Combatting the Symptoms of Hypothyroidism

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aching, ageing, bath, dark circles, decleor, dermalogica, Dermalogica Power Rich, Dermalogica UltraCalming Redness Relief Primer SPF20, Dermalogica UltraSmoothing Eye Serum, dry skin, Elemis, Elemis Absolute Eye Mask, Elemis Aching Muscle Super Soak, Eyes, fatigue, gentle, harmful, hydration, hypothyroid, hypothyroidism, joints, limbs, medication, muscles, pharmaceutical-grade, protection, puffiness, puffy eyes, rays, redness, repair, sensitive, serum, soak, sun, thyroid, thyroxine, tiredness, underactive thyroid, UVA, UVB

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Hypothyroidism, also known as an ‘underactive thyroid’ is a condition that occurs when the thyroid gland, located in the front of your neck, doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormone and causes your metabolism to work too slowly. Hypothyroidism is mostly seen in women between the ages of 40 – 50 and is seen in women ten times more often than men. It often occurs during the menopausal years and symptoms are often ignored during the early stages by both patients and doctors if the patient is at this age. There are many symptoms associated with hypothyroidism, and while taking medication and maintaining proper levels will help, some of the symptoms will persist. Here, we take a look at a few of them and how Pure Beauty can help:

Dry Skin

One of the single most common symptoms of an underactive thyroid is dry skin. As well as maintaining good levels of hydrating by drinking plenty of water, you should try to use a rich moisturiser like Dermalogica Power Rich, which is a pharmaceutical-grade formula, designed to give maximum levels of repair and hydration to depleted skin.

Facial Redness

As well as dryness, hypothyroidism can cause redness and tight-feeling skin, similar to the symptoms of rosacea. As well as feeling unpleasant, it can be tricky to hide without layers of heavy make up, which is why Dermalogica UltraCalming Redness Relief Primer SPF20 is a great product to help with this. As well as providing a sheer green tint to counter redness it also contains ingredients to calm and soothe the skin as well as protecting against skin-irritating UVA and UVB rays.

Fatigue

When your metabolism grinds to a halt, it can feel a lot like you’re wading through custard constantly, with fatigue dragging you down. We don’t have a magic trick to make you feel less tired other than getting a good night’s sleep and eating well) but we can recommend something to help with a tired complexion. Elemis Absolute Eye Mask will help to decongest, firm, tone and minimise dark circles, making you LOOK less tired, even if you don’t feel it.

Muscle and Joint Pain

Muscle and joint pain is hugely common with an underactive thyroid and when you combine this with tiredness, it can make you feel about 100 years old. Elemis Aching Muscle Super Soak

Is designed to be added to a hot bath to help you to soothe aching limbs, harnessing the powers of birch, juniper, clove, alpine lavender, wild thyme and blue chamomile, combined with sea salt to recharge mind and body.

Eye Puffiness

As well as dark circles around the eyes, hypothyroidism sufferers also suffer with puffiness around the eyes. This can be easily combatted by adding Dermalogica UltraSmoothing Eye Serum into your daily routine; it’s a highly active eye treatment which is designed to be used on even the most sensitive eyes, giving excellent results whilst being completely gentle. It’s perfect for getting rid of puffiness and will have you feeling yourself in no time.

Don’t let hay fever get you down

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allergic reactions, Antihistamines, apples, beer, blocked nose, Broccoli, brown rice, cabbage, carpets, cinema, clear sinuses, control, corticosteroids, curries, dehydrates, difficult, ease congestion, enjoy, Eyes, flowers, garlic, ginger, GP, grass, histamine, Home comforts, honey, Housekeeping, impractical, inflammation, itchy, itchy eyes, leeks, Low-allergen foods, mushrooms, nutshell, organic, over-the-counter medicines, pears, peas, pillow, plants, pollen, quinoa, red, red onions, Reishi mushrooms, runny, salads, shopping centre, sleep, sneezing, spirits, stir fries, summer, sunglasses, sweep, sweet potatoes, swelling, symptoms, tips and tricks, vacuum, Vaseline, Wash your hair, wet, windows, wine

The sun is shining, the sky is blue, off the shoulder dresses are on trend and everyone is happy.

Well, nearly everyone.

With an estimated one in five people suffering with this common allergic condition during their life, summer can be unbearable for many.

In a nutshell, pollen from grass, flowers, plants and trees can cause sneezing, runny or blocked nose and itchy eyes and it can be both painful and frustrating as there is no known cure.

Of course, the most effective way to keep hay fever under control is to avoid pollen exposure. This, however, it’s difficult and impractical, so we have some tips and tricks to help keep it at bay so you can enjoy your summer as much as everyone else.

