My dd1 has come back from a sleepover talking nonstop about her new beauty regime and how she needs several different hair and skin products to take care of herself. Now, feminism apart, this is a positive step as it’s been almost impossible to get her to shower for ages now! She ‘needed’ a shower cap, in order to shower without having to wash her hair everyday (yes, I know… but her friend does this and she thinks it’s a great idea!) so I just picked one up in the chemist but she wants all these different products and keeps putting things like ‘clinique’ on her birthday list! I wondered if anyone could think of any lovely natural products she could have for her birthday instead that would look really appealing and lovely for a nearly teen but wouldn’t cover her in chemicals and don’t cost too much?

tia

Claire xx

would she like lush?

Faith in nature do some lovely relatively inexpensive stuff. All good health food shops sell them x x x

Green people do a teens range.

Im getting a bit of this with my dd, but luckily (in some ways) we both have really sensitive skin and if she ever uses a friend’s stuff it makes her itchy and she avoids using it for a bit. I now buy those tiny travel size bottles of shampoo and shower gel and she takes them to school the one night a week she boards as all her friends do, but I also put some natural stuff in her wash bag too and the mini bottles are not being used much. At home she has always uses what I put in the bathroom. I don’t think she is really that interested its just wanting to join in, her friends end up using her nasty stuff which is fine by me. I happy to spend a few pounds on things that are not really getting used much and not encourage any products or regimes at home. Some shampoo/shower stuff gets forgotten or competely used up in one go in the showers at school or at the swimming pool so I dont want to give her really expensive stuff. Lush might be ok on both counts, I will ask dd.

Its interesting to see how dd and all her friends (all 11) are suddenly becoming influenced by others, here some children are interested in beauty, hair, clothes, make up….its the ones who’s mums are always done up so they probably see them getting ready and pick up the message its what makes you feel good/is important. Others are starting to want to get fit and have a gym routine/ go jogging, these are the ones who mums sometimes drop off at school in sports kit ready for the gym. Again I suppose the message is keeping fit makes you feel good/is important. Im finding it really interesting to see all the changes and woder how it is going to shape the adults they become. It is making me think about the messages I am giving dd…and making me realise how true that it is not what you say but what you do that matters. I am currently passing on that its ok to have a messy house, never dress up smart, take away junk food is evil, chocolate is necessary, you can never have to many books and you must take one everywhere you go….Im thinking about this a lot at the moment and wondering about making a few changes…

ETA I suppose doing the opposite might also be going on soon if not atm

How about buying a copy of carla oates ’ feed your skin’ and help to make some recipes? She could customise them then and give them to her friends

Making some and sharing with friends….fab idea, might have to give that a go too

neals yard do some lovely fruity smelling shower gels and shampoos.
They smell better than body shop etc and they also do some kits for making your own creams and skincare stuff!