Absolutely loving my soaps and my soap holder so much so I have signed up for regular deliveries .
Am really happy with this product. Also feels good to be doing good for the planet.
Shea Butter
Shea butter is deeply moisturising, an excellent emollient, sealing moisture into the skin without clogging pores. Rich in Vitamin A and E, these vitamins support repair and protect against free radicals, reducing signs of aging. Shea butter is also naturally anti-inflammatory, it helps soothe redness and irritation, making it ideal for sensitive skin. Fatty acids; oleic, stearic, linoleic, found in shea butter help strengthen the skin’s natural barrier.
Olive Oil
Rich in squalene, it mimics the skin’s natural oils, providing intense hydration. HIgh in vitamins A, D, E and K, olive oil protects the skin from environmental damage. It also has anti-inflammatory properties, its polyphenols and flavonoids help calm and soothe irritated skin. While olive oil acts as a gentle cleanser.
Pure Planet Club presents the ultimate gift guide for all things it-girl this holiday season. Whether you're shopping for your girlfriend, sister, bestie, daughter or looking to spoil yourself, we’ve got you covered. These three curated lists are filled with an assortment of gifts that help nourish your loved one on their wellness journey, no matter how flamboyant or reserved their personality.
The cool girl gift guide. This is for the style icon. The girl whose perfectly assembled outfits you always admire. She looks great dolled up or dressed down, and loves a statement piece. A fan of gold jewellery, she has a collection she loves expanding with unique pieces.
The wellness girl gift guide. This girl has it all worked out. She wakes up early for her morning yoga or pilates classes and loves a hot girl walking in her matching activewear set. She thrives in routines. Her skincare game is unmatched, and uses this time to practice her self love affirmations. While she may not have it all figured out, but she’s loving the journey.
Let’s go back to the basics. It’s hard to find clarity through the noise of health and wellness gurus, podcasts and social media. In which, wellness and wellbeing are terms that are often used interchangeably. But what do they really mean, and are they the same thing? While both concepts are connected to living a fulfilling and healthy life, they differ in scope and focus. Understanding these differences can help us make more informed choices about how we approach our health, happiness, and quality of life.
What is Wellness?
Wellness is a proactive process of making intentional choices to improve and maintain one’s physical, mental, and emotional health. It often revolves around practices, habits, and activities designed to enhance specific areas of health. The concept of wellness is often structured around dimensions, such as: physical, emotional, social, intellectually and spiritual wellness.
Wellness is often seen as a journey, involving deliberate actions like adopting healthier diets, committing to a workout routine, or practising mindfulness. The focus is on optimising health and avoiding illness. It’s a long and slow process defined by small steps and actions towards a greater goal.
What is Wellbeing?
Wellbeing, on the other hand, is a holistic state of being that encompasses not just health, but overall satisfaction and contentment in life. It reflects how we perceive our lives and how well we’re functioning emotionally, socially, and psychologically. While wellness focuses on specific dimensions, wellbeing is broader and encompasses: happiness and life satisfaction, quality of relationships, sense of purpose, work life balance and emotional resilience.
Unlike wellness, which focuses on actions, wellbeing is often the outcome of those actions combined with external factors like environment, culture, and economic conditions.
The key differences lie in their focus, scope, progress vs outcome orientation and measurement.
How Wellness and Wellbeing Work Together
While wellness and wellbeing are distinct, they are deeply interconnected. Practising wellness can significantly enhance your overall wellbeing. For example, physical wellness through exercise can boost energy levels, which enhances overall happiness. While emotional wellness through stress management can lead to greater resilience and satisfaction.
Conversely, a high sense of wellbeing can encourage healthier behaviours. If you feel happy and purposeful, you’re more likely to engage in activities that support wellness, like cooking nutritious meals or staying active.
Practical Tips to Cultivate Both
Wellness and wellbeing are two sides of the same coin, each playing a vital role in living a balanced and meaningful life. While wellness focuses on specific actions to improve health, wellbeing reflects the broader picture of life satisfaction and contentment. By understanding and nurturing both, you can create a more vibrant, fulfilling, and joyful existence.
