Tag: eco friendly

Nope Into The Deep Shampoo and Conditioner Bar Complete Set

beauty, Birthday Gifts, cruelty-free, eco friendly, Gifts for Her, Mother's Day, Plastic free, secret santa, Stocking Fillers, travel, Women

Disclaimer: We received these products free of charge for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are our own.

If you’re looking for a more sustainable way to care for your hair, then Nope shampoo and conditioner bars are the way to go. They are completely plastic-freeing, making them a much better choice for the environment and they also pack a punch when it comes to performance. One bar equals three bottles of shampoo or conditioner so not only are you cutting down on plastic, you’re also saving space in your bathroom (or suitcase if you’re heading off on holiday). And it doesn’t stop there, these bars are absolutely bursting with natural ingredients, so you can feel good about what you’re putting on your hair. No nasties, no fuss, just gorgeous, shiny hair and less guilt about the planet. What’s not to love?

Behind every great brand is often a personal story, and that’s certainly true for Nope. Founded by Rosie, Nope was created following her experience with trichotillomania, a condition that causes compulsive hair pulling, which she developed after a bereavement. As her hair began to grow back, Rosie searched for gentle, natural haircare products that didn’t contain harsh chemicals, and struggled to find what she was looking for so decided to create her own. And with that, Nope was born, a brand committed to clean, sustainable, and effective haircare.

As I’m trying to cut dowm my use of plastic I was really pleased when Nope got in touch to see if I’d like to try their shampoo and conditioner bars. With a wide range of products designed for all hair types, I chose the Into The Deep range, which is specially formulated for frizzy, unruly hair, ideal for my wild, curly locks.

The cheapest way to purchase the bars is in a bundle as you can save up to 55% by purchasing in bulk, however if this is your first purchase then it’s worth buying one of the complete sets (RRP £27) which is effectively a starter set and contains the following items.

  • 70g shampoo bar
  • 43g conditioner bar
  • Two aluminium tins for storage
  • A sustainable drying dish (choose from hemu wood or diatomite fast-dry dish)
  • A handy how-to guide

The shampoo bar is packed with nourishing ingredients like coconut oil, shea butter, seaweed extract, pro-vitamin B5, and lavender, which not only smells lovely but also has anti-inflammatory properties that help soothe the scalp. The conditioner is equally impressive, made with rapeseed oil, wheatgerm oil, Abyssinian oil, coconut oil, shea butter, and cocoa seed butter. Together, they work to deliver deep hydration, reduce frizz, and leave hair feeling soft and manageable.

I love how easy the bars are to use, the circular shape fits nicely in my hand, and when wet you get a rich, creamy lather which I stroke through my hair before massaging it in. After rinsing I do the same with the conditioner which feels lovely and rich and it is easy to run my fingers through to detangle my curls. .

Since I started using the Nope bars, I’ve noticed a real improvement in my hair, it feels less dry, and my curls are more defined and hold their shape for longer. After two weeks of regular use, the bars still look almost brand new, so I expect them to last much longer than my usual shampoo and conditioner bottles.

One thing to remember after using the bars is to pop them on the drying dish so they can dry out properly before storing them back in their tins, ready for the next use.

This is my first experience with Nope, but I’ve already been browsing their website and discovered a lovely selection of hair and skincare products. I’m definitely looking forward to trying more from their range soon!

DenTek Eco Friendly Interdental Brushes and Picks

beauty, eco friendly, Family Life, health, Home

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll hate going to the dentist and will do almost anything to prevent any work being done. So, when the hygienist suggests interdental brushes and flossing picks, I will happily spend my whole months’ salary (well, nearly!) on preventative measures. DenTek has everything you could ever need for preventative care of your teeth, including this bundle pack that was sent to us this week.

All of the items are Eco Friendly, which means they’re made of recycled plastic or plant-based materials.  Less to go to landfill but what does go is biodegradable.  The bundle contained a pack of 32 Slim Brushes, 40 Comfort Picks, 36 Triple Clean Floss Picks and 75 Complete Clean Floss Picks.

The DenTek Slim Brushes are 0.45mm in width with tapered bristles made from renewable castor plant. The handles are made from plant-based bio resin. Each sits comfortably in the hand and is used to brush in between teeth. They can be used for the whole set of teeth but I wouldn’t recommend using them 12 hours later when you next brush your teeth though! They’re really effective in getting the plaque and small bits of food out from between your teeth.

The DenTek Comfort Picks are similar but instead of bristles, these are sized M/L and are ideal for travel, and come with a little carry case too. Perfect for the handbag or the suitcase on holiday. They’re less abrasive than the Slim Brushes so if you’re not used to the bristles, these are a good place to start.

Dental floss is a thing of the past with the DenTek Complete Clean Floss Picks. This massive pack is great for the bathroom cabinet as the horseshoe shaped picks remove food, plaque and can reach right into the gum line, removing food and plaque from between each tooth and the gum. They’re designed to reach both the front and the back teeth and have a fresh mint flavour. These are the brushes I use every night after I brush my teeth and I swear by them!

Lastly, there’s the Triple Clean Floss Picks. They’re extra strong so you can use them more vigorously and really get into the gum line. They’re also mint flavoured and have added fluoride to help fight plaque. They’re antibacterial too so help prevent bacteria building up.

DenTek have a huge range of cleaning technology, as well as protection guards and other dental tools online at: https://dentek-eu.com/clean/

DenTek tools are available at major retailers including Boots, Superdrug, Amazon, Waitrose, Ocado and other major retailers.

