Boostology here to give you and the planet a boost

Disclosure.  This post is a review of a product I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

Regular followers of my blog will know that I am passionate about the environment and keen to support small independent UK businesses who are of a similar mindset to me. Boostology⁺ is a brand who caught my eye recently and they have now sent me a liquid hand soap in a glass bottle free to review.

These days where possible I buy loose bar soap as the best zero waste option. However there are plenty of reasons when only a bottle of liquid soap will do and I’m not just talking hand wash because of coronavirus. For example how about when you have been touching raw meat or someone in the household has a skin infection or for guests. Or it could just be a space issue, as the wash basin in our downstairs toilet, is too small to balance a soap dish, (see photo further down). Previously I’ve only seen liquid soap in  plastic bottles, so I was delighted to find this in an attractive amber glass bottle.

Dispatch was very prompt and the package was carefully packed with a prominent fragile warning sticker. Another label inside described how it is an eco-friendly parcel, telling the customer that the box and brown paper packing tape can be recycled together. Also that the natural starch beads are biodegradable and compostable. Thumbs up!

Looking at the glass bottle, I was very pleased to see how easy the pump mechanism is to open and close. Opening pump-operated bottles is something that has defeated me on several occasions in the past. Or it could just be me, as also trigger spray bottles seem to stop working for me about half way through most bottles, but that is a problem to resolve another day. The pump is the only component which is still plastic, so it would be great if Boostology⁺ could perhaps introduce a liquid soap refill option with a metal lid to the range, for returning customers to purchase.

Moving on to the soap itself, I found it lathers up well and the peppermint and eucalyptus fragrance is amazing. I love it, and big plus point, you would certainly know if your kids say they have washed their hands but haven’t actually done so. They also stock a hand sanitiser in the same flavour.

I’m a firm believer in using one product for multiple purposes, so I also tried this in the shower as well as for hand-washing. It is absolutely brilliant in the shower, my skin felt really moisturised. And the Boostology⁺ tagline of each product is designed to give you, and the planet, a boost really comes into its own, as it gave me a fab boost especially the aroma which left me feeling tingly and revitalised, ready for the day. Great feeling for well-being. The product’s name Revive is spot on in this regard. I shall be trying it on my hair next.

It is a convenient 250ml size, made of 100% natural ingredients including 25% organic ingredients, essential oils and coconut oil. Plus it is palm free, vegan, cruelty free and handmade. The coconut oil will provide antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. There are 5 symbols on the bottle for things like vegan, but I’m not sure what the second one down means, so it would be helpful to be able to match these symbols against meanings on the product webpage. Yes it is more expensive than you would pay for soap in a supermarket, but look at all its qualities that I have listed above. I would certainly be more than happy to buy this and support a small independent UK business.

This product in its beautiful amber glass bottle would make a lovely gift for a friend. Also a helpful nudge in showing options for reducing plastic, if they are not already taking steps in that direction. Boostology⁺ has lots more great gifts in the range besides natural skincare, like jewellery, candles, face masks, diffusers and essential oils. Do take a look at the full range on their website, which is extra user-friendly with its filtering options by category, occasion, speciality or values. Each of their gifts is kind to you and has minimal impact on the environment. The range encompasses natural, organic, vegan, plastic free, handmade, reusable and made in the UK. They also offer a 60 day refund policy.

Having tried the Revive soap, I’m now very tempted to try their volcanic potpourri in the same peppermint and eucalyptus scent, a product sold exclusively by Boostology⁺ I did have to swap to browsing on my phone to discover this, as the drop down list of six scents seemed to be incompatible to view on my MacBook.

Returning to the sustainability angle of the packaging, it was great to read all the eco-information on the label and see how Boostology⁺ have taken steps for a plastic free delivery. But as a consumer I wish to pose more questions. Does that mean home compostable or would it require an industrial composter? How about an estimate of how long the beads take to biodegrade and what conditions are required. For instance, it partially defeats the purpose if the consumer then tips those beads into a plastic bin bag, ties it up and sends it to landfill. Also stickers are not generally recyclable, as the adhesive can get caught in the recycling equipment, so are the ones used here okay in that regard or not? If not, then how about warning the consumer to remove the labels before recycling. Yes they are probably better than self-inking stamps, but is there an even better solution? Maybe the eco-friendly details could be emailed on the order confirmation and “Fragile” could be hand-written.

I was very pleased to read that Boostology⁺ plant a tree for every order placed, no matter how small the order. A good step to help tackle the climate crisis. And they recycle all their office waste and use 100% renewable electricity at their HQ (from solar, wind and hydro-electric power stations).

