Skincare for Tattoos

Tags

art, clean, dermalogica, Dermalogica Close Shave Oil, Dermalogica Post Shave Balm, Dermalogica Protection 50 Sport SPF50, Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel, Dermalogica Ultra Rich Body Cream, ink, moisturised, skin, sun protection, tattoo

Go back just 20 years and tattoos were not quite so mainstream, but here in 2016 it seems like everyone and their Nan is getting inked (seriously, we aren’t kidding about the Nan thing…last year almost 10% of over sixties were the proud bearers of tattoos and the number is expected to rise!). No longer are tattoos confined to the likes of sailors, footballers and ‘alternative’ types, which means that the stigma of body art is finally wearing away and we thought we’d put together some tips for how to care for tattooed skin.

Shave

Before you get tattooed, unless it’s on an area like the palm of your hand where hair never grows, there’s a good chance that your artist will shave the area. This is usually done dry, with a disposable razor, and doesn’t always make for the most comfortable experience! If you know where you’re being inked, shave before you go using Dermalogica Close Shave Oil to properly protect the skin, as well as Dermalogica Post Shave Balm to condition the skin. DON’T be tempted to wax as this can leave the skin broken and any tattooist worth their salt won’t put a needle on broken skin.

Keep it Clean

Directly after you’ve been inked and you’ve removed the dressing that your artist applies, it’s really important to clean the tattoo, which is effectively a big, open wound and is highly susceptible to infection. Use a really mild wash like Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel, which is gentle and soap-free, is important for keeping it clean but make sure you pat it thoroughly dry with a clean, soft towel after washing.

Moisturise

There’s nothing that makes a tattoo look duller than dry skin, so using a rich, thick body cream on your skin will help to keep them vibrant and defined. Dermalogica Ultra Rich Body Cream is the perfect product for inked skin as it deeply moisturises and nourishes the skin without feeling oily and is even suitable for sensitised skin.

Protect

Over-exposure to the sun will literally murder a tattoo as the harmful UV rays can basically dissolve the inks in your skin, so covering yourself in a high factor SPF such as Dermalogica Protection 50 Sport SPF50 is essential. It’s important for another reason too – highly tattooed skin can effectively mask the early signs of skin cancer such as ragged edges or colour changing of moles, which means that you need to stay even more alert.

Five Dermalogica and Decleor Beauty Hacks

Tags

bacteria, body cream, decleor, deodorant, dermalogica, Dermalogica Environmental Control Deodorant., Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel, Dermalogica Ultra Rich Body Cream, feet, frizzy, hair, hair conditioner, moisturiser, odour, serum, sunburn, sweat

Do you ever get that thing where you have a beauty problem but don’t have the specific product to hand? We’ve had this happen to us a bunch of times and although it’s quick and easy to order from the Pure Beauty site, sometimes life just can’t wait! We take a look at some common beauty issues and some of the products you could us in the meantime.

Frizzy Hair

With the weather as hot and humid as is has been lately, very few of us are lucky enough to completely avoid the frizz, which means waking up and realising you’ve run out of hair serum can be a real nightmare. We don’t recommend it as a permanent solution, but rubbing a SINGLE drop of Decleor Rose D’Orient Soothing Oil Serum between your palms and smoothing your hair down after drying and styling can help to prevent your hair from going completely wild.

Sunburn

Obviously, aftersun is what you want if you’ve been daft enough to get burnt in the sun, but if you don’t have any to hand then something like Dermalogica Ultra Rich Body Cream is perfect. It’s specially formulated for sensitised skin and will help to hydrate and repair hot, damaged skin really well.

Shaving

Shaving is a must for most of us when it’s still leg-baring weather but running out of shaving foam can put a dampner on things. Dry shaving is a BAD idea as it can cause shaving rash, ingrown hairs and increased risk of cuts, but there is an alternative – conditioner! Using hair conditioner will soften the hair in preparation for being chopped, as well as providing a silky later for the razor to glide over.

Smelly Feet

Smelly feet and smelly armpits more or less occur in the same way; the body sweats, the sweat contains bacteria which decomposes and starts to produce an odour. Therefore, if you sometimes suffer with sweaty feet but need to keep your plates dry and fresh, using a little deodorant could help. Dermalogica Environmental Control Deodorant uses coriander, parsley, clove and hyssop neutralises odour, while other ingredients inhibit odour-causing bacteria.

Dirty Make Up Brushes

Keeping your make-up brushes clean is so important because dirty brushes can harbour all sorts of bacteria which can result in infections and skin issues. It seems like a no-brainer, but the best thing to get make-up off of your brushes is make up remover, so giving them all a soak and clean up with Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel is the best way to ensure your brushes aren’t hiding any nasties.

Prolong the life of your tan

Tags

after sun, aftersun, ageing, damage, Dermalogica Ultra Rich Body Cream, gradual, harmful, hydrate, moisturise, natural, prolong, protect, replenish, skin, SPF, SPF15, SPF30, SPF50, sun, tan, tanner, tanning, UVA, UVB

Here a Pure Beauty, tanning is a bit of a hot topic for us; while we love to travel and spend time in warmer climates, we’re all too aware of the damage that the sun can do to our skins and how much of an effect that has on the ageing process. However, tans which are achieved naturally and gradually (i.e. not through deliberately baking ourselves in the sun for hours) can give us a healthy glow that we want to hold onto, so we thought we’d share some tips and tricks for prolonging your tan, with the use of some handy Decleor and Dermalogica products.

Use the right sunscreen

So many people still think that if you use sunscreen you won’t tan, which is nonsense. Using the right broad-spectrum sunscreen with a high SPF will protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays and prevent your skin from burning. Using a minimum of SPF30 is essential (unless you’re naturally dark skin, when an SPF15 should suffice) as is reapplying every 2 hours, to ensure your skin absorbs only the good parts of the suns rays.

Find Shade

The skin has a natural cut-off point for how much melanin it will produce, which means that sitting in the sun all day long isn’t going to increase the depth of your tan if you’re just not that dark skinned to begin with. Give your skin regular breaks by sitting in the shade to avoid damage from UVA and UVB rays and use an aftersun to replenish the moisture lost and prolong your tan.

Eat carrots!

Okay, this one may sound a little ridiculous but beta-carotene is found in carrots and can hugely improve the skin’s ability to tan. It’s best taken as a supplement, rather than becoming a Bugs Bunny impersonator, but taking a beta-carotene supplement daily can improve your skins natural defences against the sun and will give you longer before the skin starts to burn, as well as increasing melanin production, the thing which gives us a colour.

MOISTURISE!

Sorry to get all shouty, but we cannot emphasise this one enough: MOIST-U-RISE! Keeping the skin well hydrated is the single most important step towards maintaining your tan. Skin which is dehydrated will immediately start to look dull and more pale, so we recommend stepping up your moisturising routine and adding something rich like Dermalogica Ultra Rich Body Cream to give you maximum moisture potential.

Fake it

If all else fails, fake it! There’s no point risking your health to top up your tan when there are so many amazing gradual tanners on the market which allow you to build a natural looking colour without ANY of the risks associated with tanning.