Fighting Back Against the Mask-Related Acne

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acne, acne treatment, anti ageing, anti wrinkle, antioxidants, azelaic acid, beauty, blemish, clarifying, clear skin, COVID, cruelty free, dermalogica, Dermalogica Clearing Skin Wash, Elemis S.O.S. Emergency Cream, face, face mask, facial, flawless skin, glowing skin, glycolic acid, healing, intensive, lockdown, make up, mask, masks, Murad, Murad Outsmart Blemish Clarifying Treatment, natural skincare, pigmentation, plant extracts, Salicylic Acid, skin, skin goals, skin problems, skincare, skincare routine, skincare treatments

Photo by Pille R. Priske on Unsplash

Whether you’re someone who is still fastidiously wearing masks when out and about or you’ve given up now that restrictions have been relaxed, there are still a lot of people battling the effects that masks had on their skin. Mask-related acne became such an issue during lockdown that it was given its own portmanteau – mas-cne! Some postulated that the spots were caused by re-wearing cloth masks without washing them between uses, while others felt it was simply an effect of your skin being less able to breathe under a mask. Either way, dealing with mas-cne requires a certain set of products – here are five of the best:

Dermalogica Clearing Skin Wash

One of the most effective ways to deal with acne is by using a cleanser with targeted ingredients, like this one from Dermalogica. It contains natural extracts of balm mint, eucalyptus and tea tree help eliminate breakout-causing bacteria and congestion as menthol and camphor help cool inflammation. It sloughs away excess oils and dead skin cells which block pores and contribute to acne and helps to prevent future breakouts. 

Murad Outsmart Blemish Clarifying Treatment

This gel serum from Murad contains a Penta-Acid Technology comprised of salicylic, lysophosphatidic, hydroxydecanoic, sebacic and glycolic acids which combine to clear skin of blemish-causing bacteria, oiliness and blackheads while minimising dryness and irritation. It can be applied directly to blemishes and is clinically proven to visibly reduce blemishes within 7 days. 

Elemis S.O.S. Emergency Cream

This intensive, healing moisturiser from Elemis is designed to give sensitised, weathered skin a deep infusion of moisture and contains myrrh essential oil, which has regenerating, anti-inflammatory and anti-itching properties, making it invaluable in products which help relieve acne. Added lavender oil helps to enhance healing and can also help to reduce the chance of scarring. 

Medik8 Blemish SOS

This rapid action treatment gel from Murad is designed to be applied directly to blemishes and remains invisible once applied, unlike some spot treatments which leave an unsightly film. It’s enriched with azelaic acid to fight blemish-causing bacteria and dioic acid to help control oil production within the skin and can be used under make up or on its own for fast-acting, spot-busting powers. 

Jan Marini Bioglycolic Bioclear Lotion

Bioglycolic Bioclear Lotion is a multi-purpose product from Jan Marini which contains glycolic, salicylic and azelaic acid and is designed to treat not just acne, but also pigmentation, rosacea and fine lines and wrinkles. As well as utilising the three acids which are amazing for the skin, the lotion is packed with antioxidants and natural plant extracts which repair and refine the complexion for softer, smoother, more luminous and hydrated looking skin.

Reboot Your Routine for 2020

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anti ageing, broad spectrum, cleanse, compleion, complimentary, daily, dirt, double cleanse, excess, grime, lightweight, make-up, oil, production, products, protection, reboot, routine, sebum, skin, skin kit, SPF, sun

Photo by Kim Carpenter on Unsplash

When it comes to a beauty routine, it’s really easy to get stuck in a rut. You’ve invested in products and you want to make the most of them so you stick with them steadfastly, even if they’re not the best thing for your skin. Rebooting your beauty routine means taking a look at what your skin needs in the here and now, rather than what it needed when you bought the product that you’re currently using, and gives you a chance to assess what would be best for your complexion. Here are five ways in which you can can you reboot your routine and give your skin a much-needed boost.

Keep it Simple

Something we see quite often is people building a beauty routine and adding in more products as they go along, so that by the time they decide to reboot they’re using far more products than they really need to. Stripping back your routine and looking at the basics of what your skin really needs will help you to form a baseline which you can add to if you really need to to or just stick to a cleanse, tone and moisturise routine if that’s what’s working for you.

Think About the Here and Now

As we said in our introduction, rebooting your routine is very much about what your skin needs right now. Skincare needs change throughout the year; you may have invested in your current routine at a time where your skin was super dry whereas now you’re dealing with excess sebum production or a time when breakout to a problem when now anti-ageing properties are more of a concern. Keeping your skin care air current is one of the most important things that you can do for your skin.

