Five Veganuary Skincare Swaps

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alcohol, animal, beeswax, berry, brighten, cleanser, cranberry, cream, Cruelty, diet, elastin, extracts, free, Glycerin, goji, hydrate, ingredients, lanolin, lavender, moisturiser, Moringa, oil, peptides, pollution, production, products, protection, seed, serum, skin, the January, Toner, urea, UVA, Vegan, vitamin, Vitamin C

Photo by Ivan Samkov

January has long since been a time for new beginnings and setting intentions – the very first New Year’s resolutions were thought to have been made some four thousand years ago, by the ancient Babylonians! Since 2014, however, many people have been adopting “veganuary” as their new start, whereby they try to eat a vegan, plant-based diet for the whole of January. 

In fact, last year, over 600,000 people around the world signed up for Veganuary, and many more took part without doing the official sign up. For some, it’s just about diet, but becoming vegan usually means eradicating animal products from all areas of your life, including clothing and even skincare. With this in mind, we’ve put together a handy list of simple skincare swaps that you can make to ensure your skincare is vegan and cruelty free, for January and beyond:

Cleanser

There are a number of different animal-derived ingredients which can be found in cleansers, but with Evolve Organic Beauty you can be safe in the knowledge that ALL of their products are vegan and cruelty free. Evolve Organic Beauty Daily Detox Facial Wash contains natural sugars which cleanse away impurities, while organic aloe vera softens, leaving skin clean, smooth and supple. Natural goji berry extract and moringa peptides defend against pollution and help to rebalance the skin’s natural oil production. 

Toner

Many toners contain glycerin, and while glycerin can be vegan, it’s also often derived from animal fat extracts, which is cheaper. Elemis Balancing Lavender Toner contains only vegan ingredients, including extracts of lavender, sweet betty flower and saponins from quillaja wood to help to balance and soften the skin. It’s also a non-drying formula, unlike many toners, as it contains no harsh alcohols or detergents. 

Moisturiser

While there are MANY plant-based ingredients which are amazingly nourishing for the skin, some companies still rely on animal products like beeswax and lanolin. REN Clean Skincare Ultra Moisture Day Cream contains a natural blend of beech tree buds extract, which hydrates and improves skin texture, shea butter which softens and smooths skin and cranberry seed oil which replenishes with lipids and reinforces skin barrier, all of which are vegan and cruelty free. 

Serum

Another non-vegan ingredient which is commonly found in serums and other hydrating products is urea, which literally comes from animal urine – pretty nasty even if you’re NOT a vegan! Dermalogica Biolumin-C Serum contains ingredients which hydrate, brighten and firm the skin, all of which are vegan in origin. In fact, this powerhouse serum combines ultra stable Vitamin C complex with a bio-technology to deliver the natural power of Vitamin C where it’s needed most. 

SPF

Sun protection often contains a number of different ingredients, such as elastin, lanolin and stearic acid, all of which are animal byproducts. However, Medik8 Advanced Day Total Protect SPF30 is a completely vegan formula and offers Pollution Shield, anti-infrared, anti-blue light and anti-A.G.E technology alongside SPF 30 and 5* UVA protection all in a lightweight moisturiser. This nourishing day cream boasts a range of protective technologies and replenishes skin’s hydration levels to keep it looking healthy and young.

How to Perfect Your Problematic Pores

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AHAs, antioxidants, blackheads, blemishes, botanical, clarity, cleansing, collagen, corn granules, cruelty free, cucumber extract, dead skin, debris, decongest, elastin, enlarged, essential oils, excess oil, folk medicine, geranium, green tea, kaolin clay, lavender oil, lightweight, Matricaria flower extract, minimising, natural, natural clay, oil production, petitgrain, Pore, pores, reduce shine, skin cells, soothing, spearmint, spirulina extract, tighten, Vegan, visible, Witchhazel

Photo by MART PRODUCTION

In this modern age of blurring primers and photo filters, it’s easy to believe that the people you see online have skin which is completely devoid of pores. Therefore it’s no surprise that research has shown that almost HALF of women wish they could change the size of their pores. As your pore size is mostly a result of your genetics, you can’t permanently shrink them. However, you can minimise their appearance by keeping them clear of oil and debris and boosting your skin’s collagen and elastin. With this in mind, here are five products which will help you to achieve the pores of your dreams:

REN Clean Skincare Clarimatte Invisible Pores Detox Mask

As the name so expertly suggests, this thick, clay-based mask helps to detox the skin and make your pores less visible. Using purifying clay, it helps to draw out impurities, leaving skin deeply clean and hydrated, with a smoother and more refined texture. The vegan, cruelty free formula contains kaolin clay to absorb excess oil, spirulina extract which nourishes the skin and lavender oil for a fragrant and refreshing finish. 

Aromatherapy Associates Mattifying Purifying Facial Scrub

Skin which is oily often seems to go hand in hand with more visible pores, which is why Aromatherapy Associates created this mattifying, purifying facial scrub. It is designed to draw out and eliminate dead skin-clogging cells, using corn granules to gently buff away unwanted cells while natural clay draws impurities from deeper within pores. It also contains rebalancing essential oils of geranium and petitgrain to tighten and reduce shine, making it ideal for over-oily or combination skin. 

