#130 Pharmacy Fresh

A few months back I popped into The Organic Pharmacy for a Health Assessment. I'd had one several years back while feeling less than my best and was impressed with the various things it pinpointed. Talking about how & why it works is guaranteed to get eyes a-rolling, because, well, you're strapped up to a bio-energetic device which scans the body, detecting & picking up on various vitamin and mineral deficiencies, food intolerances, toxicity, organ function, hormone balance, viruses, bacteria, fungus, parasites, digestive disorders and stress. The read-out is immensely detailed and often very amusing - not least of all because it also tends to pinpoint the foods you've eaten a lot of just prior to the scan, and if you've been eating said food morning and night [i.e. overdoing it], it'll flag up the possibility of developing a future allergy to said fare. For me it was, ahem, cucumbers - which thanks to bizarre pregnant cravings, I'd been eating whole, and several times a week, just because I really couldn't not - just wanted them SO badly! The homeopath and I had a good giggle at that one though - I mean, who ever heard of anyone being allergic to cucumbers?! I was also, it seemed, at risk of developing intolerances to:

Curry powder [no! no!]

Brewer’s yeast [huh? never had a beer in my life...]

Spinach [yes, too true. makes me sicky inside]

Pineapple [sob. but probably because I'd eaten an entire one in a single sitting the night before]

Lime [again, huh?]

Mushroom [just don't like them, so no great loss]

Casein [of course. always knew that]

Sesame [once again - because of the inordinately huge amount of hummus I consume each & every week, which contains tahini AKA sesame paste]

Carrot [almost as prevalent within my diet as cucumbers... yes, I know I'm odd]

Other things were clearer & less comical. I am absolutely undeniably bad with lactose. No shit Sherlock. Can't even sip cow's milk anymore without gagging. And despite popping those awful pregnancy horse-pills, I was still seriously deficient in several minerals. I was also in the middle of an appalling eczema flare-up which had gotten progressively worse over those 5 pregnant months. I listened, took notes, we chatted & the homeopath [a fab & insightful lady called Sofia], made lists of things I needed to start supplementing my diet with. I've never been a big believer in supplements, but let me say now, it's 4 months later, and am I grateful to her for loading me up that day. I now consider myself a bit of a pregnancy nutrition pro - and can list all the 'premium' supplements that caused nothing but nausea and constipation [both Pregnacare & Solgar really disagreed with me - I noticed the different in my 'sluggish' system within a day or two of swallowing them]. On the other hand, The Organic Pharmacy Pre & Post Natal Vitamins caused me no bother at all & made a marked difference to my mood & wellbeing. Since they ran out [on Monday], I've really felt it - and will be stocking up at the Great Marlborough St store tomorrow. Other impressive supplements were the Omega 3-6-7-9 oil which though not the most delicious thing in the world, is on par with the Udo's Choice Oil. Both have really really helped my eczema calm down - along with teeny amounts of the steroid cream Diprosone & regular rubs with Oilatum Ointment... at last, those red patches have all but disappeared! I was also prescribed Calcium & Magnesium Complex, to aid stress & get extra important minerals to the baby - and, I have to say, I felt pretty darn good about 1 week after I started to swallow them, at night, and just as Sofia said, they also helped aid more restful sleep [I might be one of the few heavily pregnant ladies left who has actually snoozed deeply all the way through her 35/almost 36 weeks - despite a baby who has really learned to produce a spectacular series of almighty KICKS and PUNCHES as soon as her mummy falls asleep. Yowzer].

So, all in all, a mightily productive 90 minutes - and all for £150 [oh, supplements cost extra. Sorry. Good health don't come cheap, right?]

To soften the blow, my dear friends, you might be interested to learn the following:

From 14th – 21st June, The Organic Pharmacy are offering their unique Health Assessment for £100 instead of £150. The offer will be until the end of August for any bookings made between the 14th and the 21^st. Visit www.theorganicpharmacy.com for more information.

Would I recommend it? Heartily. Is it worth it? Well, I guess you'll have to see for yourself....

#66 Blue Thursdays...

A Thursday evening quickie. Here’s what’s UP:

Stella McCartney Purifying Face Wash – if you’re oil-prone, this surprisingly foamy and deep-cleaning concoction has an uncanny way of stripping away shine, but not moisture – and with repeated use, it does help to refine blemish-prone complexions. However, do not take results for granted (as I did) and think it’s then OK to eat fish & chips, pizza and ice-cream for a week and expect your face to remain radiant. I blame the crappy weather too mind.

