Forget the Hacks – Get Skincare RIGHT!

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avoid, care, caution, contouring, damage, face masks, hacks, homemade, ingredients, mask, masks, microneedling, moisturiser, skin, skincare, slugging, social media, SPF, spoons, sun, sunscreen, tan, tears, TikTok, Vaseline

Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash

These days, because the internet and social media give anyone who wants one a very public mouthpiece, there’s a lot of false information floating around which claims to be true. This is especially relevant when it comes to skincare and barely a day goes by without a new “hack” hitting TikTok, claiming to be the latest skincare saviour or correct way to do things. There are, however, plenty of people out there putting paid to these myths, and we thought it was time we weighed in too! 

Homemade Face Masks

While there’s no doubt that there are plenty of ingredients in your kitchen which are can be good for your skin, there are also a lot which can be damaging. One such ingredient is sugar, which many claim makes a good exfoliant when added to face scrubs or masks. In fact, using sugar to exfoliate your face can be highly damaging and actually cause micro tears to your face, leaving you open to infection. If you want to exfoliate, opt for a non-physical exfoliation product such as Elemis Superfood Blackcurrant Jelly Exfoliator which will gently yet effectively exfoliate, leaving skin feeling soft and smooth.

Frozen Spoons

There are lots of tutorials on the web showing people using spoons which have been stored in the fridge or freezer to perform facial massage and lymphatic drainage. While the theory behind is is fairly sound, using a spoon is less than ideal. They’re usually made of a non-optimal material such as metal and they’re not specifically shaped for the contours of the face. Swap your spoon for a Hayo’u Beauty Restorer and we’re positive that your facial massage routine will start to show MUCH better results. 

Slugging

For those of you who don’t know, slugging involves covering your face with a thick layer of Vaseline and leaving it overnight as a way of hydrating the skin. It originated in Korea and made it’s way across the globe thanks to social media, however it’s NOT something we’d recommend. At all. While soaking your skin in something nourishing to encourage moisturisation is fine, using a product like Vaseline (which, let’s not forget, is a petrochemical…) is a really bad idea. Aside from suffocating your skin and blocking your pores, it can actually be more drying and cause your skin to parch completely. If you must slather your face in something, opt for Elemis Superfood Night Cream, which is designed to deeply hydrate and nourish your skin without the risk of damage. 

SPF Contouring

This trend is one that really blew our minds! Certain TikTokkers were advocating for only putting sunscreen on small areas of the face, so that you’d tan more in other areas, to create a physical contouring effect without using make up. Obviously, this is just beyond daft, and potentially a very dangerous thing to do, and we can’t imagine anyone taking this seriously. Properly protecting your skin from the sun using a product like SkinCeuticals Advanced Brightening UV Defence SPF 50 is one of the best ways to protect your skin from the damaging effects of the sun – and we do mean ALL OVER your face! 

Home Microneedling

While we aren’t suggesting that microneedling is totally out of the question, we have serious reservations about doing such an invasive treatment without proper medical training. Microneedling, for those who aren’t in the know, involves using a device which rolls lots of tiny needles across your face, making minute holes in your skin as it goes. The theory is that it allows the skincare to penetrate more deeply, but in reality, the risk of introducing bacteria, and therefore infection, is really high. Devices which pierce the skin should be sterilised in a medical grade autoclave before each use…not just left in your bathroom cabinet! If you make the sensible choice of leaving your microneedling to a professional, we do recommend using Medik8 Ultimate Recovery Bio-Cellulose Mask in the days after treatment.

Buy a book for Christmas and show them you care

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365 words, A Word for Every Day of The Year, Adam Kay, Aled Jones, Andrew Ridgeley, Anne Glenconner, apron, bold, book, bottle of wine, but perfectly formed, camp, care, cash, celebrity, celebrity autobiography, chocolate, Christmas, Christmas classic, Christmas must-buy, cooking, cool, cutting, educate, empowering women, extravagant, faint hearted, festive season, film, first book, Fleabag: The Scriptures, fresh new pages, friend, George and Andrew, giving, glass of wine, go, gorgeous scented candle, great stocking filler, health, hearts, hospital success, ideas, illustrated, inspiration, inspire, intrigue, It’s Going to Hurt, Kate Young, knowing your worth, Lady Glenconner, Lady in Waiting, local bookshop, love, love it, lush, Me: Elton John Official Autobiography, mince pies, mouth-watering meals, music, pages, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, practical exercises, Princess Margaret, Raymond Briggs., read, relationships, royal life, seasonal, Secret Santa, self-care, Slay in Your Lane: The Journal, small, Small but mighty, smile, socks, Steven Poole, stunning, success, summer, The Little Library Year, The Nightshift Before Christmas, the person who has everything, The Snowman, tips, TV series, unwrap, Wham! fans, Wham! George & Me, worksheets, Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené

