Unplug and live life

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Sunday 25th June marked National Unplugging Day, the third of its kind in the UK and something we think will grow and grow as more and more of us question just how much time we spend online.

National Unplugging Day is a day all about breaking free from technology and having fun with family and friends away from the screens and gadgets many of us use for more than eight hours a day.

Taking a break from social media is easier said than done as it is part of everyday life, but we have some ideas that might work.

Rather than starting your day checking Facebook, why not kick it off with a decent breakfast, yoga session of do a little meditation. Concentrate on you first thing, then worry about how many ‘likes’ you’ve had over night.

Go old skool and rather than buying the latest novel on your Kindle, got for the paperback and read it on the train or bus and we think you’ll become so absorbed you’ll forget to check your phone.

One day a week, maybe a Sunday, turn off all devices and have a totally unplugged day. Meet friends (no selfies over lunch), go to the gym, have a bike ride, visit a museum – the ideas are endless and none of the require technology.

Pick a sport, any sport but one that means you can’t look at your phone. Tennis, badminton and netball are all fast paced and need 100% focus, so unlike golf or running, you can sneak a peek at Snapchat every now and again.

Turn apps off. Remember the days when a phone was a phone? Go back to those times and take social media off your mobile and limit the amount of time you can check on what your boyfriend had for dinner or where the girls are planning to go at the weekend. The end of apps doesn’t mean the end of the world!

If you do work at a computer, turn the Wi-Fi off and simply concentrate on your ‘to do list’. OK, you might need to do some research for a presentation or look at stats for a report but other than that, leave social media behind and you will be amazed at how much you get done.

When you do leave work, really make sure you leave it behind. Turn on your email “out of office”, don’t divert works calls to your personal mobile, and don’t check emails until you return to your desk. Very little is so urgent that it can’t wait, even if you are the Prime Minster it seems!

Be in the moment. Rather than head down and eyes on the screen, you will get so much more from life by actually living it. Go for a walk but don’t take Google maps. Get on a train and see where it takes you, without looking at a travel and rather than sending your flatmate a text, leave them a note, go on, give it a go.

Don’t only ban tech from the bedroom, also give it a bedtime! Agreeing that you will turn of the screens an hour before you hit the sack will mean you and your brain start to slow down and turn off and really get some decent rest.

Buy an alarm clock. Out of touch we know, but if you wake up to the alarm on your phone or iPad, chances are you will check them before you go to sleep or if you wake up in the night. If they aren’t around, you can’t look and won’t get distracted for hours.

We aren’t saying do all of these tomorrow, but over time just watch how long you spend plugged in and think about what life might be like if you were unplugged.

Team Pure Beauty

Combatting the Symptoms of Hypothyroidism

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aching, ageing, bath, dark circles, decleor, dermalogica, Dermalogica Power Rich, Dermalogica UltraCalming Redness Relief Primer SPF20, Dermalogica UltraSmoothing Eye Serum, dry skin, Elemis, Elemis Absolute Eye Mask, Elemis Aching Muscle Super Soak, Eyes, fatigue, gentle, harmful, hydration, hypothyroid, hypothyroidism, joints, limbs, medication, muscles, pharmaceutical-grade, protection, puffiness, puffy eyes, rays, redness, repair, sensitive, serum, soak, sun, thyroid, thyroxine, tiredness, underactive thyroid, UVA, UVB

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Hypothyroidism, also known as an ‘underactive thyroid’ is a condition that occurs when the thyroid gland, located in the front of your neck, doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormone and causes your metabolism to work too slowly. Hypothyroidism is mostly seen in women between the ages of 40 – 50 and is seen in women ten times more often than men. It often occurs during the menopausal years and symptoms are often ignored during the early stages by both patients and doctors if the patient is at this age. There are many symptoms associated with hypothyroidism, and while taking medication and maintaining proper levels will help, some of the symptoms will persist. Here, we take a look at a few of them and how Pure Beauty can help:

Dry Skin

One of the single most common symptoms of an underactive thyroid is dry skin. As well as maintaining good levels of hydrating by drinking plenty of water, you should try to use a rich moisturiser like Dermalogica Power Rich, which is a pharmaceutical-grade formula, designed to give maximum levels of repair and hydration to depleted skin.

Facial Redness

As well as dryness, hypothyroidism can cause redness and tight-feeling skin, similar to the symptoms of rosacea. As well as feeling unpleasant, it can be tricky to hide without layers of heavy make up, which is why Dermalogica UltraCalming Redness Relief Primer SPF20 is a great product to help with this. As well as providing a sheer green tint to counter redness it also contains ingredients to calm and soothe the skin as well as protecting against skin-irritating UVA and UVB rays.

Fatigue

When your metabolism grinds to a halt, it can feel a lot like you’re wading through custard constantly, with fatigue dragging you down. We don’t have a magic trick to make you feel less tired other than getting a good night’s sleep and eating well) but we can recommend something to help with a tired complexion. Elemis Absolute Eye Mask will help to decongest, firm, tone and minimise dark circles, making you LOOK less tired, even if you don’t feel it.