So to summarise, I highly recommend both this product and brand.

And I’d love to hear your top tips for eco-friendly bathroom swaps you have made.

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Eco-friendly Frugal & Green Lens Cleaner

Disclosure.  This post is a review of a product I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

I am really excited to tell you about a new sustainable product which will be launching on Kickstarter towards the end of next month. This is an eco-friendly lens cleaner and I have received a 5-year supply free to review.

This brilliant concept has been thought up by two friends Marin and Alex who have named their brand Frugal & Green. And that name is so apt for a product which is not only great for the environment and planet but saves you money at the same time.

The product comprises of two bottles – a tiny one containing 50 tablets and a pocket-size empty spray bottle, which will easily fit in a handbag. You fill the spray bottle with tap-water and add a tablet, which quickly dissolves, a similar process to my daily routine with mouthwash tablets.

There is no information on the bottle regarding the ingredients of the tablets, but the website advises that the contents are eco-friendly too. Apparently a cloth is also included with the product, but as I didn’t receive one, I am unable to comment on what it is made of.

The current retail price is €24.99 which is approximately £22 , but there will be a 33% Early Bird discount on Kickstarter. That is amazing value when you consider it will last about 5 years! Frugal & Green estimate the price to be about 10 times cheaper than plastic alternatives.

My glasses get so greasy, that lens cleaner is something I tend to use at least once every day. I’ve never ever tried single-use lens wipes, but I am still concerned about my current brand of lens cleaner bottle being non-recyclable. I hate it when I have to throw something in the rubbish bin as I’m a firm believer in the mantra Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Refurbish, Repair, Regift, Rehome, Repurpose, Recycle, Replant, Rot. So a refillable durable glass bottle ticks all the boxes for me.

And this lens cleaner is suitable for other types of lenses as well as your spectacles, like cameras and binoculars. I also tried it out on my phone screen, laptop and some dvds and cds and found it great for all those too. That might be a particular bonus for those who only wear glasses occasionally and are thinking, do I really need a 5 year supply of lens cleaner? Yes I’m thinking back to when I wore contact lenses, before varifocals became a necessity for me.

I was also pleased to observe that sustainability had been considered with regards to the packaging. The glass bottles had been wrapped in old newspaper and the accompanying note looked like it was written on recycled paper.

All in all an easy way to help try to save the future of the planet, which regular readers of my blog will be aware is very important to me, from my series of posts on reducing waste.

I discovered this brand via the Ethical Influencers network. And as I mentioned at the beginning of my blog post, their lens cleaner will be launching on Kickstarter next month. You may sign up to their newsletter to be notified of the product launch here.

I highly recommend this product. Plus I’ll be back with a giveaway after the Kickstarter launch.

And I’d love to hear your top tips for eco-friendly bathroom swaps you have made.

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KIND2 you, KIND2 the planet

Disclosure.  This post is a review of products I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

Saving the planet doesn’t have to mean bad hair! I recently discovered the natural plastic-free haircare brand KIND2 via the Ethical Influencers network. KIND2 is a small, independent, ethical haircare company founded by Sue Campbell, because she wanted to make a difference for the planet.

I received a KIND2 shampoo bar and a conditioner bar free to review. There are two shampoo bars in the range and I chose to test out the sensitive one as my scalp is very prone to dandruff. Their other shampoo bar is a hydrating one, so targeted at dry, curly and coloured hair.

Dispatch was quick and the packaging was also plastic free, even down to using paper tape. I hate trying to remove sellotape prior to recycling so thumbs up for that.

KIND2 products are vegan and free from plastic, soap, sulphates, silicones and parabens. They are made in the UK, supporting local industry and lowering their carbon footprint. Plus you’ll see on their website, that all their bars have won awards.

Now I started using shampoo bars over 18 months ago, but I have to say it has been rather hit and miss as to which ones I like and those I don’t. I particularly hate it when one leaves a residue  in my hair which won’t rinse out and then causes extra tangles when combing.

However this is my first time using a conditioner bar. Initially I still had open bottles of conditioner left to use up when I first made the swap to shampoo bars. I did donate any unopened bottles to The Hygiene Bank but no point in throwing away what you already have. And since then, I have been making my own homemade zero waste apple cider vinegar from apple scraps as a hair rinse. Something else that I must get round to writing a blog post about.

