Forest Secrets Skin News

Inspiration from a special Tomato

Yesterday I visited the Natural products Show in Olympia London and while walking across the Italian pavillion I came across a small crowd around a little stand. I had a sneak view and saw on a plate the object of desire: bruschettas with fresh crushed bright red tomatoes. I did try to squeeze in, but in the end I had to go back a few hours later when it was quieter, getting clear access to the plate to grab a lovely bruchetta. It was really tasty and fresh with the typical flavour of a tomato that has ripened in the sun on the plant, like the ones my grandpa cultivates in his vegetable garden back in Italy. I could not understand how Italian fresh sun ripened tomatos could be available in April, so I got chatting with the people on the stand, opening doors to what is for me a very inpirational story. Those tomatoes, called Pantaleo's, are typical of an area near Brindisi, South of Italy. They only grow there, near the sea; they are a special variety that has adapted to grow in "hostile" soil that is rich in sea minerals. Because of this they also manage to last eight months from when they are cropped. They are simply hung in a ventilated area, with no need of drying or refrigeration, keeping their beautiful deep red colour and lovely round shape. How eco and clever is that?

On top of that I was told that these tomato plants are grown with another local plant, a special cotton variety that is prone to the same parasytes as the tomato, helping giving the alarm before it spreads to the tomato plants. 

Pantaleo agricoltura has organic certification with ICEA and is also part of the Slow Food movement.

If you are planning to visit the Natural Products Europe Show in Olympia today they are at stand 5070C

Let's hope to see them soon in shops here in the UK, perhaps the Pantale's bruschetta can be the new sun surrogate for the chilly UK weather. What do you think?

 

 

A day at Bath Spa, the Perfect Saint Valentine treat

With all the cold, snowy weather we have had of late, last Sunday I just felt I needed to spend the morning up to my neck in warm water - so a trip to the spa in Bath seemed a perfect outing.  Hot water has this incredible power to relax, soothe and heal.

So we set off nice and early to the Thermae Spa in Bath, which  has become one of the nicest features of contemporary Bath.  I particularly like the roof pool, where one can splash about in the hot water, and yet look out over the panorama of Bath city and its circling hills - bliss.  With the warm water covering your whole body - it’s nice to breathe the crisp morning air, the breeze blowing away the cares and worries, and as I bob about in the warm water, as if floating in the warm nurturing womb, I look at the city below and reflect on Bath itself, named after the sacred natural springs that bubble up under the city, and the healing goddess, Suli, the genius loci.  Due to health and safety, one can no longer bath in the Roman Baths themselves, however the Cross Bath, just across the road from Bath Spa, is a nice alternative for an atmospheric and more romantic venue.

 

We then went to the steam rooms.  I love steam rooms, but I wish that they had used natural essential oils instead of synthetic ones.  Inevitably I found synthetic oils stung my eyes, and smell far from the natural bliss I expected, sticking to my skin like glue. Being used to natural, means that synthetic scents and toiletries just feel unpalatable and like a torture to the nose, so beware..

 

It is the same with food; we have had generations of salt obsessed chefs and food formulators.  When one goes down the natural and organic path, one becomes sensitive to all of the adulterations and to the huge amounts of sugar and salt added to food, and with that thought in mind, we decided that we needed a natural and tasty lunch!  So we showered off, and to counter the drying effects of the water and steam, applied a few drops of iRejuvenate Plus Elixir as well as the Cream of Wonders to our skin, making it silky and smooth, with no hint of the tightening feeling that one gets when the skin has been exposed to warm water that strips it of it’s natural oils.

 

So, being in Bath where else could we go for a natural, healthy, organic meal but Demuths vegetarian Cordon-Vert restaurant?  I had the chestnut and mushroom pate and my partner had the truffled broccoli as a starter.  This was followed by a soft Ricotta gnudi with Cavolo Nero in sage butter that made me think of Italy and home.  My partner, Mike, had, appropriately I thought, “Mike’s Beetroot” a glorious collection of beetroots cooked in a plethora of ways accompanied by dainty crochettas, and a side dish of polenta chips and plumb ketchup.  We finished off with a gorgeously light vanilla panna cotta, and a rich mulled chocolate pot.  The three course lunch for two was only thirty pounds, and the food was superb. The strong Italian influence made me feel at home and inspired by my day out in Bath, I resolved to promise myself, at some point, a tour of the spas and trattoria of Italy!  

