Love Holly
After learning so much about diet and lifestyle while transitioning to a plant based diet, I have also become equally interested in learning about natural cosmetics and the best ways to look after your skin.
I steer well clear of any parabens which are chemical preservatives found in the majority of cosmetic products as well as other toxic chemicals which have been linked to cancer development. However, as the sun has finally started making appearances and holidays are being booked I have been wondering what sun cream I could use that is natural and will also give me good sun protection.
Before I went to Turkey in June I came across a brand called ‘Green People’on my favourite Paraben Free cosmetic site ‘Myon Pure’and decided to give the SPF 15 Sun Lotion with Natural Tan Accelerator a try as it was my first natural sun cream I have ever used.
I wasn't quite sure how well it would protect my skin from the sun but I was so impressed!
The lotion goes on really nicely and isn't too thick and overpowering for your skin. It worked to protect my skin so well and I definitely felt that the natural tan accelerator worked too and I turned a really nice golden brown by the time my few days away was over.
I would definitely recommend this brand of suncream as a natural paraben free alternative to commercial sun creams. They do a higher SPF cream too if you feel that you need a higher protection for your skin.
There is also some really informative blog posts regarding Parabens and how dangerous they are here http://www.myonpure.co.uk/blog/ which I would recommend reading to understand the dangers of using commercial skincare products.
As I’ve become more conscious of what I’m eating and shifting towards a healthier lifestyle, I’ve realised how much I’ve neglected my body nutritionally in the past.
To everyone’s disdain I used to feast on cakes and chocolate, fast food and pizza without putting so much as an ounce of weight on. Even now, I’m exercising and trying to eat clean but it’s not so much for weight loss as it is for overall health and wellbeing.
Every 35 days, your skin replaces itself, your liver takes about a month and these new cells are made from the food you eat – you literally are the food you eat. I don’t know about you but I want to be fit and healthy from the inside out, built with good foundations not stodge.
Eating clean has actually been really enjoyable and much easier than I thought. Little things like having breakfast and switching from crisps and chocolates to fruit and nuts has made a huge different to how I feel and my energy.
After a few weeks of eating healthily, I was thinking about how badly I’ve eaten in the past and the lingering effects all of that rubbish has had on my body and my system. I felt like I needed to hit a ‘reset’ button, so one day in a rather gung-ho fashion I ordered a 3-day juice detox. The old me would have recoiled at the thought of just drinking juice for 3 whole days but I was actually really looking forward to it. My colleagues, however, were expecting mood swings, headaches and the odd temper tantrum. Thanks, guys!
I did a juice detox…and survived!
So how did it go down? As I’m not a huge drinker and the only form of caffeine I have is green tea, I got off quite lightly. No alcohol and caffeine withdrawal headaches or mood swings for me. Although I thought about food a lot (mostly carbs), I didn’t actually feel very hungry which was the biggest shock for me. My juices were quite thick, almost smoothie-like and between 5 of those per day plus 3 litres of water and some green tea, I was actually satisfied. I didn’t have quite as much energy as I usually do and needed early nights but aside from that, I was perfectly fine.
In terms of how I felt, I was sleeping like a baby and walking with a spring in my step. I had quite a few comments on how well I was looking, my skin was glowing and my eyes were brighter, maybe due to all of the water I was drinking and the early nights. The detox also made me think about my relationship with food; I didn’t need as much as I thought to get through the day and I realised I eat due to boredom and habit rather than being hungry.
So if you’re looking to give your digestive system a little break, cleanse your system or just give yourself a little kick-start into healthy eating try giving a juice detox a go!
Love Reena x
Lexie isn't just about the kit you wear (although obviously ours is pretty cool...) but about all things healthy, fun and awesome.
So it's with this in mind that we've carefully chosen some amazing girls to join our blogging team and tell us what's rocking their world!
First up is Holly, a certified Nutritional Health Coach and a professional model. She absolutely loves all things related to health, wellbeing and fitness and her aim is to inspire others to become the best version of themselves. She practices yoga everyday and embraces a happy, positive and healthy lifestyle and loves spreading her wellbeing knowledge to the world.
Holly will be blogging regularly for us with cool tips, events and reviews so keep your eyes peeled!