'How To Have a Good Christmas' Week 1: The Ethical Secret Santa

If Santa Were a Hippie: Presenting the first in 4 of our ‘Good Christmas’ series, exploring greener, more ethical, thoughtful and purposeful ways to enjoy the festive season every year.

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It’s reaching the end of 2019, which means you’ll imminently be receiving a celebratory message from the boss, and forced into engaging in the annual custom of purchasing a few tacky Secret Santa gifts as a team bonding exercise.

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When done right, the art of the Secret Santa act can in fact offer sentiments that carry on into the New Year. Whether you’re looking for a stocking filler, a little ‘just because’, or feel generously obliged, here are our Top 15 under £15, for the ethical, vegan, eco-friendly market.

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1. ‘Divine & Handmade’ Himalayan Bath Salts £7.50

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The end of the year offers the prospect of a welcome break but the busy run-up to the season can leave many feeling a little frazzled and burned out. Himalayan salts are high in minerals like Magnesium which is actually best absorbed through the skin. A little bottle makes it easy to create a home spa experience and these 100% natural vegan salts have added avocado oil to gently nourish the skin.

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2. ‘Zero Waste’ Cutlery Pouch £14.50

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A perfect present for the eco warrior in your life. A cutlery pouch is a great way to reduce the amount of disposable plastic by encouraging you to bring your own. You can also purchase an additional bamboo cutlery set, each product is handmade in the UK and comes in a variety of patterns.

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3. ‘Smoke and Ash’ Rope Charm Bracelet £12.50

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Charming charm bracelets handmade in England with a variety of totems to choose from. The cord is made with organic cotton and the charms use recycled eco silver, a green alternative to newly mined metals.

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4. ‘Life’ Bamboo Toothbrush £2.95 for one or £9.97 for 4

With over 99% of toothbrushes in the world being made of plastic, the need for alternatives is key to reducing the amount that ends up in our landfills and oceans. These Bamboo toothbrushes are biodegradable and made from 100% FSC certified sustainably grown bamboo.

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5. ‘Your Nature’ Natural Deoderant Stick £7.95

An alternative to aluminium-packed aerosols, this all natural lavender and bergamot deodorant stick is handmade in Bristol and packed in biodegradale kraft paper. Each zero-waste product works with your body to absorb moisture and keep bacteria from producing undesirable odour.

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6. The ‘Ellie Good Illustration’:  ‘I’m With Greta’ Tote £10.99

Get your climate strike on with this unisex, sustainable ‘I’m with Greta’ tote. For every one sold, 50p is donated to an environmental charity.

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7. ‘Lovely Soap Company’ naturally scented tea lights. £6.00

A pack of 3 long burning, aromatherapy tea light candles in recycled glass containers – made with pure plant wax and scented with essential oils. These are organic, free from petrochemicals and not tested on animals.

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8. ‘Yūgenial’ de-stress CBD head roller £14.70

Get 40% off your first order on this natural, sustainable CBD brand using code INTRO at checkout. Yūgenial is a UK-based company that uses high-grade CBD oils and donates a portion of proceeds to furthering drug research into mental health.

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9. ‘Paper Plane’ 100% natural vegan charcoal soap £5.95

Literally give the gift of a lump of charcoal this Christmas, with the added benefit of it being incredible for your skin. These bars from Paper Plane are made with 100% natural soap spiked with activated charcoal – famous for its wonderful toxin-absorbing properties.

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10. ‘Wild Glitter’ biodegradable glitter £3.95

Roll yourself in it, wear it to work – these glitters are made of regenerated cellulose and Glycerin from plants.

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11. ‘Bain & Savon’ organic nourishing facial steam £9.50

All-natural, vegan, zero-waste packaging, unusual and innovative – this ticks all the boxes. A herbal facial steam is a great way to unwind and cleanse tricky skin types. Also makes an excellent bath addition.

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12. ‘By Law’ up-cycled leather bird design earphone cord cable organiser key chain £15.00

Functional and stylish, keep your earphones tangle free with these limited edition key chains. Each one is handcut and handmade in a London studio using leather scraps that would normally be classed as wasteage and thrown away in the fashion or bag industry.

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13. ‘Seedball’ Poppy Wildflower Seed Balls £5.99

Containing 2000 seeds per tin, common poppy is a beautiful addition to gardens and balconies alike. These tins are Flora Locale accredited, simple to use for any enthusiast and created by conservation scientists.

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14. ‘UpCircle’ Organic face serum with coffee oil £14.99

Reused, repurposed and re-loved! This nourishing serum is made with coffee oil extracted from used grounds. A hydrating serum infused with jojoba, sea buckthorn and rosehip oils, use morning and night to boost collagen and keep skin firm.

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15. ‘FairyPants’ Coconut and Lemongrass Perfume £15.99

Ok so this one was £1 over budget however for that special someone in your life we couldn’t resist including this 30ml vegan and cruelty free parfum, handmade in Cheshire. Synthetic scents don’t compare to natural blends like this zesty mix of coconut, pineapple and lemongrass with notes of lilly of the valley and peach to temper the citrus.

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