Ingredient Focus: Linoleic Acid

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acid, barrier, brightening, cacay oil, collagen, Dermalogica Melting Moisture Masque, Elemis Exotic Frangipani Monoi Body Cream, Evolve Organic Beauty Superfood 360 Serum, fatty acids, free radicals, hyperpigmentation, ingredient, irritants, lipid, luminosity, Medik8 C-Tetra Luxe, Medik8 Lipid-Balance Cleansing Oil, moisture, oil, oils, omega, omega 6, red ginseng, rejuvenation, serum, skin, skin protection, skin tone, smoke, soft, squalene, superfoods, supple, texture, vitamin, Vitamin C, Vitamin F, wrinkle depth

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Here at Pure Beauty, we make it our business to know exactly what’s in the products we sell so that we can make targeted recommendations for our clients’ skincare needs. One ingredient we’ve seen popping up a lot lately is linoleic acid, also sometimes referred to as vitamin F. Linoleic acid is actually an essential fatty acid, which means it’s essential for human health but isn’t created by the body.

Linoleic acid, or vitamin F, provides moisture and plumpness without making the skin feel heavy or weighed down. It fortifies the skin’s barrier, helping to fend off UV rays and air pollutants such as smoke, both of which cause free radical activity that can result in wrinkles and signs of ageing. It also lightens sun induced hyperpigmentation, making it an excellent all-rounder in the skincare game. It’s found in a number of naturally occurring oils, such as sunflower seed oil, hemp oil, grapeseed oil, and prickly pear seed oil.

With this in mind, we’ve put together a list of some of our favourite products which contain vitamin F. 

Medik8 Lipid-Balance Cleansing Oil

Oils are perfect for cleansing the skin as they can melt away dirt and make-up without stripping away the skin’s own barrier. This cleansing oil from Medik8 features an optimised ratio of essential lipids to replenish the skin’s natural defense barrier. This leaves the complexion soft, supple and protected from everyday irritants. The Omega-6 (yet another name for linoleic acid!) helps to rebalance the skin’s lipid levels to encourage a healthy complexion. 

Dermalogica Melting Moisture Masque

This mask from Dermalogica starts as a balm but melts to become a highly hydrating oil for your face. Activated by skin’s natural heat, this luxurious mask delivers a satisfying melting sensation as it penetrates skin’s surface layers to deeply nourish and rehydrate. As well as containing linoleic acid, which helps protect against skin-damaging free radicals for healthier-looking skin, it also contains micro-algae. This marine algae contains hydrating properties which help soothe and protect skin against the drying effects of pollution

Elemis Exotic Frangipani Monoi Body Cream

It’s not just the skin on your face which benefits from the use of linoleic acid. This body cream from Elemis contains sesame oil which is hugely rich in linoleic acid and antioxidants, and has a well-balanced lipid profile, providing excellent emollient and skin softening properties. The unique infusion of exotic Tahitian monoi oil, a blend of tiare flowers soaked in coprah oil, is fragranced with frangipani flowers to leave skin feeling beautifully soft, supple and delicately scented.

Evolve Organic Beauty Superfood 360 Serum

This lightweight serum from Evolve Organic Beauty is pretty unique in that it can be used by all skin types and ages! The formulation is packed with highly effective natural superfoods which deliver comprehensive skin protection and rejuvenation benefits including improvement in skin tone, wrinkle depth, texture and luminosity. The linoleic acid contained is sourced from cacay oil, obtained from the seeds of a majestic Amazonian tree. Cacay oil is also packed with bio-retinol to support the skin barrier layer and to lock moisture into the skin.

Medik8 C-Tetra Luxe

The final product on our linoleic list is this lipid Vitamin C enhanced radiance serum from Medik8. As well as being packed with vitamin F and C, it contains vitamin E, which protects the skin from free radicals as well as optimised red ginseng, which boosts the serum’s brightening powers while stimulating collagen production. It’s also got a dose of squalane, which  helps to restore the skin’s natural defensive barrier while deeply hydrating the skin. What more could you ask for?!

