Every two weeks we share all the stuff we’ve recently enjoyed – from the latest TV shows to must-try foods and the most exciting spots to visit in New Zealand.
Chantal Organics nut butter
Offering a wide range of delicious and nutritious foods, Chantal Organics has just released two new paleo and vegan-friendly organic indulgent spreads –Salted Caramel Peanut Butter and Cinnamon Spiced Almond Butter with Chia and Hemp. We decided to do a taste test for those in our building (11 people) and dished out slices of bread with each type of peanut butter. The verdict… Salted Caramel was the favourite.
The Salted Caramel Peanut butter is crafted by their Hawkes Bay team in small batches and is a smooth, creamy blend with a rich flavour which comes from the roasted peanuts, superfood Maca and Rapadura sugar. Further testing involved adding it to smoothies, porridge and biscuits. It would also work well in a curry, stir fry or dressings.
The Cinnamon Spiced Almond Butter with Chia and Hemp is also creamy and has a fairly strong cinnamon taste. We tried this on toast, porridge and also added it to a biscuit mixture which was yummy!
Kudos to Chantal Organics on their conscious decision to use a sustainable, non-toxic paper for the new peanut butter labels.
The new peanut butters are available at participating supermarkets and health food stores nationwide.
Healtheries vitamins and supplements
In a recent Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands Survey, Healtheries won the award for the most trusted Vitamin and Supplement brand but they are also well-known for their teas, snacks, baking products and superfoods.
We were sent the adult and kids Multi and Vitamin-C range – Gummies for the adults and cute Gummy Bears for the youngsters.
Although both the Gummies and Gummy Bears taste the same, they do appear to have different compositions but there’s no doubt they are easy to pop into your mouth and chew. We offered the Gummy Bears to a number of children (with parental approval and supervision, of course) and they were keen for their parents to buy them in preference to other vitamins… so that’s always a good indication that a company is onto a good thing.
Healtheries Gummies are free from artificial flavours, colours and sweeteners and have no sugar coating.
Ultrella natural deodorants
We are always on the lookout for natural deodorants that WORK and were delighted to be sent samples from Ultrella who are passionate about creating simple, effective body products that help with sweat and body odour.
The ‘paste’ products come in sachets (much like those that baby food comes in). You only need a pea-sized amount of each of the ‘paste’ products and although the packs look smallish, the product does go a long way. The pastes are available in three scents – Mānuka Meadow, Sunshine Lime and Vanilla Bean. If you prefer your deo in a spray bottle, there are two varieties – Bright & Blueberry or Hello Aloe.
The idea is to use Ultrella CalmPits Detox Mask for a week when transitioning to a natural deodorant – this helps cleanse your pits in preparation for the natural deodorant. Apply the Detox Mask and leave on for at least 15-minutes. Wash off in the shower and after drying off apply your choice of natural deodorant.
We were impressed with both the ‘paste’ and spray deodorants and they certainly passed the all-day whiff test. With IBR-Snowflake®, nature’s antiperspirant, the products are clinically proven to reduce perspiration by 36%. Made with prebiotics to support healthy armpit bacteria, magnesium, zinc and beautiful botanicals, these natural deodorants are non-greasy and rub on clear so there’s no white marks or yellow stains. There are also no nasty or toxic ingredients – no aluminium, parabens and PETS and no baking soda which might irritate sensitive armpit skin. There’s also no sting after shaving and the products help control wetness by absorbing moisture.
These natural deodorants will definitely be long-time favourites for us. You can purchase them online.
Hayley Benseman skincare
New Zealander, Hayley Benseman, set out a few years ago to produce a range of affordable, yet luxurious, natural skincare products and has certainly created a number of really great products. The skincare range is derived from natural ingredients that have been chosen for their unique properties including healing ability, scent, texture and impact on the environment. She’s proud to put her name to her brand and we feel she’s done an amazing job with her growing range.
I tried Hayley’s Rosy Glow Face Cream and the Golden Dew Drops. The face cream can be used as a night cream or in the morning under sunscreen and is ideal for dry or more mature skin.
Fortified with native Totara extract and an infusion of organic rose, the cream smells divine and absorbed into my skin quickly. The Golden Dew Drops is a serum enriched with Evening Primrose and Rosehips but it did take a bit of time to be absorbed into my skin so I experimented with different applications and had great success using the Dew Drops and Face Cream as a night time super-hydration facial treat before bedtime. Just ensure you give it enough time to absorb into your skin before hitting the pillow.
For daytime, I used a different serum and added the Rosy Glow Face Cream and sunscreen which worked perfectly as a base before applying my foundation and makeup.
Hayley has skincare products for all skin types and she’s happy to answer any questions you might have. She’s also expanded her range to include deodorants, massage oils, lip balms, masks, cleansing oils, bath products and insect repellent.
I also love the fact that the packaging is 100% upcycled and that the company has a recycling programme for the bottles – all positive moves for this inspiring woman and her skincare business.
