5 UK beauty products, each with its unique benefits that can elevate your skincare routine:
Medik8: Renowned for its scientifically formulated skincare, Medik8 delivers powerful solutions that effectively target various skin concerns, including signs of aging, acne, and pigmentation. Their innovative ingredients, such as vitamin C and hyaluronic acid, work synergistically to enhance skin texture and promote a youthful, vibrant complexion.
Byoma: Byoma is celebrated for its commitment to using natural and organic ingredients, which makes its beauty products gentle yet effective. Their formulations prioritize maintaining the skin’s moisture barrier, providing hydration without overwhelming delicate skin. This brand embodies sustainability, crafting products that are kind to both your skin and the planet.
Oskia: This luxury skincare brand is known for its nutrient-dense products rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Oskia focuses on promoting healthy, radiant skin by utilizing a unique combination of skincare science and natural ingredients. Their products often exalt skin revival, delivering visible results while nurturing your complexion.
Kelsey Raspberry Farms: Uniquely innovative, Kelsey Raspberry Farms harnesses the power of raspberries, which are packed with antioxidants that help protect the skin from environmental stressors. Their products are designed to shield the skin while providing hydration and nourishment, making them a standout choice for antioxidant-rich skincare.
Pai Skincare: Particularly suitable for sensitive skin, Pai Skincare offers products that are free from harsh chemicals and synthetic fragrances, ensuring a gentle touch for delicate complexions. Their commitment to high-quality, organic ingredients presents a skincare option that’s both effective and loving for sensitive skin types, making it a go-to for those looking to maintain balance and comfort.
These exceptional UK beauty products cater to diverse skincare needs, from anti-aging and sensitivity to nourishing and protective properties. By incorporating them into your daily regimen, you can reap the benefits of their carefully crafted formulations and enjoy healthier, more vibrant skin.
How to Create the Perfect Living Space: A Complete Guide
Your home should be more than just a place to live — it should reflect your personality, support your lifestyle, and feel like your favorite place in the world. Whether you’re starting fresh in a new apartment or looking to refresh your current space, this guide will help you design the perfect living environment, step by step.
1.Define Your Style and Needs
Before you buy anything or start moving furniture, take a moment to reflect on what you want from your space.
How do you want it to feel? Cozy and calming? Sleek and modern? Bright and playful?
What do you use it for? Working from home? Hosting guests? Relaxing with family?
Once you’re clear on your priorities, choosing decor and layout becomes much easier.
2. Start with the Basics: Layout and Function
A perfect space starts with smart planning.
Measure your space and sketch a layout.
Identify focal points — like a window, fireplace, or TV — and build around them.
Leave room to breathe. Don’t overstuff. Flow is everything.
Pro Tip: Use painter’s tape to map out furniture dimensions on the floor before buying.
3. Choose a Color Palette That Works
Color sets the tone. Whether you love warm neutrals or bold contrasts, stick to a consistent palette to make your space feel cohesive.
Gut health encompasses the bacteria in your digestive system, forming a complex and critically important internal ecosystem known as the microbiome. The balance of good and bad bacteria within this microbiome is vital to overall health.
Why is Gut Health Important?
A staggering 70-80% of your immune cells reside in the gut, highlighting its central role in health. The bacteria in your gut are responsible for producing essential vitamins and hormones, including serotonin. An imbalance in gut bacteria can affect your immune response, physical health, and mood. An unhealthy gut can make you more susceptible to illness and lead to symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea, discomfort, and gas. A condition called dysbiosis—an unbalanced microbiome—has been linked to autoimmune diseases like thyroid issues, diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease. Maintaining good gut health is crucial for optimal body function and supports your immune system, heart health, and quality of sleep.
Factors Influencing the Gut Microbiome
Many factors can influence an individual’s gut microbiome, including age, genetics, environment, and dietary choices, including what we eat and drink, as well as medications.
What Impacts Gut Health?
Several lifestyle and dietary factors can negatively impact gut health:
Stress Levels: Elevated stress can disrupt gut bacteria and lead to stomach problems. Increased stress hormones can cause inflammation and alter bodily functions, affecting eating habits and mood.
Lack of Sleep: Inadequate sleep can raise stress levels, impact food choices, and lead to unhealthy eating patterns, such as reaching for processed foods high in carbohydrates and sugars, which can further damage gut health.
