That’s why beauty and personal-care products can make particularly good gifts, especially when there’s an ethical story behind them.
One brand worth considering this Christmas is Belula, whose range includes hairbrushes and beauty accessories designed to turn an everyday grooming routine into something rather more luxurious.
Of particular interest are Belula’s 100% soft boar bristle brushes.
A traditional approach to hair care
Natural boar bristle brushes have been used for generations. Rather than simply pulling through the hair, the closely packed natural bristles help distribute the scalp’s natural oils along the hair, while providing a gentle brushing experience.
Belula says the boar bristles used for its brushes are ethically sourced, an important consideration for shoppers who want to know more about the origins of animal-derived materials used in the products they buy. The boars are sheared, rather like sheep are sheared for their wool.
The result is a traditional grooming product that feels rather special, exactly the sort of thing that can work well as a Christmas present for someone who enjoys beauty, hair care or a little everyday pampering.
And unlike many novelty Christmas gifts, a good-quality hairbrush is something that can continue being used long after the decorations have returned to the loft.
Buy a brush, plant a tree
There’s another element of the Belula story which caught our attention at That’s Christmas 365: the company plants a tree for every brush sold.
We rather like that idea.
Christmas inevitably involves a great deal of consumption, packaging and gift buying, so initiatives which put something back into the environment are welcome. Planting a tree doesn't remove the environmental impact of manufacturing and delivering a product, of course, but it does add a positive dimension to a purchase.
It also makes the brush an interesting gift to give. You aren't simply handing someone a beauty accessory on Christmas morning, their present is also associated with a newly planted tree somewhere in the world.
A gift that doesn't have to be complicated
Christmas presents don't necessarily need flashing lights, batteries or complicated technology.
Sometimes a beautifully made version of an everyday object can be a much more satisfying present.
A Belula boar bristle brush could be teamed with some favourite shampoo, conditioner or other beauty products to create a personalised hair-care hamper. Add a ribbon, perhaps a few chocolates, and you've got a thoughtful Christmas gift without resorting to another generic gift set.
For someone who appreciates traditional beauty products and would also welcome the tree-planting commitment behind their present, Belula could be well worth putting on the Christmas shopping list this year.
And here at That’s Christmas 365, we think there’s something rather appropriately Christmassy about giving someone a present while helping another tree to take root.
My wife's Belula tree is already ready for planting, which was the inspiration for this post.