Treat Your Skin to a Cleansing Balm

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almond oil, apricot powder, balm, baobab oil, blackcurrant seed, blue tansy, clean, cleanse, cleanser, cleansing, cleansing balm, creamy, cruelty free, elasticity, excess oil, exfoliate, eyebrows, eyelashes, face, fragrance free, gentle, hydrate, lecithin, limited edition, liquid lipsticks, makeup, nourishing, oil, pollutants, regenerating, Sea buckthorn oil, skin, skin cells, soothing, soybeans, sunscreen, texture, upcycle, vegan-friendly, water, Waterproof mascara

Photo by August de Richelieu

Cleaning balms, which typically have a creamier texture and are often oil-based, are a great alternative to conventional cleansers. They can thoroughly clean your pores while still retaining enough moisture to leave your skin feeling soft and smooth. Most cleansing balms are suitable for all skin types, however, those with dry or sensitive skin will particularly benefit from them. They are also perfect for problem skin due to their capacity to enter the pores and extract sebum. Here are five of our favourite cleansing balms for your consideration:

Elemis Pro-Collagen Naked Cleansing Balm

This cleansing balm from Elemis is a limited-edition, fragrance-free version of their bestselling cleansing balm that melts away makeup and impurities for a glowing complexion. The mineral oil-free product moisturises like a cleansing milk, dissolves makeup with ease like a cleansing oil, and nourishes the skin like a balm. Without hurting the eyes or dehydrating the face, it effectively removes waterproof mascara and liquid lipsticks and helps to smooth the look of fine lines and wrinkles to reveal a glowing and youthful-looking complexion.

Dermalogica Precleanse Balm

Dermalogica Precleanse Balm is a deep-cleansing balm-to-oil cleanser that melts into the skin and gently removes excess oil, sunscreen, makeup and pollutants from the skin. Suitable for all skin types, this balm focuses on stripping away cosmetics, dirt and other build-up without damaging the skin’s natural barrier. It contains an invigorating combination of essential oils that refreshes the senses and helps deliver the state of cleanliness that is traditionally experienced in the professional treatment room.

REN Clean Skincare Rosa Centifolia No.1 Purity Cleansing Balm

This rose-infused cleansing balm from REN Clean Skincare is gentle yet powerful, helping to melt away the toughest of make-up and daily grime, while almond oil cleanses, nourishes and moisturises the skin. The deeply hydrating formula leaves skin feeling cleansed, refreshed and nourished and even contains lecithin from soybeans, which nourishes and conditions the eyelashes and brows.

UpCircle Cleansing Face Balm with Apricot Powder

UpCircle Cleansing Face Balm with Apricot Powder is a daily cleansing balm that will melt away makeup, pollution and impurities. It’s gentle enough to be used every day, unlike some exfoliating cleansers, as well as being cruelty free, vegan-friendly and free from palm oil. This award winning cleanser also contains skin calming ingredients blackcurrant seed, blue tansy and sea buckthorn oils.

Evolve Organic Beauty Gentle Cleansing Melt

This opulent cleansing balm from Evolve Organic Beauty contains organic baobab oil, which is hydrating and soothing. Natural sugar extracts are blended with water to create a creamy milk that rinses clean and leaves skin feeling nourished, soothed, and clean. Baobab Oil also contains high levels of protein and Vitamin A, nourishes, improves skin elasticity, and helps to regenerate new skin cells and promote healing.

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.

Five Masks to Add to Your Summer Skin and Hair Care Routine

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absorbed, air conditioning, and skincare, beta glucan, blemishes, brassy, breakouts, brittle, Centella Asiatica Extract, chest, chlorine, comforting, complexion, concentrated, cooling, cosmetic procedures, Dalton, dehydration, dry hair, dull, exercise, face, face masks, frangipani, frizzy, hair, hair care, hair damage, heat wave, holiday, hot weather, intensive, irritable scalp, lip area, macadamia, mask, masks, moisture barrier, Moringa, neck, non-sticky, oily skin, oversensitivity, pink clay, potent, protected, radiant, redness, reparative, Rose Essential Oil, routine, salt water, scalp, sensitive skin, sesame, softness, strength, stress, summer, sun, sun exposure, sweet almond plant, temporary redness, treatment, white mushroom extract, wind, wind burn, yeast

Photo by Anna Shvets

It’s easy to associate the summer with oily skin, blemishes, breakouts, dull and dry hair and an irritable scalp. However, waiting for the summer to end for that radiant face and shining hair isn’t a viable solution, so a quick fix to beat the heat is needed. The best solution is to switch up your skin and hair care routine by adding effective cooling hair and face masks to your stock of beauty products and we’ve got some awesome ones to help you to get through the heatwave:

Olaplex No.8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask

With summer fun unfortunately comes summer hair damage and after spending time in the wind, sun, chlorine, salt water and air conditioning your hair may be dull, brassy, frizzy, dry or brittle. Olaplex No.8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask is an at-home reparative treatment mask that provides intense moisture to treat damaged hair. It’s an intensive, concentrated treatment that only needs ten minutes to transform your locks. 

