How to Prep Dry Skin Before Applying Makeup

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ageing skin, antioxidant, balm, cleanser, complexion, dead skin cells, dehydrated, Dermalogica Hydro Masque Exfoliant, Dermalogica Skin Perfect Primer SPF30, drier skin, dry skin, dryness, Elemis Pro-Collagen Rose Cleansing Balm, Elemis Superfood Kefir-Tea Mist, Evolve Organic Beauty Daily Renew Facial Cream, fermented, flaky, kefir, make-up, makeup, mist, moisture, moisturising, oil-based, patchy, prep, prime, primer, rooibos tea, skin, spray, Vegan

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Unless you’re lucky enough to have the least problematic skin on the planet, every skin type will have it’s own issues when it comes to make-up application. Ageing skin can struggle with heavier formulas which weigh down the skin while those with oily skin may struggle to get their make-up to last the full day. Today, however, we’re focusing on dry skin and what you can do to prep your skin before applying make-up to ensure that you get the best covering with no patchiness or flaking. 

Choose the Correct Cleanser

If you already have dry skin, the last thing you want to do is choose a cleanser which has ingredients which will further dehydrate your face. We’d recommend using a cleansing oil oir balm, such as Elemis Pro-Collagen Rose Cleansing Balm, to start the cleansing process. Cleansers with an oil or balm texture will help to melt away daily dirt and make-up without stripping the skin’s natural oils and will leave your skin nourished and soothed, with a radiant glow. 

Gently Exfoliate

One of the main issues with applying base products such as foundation to dry skin is that the first place it will cling to is areas of dryness. This will leave your base looking patchy and uneven and it may even appear flaky. The most important thing that you can do to avoid this is gently exfoliating the skin with something like Dermalogica Hydro Masque Exfoliant. This will ensure that dead skin cells are sloughed away and your face is a clean canvas on which to paint. 

Properly Moisturise

If you have dry skin, there’s a good chance that you already have a moisturiser in your daily routine, but is it rich enough to properly nourish a dehydrated complexion? Opting for a moisturiser which is specifically formulated to deal with dry skin, such as Evolve Organic Beauty Daily Renew Facial Cream will ensure that your skin isn’t just drinking in the moisture but still remaining thirsty. 

Prime Your Skin

Many people are under the illusion that cleansing and moisturising is enough, but using a primer is especially important if you have dry skin and want your make-up to sit nicely. Dermalogica Skin Perfect Primer SPF30 will help to smooth away fine lines, brighten and prime for flawless skin and to prepare for make-up application. It’s formulated for use on drier or prematurely ageing skin and will ensure that your skin stays hydrated all day. It also provides broad-spectrum sun protection to prevent harmful UV rays from doing further damage. 

Use a Hydrating Setting Spray

Setting sprays are used quite commonly, but a huge amount of them are alcohol based, making them dehydrating, and therefore bad for dry skin. Imagine doing all of the above to get your skin and make-up on point, only to spray it with something to dry it out?! Elemis Superfood Kefir-Tea Mist is a hydrating 4-in-1 treatment mist, infused with antioxidant rich rooibos tea extract and vegan, soy-derived kefir ferment to help soothe and brighten the complexion.  It may also be used as a setting spray to lock makeup in place and revitalise the skin throughout the day.

Vaping and The Effects on Your Skin

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Photo by FORMM agency on Unsplash

Vaping is something which has gained HUGE popularity the world over in the last decade. When e-cigs first came along, we were all assured that they were far safer than cigarettes and the health benefits of making the switch would be numerous. Now that we’re a few years down the line and more research has been done, we’re now aware that vaping presents its own dangers, not least of all to your skin. Here’s an overview of some of the negative effects of vaping on the skin and what you can do to reverse them:

E-Liquids Contain Toxins Which Can Damage The Skin

Exposure to the chemicals from e-cigarettes are twofold – as well as inhaling chemicals which can be harmful to your skin, you also create a cloud of vapour when you exhale, which also enrobes your skin in chemicals. The best way to stop the effects on your skin is to stop vaping altogether, but adding a potent exfoliator such as Dermalogica Skin Resurfacing Cleanser can also help to remove toxins and reverse some of the damage. 

It Makes Your Skin Dry

One of the ways that smoking ages the skin is by depriving it of oxygen and drying it out, and that can also be said for vaping. Every time you take a puff of a vape, you’re drying your skin out and exacerbating dry skin. Ironically, for some people, this can then lead to OILY skin, as your natural sebum production will ramp up to overcompensate. We recommend Elemis Hydra-Balance Day Cream, which is an ultra-light, antioxidant rich day cream that provides continuous hydration, to leave skin feeling perfectly hydrated, balanced and supple.

