The Lowdown on Colloidal Oatmeal

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blend, Calming, collagen, colloidal, Colloidal Oatmeal, complex, dermalogica, Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant, Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF50, Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Retinol Serum, Dermalogica Super Rich Repair, elasticity, enzymes, fine lines, hydration, inflammation, irritation, Oatmeal, product, protection, redness, retinoid, serum, skin, soothing, SPF, SPF50, sun, wrinkles

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There are often ingredients in products which sound hugely complex and scientific, but are actually a lot more simple than you think. One such ingredient is “colloidal oatmeal”, which you could be forgiven for thinking was from another planet. However, colloidal oatmeal is simply made by grinding oat grain, or avena sativa, into a fine powder. 

It’s considered an emollient, a substance that softens or soothes the skin, because it contains high levels of fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients shown to benefit the skin. Colloidal oatmeal is used to treat the symptoms of many conditions, including eczema. 

Dermalogica is a brand which has harnessed the power of colloidal oatmeal in several of its products, and we’ve gathered them here to show you what they can do:

Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF50

This multi-functional product from Dermalogica not only gives you broad-spectrum SPF50 sun protection, but it also helps you achieve absolute hydration and help defend against the internal and external causes of skin ageing. Colloidal oatmeal and chrysanthemum parthenium (feverfew) extract calms irritated skin, while yeast extract stimulates wound healing and collagen formation while increasing oxygen utilisation in cells. It can be used as your daily moisturiser for year round protection against sun damage and free radicals.

Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Retinol Serum 

Another product which performs many functions at once, this powerhouse serum from Dermalogica contains a 3.5% retinoid complex which provides a continual release of skin smoothing actives, working at different speeds to address the signs of skin ageing. Colloidal oatmeal is combined with zinc oxide to soothe the skin while providing anti-itch relief to chronically dry skin while palmitoyl tetrapeptide-3 and palmitoyl oligopeptide help to improve skin elasticity and tone while fighting the appearance of fine lines.

Dermalogica Super Rich Repair

This super rich moisturiser delivers immediate benefits to chronically dry, dehydrated and prematurely-ageing skin in a super-concentrated, heavy-weight cream. As well as soothing colloidal oatmeal, the formula includes powerful peptides that stimulate collagen production while an acid-free renewal complex smoothes fine lines for dramatically improved elasticity and tone. Ultra-emollient shea butter and oil of evening primrose replenish skin with maximum hydration, relieving dryness and reinforcing skin’s natural defensive barrier. 

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant

The final colloidal oatmeal-rich product on our list is Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant, a unique, rice-based enzyme powder that activates upon contact with water, releasing papain, salicylic acid and rice enzymes to smooth the skin and accelerate cell renewal.  It contains a super-soothing blend of green tea, ginkgo and colloidal oatmeal which calms inflammation, leaving the skin extraordinarily clear and refreshed. Furthermore, Dermalogica’s unique skin brightening complex of bearberry, aspergillus, grapefruit and licorice helps to balance uneven skin pigmentation.

How to Perfect Your Problematic Pores

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AHAs, antioxidants, blackheads, blemishes, botanical, clarity, cleansing, collagen, corn granules, cruelty free, cucumber extract, dead skin, debris, decongest, elastin, enlarged, essential oils, excess oil, folk medicine, geranium, green tea, kaolin clay, lavender oil, lightweight, Matricaria flower extract, minimising, natural, natural clay, oil production, petitgrain, Pore, pores, reduce shine, skin cells, soothing, spearmint, spirulina extract, tighten, Vegan, visible, Witchhazel

Photo by MART PRODUCTION

In this modern age of blurring primers and photo filters, it’s easy to believe that the people you see online have skin which is completely devoid of pores. Therefore it’s no surprise that research has shown that almost HALF of women wish they could change the size of their pores. As your pore size is mostly a result of your genetics, you can’t permanently shrink them. However, you can minimise their appearance by keeping them clear of oil and debris and boosting your skin’s collagen and elastin. With this in mind, here are five products which will help you to achieve the pores of your dreams:

REN Clean Skincare Clarimatte Invisible Pores Detox Mask

As the name so expertly suggests, this thick, clay-based mask helps to detox the skin and make your pores less visible. Using purifying clay, it helps to draw out impurities, leaving skin deeply clean and hydrated, with a smoother and more refined texture. The vegan, cruelty free formula contains kaolin clay to absorb excess oil, spirulina extract which nourishes the skin and lavender oil for a fragrant and refreshing finish. 

Aromatherapy Associates Mattifying Purifying Facial Scrub

Skin which is oily often seems to go hand in hand with more visible pores, which is why Aromatherapy Associates created this mattifying, purifying facial scrub. It is designed to draw out and eliminate dead skin-clogging cells, using corn granules to gently buff away unwanted cells while natural clay draws impurities from deeper within pores. It also contains rebalancing essential oils of geranium and petitgrain to tighten and reduce shine, making it ideal for over-oily or combination skin. 

