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General
We are based on the Island of Alderney, where all our products are created and tested. But dispatch just over the water in Southampton to ensure that deliveries are as quick as possible to the customer.
All our products are natural and without harmful chemicals. All the ingredients have been passed as being safe for use in cosmetics. However, we have never tested any of our products on pregnant women and so we cannot say categorically that it is fine, as there could be unforeseen effects unknown to us. Our advice is to ask your doctor if he feels it is safe to use. Sorry we can't be more definite but we believe in being extra cautious regarding pregnancy.
All our products contain natural ingredients and all the ingredients have been passed as safe for use in cosmetics. We also try and make our formulations as skin friendly as possible with balanced pH and without irritants.
However, childrens skin can be especially sensitive as it is much thinner than adult skin. We always recommend all our customers do a patch test before using any new product to be sure that they will not react against it.
Please see the question and answer in this section of the site on patch testing.
We recommend all customers do a patch test before using any of our products. This is to ensure that if for any reason you are allergic to an ingredient we have used you will have the minimum reaction against it.
You should find a small area of clear skin such as the inside of your wrist and apply a small amount of the cream or gel etc to it. Do not wash or wipe it off but leave it there for 24 hours. If you have had no reaction then you should be fine.
If you feel any irritation, burning, or a rash appears then you should send the product back for a refund.
You can purchase them on-line at skin shop and we will send them to you.
Or you can go to your local pharmacy and ask him to open a trade account with us. We will be happy to supply them. They can then supply you.
Our Vitamin E (Tocoperol) is derived from a natural cereal germ and shouldn't cause you any problems. But just in case I would always check with your doctor if you have a serious allergy problem.
The company is scientific based, in that the formulations are created through a mixture of professional researchers looking for exciting new ingredients such as cardiospermum for eczema, Boswellia & Commiphora as a combination for joint problems or liquorice for cold sores and chemists who create the actual natural formulations.
The company was founded five years ago to supply natural products with plant based active ingredients to consumers who wanted a fresh range of products for skin problems.
Products
Capsules affect the whole body and every joint therein whereas the tube is topical and will only affect the area to which it is applied.
Some joints are more deeply buried inside the body and are less suitable for creams, such as the hip and perhaps the shoulder, whereas knees, elbows, fingers etc are fine for topical application.
Generally, if you can afford it, I would recommend you use both.
I wouldn’t recommend Defensil Serum around the eyes. It is fine on the skin but it is not formulated to be safe if it is rubbed into the eye. Eye products often have to be formulated in a different way not necessarily because the skin around the eye is so much more sensitive but because there is a much higher chance of some of the cream entering the eye. Defensil may be fine but it is not formulated for this area. We have made it to be as effective as possible on the body and face. If a few more customer contact us with this question we may well formulate a special eye serum for use exclusively on this area.
Defensil Rescue Serum can be used on the hands as often as you like. It will not weaken the skin in any way. In fact, its moisturising and soothing effect should help keep the skin feeling and looking better.
Defensil Rescue Serum is relatively mild but we have not had any other customers with this condition try it. If you are in any doubt about using it then please ask your doctor as we can not give medical advice. In general terms, we recommend a patch test before using any of our products. This involves rubbing a small amount of the product on the inside of your wrist and leaving for 24 hours. If there is no reaction then you can assume that there is no basic allergy to anything in the cream. If you intend using it on a skin condition, then apply a small amount initially to the affect area and leave for a 24 hours to see if there is any negative reaction. If not then you can proceed with some confidence. However, if any reaction does occur then stop use immediately.
Our Dry Scalp Shampoo is an excellent moisturising shampoo designed to leave your hair and scalp feeling great while causing no irritation to dry skin disorders, such as eczema or dermatitis.
If you only have seborrheic bletheritis without any other symptoms of eczema I would not recommend any of our creams.
Our Dry Eye Cream is designed for use on the eyelids and around the eye for eczema and psoriasis prone skin. However, our understanding of seborrheic bletheritis is that it is best treated with a routine of cleaning and warm compresses. The following link is an excellent source of information on this condition,
http://www.agingeye.net/otheragingeye/blepharitis.php#
We have shampoos for psoriasis prone scalp and for dry scalps.