Watch this space  and see you on Bath Spa roof pool

 

Slow is Beautiful

I have just got back from Italy where, in addition to seeing my family, I visited several manufacturers to explore packaging for new Forest Secrets products. I was so impressed with what I saw, a number of small traditional craft manufacturers that worked together to form a larger cooperative.   This gave them the collective size to make an impact on the market, but also meant that they, being small and labour intensive, could give the fine attention to detail and care in their manufacturing that a quality and luxury product like mine needs.   

Italy has been the source of the Slow Food Movement, which rejects” fast food” - food that is cheaply made from poor quality ingredients, food that one has to “eat to live.”  In contrast, the Slow Food Movement celebrates food that is cultivated and prepared with love, in which quality is the watch word, and time and care is taken, and craft and skill is celebrated, to produce food that embodies the Italian philosophy that one should “live to eat”. 

These small family businesses showed a great pride in the quality of their products, and the people there had an enjoyment in the exercise of their skills and creativity.  They are small communities working together with a deep care and passion for what they do, and this shows in the quality of what they produce.  One of my new suppliers has three generations of the same family in the workshop.  This is the same “Slow” philosophy that is applied to manufacturing, and which we adopt here at Forest Secrets – we do Slow Skincare! 

Economists may say that companies that give such attention to detail, that take time and expense to be more environmentally benign (for example in Italy a packaging manufacturer I visited used solar energy) and that spent time and effort sourcing quality - therefore more expensive - raw materials would be making their final product that was prohibitively expensive.  Time is money, and taking time to attend to the finest details, taking time to care, further add to the final cost a product, to do something Slow is to do it expensively.   Perhaps a better way is to see time is not as an expense, but as a luxury, and that part of the value of a luxury product is the time and attention that it took to make it.  

However, I question the claim that this attention to detail, and obsession with quality, creates a very expensive product, one that too expensive to complete with cheap imports.  I think in the long run the opposite is the case; attention to detail and quality creates a product that is longer lasting, and so sustainable, and so the resulting product is good value for money. 

Related articles

In the Mood for Slow Food

Slow business: A manifesto for reclaiming our lives

My interview at Kew Gardens about Challenges and tips in Natural and Organic Cosmetics, would love to hear your views on this hot topic

Great Review by Michelle at Eco Daisy Magazines

Two reviews in a day! Michelle at Daisy Green Magazine reviewed Forest Secrets and found it made a nice difference to her skin making it refreshed and calmer. To read the full review visit the Daisy Green Magazine where you can find a lot of green tips for a healthy living!

Thank you Michelle. 

Mimi says Forest Secrets deliver anti-ageing results to dry skin

Thank you Mimi

iRejuvenate Plus Serum best Serum in Ecologist Eco Beauty Awards

It is is beautiful day, the sun is shining and iRejuvenate Plus Serum has won the Ecologist Award as best serum in the Eco Beauty Heros awards. 

"Dr Barbara Olioso, the brains behind Forest Secrets, isn’t just passionate about beauty; she cares about the environment too. The result is Forest Secrets: a brand that prioritises the planet but really, really works. Initially sceptical, I got a range of different people to see what they thought of it and their reactions largely mirrored my own. ‘It worked’ cropped up most frequently, along with ‘my skin looks brighter’ and ‘I love it’. Better still, nothing in the small range costs more than £35."

 

iRejuvenate is Amazing by our client Georgi

"I have been using the I-rejuvenate for several months now and am close to finishing my first bottles – I have to say that the product is amazing and I look forward to trying the new version.  I only recently bought the I-bright serum from you which having tried it yesterday for the first time looks set to be another firm favourite."
Great testimonial by Georgi from North Yorkshire, thank you Georgi

Soft and nurtured skin helping well being

Liz Bonney at Yoga Spa Health has just reviewed Forest Secrets.

"Since I have incorporated this newly discovered gem into my daily routine, my skin feels luxuriously soft and nurtured, while I feel protected and calm. Forest Secrets has now been added to my list of favourite organic products."

Liz practices yoga and meditation as tools for inner calm and peace, so her review is really special because it bridges sacred and profane, bliss and pleasure. Our skin is not simply a superficial layer on our body. It is strictly linked to the way we feel and can make us feel good. If we look after our skin naturally and in harmony with it, our skin can trigger all sorts of extra benefits, beyond what the eyes can see, from sensual touch to real bliss... Do you agree?

Great start of the day

Just opened my emails where a found a great testimonial:

Dear Forest Secrets Skin Care Team,
A big thank you for such a fantastic skin care product, iRejuvenate! I feel confident in my skin, its like I've been given a second chance of youthful looking skin. It's my guilty pleasure!
Thank you Dr Barbara Olioso! Jackie

Thank you Jackie, I love starting the day with your testimonial, glad you have a guilty pleasure, however it is harmless and guilt free.....