Muscle and Joint Pain

Muscle and joint pain is hugely common with an underactive thyroid and when you combine this with tiredness, it can make you feel about 100 years old. Elemis Aching Muscle Super Soak

Is designed to be added to a hot bath to help you to soothe aching limbs, harnessing the powers of birch, juniper, clove, alpine lavender, wild thyme and blue chamomile, combined with sea salt to recharge mind and body.

Eye Puffiness

As well as dark circles around the eyes, hypothyroidism sufferers also suffer with puffiness around the eyes. This can be easily combatted by adding Dermalogica UltraSmoothing Eye Serum into your daily routine; it’s a highly active eye treatment which is designed to be used on even the most sensitive eyes, giving excellent results whilst being completely gentle. It’s perfect for getting rid of puffiness and will have you feeling yourself in no time.

Don’t let hay fever get you down

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allergic reactions, Antihistamines, apples, beer, blocked nose, Broccoli, brown rice, cabbage, carpets, cinema, clear sinuses, control, corticosteroids, curries, dehydrates, difficult, ease congestion, enjoy, Eyes, flowers, garlic, ginger, GP, grass, histamine, Home comforts, honey, Housekeeping, impractical, inflammation, itchy, itchy eyes, leeks, Low-allergen foods, mushrooms, nutshell, organic, over-the-counter medicines, pears, peas, pillow, plants, pollen, quinoa, red, red onions, Reishi mushrooms, runny, salads, shopping centre, sleep, sneezing, spirits, stir fries, summer, sunglasses, sweep, sweet potatoes, swelling, symptoms, tips and tricks, vacuum, Vaseline, Wash your hair, wet, windows, wine

The sun is shining, the sky is blue, off the shoulder dresses are on trend and everyone is happy.

Well, nearly everyone.

With an estimated one in five people suffering with this common allergic condition during their life, summer can be unbearable for many.

In a nutshell, pollen from grass, flowers, plants and trees can cause sneezing, runny or blocked nose and itchy eyes and it can be both painful and frustrating as there is no known cure.

Of course, the most effective way to keep hay fever under control is to avoid pollen exposure. This, however, it’s difficult and impractical, so we have some tips and tricks to help keep it at bay so you can enjoy your summer as much as everyone else.

Medicines
Hay fever can be controlled with conventional, over-the-counter medicines on sale at your chemist. Antihistamines help prevent allergic reactions and corticosteroids ease inflammation and swelling. If you try these and they aren’t helping it is worth speaking to your GP to see if prescription medication is needed.

Diet
Eat organic food where possible as this helps avoid pesticides and additives. Low-allergen foods such as brown rice, quinoa, broccoli, cabbage, sweet potatoes, leeks, peas, pears, apples and papaya are all good options and of course will aid general peak health.

Mushrooms
Mushrooms aren’t just for breakfast and can really help regulate the immune response. A good quality organic extract from Reishi mushrooms is a good option and worth investing in if you are serious about dealing with hay fever for once and all.

Drinking
Keep your water drinking up and reduce your alcohol intake. Beer, wine and spirits all contain histamine, which is the chemical that sets off allergy symptoms in your body so as well as making you more sensitive to pollen, alcohol also dehydrates you, making your symptoms seem worse.

Wash your hair
Did you know pollen can stick to your hair? Well it can and when you go to bed it transfers to your pillow and will affect you as you try to sleep. If you have been out for the day, it is a good idea to have a shower and change your clothes before going into your bedroom and sprinkling pollen around and making life harder.

Go for sunglasses
As well as shades protecting your precious peepers, they are also a great way of stopping pollen from getting into your eyes. Go for a decent wrap around pair to create a barrier and to ensure your eyes are less red and itchy.

Housekeeping
We aren’t saying you don’t clean but given that pollen can easily get into your carpets it is a good idea to vacuum regularly and sweep it away. Try not to have the windows open too much and dust with a wet cloth so pollen doesn’t unknowingly spread around your house

Barrier
It is said that applying a little Vaseline (petroleum gel) around your nose can stop pollen getting into your system.

Home comforts
This isn’t going to happen every day but if the pollen count is high (over 50 grains per cubic metre of air) you might want to stay at home or visit a shopping centre, cinema or museum rather than being outdoors and at risk of symptoms getting worse.

Spice up your life
Garlic, ginger, red onions and other spices are all brilliant ways to help clear sinuses and ease congestion. Add them to curries, salads, stir fries and BBQs to keep your pain away.

Honey
Pop some honey on your toast or in your green tea and let the bee pollen in it desensitise your body to the plant pollens that cause the hay fever grief.

We hope you find a way to keep your hay fever under control this summer, and if you have a top tip, would love to know what it is.

