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.

Luxury Bathing Without a Bath

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align your senses, aromatherapy, bed, bedtime, blend, Calming, Elevate, exotic, exotic oils, experience, focus your mind, formulation, Frankincense, home, improve circulation, indulgent, invigorating, lavender, lemongrass, lotus flower, luxurious, massage, mind and body, mind clearing, natural, pampering, petite grains, protective surface oils, reduce stress, relaxation, relaxing aroma, rest, rich infusion, self-indulgent, shower, shower oil, skin friendly, sleep, sleep inducing, sluggish, soothing, Spa, steam, therapeutic, treat, Vetivert, wild chamomile, ylang ylang

Photo by Sora Shimazaki

A trip to a spa can be a fantastic way to treat your mind and body to some rest and relaxation, as well as giving your skin a thorough pampering. However a spa may not be an option right now, for whatever reason, so recreating the experience at home may be the next best thing. You may find, if you only have a shower at home and not a bath, that you don’t feel as though you benefit from the fully relaxing experience of a proper spa, but we’ve put together a list of products which will take your shower to the next level and give you a sensory experience to mimic being professionally pampered.

Aromatherapy Associates De-Stress Mind Bath and Shower Oil

This shower oil from Aromatherapy Associates is made from a calming blend of frankincense, petitgrain and wild chamomile which combine to calm the mind and relax the body. To get the full therapeutic experience you should massage the oil all over your body prior to stepping into a warm shower, and this will also enhance the aromatherapy benefits as the heat will spread the fragrance allowing you to deeply inhale the relaxing aroma.

Bloom and Blossom And Breathe Relaxing Shower Oil

This shower oil from Bloom and Blossom is another naturally derived oil which has been created to soothe the mind and body, as well as treating your skin. It contains a blend of frankincense, ylang ylang and lemongrass which combine to create a luxurious and soothing fragrance. Once activated by the heat of the shower, the fragrance will combine with the steam for a relaxing and therapeutic experience.

Elemis Exotic Frangipani Monoi Shower Cream

Using a truly luxurious body wash is a great way to elevate your everyday shower experience and this Exotic Frangipani Monoi Shower Cream from Elemis is exactly that. This skin-friendly formulation completely cleanses the body without stripping away any of the protective surface oils and contains a rich infusion of exotic oils which have a naturally exotic and indulgent fragrance.

Hayo’u Mineral Shower Wash

This shower wash from Hayo’u is packed with iconic Chinese ingredients such as lotus flower, frankincense and ylang ylang, all of which have been used for thousands of years to improve circulation and reduce stress. The ingredients combine to create an invigorating, mind-clearing fragrance which will make you feel sharper and more energised after every use. It’s perfect if you’re feeling sluggish and want a self-indulgent shower to help focus your mind and align your senses. 

This Works Deep Sleep Shower Gel

If you’re planning to have a spa-experience shower, doing it just before bed is a great idea, especially if you’ve been struggling to sleep. This Deep Sleep Shower Gel from This Works contains a blend of lavender, camomile and vetivert to calm and soothe, whilst softening and protecting the skin. The ingredients are all renowned for their soothing, sleep-inducing properties and will help you to feel as though you’ve been thoroughly pampered before you drift off into a deep, natural sleep. 

Beautify Your Brows with Precision

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accentuate, angled brush, arch, biotin, blend, blending, brows, condition, eyebrows, gel, HD Brows Angled Brow Brush, HD Brows Brow Beater, HD Brows Eye and Brow Palette, HD Brows Spoolie Brush, lipids, natural, nourish, overplucking, Panthenol, peptides, plucking, redness, regrowth, Revitabrow Advanced Eyebrow Conditioner, shape, shaping, spoolie, thin, threading, vitamin A, Vitamin C, waxing

Photo by Garin Chadwick on Unsplash

If you’d have taken a poll of all of your female friends a decade ago and asked what they felt was the most important area of their face when it came to their make-up routine, you probably would have got a variety of answers ranging from eyes to lips to cheeks. These days if you were to ask the same people that same question, there is a very good chance that the vast majority of them would answer “eyebrows”. 

In the last few years the focus on brows has become much more intense and many women say they wouldn’t mind leaving the house without any make up, as long as their brows are done. With this in mind we’ve put together a list of five products which create a kit for the perfect brows and will keep your eyebrows in great shape.

Revitabrow Advanced Eyebrow Conditioner

If you are fairly new to working with your eyebrows, there’s a good chance that you’ve probably got quite a thick natural brow. However, those of us who have been doing things to our eyebrows since the 80s, 90s, or even the early noughties have probably plucked their eyebrows into oblivion so that they now barely grow past a thin line! Fortunately Revitabrow has created the Advanced Eyebrow Conditioner which helps to address the visible signs of eyebrow ageing and encourage regrowth, to remedy over plucking. The combination of peptides, lipids, biotin and panthenol combine to create healthier looking more luxurious eyebrows.