It Can Make Acne and Redness Worse

Vaping contains lots of chemicals and nicotine which come in contact with our skin. This may cause the skin to become dry or flaky. It can also aggravate those with naturally dry skin by making it patchy and sometimes itchy. The chemicals in e-cigarettes can also cause skin sensitivity and irritation which can lead to rashes and even acne. To combat these effects, we’d recommend adding Elemis Sensitive Soothing Milk to your daily routine, as it is infused with red sage and aloe vera, whilst bisabolol complex helps to protect against visible daily aggressors that might cause irritation. 

It Accelerates the Signs of Ageing

Despite being touted as “better than smoking” for our health, vaping is still incredibly damaging when it comes to the signs of ageing, as it deprives our skin of nutrients. This will lead to premature ageing in the form of dryness, enlarged pores, sagging, wrinkling, hyperpigmentation, and uneven texture. Using Aromatherapy Associates Anti-Ageing Overnight Repair Mask will help to smooth out lines and firm the skin, treating you to an overnight facial. 

It Can Cause Dark Spots

We all know that smoking can cause discolouration to the skin, but it’s also possible to suffer from hyperpigmentation, thanks to vaping. The nicotine in cigarettes is often what contributes to dark spots, and nicotine is still usually present in e-cigarettes too. Murad Correct and Protect Serum SPF45 is a satiny-smooth serum with 100% mineral SPF that’s tested and scientifically proven to visibly correct discolouration and prevent future hyperpigmentation, making it the perfect product for vapers and smokers. 

Eat Your Way to Healthy Hair

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arrots, avocado, beta-carotene, Blackcurrants, blueberries, Broccoli, capillaries, chicken, clean hair, dairy products, damp, diet, dry, eggs, fish, flaky, hair, hair loss, healthy, honey, kiwi, legumes, mackerel, mashed avocado, meal, nuts, oils, oily fish, oranges, pumpkin seeds, pumpkins, ramp up, salmon, sardines, shine, strawberries, strong, sweet potatoes, trout, turkey, Vitamin E, walnuts, whisked egg yolk, zinc

They say you are what you eat and that is so true when it comes to hair that is full of life and shine.

Last week we looked at tips and tricks to speed up hair growth and today it’s all about how diet can help you get the most luscious locks ever.

First things first. Your hair is made from protein and eating this is vital if vital if you want strong, healthy hair. Not eating enough protein could lead to hair that is dry, weak and lacking in shine. It is thought that eating very little protein can actually cause hair loss – something you do not want. Chicken, dairy products, eggs, fish and turkey are all fantastic sources of protein with legumes and nuts being perfect for vegetarians.

Iron is another must-have mineral for hair as too little can cause anemia which can lead to hair loss. Chicken, fish and red meat all provide iron that is readily available to the body. If you are looking for vegetarian sources then opt for leafy green vegetables such as kale and spinach as well as broccoli, lentils and spinach.

Let’s face it, for health you can’t go far wrong with a decent dose of Vitamin C, and this is so the case when it comes to hair. Vitamin C is key to the production of collagen which strengthens the capillaries that supply the hair shafts. It helps the absorption of iron and is also an antioxidant that your body will lap up. Blackcurrants, blueberries, broccoli, kiwi, oranges, strawberries and sweet potatoes are all high in Vitamin C and taste pretty good so eat them with every meal.

Another hair friendly vitamin is A, which we need to create sebum. Sebum is an oily substance created by the sebaceous gland and acts as a natural conditioner for your scalp. Eating orange coloured veg such as carrots, pumpkins and sweet potatoes will help which are high in beta-carotene (which makes Vitamin A) will keep that sebum alive and prevent a dry, itchy scalp.

Omega-3 fatty acids can only obtained through our diet and are vital as they provide the oils that keep your scalp and hair hydrated and supple. Oily fish like salmon, sardines, trout and mackerel are fantastic sources as are avocado, pumpkin seeds and walnuts.

It might be winter, but the sun can still damage your hair, so ramp up your Vitamin E intake to protect it. Nuts are a great source as they not only provide Vitamin E but also zinc, so be sure to add them into your diet mix.

A lack of zinc can lead to hair loss and also make your scalp dry and flaky. Fortified cereals and wholegrains are a good source of zinc along with beef, eggs and oysters, so add them to your next weekly shop.

As well as eating vitamins for healthy hair, you could also whip up a quick mask to give your locks an added boost. Once a week mash together one whisked egg yolk and mix this with half a mashed avocado and a large spoon of honey. Massage the mixture onto damp, clean hair and leave for half an hour before rinsing thoroughly and leaving to dry naturally.