The dry scalp shampoo is designed to intensively moisterise without irritation. It is suitable for all hair types except greasy hair.
The Oregon Shampoo is designed again for dry scalps but with psoriasis of the scalp. Again it is fine for all hair types except greasy hair, as it is again moisterising.
Our conditioner is great with both shampoos.
Defensil Rescue Serum can be used on the hands as often as you like. It will not weaken the skin in any way. In fact, its moisturising and soothing effect should help keep the skin feeling and looking better.
A. We use a preservative at extremely low concentration called 2-BROMO-2-NITROPROPANE-1, 3-DIOL which is the ingredient name for Bronopol. If you are allergic to Bronopol then I would avoid any of our products containing this ingredient name. It is usually listed right at the end of the ingredients.
Bronopol is a highly effective preservative which prevents the growth of bacteria in our products. It has been used since the 60s and is very popular due to its very low toxicity and exceptional activity against bacteria (especially the troublesome Gram-negative species).
We use it instead of parabens and propylene glycol based products. There are well documented situations where Bronopol can react with other ingredients to become irritating to skin. We have ensured that this cannot happen in any of our formulations.
(All ingredients can react with other ingredients if used improperly, even water. This is part of our stringent quality control to check exhaustively that all our ingredients work in harmony with each other.)
There is no aspirin in Celafen.
Our Shampoos and Conditioners are designed to be gentle and not to strip the hair. They will not fade coloured hair.
However, we would advice against highlights containing bleach which will aggravate any scalp condition. I would recommend asking your hair dresser for non bleach alternatives.
There are a lot of ingredients which we are aware can cause problems in formulations. This is one of them. It can create nitrosamines, which are carcinogenic. However, it needs other ingredients to be present in the formulation to release these ingredients. We were very careful not to include any trace of these ingredients in the formulation. It is rather like a fire. They are safe and we all use them. But we are careful not to pour petrol over them or leave flammable materials next to them. We treat our ingredients in the same way. Not just for safety but for skin feel, effectiveness and stability.
There have been other studies with this ingredient. They tested it by rubbing it on mice. However, the concentration used in this test was approximately 200 times higher than those used in our product. Our product also uses approximately 20 times less than the average shampoo.
Furthermore this ingredient has been examined by regulatory bodies in the UK, US and Europe and is regarded as safe.
We try to be as natural as pragmatically possible with all our products. Some are 100% natural such as our liquorice lip balm. Others require small amounts of preservatives to prevent bacterial growth or mould. We pick the safest preservatives and formulate to avoid any conflicts with other ingredients.
It can be used on babies. The formulation is natural and gentle. The gel also contains a special extract of aloe vera which has been shown in trials to be soothing and moisturising. However, you must always do a patch test on the baby's skin and leave for 24 hours before you use the gel. If you are in any doubt we have just released a dry eye gel containing Cardiospermum at a slightly lower concentration which is designed to be used on super sensitive skin such as around the eye and for babies.
None of our products contain any steroids. We are a natural range of products which tries to remedy skin problems and improve the appearance of skin through the use of naturally effective ingredients.
Seborrhoeic Dermatitis should be helped by the Oregon Hair Range's shampoo and conditioner. The shampoo contains an ingredient shown in scientific trials to help prevent dandruff which is often the result of Seborrhoeic Dermatitis.
The scalp conditioning spray is also recommend just before you go to bed. It also contains hair conditioners so is beneficial for both scalp and hair.
We would recommend you use both the shampoo and conditioner daily in place of your usual shampoo and conditioner. They are effective but quite mild on the skin of the scalp so can be used daily.
Please buy all three together as part of the Hair Care Pack as it represents much better value than buying them all at once.
We're not doctors and obviously can not give you medical advice. However, I can recommend products from our range which I feel will help and be suitable.
