianism. She’s the first senior member of the Royal Family ever to receive such an honour. Unlike the rest of us though, she slipped into the room through one of the huge mirrored doors, having obviously come from one of the Royal apartments.

The time came to assemble and the chief usher talked us through the drill – take several paces forward when your name is called, bow or curtsey, walk up to Her Majesty and wait while she pins the honour onto your lapel. Then there is a short conversation, a shaking of hands and you walk backwards for a final bow or curtsey before walking away. As Kim and I are co-founders of the same organisation, we were going to be called together, so we had the added complication of walking backwards together and synchronised curtseying! That added to our nerves somewhat, but the experience of finally meeting The Queen in person and spending a few very special moments with her undivided attention will be a lifelong memory for us both.

As we walked through the gallery afterwards, a senior court usher came over and said “my wife told me I had to find you two beauty goddesses and look after you – she’s a great fan of your skincare range!” I asked him if he’d tried the men’s range yet and mentioned that he might like to put some on his Christmas list, before I realised that perhaps we really should be being seated quietly to watch the rest of the proceedings. The rest of the Investiture was reserved for military honours and some incredibly brave and heroic young men stood to receive medals for outstanding bravery and conspicuous gallantry in Afghanistan and Iraq. Both Kim and I felt that these soldiers were the real stars of the day.

After the final medal had been pinned on, we stood to the National Anthem as The Queen left the room. We were then free to go and hug our families, walk back through the red-carpeted corridors and gather outside in the courtyard for official photos and family snaps. All in all, it was the most memorable day and one which we feel very proud to share with you. As always, achieving success is about great teamwork. Not just the partnership between Kim and myself, but our entire team at Liz Earle Beauty Co. So I’d like to end here by again thanking all those who have worked so very hard with us over so many years, who helped to make this day possible for us.

Chewton Glen Christmas Talk

I’m back at Chewton Glen for our annual customer Christmas lunch and talk. It’s always such a pleasure to return to this exceptional country hotel, with its luxurious décor, beautiful grounds, delicious food and exceptional service. Our Chewton Glen Christmas talk started several years ago as a small one-off customer event, held in the hotel’s conservatory. Each year it has hugely grown in popularity and now we take over the entire function area called the Lake Suite, which overlooks the Chewton Glen lake and gardens. Like us, Chewton Glen is a multi-award winning independent business and one which prides itself on being the best. Last year, Chewton Glen won the prestigious Hotel of the Year Award and it is always a very popular venue. Being based nearby on the Isle of Wight, we were able to bring several of our team with us this to help with the event, and this included Anna Grant, our talented UK Events Manager. Anna has been with us nearly ten years and was one of the first to join us. She’s worked in most areas of the company (as you do with a small business!) but has now found her niche excelling in organising these wonderful events, as well as team training. As a trained aromatherapist, Anna is also hugely knowledgeable on essential oils and many of our customers have enjoyed her personal advice on our Vital Oils bath and body range.

After my talk and a very delicious lunch (grilled vegetable terrine followed by fillet of brill in saffron sauce and, to finish, lavender creme brulee) which helped to top up our anti-oxidant and Omega 3s (never mind the calories for a day), I handed the microphone over to Dee Jones, who runs our UK Customer Relations. You may know Dee from her occasional appearances on QVC as our ‘more mature’ model. Dee is in her early ‘50s and is a warm and engaging public speaker, entertaining the entire audience with tales of how to cope during the menopause, with skin tips, health, wellbeing and more. To combat lines and dramatically plump-up ageing skin she recommends three skin savers – Smoothing Line Serum, Superskin Moisturiser followed by lashings of Superskin Concentrate. Dee also reminded us of the importance of looking after our hands too (a sure give-away sign of skin ageing). She says she has started to use all three products on the backs of her hands too and they do look visibly smoother, younger and have far fewer age spots in just a few months. Very impressive. Dee’s top tip for hot flushes? Keep a mini spritzer of the Instant Boost  Skin Tonic about your person at all times!! And to re-enforce her message about drinking lots and lots and lots and lots of water, she even went so far as to wrap a Superskin logo around a water bottle just to emphasise her point. Thanks Dee – I really look forward to coming to another of your talks and sharing the stage with you again soon.

After the talks, there was plenty of time to stay and chat and swap skincare stories. Phyllis told me of the time she went into hospital recently and ended up with a terrible scar right the way down her left arm. She used Superskin Concentrate twice a day and within a few days saw a dramatic improvement in her skin and absolutely no subsequent skin scarring. Wonderful! We then gathered all our guest names into a hat for the raffle (which raised over £454, shared between Chewton Glen’s local cancer care charity, Forest Holme, and the National Eczema Society which we usually support at events like this). I was so pleased that the star prize of a luxury Liz Earle hamper was won by Theresa, who I had spoken to only a few minutes before. She had wanted to share her family skincare story, as her little boy had terrible eczema and her GP was prescribing increasingly strong medication for him. Within a few days of using Orange Flower Botanical Body Wash in his baby bath, followed by a massage with our Nourishing Botanical Body Cream, his skin began to rapidly improve. Now, two years on, Theresa was so delighted to be able to report his skin is smooth, soft and completely free from any trace of eczema, without needing medication of any kind.  Now, obviously results will vary according to the individual – and our skincare is in no way formulated to be a medicinal range, but it is heart-warming to hear of so many wonderful experiences like this. I know from my own history with atopic eczema (and my children’s too) just how helpful Naturally Active Skincare can be – and especially these two body treats for young children’s skin at bath time. If eczema is an issue which affects you or your family, do take a look at the Eczema Factsheet on our website, which is also available in a free downloadable pdf format. Don’t forget, you can also tell us your stories at any time and leave feedback on our website Bulletin Board too.

Christmas Gift Ideas

QVC show today, with Alison Keenan – one of QVC’s top presenters and a real buzz to work with. The hour-long beauty show was focused on gifting ideas, and I presented a 15 minute slot with Alison. The two kits that we aired were perfect Christmas gifts, but Alison & I also agreed how many occasions there are – in everyday life - when you need to have a spare gift to hand, at home! This week, for instance, my best friend Sarah got engaged (wonderful news!), we went to the new home of some close friends last night, I’ve got a surprise 40th birthday tonight and a friend gave birth to a baby girl last weekend. All occasions when a spare gift would be really handy! It has made me determined to start to hunt down some special ‘any occasion’ gifts – we have many ideas on our website – from travel to Christmas and for corporate gifting on a larger scale, as well as many ideas in between for all budgets. Lots to choose from – I would urge you to do the same - never be without; there’s always something to surprise you!