Antioxidants

Black Garlic

Like most 20-somethings, I am borderline hopeless in the kitchen, so I'm always on the look out for ingredients that save me a job or make things that bit more painless. And The Amazing Blog has delivered a tasty little treat for you: Black Garlic. Now don't be frightened, even though it looks like one of your kitchen experiments gone wrong, it couldn't taste any farther from it. Everyone knows popping a bit of garlic onto chicken, into a sauce or with some vegetables makes everything taste better, but if you thought that before then Black Garlic will be your new kitchen holy grail. It's not supposed to replace regular garlic, as it's a completely different flavour sensation, it's soft and velvety and adds an amazing layer of flavour to whatever you put it in. In order to make Black Garlic,  a bulb is put through a heating and moisture process for several weeks, creating the intense flavour and colour. Black Garlic has almost twice the antioxidants of regular garlic and is low in fat and is first date safe, no garlic breath here! The great thing about Black Garlic is its versatility, their website even has recipes for you to try out and modify with your new favourite ingredient. So whether you're using it for a more traditional dish, or trying a more daring approach, some Black Garlic is the perfect complement to your meal.

Black Garlic is available for £1.40 in Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Tesco and a variety of independent food stores.

Douvall's

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In London's changing weather, your skin can get dried out quite quickly, so you'll need a good moisturiser to make sure your skin stays soft, supple, and ready for summer. We're sure you've heard about the benefits of Argan Oil for your hair, but Douvall's Organic Argan Oil Moisturiser is a luxurious oil for not only your hair but your body and face.

Douvall's Argan Oil delivers significant restorative and anti-aging effects - providing nourishing protection for your skin. The naturally high concentration of vitamin E, antioxidants and fatty acids increase skin radiance and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. You can use Douvall's in 3 different ways: as a moisturiser for your face and body, as a hair and cuticle oil, and in the bath as a soothing and nourishing addition. We find that you only need a few drops of Douvall's to get great results, you especially don't want to over-do it when using it in your hair. Start with a small amount and use more as you need it. Argan Oil is an all natural oil, extracted from nuts from the Argan Tree, native to Morocco. The whole process of harvesting the oils is completely organic and chemical free. Douvall's works with a women's cooperative in Morocco, who harvest the oil, and are committed to bettering the community and empowering women. So not only are you getting a high quality product, but the knowledge that you're helping a community of people who produce the product. Douvall's is environmentally friendly, non-irritating, non-allergenic and certified Vegan, so it's suitable for everyone. Whenever they can, they use recycled and recyclable materials for their products.

They have a smaller travel size, perfect for frequent flyers, and a larger size great as a permanent fixture in your bathroom. Head over to their website to buy your own Douvall's Organic Argan Oil Moisturiser.

Ecobeauty by Oriflame

With just five days left of April, the gang at The Amazing Blog were certainly hoping for sunnier climes - but alas, despite the onset of British summertime, spring sunshine has been replaced by a sky full of storm clouds. And while such weather brings with it the age-old dilema of what to wear, it's also left our skin in need of some tender loving care. Happily for us however, a package from Oriflame arrived just in time to save our skin.

Oriflame is a Swedish company that was founded by two brothers in 1967 and is commited to offering products that are as kind tto your skin as they are to the environment. They recently launched a new natural, ethical and environmentally-friendly line called Ecobeauty which is the first global cosmetics range to be approved by four leading independent ethical, natural and and environmental organisations including Fairtrade and The Vegan Society. The line offers three rich and hydrating face creams bursting with natural and effective ingredients such as antioxidants and fatty acids to nourish and protect the skin. Having tried both the day and night cream I can report that my skin has never looked so radiant and healthy and it's an added bonus that Ecobeauty is as good for the planet as it is for my skin! Available here.

 

Let the detox begin...

If you are still nursing the remains of your New Years Eve hangover and the thought of beginning your 2012 gym regime is the last thing on your mind, why not ease yourself into your January detox with something needing a little less, well… effort.

Matcha green tea from Teapigs, dubbed the “superhero” amongst teas, is a super-concentrated, 100% natural, organic green tea powder packed full of antioxidants and nutrients. Unlike traditional green tea where the leaves are discarded once used, Matcha is drunk as a fine powder diffused in liquid so you are drinking the whole leaf and consume every last bit of goodness. Matcha tea has been drunk in Japan as part of the tea ceremony for almost 900 years and is even used by Buddhist monks to keep them alert, awake and focused during long days of meditation. One serving contains 70 times the antioxidants of orange juice and 9 times the beta-carotene of Spinach. It can also help increase metabolism by 30-40% and will provide a sustained release of energy for 3-6 hours. So, pour yourself a cup of Matcha tea and let the detox begin!

Matcha green tea can be purchased from the website here and to give you an added incentive the lovely people at Teapigs are offering a 20% off discount when you enter the promotional code MATCHAMAN (make sure you use capitals).