On your eyelids and nose I would use our Dry Eye Gel which is extremely mild formulation designed not to damage the most sensitive skin around the eyes. However, it contains Cardiospermum which should help the itching and dermatitis around this area.
For your hair I would use the Oregon Hair Care shampoo and conditioner. They are mild and great for the condition of the hair. They also contain an proven anti-fungal agent which should help.
On your body I would recommend Cardiospermum gel which contains a soothing extract of aloe vera and anti-inflammatory Cardiospermum.
Anti-Dandruff shampoos are great if you suffer from a fungal problem of the scalp. However, if you don't have fungal related dandruff they can actually make the problem worse by futher drying the scalp. Our Dry Scalp Shampoo moisturises without the use of anti fungal agents.
Ammonium Lauryl Sulphate is different from Sodium Lauryl Sulphate and none of our products contain SLS. But ALS carries out a similar purpose. Both ingredients help break down water tension to help water wash your hair. This means the water is more able to penetrate the hair and cleanse it. If you see how drops of water pull together on a window pain, this is water tension. Ammonium Lauryl Sulphate breaks up that water tension.
We don't use SLS because it has been recognised to cause irritation to the skin of people with very sensitive skin.
We believe ALS is a better ingredient. It is 60% less irritating that SLS and does not penetrate the skin. We also use it at quite low concentrations. There are shampoos which use three times as much SLS as we use ALS.
However, all ingredients can cause some irritation and ALS is no exception. However, ALS will make your hair and scalp cleaner and help prevent grease, oil and dirt build up very effectively. The shampoo used with the highly moisturising Oregon Hair Care Conditioner will leave your hair and scalp well moisturised and clean. It is also scientifically shown to help reduce dandruff.
ALS is a natural ingredient in so far that it is derived from coconuts.
If you want a Shampoo which is free from all potential irritants then please use our Dry Scalp Shampoo which is natural, mild, contains no SLS or ALS and is still extremely effective cleanser.
You should leave the Super Food Antioxidant Masque on for 10-15 minutes and then wash off with warm water. You should use the masque every day during periods of increased sun exposure or about twice a week if not being exposed to sun.
We created a new product to fix the problem you are talking about. In the trial we carried out on Liquorice balm we found that it didn't really help much once you had a cold sore, but was amazing at preventing them. People who use it often find that they have far far fewer cold sores and often hardly any at all.
We have created Liquorice and Melissa Gel to help people when they actually have an outbreak. It contains a concentrated amount of liquorice and also Melissa extract which has been found to help cold sores expanding and spreading. We hope that if you have a cold sore and apply this gel it will help prevent any others appearing at the same time and shorten the length of the outbreak.
So finally, it is unlikely there is anything at all wrong with your balm.
The mildest is the dry eye gel. Our most soothing is Cardiospermum as it contains an extract of Aloe Vera which has been shown in trials to be moisturising and soothing. Defensil was compared with steroids and was found to have a natural anti irritation effect. We also sell natural body washes, shampoos and conditioners all designed for people with very dry sensitive skin which is prone to eczema.
However, we never advise people to put our products directly onto broken skin. We would also always advise that you carry out a patch test before using any of our products.
The liquorice balm is 100% natural and a mix of liquorice, bees wax, aniseed and vitamin E. It smells lovely, feels lovely and keeps the lips in perfect condition, which is probably one of the reasons it helps keep cold sores at bay.
Yes, it can. We have people who use it all over their bodies on a daily basis. I'm not sure if it is a replacement for a moisteriser due to it being quite greasy. Most people use it on places like the chin and under the nose and of course on the lips.
It doesn't. We wanted to keep it totally natural and all sunscreens which are nice to use are based on chemicals and the natural sun filters are very heavy and leave the lips quite white. So we made the choice to make it without an spf.
That is an unusual combination. Usually the oiliness from your scalp should prevent dryness. I suspect that the dryness is actually either a chemical intolerance in which case the dry scalp shampoo should be excellent or a yeast or fungus based infection of your scalp. In which case the Oregon shampoo would be better as it contains an anti-dandruff ingredient.
