How to Protect Your Skin’s Biome

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antioxidant, bacteria, biome, black tea, blackcurrant, brighten, complexion, Elemis, good bacteria, jelly, make up, mattified, micellar, microbiome, Murad, Nordic bilberry, Nouveau, nutrients, oil-free, oxygen, prebiotic, primer, probiotic, protect, protective matrix, skin, smooth, soft

Photo by Daniel Apodaca on Unsplash

As we’ve mentioned previously, the skin’s biome is an umbrella term for all of the bacteria which lives on your skin. We’re primed, as humans, to see bacteria as a bad thing, but actually, protecting your skin’s biome is incredibly important if you want a balanced, healthy complexion. Fortunately, we have everything you need to protect your skin’s biome, regardless of your skin type. Here are five of the best products for the job:

REN Clean Skincare Perfect Canvas Clean Primer

REN Clean Skincare Perfect Canvas Clean Primer is a probiotic Primer that plumps skin, mattifies and fills in fine lines for the perfect makeup application. It contains skin-boosting extracts that help balance your good bacteria, reducing breakouts and promoting a healthy microbiome. It can be used on its own to give you smooth, mattified skin or as a primer underneath make up for the perfect canvas. 

Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Clear Biome

These capsules do exactly what it says on the box – they work on your skin’s biome to give you a clear, blemish-free complexion. Skin Clear Biome is designed to work from the inside out: feeding the gut with bacteria to clarify and brighten skin. The formula is housed within a protective matrix to ensure active bacteria reach the area of the gut where they are most needed. 

Elemis Superfood Blackcurrant Jelly Exfoliator

The Elemis Superfood range is all packed with naturally occurring ingredients, derived from superfoods, and this jelly exfoliator is made from antioxidant rich Nordic bilberry and black tea for healthy looking skin. It contains a prebiotic, naturally derived from sugar, that helps to leave skin feeling soft and smooth, without stripping natural oils while black seed oil supports the skin’s lipid barrier for a healthy glow.

Nouveau Prebiotic Eye Make-Up Remover Gel

The eyes are a tricky area – the skin is ultra delicate and finely balanced, while make-up for this area is often hardy and long-lasting. That’s why a specialist product is required to adequately remove cosmetics while protecting the delicate biome of the skin around the eye. Nouveau Prebiotic Eye Make-Up Remover Gel is an advanced oil-free, micellar gel eye make-up remover that contains powerful prebiotic ingredients to promote healthy skin microbiome, and to help prevent irritation.

Murad Prebiotic 3-In-1 MultiMist

Make-up can play havoc with the skin’s natural biome, preventing the transfer of oxygen and other nutrients. Murad Prebiotic 3-In-1 MultiMist is a 3-in-1 hydrating mist that hydrates, primes and sets makeup.The formula features hydrating sugars to moisturise and refresh skin, while a yeast peptide helps lock in hydration, making it the perfect, hard-working multitasker that your face needs. 

Pumpkins Aren’t Just for Halloween!

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acerola cherry, antioxidants, Australian caviar lime, avocado, Broccoli, cleansing, complexion, cranberry, dermalogica, Dermalogica PowerBright Overnight Cream, Dermalogica Rapid Reveal Peel, dry skin, Elemis, Elemis Superfood AHA Glow Cleansing Butter, Elemis Superfood Facial Wash, epidermal cell, extracts, fatty acids, fermented, kale, Lactic Acid, luminosity, mattifying, microbiome, moisturiser, Nettle, nourishing, oat kernel flour, oily skin, plant enzyme, prebiotic, pumpkin, pumpkin enzyme, pumpkin seed extract, pumpkin seed oil, radiant, Refinery, Refinery Mattifying Moisturiser, shine, texture, Wheatgrass

Photo by Kristina Paukshtite

When it comes to pumpkins, we choose them, carve them, roast them, bake them, even take our kids to be photographed in fields of them, but we don’t often think about slathering them onto our faces. That is, until recently, when a flurry of cosmetic companies began incorporating the potent plant, which is abundant in enzymes, amino acids, antioxidants, and vitamins A and E, into their line of skin care products. Now, instead of thinking of pumpkins as something we use once a year to carve a scary face into and place a candle inside for spooky shadows, we’re looking at five of our favourite products which harness the power of this humble member of the squash family:

Dermalogica PowerBright Overnight Cream

As the name suggests, this cream from Dermalogica is intended for nighttime use and is formulated to optimise skin moisture recovery and help restore luminosity. As well as containing pumpkin enzyme, which smoothes and evens skin texture, it packs in antioxidant-rich cranberry and raspberry seed oils to help protect against the damaging effects of free radicals from pollution, and deliver essential fatty acids that moisturise to help reduce the appearance of fine lines. 

