Helpful hacks to better sleep

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All these New Year’s Resolutions are great, and while giving up booze, changing your diet and taking more exercise are a positive step, they can all have an impact on your
sleep habits.

As we change the various elements of our lives, our sleep can improve in the long run, but adapting to a new way of doing things takes time. We have had a look at how you can get a good night’s sleep and bring a holistic change to your life in 2020.

Watch what you eat
You might be trying out a new diet or trying out veganism, but if you don’t eat enough during the day, or are fuelling up on the wrong things late in the evening, this could impact how you sleep. Don’t have caffeinated drinks before bed (remember hot chocolate might not be a sleep choice after all), steer clear of big meals later in the day and try not to have sugary snacks before bed as this can play havoc with your body, and teeth. If you are hungry, a banana or handful of nuts with a mug of warm water and lemon can help give you the balance you need.

Get into a routine
It is really important for you to stick to a bedtime routine, not because you are a child but because this will help both your brain and internal body clock find a new schedule every night. Try to go to bed at the same time each night and while a lie-in at the weekend is nice, just don’t over do it as that evening could spell sleeping troubles.

Relax before bed
While you might want to fit in a run at 9pm, it’s relaxing in the evening that will prepare you for bed and sleep. Taking a warm bath, learning simple relaxation techniques, doing some gentle yoga stretches and meditating are all calm, easy ways to help you unwind and get ready to rest.

Detox your bedroom
If you want to get to sleep, and stay asleep, your bedroom needs to be a quiet, clean, clear space that you want to spend time in. Chairs laden with clothes, shoes on the floor, dirty cups and glasses on the bedside table and endless open beauty products are not conducive to rest. This weekend, why not have a really good clear out, hoover and dust, set the radiator to the right heat, ensure the curtains are dark enough and see if this makes a difference for you. This is also the time to check out your mattress and make sure it is working, because if it is old and lumpy that is how you will feel when you wake.

Go screen free
Whether it’s a TV, laptop, tablet or e-reader, the glare of a screen in the bedroom isn’t going to do you any sleep favours. Keep screens out of the bedroom, get an alarm clock, read real books and you might be surprised how going screen free can help you sleep better.

Keep a sleep diary
If you find that you are doing everything right, but still can’t sleep, try keeping a diary so you can see what is happening. Note down what times you go to bed, what you did before you jumped under the covers, what you ate that day, when you dozed off (if you can remember) and what time you woke up in the morning. This might help you discover what is keeping you awake.

If you’re really struggling, maybe speak to your GP and see if there is an underlying issue they can help you with.

Team Pure Beauty

Have Yourself an Oil-Free Christmas

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all skin types, bisobolol, broad spectrum, Burdock, complexion, Dermalogica Active Moist, Dermalogica Oil Free Matte SPF30, dry, dryness, face, Green Tea extract, heat, holiday, inflammation, Ivy, Jan Marini Daily Face Protectant SPF30, Jan Marini Physical Protectant SPF30, lemon, oil, oil free, oily skin, overproduction, sebum, skin, smooth, soothe, sun, sun protection, UVA, UVB, Watercress, winter

Photo by Malvestida Magazine on Unsplash

If you suffer with oily skin, this time of year can play absolute havoc with your complexion. Between central heating, too much food and drink during Christmas parties and the cold weather, skin which already over produces oil can go into overdrive. The best way to combat this is to invest in some good oil-free products which will help keep your skin in great condition without exacerbating any overproduction. Here are four of our favourite products which are completely oil-free but will give your skin a real treat during the festive season.

Dermalogica Active Moist

Although many people with oily skin shy away from moisturiser, it can actually be even more essential to moisturise oily skin, as the oiliness can be caused by an underlying dryness problem. This moisturiser from Dermalogica is lightweight and oil-free, and absorbs into the skin without leaving a slick on the surface. It creates an invisible barrier which stops your skin from losing natural moisture and can help to create a smooth base for your makeup. It contains natural extract of lemon, watercress, burdock and ivy, which are all astringent and will help to keep oil at bay. Soothing extracts of lavender, mallow and cucumber will deeply hydrate your skin. It’s perfect for skin which creates excess oil and helps to hydrate without leaving the skin feeling greasy.

