Snarkattack

A while back I wrote about how you can tell a lot about a person by their bathroom etiquette (in case you missed it, click here though it’s not essential to this post). Of course, the same could be said of what one has in one’s shower cubicle or bath. I don’t dare to list the entire contents of my actual cabinet — we’d be here forever and I doubt anyone would appreciate reading that.

This is a list of what is in my shower/bathtub in the order of usage.

Dermalogica special cleansing gel
This is for the face and gets rid of all the dirt and oils that build up throughout the day. It’s also very gentle, more so than regular soap intended for the body.

Stila Petal infusions retexturising scrub
Again, for the face, this combined with a good diet (and good genes, if we’re lucky!), helps to minimise pore blockage, as these can go on to form blemishes. It also aids in the removal of dead skin cells to reveal clearer, smoother looking skin (gosh, I sound like an advert!).

Scrubs, sometimes referred to as exfoliants, also help the fading of scars and marks. This particular one is called a microfoliant, meaning it is gentle enough for everyday usage (I’m too lazy for that — I use mine 2-4 times a week depending on how my skin feels).

Kusco-Murphy O-ssential Wash
This is a shampoo I’d never tried before, from a brilliant Australian brand. My scalp was in awful condition recently so I thought I’d try this because it contains no sodium laureth sulphate. SLSs are generally responsible for the lathering effect in bath products and detergents.

The trouble is they can be pretty harsh on our skin (especially when it is the first or second ingredient listed — ingredients being listed in order of quantity, largest to smallest). I’m happy to report my scalp is no longer itchy and flaky — sweet relief, because it wasn’t exactly pretty.

Alchemy macadamia and wheat conditioner
Squeeze out all the excess moisture, then massage this through your tresses and you too can look as gorgeous as a Tolkien elfin princess. Well, back when my hair was actually past my butt (and real, if you needed to ask!) I so wish I had used this! It makes your hair feel like silk.

The Alchemy brand is also very special in that their products contain no sulphates, parabens, petrochemicals, byproducts thereof, or silicones. It gets better too: ingredients are all organic, vegan, and animal cruelty-free. Now tell me, what is not to like? I might just grow my hair again.

Philosophy ‘3 in 1s’ in Hot cocoa, and vanilla cupcake
What is meant by ‘3-in-1s’, you might ask? It means you can use this product as a shampoo, a shower gel, and as bubble bath. I only use it as a shower gel but as shampoo too when I’m traveling. Again, it’s fab for sensitive skin. I’ve tried so many of these as they come in dozens of scents.

The hot cocoa one smells exactly like the real thing and is my absolute favourite for winter. They also have recipes for whatever it is they are supposed to smell like. Mmm, yum. Now I want marshmallows (with my hot cocoa).

Lush ‘Flying Fox’ bath & shower gel
From looking at the bottle, you can see just how much honey they’ve put into this indulgent shower gel! Add jasmine and angelica, and it’s a recipe for heaven — and apparently chosen because they help to elevate your mood if you’re depressed (it’s worked for me!).

Some investigation led to discovering that my brother was also enamoured of this. He said he wanted to try it because it claimed to help banish PMS. No, I don’t understand that either, but hey, if it makes him smell nice and less likely to grunt when spoken to, I’m all for it.

So hopefully this list has indulged some beauty addict’s voyeuristic urges (I personally love reading lists of what beauty delights others are using. That doesn’t include celebrities; that’s blah). If you feel inclined to share your lists, please feel free to do so below in comments.

Oh, and pay a little attention to what exactly goes into your toiletries and personal hygiene products. Try to find out about what those ingredients are there for, and what they do in the product — bearing in mind that natural products, in certain forms, can be just as bad for us as synthetic ones, and vice versa.

This article first appeared on Blogcritics at http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/08/20/170559.php viewable here.