What’s in my shower? | Cruelty free skin and hair care

Since I started on my cruelty free journey, I’ve written a few posts about my experiences discovering new brands of skincare and cosmetics.  Today I thought I’d go over the cruelty free products I use on a daily or regular basis in the shower, to keep my hair strong and healthy, and my skin moisturised.  Now, I understand that there are many different skin and hair types, and there are different products available to suit.  Here’s a summary of my hair and skin type, so you can figure out if the products I use would suit you!

Hair type: Thick normal type curly hair, with dry ends.
Scalp type: Sensitive scalp, with some dry, flaky areas.
Facial skin type: Combination – mainly dry but with a very oily t-zone.
Body skin type: Mainly dry, with oilier patches on my chest and back.

So without further ado, I’m going to go through the products that I use in the shower, whether they are used daily or multiple times a week.

This is my little corner of shower-based heaven.

Check out all those Lush products. #showergoals

Soak And Float

Raspberry and Macadamia Nut conditioner

To The Rescue conditioner

Cup O’ Coffee

The Olive Branch

Rose Jam

Bubbly

Ro’s Argan

 

The first thing I do when I get into the shower is wet my face, then apply a thick layer of Lush’s Cup O’ Coffee face and body mask to my face, using the coffee grounds to exfoliate away any dead skin.  I then leave the mask on for the rest of the shower, to let the oils sink in and moisturise the dryer areas of my face.

Then, I wet my hair and rub the Lush Soak And Float shampoo bar over my head – usually four or five strokes will provide enough suds, as I have pretty short hair!  I then use my hands to rub the bubbles into my scalp and along my ends, and rinse immediately once finished.

Next comes conditioner, and I have two conditioners that I use on alternative days.  First is the Superdrug Extracts raspberry and macadamia nut conditioner, for coloured hair.  It has a great scent and keeps my hair in good condition, but isn’t quite moisturising enough for my dry ends.  Second is the Noughty To The Rescue moisture boost conditioner, which I use on my ends to give them an extra moisturising boost.

Now it’s time to wash my body.  I put on my exfoliating shower gloves, then use some of my favourite shower gel, Lush’s The Olive Branch.  It has a lovely fragrance, and the olive oil helps to keep my arms and legs from getting too dry.

However, once a week I like to mix things up a bit.  Instead of using The Olive Branch, I use some of the limited edition Rose Jam shower gel, which has the most beautiful fragrance, possibly in the history of all fragrances (yes, I’m obsessed).  This is then followed by smearing a generous layer of Lush’s Ro’s Argan body conditioner on my arms and legs.  I also occasionally use my Bubbly shower gel, to stop my showers getting boring.

---

So, that’s the lowdown on my shower routine!  What do you think of these products? Let me know on my Facebook or Twitter page, or in the comment section below this post.

Advertisement

Lifestyle: altrocklife’s daily cosmetic essentials

This year, skincare has become extremely important to me.  I’ve spent a lot of time (and money!) investing in various products to suit my combination skin, and I’m happy to say that I think I’ve found a winning combination.  I’ve also been wearing make-up for years now, and I’m pretty happy with how my face ends up looking after 45 minutes in front of a mirror, plus an extra five minutes spent on my hair, so I decided to take you on a tour of my cosmetics and toiletries drawer.  For reference, here’s my face and hair on a good day, as well as close-ups of the products.

(P.S.: Some of the items I’ll be highlighting are not cruelty free, and I am currently using up these products before making the swap to a cruelty free alternative.  I will make it clear which items are and aren’t cruelty free, and whether they’re vegetarian or vegan.)

I took this photo after practising my make-up for graduation and contouring/strobing for the first time. I think it went well!

Take a look at that contour. Those cheekbones tho.

This is my make-up bag, full of products to help me look pretty.

Of course you’ve gotta remove your make-up once the day is over: that’s where micellar water comes in.

I use these products to moisturise my body: the Elbow Grease is especially good for making my tattoos look vibrant.

These are the products I use for my face and lips.

This is my hand cream of choice, and the haircare product I use the most.

And to top it off, I chuck my hairspray on the top for good luck.

The best products inside my make-up bag:

Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit in Light-Medium (Cruelty free and vegan)

Even though I bought the lightest colour palette, the lightest powder pretty much matches my skin tone and the darkest powder makes me look half starved.  So, I use the middle shade to contour and the next product to highlight.

