Name: Liz Earle
Occupation: Co-founder, Liz Earle Naturally Active Skincare
Location: The Isle of Wight, a small island off the south coast of Britain.
Who is your beauty inspiration? My beauty inspiration comes from everywhere! My search for naturally active ingredients has taken me to some of the most far-flung places in the word, from the sub-Saharan plains of Africa to the rose fields of Turkey – and I find inspiration everywhere I go. For example, on a field trip to Uganda, we found the very finest quality East African shea butter; the lesser known shea butter sub species. The local women have been using the shea butter for centuries and had the softest, smoothest skin imaginable.
What product/treatment/beauty indulgence do you spend the most on? I truly believe that healthy beautiful skin should be within everyone’s reach – and it doesn’t have to cost the earth either. My all-time favourite beauty must-have is our Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser.
What do you spend the least on? I swear by natural source vitamin E capsules, a good source of antioxidants, they are very effective at conditioning your skin from the inside out. They only cost about $5 from any good health food retailer and they really do make a difference. Vitamin E helps to protect against free radical damage because of its antioxidant properties. Look for the words natural source as naturally derived vitamin E is up to three times more powerful than the synthetic kind.
What does age mean to you? Ageing is a natural part of life, not a disease needing treatment. I am far more interested in promoting a healthy, radiant complexion than getting hung up on counting wrinkles. Our culture is to be pitied that we don’t celebrate ageing more, and see it not as the loss of youth but the gaining of wit and wisdom. During my years as a broadcaster, I worked with many supermodels and actresses and can firmly say that the most attractive have been those who exude self-confidence, health and humour - not those who are anguished by the inevitable effects of ageing.
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned about skin/hair/nails/beauty this year? An interesting trend within the beauty industry at the moment is for back to basics, high performance skincare. With an emphasis on cleanse, tone, moisturise, and a focus on products which offer double dosage properties. Many of our customers contact us to tell us that they love our range so much because our products are multi-purpose essentials. For example, our Cleanse & Polish removes every trace of make-up (even on the eye area), cleaning the skin and gently exfoliating all in one simple pump.
What’s the one thing you do (not product-based) that you think affects your appearance more than anything else? In addition to a good skincare routine, good food gives us the building blocks for great skin, so feeding your skin from within is essential. Keeping it nourished is a must to ensure radiant glowing skin – and the good news is that the whole body benefits too. Great skin feeders include fruits and vegetables, and mixed nuts and seeds which are a great source of energy and nutrients, and are the life force of plants, absolutely bursting protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals. I also try to include skin friendly vitamin E-rich foods in my diet as it is a powerful natural antioxidant which works to optimise moisture levels and improve appearance, helping to delay skin ageing by fighting free radical damage.
Why naturals? I believe that the use of naturally active ingredients including, botanicals, herbs, plant oils and vitamins really do help create beautiful skin. I always try to work with the natural world where possible, and not fight against it. Our skin is a complex, living organ and the very best results come from treating it holistically, with naturally skin-compatible ingredients. Plant oils are closest in structure to the skin’s own natural oils and give far better results than synthetic copies which never quite work as well.
From: Julie Engelke | 6/11/10 at 1:06 am
I have found that simplicity and make it myself is the best skin care for me. I use local honey and beeswax, olive oil, castor oil, rosehip oil, lavender and rose water then tweek my recipes according to the season and the reason of need. Shea butter for its sun screen effect, coco butter for the winter dryness,and have fun with food and inside and topically for masks. For hair care I am fortunate to have organic free range eggs from a neighboragain for the innards and the outards. My goal is to avoid any mass produced products, use local ingredients and be in tune with the seasonal cahnges and be grateful for the bounty surrounding me. It is also fun and a great way to conect with others sharing and avoiding toxic ingredients in store bought products. It is great to use home grown flowers, herbs, and vegies with the results of a healthy glowing complection, wrinkles earned with laughter and knowing I am not exposed to chemicals causing sensitivities.