Did you know that the average woman is putting over 250 chemicals on her body a day? Think about it…from the moment you wake up, shower with bodywash, shampoo and condition, clean your teeth, use your moisturizer, use regular hand washes in the toilets at work, do the washing up, clean your clothes, take a bath with oils and lotions…well the list goes on and on. We still haven’t done nearly as much research into standard chemicals and what they do, suffice to say many can cause anything from skin allergies to much more serious fertility issues to name a few….and potentially carcinogenic ingredients are now most commonplace on every beauty counter. Given that the skin is only 2mm and in the newest tests has been proven that up to 60% of what we put on it is absorbed into the skin….we need to start really considering our everyday body products! This is part of the reason we were so keen to launch our new, gorgeous hand washes and lotions at NEOM – because you use them so much and we figure, how easy is it to switch your hand wash? Pretty easy, especially when they smell so gorgeous! So, we’re on a mission to spread the message of reducing your chemical count…can you help us pass the word on?

After telling the press this month about our beautiful new body oils, the lovely ladies at Zest magazine asked me to explain why we should choose a body oil over a cream, and in fact are they better for you? Body oils do wonders for skin and when massaged in to the skin are even a good exercise for body. One of the most striking features about oils is that they are free from any chemicals. Creams have to contain preservatives and for the most part, several chemicals because of their water content - oils don't need to and this is why ours is 97% certified organic packed with vitamins A & E plus essential fatty acids. Oils are also far less heavy that creams and absorb into the skin far quicker, so they are incredibly effective for skin nourishing. I must say I really notice long term benefits of using a body oil much more than a cream. We've launched 3 fantastic scents at NEOM - I'm currently using the Unwind, it works to really calm me down. The rest of the girls here are hooked on Real Luxury but my mother won't use anything other than Complete Bliss - as always the debates about which are the best NEOM scents are raging over at HQ!

The onset of summer means a change of home scenting for most people. Deep woody fragrances are replaced with lighter, prettier upbeat notes that make my home feel fresh - a bit like the outside garden creeping in. We've headlined Grapefruit Bergamot on the home page this month because it's such a beautifully clean scent, perfect wafting through your home on balmy summer mornings - and certainly makes you feel that way if those English clouds threaten to ruin that illusion! Room Mists are great in the summer too. The beautiful scent of Refresh (Sicilian Lemon & Fresh Basil) is lovely when spritzed on carpets & curtains - certainly no spring clean is complete without a beautiful bottle placed on the mantelpiece and a daily top up! And of course there's a real step up in my body care system when the sun starts shining... which is why we're offering a 'Summer Body Kit' for half price. This includes a beautifully creamy body lotion, our cult body oil (I cannot rave about this product enough, I used it all through my pregnancy and never got a stretch mark and it smells blissful) and a body wash - light and fresh perfect for every day. It's a great way to dip your toes into organic body products and really see the benefit of committing to less chemicals everyday. Have a lovely June, Nicola x

Did anyone read our great write up in Style magazine recently? I love Edwina Ings Chambers column and last month she asked me about lavender and why it's (possibly) the most popular scent at the moment. I explained that in these trying times lavender is a powerful stress buster... and we're all looking for something that can soothe your mind and body in an instant. But it's also that lavender is the most versatile of all the oils and the only one that can be applied direct to the skin without dilution - so if you're ever planning a mini break always take some with you, it could be your savoir. It's perfect for helping you relax and sleep well, de stressing you, making you feel better if you're a little down. As a first aid remedy it is a great relief for headaches, cystitis & urinary infections (in the bath) can be used neat on burns, insect bites, stings eczema, acne and abrasions even ulsers. So the message is clear... don't leave the house without it!

Of course I will be sneaking an organic egg (Green & Blacks please) or two in, but in our house we usually get each other a little 'feel good treat' aswell. Just something small of course, but the idea is that it has to act as a 'spring lift' and be roughly £30. So this year I will be giving my sister who is working herself into the ground at the moment a mini Refresh Candle (£15) to burn beside her desk which will act as an energy boost and a mini Relax candle (£15) so she can relax properly in the bath at whatever hour she finally rolls in. I will treat my mum to a Complete Bliss bath oil (she loves the Moroccan Blush Rose scent £32). I'll make sure all my friends get a multi balm (£12), because mine is now 6 months old, has been used on scrapes, eyebrows, chapped lips in winter, burnt cheeks in summer and even babies bottoms and it's still not even half way down - now for £12 that's great value - even better than a supermarket egg I'd say!

'Life is always about choices, even when it doesn't feel that way. Attitude is a choice.' How very true. So even if I've had a difficult day and the little things are seeming to conspire against me, I make a rule... I plan an impromptu pamper night in, and promise to cram lots of loveliness into the few hours I have left (you can obviously do this all day long but after a long day at work it's something I particularly look forward on my way home. I slip on my favourite new PJ's (bought for me by my little boy for Mother's Day no less) light a Tranquillity Candle, bursting with English lavender, sweet basil and jasmine and slip into a steamy hot bath filled with Moroccan Blush Rose: Complete Happiness, finally slathering on plenty of everyday calm body lotion. It's a simple but seriously effective way to unwind and layering all these luxe experiences together helps me feel truly pampered and positive. I think ending the day happy is the best way to ensure a great night's sleep and ultimately, start the next day in the best way possible. So it's quite simple to make choices - even if they just smaller ones - that collectively make you feel your very best. Go make some great choices today!

I'm going to be the first person to saying something positive about the credit crunch... here goes... I really think that it's making me appreciate simpler things in life and dare I say I'm kind of enjoying that about it. I'm ashamed to admit (pre 'CC') that I didn't feel a Saturday was a Saturday without returning from town with a new top, pair of jeans, something nice for the bath, and was constantly lusting after more and more shoes/ handbags/ dresses/ 'things'. After being (forceably) pushed into a situation where this suddenly isn't the 'done thing' anymore, it's been a case of serious prioritising! But here's the good bit...I've suddenly got a great capsule wardrobe with pieces that absolutely have to work on several levels, my make up bag is full only of products that make me look my best and my bathroom cabinet is seriously de-clutted. And my absolute top 'banish-those-credit-crunch-blues' products that really work to make me feel better? A Real Luxury Candle, softly filling the sitting room with my favourite scent of Jasmine, Lavender & Brazilian Rosewood, an amazing Complete Bliss bath oil with Moroccan Blush Rose turns a night in into an absolute pleasure and the NEOM set of chunky organic soaps which add a piece of luxury to our bathroom, kitchen and even the downstairs loo! So it may be a cliché but it really is 'the simple things in life' that make you happy. A little piece of luxury goes a long way...