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I recently updated my five favourite online eco beauty stores and with Christmas on the horizon and lunchtime shopping bound to go up a notch, now is the perfect time to share my favourite places to actually shop for natural and organic products here in the UK.
Although I am happy to root around in my local supermarket or department store for green goodies, I still generally prefer to be immersed in the experience and so a store which sells purely eco beauty products is usually on my radar when I’m shopping.
Whilst there are a growing number of places which stock natural and organic skincare and make-up however pickings can still be pretty slim, especially if you are outside of the capital. If none of these retailers are near you, then check out my Top Five Online shopping favourites. I’ll be updating my national High Street store guide in the new year too, so keep an eye open for that.
Here are my Top Five (actual, physical) Eco Beauty Stores… Hopefully there’s at least one near you!
Romy Fraser opened the first Neal’s Yard apothecary store on 4th December 1981 and almost exactly thirty five years later, there are 55 stand alone stores around the country! The first High Street retailer to be carbon neutral (2008), NYR is not only all about herbal remedies and essential oils, it has a fabulous range of skin, body and haircare for all the family plus an array of books and literature on health and wellbeing – it smells divine too!
For those of you who know your natural beauty then I’m sure Conent needs no introduction. An Aladdin’s cave of green beauty which (thanks to the wonderful Imelda Burke) has been at the forefront of green beauty for eight years. If you haven’t visited yet than I thoroughly recommend a trip, however make sure your bank balance is prepared as you can’t help but spend!!
Although some of the ingredients Lush use are not what many in the natural and organic beauty industry would consider clean, you cannot fault the company for its ethical stance on animal welfare and other campaign issues. Everybody’s view is different; some people are happy to use a product containing something that someone else prefers to avoid. Each to their own. Even if like me you are on the pickier end of the scale, then with a little label reading it is possible to pick up some lovely products – and of course, those extra stocking filling goodies too.
With the first store opening on the Kings Road in 2002, The Organic Pharmacy has become a destination for high performance luxury skin and body care products. They have their own in-house make-up and fragrance range Organic Glam and each store also houses it’s own treatments rooms which offer a range of beauty and health treatments for the face and body – so you can pamper yourself in between all the christmas shopping
The Local Health Food Store
This is going to vary greatly depending on where you are and how well stocked the shop is but I love trawling my local health food store. My own one (Greenlands in Greenwich Market), contains a plethora of natural and organic beauty brands (and a massive array of chocolate too!) and I never fail to find a green gift or two or three in there. Don’t just dismiss your local health food store as a dingy, hippy hangout for seed lovers, give it a go – you may be pleasantly surprised by your green beauty finds!
Where are your favourite places to shop for green beauty products?
Images: (1) via Colognoisseur (2) Neal’s Yard Remedies, (3) Lush (4) The Organic Pharmacy (5) Content & Wellbeing (6)Greenlands
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