Old Croghan Man Was Onto Something: Expect to See a Lot More From Ogra in 2012

When Old Croghan Man and his bog buddies were resurrected from their watery resting places one thing was clear - they looked pretty darn good for having been buried under a pile of peat since the Iron Age. Ok, so their skeletons had disintegrated and they were the colour of chocolate - small points, I am sure you will agree - but most importantly, MOST IMPORTANTLY LADIES, bog bodies' skin is really well preserved.

And there's an anti-ageing lesson in that.

Ogra's an Irish brand that's been doing the rounds for a few years now - we've looked at it before too - and it's recently been fabulised up a bit with new packaging as it prepares for expansion in the Irish market and abroad. As one of about two indigenous skincare ingredients we can lay a boast to along with seaweed, peat's an interesting study.

Particularly good for sensitive and eczema-prone skin because peat is odourless, hypoallergenic and antiseptic, the Irish blanket bogs are pretty unique environments, and are a sort of post-primordial skincare cocktail packed full of lipids, fatty acids and beneficial minerals. One of the biggest components of peat is sphagnum moss, a well-known moisture-retaining plant, and peat carries this ability too.

Ogra have used the raw ingredient from its own location in Co Offaly as simply as they can in its small range of products which started off with a peat mask, the Ogra 100% Peat Face and Body Mask, €30, and which has now expanded to include a cleanser, €19, toner, €19, exfoliant, €28, moisturiser, €30, and anti-ageing moisturiser, €35.  There's also an eye cream which is currently on offer as a gift with purchase and more products are being added this year.

In terms of what the products do, while they're not cheap, they're designed to care for skin in fuss-free manner, especially those skintypes that may have issues with other products.  Peat is at the core of everything, supported by simple formulations and trusted ingredients like coconut and avocado oils and vitamin E and C.

Peat has the ability, the brand says, to stimulate the blood flow - you may feel a tingling sensation when you apply the mask in particular - and that's important for cell renewal and the stimulation of collagen and elastin production, both of which are what keep skin looking young and plump.

So - is everything poo brown and smelly? Nope! The mask is a daunting prospect because it is basically liquid peat, but it's completely smell-free.  The facial moisturisers are regular in appearance and texture, as above, with a light scent; toner and cleanser the same.

Buy online from www.ograskincare.com or call 01 833 1636 for stockists near you.