In the realm of wellness and self care we often hear the term highest self thrown around like some transcendent mythic being, always out of reach. Spiritual guides often talk to us as though becoming our ‘highest self’ will solve all of our issues - the missing link in our journey to self fulfilment. Although it is through conversations with friends that I’ve begun to realise that as much as we long to be our perfect selves, our very longing is a trap. Connecting with your highest self is less about perfectionism and more about the journey, strengthening the parts of ourselves we find fulfilment in; our creativity, our ambition, and taking steps to slowly improve the parts of ourselves we don’t.
But what is our highest self? In many ways it can feel like a dream. It’s an imagined idyllic life. Draw out the things you want for yourself - from the values you hold closest, the way you speak, the clothes you wear, how you see yourself in the mirror. Defining this version of self in detail allows us to grasp more tightly to the future we want for ourselves, even if this may change through time. In philosophy we speak of how with each self reflection we change and grow, making it impossible to truly know ourselves. It’s a daunting idea. Through it brings us back to the core theme, the cliche that it’s not about the destination but the journey. It’s about the process of learning and growing - not who we end up as in the end.
When it comes to soap, what’s really going down the drain? Beyond bubbles and lather, every bar has an impact, but some are gentler on the planet than others. Today, we're diving into the (sometimes dirty) details of natural vs. commercial soap in an eco-friendly showdown.
What’s lurking in your lather?
Commercial Soap: Commercial soap is like that friend who always looks way too perfect. It’s filled with synthetic ingredients—like parabens, sulphates, and mystery fragrances. These added chemicals make the soap foam and last forever, but they’re often derived from petroleum, a non-renewable resource that’s rough on the planet. Plus, these synthetic fragrances and additives often stick around after washing, heading straight into our waterways, where they can mess with aquatic ecosystems.
Natural Soap: Natural soaps avoid plastic microbeads. Instead, they’re made from ingredients you can actually pronounce: olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter, and essential oils. These plant-based ingredients are kind to your skin and the planet. They break down easily, keeping oceans and rivers safe from weird chemical build-ups. Plus, no fake fragrances here—just pure essential oils for a fresh, non-toxic scent.
Soap has long been a symbol of cleanliness, self care and often luxury, but few of us know much about its deep-rooted history. Originating from simple, earthy ingredients, soap has evolved over thousands of years into the fragrant, colourful bars and liquids we recognise today. 1. Ancient Beginnings. The earliest records of soap-making date back to ancient Babylon, around 2800 BC. Babylonian tablets reveal that early soap was made by mixing animal fats with wood ash. Initially, it wasn’t used for bathing as much as it was for cleaning textiles and wool before weaving. The Egyptians, known for their elaborate hygiene rituals, were also early adopters of soap. Around 1500 BC, they developed a paste of animal and vegetable oils combined with alkaline salts for both medicinal and cleaning purposes, hinting at an early understanding of soap’s role in fighting disease.
1 - Social Activities. Plan time to connect with friends or family, and try to reach out to a friend every day. Engage in a hobby or group activity like a spin class or pilates class, pottery or dance
2 - Nature Time. Spend time in nature, go for a hike or grab a coffee and visit a park.
3 - Rest & Relaxation. Have a self-care day or time block for relaxation. Check out our guides on self-care days here. Listen to music, podcasts, or read for enjoyment, try to turn your screens off an hour before bed and fall asleep to an audiobook or meditation.
Self care isn’t a luxury, but essential for mental, emotional and physical wellbeing. Creating a personalised self-care hamper for you or your loved one is a great way to facilitate mindfulness.
Tip 1: Start with a direction.
Intentionality is important in all things. Do you want to promote relaxation, boost energy, or want to focus on deeply nourishing your skin? Choosing a theme will guide your selection process.
For a revitalising effect, Elliqua’s Refresh Bundle sets the perfect base for a self care hamper. Featuring No.1 Citrus + Herbal Musk and No. 3 Cucumber and Mint - designed for an uplifting, elevated shower experience.
For ultimate relaxation, Elliqua’s Unwind Bundle features No. 0 Unscented and No. 2 Coconut + Vanilla. Crafted for the daily dose of self-care, enriching your skin with a complex blend of soothing ingredients like shea butter, aloe vera and kaolin clay.
For ultimate scent flexibility in your hamper creation, Elliqua’s Restore Bundle features No. 0 Unscented Cleansing Body Bars and the Elliqua Soap Dish.