Bobbi Brown Blush in Pale Pink. Ghastly (in a great way) in the pot – a garish, blueish, cold pink – but works wonders on all skins, including olive. Mental, but true.

Hope’s Relief Eczema and Dermatitis Cream – after years of always reverting back to my (ick!) steroid ceream – this has finally kept things under control. It stopped the cracky patches between my fingers and most importantly, really calms itching. Like it a lot. Even if it does leave your skin smelling like it’s been basted with a honeyed-meat sort of glaze.

Kérastase Ciment Thermique – Really does protect hair from the ceramics and dryers. BUT (see downs below)…


Here’s what’s DOWN:

Kérastase Ciment Thermique - … it’s just TOO fragranced. Kérastase (and TIGI for that matter) are naughty naughty. There is no need to pack so much parfum into products. Not only can it be a bit sickly after a while (especially TIGI’s S-Factor range, which smells like bubblegum), but I’ve found that I’m also a lot more prone to allergic reactions to Kérastase and TIGI products than anything else. When using Kérastase Shampoos and Conditioners, my scalp tends to itchiness and it’s even flared up eczema around my ears.

White Eyeliner – in winter. In summer, it’s all nice and soft and glides on without flakes. In winter, hard as graphite in the morning, it’ll leave you looking like you’ve got conjunctivitis.

#19 The Fairer Sex...

I’ve not had much experience with men as Mr Malcontent was pretty much my first love. We met when we were still young in mind and body, fresh of face and hopeful of heart. Many years have passed and things are still pretty darn good. The inevitable things have changed – nowadays I rarely bother with the good underwear, he wears a pair of pyjama bottoms with more holes than fabric – in fact, wardrobe-wise, Mr Malcontent is not too bothered. I don’t mind – he has a good eye, skilfully skirting the line between scruffy and sexy and besides, I’ve never really wanted him to be a Hugo Boss man. I’d rather have a H&M boy any day of the week. In fact, the only fine-tuning that Mr M has proved susceptible to is not of the sartorial variety. The change has, in fact, taken place within his cosmetic closet instead. Sod’s Law dictates that Mr M has impeccable, beautiful skin. Clear and temperate with an outdoorsy smattering of freckles across his nose and cheeks – boyish and youthful. He does not look his age. Sod’s Law also dictates that he had never taken an ounce of care with his complexion – when we first met, he was using shampoo as a face and body wash. I think it was Vosene. He was prone to dryness, a bit of eczema and as I entered the beauty arena, my knowledge and access to information filtered down to him. As did my continual product passover. You see, he would never spend more than a couple of quid on himself, but his eyes light up like fireflies when I hand him a bag of new booty. He gets face creams, self-tans, firming gels, eye lotions, lip balms… he has become my official male tester. There have been a few hiccups along the way. He’d been using self-tan as an everyday moisturiser, rubbing it into his eyes and wondering why his hands had turned a bizarre burnt-ochre colour overnight. So now, along with pricey products, I also pass on foolproof instructions first. When something’s good, he’s eager to tell me about it. He really liked Lush Afterlife – a cream that I hadn’t high hopes for. He said it made his dry skin feel comfortable and improved it within days. He also loves Nickel Morning After Rescue Gel. He uses it after a night when he’s struggled to sleep and insists that it makes him look fresher. He’s currently using The Sanctuary Cleansing Facial Wash and Protective 24 Hour Moisture Lotion SPF 15. Sneaky of me to give him an SPF-laden lotion, as he’s loath to apply suncare during the day, but the combination is working well. His skin has been clear and blemish-free for a couple of months now – he used to get the odd spot almost fortnightly. He also favours Caudalie Lip Conditioner (having tried Clarins, Chapstick and Neutrogena) and liked Lancôme’s men’s range too – in particular the face wash. New likes include Kiehl’s Eye Alert, which he’s been patting on in the mornings and the Shu Uemura Depsea Moisture Replenishing Cream – which he went through at an alarming rate. If it weren’t so expensive, I’d have bought him a new pot. At bathtime, believe it or not, he’s cleaned me out of MOP Basil + Mint Shampoo and Conditioner. It’s a great formula for his fine hair and he likes the herby smell (that’s his stifled chef talking), even if I’m not too fond of it. That’s another bonus, not only does he provide me with valuable male insights, but he also Pac Man’s his way through my growing giftbags – clearing space for future finds. And though these insignificant scenarios do not form the core of a stable relationship, it is certainly a flawless foundation for a marriage of cosmetic convenience. A-men.