Editor's Picks: “The four feel-good beauty buys that are doing wonders for my wellbeing.”

Reduced stress. Skyrocketing happiness levels. A long life. Uh huh, the act of giving has some glowing health benefits.

Sure, it can come in the form of anything from brightening a colleague’s day to giving up your seat for someone on the bus. But let’s not forget about the type of giving I’m well acquainted with; purchasing beauty products from brands that are committed to making a difference in the world, or that impact the environment we live in positively.

The wonderful by-product of my philanthropy? I look and feel better myself. Just call me Mother Theresa. These are the guilt-free purchases I’m loving right now.

1. The Body Shop’s British Rose Instant Glow Body Butter, $24.95

I’ve long been a fan of The Body Shop’s body butters (the Shea Body Butter was applied religiously to my limbs as a teenager), but this British Rose Instant Glow offering is next level. It absorbs quickly and while nourishing, it certainly doesn’t leave that heavy, greasy feeling other moisturisers can.

I’m a true believer in aromatherapy and the power of smells to lift your mood. This stuff? It’s like slathering on the lotion-equivalent of a bubble bath with a glass of merlot in hand. The smell of roses is calming and I’ve taken to massaging it into my hands and forearms during the day for a boost.

The power of aromatherapy. Image: supplied.

The feel good factor:
In a win for the environment, The Body Shop grows its own delicious roses on a biodynamic farm in Herefordshire England. The roses and farm are 100 per cent organic and each petal is picked at dawn and infused with mountain water immediately to create pure rose essence - sounds like magic, no? Plus they were the first international brand ever to receive the Humane Cosmetics Standard award for their stance against animal testing. And that was 20 years ago. Needless to say, it’s also vegan. Doesn’t that just leave you with the warm and fuzzies?

2. Kester Black Nail Polish in Soot, $20

My colleague Lizzie got me onto this good stuff. Kester Black polishes come in some truly delightful pops of colour (Soot is fabulous for those of you feeling the autumn vibes). The best bit is, it’s chip-resistant and has a “Five Free Formula” (try saying that quickly three times) meaning it’s free from Camphor, Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, Toluene and DBP (also known as phthalates).

Chip-resistant and no animal testing. Image via Kester Black.

The feel good factor:
Vegan friendly? Tick. Doesn’t test on animals? Tick. Made using sustainable production methods and recyclable materials? Tick.

3. MAC Viva Glam Lipstick in Viva Glam V, $36

These days, I’m all about a pretty hue that doesn’t deviate too much from my natural lip colour (after all, who has time for continuous touch ups?). This lustrous dusty pink colour gives my lips a polished look, without being over the top. Win.

Doesn't deviate (too much). Image via MAC Cosmetics.

The feel good factor:
The Viva Glam range raises money for HIV research and assistance. Let’s put it this way - one tube of this good stuff can pay for 254 condoms to prevent transmission, crisis counselling to one person or fresh fruit or vegetables or grocery essentials to a mother and child affected by HIV for a full week.

4. Grown Alchemist Sweet Orange, Cedarwood and Sage hand wash, $26.95

Trust me, it’s not every day I rave about a bloody hand wash, but once you try this deliciously scented variety, going back to your generic supermarket pump pack will feel like some cruel form of torture. Two words: Sweet. Orange.

One to rave about. Image via The Grown Alchemist.

The feel good factor:
Even the packaging this product comes in is free of many icky chemicals and is Australian Certified Organic. Oh, and as you can probably guess, it’s animal cruelty-free.

5. Lanolips 101 Ointment Multipurpose Superbalm, $17.95

Confession: I’ve had a tube of this on my bedside table for around two years now. I have no idea if it’s way past its use-by-date and I don’t care because it works wonders. While I might wake up every morning with a mouth that’s as dry as the Sahara, at least my lips are moisturised thanks to this stuff. And it’s not just brilliantly nourishing for your pout; dry elbows, heels and cuticles can benefit from this moisturising balm.

Brilliantly moisturising. Image via Priceline.

The feel good factor:
Have you noticed how the ingredients lists of many beauty brands read like a foreign language? Lanolips only contain a few ingredients and you actually know what all of them are. My point? It’s not chemical-laden, more specifically, it contains no parabens, petrolatum, mineral oil or sulfates and is a natural substance found on the wool of sheep that helps to keep their coats protected (and it’s cruelty-free too before you go worrying about the sweet little sheep).

What’s your go-to ethical beauty buy?