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Discover the Hidden Power of Castor Oil: 7 Surprising Benefits for Skin

One of the most notable benefits of castor oil is its exceptional moisturizing properties. It penetrates deep into the skin, nourishing and hydrating it from within, making it an ideal solution for those struggling with dry and dehydrated skin. Furthermore, this versatile oil possesses anti-inflammatory properties that can calm and relieve irritated skin, making it a fantastic remedy for conditions like acne and eczema.Not only does castor oil enhance the skin's overall health, but it also stimu...

Castor Oil - superfood for your skin and health?

Castor oil is a versatile and multipurpose oil that has been used for various purposes for centuries. Here are some common uses of castor oil:Skin moisturiser: Castor oil is an excellent natural moisturiser for the skin. It helps to hydrate and nourish the skin, making it soft and supple. You can apply a small amount of castor oil to your face, hands, or body as a moisturiser.Hair care: Castor oil is known for its benefits in promoting hair growth and improving hair health. It can be used as a s...

New Branding - Check out our Amazing New Artwork

We recently commissioned talented artist Joel Nicholls https://www.facebook.com/artistjoelnicholls/ to design some art which we felt really reflected Honest Skincare's brand. Fantails (Piwakawaka) are found throughout New Zealand, and we often come across them on our hunt for Kawakawa. They like to follow us through the bush - although we tread carefully we must be stirring up some insects for the fantails to eat because they flit and flutter close behind us for food. We love seeing th...

We've partnered with Go Generosity to support breast cancer treatment

If you have had a family member or friend go through chemotherapy, you know how tough this treatment is, both physically and mentally. “We are all so incredibly different. I have never come across anyone else who has had exactly what I have had.”Although breast cancer patients face similar challenges, no two cancer journeys are the same.Here at Honest Skincare, all our people know someone who has been through this, and we want to help. In November 2022, we partnered with GoGenerosity to...

How we got started with Kawakawa

It’s a simple question that Janna Jansen, owner of Honest Skincare, really wanted to know the answer to. Having had skin allergies since childhood, particularly to certain flowering plants in the change of seasons, she was used to the familiar tickle when a rash was starting – and would brace herself for up to two weeks of itchy, inflamed skin and often weepy rashes. She tried every topical cream she could find, steroid creams and over the counter antihistamine pills. While these would calm ...

Natural Moisturiser Recipe

It’s good fun, very easy, and the best part is that you will know exactly what you’re putting on your skin. Ingredients: - 200ml Sweet Almond Oil- 400g Organic Shea Butter- 200g Coconut Oil- 10ml of your favourite essential oil Instructions: 1. Melt all the ingredients except the essential oil together gently. The best thing to use is a double boiler, or glass bowl over a pot of water on the stove. Once melted (try to not let it get hot, just warm enough to melt), add the...

Lip and Skin Balm Recipe

Ingredients60ml Sweet Almond Oil25g Beeswax50g Shea butter2ml organic lip balm flavour oil or of your favourite essential oilInstructionsPut sweet almond oil, beeswax and shea butter into a glass or ceramic bowlPlace bowl into a pot of gently boiling water, so it floats on itMelt your ingredients together, stir every couple of minutesOnce melted, add the flavour or essential oilPour into pots or jars, place lids on once cooled.This healing mixture will keep&nbs...

4 Ingredient Chocolate Recipe

Ingredients: 1 cup cocoa butter raw, melted. (218 grams)1 cup cocoa powder1/3 cup raw runny honey1 tsp of pure vanilla extract Instructions: Place cocoa butter pieces into the upper insert of a double boiler, estimating how much you'll need to get one cup of melted cocoa butter. (Make sure no water touches the bottom of the pan or gets inside. Alternately, place cocoa butter in an oven-proof pan and allow it to melt slowly in a 200 degree oven.)Measure 1 cup of this...

DIY Dry Shampoo for Dark Hair

Too busy to wash and style your hair as often as you'd like? If this happens to you too, we have the perfect solution: DIY dry shampoo. Just apply the dry shampoo to your roots with a makeup brush, tousle your hair with your fingers to rub it in, then style your hair like normal; the greasy shine is gone, and the dry shampoo adds a ton of volume to your hair! This DIY dry shampoo is for dark hair, but if you have light hair, you can use the same recipe, just leave out the cocoa powder. DIY Dry&n...

First results in from our eczema trials

Samara was miserable with eczema. She's suffered from it since she was two years old. A combination of cold autumn days and dry weather meant she suffered the worst attack of eczema ever. She's used plenty of steroid creams over the years but decided she just didn't want to put it on her skin anymore.We sent her the skin balm, colloidal oatmeal bath soak and kawakawa oil. Look at the results, her skin responded so well to the natural and pure ingredients. She feels so much better and we are thri...

Dead Sea salt scrub recipe

The benefits of Dead Sea Salt are well documented. Dead Sea salt contains 21 minerals including magnesium, calcium, sulphur, bromide, iodine, sodium, zinc and potassium. It has a lower concentration of salt than normal seawater, and the difference is made up by these extra minerals. Dead Sea salt can help with: - Rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and osteoarthritis. The minerals are absorbed while soaking, stimulating blood circulation- Common skin ailments – for tr...

What's up with Caffeine?

Fights Free Radicals: Free radicals are responsible for causing premature skin ageing. This results in the appearance of wrinkles, sun spots and loss of elasticity. The antioxidants contained in caffeine can attack these free radicals and eliminate them. This will improve the overall look of your skin. Soothes Inflammation: Caffeine possesses anti-inflammatory properties that make it effective in reducing inflammation and redness in your skin. It is often used as an ingredient in anti-inf...

Greenwashing

Companies know that people like you and me will pay more for a superior product. The same as been true for donkeys years. But these days and for our demographic (the wellness warriors) the term "superior" has a new meaning. We no longer want the shiniest, wankiest, most famous, fanciest product (well, not always). We want the product that is the best for our health. Because our demographic knows that health is the true wealth. The companies know it too. And they're exploiting us. I've seen ...

Keeping it clean on the outside too

But did you know that your skin is your bodies' largest organ and it absorbs a great deal of what it is exposed to – what we touch and what we slather over it at morning and bed time. Just how much is actually absorbed, I hear you ponder. Well, that really depends on the individual substance and how soluble it is, but ponder also on this: Flea treatments, hormone creams and nicotine patches… all applied to the skin and absorbed into the blood stream for what is called a "systemic" treatme...