Treat Yourself for Under £10

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100% natural, £10, breakouts, budget, carbon footprint, circulation, cleanse, comb, cotton, cotton pads, damage, dead skin, deodoriser, detangling, disposable, eco-friendly, exfoliate, firm, gentle, good quality, healthy, heated tools, hemp, hydrate, impurities, irritation, keratin, luxurious, make up pads, massage batter, moisture barrier, moisturising, money, mud mask, Niacinamide, non-recyclable waste, nutrients, parents, pedicure, professional quality, reusable, sea salt soak, sheet mask, skinq, soothe, St Ives, sugar scrub, summer holidays, Sustainable, texture, toxins, treats, vegan friendly, vegetable soap, watermelon, wet hair, white tooth

Photo by cottonbro

This time of year can be expensive for parents, when you’ve got kids to entertain for six week during the summer. That means that finding time for yourself, and more importantly, money for treats, isn’t always easy. Here at Pure Beauty, we know that we all sometimes need a pick-me-up, even when the budget isn’t huge. So, we’ve put together a list of five treats which cost less than a tenner, allowing you to treat yourself without feeling guilty!

Maskology Niacinamide Professional Sheet Mask – £5.95

Using a sheet mask can feel like a luxurious treat, even if it doesn’t cost a lot. This sheet mask from Maskology is infused with niacinamide for a professional-quality treatment that balances the skin, improves texture and prevents breakouts. It will also help the skin to build up keratin, ensuring it stays healthy and firm. It helps to rebuild the skin’s moisture barrier which encourages the cells to function at a higher capacity, therefore making it easier to circulate nutrients and flush out toxins.

The Sea Shed Coastal Path Soap – £5.50

We’ve all washed our hands more in the last couple of years than ever before, and as a result have realised the value of using a good quality soap. This moisturising, triple milled vegetable soap from The Sea Shed is enriched with shea butter and is made in St. Ives using a vegan friendly, sustainable formula. It makes your skin feel great, rather than drying it out like other soaps. 

GHD Detangling Comb – £8.95

Taking care of wet hair requires specific tools as hair is more breakable when it’s wet. GHD Detangling Comb is a gentle way to detangle damp hair. The wide-toothed design allows for delicate detangling on damp hair, which is fragile and more prone to damage. The professional-quality comb is heat-proof and can be used to style your hair in conjunction with other GHD heated tools. 

UpCircle Hemp and Cotton Makeup Pads – £8.99

Here at Pure Beauty, we’re huge advocates for anything which is sustainable and allows us to reduce our carbon footprint, as well as non recyclable waste, which is why we love these hemp and cotton make up pads from UpCircle. Made from 100% natural materials these triple layer pads are perfect for gently removing makeup without irritation. These reusable pads are the eco-friendly alternative to disposable cotton pads or wipes.

Voesh 4 Step Deluxe Pedi in a Box Watermelon Burst – £9.99

One of our favourite ways to pamper ourselves is with a pedicure and this kit from Voesh gives you everything you need. Enriched with key ingredients to give your feet the nutrition it needs, each product is individually packed with the right amount for a single pedicure. Each kit contains a Sea Salt Soak to detox and deodorise the feet, Sugar Scrub to gently exfoliate dead skin, a Mud Masque to deep cleanse impurities an

Allantoin – The Best Soothing Ingredient that Nature Has to Offer?

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acne, acne scars, alcohol, algae extracts, Allantoin, anti-irritant, Arnica, blue Lotus extracts, botanical, botanical extracts, breakouts, chamomile, cleansers, combination skin, Comfrey, cuts, debris, decongest, dirt, dryness, dullness, Europe, exfoliate, face masks, Glycerin, glycolic acid, hands, herb, hydrate, hydrolipid, ingredient, ingrown hairs, irritation, itching, Lactic Acid, lightweight, lotions, Magnolia Essential Oil, moisture, moisture balance, nails, natural sources, normal skin, nourish, oil, oily skin, organic, pore minimising, pores, purify, Salicylic Acid, salicylic acid serum, scrapes, sensitive skin, serums, Shea butter, skin problems, skincare, smooth skin, soothe, sugar beat, tobacco seed, urea, uric acid, Vitamin E, water, wheat sprouts, white meadowfoam oil

Photo by Ron Lach

As you’ll know if you’re a regular visitor to our site, we like to keep our fingers on the pulse when it comes to skincare ingredients and trends. One such ingredient which has been popping up a lot lately is allantoin. It’s something which has been around for some time, but it’s going through something of a renaissance, with many major skincare companies including in their products. Here’s the lowdown on allantoin:

What is allantoin?

As we mentioned above, allantoin is used in many skin care products, including cleansers, lotions, serums, and face masks. Due to its anti-irritant properties, companies tend to add it to products that hydrate and soothe the skin. This ingredient is perfect for sensitive skin and is usually derived from natural sources.

Where is it found? 