Medicines
Hay fever can be controlled with conventional, over-the-counter medicines on sale at your chemist. Antihistamines help prevent allergic reactions and corticosteroids ease inflammation and swelling. If you try these and they aren’t helping it is worth speaking to your GP to see if prescription medication is needed.

Diet
Eat organic food where possible as this helps avoid pesticides and additives. Low-allergen foods such as brown rice, quinoa, broccoli, cabbage, sweet potatoes, leeks, peas, pears, apples and papaya are all good options and of course will aid general peak health.

Mushrooms
Mushrooms aren’t just for breakfast and can really help regulate the immune response. A good quality organic extract from Reishi mushrooms is a good option and worth investing in if you are serious about dealing with hay fever for once and all.

Drinking
Keep your water drinking up and reduce your alcohol intake. Beer, wine and spirits all contain histamine, which is the chemical that sets off allergy symptoms in your body so as well as making you more sensitive to pollen, alcohol also dehydrates you, making your symptoms seem worse.

Wash your hair
Did you know pollen can stick to your hair? Well it can and when you go to bed it transfers to your pillow and will affect you as you try to sleep. If you have been out for the day, it is a good idea to have a shower and change your clothes before going into your bedroom and sprinkling pollen around and making life harder.

Go for sunglasses
As well as shades protecting your precious peepers, they are also a great way of stopping pollen from getting into your eyes. Go for a decent wrap around pair to create a barrier and to ensure your eyes are less red and itchy.

Housekeeping
We aren’t saying you don’t clean but given that pollen can easily get into your carpets it is a good idea to vacuum regularly and sweep it away. Try not to have the windows open too much and dust with a wet cloth so pollen doesn’t unknowingly spread around your house

Barrier
It is said that applying a little Vaseline (petroleum gel) around your nose can stop pollen getting into your system.

Home comforts
This isn’t going to happen every day but if the pollen count is high (over 50 grains per cubic metre of air) you might want to stay at home or visit a shopping centre, cinema or museum rather than being outdoors and at risk of symptoms getting worse.

Spice up your life
Garlic, ginger, red onions and other spices are all brilliant ways to help clear sinuses and ease congestion. Add them to curries, salads, stir fries and BBQs to keep your pain away.

Honey
Pop some honey on your toast or in your green tea and let the bee pollen in it desensitise your body to the plant pollens that cause the hay fever grief.

We hope you find a way to keep your hay fever under control this summer, and if you have a top tip, would love to know what it is.

Team Pure Beauty

How to Apply the Perfect Smoky Eye

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blend, blending, brushes, crows feet, decleor, Decleor Hydra-Radiance Smoothing and Cleansing Mousse, dermalogica, Dermalogica Ultra Sensitive Tint SPF30, eye, eye liner, eye make up, eye shadow, Eyes, greys, liner, make-up, Mascara, pallette, purple, skin, smoky eye, smooth

Make up trends come and go on what seems like an almost daily basis, but if there’s one make-up look which is always in style, it’s the smoky eye. Achievable in a number of different tones with each more effective than the last, the killer smoky eye is easy to achieve providing you follow the right steps:

• Make sure your face is super clean first so that you’ve got the best canvas on which to work. Opt for an all-round cleanser such as Decleor Hydra-Radiance Smoothing and Cleansing Mousse, which is suitable for all skin types.
• Use a good eye cream which will help you to reduce the appearance of fine lines around the area. Nothing ruins a smoky eye quicker than all of your eye shadow disappearing under loose skin!
• Apply a primer to your face, which will blur imperfections and smooth out your skin, making it far easier to apply an even layer of colour.
• Use the right brushes. The applicators which are given away with most eye shadows are actually really rubbish for blending, so invest in a good set of brushes before you take the plunge.
• Choose a shade which suits you – olive and darker skins look fantastic with a bronze-based gradient, while lighter skinned women look great with greys and blacks. If you’re feeling really brave, you could even opt for other hues, such as purple or a shimmery emerald which are both huge right now.
• Use a cotton bud dipped into a little concealer to get rid of any mistakes or smudges, otherwise you’ll end up rubbing everything off and starting again!
• If you use eyeliner – a harsh line of black on your lid will stand out a mile, whereas a well-blended line of kohl will make your eyes pop.
• Use concealer (or dab some Dermalogica Ultra Sensitive Tint SPF30) under your eyes to ensure you don’t have dark bags, which could potentially ruin your whole look.
• BLEND, BLEND, BLEND! The key to a smoky eye is that the colours are seamlessly blended together to create the whole look – fail to do so and ‘smoky’ becomes ‘stripey’!

