Shea Mooti use Shea butter in all their products; an emollient that, in its pure form, is unsurpassed in maintaining and protecting delicate skin. Their shea butter is ethically sourced from AfriKids' Daughters, a multi-cooperative in rural northern Ghana. This self-titled women's collective has been empowered by local charity, AfriKids, to secure a bright future for their families through dignified income generation.

Shea Mooti has just launched its new range of natural and ethically sourced skincare designed for mothers-to-be and their precious bundles. The range includes stretch mark oil, body balm, foot cream and organic soaps. Shea Mooti products contain no artificial ingredients and are lovingly prepared using only pure, botanical oils and butters hand picked for their quality and beneficial skin care properties.

Shea Mooti founder Violet Reid said:

"We are extremely excited to have created a brand for mamas and mamas to be that we can confidently say is made from ethically sourced ingredients that are natural, pure and of the highest quality. Shea Mooti products will provide you with the best possible result - naturally gorgeous, pampered skin for you and your beautiful baby!"

The Shea Mooti 'Mama to Be' product range includes:

Mama's Everything Body Balm - the most versatile product in the range. Our nutritious balm can be used to soothe and moisturise the bump, bottom, udders, lips, knees and even heels.

Mama's Belly Rub Stretch Mark Oil - for those super stretching months to come.

Mama's Soothing Leg and Foot Cream - therapy for those hard working legs carrying a heavy load.

Handcrafted Organic Soap - made with Fair Trade oils and ethically sourced Shea Butter to enrich and soften skin.

Looking to the future, Violet hopes to expand her ethical skincare range, introducing a wider choice of baby products with the aim of continuing the special journey travelled by a mother and her baby.

Violet explains:

"The idea of making natural skincare was conceived after the birth of my son Alex (who is now 5 years old). He had very dry skin, cradle cap and was prone to eczema. Like all good mothers, and having a nursing background, I hurried to have him examined by the doctor who prescribed steroid creams and treatment shampoos that contained harsh chemicals designed to ease the discomfort. I later realised the condition would be ongoing and the creams would offer only temporary relief. I tried using many other 'organic and natural' labelled baby skin products on the market but they only exacerbated his poor skin condition. So the journey in search of a solution began."

"I realised that the only way to be certain that the creams and body wash I was using on my baby were natural, pure and did not contain anything nasty was to make them myself. After intensive research I enrolled into a natural soap making course and later a course on making creams and potions. I was totally addicted! The one most important ingredient I discovered along the way was Shea Butter."

"This emollient in its pure form is unsurpassed by any other in maintaining and protecting delicate skin. I added Shea butter to all my formulations, which of course included the purest natural oils and ingredients, to ensure optimum efficacy - which equalled great skin. There was a marked improvement to my son's skin and by then I was expecting my second baby so I decided to make some oils and body butters for me and the new arrival."

Designed to deeply hydrate your skin while you sleep, the Avocado Pear Nourishing Night Cream with exotic aromatics of sandalwood and ylang ylang restores life to skin overnight.

The new formulation of Avocado Pear Nourishing Night Cream is clinically shown to enhance the production of collagen that gives skin strength and elasticity. The high-performance night treatment with selected premium plant oils and antioxidants stimulates synthesis of collagen production in human fibroblast skin cells by up to an impressive 92 percent.

It contains healing marigold to help bring a truly ageless visage, and Vinanza Grape ® which helps neutralise the free radical damage that can lead to premature aging. This revolutionary ingredient, used for the first time in the world in skincare by Antipodes®, is a potent antioxidant extract from Marlborough sauvignon blanc grapeseeds.

The scientific results prove the anecdotal feedback from women about the skin-enhancing properties of the new formulation. They report textural improvements, improved hydration and reduced appearance of wrinkles at an epidermal level.

The independent laboratory Trinity Bioactives Ltd used blind study clinical testing to examine the production of collagen on human skin fibroblasts in culture. This third-party laboratory in-vitro analysis is more sophisticated and less subjective testing than that used by other beauty brands

The impressive results showed that type 1 synthesis of collagen was stimulated by 92 percent, just 48 hours later. Once applied, the rich cream is absorbed into the dermal layer, which contains the fibroblast cells. Because it takes at least 24 to 48 hours to activate collagen synthesis, the best results come from using Avocado Pear Nourishing Night Cream cumulatively.

Apply at sunset by caressing into the face, neck and cleavage after cleansing and toning. It should be used night after night for ultimate revitalization, and is suitable for most skin types

RRP £29.95

Switching to a fragrance-free and very gentle range is a must to help skin recover its natural balance, and remove skin sensitivities and irritation. Purity Organic Skincare's intelligent formulations act as the perfect antidote to skin overload.
Three steps to Perfect Skin to repair, hydrate and protect:
1. Buff the rough
Facial Exfoliator 100ml, £5.99 98% natural; 89% organic

• Rounded, ground coconut shells gently achieve deep pore cleansing removing dead skin cells
• The skin is restored with Coconut Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Glycerine and Aloe Vera to leave your skin cleaner, softer and brighter

2. Cleanse and make amends
Conditioning Cleansing Lotion, 150ml, £4.99 98% natural; 83% organic

• Sweet Almond Oil, Aloe Vera and Glycerine condition the skin and remove the days grime and make up
• Oats condition and restore the skin with goodness
• Amino Acids help the skin to absorb moisture
• Avocado Oil, Euphrasia and Rose water soften and tone dry and damaged skin