Dermalogica Micro Pore Mist

When it comes to minimising the appearance of pores, niacinamide is a hero. By controlling and lowering sebum, niacinamide prevents pores from getting caught with excess oil and dirt, thereby preventing them from stretching, and invariably leading to smaller pores, and that’s what you’ll find in this mist from Dermalogica. In addition, you’ll find cucumber extract, which refreshes the senses for a cool pick-me-up, as well as witch hazel, green tea and matricaria flower extracts, which all provide antioxidant benefits. 

Elemis Clarifying Serum

If your skin is prone to blemishes and blackheads, visible pores are often right there alongside them. Elemis Clarifying Serum is a lightweight, soothing serum clinically proven to reduce the appearance of blemishes, visible pores and blackheads in just 2 weeks. The magic ingredient here is boldo leaf extract, which has been used worldwide in folk medicine to help purify the skin. This botanical ingredient has been shown to visibly improve the appearance of pores and helps improve skin clarity for more even looking skin.

Medik8 Pore Minimising Tonic

The final product on our list, but by NO means the least effective, does exactly what it says on the bottle! Medik8 Pore Minimising Tonic is a purifying post-cleanse solution that works to keep pores clear and minimised over time. It utilises AHAs to control oil production and decongest the skin, allowing pores to shrink back to their original size. With a natural spearmint fragrance, the twice-daily tonic is a long-lasting solution to enlarged pores, leaving your skin looking smoother and more refined.

Protect Your Skin from Saharan Sands

Photo by gracie shafqat on Unsplash 

Have you noticed your car looking much dustier than normal, recently? Or the signs in the supermarket advising you to double wash your fruit and veg? This is all because of the Saharan sands which have been blowing over the UK and settling on everything, making them extra dirty. This also means that there’s a good chance that the Saharan sands could be settling on our skin and causing problems with our complexions. With this in mind, we’ve curated a list of five deep cleansing products to help you to rid your skin of any environmental interference. 

Evolve Organic Beauty Deep Clean Micellar Water

This deep cleansing micellar water from Evolve Organic Beauty uses micellar molecules to gently lift and remove makeup and impurities without irritation. It contains moringa peptides to help remove micro particles of pollution from skin, and hyaluronic acid to lock moisture into the skin and increase the production of collagen. It’s the perfect product for ridding your skin of saharan dust particles and will help to keep it hydrated at the same time. 

Aromatherapy Associates Mattifying Deep Cleanse Face Wash

If you suffer from oily skin, finding something to properly cleanse without stripping your skin can be tricky. This face wash from Aromatherapy Associates has been specially formulated to deeply cleanse oily or combination skin and will remove makeup and daily pollutants to leave skin feeling balanced, toned and deeply cleansed. It’s vegan and nut free and contains lavender, tea tree and jojoba oil for antibacterial effects with a gentle, natural fragrance. 

Elemis Deep Cleanse Facial Wash

Never ones to leave the fellas behind, this facial wash from Elemis is designed to specifically tackle the challenges that male skin faces. It can be used on a daily basis without irritating the skin and contains oak bark, spearmint and peppermint in a unique milk protein base, helps to remove impurities, decongest the skin and prevent ingrown hairs. It removes daily pollution and decongests the skin without removing essential moisture. 

Dermalogica Precleanse

One surefire way to ensure you’ve deeply cleansed your skin is to use a pre-cleanse product, and this one from Dermalogica is the one that professionals swear by. It’s suitable for all skin types and will help achieve an ultra clean and healthy skin working with your daily cleanser. It’s designed to thoroughly melt layers of excess sebum, sunscreen, waterproof make-up, environmental pollutants and residual skin products that build-up during the day, making it the ideal ally against saharan dust. 

Medik8 Surface Radiance Cleanse

Medik8 have combined an exfoliating AHA/BHA complex of mandelic, lactic and salicylic acid as well as glycerin for a pore refining, deep cleanse in this Surface Radiance cleanser. It provides gentle exfoliation to help to smooth the skin’s surface while mangosteen and raspberry extracts  provide natural antioxidant protection and increase skin barrier function to thoroughly remove impurities and decongest the skin. 