Team Pure Beauty

Harnessing the Power of Apricots

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alcohol, antioxidants, Apricot, apricot kernel oil, apricots, balance, cleansing, cotton wool, dermalogica, Dermalogica Precleanse, Elemis, Elemis Pro-Radiance Illuminating Eye Balm, Elemis Soothing Apricot Toner, fatty acids, irritation, linoleic acid, mineral oils, moisturisation, natural, oil, parabens, pH, Quillaja Wood, saponins, SLES, sodium laureth sulphate, soothe, soothing, spritz, Sweet Betty flower, vitamin A

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The humble apricot might not seem like anything special but it actually contains a whole host of things which are incredibly good for us, which is why several of the products we sell contain some element of apricot in them. From antioxidants to all-natural moisturisation, we take a look at some of the best apricot containing products from Elemis and Dermalogica and exactly what they’re doing to keep you beautiful.

Elemis Soothing Apricot Toner

One of the things which apricot does best is soothing the skin and reducing irritation, which is why Elemis has based this toner on it’s properties. As well as containing apricot extract, the toner also contains Sweet Betty flower, which Tones, moisturises and re-balances precious pH levels without the use of alcohol and saponins from Quillaja Wood help to soothe and harmonise the skin. As will all Elemis products, this toner has no parabens, sodium laureth sulphate or mineral oils, which can damage the skin in the long run. Sweep it over the face with a cotton wool pad after cleansing the face, or use as a spritz when your face is feeling hot, dry or tight.

Dermalogica Precleanse

You may be asking “why do I need to PRE-cleanse my skin?”, but this precleanse from Dermalogica has been described as a wonder-product by professional dermatologists, beauty professionals and our customers alike. It dissolves oil-based make-up, sebum, sunscreens and environmental pollutants from skin’s surface, enabling skin to be thoroughly cleansed, all without compromising the delicate balance of natural oils which exist within the skin. It contains apricot kernel oil which not only helps soothe to irritation, nourish, and moisturize the skin, but is also an excellent source of fatty acids, Vitamin A and Linoleic Acid which help to reverse and combat the signs of ageing.

Elemis Pro-Radiance Illuminating Eye Balm

The eyes can be a really tricky area to deal with; the skin is very delicate and the whole area can be really sensitive, even if the rest of your face isn’t, however, they’re also one of the main areas where people report the early signs of ageing first. This means that a product which is powerful yet soothing and delicate is imperative, which is where this balm from Elemis comes in. As well as containing omega-rich apricot kernel oil which nourishes the delicate eye contour area, it also benefits from chamomile, arnica and bird of paradise flower, which reduce wrinkles, dark circles and puffiness. It’s free from fragrance and any irritating preservatives and is perfect for use on even the most sensitive of eyes.

What To Pack in Your Beach Bag

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abroad, beach, decleor, Decleor Ongles Nail Strengthening Serum, Decleor Post-Wax Cream – Sensitive Areas, dermalogica, Dermalogica Sheer Tint, Elemis, Elemis Exotic Frangipani Monoi Hand and Nail Cream, Elemis Treat Your Feet Foot Cream, feet, hair, hair removal, holiday, nails, pool, skin, SPF, sun, sunscreen, vacation

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Hurrah! The British summer seems to have FINALLY arrived, and just in time for a Bank Holiday weekend! If you’re planning a trip to the seaside or are even lucky enough to live near one of the beautiful beaches that the UK has to offer, we’ve got some suggestions of products which are perfect for keeping in your beach bag:

Decleor Protective Anti-Wrinkle Cream SPF30 Face

So often we hear of people smothering their bodies in sunscreen but still forgetting their face and ending up with a very red head! This SPF30 from Decleor is not only specifically formulated for the face, it will also reduce the signs of ageing and smooth out wrinkles. It’s non-greasy too, making if perfect for using underneath your beach make-up. Ideally, you’ll need to top up every two hours or so.

Dermalogica Oil Free Matte SPF30

Having oily skin can be a nightmare in the heat because not only do oily sun protection products make the problem worse, but the heat itself can make your own skin ramp up its oil production. This lotion from Dermalogica contains an SPF30 whilst also having mattifying properties which actively work to keep your oil production to a minimum, even when it gets really hot. Perfect for keeping you looking cool at the beach.

Elemis Body Detox Skin Brush

Usually we recommend this brush for rejuvenating the skin, livening up you circulation and exfoliating the skin to reveal healthier skin beneath. However, we also discovered that this brush is an absolute MIRACLE worker when it comes to brushing sand off of our feet and bodies after a day on the beach! Once you’ve dried off a little, use the brush to sweep the sand away and you won’t feel like you have grans of it between your toes for the rest of the evening. Just make sure you rinse it before your next bathroom exfoliation session!

Dermalogica Protection 50 Sport SPF50

If you’re the type of person to just lay on your sun lounger or towel, only getting up for another Calippo, then you’re probably okay with regular sunscreen. However, if you’re the more active type and will be braving a swim in the sea then you could probably benefit from a sunscreen which caters for a more active lifestyle. This one from Dermalogica is water resistant and specifically designed to hold up to a lot of sweat and movement, allowing you to be as active as you like without needing to worry about burning.

Elemis Tan Accelerator

If your entire tanning regimen this year revolves around time on British beaches then you’re going to really need to maximise your potential and get the best bang for your buck. That’s why we recommend this tan accelerator from Elemis, which helps to stimulate the body’s natural melanin production, ensuring you’re golden brown even after a short time in the sun.