HD Brows Spoolie Brush

Most brow experts, whether they be amateur or professional, will agree that the most important tool in your eyebrow kit is a spoolie. A spoolie brush looks like a mascara wand and is fairly essential for shaping your brows and keeping them neat and tidy, however not all spoolies are created equal and many are cheap and abrasive. This Spoolie Brush from HD Brows is specifically designed for blending make-up throughout the brow and is an ultimate for any brow lover.

HD Brows Brow Beater

Once you’ve got your eyebrows to a shape that is acceptable, you will need a product to help keep them that way. HD Brows Brow Beater is a lightweight eyebrow gel which helps to condition your brows and has a completely translucent formula to give you a totally natural finish. It keeps brows in place and can even help, over time, to train your brow hairs to stay in the correct position.

HD Brows Angled Brow Brush

An angled brow brush is another tool which many brow experts will agree is essential to have on hand. This Angled Brow Brush from HD Brows has slimline bristles and natural fibres which are firm enough to create precise lines when shaping your brows but is gentle on the skin and won’t leave any redness even when creating the cleanest lines.

HD Brows Eye and Brow Palette

Our final recommendation for your brow kit is an Eye and Brow Palette from HD Brows. It contains several shades of brow colours, as well as a highlighter to accentuate your brow arch. The powders are silicon-rich and blend beautifully with their silky smooth textures, while also being enriched with vitamins C and A to nourish your brow area while keeping it looking slick.

Toners are in the spotlight

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absorb, acne, Aloe, apply, Arnica, bacteria, balance, bank, beauty regime, blend, bottle, breakout prone skin, cleansers, clear complexion, complexion, cucumber, damp cotton pad, day, Decleor Essential Tonifying Lotion, dehydration, Dermalogica All Over Toner, Dermalogica Multi-Active Toner, Dermalogica Redness Relief Essence, detoxifying, discomfort, Elemis, Elemis Balancing Lavender Toner i, enhances, essential oils, evens out, Eyes, face, face cloth, fight, fragrance-free spray, fresh, Green Tea Essential Water, healthy, hydrating, hydration, hygienic, impurities, inflammation, lavender, long flights, love, luggage, moisture, moisturiser, moisturisers, money, Neroli Essential Oil, oil, paraben-free toner, PH levels, professional-strength toner, protect, purifying, Quillaja Wood, redness, refreshing blend, relieve, repair, restore, results, Salicylic Acid, sensitive skin, sensitivity, skin, skin-repairing, smooth, soothing, spots, spritz on toner, summer heat, surface skin cells, Sweet Betty flower, teenage skin, tightens pores, tip-top condition, Toner, UltraCalming, venly absorbed

You might not think you have time for a toner in your life, but we think you need to make time if you want to keep your skin healthy and in tip-top in your beauty regime, and extra money out of your bank account, but we hope our overview of some of the best toners we sell, will make you rethink.

One of the most popular toners at Pure Beauty works for all skin types and is the Dermalogica Multi-Active Toner. This refreshing blend of skin-repairing aloe,moisture-binding sodium PCA and soothing lavender, mint, and arnica is perfect for hydrating skin after cleansing. The hygienic, fragrance-free spray can be used throughout the day and because it evens out skin porosity, it means your moisturiser to be evenly absorbed, which has to be a good thing.

If balance is what you need, the Elemis Balancing Lavender Toner is for you. This product effectively tones the skin and rebalances the pH levels, without the use of alcohol or harsh chemicals, so you are left with a fresh, clear complexion. Extracts of lavender, sweet Betty flower and saponins from Quillaja wood are all part of the blend and we think you will love it as much as we do.

While the Dermalogica Redness Relief Essence is lightweight like a toner it is concentrated like a serum, which means it reduces redness and sensitivity by strengthening the skin’s moisture barrier. As part of the UltraCalming line, this product works to relieve, restore and hydrate skin, taking care of discomfort and dehydration and is a great addition to the beauty regime of anyone with sensitive skin.

How about trying the Decleor Essential Tonifying Lotion? This professional-strength toner totally enhances the toning process and leaves skin feeling beautifully refreshed, revitalised and rehydrated. Detoxifying green tea essential water removes impurities and tightens pores, while neroli essential oil helps protect, repair and fight against dehydration, something many of us need in the summer heat and on long flights. Use after cleansing by applying to the face using a damp cotton pad or clean face cloth which can then be used to absorb any excess product before your moisturiser comes on the scene.