 

Fight the Signs of Ageing with Dermalogica and Decleor

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age, ageing, body, decleor, Decleor Dark Spot Corrector Concentrate, Decleor Regenerating Eye and Lip Cream, Decleor Youth Activator Body Serum, dermalogica, Dermalogica Lip Renewal Complex, Dermalogica Multivitamin Hand and Nail Treatment, Eyes, face, fine lines, firm, hyperpigmentation, lips, moisture, moth, nutrients, pigmentation, potent, serum, smooth, wrinkles, youth, youthful

One of the most common reasons for new customers coming to Pure Beauty is because they want to combat the signs of ageing and renew their youthfulness. There are lots of areas of the face where ageing can be a problem, so we’ve compiled a list to help you to get the best products for your specific problem.

Eyes

The skin around the eyes is perhaps the most delicate of the whole face and needs really specific products to keep the signs of ageing at bay. Decleor Regenerating Eye and Lip Cream has been formulated for use on the most delicate of areas and helps reduce puffiness and dark circles around eyes and smoothes fragile contours to regenerate, plump and invigorate the eye.

Mouth

The lips are the area of the face which move the most and as such are prone to fine lines around the outside, especially if you’ve been or are a smoker. Dermalogica Lip Renewal Complex is designed to replenish lost moisture in the lips and surrounding area minimising contour lines and helping to prevent the signs of ageing.

Hands

People often neglect the skin on their hands but it’s usually the area of the body which gets the roughest deal. Between gardening, harsh chemicals in cleaning products and a million other things that ruin the condition of your hands, they probably need MORE care than the rest of your body, not less! Decleor Dark Spot Corrector Concentrate can be used anywhere on your body where there are areas of hyper-pigmentation, but it’s great for use on your hands where these spots are often at their worst.

Body

When we think of ageing, we usually concentrate on our faces but our bodies can show signs of ageing too. Opting for a potent serum like Decleor Youth Activator Body Serum, which can be used all over your body, will help to replenish lost moisture and nutrients, encourage cell regrowth and will help to smooth and firm your whole body.

Nails

You may think that nails can’t show signs of age, but even they can become brittle, dry and discoloured as we age, so using a dedicated nail treatment like Dermalogica Multivitamin Hand and Nail Treatment is a really good idea. It’s a non-greasy treatment which will strengthen your nails and help to reverse discolouration, giving your hands their youthful looks back.

The Health Benefits of Drinking Red Wine

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acne, antioxidants, bacteria, beer, decleor, dermalogica, Dermalogica Breakout Control, Eyes, moderate, Red wine, resveratrol, skin, spots, wine

It’s that time of year when most of us like a little tipple with some festive nibbles and everyone is left feeling guilty about leaving their diet on the sidelines. However, if you make the right choices, a treat needn’t be the end of the world and there are actually several health benefits to having a small glass or two of wine in the evening. Read on to find out how wine can have a positive impact on your health (and help absolve yourself of Christmas guilt!)

Increases Longevity

Red wine is packed with antioxidants, and it’s been proven in several long-range studies that people who drink red wine regularly actually live longer. A 29-year study of almost 2500 Finnish men showed that wine drinkers have a 34 percent lower mortality rate than beer or spirits drinkers. We can’t guarantee that it won’t speed up the ageing process if you indulge too much, though!

Lowers the Risk of Heart Disease

From the outside, it may seem as though the French should be more prone to heart disease, given their love of rich food and drink, but actually their rates of heart disease are much lower than here in the UK. Wines from France are packed with tannins which contain procyanidins, helping to protect against heart disease. Wines from Sardinia and southwest France have more procyanidins than other wines.

Wine Protects the Eyes

For many people, deteriorating eyesight and developing cataracts (you know, where the eyes look milky) is just a fact of life and something which is inevitable with age. However, a study of over a thousand individuals in Iceland showed that moderate drinkers are 32 percent less likely to get cataracts than non-drinkers; those who consume wine are 43 percent less likely to develop cataracts than those drinking mainly beer.

Prevents Spots

Believe it or not, red wine contains something which could help if you suffer with acneic breakouts. Resveratrol is a natural phenol which can kill bacteria, and just so happens to be contained in red wine. Use it alongside Dermalogica Breakout Control for practically perfect skin.

Cut the Risk of Tooth Decay

Red wine contains many bacteria-killing enzymes and when it comes into contact with the nasties which live on your teeth, it neutralises them, cutting your risk of developing tooth decay in the process. Don’t drink too much in one sitting though – purple teeth are a dead giveaway!