You can buy them socks, chocolate or a bottle of wine, but there is something special about giving a book as a gift at Christmas.

Think fresh new pages, lots of ideas and inspiration as well as the chance for them to escape from life for just a little while.

We have some great books to share with you that should be stocked in your local bookshop and will make someone smile this Christmas when they unwrap it.

The Nightshift Before Christmas, Adam Kay
This Is Going to Hurt was Adam’s first book and his bold, poignant look at life inside a hospital was a massive success. His small, but perfectly formed follow-up, The Nightshift Before Christmas is a great stocking filler and while not for the faint hearted, it’s worth a read.

Slay in Your Lane: The Journal, Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené
This stunning illustrated book is all about empowering women and with practical exercises, worksheets, and easy to follow tips for success, it’s a Christmas must-buy. It gives readers all they need to get ahead in relationships, looks at how to start a successful side hustle, knowing your worth at work comes into play as well as info on cash, self-care, and good health. Sound good, no?

Me: Elton John Official Autobiography
You might have seen the film, but we think the book is even better. This celebrity autobiography is cool, cutting, camp, extravagant and packed with disco-dancing, football club buying stories intended to make the reader laugh and cry. Go on, they will love it and might let you borrow it too.

The Little Library Year, Kate Young
Food and books, what’s not to like? This gorgeous book takes recipes onto a whole new level as Kate shares seasonal, mouth-watering meals and treats that will make the reader want to put on an apron on and start cooking right away. Oh, and summer might seem a long time away, but she knows how to pack a picnic basket!

Fleabag: The Scriptures, Phoebe Waller-Bridge
If they loved the TV series, they will love this book. We couldn’t put it down and they won’t be able to either. Perfect for reading with a glass of wine, with a gorgeous scented candle burning, so you might want to buy those too?

A Word for Every Day of The Year, Steven Poole
Small but mighty – this is the book for the person who has everything. As the name suggests, inside the cover are 365 words to educate, intrigue and inspire. We will warn you, if you start to read, you won’t want to stop until the end so maybe buy two copies and keep one for yourself.

The Snowman, Raymond Briggs
We can’t leave the kids out, so why not introduce them to this Christmas classic? Yes, you can watch the film on TV and sing along with Aled Jones, but turning the pages of The Snowman is as much a part of the festive season as Secret Santa and mince pies. Go up in your mum’s loft and you never know, you might find an original gathering dust.

Lady in Waiting, Anne Glenconner
Glitz, glamour and drama, no we aren’t talking about the office party but this beauty of a book! Lady Glenconner was Princess Margaret’s lifelong friend and this is a lush, compelling read all about them and a real look at royal life. The rich and posh – it’s all here on these pages to read and we think it’s worth doing exactly that.

Wham! George & Me, Andrew Ridgeley
Before we go, go – sorry, not sorry! This is an emotional read and Wham! fans may well need to get their tissues ready when they dive into this belter of a book. George and Andrew might have met in 1975, but their music lives on in our hearts today, thank goodness.

Got a book you love, let us know, we are ready and waiting to hear from you.

