They may not be widely available (just yet), but Goodkaarma's soaps are like washing with the very raw ingredients of the natural world. Each bar is handmade in Estonia using organic cold pressed oils, fats (think extra virgin olive oil) and organic herbs, spices, petals, fruits and sea mud.
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Love food, love skin care? If so, give three cheers for The Skin Deli. All products are based on 100% natural, organic foods and plants such as avocado and grape seed oils and shea and carrot butters. With such wholesome ingredients, The Skin Deli’s face oils, body oils and pomades (body and face balms) are wonderfully nutritious for all skin types and conditions. But this is no lentils and brown rice range of skin care - each product is beautifully, subtly scented with essential oils and divided up into three delectable menus. Choose between Banquet (for skin that needs to be nourished), Gourmet (the luxury range for mature skin) and Délice (for problem and sensitive skin).
And with no unnecessary packaging (all products are sold in glass jars), synthetic preservatives, perfumes, stabilisers, colourings, petrochemicals or animal products, The Skin Deli is as kind to the environment as it is to your skin.
If you don't always have the time to prepare fresh natural food for your baby or toddler then a good ready-made alternative is worth knowing about. Mummy's Kitchen is a Scottish firm which was founded when a mum discovered that fresh organic ready-meals for her baby were a bit thin on the ground, especially in her local county of East Lothian. Each meal is produced using only the best quality organic ingredients, which is locally sourced wherever possible. There is no added salt or sugar and no high temperature cooking methods are used, so all of the nutrients are retained.
The meals range from delicious purées like creamy spinach and garlic mash at £1.15 for newly weaned babies, to more 'lumpy' meals for toddlers like roasted squash and herb risotto at £1.45. All tubs are also fully recyclable.
If you're worried about escalating heating bills and the effect it will have on the environment there's a cheap and easy solution - organic thermal fleece underwear. Made by Rawganique these soft and cosy thermals are made from 100% organic cotton performance fleece. They can be worn in bed, or under your everyday clothing, and slipping them on in the morning will mean you stay warm all day. They will also help curb the temptation to turn up the thermostat a few degrees, which will save you money and earn you some green points.
Rawganique use 'clean energy' to produce their products, with solar panels and wind turbines powering their factory, so even more green points to you! The thermal set costs US$135, or you can buy the pieces separately for US$69 each.
When it comes to quality food - I can’t get enough of The Ethical Food Company. Fortunately, it really is as ethical as the name implies. Not only are all their products (from fresh fish, meat and artisan bread to seasonal fruits and vegetables) top-notch, every product comes with an ethical label or two (think: organic, fair trade, GM free, environmental/energy saving practices, seasonal, high animal welfare and so on…) so you know exactly what you are buying.
And the guys at EFC don’t just stop there. They only use 100% biodegradable corn starch bags for packing; insist on paying a fair price for all supplies and have a no air miles policy. Plus, their business is fuelled by green, renewable energy; all office paper is recycled (and only used when absolutely necessary) and they have recently launched a Carbon Neutral Delivery service.
With their clean, neat cuts and simple loom hemp cloth, Turkish company Perma Organik are the modest creators of no-nonsense yet idyllic styles. Case in point: their yoga trousers, which are so elegant and comfortable it seems a waste just to wear them for sun salutes.
As well as creating great clothes, Perma Organik pride themselves on doing it the old fashioned way. Their hemp cloth is organic and made using a traditional hand loom technique by women in small, remote villages in the northern tip of Turkey. “By doing this we try to bring back the ancient technique and support the local community, especially the rural women”, said Gulenay Pema Antep of Perma Organik. Perma Organik are also strong believers in working with respect for the environment and trading fairly - what more can a fashion hungry girl want!
There seem to be lots of events and celebrations on this weekend, the Autumn Equinox, but one which will be pleasure to observe is British Food Fortnight, 22nd September – 7th October. It started in 2002 as a response to the Foot and Mouth crisis but has gone from strength to strength since then as people realised the benefits of seasonal and regional produce – and just how much variety Britain has to offer, without using up those food miles.
British Food Fortnight encourages us all to seek out our local specialities, to get to know local butchers, greengrocers and farmer's markets, to eat seasonally and to learn what is in season at any particular time, to grow your own fruit and vegetables, to go to local pick-your-own farms, and to sample local beers.
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