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Quite simply we think it 's better for us, our families & the environment.

Over the last 10 years just think about how we have changed the way we live & spend – we have started to recycle, use unleaded fuel & energy saving light bulbs, stopped using plastic bags, become more conscious of our individual ''carbon footprint'' & generally tried to be more ''green''.

As we now care more about what is happening around us, we also think more about what we are consuming ourselves & taking into our own bodies, & this has fuelled the growth in the organic movement.

Awareness of environmental & water pollution created by poisons & pesticides often used in farming has created a demand for organic food, now widely available & increasingly understood.

By buying organic, we are also promoting more ecological farming practices that encourage the protection of the environment.

Organic food & comestibles in general have led the way but we now are starting to see other everyday organic items such as clothing, household goods & toiletries.

Research states that our skin absorbs up to 60% of what is applied to it (think about the whole premise of nicotine patches!) & this means that an average woman can absorb about 2kg of chemicals through her skin each year.

We know that it's time to re-think what we are putting on our skin each day.

But beware.

There are a lot of pretend ''organic'' brands out there, brands with reassuring but misleading descriptions such as ''pure'', ''natural'', ''herbal'' & ''botanical''. In many cases the products contain a cocktail of synthetic colouring, scents, preservatives, stabilisers & detergents, and in some cases products described as ''organic'' contain only one or two organic ingredients in very small quantities.

This uncontrolled situation is frustrating for us & confusing for you but, on a positive note, it has resulted in growing interest & support for the genuine organic movement.