Highly Processed Diet: Daily consumption of processed foods—rich in carbohydrates, refined sugars, and trans fats while lacking fiber—can contribute to dysbiosis and negatively affect health.
Antibiotics: While antibiotics treat bacterial infections, they can disrupt gut health by reducing the diversity of bacterial species and impacting their metabolism.
Signs of an Unhealthy Gut
If your gut microbiome is imbalanced, you may experience various symptoms, including:
Upset stomach
Unintentional weight changes
Fatigue
Skin irritations
Autoimmune conditions
Food intolerances
Hormonal imbalances
Does Gut Health Affect Hormones?
An unhealthy gut can disrupt hormone regulation by causing fluctuations in estrogen and serotonin levels, affecting insulin regulation, and impairing vitamin D absorption.
Improving Gut Health
Fortunately, several lifestyle changes can enhance gut health:
Lower stress levels
Ensure adequate, quality sleep
Eat slowly and mindfully
Stay well-hydrated
Incorporate prebiotics and probiotics into your diet
Consider adopting a Mediterranean-style diet
Foods That Benefit Gut Health
Certain foods can bolster your gut’s microbiome, helping to introduce beneficial bacteria and reduce bad bacteria:
Probiotic Foods (fermented):
Kefir
Tempeh
Kombucha
Miso
Yogurt
Prebiotic Foods:
Chicory root
Artichoke
Onions
Leeks
High-Fiber Foods:
Beans
Broccoli
Berries
Avocados
Foods to Avoid
Certain foods can harm gut health, especially when consumed in excess:
Red meat
Processed breads, cakes, and biscuits made with white sugar and flour
Fried foods
Alcohol
Caffeine
Checking Your Gut Health
To assess your gut health, monitor your bowel movement frequency and note any significant changes. Pay attention to the appearance of your stool, as drastic changes warrant a discussion with a healthcare provider.
Consider a gut microbiome test, which may involve stool sample analysis to evaluate bacterial levels and provide personalized guidance on optimizing gut health. Although these tests are not available via the NHS, private options and at-home testing kits exist.
Conclusion
In summary, gut health is essential to the body’s overall functionality. Poor gut health can lead to various symptoms and health conditions. Each individual’s gut microbiome is unique and can be influenced by dietary and lifestyle choices. By making informed dietary choices, including prebiotic, probiotic, and fiber-rich foods while avoiding processed products, you can improve your gut health and overall well-being.
Cellulite is a common problem which many women deal with. It doesn’t matter your shape or size, cellulite can affect anyone of us and although cellulite isn’t a risk to your health per se, it tends to leave women feeling self-conscious and unhappy with their bodies. It’s something I get asked about fairly regularly and although personally I absolutely do not think we all need to have super smooth supermodel legs, if it does affect your confidence then there are plenty of natural remedies to help with its’ appearance, and I’m more than happy to help share them with you.
The majority of sources suggest that cellulite occurs due to an imbalance within the connective tissue and fat within a person’s body. It has been suggested that diet, lifestyle, genetic and hormones all play a role but are by no means absolutes.
Here are my top six natural remedies for reducing the appearance of cellulite naturally:
Dry Body Brushing
Dry skin brushing is a great way to get your lymphatic system moving and to open your pores. Dry brushing also assists with eliminating toxins from the body and a build-up of these toxins could be one of the reasons you have started to notice cellulite developing.
Practice dry brushing first thing in the morning before a shower and you’ll start to see an almost immediate improvement to your skin’s texture and appearance.
Start by brushing at your feet and move upwards covering your whole body, brushing upwards towards your heart. Be careful not to brush too hard, your skin should be stimulated not sore or irritated.
Making your own DIY coffee scrub can also be beneficial in reducing the appearance of cellulite. Coffee stimulates the skin and the lymphatic system as well as having a tightening effect on the skin. This scrub also leaves your skin feeling silky and soft and is an excellent exfoliator!
Body Gua Sha
‘Gua Sha’ is a traditional Chinese Medicine practise which is believed to have a high level of medicinal properties. A gua sha tool is used on a specific area in order to target and treat certain conditions, including cellulite.