Team Pure Beauty

Products to soothe summer skin at Pure Beauty

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Amazonian trees, anti-oxidant, apple, Aspergillus, balance, Bearberry, buff, burning, care, chlorine, comfort, creamy lathe, de-stresses, dead cells, Decleor Gradual Glow Hydrating Body Milk, dehydration, Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant, Dermalogica UltraCalming Serum Concentrate, dry skin, easily absorbed, Elemis Gentle Foaming Facial Wash, Elemis Hydra-Nourish Night Cream, Elemis Superfood Facial Oil, exfoliator, extra softening ingredients, Extracts of Vanilla, feed, fig, flare ups, flax seed, geranium, Ginkgo, glow, Grapefruit, green tea, hyaluronic acid, increased temperatures, life, lightweight, Liquorice, luxurious, Magnolia Essential Oil, massaged, natural oil levels, nature, non-greasy product, nourishes, Oatmeal, omega-rich broccoli, overdone, Persian Silk Tree extract, prevent moisture loss, radish, recovers, redness, relief, replenished, rested, rich cream, samples, sea salt, sensitive skin, showering, skin, sleep, soften, soothe summer skin, stronger rays, suds, summer, sun, sun-kissed glow, super moisturising, superfoods, tan, the ageing signs of fatigue, tired skin, trouble, uneven skin pigmentation, unique blend, warm water, Ylang-Ylang

If you’ve overdone things out in the sun this summer, don’t panic, it happens to all of us at some point. Burning, redness and dehydration are all a result of stronger rays, increased temperatures as well as sea salt and chlorine which stick to our skin when we jump into the water to cool down our bodies.

We have put together some of the products we sell at Pure Beauty that can help soothe summer skin and offer you comfort and relief.

Dry skin recovers overnight, so give nature a helping hand by applying the Elemis Hydra-Nourish Night Cream before you go to sleep. This rich cream helps prevent moisture loss while it nourishes and de-stresses tired skin. The magic happens thanks to Persian silk tree extract which reduces the ageing signs of fatigue, while hyaluronic acid steps in and provides added hydration, which we need after a day by the pool. A sensual blend of geranium and ylang-ylang calms and rebalances the skin so that in the morning it feels as rested and replenished as you.

You might think that using an exfoliator in the summer will take away your tan, but what it will actually do is help your skin be better than ever. We adore the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant because it can be used everyday to gently buff away dead cells so that skin is left smoother and brighter. A magic blend of green tea, ginkgo and oatmeal calm inflammation, while bearberry, aspergillus, grapefruit and liquorice balance uneven skin pigmentation which can strike when the sun beats down on us. Use daily and we think you will be delighted with the results.

Washing the day, and night away can be one way to ensure your skin doesn’t get tight and dehydrated in the summer. The Elemis Gentle Foaming Facial Wash comes with extracts of fig and apple as well as oils from Amazonian trees, and together they soften the skin and maintain key natural oil levels. Mix with warm water and massage the luxurious, creamy lather into your skin and when you rinse the suds away, your skin will thank you for the care and attention you have given it.

We all react differently to the sun. If you find your complexion gets red and inflamed, however careful you are, you might want to give the Dermalogica UltraCalming Serum Concentrate a go. This super silky serum is perfect for treating, correcting and defending against inflammation and redness and can even prevent flare-ups. Best suited for sensitive skin, which often doesn’t like the sun anyway, this can be used morning and night and will help keep trouble at bay.

Our faces really can take the brunt of the summer, so if you need a little extra loving, the Elemis Superfood Facial Oil delivers! This unique blend of superfoods deeply nourishes and hydrates the skin and brings it back to life. Anti-oxidant, omega-rich broccoli, flax seed and radish come together to feed sad skin, and because this is a lightweight, non-greasy product, it is easily absorbed so your complexion becomes soft, balanced and healthy.

If you want to stay out of the sun but still glow, our money is on the Decleor Gradual Glow Hydrating Body Milk. Packed with super moisturising, extra softening ingredients, Decleor has bought together extracts of vanilla and magnolia essential oil to create a light melting cream that ensures your skin has the sun-kissed glow we love, without the burn we don’t. For best results, apply to your skin daily after showering and exfoliating and once you have massaged it evenly into your body, wash your hands so there are no signs that you’ve had behind the scenes help to look so fantastic.

For more information, samples or if you just want to ask us what we think might work for you, get in touch and we are here to help you get your best skin ever.

