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. 

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

Cleanse Your Face The Right Way

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cleansers, cleansing

Many women ask if they really need to cleanser their face and the answer is, quite simply, yes.

Cleansing is a vital part of any skin care routine but it can cause confusion, so we are here to help to clear things up.

Do I need to cleanse morning and night?
Yes. Cleansing in the evening makes sense because it takes away the makeup and dirt of the day but doing it again when you’ve ‘just’ been asleep seems a bit pointless. The thing to remember is that whilst you sleep, sweat and dead skin build up on your face so by cleansing when you wake you are left with a clean, fresh canvas for the day ahead.

Isn’t water in enough for my skin?
No, splashing water on your face doesn’t constitute cleansing. You wouldn’t splash a dirty shirt with water and wear it again so why do the same with your precious skin? A good cleaners will take away the make-up, dirt and pollution that sticks to you skin and leave it clean and fresh once again.

A good place to start is by using Dermalogica’s Special Cleansing Gel. This is a soap-free, foaming gel that removes impurities without disturbing the skin’s natural moisture balance and is suitable for all skin types.

Help, I hate my spotty skin.
The key to acne free skin is a good diet, sleep, water and the right products. Dermalogica Foaming Wash is a purifying cleanser that is perfect for troubled teenage skin and anyone who is prone to breakouts.

The gentle formula helps clean and purify the skin without stripping away precious natural oils. Orange Peel and Tea Tree energise and refresh the skin and Salicylic Acid breaks up dead skin cells and clears trapped oil to help deal with existing spots and prevent future ones.

I am fed up with my dry skin, what cleanser should I use?
The Dermalogica Essential Cleansing Solution works wonders for dry and prematurely ageing skin as it replenishes it and maintains moisture levels. Essential vitamins and plant extracts nourish and condition skin and because it is water-soluble it simply rinses off leaving you ready for the day ahead.

Can I use a scrub everyday?
Whilst gentle exfoliating scrubs have a place in a skincare routine they aren’t intended to be used everyday. The Dermalogica Skin Resurfacing Cleanser is a dual action product that can be used two or three times a week leaving skin visibly brighter and smoother from the first application.

Lactic Acid concentrate removes dead skin cells, Vitamin E conditions and enhances softness and soothing Rose Flower Oil calms sensitivity.

I’ve heard cloths are good for taking cleaner of, is this true?
Yes, there are a number of products on the market so choose one that is right for you. The Dermalogica Sponge Cloth is super soft and you simply dampen it with water before taking off the cleansing product.

Great Skincare Regime – Preparing the Skin

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cleansers, exfoliants, skin care explained

It is never a simple case of using skincare products in any order, they are designed to be used in a specific way in order to maximise the benefits to you and your skin. In this article we will discuss the preparatory elements of the skincare regime. These are the products that clean and prepare your skin for the nourishing and restoring products that follow. The preparatory elements are:

1. Cleansers
2. Exfoliants

They each treat the skin in a different way and are designed to be used in the order shown.

1. Cleansers and Pre-cleansers

The cleanser is always the first step in any skincare regime although it can now be divided into a 2 step element itself. With the arrival of products such as Dermalogica Precleanse that have been designed for all skin types to help remove debris and sebum before your skin specific cleanser.

Your cleanser will then be able to clean and prepare your skin with ingredients that are tailored specifically to your skin type and if used following a pre-cleanser your cleanser will be even more effective.

Below are a list of skin specific Dermalogica Cleansers:

• Dermalogica Dermal Clay Cleanser for Oily Skin Types
• Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel for Normal, Normal/Dry, Normal/Oily Skin Types
• Dermalogica Essential Cleansing Solution for Dry Skin Types
• Dermalogica UltraCalming Cleanser for Sensitive Skin Types

2. Exfoliants

Exfoliants are used in order to remove the dead skin that is always the top most layer. The purpose behind using an exfoliant is really two fold.

Firstly an exfoliant will help remove dead skin that can cause blocked pores leading to breakout outs or can leave your skin looking dull. they will help to reveal the newer and brighter skin beneath as well as encouraging skin cell renewal.

Secondly through the action they provide they allow the products that follow – the nourishing and reparative products – to penetrate deeper and provide greater benefits.

Below are a list of skin specific Dermalogica Exfoliants:

• Dermalogica Skin Prep Scrub for Oily Skin Types
• Dermalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant for Dry Skin Types
• Dermalogica Multivitamin Thermafoliant for Prematurely Ageing Skin Types
• Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant for All Skin Types including Sensitive Skin

We will cover masques on their own in the next article and then follow with the nourishing elements of a Great Skincare Regime.

Getting rid of enlarged pores

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cleansers, dermalogica, exfoliants

There are pores all over your skin, in fact, if you believe the experts there could be around one million pores on every square inch of your skin – impressive! When you think about it like that you’ll realise just how insignificant those few enlarged pores on your chin really are however, they’re the ones that’ll be causing you the most problems and they’re the ones that you’re likely to want to be rid of.

Here are a number of things that can cause enlarged pores age and genetics being two of them, however, far more likely is congestion and an over production of sebum. When too much sebum is produced and you fail to rectify the problem with the correct skin care products your pores stretch in order to accommodate it and as soon as this happens it’s relatively unlikely that you’ll be able to shrink them back to their original size again. It is however possible to make them smaller by adopting a suitable skin care regime.

In order to prevent your pores from becoming enlarged and congested it’s important to cleanse and exfoliate regularly. Cleansing provides your skin with a deep cleaning which is why it should be done twice every day; exfoliating on the other hand should only be done a couple of times a week and as well as getting deep into your pores it also helps to remove dead and dulling skin cells – preventing them from causing congestion. Dermalogica have a great range of cleansers and exfoliators suitable for all skin types which will not only help reduce the size of your pores but also to smooth, tighten and brighten your complexion.