Elemis Superfood AHA Glow Cleansing Butter

If you suffer from a dull complexion, finding a cleanser which doesn’t further strip moisture and radiance is important. This cleansing butter from Elemis is a nourishing facial cleanser that removes makeup, daily pollutants and daily grime to reveal a healthy-looking radiance. It’s packed with brightening AHAs from pumpkin and acerola cherry, to help to reveal a fresh-faced glow and can be used as a daily cleanser, a deep cleansing mask or a hydrating makeup remover around the eyes and face for smooth and glowing skin. 

Refinery Mattifying Moisturiser

While many people with oily skin steer clear of moisturiser, mistakenly assuming that they don’t need it, the reality is that oily skin often has underlying dryness that needs to be rebalanced to reduce sebum production. This moisturiser from Refinery contains pumpkin seed extract, which reduces shine with special optical effects, while oat kernel flour soothes and protects skin, and powerful sodium hyaluronate gives a boost of moisture. It’s a light, easily-absorbed formula which instantly reduces shine, making it perfect for oily complexions. 

Dermalogica Rapid Reveal Peel

This potent exfoliator from Dermalogica contains a unique complex of potent phytoactive AHA extracts, lactic acid and fermented plant enzymes to increase epidermal cell turnover to reveal new, firmer skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It’s packed with pumpkin fruit enzyme and rice bran extract to resurface and help even out skin tone, while smoothing Australian caviar lime extracts brightens skin for a more radiant complexion. There are ten applications per tube and should be used once a week for best results. 

Elemis Superfood Facial Wash

The Elemis Superfood range contains a bunch of naturally derived active ingredients, and this facial wash is no exception. As well as pumpkin seed oils, the wash is packed with extracts from avocado, broccoli, wheatgrass, kale, and nettle. These are paired with a natural prebiotic to help balance the skin’s precious microbiome. The result is a nourishing facial wash that revives and refreshes whilst deeply cleansing the skin.

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 Ingredients for Youthful Skin

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acidic, acne, ageing, all skin types, allergic reactions, alternative, anti-aging, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, ayurvedic medicine, bakuchiol, blemish prone, breastfeeding, ceramides, Chinese medicine, collagen, combination skin, complexion, dark spots, dehydrated, delicate, dermatology, dry skin, dryness, eczema, epidermis, Eyes, fats, firm, firmer feeling, germs, glowing, healthy, humectant, hyaluronic acid, Indian Babchi plant, inflammation, leaves, lines, lipids, melanin, moisture, oceans, oil based, oily skin, pigmentation, plump, plumper, potent, pregnant, products, Psoriasis, rainforests, reinforce, retinoids, retinol, rosacea, seeds, sensitive skin, sensitivity, skin, skin barrier, skin care, skin cells, skin issues, smoother, sun damage, topically, useful, vitamin A, Vitamin C, water, wrinkles

Photo by Karolina Grabowska

Here at Pure Beauty, we’re well aware of how confusing skincare can feel. There’s a different product for every different skin issue and a wealth of ingredients which vary from things found in your pantry to things found in the deepest oceans or rainforests! Looking at ingredient lists often feels like trying to decipher an unknown language, but there are some key things that you can look for if you’re in the market for anti-ageing products. Here are five of the best ingredients for maintaining a youthful complexion:

Retinol 

Retinol is a form of vitamin A that’s suitable for the skin. It belongs to a group of vitamin A derivatives, known as retinoids. Retinol has multiple uses and can be used to combat conditions like acne and can target areas of pigmentation. It can also reduce signs of ageing and sun damage. Retinoids don’t work equally well on everyone. If you suffer from rosacea, eczema, or psoriasis, it’s probably best to avoid retinol since it can be too powerful on skin that needs a gentle touch – it can increase inflammation, dryness and sensitivity in already delicate complexions.

Try Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Serum

Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic Acid is a humectant — a substance that retains moisture — and it is capable of binding over one thousand times its weight in water. This substance is naturally found in many areas of the human body, including the skin and eyes. Hyaluronic acid helps skin stretch and flex and reduces skin wrinkles and lines. Hyaluronic acid is also proven to help wounds heal faster and can reduce scarring. Allergic reactions to hyaluronic acid are rare, so that means whether you have oily skin, sensitive, dry skin, or combination skin, you have the green light to use hyaluronic acid products.