Got a super food you swear by? Drop us a line and let us know.

Team Pure-Beauty

Caring for Your Skin After a Chemical Peel

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chemical peel, dead skin, decleor, dermalogica, Dermalogica Pure Light SPF50, flaky, hyperpigmentation, moisture, moisturise, peeling, Renew, replenish, sensitive, sensitized, side-effects, skin, SPF50

Here at Pure Beauty, we feel that the products we offer from Dermalogica and Decleor are more than enough to ensure that we don’t need to go for more drastic measures such as fillers and chemical peels. However, we know how a-peel-ing (see what we did there?!) the prospect of totally renewed skin can be and that a chemical peel can seem like a good idea, so we thought we’d put together a guide for helping you to care for your face after taking the plunge.

Be Gentle

The single most important thing we can tell you is to BE GENTLE! The skin which has been peeled away has revealed the brand new, extremely delicate and sensitive skin beneath and it needs to be treated with the utmost respect. Opt for the mildest cleanser you can find; we recommend Dermalogica UltraCalming Cleanser which is designed to cleanse and protect even the most delicate and sensitive of skin.

Don’t Over-Moisturise

The whole point of a peel is to destroy the top layer of skin, which means that your face will feel dry and flaky once the chemicals have started to work. It’s tempting to add moisture to your skin when it feels this way but actually, in order to get the full benefit of the treatment you need to allow your skin to dry out and flake away.

Replenish

Once the old, dead skin has fully peeled away, NOW is the time to start replenishing the new, rejuvenated skin with the moisture it needs. One of the unwanted side-effects of a chemical peel is that the peel can actually increase melanin production temporarily, which can cause dark spots. Using a product which reduces the effects of hyperpigmentation is really important, so investing in Dermalogica Pure Light SPF50 ahead of time is a good idea.

Stay Away from the Sun

Keeping your brand-new skin away from the sun is also very important. Your risk of burning is FAR higher when you’ve had a chemical peel and burning brand new skin right away, causing sun damage, completely defeats the object of having a peel in the first place! The Dermalogica Pure Light SPF50 that we mentioned above is good for this reason too; the SPF50 gives added protection if you simply aren’t able to stay indoors.

Don’t Exfoliate

This may seem like a no-brainer but exfoliating is a big no-no right now. Your skin is probably the most delicate and sensitive it will ever be and exfoliating it now could cause you some serious discomfort. It may be tempting to help the flaky skin to peel away but YOU MUST RESIST!

Autumn/Winter 2016 Trends – Glitter Lips

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autumn, AW16, catwalk, cleanse, decleor, Decleor Brightening Cleansing Oil, dermalogica, Dermalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant, Dermalogica Lip Renewal Complex, dry lips, exfolaite, fashion, flaky, glitter, glitter lips, gloss, lip gloss, lip liner, lips, make-up, moisturise, trends, winter

Glitter lips are a trend which has been gaining momentum for some time now, but with autumn and winter on the way, they’re set to make an explosion! They might look like something which should be confined to the catwalks but according to anyone who knows anything about fashion, everyone will be adorned with glitter in the coming months.

It’s one of those trends which can be quite tricky to get right, so we thought we’d put together some tips for keeping your lips in tip-top condition so that you can be festive from now until next spring!

Exfoliate

Flaky lips will not only look unpleasant when covered in glitter, it would probably be quite tricky getting glitter to stick to them in for first place. Exfoliating beforehand with Dermalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant will help to slough away dead skin, giving you a much better surface for bedazzling.

Moisturise

If your lips are overly dry or aging prematurely, you’ll want to start a regimen of moisturistation before you get glittery. Dermalogica Lip Renewal Complex is the perfect product to add moisture to your lips while minimising contour lines and helping to prevent the signs of aging.

Line

To get a really good, even coverage of colour you’ll want to use a lip liner in a similar colour to your glitter to create a really defined outline and then fill your lips with liner, too. This will give you the perfect base to work from.

Gloss

The final step before applying your glitter with a soft brush is covering your lips with gloss. The gloss gives something for the glitter to stick to and will add to the overall shimmery effect of your lips. Choose either a clear gloss or one which is a similar colour to your glitter and using the ‘gloopiest’ gloss you can find will help when it comes to getting as much glitter as possible to stick to your lips.

Cleanser

Obviously, wearing glitter on your face is going to leave you needing a pretty heavy-duty cleanser once you’re ready to de-glitter. We’d recommend Decleor Brightening Cleansing Oil to really help to remove all glitter, plus the layers of make-up beneath, and leave your skin looking radiant and luminous.