REN Clean Skincare Evercalm Ultra Comforting Rescue Mask

Hot weather can play havoc with sensitive skin, increasing redness, causing dehydration and exacerbating the key signs of sensitive skin. REN Clean Skincare Evercalm Ultra Comforting Rescue Mask is specially developed to combat over-sensitivity and will strengthen the protective moisture barrier to aid recovery and increase skin’s ability to cope with stress, improving skin well-being. It contains white mushroom extract, which helps to protect the skin against discomfort and beta-glucan from yeast, which moisturises and reduces signs of sensitivity.    

SkinCeuticals Phyto Corrective Masque 

This mask from SkinCeuticals is designed to soothe skin after sun exposure, exercise, windburn and even cosmetic procedures. It delivers intense cooling and calming comfort to skin sensitivity and is suitable for irritated, sensitive skin prone to temporary redness. It can be used on the face, chest and neck (avoiding the eye and lip areas) and is ideal for taking on holiday…or using during an unseasonably hot summer! 

Decleor Organic Harmonie Calm Soothing Comfort 2 in1 Cream and Mask

This multi-functional product can be used as both a soothing cream and a potent mask, depending on how you wish to use it. Rose essential oil, sweet almond plant oils and centella asiatica extract soothe the complexion, even the skin tone and stabilise your skin all day long. With its fresh and non-sticky texture, this cream and mask is rapidly absorbed so your skin is protected and soothed without any discomfort. 

Elemis Exotic Frangipani Monoi Hair and Scalp Mask

Elemis Exotic Frangipani Monoi Hair and Scalp Mask is a luxurious weekly, intensive hair and scalp mask treatment formulated with frangipani monoi and pink clay to help restore softness and strength to dry, damaged hair. The pink clay provides hair with a deep clean, while a moisturising blend of sesame, moringa, macadamia and frangipani oils nourish the hair, making it the perfect partner during the long, hot summer. 

5 Products for Royal Jubilee Beauty Prep

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70th anniversary, anti-ageing, celebration, Elemis, flag, GHD, glow, Great Britain, hair, Helios, high-end, hydration, improve, jubilee, marine cream, Orly, party, princess, Queen, Queen Elizabeth, rich, rosehip, Royal, skin firmness, South Seas, street party, tan, tanning, tone, UK, union flag, Union Jack, United Kingdom, wrinkles

Photo by Mark de Jong on Unsplash

As you will know, unless you’ve been living in a box for the last year, this weekend marks the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II becoming the British Monarch. All over the country there will be street parties and celebrations to honour the Queen’s service to the United Kingdom, and with this in mind we thought we would put together a list of five products which you can use to get you looking fit for a Royal celebration, whether you’ll be heading to a huge party or simply waving your flags from your own back garden:

Orly Nail Polish

There’s never been a better time for adding a bit of red, white and blue to your nails and that’s easily achievable with Orly’s nail polishes. If you’re planning to add a bit of national pride to your finger tips, we’d recommend using Orly Breathable Love My Nails, Orly Breathable White Tips and Orly Breathable De-stressed Denim for a Union Jack-style manicure that we’re sure the Queen herself would admire!

GHD Hair Tools

Getting your mane into a style befitting a once-in-a-lifetime celebration requires the right tools – which is where GHD can help! The GHD Platinum+ and Helios Limited Edition Deluxe Gift Set In Warm Pewter features the GHD Platinum+ Smart Styler and ghd Helios professional hair dryer, both of which are finished in mesmerising warm pewter tones and encased in a deep emerald-green, velvet-touch vanity case which wouldn’t look out of place on a royal dressing table. 

South Seas Tanning

If you’re planning to wear something which shows a bit of skin but feel like you’re lacking a tan, using South Seas Sea Foam Tanning Mousse will give you a rich, natural colour. It has a rich brown tint for easy application and will dry immediately without leaving you sticky so you can get dressed and enjoy your tropical glow, allowing you to be Jubilee party ready in no time at all. 

Elemis Marine Cream

When it comes to the Royals, nothing is too high-end, which is why we’d also recommend using Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream Ultra-Rich, as it doesn’t get much more high-end than this! This cream contains powerful anti-ageing ingredients that have been shown to reduce the depth of wrinkles, improve skin firmness, tone and hydration within 15 days. 

Rosehip Oil

From the reigning Queen to our future queen, it’s strongly rumoured that Princess Kate uses rosehip oil to achieve her signature glowing skin. Evolve Organic Beauty Miracle Facial Oil is a nourishing yet light facial oil that contains natural retinol from organic rosehip and antioxidants from organic argan oil to regenerate and revitalise mature and dry skin. And let’s face it, if it’s good enough for a princess then it’s good enough for anyone!