Clean Living Biological Multipurpose Cleaner

eco friendly, Family Life, Home & Garden, Vegan

Disclaimer – We received this item free of charge for the purpose of this review but all words and opinions are our own.

Whilst it may not seem like it when you look out of the window, we are now officially in Spring! It’s been too wet to do much outdoors, so I’ve been busy Spring cleaning and was very pleased to receive the Biological Multipurpose Cleaner Starter Pack from Clean Living which has been well and truly put to the test with a wide variety of cleaning jobs in my house.  

I like my house to be clean and smell fresh, but I don’t really like using products that contain harmful chemicals, so I am really pleased that Clean Living use plant based biological formulas instead of harsh chemicals in their products. The products are built using live, friendly microbes which break down dirt, remove nasty odours and also stop mould, bacteria and viruses taking hold. I’ve been trying to reduce the amount of single use plastic and Clean Living offer the perfect solution as they are actively reducing plastic waste by using refillable aluminium bottles instead of the standard plastic trigger spray bottles.  

If you are new to Clean Living products ideally you need to purchase one of the starter kits, There are 10 different sets to choose from for cleaning everything from bathrooms, to sports equipment. I have been trying the Biological Multipurpose Cleaner set which contains a 300ml reusable aluminium container, a yellow microfibre cloth and a 30ml Biological Multi-purpose Cleaner concentrate sachet.

To start you simply pour the contents of the sachet into the bottle, top it up with tap water, give it a good shake and you’re ready to go.

The spray bottle is easy to use, giving a good even spray which is easily wiped away with the microfibre cloth. I first used it to clean my bathroom and I was really impressed how easily it removed the build of soap and grime, leaving everything fresh and sparkly clean. The microfibre cloth is lovely and soft and gives a streak free finish on mirrors and my glass shower doors.

The real test of how good it is was when I used it on the cooker after one of my sons had been frying chicken – and like all teenagers didn’t think to wipe it clean straight away! A couple of sprays and a quick wipe and the greasy marks were gone, leaving my cooker looking lovely and clean again.

I am really impressed with the Clean Living starter pack, it’s a great multipurpose cleaner that effectively removes dirt from bathroom taps, kitchen worksurfaces, hobs and more.  While slightly more expensive than the everyday supermarket cleaning products they are much better for the environment and kinder to your skin too.   

RRP £12.40 and refills are £2.07

Liforme Yoga Mat

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, cruelty-free, eco friendly, Family Life, Fashion, Fitness, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, health, Home & Garden, Plastic free, Sport, Sustainable, Women

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

By a certain age, or maybe it’s a certain level of fitness, yoga becomes less of a puzzle and more of a necessity. The company Liforme pride themselves on doing things differently to support and encourage the practice of yoga, and do so with their conscientious products. Their ethos to ‘Live for More’ by positively engaging communities is evident on their website, along with some delicious products any yoga fan will adore!

Amongst the products available was this Liforme Grateful Rainbow Yoga Mat which was sent to us to try out.  It’s bright pink, printed with an eco-friendly, non-toxic design of a rainbow mandala and alignment markings which can be described as guides for your feet and hands. This mat is a serious bit of kit for serious yoga people and you can tell just by looking at it. There’s much more science, and thought, behind it than you realise though, as I discovered.

The Liforme Yoga Mat is made with a real natural rubber base (so that it doesn’t slide all over the place) and the top layer is made of eco-polyurethane.  In all, the mat is 4.2mm thick but it feels thinner than that. It’s not chunky or clunky at all. The top eco-polyurethane layer is designed to be more grippy than other mats, so that you can practice without worrying about sliding all over the place, and the design is printed with durable yet eco-friendly ink. The same goes for all the designs of the yoga mats available on the Liforme website.  The mat weighs in at a hefty 2.5kg though so if you’re used to your yoga mat being light-as-air, this is going to be quite a shock!  The weight comes from the quality of the material though.

The dimensions of the mat come in at 185cm long and 68cm wide. That’s 73 inches long and 27 inches wide in old money.

As for the usability, the mat comes with a free carry case, which is needed when you have a rolled-up mat of this size and weight and need to transport it to several lessons a week.  The real test is in a yoga class, which is where any yoga equipment needs to prove itself.  The bright pink façade is very pleasing especially as you know in a dimly lit room and when you might need to wander around a bit, you can never lose it!  The surface is nicely grippy. Grippy enough for a Downward Dog and to not face plant yourself.  Liforme call this GripForMe technology and it allows you to use your full body weight in poses and not move an inch. Not even a millimetre for that matter, as I discovered when I was able to more pressure into some of the poses than I usually would. So in some ways, you could say that the Liforme Yoga Mat made me better at yoga as a result!

Liforme as a company have recently been awarded B Corp status. The B Corp status proves that Liforme has high standards of social and environmental impact as their core belief as a company and a quick look at their website proves that their high quality and non-toxic materials are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to responsibility. The mats bio-degrade in 1-5 years (depending on conditions) and believe that they have the world’s most planet-friendly yoga mat.

Truly a treat, the Liforme Yoga Mats aren’t cheap but they are suited to the serious yoga practitioner or fitness expert and look simply gorgeous. The unique design and alignment cues make this yoga mat stand out from all the rest, and a perfect gift too. 

Available for £140 (but currently on sale for £105) at:

Liforme Grateful Rainbow Yoga Mat – Grateful Pink/Rainbow