The method and tool used in gua sha stimulates blood flow and gets stagnant blood moving which assists with the removal of cellulite. Using a gua sha tool as a body massager has been shown to break up the cellulite under the skin and assist it with moving through the lymph system and then being eliminated from the body as waste.
Balancing Your Hormones
Hormones can play a huge role in the formation of cellulite especially if they are out of balance. Keeping our hormones in balance is essential for our overall health and wellbeing and for our cells to be performing as best they can. By balancing your hormones you can get rid of your cellulite and improve your skins’ texture.
Movement
Lack of movement and leading a sedentary life has shown to accelerate the formation of cellulite. Trying to get 20 minutes of movement in per day at a minimum can help to reduce the formation of cellulite and get your lymphatic system moving to help eliminate toxins from your body.
Epsom Salt Bath
Detox baths are a brilliant way to both detox your body and relax. Adding Epsom salts to your bath can help reduce the appearance of cellulite by drawing out toxins which are built up in the tissue and can leave your skin looking and feeling much firmer.
Lymphatic facials are an increasingly popular method to smooth and debuff the face, whilst also assisting the body to rid itself of toxins; here’s some information, top tips, and product suggestions if you’re wanting to have a go at home.
What is a lymphatic facial?
Lymphatic drainage facials are simply a form of massage therapy, designed to rid the body of a toxin build up. The lymphatic system, which is made up of a network of nodes and vessels allows the lymph (fluid that drains from cells and tissues) to flow and so, removing waste, directing it to the organs that can flush them out of the body.
There’s plenty of benefit too, as not only does this method bid farewell to toxins (and in turn boosting the immune system), but it also helps reduce water retention, swelling, stress, while strengthening the facial muscles, improving the complexion and blood flow.
Falling into two categories, there is the manual lymphatic drainage facial, which is carried out by a qualified therapist, but there’s also a simple variation that you can do at home.
How can you do it at home, and what are the best products?
The lymphatic drainage massage is easy to do at home and starts with the fingertips applying gentle pressure to the forehead, with upward movements, then down past the temples. For the upper cheek bones under the eye, massage outwards with long rhythmic strokes and down the face, moving down the neck and to the décolletage.
“The easiest way to do lymphatic drainage at home is to apply the Honey & Jasmine Mask and with your fingertips start at the centre of the face and move very gently with light pressure out to the hair line and down the neck. This allows the lymph to drain at the base of the neck.
The mask is used to allow very gentle gliding so as not to pull the skin, this is because the lymph is just below and does not need heavy pressure.
You can do this across the whole face starting at the centre and moving out, always finish at the neck to drain completely.”Margo Marrone, Founder, The Organic Pharmacy
To ensure the smooth sliding of the facial tool, apply a lightweight serum such as this one from Dr Dennis Gross. It blends lactic acid with 15% L-ascorbic acid to help with the absorption, as well as fading dark spots, and smoothing the skin.
A microcurrent toning device, it lightly exercises the 69 muscles in your face and neck via short pulsations. Again, sweep up the cheekbones and the jawline, down the side of the face and down the neck. This face massager can be controlled by an app and gives out little pulsations to tone the muscles in the face.
Choosing the Best Garden Furniture for Your Home in 2025
With the arrival of warmer days—after what’s felt like an endless winter—it’s time to turn our attention outdoors. For many UK homeowners, creating a stylish and inviting garden retreat has become a top priority, and it’s easy to see why. Garden furniture is no longer just a nice-to-have; it’s become an essential part of modern outdoor living, driven by the nation’s ever-growing passion for gardening and entertaining.
As we increasingly view our gardens as an extension of our interiors, choosing the right outdoor furniture is just as important as cultivating beautiful borders or a lush lawn. Whether you’re furnishing a patio, balcony, or sprawling lawn, the right pieces—from comfortable seating to ambient lighting and stylish accessories—can transform your space into an outdoor sanctuary.
So, fling open the garden doors, pour yourself a chilled glass of rosé, and explore our top garden furniture picks for 2025—perfect for curating a space that’s as Instagram-worthy as it is relaxing, ready for sun-drenched afternoons and al fresco evenings.
Garden sofa sets
Merano Large Corner Group Set with Coffee Table in Latte – £3,799
No garden is complete without a garden sofa. Perfect for lounging and socialising with family and friends, an outdoor sofa provides the ultimate comfort for relaxing days and evenings outdoors.