SPF is Non-Negotiable

If you asked us what the single most important product in a daily skin routine is, you may be surprised to hear the answer always will be SPF. Even with our relatively weak English sun, protecting your skin from its harmful rays is the most important thing you can do on a daily basis, even above and beyond the cleanse, tone and moisturise routine. Invest in a sun cream which is both lightweight and broad spectrum, and make sure you use it every single day even when it’s grey and rainy outside.

Use Complimentary Products

While we would never suggest that skincare only works if you use every product from the same range, you do often find that products from the same range are formulated to work well together. If you find the product which works well for your skin and there are other product which compliment it, there’s a good chance that these will work well for your skin too. Pure Beauty offers several different skin kits which contain miniatures of full-sized products, which allow you to try a range of of beauty treatments before you invest in the larger version.

Ditch the Wipes

We know how simple it is to reach for a packet of face wipes, at the end of a long day, especially when the last thing you want to do is take your makeup off instead of sinking into bed a couple of minutes earlier. However, aside from the fact that face wipes are doing horrendous amounts of damage to the planet, they’re also not that great for your skin either. Using a face wipe basically allows you to transfer the makeup and grime around your face, and doesn’t really cleanse your complexion very well at all. Instead we would suggest opting for the double cleanse, using an oil or balm to melt away makeup and grime, followed by a gel mousse or cream for a deep cleanse. This is especially important if you wear heavy makeup up and a daily SPF as it will help to lessen the risk of breakouts.

Protect Your Lashes from Bad Habits

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anti ageing, bacteria, Dermalogica Soothing Eye Make Up Remover, Dermalogica Total Eye Care SPF15, eye cream, eyelashes, Eyes, false lashes, habits, harsh, infection, lash loss, lash technician, lashes, loosen, make-up, Mascara, protect, removal, roots, rubbing, semi-permanent lashes, silk amino acids, UV rays

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Whether you’re a falsies girl, you have semi-permanent lashes, or you prefer to go all natural, lashes are really important to framing your face and finishing a look. However, many women still have bad habits which cause them to lose lashes and stunt growth, so we thought we’d take a look at some of the bad habits that many women have, so that you can protect your lashes in the future:

Using Harsh Cleansers

We all know that taking your make-up off before bed is important, but using harsh cleansers which aren’t designed for use around your eyes can cause your lashes to fall out in much greater numbers than usual. Dermalogica Soothing Eye Make Up Remover is designed to gently remove all traces of make-up and contains silk amino acids to help strengthen lashes and condition the delicate eye lid area.

Using Old Mascara

We know that it can be annoying to replace make-up every few months, especially if you’ve bought a high-end brand or still have loads left in the tube, but using old mascara can leave you prone to lash-loss and eye infections. Infections can damage hair follicles and could permanently affect your eyelash growth.

Too Much DIY

If you have eyelash extensions, proper care should mean than your natural lashes aren’t affected. However, pulling them out yourself instead of getting them professionally removed can pull your lashes out and damage the lids, leaving you prone to scarring and infection. Always allow a qualified technician to do your removal.

Neglecting Your Eye Area

Your eye area is delicate and needs regular care to stay in the best condition possible. Even if you don’t feel that you need an eye cream for anti-ageing purposes, using one to keep the whole eye area in good condition is essential for healthy lash growth. Dermalogica Total Eye Care SPF15 is ideal and will protect you from UV rays, too.

Rubbing Your Eyes Too Much

It’s the end of a long day, you’ve removed your make-up and you feel like rubbing your tired eyes. STOP! Rubbing your eyes can prematurely loosen lashes at their roots and can make lashes fall out way before their time. Try to keep your hands away from your eyes to protect your lashes.

An Elemis Cleanser For Every Skin Type

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acid mantle, algae, anti ageing, balance, calms, cleanser, dead cells, delicate, dirt, dry, dull, elderberry, Elemis, Elemis Balancing Lime Blossom Cleanser, Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm, Elemis Rehydrating Rosepetal Cleanser, Elemis Sensitive Cleansing Wash, Elemis Superfood Facial Wash, excess surface oils, fatty acids, grime, lecithin, lime blossom, make-up, melt away, normal, oily, omega-3, Omega-6, Optimega oils, pre-biotic, problematic skin, purifies, radiance, radiant, rebalanced, sensitive, soap, soothe, soothes, starflower, Vegan, Vitamin E, wash

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Elemis is a brand which has something for just about every skin type imaginable, and knows the value of a proper skincare routine. The best place to start is with a cleanser, but if you’ve got anything other than “normal” skin, you’ll know that finding the right one can be tricky. Never fear, because Elemis has you covered, and we stock a cleanser for every skin type. Here’s 5 of the best:

Dry skin

Dry skin is often one of the trickier skin types to cleanse, because many cleansers contain ingredients which dry the skin out even more. Opting for an hydrating cleanser such as Elemis Rehydrating Rosepetal Cleanser will allow you to remove all traces of daily dirt and grime from your complexion without stripping away the natural oils and giving your skin a wash of moisture in the process.

