Free UK Delivery for Manic Monday and beyond

Green People is once again offering FREE DELIVERY to all mainland UK destinations.

Lasting until the end of December, this is the perfect time to do your Christmas shopping or stock up on your winter favourites.

Top 5 Christmas gifts

Our Christmas beauty gifts make fabulous presents for mums and dads, brothers and sisters, friends and partners.

Here are our top 5 beauty gifts of 2010:

1. Aloe Festive Treat
2. Invigorating Shower Duo
3. Forever Young
4. Festive Fix
5. Teen Angel

See all of our organic beauty gifts now.

Moles may denote anti-ageing benefits

Beauty spots have long been desired as a feature of fashion but did you know that moles could also mean naturally younger-looking skin?

Researchers from Kings College London have been studying the characteristics of people with many moles and have found a number of interesting links, including youthful looks.

Those with a lot of moles appear to have skin that rejects the signs of ageing, such as wrinkles, blemishes and fine lines, for longer.

This is down to tiny strands of DNA in the body's cells which have an ending on known as telomeres - similar to the aglet on the end of a shoelace. Every time the cell divides, the telomere gets shorter until it breaks down to such an extent that the cell is destroyed. This is the normal process of ageing.

In people with plentiful moles, the telomeres tend to be longer, which means the cells themselves last longer. Their skin therefore maintains a youthful look beyond that of others who have naturally shorter telomeres.

Look after your telomeres!

Green People uses an ingredient known as Baicalin which has been shown to reduce the damage that telomeres suffer each time the cell divides.

This is a natural ingredient, derived from the Skullcap herb, and we use it to give anti-ageing benefits in the Organic Homme range.

Baicalin can be found in the No. 4 organic SPF moisturiser and No. 7 organic facial serum.

Are you scent sensitive?

It's a situation that we at Green People hear about all too often. People are desperate for fragrance-free, neutral products because fragrances irritate their skin, make their eyes water or other symptoms of allergy.

Sitting on the bus, spending time at work or relaxing in a cafe can all turn into allergy-triggering events thanks to the strong artificial perfumes that many people wear. The festive season can be particularly bad, with everyone spritzing on scents for Christmas parties and celebrations.

Perfumes are usually made from a mix of chemicals, unknown to consumers and untested for safety. Many of the chemicals used are from synthetic sources and can be irritating to sensitive skin.

It isn't just actual perfumes that are a problem for those with fragrance allergies, however. Fragranced products of any kind, from hand washes to hair conditioner, are just as likely to trigger a scent allergy as designer perfumes.

Although it is usually artificial fragrances that are the cause of allergy problems, it is also possible to be allergic to essential oils - the natural fragrances we use in our organic skin care products.

This is why we developed the Organic Base No Scent range. Made without essential oils or perfume of any kind, these fragrance-free products are ideal for those with essential oil allergies or multiple sensitivities.

See all:

Fragrance-free skin care

Fragrance-free hair care

Fragrance-free body care

A tip for glowing winter skin

We've just heard about another tip for glowing winter skin to add to the winter skin guide we posted the other day.

Charlotte, the founder of Green People, told us that countries that experience bitter winters, like Norway and Sweden, make much greater use of oils to keep their skin hydrated and healthy during the coldest months.

If the UK has another winter like last winter, beset with snow and ice, we could do well to incorporate their advice into our skin care routine.

Here are two of our oils which you may like to blend with your favourite Green People moisturiser:

Anti Ageing Facial Oil

The Anti Ageing Facial Oil can be mixed with Vita Min Fix, Day Solution or Reviving Day & Night Cream to up the oil quota and increase the moisture retentive properties of these natural moisturisers.

This is a lovely facial oil that contains Jojoba oil, Rosehip oil and Rose Geranium and leaves the skin feeling very soft. It is suitable for all skin types.

Sheer Pamper Body Oil

Similarly, the Sheer Pamper Body Oil can be combined with any of our organic body lotions - Hydrating Body Lotion, Aloe Vera Body Lotion, Body Comfort or Body Bliss. We recommend mixing it with the No Scent Hand & Body Lotion so you can fully enjoy its gorgeous scent though!

Enriched with Jasmine, Avocado and Pomegranate, you cannot help but fall in love with this sumptuous body oil.

Climbing Kilimanjaro with Green People

You may have seen our post yesterday about trekking across Peru to Machu Picchu to raise money for Penny Brohn Cancer Care.

We've just had some photos through of a different adventure which has just taken place in the name to mark the 30th anniversary of this worthy cause.

A group of fundraisers have climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, raising the amazing total of £85,000 for Penny Brohn, which provides support and services to those affected by cancer.

Green People donated organic sun lotion and Organic Homme products to help the trekkers keep fresh and stay protected. See the products in action below!

Penny Brohn fundraising trek in Peru

Discover the Lost City of the Incas and join Penny Brohn Cancer Care on its 30th Anniversary trek to Machu Picchu, Peru. This once in a lifetime adventure takes place from 7th – 16th October 2011.