Garden sofa sets come in various styles, sizes and materials, so you’ll have plenty of options to choose from. Ideal for larger patios or garden areas, they can create a cosy, indoor-like atmosphere. They often include weather-resistant cushions and modular designs that can be arranged to suit any space.
Garden dining sets
Luna 6 Seat Outdoor Fabric Oval Ceramic Dining Set in Grey – £2,349
Garden dining sets are essential for anyone who loves al fresco dining, offering a stylish and practical outdoor spot for family meals and sunset date night dinners. From elegant glass tables to rustic wooden and rattan designs, dining sets come in various sizes and materials, making them one of the best garden furniture sets for any garden aesthetic and space.
Bistro sets
Quay Lounge Set In Linen – £849
If you have a smaller garden, patio or balcony, or simply want to create a cosy garden corner, a bistro set may be for you. Compact and charming, a bistro set typically consists of a small table and two chairs, creating an intimate setting that’s perfect for a morning coffee or an intimate lunch.
Fire pit dining sets
Cloverly 8 Seat Rectangular Teak Firepit Dining Set in Latte – £3,399
Firepit dining sets provide a 3-in-1, combining the ambience and warmth of a fire pit with the functionality of a dining table to create a unique outdoor experience. Perfect for cooler evenings, a fire pit dining table goes a long way in allowing you to enjoy your garden during chillier summer nights and cooler months. It’s also a guaranteed head-turner, providing a stunning focal point for gatherings in one elegant and aesthetically pleasing package.
Loungers & daybeds
Luna Outdoor Fabric Double Sun Lounger in Oyster Grey – £1,599
Reclining loungers and daybeds aren’t just for holiday resorts and exotic villas. They’re among the best garden furniture sets for providing the ultimate outdoor relaxation, perfect for sunbathing, reading or taking a well-deserved nap. Designed for comfort and spending summer in style, they often come with adjustable features, with thick padded cushions or as complete sets with parasols and side tables.
Ideal for poolside areas or tranquil garden spots, these pieces instantly transform your garden into a luxurious retreat. All you need to do is sit back and relax—and maybe grab yourself a delicious mocktail while you’re at it.
Best garden furniture materials
Rattan
Santiago 8 Seat Rattan Oval Firepit Dining Set in Grey – £2,999
Lightweight, stylish and resistant to the elements, rattan furniture is ideal for outdoor use and elegant to boot. However, rattan furniture typically requires more frequent maintenance than other materials. It can fade with prolonged sun exposure, and extreme weather conditions can result in woven strands unweaving and fraying.
Best practices for maintenance: Clean your rattan regularly with a mild soap solution, a soft cloth and a brush. Store indoors or use protective covers during harsh weather to extend its lifespan and avoid placing it in direct sunlight for prolonged periods to prevent fading.
Metal
Vienna Corner Group Set in Latte – £3,799.00
Metal furniture, particularly aluminium and iron, is sturdy and durable, making it a reliable garden option. Aluminium tends to be more rust-resistant, while iron offers more weight and stability for windy weather. There’s also something for everyone when it comes to design, from sleek and minimal aluminium furniture to more intricate and romantic Victorian iron designs. However, it’s important to note that iron can rust if not properly treated and maintained.
Best practices for maintenance: Avoid using abrasive materials and clean with mild soap and plenty of warm water. Rinse down to remove the soap and leave it to dry before protecting aluminium furniture with a good quality polish or wax.
For iron, apply rust-resistant coatings and touch up any scratches. Store or cover your furniture during wet seasons to prevent rusting, and regularly check for and treat any signs of corrosion.
Wood
Quay Corner Dining Set with Armchair in Linen – £2,549
Quay 6 Seat Round Dining Set in Linen – £1,749
Wooden garden furniture exudes a classic elegance that’s hard to beat. It is beautiful in gardens with traditional designs and has a natural look that’s authentic in a garden setting. High-quality wooden garden furniture, such as teak and eucalyptus, can also be extremely durable but requires frequent treatment and more maintenance than other materials, like aluminium.