So putting the KIND2 bars to the test. I made sure my hair was fully wet first, before wetting the shampoo bar and rubbing it into my roots and through my hair. It lathered reasonably well, but note we do have soft water here, so I can’t comment on how it would be in hard water. My hair is thick, but I found it easy to wash through and it rinsed out well too without leaving residue. No need for a second wash.

I then followed it up with the same procedure using the conditioner bar. This smelt lovely with a subtle aroma, whilst the shampoo bar was fragrance free. I was able to easily comb my hair afterwards with no tangles. And as it was a lovely summer’s day, I went out to the garden and allowed my hair to dry naturally. The result was soft and shiny, so I am very pleased.

I am sold on these products and not just because they are plastic free, including the box. I am putting it down to them also being soap free. Read this interesting article about pH balance on their website.

I found I could easily go well over a week between hair washes, with my hair still looking clean and glossy, which was unheard of before I swapped to shampoo bars. The box indicates that one 80g shampoo bar equates to two 250ml bottles, which should be around 60 washes. So great value for money as well as for the environment at £12.50 for a bar. Similarly the conditioner bar should last for 80 washes. Wow that is just 1g per wash.

These numbers do depend on you allowing the bars to dry out between washes. When I first swapped to a shampoo bar, I didn’t have a spare soap dish for it, so to keep it dry, I took a Heath Robinson approach. I put elastic bands round the bottom half of a travel soap holder which I already had and balanced the shampoo bar on this. This works fine, but I do love the look of all the sustainable soap dishes that KIND2 also sell. They have ceramic, enamel and wood soap dishes available.

And just to let the gents know that the box says that the shampoo bar is great as a beard wash too. Also the ingredients in KIND2 shampoo bars and conditioner bars should be gentle enough for children of 5 years and over. So suitable for all the family.

Regular readers of my blog will be aware from my series of posts on reducing waste that I am doing my best to reduce my use of plastic. So KIND2 scores full marks from me on this front and I am more than happy to recommend this brand. If you haven’t tried a shampoo bar yet, then give it a whirl. Plus if you sign up to the KIND2 newsletter, you’ll get a 10% discount off your first order, along with other special offers.

And I’m hosting a rafflecopter competition courtesy of KIND2 to giveaway a shampoo bar and a conditioner bar to one lucky winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway – Please click on the link to enter.

And you may see my other giveaways here.

I’d love to hear what is your favourite product from KIND2 or your suggestions for additions to the range. And how about sharing your top tips for eco-friendly bathroom swaps you have made.

The only thing now for me still to sort out is a post-lockdown hair cut. However I’ve heard several non-eco friendly tales of disposable towels and gowns. So I am torn between wanting a haircut, but not with lots of single use plastic involved. What has anyone else’s experience been?

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Ethical amaranthine lip balm review and giveaway

I recently discovered the natural skincare brand amaranthine via the Ethical Influencers network. Amaranthine is a small, independent, ethical skincare company based in Edinburgh. All their products are luxurious, handmade, 100% natural and palm oil free. Amaranthine is the first skincare company in the world to receive a palm oil free certification trademark.

Doesn’t that sound great? So I was delighted to have the opportunity to review their lip balm for free.

Dispatch was very quick and the lip balm was packed securely in a small jiffy envelope. I was very pleased to see that the product comes in an aluminium tin. Regular readers of my blog will be aware from my series of posts on reducing waste that I am doing my best to reduce my use of plastic. My existing lip balm is in a plastic tube and I had been rather reluctant to swap to vaseline, which was the only other product I was aware of in a tin.

No such reticence with the amaranthine lip balm. The aroma of the cocoa and peppermint flavour was absolutely divine when I opened the tin. It reminded me of the smell of After Eight chocolates. I couldn’t wait to try it.

I’ve now been using it only for a few days and already my lips feel so moisturised and much softer than before. Easy to apply using your finger tip. Certainly much better than what I was using previously. Of course, my lips need a lot more pampering in the winter, so I can’t tell you currently how it performs in harsh weather conditions.

And according to the website, most of the ingredients are organic. And the shea butter is also fair trade too. So thumbs up from me on the ethical front. It is always great to find a company who focus on sustainability and being eco-conscious. One thing that isn’t mentioned is whether the lip balm has an SPF factor, so that would be useful to know particularly at this time of year.

It currently retails at £4.50 for 14g. An ideal size to keep in your bag for when you are out and about. The bottom of the tin indicates it to be best before 6/20, so I know it is fresh. Plus it is handmade in small batches.

