It’s about time I did a product review on one of my favourite body products, Banalasta. I’ve been using their moisturisers for years. Banalasta is Australian owned and grown, uses natural ingredients, is not tested on animals and has been really great for my skin.

Because my skin is so sensitive to breakouts, I’m very careful about what I put on it.  I have quite dry skin on my face, but I still find a lot of moisturisers can make my skin oily and shiny and clog my pores. I also wouldn’t touch any of the products you’d find in a grocery store because where I live, ALL of the products in large grocery stores are packed full of chemicals. There’s no way I’m putting chemicals on my face, near my eyes and my brain and well …just onto my body really.

I discovered Banalasta through my sister, Gill, who found it looking for products that are natural and not tested on animals. Our favourite Banalasta product is the ‘hydrating day cream’ because it includes Eucalyptus Oil (grown on the Banalasta farm!). The Eucalyptus keeps our skin under control because the oil is anti-bacterial.

I’ve probably been using this product on and off for three or four years now. There’s been many occasions that I’ve run out of my Banalasta and forgotten to order more, so I’ve had to try another natural moisturiser. I’m yet to find one that’s as good, so I keep going back to it.

There’s a hydrating night cream as well as the day cream. I always have both on hand but I prefer the day cream because the shea butter in the night cream is a bit heavy and can cause me to break out if I use it over long periods of time. Gill finds she needs to use the night cream when she’s at work because the air conditioning really dries her skin out a lot.

Where to find Banalasta:
You can only purchase Banalasta through their website or via mail order. They sell directly from the farm but that’s only good for those of you lucky enough to live close by. I’ve found their service is always fantastic and the staff are really friendly. The last couple of times I purchased products from them, they gave me an extra product for free.

If you visit their website you’ll find they have a huge range or products. I haven’t tried their premium range of skin care because the ingredients don’t seem as natural as their regular skin care range. I might get out my Chemical Maze book and look up all the ingredients some time just to check. The words ‘Premium Range’ sound much more luxurious!

Frances Kerr
http://www.highonhealth.org/product-review-banalasta/#comments

The Geographic Indicator (GI) for the New England wine region has been ratified. Up until this date, the New England tablelands wine growing area was never official recignised.

In a recent media release issued by the Southern New England Vignerons Association, 25 January 2008, the GI for this region has now be recognised as ‘New England Australia’. The registration process has been 3 years in the making and has been officially registered. The GI committee, Wine and Brandy Corporation has informed industry bodies within Australia and overseas.

An official GI launch at Parliament House, Sydney and a local launch in Armidale is expected to take place in April/May 2008.

New England Australia GI is the newest wine growing region of Australia, spanning 27,000 square kilometers and home to 42 vineyards which range in size from a few acres to over 100.

A recent comment by James Halliday, Chairman of Judges for the 2007 New England Wine Show highlighted that “there is no other region which has come on stream with so much to offer as New England. Variations in altitude, aspect, degree of slope, and soil type give vignerons a wide choice of variety and wine style”.

Halliday’s comment supports the awards won at the 2007 New England Wine Show from many of the local wineries. Blickling Estate was successful in collecting two gold medals, two bronze medals and a trophy from the six wines entered.

Blickling Estate has been a consistent winner at many of the local wine shows, producing six varieties of red and white wines, including true bubbly riesling and pinot noir. Wines are sold separately at the Blickling Estate cellar door, online by the carton or mixed dozen or in various restaurants and liquor stores.

Purchase Australian grown, harvested and bottled wines. Our high altitude, good quality, cool climate wine selection will surprise even the most discerning drinker!

Blickling Estate offers you more than just a vineyard hopping experience!