Best practices for maintenance: Clean with mild soap and water. Sand and oil the wood periodically to maintain its appearance and protect against the elements. Cover or store your furniture indoors during extreme weather and during wet seasons to prevent damage and prolong the wood’s life.
Small gardens
Panama Corner Unit/Footstool in Latte – £649.00
Small gardens require space-saving furniture ideas like foldable chairs and compact bistro sets to make the most of limited space. Choose multi-functional pieces like benches with storage or extendable tables, which will maximise utility without compromising on style.
Explore our small garden ideas blog for more tips on making the most of a limited outdoor space with 2024’s best garden furniture.
Large gardens
Luna U-Shape Outdoor Fabric Corner Dining with Rising Firepit Table in Oyster Grey – £5,749
Large garden sets and large gardens go together hand in hand. Not only do they help you fill out the space to make your garden look less bare, but they also help create and define different zones.
Consider dividing your garden into dining, lounging and entertainment areas with corner sofas, large dining tables and hanging chairs. Statement pieces like a fire pit or pergola can create a focal point and add more structure to your garden, making it functional and inviting.
Courtyard gardens
Paia 3 Seat Sofa Set in Linen – £1,749
Sleek bistro sets, compact lounge chairs and space-efficient dining are best suited for compact but charming courtyards. Choose minimal aluminium furniture for a contemporary feel, or play up the traditional charm of your courtyard with elegant wooden or Victorian cast iron furniture. Add cushions and blankets for comfort and a pop of colour alongside a beautiful outdoor rug for extra cosiness.
Discover more inspiration with our courtyard garden ideas guide.
Modern garden designs
Luna U-Shape Outdoor Fabric Corner Dining with Rising Table in Grey – £5,249
If modern styles are more your thing, choose sleek and contemporary furniture options like minimalist metal sets in a chrome finish, modular sofas and fire pit dining sets that wow. Think Scandinavian minimalism and choose pieces with clean lines in neutral tones and weather-proof materials to achieve a sophisticated, uncluttered look.
Modern lighting like solar lanterns and ribbed planters create a seamless indoor-outdoor flow and enhance the overall aesthetic. For even more inspiration, read our creative garden ideas guide.
Your living room is the heart of your home, and how you choose to lay it out plays a vital role in setting the tone for the entire space. That’s why our living room layout ideas are designed to help you create a lounge that strikes the perfect balance between style and functionality.
Whether you’re working with a snug flat or a more expansive home, we’ve got inspiration to suit every setting. From clever furniture arrangements to thoughtful colour palettes and lighting tips, our practical guidance will help you design a living room that works beautifully for your lifestyle – and looks the part too.
1. Learn how colours impact your living room layout
Manhattan 3 Seater Sofa
Colour plays a crucial role in lounge design ideas by influencing the perception of space and setting the mood of the room. Lighter hues like soft pastels or neutrals create an airy, spacious feel that make smaller rooms appear larger. Darker tones on the other hand, make large spaces feel more intimate. As for the ambience of the room, colours with warm undertones add a cosy vibe while cool colours make the room feel calm and relaxed. A playful pink living room and soothing grey living room are perfect examples.
2. Work out the flow of your living room
Good flow in a layout means traffic moves through the space with ease. In homes where the living room and dining room share the same space, use similar style elements across the two areas for a cohesive look that flows together. For example, if you have a neutral living room with wooden furniture, then the dining room should also have neutral colours and wooden furniture or furniture with wooden accents.
The spacing between furniture can affect the flow of your room too. You wouldn’t want to keep bumping into the coffee table to get to the sofa. A good rule of thumb is to have 3 feet of space between each piece of furniture to make moving through the room feel effortless.
3. Divide the room into different zones
Baltimore Corner Sofa
Living room layout ideas like this one here is particularly important for open plan layouts. Creating zones in an open plan home is the key to creating a cosy atmosphere, and a corner sofa is a great way to do this. Its structural shape naturally draws a line to separate the lounge area from the kitchen. Plus it frees up floor space and seats more people than your average sofa.
Rugs and lighting are also fantastic ways to define different zones. A rug anchors the living room and is a chance to inject personality to your home, whether it’s soft pastels, geometric prints or vibrant patterns. Likewise, statement light fixtures such as striking pendant lights or designer floor lamps are perfect for zoning too.