Experience breathtaking landscapes, stunning scenery and the amazing Inca ruins whilst helping to provide life changing care for people with cancer.

Green People has long been donating money to Penny Brohn and is pleased to be spreading the word about this exciting fundraising trek.

For more information, you can attend the 'Peru Night' on Tuesday 9th November 2010 from 7pm - 9pm at the Penny Brohn Centre in Pill, Bristol. Trek organisers Global Adventure Challenges will be attending to let you know everything you need to know about the event and answer any questions.

To find out more about the trek or book onto the Peru Night call Andrew on 01275 370075, email andrew.tilling@pennybrohn.org or log onto the Penny Brohn website.

Green People attends Ecotricity's Nemesis launch

Green People's founder, Charlotte Vøhtz, yesterday attended the sparkling launch of the 'Nemesis', a wind-powered car dreamed up by our sustainability partner Ecotricity.

The Nemesis is a beautiful car described as "exotic and desirable" by Dale Vince, chief executiveof Ecotricity, who commissioned its unique design.

"We wanted to prove electric cars can be quick to develop, beautiful to look at, cheap to run, and run entirely on wind power," Dale said.

The Nemesis is powered by wind-generated electricity and can go further (150 miles between charges) and faster (170mph) than the existing offerings on the market. Next year it will challenge the British electric car land speed record, with any luck taking it into the history books.

Also at the event were ex-racing driver Damon Hill, who is a staunch supporter of sustainable motoring and environmentally friendly vehicles. He is seen here with Dale and the Nemesis.

Krt from Junky Styling, the ethical fashion label which recently featured on "The Apprentice", also attended the unveiling and is seen here with Charlotte:

Charlotte's daughter Sandra poses with the Nemesis:

You can find out more about the Nemesis on Ecotricity's Youtube page and on Dale Vince's blog.

Oops! A little hitch on Facebook

Are you a friend of Green People on Facebook? You may have noticed that we've been a bit on the quiet side recently.

Unfortunately we had a bit of a hitch which has meant that we've had to relocate!

Come and 'like' us at the NEW Green People Facebook page!

We'll be posting:

• exclusive offers and competitions
• tips and hints for using our products
• general chit chat about beauty and organic matters!

So come and ask us questions, get involved and take advantage of our exclusive online offers.

Join us on Facebook now.

Ready your skin for winter

So you've started thinking about Christmas shopping, you've turned the heating on and you're getting used to the dark evenings - the classic signs that winter is officially beginning.

But have you shifted your skin care regime to suit the changing environment?

Winter is generally a time of lower humidity, which means there is less water carried in the air. Central heating also creates a dry air environment, while wind and cold days also add their challenges to your skin.

Your skin is sensitive to these changes and will naturally become drier and requiring of more moisture in order to stay healthy and soft.

1) Facial Oil

If you are not already using a facial oil, add one to your regime. Oils are a great way of feeding your skin nutrients and our Anti Ageing Facial Oil also helps to support the structure of the skin.

2) Face Mask

Use a deep-cleansing face mask to keep skin feeling clear and fresh. Our Purifying Mineral Mask absorbs impurities from the skin and can help you to handle breakouts caused by the changing seasons.

3) Rich Moisturiser

Switch to a richer moisturiser to combat the low humidity. The Reviving Day & Night Cream is a lovely anti-wrinkle cream that is packed with natural actives to nourish and pamper dry skin.

4) Avoid drying products

Some skin and body care products are drying on the skin because they contain ingredients such as SLS and ethyl alcohol. Make extra effort to avoid these during the winter season.

What's in your shampoo?

An article in the Daily Mail recently claimed that there was little difference between expensive shampoos and cheaper brands, all found in high street shops.

It revealed that the shampoos from £1 to £50 shared many of the same ingredients and that most are up to 80% aqua (water).

However, look away from the big brands and you will find there are some quite major differences.

Green People shampoos do cost more (around the £10 mark for 200ml) but are made without cheap, harsh ingredients like Sodium lauryl sulphate and Sodium laureth sulphate. These ingredients have been found to irritate skin and can be a cause of scalp itchiness for some. We choose to use gentler alternatives to create the foam in our shampoos.

Another difference is that we base our shampoos on organic aloe vera, not water. This means that our shampoos go a lot further than normal shampoos because they are more concentrated. You need to use such a tiny amount that you will find one bottle lasts far longer than the equivalent mainstream shampoo.

If you have looked at our ingredients, you might be wondering why the aqua is listed first in our ingredients if we don't base our shampoos on it.

This is because we rehydrate our aloe vera from a powder form, which is much cheaper and more eco-friendly to transport, and also does not requite preservatives. We have to list aqua because of this rehydration process.

In addition to this, we also use extracts and essential oils in some of our shampoos which perform special roles.

For example, the Pineapple extract and Rosemary essential oils found in the Rosemary Shampoo work to stimulate the scalp and guard against a build up of dead skin cells.

So, in essence, not all shampoos are quite the same, especially if you look away from mainstream brands and consider organic shampoos that have been carefully formulated with natural ingredients.