As participants of the programme offered by Total Bootcamp often discover, a host of benefits can be reaped by choosing to exercise in the great outdoors.

Catherine Jane Pennington, who owns Total Bootcamp – an intensive fitness programme that makes use of a variety of exercise methods – admits that many people today overlook the natural, cosmetic benefits that exercising outdoors offers.

She said:

“For a lot of people, they see themselves in the mirror and hate the way they look. People panic and think, what am I going to do? The most obvious option is to join a gym or buy some new clothes. But by cutting out the fresh air factor, they’re missing out.

“There’s more to exercise than just getting fitter and losing weight.”

She went on to explain that working out in an outdoor environment can greatly improve an individual’s complexion. As well as regular cleansing, the skin also has a requirement for clean fresh air which, Pennington asserts, just can’t be obtained to the same degree in a well-ventilated room.

Pennington said:

“Under normal circumstances I’d say, for healthy skin, everyone needs to get at the very least a few hours of natural, fresh air and sunlight every day. Of course, at Total Bootcamp our participants get much more than just a couple of hours.

“In a normal working day, people need to make sure they take advantage of every opportunity they get to go outside and have a bit of a stretch of the legs. Even just a few minutes in the sun will do a world of good.”

Total Bootcamp puts people through a series of exercises every day that call on what Catherine Jane Pennington calls a more ‘naturalistic’ route to weight loss.

Based in Wales, the programme offers people the opportunity to get involved in a host of activities – including obstacle course runs, raft building and rowing, cave crawling and traditional, group-based exercises.

Himalayan rock salt has been around for millions of years. It’s only until recently – as recent as the 2000s, to be exact – that the salt began to be mined and exported. Set on the slopes of the Salt Range, the salt is mined by hand at the Khewra Salt Mines, in the Punjab region of Pakistan. The salt is also known as ‘halite’ and typically is a rose-orange shade.

What is Himalayan rock salt used for?

Himalayan rock salt has a wide variety of uses, similar to common table salt or rock salt, including uses in cooking, as table salt, animal licks and bath products.

Is Himalayan salt a health product?

Salt traditionally contains over 80 minerals and nutrients in its natural state, and because Himalayan rock salt is mined by hand and delivered to customers in this unrefined state, it is able to pass on those benefits.

Created around 250 million years ago, the salt reportedly keeps your body’s water content regulated due to its relatively low level of sodium. When the salt was formed, the world’s eco-system was essentially pristine and had no contaminants.

The salt is also used to clear congested sinuses and lungs, stop muscle cramps and is used to aid sleep. It’s also reported to keep spider and varicose veins at bay and can even help to regulate blood pressure and keep your bones strong.

Many people working with livestock give salt licks to their animals to pass on these health benefits. Due to the salt being literally rock hard, this means animals can’t eat more than they need to. The 84 minerals contained in the salt are those essential to a healthy lifestyle – including potassium, iron and magnesium.

Why is it used in cooking if common table salt is so easily available?

Himalayan salt is often used in cooking because of its attractive appearance and reportedly superior taste to common table salt. Due to its health benefits too, it means flavour can be drawn out of the food with fewer risks to health.

Table salt contains a high level of sodium chloride – around 98 per cent – and loses most of its minerals because of the refining process. This process includes heating the salt to 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit which completely changes the chemical make-up of the salt.

As well as this, additives are put into salt to keep it looking white and to prevent it from sticking together. Bleach and sodium ferrocyanide are most commonly used.

This cocktail of chemicals can cause high blood pressure, cellulite, rheumatism and kidney stones, not to mention heart disease and dementia – all caused by refined salt drawing too much water out your body.

What else is Himalayan rock salt used for?

Due to their attractive pink and amber hues, large Himalayan rock salt crystals are fashioned into lamps and used most often as nightlights or as mood lighting. While the claims have not been proven, fans of these lamps believe the crystals emit negative ions, which make the user feel as though they are on top of a mountain or near a waterfall or beach.

Due to its health benefits for animals and humans alike, Himalayan salt is becoming increasingly well-known and popular, and could become much more widely used in the western world.

Robert works for Darlingtons Group Ltd, a Cheshire-based supplier of a variety of salt products, including rock salt and Himalayan salt. Established more than 50 years ago, Darlingtons supplies clients from schools and universities to police, fire and ambulance stations. For more information, visit http://www.darlies.co.uk

The Natural Beauty Summit America, set to take place in New York on the 14th and 15th May, will look at trends in the US market for natural beauty products, as well as challenges and issues facing the market. The event will be attended by companies producing natural and organic cosmetics, retailers, market researchers and suppliers of ingredients, and will feature success stories and analyses of the industry.