I am certainly happy to highly recommend this product. And do take a look at the range of other products on their website. Also please take a minute to read their very informative blog post regarding palm oil. I found that very useful. For instance I had no idea that glycerin could be a by-product of palm oil. Or that palm oil could be hiding in products under the guise of 100’s of different names.

And I’m hosting a rafflecopter competition courtesy of amaranthine to giveaway a lip balm to one lucky winner. Open to UK and Europe.

a Rafflecopter giveaway – Please click on the link to enter.

And you may see my other giveaways here.

I’d love to hear what is your favourite product from amaranthine or your suggestions for additions to the range.

And do you know what the word amaranthine means? I didn’t. It is an adjective and means undying, immortal, eternally beautiful. I think that is so apt.

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Disclosure.  This post is a review of a product I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

Appy Kids Co Juice Drinks review and giveaway

Appy Kids Co is a new multi-award winning start-up brand producing drinks and snacks aimed at children, using goodness from nature. Their mission is to be the number 1 healthier choice for families and their vision is to empower families to make healthier choices everyday.

Appy Kids Co values families before profit, so all their wholesome products are created using ethically sourced premium ingredients, to ensure that they are always affordable, approved by the family, and loved by kids. They are on parents’ side, and believe that parents should have the freedom of choice when choosing better produce for their family. They have spent many years developing their own formulations and flavours to have lower sugar and calories without compromising on taste or quality. With no added sugar, GMOs or artificial preservatives, their products are kinder to teeth and a healthier option for children. In addition they are gluten free and Vegan Approved by the Vegetarian Society, as well as dentist and nutritionist recommended. They only favour renewable resources for their packaging. And not only use recyclable materials but give back by replanting trees.

Although I never purchase the likes of coke and lemonade, my kids seem to have developed a taste for them, so I’m always on the lookout for more healthy drinks to take out and about with us. So I was very pleased to be offered a selection of free Appy Kids Co drinks to review.

The parcel had experienced a misfortune en-route even though it was clearly packed with fragile tape. Obviously it had been stacked under something heavy at the depot and unfortunately, two drinks had burst, causing rather soggy packaging. Even though I still had 28 drinks, Appy Kids Co kindly sent a replacement package.

So the contents of each parcel was as follows…

6 boxes containing 5 drink pouches each, which were:-
Paw Patrol 200ml apple juice drink (2)
Paw Patrol 200ml orange juice drink (2)
Minions 200ml tropical juice drink
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) 200ml multifruit juice drink

Wow 58 free drinks in total.

The boys started by trying the Paw Patrol apple juice drinks and we immediately ran into difficulties. The straws were almost impossible to insert into the pouch. None of us could do it and I eventually had to use a cocktail stick to make a hole in the pouch first. Not very good if you were planning on putting the drink in your child’s lunchbox.

Moving onto the taste, son2 said it was good, whilst son1 voted it okay. I thought it fine too.

Next the boys tried the TMNT multifruit juice drinks. This time I had better success with getting the straws in, although the boys still failed. I thought I found it easier due to the hole position being in the corner rather than the middle like the apple.

Son1 thought this tasted better than the apple, whilst son2 preferred the apple.

The tropical flavour was son1’s favourite although son2 wasn’t particularly keen on this one. And neither of them cared for the orange flavour. Personally I thought all the flavours were fine.

Following a change in contact person, an unexpected third parcel arrived, although similarly to the first parcel, one drink had burst in transit. So I do recommend that they use stronger packaging. But this shouldn’t be an issue when buying these drinks at the shops.

Update – now 77 free drinks in total.

This parcel of 4 more boxes introduced us to yet another flavour. This time Dora The Explorer mixed berries. However the boys both refused to be photographed holding this pink pouch. But they did agree to taste it, so long as I poured the pouch into a beaker. And actually it turned out to be son1’s favourite flavour. So perhaps consideration should be given to offering all flavours in all designs, as the character is just as important as the flavour to a child.

The boys’ favourite packaging design was the Minions, but it is good to see that thought has gone into including a range of characters that appeal to different age children. In addition to the ones we received, they also have Peppa Pig and Roald Dahl in their range and those have no added sugar. And they also sell dried fruit too.

I have to say that I gradually improved on the opening technique with practice, although the boys didn’t. So I would suggest that it would be better for the pouches to incorporate lids instead. Also less likely to get spills that way, although the pouches do balance upright well.

The outer boxes have Appy fun puzzles for the kids and they can also try out the app. Here son2 has converted me into Mrs Pineapple.

A great selection of healthy drinks in my opinion. 100% natural, lower in sugar and fortified with vitamins A, C and E. So thumbs up from me.