Oily Skin

Oily skin can often lead to blocked pores and congestion, which in turn can affect the skin’s own ability to balance itself. Elemis Balancing Lime Blossom Cleanser is specifically designed to rebalanced problematic skin and uses lime blossom, lecithin and vitamin E help to balance excess surface oils and soothe the skin.

Normal skin

If you’ve got normal skin, this means that you don’t generally suffer with dryness, oiliness or sensitivity and can usually use any products. Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm is actually suitable for all skin types, and contains elderberry, starflower and optimega oils as well as anti-ageing algae to melt away the day’s make-up and grime.

Sensitive skin

Having sensitive skin is a bit like dealing with an angry toddler – give it too much or too little attention and it’s going to throw a tantrum either way! Sensitive skin requires products which are gentle enough to clean away dirt without affecting the skin’s delicate balance, and also needs to be able to soothe skin which is already over-sensitised. Elemis Sensitive Cleansing Wash is a rich cleansing foam to condition and moisturise the face during cleansing, and also purifies, soothes and calms the skin, cleansing without soap to protect the skin’s natural acid mantle.

Dull skin

If your skin is looking dull and lacklustre, you’ll need a cleanser which can buff away the top layer of dead cells, give you a fix of nutrients and use a pre-biotic to leave your skin looking radiant. Elemis Superfood Facial Wash is rich in vitamins and omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids, and cleanses, nourishes and revitalises dull skin to reveal a more glowing complexion. It’s also vegan friendly.

Stocking Fillers for the Men in Your Life

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anti ageing, beard, Clove Oil, decleor, Decleor Triple Action Shave Perfector, decongest, dermalogica, Dermalogica Daily Clean Scrub, Dermalogica Daily Defense Block, Dermalogica Post Shave Balm, Dermalogica Pre-Shave Guard, Dermalogica Shave System Kit, Dermalogica Soothing Shave Cream, Elemis, Elemis Deep Cleanse Facial Wash, Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream for Men, Elemis Smooth Result Shave and Beard Oil, gym, ingrown hairs, man, masculine, men, oak bark, peppermint, razor, razor burn, regrowth, sample, shave, Shaving, skin, smooth, spearmint, travel, wrinkles

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These days, beauty for men is big business. No longer seen as something that only women indulge in, more and more men are taking care of their skin and investing in decent products to use instead of just nicking whatever is in the bathroom cabinet! Dermalogica, Decleor and Elemis all offer some fabulous products for men, so we thought we’d suggest a few which would make great sticking fillers for the coming festive period.

Elemis Smooth Result Shave and Beard Oil

It’s hard not to notice how trendy beards have become in recent years so it makes sense to invest in products which can be used both for keeping beards in good condition AND for shaving. This oil from Elemis can be used to prep the skin before shaving and also for keeping beards smooth, soft and smelling great. It has a masculine, herbal smell and leaves the skin moisturised and supple.

Dermalogica Shave System Kit

This kit from Dermalogica helps you to cover all of the bases, by including miniatures of Dermalogica Daily Clean Scrub, Dermalogica Pre Shave Guard, Dermalogica Soothing Shave Cream, Dermalogica Post Shave Balm and a sample of Dermalogica Daily Defense Block. Perfect for someone who travels a lot, or just for getting an idea of which of the products they like before buying the full-size version.

Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream for Men

The women’s version of this cream is Elemis’ most popular product, so it stands to reason that the man in your life will love it too. It’s clinically proven, formulated especially for men to hydrate, firm and help improve the appearance of wrinkles. Skin is left looking smooth and feeling replenished, and smelling great too!

Decleor Triple Action Shave Perfector

Shaving is probably the single biggest stress on a man’s skin, causing rashes, sensitivity, dryness and even ingrown hairs. This oil from Decleor helps to prepare and soften the skin before and after shaving, improving razor glide and reducing the risk of ingrown hairs. Added clove oil can help to reduce regrowth, reducing the amount of shaving that you need to do in the future.

Elemis Deep Cleanse Facial Wash

Keeping your face clean is the key to a good complexion, which is why Elemis created this deep clean facial wash, formulated for use on men’s skin. It contains oak bark, spearmint and peppermint in a unique milk protein base, which helps to remove impurities, decongest the skin and prevent ingrown hairs.