Natural beauty is a rapidly expanding industry in the US, although there are notable differences between the US and European markets, with the US having lower levels of product certification and less well developed consumer awareness of organic products. Sandie Jaidane, designer of the Natural Beauty Summit programme, points out that the US market is variable across different areas, with the larger cities having a wider awareness of the issues.

One of the speakers at the convention will be Leila Rochet Podvin, who will speak about the increasing trend for ‘positively green’ marketing, which represents a move away from merely pointing out the problems with mainstream products, and towards ‘green’ companies making positive claims for their brands and becoming lifestyle choices.

Christine B.Whittemore will present on the issue of social networking and its impact for brands, discussing the opportunities for natural beauty brands in using blogs and social sites to connect with their customer bases. The summit will also cover issues including advances in technology and differences between US and European regulation of cosmetics.

When people initially become vegan, they usually begin by focusing on the foods to avoid as well as the ones that will become staples of their new diet. This makes sense, as most of the information on veganism is related to food production and avoiding foods that contain animal derivatives. Over time, though, interest in veganism often spreads to other issues that are connected with being vegan, which is why many people see veganism as an entire lifestyle rather than just a list of foods that are or aren’t suitable.

Vegans often begin to focus on health in general – you can’t help but pick up lots of health-related information when reading about different food types and devising a new way of eating, and this often leads to a renewed interest in other areas of health and fitness. Many vegans are attracted to approaches to fitness such as Pilates, which is ideal for the vegan lifestyle as it focuses on building whole-body strength and suppleness through exercises. In recent years, many vegan websites have developed sections on the health benefits of Pilates.

Vegans also tend to become aware of the ingredients of items such as cosmetics and skin products, and many use natural beauty products. This is again because of the possibility of finding animal ingredients in mainstream products, but is also another area in which vegans can develop an awareness of health benefits of using certain natural ingredients. For example, essential oils such as lavender, often found in vegan skincare products, are well-known for their health-giving properties.

The Middle East market for natural and organic cosmetics is taking off – it grew by 20 per cent during 2011, according to new research by Organic Monitor. The growth in demand appears to have been caused by an increase in awareness of the benefits of using more natural beauty products, in line with global trends.

The market for these products is at a relatively early stage in the Middle East, and made up 0.1 per cent of the total cosmetics market last year, as compared to the 3 per cent market share in European and North American countries. However, the indication is that growth of the Middle East market is likely to continue, with United Arab Emirates currently accounting for most of the sales of organic cosmetics in the region.

The 20 per cent increase has been reflected in the beauty industry and retail sector’s prioritisation of natural and organic ranges. There has been a rise in retail space allocated to these products in response to public demand for products with fewer chemicals.

Beautyworld Middle East, a trade event for the cosmetics industry, is expected to showcase a greater range of organic and natural lines in 2012. The show is set to take place in Dubai in May 2012 and is the largest beauty industry trade conference in the Middle East. This year’s event is set to highlight topics including fragrances and hair care, as well as seminars focused on helping cosmetic businesses to trade successfully.

In undoubtedly tough times for business, with high street retailers disappearing on a weekly basis, new businesses are making the most of their strengths. One good point for smaller businesses is that as the chain companies fail, there’s more and more room available in the market for niche companies, with many high streets starting to fill up with smaller, independent stores.

The natural beauty industry features many unique companies and independent traders. Companies that focus on stocking only organic or vegan cosmetics are playing to the strengths of their niche markets, while the larger retailers are focusing on more mainstream lines and taking fewer gambles on new or less well advertised products.

Many smaller shops get around the challenges they face with imaginative and eye-catching displays. A good shop layout, making use of features like shelving or mezzanine floors, can make a smaller shop appear crammed with interesting products, which helps to attract customers. People are becoming more and more aware of the benefits of natural products and these ranges are popular even in financially difficult times.

Online natural beauty businesses are in an even stronger position to compete with larger companies. Web-based businesses can stock many different ranges without needing the floor space to display these. Many niche retailers are also benefiting from the social media world online, meaning that they can build up a loyal customer base with good customer service and an approachable, personal way of doing business.

Saaf Skincare, a Leeds-based company producing organic skincare products, is set to benefit from the involvement of a team of professional investors. It is hoped that the move will allow the brand to increase its sales in the European and UK markets.

Saaf, which specialises in organic beauty products for the face, hair and body, was formed in 2004 by Dr Mah Hussain-Gambles, who began researching skin products for her mother’s sensitive skin. Dr Mah has continued to combine her knowledge of homeopathy and pharmacology to produce her range, which is certified Halal as well as having Organic Soil Association Certification.