These drinks are sold in major UK retailers including Tesco, Ocado, B&M, Wholefoods, Toys ‘R’ Us and Spar.

And I’m hosting a rafflecopter competition to giveaway a bundle of 40 Appy Kids Co drinks (4 x 5-pack TMNT and 4 x 5-pack Dora and Friends) to one lucky winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway – Please click on the link to enter.

And you may see my other giveaways here.

I’d love to hear what is your favourite soft drink?

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Disclosure.  This post is a review of products I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

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Ethical fashion style choice for Autumn

Disclosure.  This post is a review of a product I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.

I was really pleased to be offered the chance to select a free item of my choice from the Autumn / Winter season of Nomads Clothing to review. Spoilt for choice, I spent quite some time browsing the lovely collection on their website. Nomads are a fair trade ethical womenswear fashion brand including some organic items, so I decided to narrow my selection down to the organic categories.

In the end I selected a plain teal t-shirt from the range of organic tops https://www.nomadsclothing.com/organic as I thought it would go very nicely with my recently purchased new pair of blue jeans from Marks and Spencer.

The t-shirt is organic cotton and retails at £30. It also comes in 4 other colours – grey, plum, smoke and rust. And you can vary the style, since it has roll-up sleeves.

Dispatch was quick and the t-shirt was well packed. I was delighted to feel how soft the organic cotton felt to touch. And I was correct. It does go well with my jeans. I am very pleased and highly recommend you take a look at Nomads. Also it washed and ironed well.

And I’m hosting a rafflecopter competition courtesy of Nomads to giveaway a £75 voucher to one lucky winner. The prize also includes free postage and packing worldwide.

a Rafflecopter giveaway – Please click on the link to enter.

And you may see my other giveaways here.

Plus I have a special offer to share with my readers of 20% discount off your order. Please quote the code BLOG20 when you place your order.

I’d love to hear what is your favourite product from Nomads Clothing range? You may sign up to their mailing list here.

You can find Nomads on social media as follows:-
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

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A Spoonful of Stew in Zanzibar Zoo review and giveaway

As I don’t even have a smart phone, this is a first for me – reviewing an iBook. But since my boys are both very used to using my husband’s iPad and it is a childrens’ book, all was plain sailing. My husband downloaded a copy of the iBook “A Spoonful of Stew in Zanzibar Zoo” by Steph Caller onto his iPad. This is available on iTunes free for the iPad or iPhone, if you wish to download a copy.  It will be available on Google Play shortly, which will make it accessible on all android devices too.

Here is a brief description of the book.
The Zebras of Zanzibar Zoo are enjoying their favourite stew. But when there is only one spoonful left in the pot, who will eat it? A fun story about food, friendship, manners and sharing, with quirky illustrations and rhyming verse by debut author Steph Caller and audio narration from Johnny Carne.

My boys loved this story. First we muted it and my big boy read it to his little brother and me, although son 2 would have been capable of reading it too. Then we listened to the audio narrative. We discussed how Matilda was kind to think of little Charlie and how Butt was naughty at first.

The boys decided they wanted to do their favourite style of review – namely a video. And Steph offered to send the boys a free t-shirt each to wear in the video.

Son 1 received a green t-shirt depicting “Butt”, the naughty zebra from the story. Son 2 received a red t-shirt with a “Fingerprints” design of zebras. They are both very happy with their t-shirts. We also received a free zebra tote bag with the logo “Am I black with white stripes, or white with black stripes?”

The t-shirts are made from 100% organic cotton. They are also Earth Positive which means they are manufactured solely using renewable green energy from wind and solar power. They are totally individual as each has a unique hand-stitched zebra in the back left hand corner of the garment. They retail at £15 each in sizes to fit children age 3 – 12. The Zebrative shop also stocks clothes for babies and women. This is quite expensive for kids clothes, but worth it in my opinion when you take into account that they are Earth Positive and 100% organic.

The boys were also very excited to see that there are two more books “A Didgeridoo in Zanzibar Zoo” and “”A Game of Zung Fu in Zanzibar Zoo” plus a Game App coming soon. The App will be about The Zebras of Zanzibar Zoo and aimed at children age 2-5.

And I’m hosting a rafflecopter competition to giveaway a t-shirt courtesy of Zebrative to one lucky winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you can’t see the Rafflecopter box above, either click the Rafflecopter link or you may alternatively enter via my Facebook page.

I’d love to hear about your favourite children’s e-book or app.

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Disclosure.  This post is a review of products I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.