Tip 2: Aromatherapy
Essential oils can evoke specific moods and emotions, making them advantageous to your self care bundle. They’re great in the shower, or in a diffuser but even better as a roll on to relax with throughout the day.
For a revitalising effect I opt for scents like lemongrass known for its ability to relieve tension while boosting energy or peppermint, an invigorating oil that promotes focus. (A perfect pairing to Elliqua’s Refresh Bundle)
For relaxation, the classic lavender is hard to beat. Known for its calming properties, its perfect for unwinding. I also recommend chamomile for reducing stress and sandalwood for something more earthy.
For nourishment and detox tea tree oil and eucalyptus have excellent purifying properties.
Tip 3: Shower Essentials
No hamper is complete without the perfect shower essentials to remind you self-care is self love.
Exfoliating mitts or brushes promote blood circulation and leave you with a silky smooth finish.
My personal favourite - a towel robe, seals the deal when creating the spa experience at home. A plus towel and robe enhance the indulgent experience taking your self-care hamper to the next level.
Elliqua Soap Dish is included in all bundles and is perfect for making sure your soaps stay fresh after each use.
Tip 4: Reflection
Wellness starts in the mind, and it’s important to remember that your personal growth is more than clear skin, working out everyday or having the perfect self care routine.
Self care hampers are a fun way to look after yourself and feel grounded in the chaos of everyday life. If you don’t have the perfect shower routine, or something goes wrong along the way, remember self care doesn’t have to be precise. There’s no pressure to be perfect.
By Brooke.
Bar soap has been around for centuries, yet a lot of myths continue to swirl around this humble hygiene staple. Let’s see if we can bust these myths and misconceptions.
Myth 1: Bar Soaps Are Unsanitary
One of the most persistent myths is that bar soap is less sanitary than liquid soap. The idea is that germs linger on the surface of the soap after each use. However, studies have shown that while bar soap may collect some bacteria, the transfer of these microbes onto your skin is incredibly unlikely.
The act of washing your hands with bar soap creates friction, which lifts and washes away dirt and bacteria. In fact, it’s the process of washing—whether with liquid or bar soap—that’s key to hygiene, not necessarily the medium. Simply store your bar soap in a well-drained dish to prevent it from sitting in water, and you’re good to go!
Myth 2: Liquid Soap is Better For Your Skin
Liquid soaps often advertise added moisturisers, which has led many people to believe they’re better for your skin. However, bar soaps can be just as hydrating if not better for your skin. Those like Elliqua Cleansing Body Bars which are made with natural coconut oils, shea butter and alive vera. If you have sensitive skin, opting for natural, fragrance-free bar soap can even reduce irritation compared to heavily perfumed liquid soaps.
Myth 3: Bar Soap Can Expire
Like most products, bar soap does have a shelf life, but it doesn’t “go bad” in the traditional sense. Over time, bar soap can lose its scent and effectiveness due to exposure to air, but it can still be used. Natural bar soaps, free from preservatives and chemicals, may become dry and brittle after a long period, but a little bit of water can bring them back to life.
Commercial soaps with preservatives may last longer, but they aren’t immune to drying out. Generally, the shelf life of bar soap is about two to three years, but it can vary depending on the ingredients used. If it looks and smells fine, it's likely still usable.
So there you have it - the traditional bar soap might just be the best soap of them all.
By Brooke
The compliment 'You smell amazing' is one of the best you can receive. On the flip side, there's nothing worse than feeling self-conscious about your scent. That’s where scent layering comes in—a simple yet luxurious way to ensure you smell incredible all day.
Scent layering is the art of creating a unique, personalised fragrance by combining multiple scents. As a Coconut + Vanilla lover, I start my routine with the Elliqa No. 2 Cleansing Body Bar, which leaves my skin soft and ready for layering. I love incorporating essential oils into my shower routine, especially calming scents like vanilla and lavender. Throughout the day, I’ll freshen up with my favourite vanilla-based perfumes to keep the warm, sweet fragrance going strong.
Lately, I’ve been obsessed with rose as well. For this, I begin with the No. 0 Unscented Cleansing Body Bar, followed by a rich moisturiser and rose essential oils in my diffuser. My go-to fragrance is Wonderose by Zara, a beautifully sweet rose scent. To stay refreshed, I always carry a roll-on rose essential oil for an instant moment of zen.
By Brooke