Working at thebestof Heanor and Ripley has many benefits, but one particular benefit that we enjoyed recently was the chance to test out some of the products from the Forever Living range.  We were given a boxful of goodies to try for a few days, provided by Dan Vowles, who is a registered distributor for the popular products.

For those who don't know or haven't heard of the company, Forever Living specialise in health products based on the use of Aloe Vera. The range includes skin and face creams, shampoos, conditioners, cosmetics, healing lotions and even nutritional drinks and aloe 'shots'.

We tested out the skin care range, with a cleanser, toner and moisturiser, as well as some of the cosmetics and the moisturising creams. Our favourites were definitely the skin care products.

The cleanser leaves you feeling squeaky clean and refreshed, and the toner helps keep your face and pores smooth.  But best of all was the nourishing moisturiser and the balancing cream.  Both go on so easily and are absorbed quickly, leaving no oily residue, just beautifully smooth and hydrated skin.

The moisturising creams were also a great find.  Again, not at all oily, but really great at making your skin feel fresh and supple. There are even different creams with progressively stronger levels of Aloe for deeper moisturisation and effect.  And if you have a sporting injury, the Forever Living version of Deep Heat is fantastic, with seemingly faster acting and more effective ingredients.

On balance, we found that the cosmetics didn't really suit our colouring or skin tones, but for others we can see how they'd be perfect.  And of course, non of the products are tested on animals or contain any unnecessary preservatives or chemicals.

Prices for the products are very reasonable, with a 200ml facial moisturiser that would easily last a few months costing just xx, and the shampoos just xx.

But don't take our word for it. Get in touch with Dan, or any of the other local distributors, who will be more than happy to show you the whole range and explain all of the benefits of Aloe on your health. We might have only tried a limited range, but we're totally convinced that these products are definitely worth it...