Try SkinCeuticals H.A. (Hyaluronic Acid) Intensifier Serum 

Vitamin C

Vitamin C can help keep skin looking plump and firm. This is because it’s highly acidic when applied topically and can help to promote collagen production and reduce the appearance of ageing skin. It also contains a property that inhibits the skin’s melanin production levels, two of the culprits that can lead to dark spots and hyperpigmentation, making it an absolute hero at giving you a glowing, healthy complexion. It’s usually found in oil-based products, so may not be ideal for acne and blemish prone skin, but it’s great for pretty much all other skin types. 

Try REN Clean Skincare Glow Daily Vitamin C Gel Cream

Bakuchiol

If you’re looking for an alternative to retinol that can be used on more sensitive skin, bakuchiol is a good place to start. Bakuchiol is found in the seeds and leaves of the Indian Babchi plant and has been used in traditional Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine for centuries. It also has calming anti-inflammatory and healing antibacterial properties and is even safe for use when pregnant and breastfeeding. It’s a potent-yet-kind ingredient which the British Journal of Dermatology found was just as effective as retinol and significantly less irritating, which is great news for anyone looking for an alternative.

Try Medik8 The CSA Bakuchiol Edition Kit

Ceramides

Ceramides are fats or lipids that are found in skin cells and make up 30% to 40% of your outer skin layer, or epidermis. Ceramides are important for retaining your skin’s moisture and preventing the entry of germs into your body. If your skin’s ceramide content decreases, which often happens with age, it can become dehydrated. Skincare products with ceramides will help reinforce your skin’s barrier and increase hydration, giving you plumper, smoother, firmer-feeling skin with fewer visible lines and wrinkles, as well as fewer signs of sensitivity.

Try Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Moisture IQ

Five Products Which Help with Scarring

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100% natural, acne, acne prone skin, BHA, blemishes, calm, cell renewal, collagen, complexion, discolouration, dry, essential oil, exfoliates, fibres, firming, heal, healing, healthier, hydration, imperfections, improvement, inflammation, lavender, lavender oil, mental health, moisturising, multifunctional, nourish, oil, potent, redness, repair, Rosehip Oil, rosehip seed oil, Roseville, Scar, scarring, scars, skin, skin renewal, smooth, soothing, stretchmarks, Vegan, Vitamin E

Photo by Karolina Grabowska

Scarring can be caused by a number of things, from accidents to acne and everything in between. For some people, scars are like a badge of honour, but many people want to do everything they can to reduce the appearance of scars, and when left untreated, obvious scarring can lead to poor mental health. Fortunately, we have several clever products here at Pure Beauty which can lead to a marked improvement in the appearance of scarring. Here are five of the best:

Elemis Herbal Lavender Repair Mask

This clay-based mask from Elemis contains several skin-soothing ingredients which can calm the skin and reduce redness. It also contains lavender essential oil, which reduces the inflammation of acne and scarring. It doesn’t set on your skin, therefore it doesn’t dry your skin out and it can be used as a special overnight treatment to repair and heal blemished skin. 

Evolve Organic Beauty Super Berry Body Oil

Evolve Organic Beauty Super Berry Body Oil is a moisturising body oil formulated to revive dry and mature skin, and improve the appearance of scars and stretch marks. This vegan formula is 100% natural and gets its scar-busting properties from Chilean rosehip oil, which has been used for centuries for its unique ability to revive skin that is prone to stretch marks or scarring. 

Murad InvisiScar Resurfacing Treatment

As you can tell from the name of this product from Murad, it’s specifically formulated to help deal with post-blemish scars and discolouration, making it a saviour for anyone with acne-prone skin. BHA exfoliates, while a unique blend of highly purified centella asiatica and vitamin C encourages natural radiance and a healthier-looking complexion. It’s so potent that it helps to minimise the look of post-blemish scar size, depth and discolouration in 8 weeks.

Decleor Prolagene Gel

Prolagène Gel contains an amino acid called proline L, which is similar to plant collagen and helps rebuild the skin’s supporting fibres. The formulation also includes osmanthus aabsolute for its potent healing action, making it perfect for skin which has scars and stretch marks. It has a visibly firming effect that builds up with regular use to smooth skin imperfections, as well as acting on the whole of the skin’s structure to speed up cell renewal and improve the look of stretch marks and scarring.

Aromatherapy Associates Anti-Ageing Intensive Skin Treatment Oil

This skin treatment oil from Aromatherapy Associates is a multifunctional product which performs a number of tasks. As well as providing hydration for dry, dehydrated and more mature skin types, it can also be used on scar tissue twice a day to help reduce its appearance. It contains a healing blend of lavender and rose oils, along with vitamin E and rosehip seed oil to nourish and encourage natural skin renewal.