The new move to expand the company will see Dr Mah working with experts including Peter Whitehurst, who previously headed technology and innovation at SSL International. Mr Whitehurst and his team hope to complement Dr Mah’s knowledge of creating natural beauty products with their expertise in areas such as marketing and global exports.

Saaf, which was run initially from Dr Mah’s home, currently has seven staff. The company’s products include ranges suitable for vegetarians and vegans, and bestselling products include Ultimate Moisture Face Serum, containing pomegranate oil and Vitamin E, and Eraser Body Oil, which uses rosehip seed oil to reduce the appearance of scar tissue and promote healthy skin.

The company does not use any synthetic perfumes in its products, and formulates its ranges to be suitable for most people with sensitive skin. The name Saaf is taken from the Persian word meaning “pure”.

If you’re looking to start your own business in the natural beauty sector, now is an ideal time thanks to the opportunities provided by social media websites. Organic beauty company Ecco Bella has found so many fans on Facebook that it is giving out $10 gift vouchers on the site to mark Earth Day.

Sally Malanga, Ecco Bella’s founder, decided to hand out the coupons after the company attracted 5000 ‘likes’, or fans following the company, on Facebook. She expressed her hopes that the giveaway would lead to further rises in the company’s number of followers, demonstrating how companies can use social media to develop a loyal and informed group of customers.

Ecco Bella was formed in 1992 and specialises in cosmetics, skin care and fragrances made using organic ingredients. The company also produces cosmetics suitable for use by vegans, and has cruelty-free and environmentally friendly credentials. The company decided to mark Earth Day, an international day of environmentally themed events and actions, held this year on April 22nd.

New natural beauty businesses can benefit from the word-of-mouth publicity to be found on social media sites and other online avenues such as consumer review sites. As Ecco Bella’s success demonstrates, specialist companies can build up a fan base who can then be informed about related events and offers, helping to build the company’s reputation in its field. Many smaller or newer businesses nowadays are making the most of the chances to promote and sell their products online, because when you start your own business it’s important to take advantage of every sale opportunity.

RSPCA week, which this year runs from 30 April until 6 May, will see a number of fun-filled fundraising events and activities held at centres all across the country. The RSPCA hopes to raise the funds necessary for them to continue working and campaigning for animal welfare, and also to raise public awareness of the organization and the important work it carries out.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was founded in 1824 as the SPCA. The organization received royal patronage just thirteen years later, and strived through both the First and Second World Wars to help the animals enlisted to serve the Allied Forces.

RSPCA Week began back in 1995, and has run annually since. The RSPCA believe in protecting animals from cruelty, continually working to help suffering animals and re-home those they’ve already rescued.

The RSPCA recognises the United Kingdom as a nation of animal lovers, and so reaches out and encourages the public to get involved. People can help either by making a donation, volunteering at their local RSPCA centre or applying online for a fundraising guide.

Many people turn to a vegan lifestyle for the consideration and compassion it shows to all creatures, its wider contribution towards ultimately lowering the world’s greenhouse emissions, and for the variety of health benefits it can encompass.

At Nature’s Boutique, we are proud to support RSPCA Week by offering our customers a broad range of vegan products, including organic make up, organic skin care and other natural beauty products.

Natural beauty company Green People has expanded its range of protective and cosmetic sun care products. The new products include organic hair care items, tanning products, sun lotion and lip balm.

The Sun and Sports Shampoos and Conditioners have been formulated to care for hair that’s exposed to the sun, and they protect against the sun’s rays, as well as removing chlorine from the hair after swimming. The shampoo contains a derivative of the artichoke.

The new range also includes two lotions: Self Tan Lotion and Sun Lotion. The first uses essential oils and gives a tanning effect on the skin, while the Sun Lotion offers sun protection of SPF15, while acting to speed up the tanning effect on the body thanks to the inclusion of a derivative of Carob trees.

Other new products featured are a hydrating mist, containing chamomile and aloe vera, designed to soothe and revitalise skin that’s been exposed to sunny weather. No Scent Soft Lips, with SPF8, helps protect the lips from the drying, chapping effects of the sun.

Green People is a UK-based range of organic products for the hair, skin and body. The company’s products have been on sale in health shops since 1997, and have won many awards including Janey Lee Grace’s Platinum Awards and Natural Health Magazine’s Natural Beauty Awards. The company is committed to using natural and organic ingredients, and is certified by organisations including the Vegan Society, the Organic Soil Association and EcoCert.