Both are moisturising and are not designed for greasy hair but more aimed at dry hair.
In this instance, I would recommend asking a doctor to look at your scalp and check the cause of the dryness.
The gel will probably help to soothe the skin and moisturise the dryness. However, you should patch test to make sure you have no allergy to anything in the gel. It is my understanding that Varicose Eczema is very sensitive to many creams so be extra careful.
The gel will not help the underlying cause of varicose eczema which is poor circulation in the legs. I would recommend taking a supplement to help with circulation such as pycnogenol (pine bark extract) or another strong antioxidant. There are also support stockings which have been shown to help. You should also take advice on exercises to help improve your overall circulation.
None of our products, including Cardiospermum Gel contain any steroids. We are a natural range of products which tries to remedy skin problems and improve the appearance of skin through the use of naturally effective ingredients. Cardiospermum Gel does not have any known side effects. We have sold over 20,000 tubs of Cardiospermum without a single customer complaint about the formulation or any side effects.
However, we always advise a patch test before using any of them. You should never take any risks with your skin even with the most natural and gentle products.
Many natural ingredients are actually extracted from plants with alcohol. My understanding is that the combination of natural ingredients which forms the active part of Defensil is actually suspended/dissolved in butylene glycol.
None of our products have any known side effects. However, we always advise a patch test before using any of them. You should never take any risks with your skin even with the most natural and gentle products.
It is fine for a baby's skin. But you must do a 24 hour patch test first to check that she doesn't have an allergy to anything in it.
But around the eyes I am more cautious. The gel is designed for adult skin around the eye. Baby's skin is so much more sensitive and thinner. We have never tested it on the skin around a baby's eye so I cannot recommend it for this area.
We don't recommend this gel around the eye. But we have produced a product called Dry Skin Eye Gel which contains slightly less cardiospermum but is even milder on the skin which is designed for this area. You can use it to help with dry skin and skin prone to eczema around the eye.
Cardiospermum Gel is fine to use on your upper lip.
However, you should always do a patch test on both products before using them. Especially before using it near your eyes.
Defensil can be applied as an overall moisturiser to your daughters legs. But it is quite a thick cream and we actually describe it as a serum. So I would limit its use to the area which requires help, namely below her knees. Defensil has research showing that it is excellent at reducing redness, moisturising and reducing irritation. So while we can't guarantee results as everybody reacts slightly differently, we can recommend it as an excellent choice.
The Oregon Body & Hand Wash is a natural non-irritant foaming soap product which I would recommend she uses. Many of our customers react badly to soaps and washes with certain chemicals in them, such as Sodium Laurel Sulphate which irritate the skin. They are used by companies because they help create a lovely thick lather which people enjoying using. The Oregon Body Wash is free from such irritants but it still creates a rich lather. It uses a new type nozzle which creates foamy lather without the need for chemical foaming agents in the soap. It leaves the skin feeling moisturised and clean without feeling stripped and left dry.
Cardiospermum Gel is quite thick but it is not at all sticky. It soaks in really well and has a silky cool texture. You will have to leave it on the skin for a few minutes before you would be able to apply any make up. It will also depend on what type of make up you are using. We are researching our own range of make up at present and we have found that some combinations work and others don't. But generally Cardiospermum Gel should not cause too many problems.
We recommend overnight as the longer it is in contact with your scalp the better. But a few hours is fine. The greatest benefits are in the first few hours, but it does continue to work all night.
It is great for the hair. It actually contains hair conditioners which will also leave the hair in a better conditioner after use. So it can be combined as a type of leave in conditioner.
We can never guarantee results as everybody has different skin. However, we did design the eye gel for exactly your problem of very dry skin around the eyes. We included inside the product an active natural ingredient called Cardiospermum which customers have told us has a fantastic effect on their eczema prone skin. The gel itself is also moisturising. So hopefully it will help you. As with all products please do a patch test first.
There is nothing preventing you from using the balm under lip stick and it should help. However, have you considered that the type of lip stick you are using is triggering your attacks. It may well contain an ingredient which is causing the outbreaks. I would suggest that you try and different brand.