4. Determine the focal point in your living room layout
Manhattan 3 Seater Sofa, Loren Armchair
A focal point is the main element of a room that draws attention and anchors the space. Some focal point examples in the living room include a cosy fireplace, a striking piece of art, or large windows overlooking a beautiful view. In many homes, it might be the TV. What’s important is that the focal point should be something you enjoy looking at as it plays a prime role in helping you plan your layout and furniture arrangement. Building your living room around a focal point will give the room a natural sense of comfort and flow.
5. Design a feature wall as your focal point
Baltimore 3 Seater Sofa, Loren Armchair
If your living room lacks a focal point, a feature wall is what you need. There are many ways to create a feature wall, you can paint the wall with a bold colour, craft a gallery wall, or use decorative wall panels. Even then, wall panels come in a variety of options. You can choose from picture frame moulding to curved ribbed panels to wood slat panels. For something truly unique, combine wood slat panels with floating wall shelves. The result is a feature wall that’s stylish, attention-grabbing, and functional all at the same time.
6. Make lighting a priority in your living room design
Baltimore Sofa Set
Getting the lighting right is essential to setting the tone and ambience of your space. Lighting plays a big role in highlighting different zones in the living room, so it’s important to make sure that it’s functional just as it is decorative. Here are several types of lighting fixtures to consider:
Task lighting – sets up the space for everyday activities
Bias lighting – helps avoid the glare of the TV screen and decreases eye strain
Accent lighting – highlights key areas of the space such as artwork
Ambient lighting – fills in the gap and sets the mood of the space
If possible, always take advantage of any natural light that comes into your living room as it will make your space feel more airy, bright, and inviting. An instant way to do this is to hang a mirror on the wall across a window to reflect the light streaming in. Sheer curtains and a glass coffee table will also do the trick to let in more light and make the room feel more spacious.
7. Maximise space in a small living room layout
Harlow L-Shape Sofa
If you have a small living room, why not use a light colour scheme for the walls to make your room appear larger than it seems? A white living room may be the obvious choice but you can also consider other soft colours like sky blue, lilac, or sage green. A pastel blue living room will not only make your space feel bigger but brings a calm and relaxing vibe too.
Another tip to maximise your space is to invest in double duty furniture that function as smart storage solutions. Use an ottoman or a coffee table with a shelf to store items while adding a stylish decorative accent to your living room.
Whether you’re a fully committed vegan or just want to cut down your use of animal products for ethical, environmental and/or health reasons, there’s no shortage of plant-based milks to pop in your morning cuppa. In fact there’s so many, it’s a bit of a minefield – we’re not just talking good ol’ oat or soya milks, there’s even, yup you read right, potato milk to stick in your Americano these days.
COCONUT
While coconut milk has the highest fat content of any of the alternative milks, that’s precisely what makes it the creamiest option on the market. If you’re looking to impress your friends with your latte art, this is the milk to use–others are too watery to properly foam up, but with coconut milk, you’ll be a barista in no time.
ALMOND
Almond milk is by far one of the most popular alternatives on our supermarket shelves, with most coffee shops now offering it too. Although it doesn’t foam well, it does froth. To avoid the dreaded curdling, be sure not to pour ice cold milk into hot coffee–or just switch to iced coffee, where it blends easily.
HAZELNUT
Just like almond milk, hazelnut milk blends well in iced coffee. However, while hazelnut milk is creamier, it also has a stronger, nuttier taste. It foams well, but if you’re not partial to hazelnuts, this likely isn’t the milk for you.
OAT
Oat milk has full-bodied flavour and high fibre content. If you have the patience to foam it, the payoff is great – thick, creamy and the perfect base for a few dashes of cinnamon.
PEA
Low-fat and relatively high in protein, with 8g per serving. Time will tell if it’s a viable option to the better known alternative milks, but it does have a creamy texture, perfect if you’re partial to a latte, and its protein levels are not to be sneered at.
POTATO
The latest plant milk sensation, we can’t help but think of drinking the starchy stuff that’s left behind when we’ve made mash, but it’s not that at all. Potato milk claims to be super versatile and work for cooking, drinking and even frothing on your coffee. Unlike so many other plant milks, it’s free of common allergens, and is far more sustainable than oat or almond milk.