In its natural form, allantoin is found in several plants, such as sugar beet, chamomile, tobacco seed, and wheat sprouts. A popular source of allantoin is the extract of comfrey, a species of herb native to Europe. It can also be prepared synthetically for cosmetic use, either by oxidation of uric acid, reaction of dichloroacetic acid and urea, or condensation reaction between glyoxylic acid and urea. (Don’t worry, that’s the last time today that we’ll get so scientific!)

What is it good for?

Allantoin might be your ticket to super smooth skin. It’s one of those amazing ingredients that offers a major bang for your buck and is great if you’re dealing with dryness, dullness, irritation, acne scars and even cuts and scrapes. Allantoin is also known for its ability to add more water to your skin. It can help your skin hang on to moisture longer, and helps fight annoying skin issues like dryness, itching, and irritation, which can ultimately lead to more skin problems, like acne or oily skin. 

Which products contain allantoin?

Decleor White Magnolia Hand and Nail Cream

This light cream is ideal for use throughout the day to leave skin beautifully scented and provide essential care for hands and nails. Key active ingredients include white meadowfoam oil to regenerate the hydrolipid film, shea butter and allantoin to nourish and soothe, plus magnolia essential oil to help protect and reinforce the skin.

Lycon Ingrown X-It Solution

With allantoin, salicylic acid, lactic acid and arnica, Lycon Ingrown X-It Solution is a break through spray formula for the face and body. It mildly exfoliates, decongests and helps minimise the appearance and discomfort of ingrown hairs. 

Medik8 Blemish Control Pads

Pre-soaked in a clarifying maximum strength salicylic acid serum, Medik8 Blemish Control Pads dissolve oil and dirt from deep within the pore to purify problem complexions. Crafted without alcohol and infused with allantoin and glycerin, they protect the skin’s natural moisture balance to ward off dryness, while caring for the most sensitive of skin types.

Murad Clarifying Body Spray

Murad Clarifying Body Spray is a quick-drying formula that helps prevent body breakouts. Salicylic acid helps clear up blemishes as glycolic acid helps clear away pore-clogging debris. Allantoin and blue lotus extract help soothe irritation for healthier-looking skin.

SkinCeuticals Daily Moisture

SkinCeuticals Daily Moisture is a lightweight, pore minimising moisturiser, designed to hydrate and nourish normal, combination and oily skin. It contains an exclusive combination of vitamin E, three nutrient-rich algae extracts, and a blend of seven botanical extracts including allantoin. 

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. 

Five of the Best Supplements for Beautiful Skin

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back, bacteria, balanced diet, betacarotene, bilberry fruit, body, breakouts, chest, clarified, clear skin, CoEnzyme Q10, collagen, dehydrated, diet, dietary restriction, dry, drying, face, fatty acid, fine lines, French maritime pine bark extract, grapeseed, grapeseed extract, green tea, gut biome, hair, harsh chemicals, healthy, healthy skin, hydrate, hydration, I make a six, intensive, lutein, lycopene, melon concentrate, minerals, moisturiser, MSM, nails, omega-3, plumpness, problem skin, radiant, science lead, shinier, shoulders, skin issues, smooth, stronger, superoxide dismutase, supple, supplement, thicker, turmeric root, vitamin A, Vitamin C, vitamins, water, wrinkles, yeast, younger, zinc

Photo by Anna Shvets: https://www.pexels.com/photo/red-white-and-yellow-medication-pills-3683077/

As well as following a targeted skincare regime which is made up of products for your specific skin type, one of the best ways to ensure your complexion is in the best condition possible is by following a healthy, balanced diet and making sure you drink enough water. However, making sure that you get the correct amount of vitamins and minerals in your diet isn’t always easy, especially if you have any type of dietary restriction. One of the brands that we carry, Advanced Nutrition Programme, creates supplements which contain patented combinations of the correct vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients to tackle a number of different skin issues. Here are five of our favourites:

Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Accumax

This supplement is an all-around skin saver, combining vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E and phytonutrients to work from the inside out to support healthy skin. It’s completely free from harsh chemicals and contains a combination of ingredients that works to feed every cell in the body to help support all areas including face, chest, back and shoulders without drying out the skin.

Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Clear Biome

Many of the signals which control the rest of our body come from the gut biome, and if this is off kilter, it can have a knock-on effect on your health. Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Clear Biome contains four specific strains of yeast and bacteria, as well as other ingredients like zinc, which work to rebalance your gut biome and deal with the underlying causes of problem skin. Skin will be clarified and free from breakouts. 

Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Collagen Support

As we age, our body stops making some of the vital elements, such as collagen, which keep us looking youthful. This means that the skin loses its plumpness, and fine lines and wrinkles become more apparent. These plant-based capsules are packed with a clever cocktail of vitamin C, zinc, MSM, grape seed extract and melon concentrate which is rich in superoxide dismutase to help activate your skins’ collagen for younger looking skin. 

Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Moisture IQ

If you suffer from very dry skin, sometimes simply applying moisturiser isn’t enough to restore your skin to a normal level of hydration. Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Moisture IQ is a science-led, 28-day smart supplement system uniquely formulated to hydrate dry and dehydrated skin. Carefully calibrated to support the appearance of hydrated, smooth, supple and radiant skin across the whole body, Skin Moisture IQ delivers an intensive moisture shot to skin, working from the inside out.

Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Ultimate

This 28-day modern vitamin supplement system doesn’t just work on the skin – it also helps to maintain optimal hair and nail health, too. It contains a combination of vitamins A and D, as well as omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, a wide range of antioxidants derived from extracts of green tea, grapeseed, turmeric root, bilberry fruit, betacarotene, lutein and lycopene, AND coenzyme Q10 and French maritime pine bark extract! The supplements are conveniently packaged for daily use and with just 4 weeks of use, you’ll enjoy thicker, shinier hair, stronger nails and clearer skin.

Our Top Five Non-Greasy Skin and Haircare Formulas

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acne, ageing, all skin types, Aloe Vera, antioxidant, bath, bedtime, body, breakouts, brighter, broad spectrum, cashmere, chamomile, coconut, complexion, daily, damaged hair, dry, dry oil, dry skin, even, formula, frizz, Glycerin, greasiness, greasy, harmful, healthier, healthy, heavy, Ho Wood, holiday, hyaluronic acid, hydrated, ingredients, lavender, light, lighter, moisture, moisturiser, night oil, non-greasy, nourished, oil, oils, patchouly, polished, porous, powerful, protect, protection, rays, refine, sensitivity, sensory, sesame oil, Shea butter, shower, skin, skin type, skincare, smooth, smoother, SPF30, SPF50, spots, spray tan, spring, stress, styling creams, summer, sun creams, tea or flour, tension, texture, thick, uncomfortable, UVA, UVB, vetiver, Vitamin C

Photo by cottonbro

There are many reasons for opting for skincare formulas which are non-greasy. For some people, it’s the simple fact that their skin already produces too much oil and greasy formulas are simply not compatible with their skin type. For others, it may be an issue of sensitivity to certain ingredients such as certain oils which may exacerbate breakouts of spots or acne. And for some people, it is simply a sensory issue which means that formulas which are too heavy and greasy feel highly uncomfortable on your skin. 

All of these issues can also be worse depending on the season; wearing thicker formulas in spring and summer when it is hot can feel unpleasant at times. With this in mind, we’ve searched our stock to put together a list of five non-greasy products which are perfect for anyone who prefers lighter skin care:

Decleor Aloe Vera Sun Gel Cream SPF50

When it comes to skincare that feels heavy or greasy on the skin, suncreams are often one of the worst offenders. This Aloe Vera Sun Gel Cream from Decleor is a non-greasy gel which is enriched with aloe vera and sesame oils, to leave the skin feeling nourished and hydrated but fresh and light at the same time. The broad-spectrum SPF50 protects the skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays and it can be used on all skin types on a daily basis.

Medik8 Daily Radiance Vitamin C

If your skin is dry and lacking radiance you may find that many of the formulas designed to relieve this are thick and heavy. This Daily Radiance Vitamin C from Medik8 has a light, cashmere texture to deliver powerful antioxidant protection as well as broad-spectrum SPF 30 without any of the greasiness of other products. It’s enriched with hyaluronic acid and glycerin, which draws moisture into the skin leaving you with a brighter, more even complexion and skin which is protected from the future signs of ageing.

South Seas – Moorea Moisturiser

Dry skin doesn’t just affect your face; it can happen anywhere on your body and can be difficult to tackle. This moisturiser from South Seas is a non-greasy, lightweight formula to leave your skin feeling healthy and smooth. It is designed specifically to be used alongside a spray tan and for people who have very dry skin, and contains shea butter to deeply nourish, along with tiare flower and coconut to give you a fragrance which makes you feel like you’re always on holiday!

This Works Deep Sleep Night Oil

Finding a product which describes itself as a non-greasy oil may sound like something of an oxymoron, however this Deep Sleep Night Oil from This Works is a dry oil which is easily absorbed. It is formulated using oils of lavender, chamomile, vetiver, patchouly, and ho wood, which combine to create a delicately scented and relaxing oil which will lock moisture into your skin, soothe your muscles and calm your mind before bedtime. It’s perfect for use after a bath or shower and can be used daily to help relieve tension and stress.

Color Wow One Minute Transformation Styling Cream

Unless you have a hair type which is extremely dry or porous, some styling creams can feel slightly greasy and leave your hair looking slick and weighed down, rather than natural and weightless. This One Minute Transformation Styling Cream from Colour Wow is designed to banish frizz and refine texture without any greasiness. The formula revives shine and enhances the hair’s moisturisation, leaving dry, damaged hair smoother, more polished and looking healthier than ever.