Team Pure Beauty

Top tips for holiday health

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alcohol, anti-diarrhoea pills, anti-histamines, antiseptic gels and wipes, basic, bottled water, car, care, chill out, chlorine, citronella, cost, creams, Deep vein thrombosis, dirt, eating, energy tablets, ferries, first aid, food, fresh air, fresh fruit and veg, germs, ginger, heading off, healthy, ice cubes, Ill, illness, itching, legs, long-haul flight, loo, lurk, minor accidents, mosquitoes, nauseous feeling, online search, over-the-counter medicines, packing up, painkillers, partying, peace of mind, peppermint tea, planes, plasters, policy, Pre-holiday prep, protected, protection, redness, regular medication, rehydration salts, sand, school’s out, sick, sight-seeing, skin, STIs, strong smells, suffer, summer, swimming, symptoms, trains, travel bands, travel insurance, travel sickness, travel vaccinations, tummy bugs, walk, Warmer temperatures, wash your hands, well-earned holiday

School’s out for summer which means many of us are packing up and taking off for a well-earned holiday. With swimming, eating, sight-seeing and partying to do, the last thing you need when you go away is to be ill.

We have put together some top tips that will hopefully keep you healthy so you can chill out and get the break you deserve

Pre-holiday prep
Before you even get in the car, we would strongly suggest you have the following ticked off your to-do list:

Check if you need to have any travel vaccinations and get them done in plenty of time, the last thing you need is to get sick because you aren’t protected.

You might think travel insurance is a cost you can avoid, we think it’s something you can’t be without. Do an online search, find a policy that is right for you and you have the peace of mind knowing that if illness strikes, you can get care.

If you are on regular medication, make sure you have enough to take away with you, and a couple of days supply for when you get home.

In case of minor accidents, be sure to pack basic first aid items such as antiseptic gels and wipes, painkillers, creams, energy tablets, plasters, anti-histamines, and rehydration mixes.

Nip travel sickness in the bud
One of the first things that can go wrong on holiday, is when travel sickness kicks in. Cars, planes, trains, and ferries can all cause that horrible nauseous feeling and even lead to sickness, but you don’t have to suffer. Travel bands and over the counter medicines are one way to deal with this problem, as well as sipping on cooled ginger or peppermint tea. Sit somewhere away from strong smells in the fresh air and take deep breaths to help calm the symptoms.

Keep deep vein thrombosis away
Deep vein thrombosis is rare, but if you are taking a long-haul flight, remember to walk around the cabin and stretch your legs whenever you can. Drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol, and wear loose, comfortable clothes when you travel and if you are worried, there are special socks you can buy before you fly.

Stop stomach bugs before they start
Warmer temperatures, more people, differing cleaning standards and food being left out for longer than usual, are all reasons why stomach bugs can be rampant on holiday and they spread quickly too. The most important thing to remember is to wash your hands, or use an antibacterial gel, after going to the loo, as well as before and after preparing and eating food. Talking about food, while it might be tempting to try something new from a stall or market, this is where germs can lurk and as for the hotel buffet, just be careful about what you choose as you don’t know how long things have been sitting around.

Another really important thing you need to do if you want tummy troubles to stay away, is to only drink bottled water, try to avoid ice cubes from bars and if you’re going for salads and fresh fruit and veg, check they have been cleaned with bottled water.

If problems do strike, you will need to get some rest will the bugs and bacteria pass through your system. This really is the time for bottled water and while we would suggest keeping away from anti-diarrhoea pills, you might want to use rehydration salts. You can try drinking cooled chamomile or peppermint tea as this can be soothing and help you to sleep. If you can keep food down, plain toast and biscuits are a good idea – dairy products are not. If you can’t get things under control and are worried about dehydrating, find a local doctor and seek medical advice.

Mosquitos are not your friends
We know that you have to wear suncream, but you might also want to use an over the counter spray to keep mosquitoes away from your skin. You can also use a few drops of citronella: mix a little with your moisturiser, or use in a burner at night time (but keep an eye on this to be safe). However hard we try to keep safe, bites do happen and if they happen to you, go for an antihistamine tablet or try a cream as these will help to reduce annoying itching and redness, but also remember that aloe Vera products can help soothe bites. Try not to scratch as this can make things worse, and also leave you with scars.

