My Skin Care Routine

I am 51 years old this year. As a teenager I developed quite bad acne, and at 18 I decided to take the Dianette pill because I was so desperate, I did not want to show my face full of pimples to the public. I also had quite bad acne on my body, particularly on my back. As I was a keen swimmer every visit to the pool was a bit of a nightmare. I used to change into the most hideous swimming costumes and then take a run for the pool, jump in quickly and not appear for about 40 minutes, making sure I stayed "under water" for most of the time, never even stopping to take a proper breath - which is probably why I became so fit and developed quite a bit of muscle and the lung capacity of a deep sea diver....

After 10 years on the pill I decided that was enough. My skin by then was pimple free and quite smooth. However, stopping oral contraception made everything worse plus I developed other physical ailments that at 38 required surgery. After coming home from hospital I started looking into new beauty regimes and face creams.

For the next 9 years I tried everything under the sun. Retinol, vitamin pills, creams pumped full of one chemical or another that promised to heal acne and make my skin look great. If only! Some creams made it look worse, and don't even mention facial washes and exfoliators. A nightmare.

Finally I came across organic, vegan skin care. I wanted to try out something that was free of chemicals and very pure and I started to use African Black Soap as a facial cleanser. I undertook a lot of research and testing of organic shea butter and because of the astounding effects it had on the condition of my skin decided to launch my own skin care range. The Cebra - Ethical Skin Care range is either certified organic or registered by the Vegan Society. It is cruelty free, there are no parabens or sulfates in our creams, lotions, washes and oils and nothing has been tested on animals. All the jars and bottles are fully recyclable, but as with all packaging, you should reuse these as often as possible which is why I am offering discounted refills for most of my skin care porducts.

I admit that I am also taking some supplements - Menoherbs and Black Cohosh. Whether they have anything to do with the condition of my skin as it is now, I cannot say. All I know is these herbs changed my life dramatically. I have no idea why I did not start taking them at 38, but then again - no doctor will ever admit that they really work.

I am convinced that our Organic Shea Butter & Aloe Face Cream and the Whipped Shea Butter Cream as well as the Black Soapwork wonders for my skin. I apply the cream and the moisturizer using facial massage by the way and I take at least 2 minutes if not more to smooth the products into my face and neck. A lot of people have commented on my skin. Friends say it has changed the condition of my skin dramatically and people who don't know me say, they don't believe I am 50. I don't have deep wrinkles, just laughter lines around the eyes (plus bags under my eyes in the morning, but that is an inherited condition and I shall fight those with our new Unscented Seaweed Aloe Vera Gel). For spot treatment and soothing of inflamed areas I use our Seaweed Aloe Vera Gel Infused With Essential Oils. It helps to calm down my skin and work on spots with anitbacterial tea tree oil, astringent lemon oil, moisturizing sandalwood and calming lavender oil. I have couperose on my cheeks and I am combating this condition with my Save My Skin Serum packed with antioxidants, rose oil, parsley seed oil and other beneficial essential oils. My couperose (or rosacea) has almost vanished... Plus I have now launched my new Liquid Mineral Powder Foundation. This is based on my shea and cocoa butter lotions and is so pure, you can apply it without the need for a moisturizer underneath or a primer.

Perk Me Up Vegan Body Oil - I can honestly say that the high quality ingredients that make up this superb oil soften the areas it is destined for and make them less "dimply" (I have cellulite, hence no wonder woman here to be had). I also use the Shea Nilotica butter after each shower and it is the best pure unrefined shea butter I have tried in a long time. It makes my skin really smooth and very dry areas are softened. My upper arms are particularly soft as I used to have little spots in these areas and they have completely vanished. The shea nilotica is harvested from the Ugandan rainforest shea trees and comes totally unrefined thereby keeping the healing properties of the shea butter intact. This type of shea butter is certified organic (Soil Association and USDA) and 100% fair trade and supports the bio dynamics in the rainforest.

Last but not least - our new Palm Oil Free Hand Crafted Shea Butter Soaps. Made with unrefined fairtrade shea butter and pure vegan oils (coconut for example) plus 100% pure essential oils (harvested under organic principles). Because palm oil is the biggest destroyer of native rainforests and a killer of orangutans in Indonesia, I have decided it is about time that we eliminate this base (organic or not) from all skincare products. And - £0.50 of every bar sold will go to the Orang Utan Foundation (as featured in the BBC2 series).

All of the above have convinced me that vegan, organic skin products are the way forward. Which is why I decided to stock some products from the Alaffia and SheaTerra skin care range too. I am absolutely convinced they work - I am the best proof for that. As with all natural products I would say that you have to give them at least 3 months to see them develop their full benefits for your skin.

TIP: Do drink lots of water, it definitely has an effect on your skin's condition. And try and give up smoking and give up drinking more than 2 glasses of alcohol per week. Life is so much more pleasant when you go through it with a clear vision.

P.S. My lung capacity is not what it used to be and my muscles have shrunk a bit with age. Still - I go for a 90 minute walk every day with my dogs and that suits me fine.