Organic beauty and wellbeing week is back, an initiative by The Soil Association to raise awareness of certified organic products and their benefits. This organisation has been certifying beauty products since 2002 and is the UK’s leading organic certifier. As there are no regulations within the beauty industry around organic claims, the certification exists to provide us with clarity, guaranteeing that the products we buy contain a high percentage of organic ingredients. So apart from that, what do you get with a certified organic beauty product? The guarantee that it is never tested on animals, formulas contain no controversial chemicals, synthetic colours, dyes or fragrances, ingredients are sustainably sourced, wildlife and biodiversity is protected and packaging is minimal and recycled where possible. If you’re interested in finding out more about The Soil Association you can check out my Insider Q&A with their Senior Business Development Manager Georgia Barnes where we chat about the role this organisation plays in beauty and the dangers of greenwashing. To celebrate this year’s Organic Beauty Week I’m sharing some of my favourite certified organic beauty brands that are a near-constant feature in my beauty arsenal.

Botanicals sanitizing spritz

Well if it’s not the most popular health and beauty product of 2020: the hand sanitiser. This 100% natural handbag-size version from vegan, cruelty-free and organic British brand Botanicals contains 60% organic alcohol (derived from sugar beet) and dries quickly on hands without stickiness, leaving a lovely aromatic scent thanks to anti-bacterial lavender essential oil and anti-fungal tea tree essential oil. 50ml RRP £5.95

Evolve 360 eye and lip contour

Since discovering this British natural skincare brand in my local Planet Organic I’ve not stopped discovering great product after great product – when it comes to masks I still find it hard to beat their Radiant Glow Mask. Evolve make small batches of apothecary style beauty products and this Eye and Lip Contour is vegan but also certified organic by Ecocert. The cream to gel texture feels like the ideal consistency to tackle fine lines and puffiness and sinks straight into skin without leaving any tackiness. Plus it smells of coconut cake. Another skincare hit from Evolve. 15ml RRP £26.00

Fushi rosehip oil

I’ve always got at least one Fushi facial oil on the go, from pomegranate to sea buckthorn, but my staple is their certified organic rosehip oil. With benefits ranging from anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing to fading scars, this vitamin-rich cold-pressed rosehip oil is nourishing without feeling too heavy, meaning it sinks into skin when massaged without leaving an oily residue. 100ml RRP £18.00

Neal’s Yard Remedies Wild Rose Dry Oil

OK disclaimer here: I’ve just started working for this brand (which I’m ecstatic about) so this may seem like a biased feature, but I couldn’t talk about Organic Beauty Week without mentioning Neal’s Yard Remedies. With its 40^th anniversary just around the corner, this British heritage brand is a stalwart of natural and organic beauty and wellbeing, and one of the first beauty brands to achieve organic certification by The Soil Association. With replenishing wild rosehip seed oil and nourishing avocado oil, this Dry Body Oil from bestselling range Wild Rose smells beautiful and, as the name suggests, instantly sinks into skin for a silky soft finish. 100ml RRP £35.00

Nourish Illuminating Face Shimmer

This British brand boasts what I’ve come to see as the Holy Trinity of clean beauty: the entire Nourish range is cruelty-free accredited, certified organic by The Soil Association and holds The Vegan Society accreditation. This Illuminating Face Shimmer is the first Nourish product I ever tried and I still rate it to add a boost of luminosity to tired skin by mixing a pea-sized amount to moisturiser for a fresh glow, or to foundation for a more polished finish. 30ml RRP £18.00

Nuxe Organic Ultimate Night Recovery Oil

Better known for its iconic Huile Prodigieuse, Nuxe wasn’t a brand I associated with organic credentials – until the launch of their Bio range (French for organic). Certified by Ecocert, the range offers ingredient-led products that focus on a key active ingredient for each product. Their 100% natural and 88% organic Night Recovery Oil highlights Rice oil extract, which works overnight to repair and strengthen the skin’s defences. This is a light and easily absorbed oil so it doesn’t overload skin, leaving it gently nourished and smoothed the following morning. 30ml RRP £37.00 Product photographed is a sample.

Pai Gentle Hydrating Cleanser

From the first time I used Pai’s Rosehip Bioregenerate Radiance Mask I was hooked. With organic, cruelty-free and vegan certifications, formulas are created with sensitive skin in mind, and no matter what product I’ve tried from the range my skin has never failed to feel gently cleansed, hydrated and nourished. Case in point with this beautifully gentle alcohol-free hydrating cleanser, which I massage into dry skin and remove with a wet cloth (Pai’s dual-sided cloth is the best I’ve come across to date), leaving me with super soft skin that doesn’t feel tight. 100ml RRP £30.00. Product photographed is part of a set.

Zuii certified organic vegan flora mascara

Certified organic makeup feels decidedly trickier to come by than skincare, so I’m pleased to be able to feature at least one colour cosmetic product in the line-up. This Australian product is certified organic by COSMOS Organic and certified cruelty-free by Peta. I’d never heard of Zuii before, but I’m glad the Clean Beauty Awards gave me an opportunity to discover this mascara. I love that the first two ingredients on the list are certified organic beeswax and shea butter, making the formula very nourishing and conditioning, although it does result in a bit of a smudgy look by lunchtime. Granite 7.5g RRP £21.95

How are you celebrating Organic Beauty and Wellbeing Week? Please leave a comment below to let me know.