3. Now you need to feed
Facial Moisturiser 50ml £7.99 98% natural; 75% organic o Coconut Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Shea Butter, and antioxidant Vitamin E to help condition the skin

• Added Beeswax soothes, softens and provides the skin with all day protection Regenerating Overnight Moisturiser, 50ml 7.99 98% natural; 76% organic
• Sweet Almond Oil, Beeswax and Aloe Vera soften and protect the skin o Ceramide 3 reinforces the moisture barrier of the skin; improving long term moisturisation, protecting against sustained daytime environmental damage.
• Added Vitamin E improves the health of the skin, leaving it restored, regenerated and ready to face another day

Fans of the range include Lizzie Jagger and Rachel Weisz, celebrity make-up artist Judy Chin says it works perfectly for Sarah Jessica Parker and Jennifer Connolly too. Priced from just £4.99 to £8.99, the range is available in 400 Superdrug stores and online.

Not everyone can afford the prices of high-end cosmetic lines. And there are many who do not want to spend a lot of money on cosmetics, either. There are several brands that offer great, more inexpensive alternatives for your cosmetic hauls.

This is a short list to help direct price-conscious consumers to cost effective products that actually work. Many more drugstore cosmetic lines are coming out with products that are made to rival higher-end items. Scrimping on price does not have to mean scrimping on quality, as these top ten beauty essentials prove.

1. Moisturiser

Avoid the brand names and go for Boots' own body and face moisturisers with self-tan, which give a lovely subtle glow. And these are impossible to mess up, even for the most amateur of self-tanners.

Boots Holiday Glow Body Lotion Light, from £2.50, www.boots.com

2. Sun cream

Sunscreen should always be worn on the face, even in the winter months, but is particularly necessary as UV rays get stronger during the summer. Put it on instead or as well as moisturiser, protect yourself from skin cancer, and ward off those wrinkles.

Tesco Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Spf15 Lotion 250Ml , from £2.99, www.tesco.com

3. Deodorant

You’d be hard pushed to spend very much money on a deodorant, but if times are particularly hard, go for Tesco’s own brand version of the well-known brands. Just as effective, and more than half of the price.

Tesco Tia Aqua 24 Hour Roll On, from 89p, www.tesco.com

4. Face cream

Don't waste your money on overpriced ‘miracle’ creams, since a) they probably won’t make the blindest bit of difference and b) you’re far too young for wrinkles anyway. This range has face creams for all types of skin, which are just as good as the pricier ranges.

Boots expert face creams, from £2.99, www.boots.com

5. Lip balm

There's no point spending lots of money on an everyday balm, as the cheaper ones are just as effective. Lip balm should be worn all the time, even under lipstick. Carmex is particularly good as it contains petrolatum and beeswax, which are particularly good moisturisers, and cetyl esters, a natural skin moisturiser. The menthol within the balm also leaves your lips with a wonderful tingly feeling.

Carmex lip balm, £2.49 for 10g, www.boots.com

6. Shampoo & Conditioner

Hair in ideal condition should stretch by roughly one third before it breaks. Contrary to popular belief, dry hair is the result of a lack of moisture, not a lack of natural oils, hence the need for re-moisturising products. It is essential to choose a product for your particular type of dry hair – be it fine and dry, thick and coarse, frizzy, or straight and dry.

Sunsilk shampoos and conditioners, 99 p each, www.chemistonline.co.uk

7. Foundation

The classic cover up, Rimmel is cheap, effective, and comes in 11 different shades. When the weather gets hotter, it may be wise to exchange your usual foundation for something lighter, with an SPF.

Rimmel lasting finish foundation, £4.99, www.boots.com

8. Eyeliner

Whereas cheaper eyeliners are often a false economy, as they rub off easily, these eyeliners have great sticking power. Choose from kohl, liquid or smudgable crayons, in quirky colours. Their eyeshadows are also particularly good, and come in as many colours as MAC, for a fraction of the price.

Barry M eyeliners, from £2.95, www.barrym.co.uk

9. Mascara

There’s a reason why one of these mascaras is sold every 5 seconds – it’s absolutely fantastic. As a self-confessed mascara fiend, I have shunned the more expensive brands, and have found nothing better than this. It lengthens, plumps, layers, doesn’t clog, and generally ticks all my eyelash boxes. The waterproof version is also very good for avoiding panda eyes.

Max Factor Masterpiece Mascara, from £8.99, www.boots.com

10. Concealer

This is a very good version of the iconic YSL Touche Éclat. Not that we’re suggesting that a student would ever have a hangover, but if, perchance, you did, paint a bit of this under the eyes, dust a light smattering of blusher over your face, and no-one would ever know that last night involved several bars and very little sleep.

Collection 2000 Illuminating Touch Light Diffusing Concealer Pen, from £4.99, www.boots.com

11. Blusher/bronzer

Whichever look you go for, be it an English rose with a dab of blusher, or the ‘I just spent the weekend in St Tropez’ with bronzer, it is essential to pick one which looks natural. This powder comes in different shades of blusher and bronzer, and won't clog up your skin.

Revlon bronzer/blusher, from £7.49, www.boots.com