SOYA
One of the closest substitutes for cow’s milk around, so if you’re going to foam an alternative milk for the first time, this is a pretty safe bet.
However, if you have a thyroid condition, it’s best to skip soya. Soy can potentially counteract the effects of synthetic thyroid hormones, affecting both hypo- and hyperthyroid patients.
RICE
Honestly, don’t even try to foam rice milk unless you’re up for an incredible challenge. While it blends easily in iced coffee, it doesn’t blend well in hot beverages. If you’re set on using rice milk in your coffee, try a blend of rice and coconut milk, or just try another nut-free option.
QUINOA
This one might be a step too far for anyone but the truly devoted alternative milk guru, as there are no commercial quinoa milks available – but there are plenty of recipes for how to make your own. It tastes slightly sweet and nutty, and is gluten free and high in protein.
HEMP
If you’re not a barista or a daring homemaker, leave hemp milk to the professionals. However, if you’re ready for a nut-free, dairy-free challenge, then feel free to try mixing hemp milk into your coffee. It’s thin, similar to rice milk, but has the capacity to foam due to its medium protein content.
CASHEW
Sweeter than almond milk and creamier than hazelnut milk, it’s a good middle ground for those who like nut milk in their coffee. If you’re not partial to the slightly bitter taste of almond milk, then definitely give this a go, but remember: like most plant-based milks, it has the potential to curdle, so pay attention to the temperature of your drink.
From ditching plastic packaging to giving up your face wipe habit, there are plenty of ways to makeyourbeautyregimemore sustainable.
We’ve pin pointed some of the ways to makemore conscious choices when it comes to your skincare regime and makeup bag, plus handpicked our favourite brands doing sustainability well.
Ditch one use products
You’ve switched your bottle water habit to a refill but have you ditched your face wipe habit? Shame on you. Not only are wipes terrible for your skin – any skincare specialist will tell you it’s all about the double cleanse – but they are awful for the environment too. In fact 7.6 billion pounds of wipes are thrown into landfill each year which equates to a ghastly 20 million makeup wipes a day.
Ditch the wipes and buy some muslin cloths to remove makeup, swap your cotton wool pads for reusable pads and shop biodegradable bamboo and cotton swabs instead of plastic buds.
And if you’re a fan of the sheet mask (trust us, we love one as much as the next beauty junky) consider more sustainable options from the likes of Maskologist, Orgaid or Dr Dennis Gross – look for compostable or biodegradable on the packaging. L’Oreal do a great reusable sheet mask, too.
Buy refills where possible
Cutting the amount of packaging used in beauty can significantly help get you on track to a more sustainable regime. There are plenty of brands doing their bit with refillable packaging, from tan brand Isle of Paradise to cool haircare brand Ouai and Fenty’s SPF-packed daily moisturiser. Even Charlotte Tilbury has a refillable lipstick – the Hot Lips sticks are available exclusively on CharlotteTilbury.com and in Charlotte’s standalone stores, and can be interchanged with any of the five refillable Hot Lips 2 designs.
Recycle your empties
Plenty of brands have in-store initiatives to get you coming back for more than just a new lippy.
L’Occitane will accept any empty beauty product in any of their stores no matter the brand and will give you 10% off your next L’Occitane purchase. & Other Stories do the same for their own brand beauty products and will give you a 10% discount voucher to use in store within three months. The Body Shop encourages customers to use their Return. Recycle. Repeat scheme, and return any five empty bottles, tubs, tubes or pots to be repurposed and recycled into raw materials for new ones. And makeup junkies should take advantage of MAC’s Back to Mac offering – bring back six MAC containers to a counter or store, and you’ll get a free MAC lipstick.
And for bottles, tubs and tubes that won’t get you discounts or freebies in-store, make sure you’re doing your bit at home. Answer honestly: do you always put yourbeauty empties in the recycling? Make sure you have a dedicated recycling bin in the bathroom or under your dressing table to remind yourself to recycle where possible.
Buy bigger and better
Stock up on jumbo size bottles of your most used products where possible – this trick is particularly helpful when it comes to regularly used shampoo and conditioner – and ditch buying smaller bottles so often. You may be dropping more cash up front but they tend to be more cost effective in the long run, plus you’ll need to stock up less frequently. Win win all round.
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