Barry M Illuminating Strobe Cream in Frosty Pink (Cruelty free and vegan)

I absolutely love this cream: it’s very easy to control whether you want a subtle glow or to shine bright like a diamond.  I don’t use blusher because my cheeks are naturally pretty rosy, so I like the subtle pink colour of this cream to give my skin more of a glow.

Soap and Glory Archery Brow Tint and Precision Pencil in Love Is Blonde (Cruelty free, unsure if vegetarian or vegan)

This is the eyebrow product I’ve been using for years, and I can’t see myself straying from Soap and Glory.  My eyebrow hair isn’t as dark as the hair on my head, so I use the brow tint to darken the hair whilst using the pencil to fill in any gaps.  And believe me, my thin eyebrows always have loads of gaps.

Arbonne It’s A Long Story Mascara (Cruelty free and vegan)

A couple of months ago I was sent a sample sized tube of this mascara by Arbonne rep Tori Waight, and I absolutely love it! I’ve been using it sparingly to try and make it last as long as possible, but it makes my eyelashes look beautifully long, and it never clumps.  Full disclosure: I was sent this with a selection of other Arbonne products for free, but I had no obligation to publish a review and this is 100% my unbiased opinion.

Some stunning skincare essentials:

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water for sensitive skin (NOT cruelty free, unsure if vegetarian or vegan)

Garnier was one of the first brands to jump on the micellar water bandwagon, and their waters are some of the best on the market.  Unfortunately Garnier are not a cruelty free brand so once my current bottle is empty, I’ll be seeking out a cruelty free alternative.

Simple Kind To Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes (NOT cruelty free, vegan)

On the odd occasion where I’m too lazy to use micellar water to remove my make-up, or if I’m not wearing make-up on a particular day and I want to refresh my skin, I’ll use these facial wipes.  They leave my skin soft and refreshed.  Again, they aren’t cruelty free so I’ll be finding an alternative soon.

Lush Vanishing Cream Moisturiser (Cruelty free and vegetarian)

Vanishing Cream has become my absolute lifesaver, and I genuinely cannot imagine myself living without it.  It has a wonderful lavender fragrance, and it’s the most intensely moisturising cream I’ve ever used, which is perfect for me and my dry, dry skin.  I can definitely believe Lush’s claim that this is one of their bestselling products.

The Body Shop British Rose Instant Glow Body Butter (Cruelty free, but owned by a parent company which isn’t cruelty free, unsure if vegetarian or vegan)

I absolutely love anything rose scented, so this body butter is perfect for me.  It sinks into the skin so quickly and leaves my arms and legs soft and smooth, with no signs of dry skin, peeling, or the dreaded scaly-looking lizard legs.

Lush Elbow Grease Moisturising Bar (Cruelty free and vegetarian)

I bought this product to help me along the process of healing my tattoos, because when my tattoos get scabby and dry, a hit of Elbow Grease helps to calm the itchiness.  Plus, I like to use it on my already healed tattoos to help them appear brighter.  The smell of this product is absolutely divine too!

The Body Shop British Rose Petal Soft Hand Cream (Cruelty free, but owned by a parent company which isn’t cruelty free, unsure if vegetarian or vegan)

Like the Body Butter mentioned above, I love the fragrance of this hand cream.  It absorbs into the skin super quickly and leaves my hands feeling soft and smooth.  My current part-time cleaning job means I’ve constantly got my hands in water or using chemicals, so I need a decent hand cream to keep my hands from completely drying out.

My weekly lip care product:

Lush Popcorn Lip Scrub (Cruelty free and vegan)

This scrub helps to prevent the build up of dead skin, especially during winter when my lips get hella chapped.  Plus, the coconut oil in the formulation means that this scrub isn’t too harsh on my lips.

Everyday hair styling:

Lush Hair Custard Hair Dressing (Cruelty free and vegetarian)

The scent of this product is absolutely divine, and it works as a medium hold product to keep my flyaway hairs in place.  It’s great value for money as well, as I’ve been using my tub since July and I’ve hardly made a dent in it!

Cien Hairspray (Cruelty free, unsure if vegetarian or vegan)

Even though this Lidl hairspray is a much cheaper alternative to other high street brands, it’s a brilliant hairspray.  It doesn’t get sticky and has a brilliant hold, so I’d recommend it to anyone.

What are your daily skincare essentials? Let me know your thoughts on my Facebook or Twitter page, or in the comment section below this post.