Do not burn
When it comes to sunburn, prevention really is better than cure. Use a suncream that offers your skin the best protection, stay out of the sun between 11am and 3pm, and wear a hat for your head and glasses for your eyes. If you get burnt, take a shower to cool things down and wash away creams, sand, dirt, and chlorine, then apply an aloe gel to cool, calm and hydrate your skin. If things really have got out of hand, think blisters and sores, see a doctor, and don’t go out in the sun until things have cleared up.

Be protected
Coming back from a holiday with a tan is great, arriving home with an STI is not. By all means, go away and have fun, but take protection with you and use it!

Team Pure Beauty

Don’t let sensitive skin get you down

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24/7, apple fruit extract and glycerine, Barley Seed, base for make-up, bio-energy, blemishes, blended, care, cell energy, Chamomile Extract, complexions, Cupuacubutter, Decleor Organic Rose D’Orient Soothing Comfort Oil Serum, Decleor Rose D’Orient Soothing Night Balm, Decleor Satin Softening Dry Oil, Dermalogica UltraCalming Calm Water-Gel, distressed skin, dry limbs, dryness, Elemis BIOTEC Skin Energising Day Cream Sensitive, Elemis S.O.S. Emergency Cream, grape seed, green tea, hyaluronic acid, immediate hydration, intense moisturiser, itches, Jan Marini Age Intenrention Gentle Cleanser, lavender essential oil, layers of the skin, locked in, love sensitive skin, magic healing cream, melt, mild, Myrrh, natural, non-irritating formula, nourish, preservative free, redness, refreshing gel, restores, rests and repairs, romatic night-care treatment, samples, Scientifically proven, sooth, spotlight, stinging, support, tightness, tingles, weightless, weightless barrier, Willow, zinc

Dryness, blemishes, itches, redness, tingles, tightness and stinging are all signs of sensitive skin and something many people feel they have to live with.

We are here to tell you, the suffering is over.

At Pure Beauty we sell a range of products designed to nourish, sooth and love sensitive skin and today we are putting some of our favourites in the spotlight.

The Elemis BIOTEC Skin Energising Day Cream Sensitive is great for sensitive skin that needs extra support and care. Scientifically proven to help increase cell energy, the BIO-ENERGY complex of zinc and copper increases cell energy so that complexions are bought back to life. Thanks to barley seed and cupuacubutter, sensitive and distressed skin, becomes calm and happy.

If you are looking for immediate hydration for dry, sensitive skin, the Dermalogica UltraCalming™ Calm Water-Gel is a great option. This weightless, refreshing gel sinks into skin on application and creates a weightless barrier. Hyaluronic acid technology works on the various layers of the skin so that moisture is locked in while apple fruit extract and glycerine really softens it. The overall effect is soothed, calm skin that can breathe more easily.

For dry limbs, the Decleor Lavender Fine Relaxing Bath and Shower Gel is fantastic. Thanks to loving lavender essential oil, your skin is left feeling soft and hydrated as well as smelling fabulous. Use a little amount of the gel under the shower or in the shower, massage into your gently and rinse off before patting dry and using the Decleor Satin Softening Dry Oil before dressing.

Lavender, willow, and myrrh have been blended to create the Elemis S.O.S. Emergency Cream. This intense moisturiser restores hydration levels as well as repairing and de-sensitising skin. Perfect as a base for make-up, this magic healing cream can be used morning and night which means relief is delivered 24/7.

We love the Jan Marini Age Intenrention Gentle Cleanser because the mild, non-irritating formula helps ease sensitive skin, and can be use around the eyes. This gentle, non-foaming cleanser is made from a blend of green tea, grape seed and chamomile extract and can be used daily to help you get the skin you have always wanted.

At night our skin rests and repairs, and this can be aided with the application of Decleor Rose D’Orient Soothing Night Balm. This natural, preservative-free, melt into the skin balm, is a blissful aromatic night-care treatment for sensitive skin that needs a little extra love. Applying the balm before you go to bed, will soothe skin and reduce irritation so you wake up with soft skin that is ready for the day ahead. We also like the Decleor Organic Rose D’Orient Soothing Comfort Oil Serum becasue it immediately soothes sensitive skin and leaves it softer and more relaxed than ever.

For more information, or for samples to so you try before you buy, get in touch today and we would love to help make your sensitive skin, less sensitive.

Team Pure-Beauty