Dermalogica Micro Pore Mist

When it comes to minimising the appearance of pores, niacinamide is a hero. By controlling and lowering sebum, niacinamide prevents pores from getting caught with excess oil and dirt, thereby preventing them from stretching, and invariably leading to smaller pores, and that’s what you’ll find in this mist from Dermalogica. In addition, you’ll find cucumber extract, which refreshes the senses for a cool pick-me-up, as well as witch hazel, green tea and matricaria flower extracts, which all provide antioxidant benefits. 

Elemis Clarifying Serum

If your skin is prone to blemishes and blackheads, visible pores are often right there alongside them. Elemis Clarifying Serum is a lightweight, soothing serum clinically proven to reduce the appearance of blemishes, visible pores and blackheads in just 2 weeks. The magic ingredient here is boldo leaf extract, which has been used worldwide in folk medicine to help purify the skin. This botanical ingredient has been shown to visibly improve the appearance of pores and helps improve skin clarity for more even looking skin.

Medik8 Pore Minimising Tonic

The final product on our list, but by NO means the least effective, does exactly what it says on the bottle! Medik8 Pore Minimising Tonic is a purifying post-cleanse solution that works to keep pores clear and minimised over time. It utilises AHAs to control oil production and decongest the skin, allowing pores to shrink back to their original size. With a natural spearmint fragrance, the twice-daily tonic is a long-lasting solution to enlarged pores, leaving your skin looking smoother and more refined.

Add a serum into your beauty routine

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acne or hydration, algae, anti-oxidant phenolic compounds, antioxidants, bathroom, beauty routines, brightness, bug bear, cleanse, clinically proven, collagen, concentrated blend, daily-use treatment oil, Dermalogica C-12 Pure Bright Serum, Dermalogica Phyto Replenish Oil, dewy, Dhatelo Oil, discoloration, dryness, elastin, Elemis Hydra-Boost Serum, Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream, Elemis Pro-Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream, Elemis Pro-Collagen Quartz Lift Serum, epidermis, face lifting effect, feel, fine lines, glowing complexion, hydrators, hyperpigmentation, Jan Marini Age Intervention Peptide Extreme, look, luxe product, mantra, morning and evening, next-generation, Orchid Flower and Chia Seed Oil, Padina Pavonica, peptides, perfect base, phytoactives, poten, proteins, quartz, radiant, Rhodochrosite, Rice Bran, Rice derived Phytic Acid, silky cream, skin care product, skin type ranges, sun shines, sunflower, talk, thirsty skin, tone and moisturise, uneven tone, UV rays, youthful, Zinc Glycinate

Cleanse, tone and moisturise is our mantra when it comes to beauty routines, but we think there is a place for a serum in there too.

Yes, it is another product for your bathroom, and they aren’t always cheap, but adding a serum into the mix could be worth it.

Just to get things straight, a serum is a skin care product you apply to your skin after cleansing but before moisturising to help tackle specific concerns such as fine lines, brightness, acne or hydration.

At Pure Beauty, we sell a range of serums across the skin type ranges and are sure we have something that will work for you.

Let’s start with one of our summer favourites, the Dermalogica C-12 Pure Bright Serum. This is a potent skin brightening serum that really helps with pesky hyperpigmentation and uneven tone. Used morning and evening, the blend of Oligopeptides, Rice derived Phytic Acid, Zinc Glycinate and Algae work on the pigmentation imbalance that can become more problematic when the sun shines and UV rays hit the skin. The silky cream is quickly absorbed into the skin, leaving the perfect base for your moisturiser and as well as brightening the skin, it will also help minimise discoloration and improve clarity

Next we want to talk about the Elemis Hydra-Boost Serum. This clinically proven hydrating serum provides all day moisturisation for thirsty skin. Quinic and Hyaluronic Acid plus Dhatelo Oil have been blended with Myrtle, which is super-rich in anti-oxidant phenolic compounds, and together they help maintain natural defence systems. Simply apply to cleansed skin before you moisturise and watch your skin come to life once again.

If you really need to rebuild and revitalise your skin, we would suggest trying out the outstanding Jan Marini Age Intervention Peptide Extreme. We love this concentrated blend of antioxidants, hydrators, peptides and soothing agents which not only deal with dreaded wrinkles, but also get to work on uneven texture and redness. Used morning and night, this luxe product will really make a difference to the look and feel of your skin making it appear firmer and more radiant thanks to the increased production of collagen and elastin.

If dryness is your bug bear, look no further than the Dermalogica Phyto Replenish Oil. This remarkable next-generation, daily-use treatment oil works on three levels:

Phytoactives from Camellia and Tamanu oils help restore the skin’s natural barrier.
Orchid Flower and Chia Seed Oil smooth dehydration lines and lock in moisture.
Sunflower, Rice Bran and Rosemary extracts create a shield against free radical damage.

The results are a dewy, glowing complexion free of the tightness and irritation dehydration can cause.

For a real face lifting effect, without going anywhere near a surgeon, the Elemis Pro-Collagen Quartz Lift Serum is perfect. Created from concentrated Padina Pavonica, Rhodochrosite, Quartz and Argan Oil, this special serum forms a network of proteins which deliver an immediate tightening effect to the skin. Organic Seaweed binds moisture in the epidermis so your skin feels firm and strengthened and because fine lines and wrinkles are smoothed, your look more youthful. For best results, use morning and night together with the Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream and Elemis Pro-Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream.

If you would like more information about serums or if you would like to try a sample, get in touch today and we would love to help.

Team Pure-Beauty