Breakout prone skin needs toner love too, and this is where the Dermalogica All Over Toner comes into play. This light, refreshing, purifying, spritz on toner is suitable for teenage skin and is a great intro to a good beauty habits. Salicylic acid exfoliates surface skin cells and reduces inflammation. Orange peel and lavender soothe and refresh sad skin, while the antiseptic in tea tree oil kills bacteria and you can spray the toner over your face, and as well as anywhere else that is prone to breakouts. Try to give it time for the toner to absorb before applying other products and use morning and evening for best results.

If you are worried you won’t be able to take a toner in your luggage this summer, think again. The fantastic Decleor Essential Tonifying Lotion now comes in a 50ml bottle, and is perfect for ensuring your skin is refreshed and balanced when you are away. This gentle paraben-free toner contains neroli essential oil which protects and repairs your skin whilst easing dehydration so you are left with a complexion that is moisturised and radiant.

Need help to find the toner for you, get in touch and we would love to help.

Team Pure Beauty

For the love of lemons

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abdomen, anti-cellulite and body cleansing programme, beauty cabinet, blend, boost cell renewa, Burdock, buttocks, citrusy scent, clean, cucumber, Decleor Lavendula Iris Rejuvenating Serum, Dermalogica Active Moist, Dermalogica Conditioning Body Wash, detoxified, Elemis Cellutox Active Body Oil, Elemis Quiet Mind Temple Balm, Elemis Treat Your Feet Foot Cream, essentail oils, eucalyptus, Geranium Manuka, gloriously fresh, ingredients, inner balancing, iris, Ivy, jasmine, juniper, lavender, lemon, lemongrass, lemons, life, light, make-up base, Mallow, natural botanical astringents, nourished, oil-free moisturiser, Patchouli Essential Oil, powerful synergy, Pure Beauty, rose, samples, Sea Buckthorn, Sea Fennel, senses, thighs, Watercress

There is something special about the citrus scent of lemons that makes us stop in our tracks at Pure-Beauty and put life on hold for just a second or two.

It is so simple but so gloriously fresh and clean and we think that is why it features in so many of the fantastic products we stock, so today we are going to look at just a few for you.

When Sea Buckthorn, Sea Fennel, Lemon and Juniper essential oils come together they create the perfect body detox in the form of the Elemis Cellutox Active Body Oil. This powerful synergy of ingredients can be used as part of an anti-cellulite and body cleansing programme and by simply rubbing into problem areas like the abdomen, buttocks and thighs when you come out of the bath, your skin will be left feeling nourished, detoxified and your senses will be stimulated.

Dermalogica Active Moist is one of our most popular products, and we aren’t surprised. This light, oil-free moisturiser simply sinks into normal and oily skin and offers the perfect make-up base. Lemon is one of the natural botanical astringents in this blend, together with Watercress, Burdock and Ivy which all help to refine the skin while Lavender, Mallow and Cucumber hydrate and sooth it.

When life gets busy, you need the Elemis Quiet Mind Temple Balm by your side. At the heart of this beauty cabinet must have is the zesty refreshing aroma of lemon which helps to enhance feelings of positivity, something we all need from time to time. There is also Patchouli Essential Oil for inner balancing plus the freshness of Eucalyptus to clear the mind and focus concentration. Add stress reducing Centella Asiatica and Organic Indian Menthol and all that is left to do is lie back and take five minutes to regroup.

Bet you didn’t know there were hints of lemon in the Decleor Lavendula Iris Rejuvenating Serum? This award-winning product helps to reduce lines and wrinkles, redefine facial contours and boost cell renewal. It comes with a floral aroma and delicate silky texture and because it is rapidly absorbed, skin is instantly hydrated and softened thanks to Geranium Manuka, Iris, Rose, Lemongrass, Jasmine, plus Plum Kernels, Hazelnut and Borage.

Essential oils of Lemon together with Tea Tree, Eucalyptus and Rosemary are at the heart of the Dermalogica Conditioning Body Wash. Purifying ingredients and natural extracts work together to cleanse the body and de-stress the mind. Perfect for everyone, this leaves skin feeling soft, silky and smoother than ever and it will smell pretty good too.

Before we go, let’s not forget out feet as they quite like lemon too. The Elemis Treat Your Feet Foot Cream melts beautifully into the skin, smoothing and hydrating those dry, rough spots that can get worse when we wear flip-flops all summer long. Infused with a blend of Patchouli, Eucalyptus and Lemon oils, regular use can leave you with happy, healthy feet once again.

If you would like more information about any of these products, or are keen to try before you buy, get in touch and we would love to chat and send you some samples.

Team Pure-Beauty