The condition you're daughter has is closely related to psoriasis and is a variation found on the scalp. I would recommend the Oregon Hair Care pack. I would ask you to use it everyday as you would a normal shampoo and conditioner. The scalp spray can be used just before going to sleep at night.
As with all products you should carry out a patch test first to make sure you have no allergies to anything in our products.
Also, these products are not medicines but effective cosmetic products designed to help your scalp in the most natural way possible. If you are looking for something stronger or more aggressive you should talk to your doctor.
The Dry Skin Eye Gel can not be put into the eyes. It is for the skin around the eyes. It should not be put onto the eye ball itself or under the eye lids.
The Dry Scalp Shampoo is a clean clear colour with the slightest hint of amber which is caused by the Cardiospermum, an active plant ingredient inside the shampoo. The shampoo does not have any artificial fragrances added and smells quite neutral with a slight hint of a plant smell. Actually very difficult to describe but really very nice.
The products were designed from the ground up to help scalps prone to psoriasis. Every ingredient was chosen by the UKs leading hair care scientist with your scalp problem in mind. We also asked him to leave the hair with a salon standard finish and to minimise the use of chemicals and potential irritants. We are very proud of the finished product and many customers have told us that it is has helped them enormously with their scalp psoriasis.
I really recommend using it with the conditioner. The whole hair care pack represents the best value and the best effect.
Finally, these are cosmetic products and not medicines. We have proof that they help with dandruff and can reduce scalp irritation but we do not have any scientific proof that they will clear up psoriasis.
Yes, it can be. But we have a whole range dedicated to psoriasis prone skin which is far more effective. We design our products for specific problems rather than creating a cream or gel and claiming it can help with everything.
The short answer is that the liquorice & Melissa Gel is for treating cold sores once they have arrived whereas the Licorice balm is a preventative measure.
In the trial we carried out on Liquorice balm we found that it didn't really help much once you had a cold sore, but was amazing at preventing them. People who use it often find that they have far far fewer cold sores and often hardly any at all.
We have created Liquorice and Melissa Gel to help people when they actually have an outbreak. It contains a concentrated amount of liquorice and also Melissa extracts which has been found to help cold sores expanding and spreading. We hope that if you have a cold sore and apply this gel it will help prevent any others appearing at the same time and shorten the length of the outbreak.
We concentrate on quality and providing the best value and not creating the cheapest product.
We have spent years researching and improving our gel.It has scientific proof that it reduces itchiness, moisturises the skin and smooths irritation. We have also spent more money on extra ingredients such as Aloe Vera from the Canary Islands to ensure it is even more moisturising and soothing. You may find a doctor research on the internet on Cardiospermum Gel. This research was carried out on Skin Shop's unique Cardiospermum Gel formulation. We also put a lot of Cardiospermum into our Gel. We could make it much cheaper by using only a fraction of a percent. But we use over 5% of the pure extract to maximise the effectiveness for our customers.
There are 10 to 15 applications per jar. We recommend applying it quite liberally.
Most Psoriasis shampoos smell because they use coal tar to help stop the scalp psoriasis. We use juniper oil. It doesn't smell great, but it smells much better than the coal tar shampoos. Honestly!
The shampoo was designed to leave your hair with same feeling as a salon standard shampoo. It actually leaves the hair feeling great and your hair should be left with a neutral smell. Also if used with the conditioner the hair is left smelling very good and the two products are good to use.
We try and balance ease and enjoyment of use with effectiveness. I feel we have got it just right with this shampoo.
You may be having problems because you are using anti-dandruff shampoos which contain anti-fungal agents.
Dandruff is either caused by dry skin/eczema or fungus. Most OTC products are only for treating fungal dandruff and contain harsh anti-fungal chemicals.
But, according to leading London trichologist Tony Maleedy, who developed the our Dry Scalp Shampoo & Conditioner and carried out the university trial, dandruff caused by dry skin, eczema or dermatitis can actually be made worse by anti-fungal agents in normal anti-dandruff shampoos.