Everyday Sunscreens for Every Skin Type

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ageing, Aloe Vera, board protection, botanical, broad spectrum, cloudy, coconut, daily, defend, delicate, discolouration, dry, environmental, exacerbate, harmful rays, hydration, hyperpigmentation, inflammation, Jojoba oil, make up, matte, normal, nourish, nourished for more hydrated, oily, protection, rays, sesame oil, shine reducing, SPF, spot prone, stress, sun, sun damage, sun exposure, sunscreen, thinner, UVA, UVB, wrinkles

Photo by RF._.studio from Pexels

Although keeping your skin clean and hydrated is always going to be important, most experts agree that the easiest way to care for your skin is by wearing sunscreen on a daily basis. Wearing sunscreen can prevent skin damage, including wrinkles, unwanted pigmentation, skin thinning and cancer. It’s also a common misconception that you only need to wear sunscreen on warmer days; you can still get burned when it’s cloudy, so wear sunscreen daily.

With this in mind, we’ve curated a list of our best sunscreens for every different skin type:

Normal

When you have normal skin, you often have the pick of many different products, but finding a daily SPF which works well with make-up can still be a challenge. Elemis Daily Defence Shield SPF30 is a perfect base for make-up and offers broad protection against environmental factors including UV rays, high energy visible light and pollution. It has a super light texture and contains both coconut and jojoba oils to nourish the skin.

Dry/Sensitive

When people with dry skin use sunscreens which aren’t formulated for dryness, they often find that the product can look chalky or exacerbate flakiness. Decleor Aloe Vera Sun Gel Cream SPF50 is a gel-based sunscreen offering broad spectrum SPF50 protection which also deeply hydrates dry and ageing skin. Aloe vera soothes and prevents inflammation and botanical sesame oils leave the skin feeling nourished and hydrated.

Oily/Spot Prone

Many sunscreens are oil-based to prevent them from being washed away too easily, but this can play havoc with oily and spot prone skin. Dermalogica Clearing Defence SPF30 is a shine-reducing SPF moisturiser that protects breakout-prone skin from environmental stress. It offers a matte finish which doesn’t clog the pores while protecting the skin from the suns harmful rays. 

Ageing

If your skin is ageing, either prematurely or when it should, you’ll find that you need added protection from the sun. This is because, as we age, our skin loses the ability to make certain key elements, leaving our skin thinner and more delicate. Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF50 will help achieve absolute hydration and defend against the internal and external causes of skin ageing.

Hyperpigmented

If you suffer from hyperpigmentation, you’re probably all too aware that sun exposure can exacerbate the condition more than almost anything else, so having a good SPF is essential. SkinCeuticals Advanced Brightening UV Defence SPF 50 is a dual-action, lightweight sunscreen with SPF50 that helps protect the skin from UV-induced discolouration and helps evens skin tone. 

Winter to Spring – How to Transition Your Skincare

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Spring cleaning doesn’t only apply to your home, it can also apply to your skin care routine. Winter skincare is very different to springtime skin care and often focuses on hydration and nourishment, as the icy weather can be harsh on your complexion. However, once Spring comes around you can ease up a little on the intense moisturisers and move towards a lighter skin care routine which suits the slightly warmer months. Springtime usually means that dryness gets better as humidity levels even out and don’t cause your skin to dry so much. With this in mind we thought we’d look at some springtime swaps that you should be doing to bring your skincare routine out of winter hibernation.

Grab a Clay Cleanser

Clay cleansers, such as Decleor Clay Powder Cleanser, are ideal for drawing impurities out of your skin. This is essential after a long, hard winter as often dead skin cells will be clogging your pores, as well as traces of dirt or oil and pollution. Clay cleansers will help to rid your complexion of all of these nasties, giving you a clearer base, moving into spring.

Start Exfoliating

Now is the time when you should think about adding an exfoliator into your weekly beauty routine. Skin often looks rather doll after months in freezing temperatures so sloughing away dead skin cells and revealing the new fresh complexion beneath is one of the quickest ways to revive a brighter, clearer complexion. We recommend Decleor Green Mandarin Exfoliating 2 in 1 Scrub Mask.

Opt for a Lightweight Moisturiser

During the winter, we tend to opt for ultra rich oil-based moisturisers just to give our skin an adequate amount of hydration. However, once spring has sprung opting for a water-based lightweight moisturiser will be more than adequate and won’t leave you with an excess of oil. Dermalogica UltraCalming Calm Water-Gel is a weightless water gel moisturiser which is perfect for your transition to Spring skin care.

Add an SPF

We try to drum it into our customers that they should be wearing some form of sun protection all year round, even in winter and even in our seemingly weak UK sun. However, we know that a lot of people still don’t do this and if you’re stubbornly going to refuse to wear an SPF in the winter the least you can do is add it to your spring routine. Elemis Daily Defence Shield SPF 30 is the perfect base under makeup and offers broad protection against environmental factors such as UV rays, high-energy visible light and pollution.

Get Masking

Adding a mask to your weekly routine is a great way to re-energize your skin and re texturise your complexion. Decleor White Magnolia Mask Absolute is a fresh textured mask blended with highly concentrated extract of peony lychee and rhodiola to re-energize the skin.