In addition foaming agents used in anti-dandruff shampoos such as Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS), have been shown in studies to cause inflammation to already highly sensitive dry scalps
Most OTC anti-dandruff shampoos also have a very high Ph to help kill the dandruff fungus, but this high Ph is too harsh for sufferers of dry scalp dandruff and can actually make the flaking worse.
So try our Dry Scalp shampoo & conditioner and I hope you will see some improvement.
Iodpropynyl Butylcarbamate and Phenoxyethanol – are preservatives. All companies have to use some sort of preservative in water based formulations otherwise they become over run with bacteria, which is extremely bad for the health. This product is not natural or nice. But we have picked it as it is the nicest of a bad bunch and does the job. We only have to use a fraction of a percent for it to stop bacteria living in and multiplying in this cream. It will have no effect on you or your skin. Incidentally we have avoided other more potent and damaging anti bacterial agents based on parabens as we do regard them as having some chance of being bad for your health.
They are best used together for maximum effect. The serum is designed to soften rough skin and reduce redness. It contains ingredients which are proven to do this. It is more concentrated and is best on those difficult areas like knees and elbows. Areas which need some real attention. The maintenance cream is designed to keep the skin moisturised and in good condition. I would recommend using it everywhere including over the areas you have used the serum.
Ordering
I take it you have added products to the basket and then tried to checkout. When you get to checkout have you filled in all the relevant boxes. These are the ones with the little asterix next to them.
If you haven't filled everything in a red box appears above the bits you haven't filled in. Fill all those bits in and press the update button once you think you've done it. Once all the bits have been filled in correctly a green button will appear at the top of the page, click on this and you will be taken to a final page which will ask you to check your details before pressing another green button to confirm your order.
You need to order by 12.30pm if it is to be sent out by courier that day. If you order later than this it will be posted the next day by guaranteed courier.
If they are ordered before 12pm then they are sent oyut the same day. If they are ordered after 12pm they are sent out the next day. So if you order a product on Monday after 12pm it is sent out on Tuesday by royal mail first class.
I can assure you that our site is secure. In five years of internet trading and over 100,000 transactions we have not had a single incident involving a customer's details being stolen.
If you look in the address bar at the top of internet explorer, when you are checking out, it should state that our connection is https, the extra "s" after the normal http means that the connection is secure.
The first time you enter the checkout area your computer should tell you that we have a certificate. This is a check carried out to prove that we are secure.
Furthermore, we have a double layer of encryption between our site and the bank to ensure that nobody else can access your details on the web. So please have every confidence.
The special offer can be found by selecting a quantity of 200ml or 500ml rather than 100ml. The three choices are listed below the price in a shaded box with the word quantity written at the top of it. When you click your mouse on one of the other quantities the price will change.
There is a tick box for European Delivery. We send it out by courier which will require a signiture.
We could send it out by economy international mail but we have found that too many parcels go missing. The courier service we use will require a signiture but it insures that you will get your product.
There is no extra charge if you order more, so for better value please add anything you want to your order now.
We already have you registered as a customer.
So you will need to sign in. You can sign in at the top of the every webpage on the site. There is a link saying "sign in".
If you can't remember your password then there is a link below which says "can't remember your password then click here for a reminder" click there and enter your email address and it will send you your password immediately to your email address.
If you then sign in with your email address and password then ordering should become much easier. For example, your address will be pre-filled in the order form.
If you click the box under sign in asking the computer to remember you on skin shop then everytime you come back to re-order or visit us you will automatically be signed in which will make it even easier. You will also be able to see previous orders you have placed and the progress of your orders.
This is quite simple to do. Please just follow the instructions below. If you have lost your password please contact us and we will send you out a new one. However, you should then change it to one you can remember.
-Log into your account by clicking on “sign in”
-Enter your email and password.
-Once you have logged in click on “view account”
-Once in here click on “site preferences and contact details”
-Once in here delete your password and enter a new one. Each letter will come up as little * so be careful that you type in exactly the password you want.
-Finally click on update at the bottom of the page once you have made the changes.