Jan Marini Daily Face Protectant SPF30

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again; even if you live in the UK, you still need a daily SPF on your face to protect yourself from the sun’s harmful rays, otherwise they will exacerbate the signs of aging. This daily-use face protectant from Jan Marini is SPF30 and will provide your skin with a water-resistant broad-spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays. As well as this, it will help to control the oil production in your skin while providing advanced hydration, allowing you to give you a skin a wash of moisture and daily protection without any additional oil which could exacerbate sebum production.

Dermalogica Oil Free Matte SPF30

This product from Dermalogica is a truly multifunctional formulation. As well as providing lightweight ultra sheer broad spectrum sun protection, it also helps to regulate oil production within the skin, preventing shine and soothing inflammation. It contains advanced oil absorbers which help your skin to have a matte finish all day long, but doesn’t leave the same powdery residue that other oil absorbing products might. It contains green tea leaf extract, a powerful antioxidant which helps to soothe inflammation and can rid your skin of the underlying causes of overproduction of oil.

Jan Marini Physical Protectant SPF30

This sunscreen from Jan Marini is so much more than just sun protection and is actually a bit of a miracle product in a bottle! The weightless formula contains a universal tint and microscopic oil absorbing particles which will leave your skin with a sheer matte finish all day long. It contains green tea extract and alpha bisabolol, which give enhance antioxidant properties while soothing and calming the skin. It’s suitable for all skin types and is water resistant for up to 80 minutes, making it the perfect product to take on holiday with you.

Easy ways to create a family friendly kitchen

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appliances, art, baby gate, boiling water, carpets, chilblains, clean, clear area, clear surfaces, cold, colder, cook, cooker, cosy space, cry, cute, danger, diffuser, dinner, draft, draft excluder, easy to clean, eat dinner, family, focal, free of clutter, fridge, fry, gaps, heat, home, home hub, homework, hot, hot chocolate, hot food, insulating, kids, kitchen, laugh, locks on cupboards, love, magazines, make dinner, memories, mid-morning coffee, pets, pictures, playpen, precious paintings, rubbish, rugs, sandwiches, school run, sharp knives, slip proof, smell, smells, table, table manners, talk, teach, temperature, Tiled and wooden floors, toasty feeling, toddler, toes, underfloor heating, windows, worktops

If you have a family, it is highly likely that you spend a lot of time in your kitchen, and that it is very much a focal part of your home. The kitchen is where we laugh, cry and talk, it’s where we eat dinner together, where we teach kids table manners and how to cook, and where we gather at the end of the day to catch up and tell stories. It is place that’s all about love and memories.

Given just how important this room is to so many people, we have put together some ideas about how you can create a kitchen, and a home hub, you love.

Safety is key
It really goes without saying, but safety has to be a kitchen priority. Boiling water, sharp knives, hot food and rubbish are all possible danger points, so care needs to be taken. A baby gate, locks on cupboards and drawers, slip proof rugs and mats as well as putting medicines and cleaning products out of reach of children and pets, are all starting points. You want to enjoy your kitchen, but you can do this more easily if things are safe.

What space do you want to have?
We all want something different from a kitchen, and this changes over time, so think about what you need right now, not in five years. Maybe you need somewhere for a playpen for your toddler while you cook, you might want a table or island bar where the kids can do their homework, or if you have pets, thinking about where to keep their food and water bowls could be a consideration. Think about what would make your kitchen work, and then make the steps towards creating the space you want.

Clear the worktops
Of course, one thing you need is a clear area where you can prepare food that isn’t too crowded and where you have space to keep your appliances too. Even if you have a small kitchen, create an area that is free of clutter, that is easy to clean and that way you know you’ll have the room to make dinner and get sandwiches ready for the next day.

Think about the temperature
You might want your kitchen to be a cosy space, and in the evening when the cooker is on and people are moving around this is fine, but by day it could be a colder matter. To make sure you still get that toasty feeling on Sunday mornings when the children are having their cereal, or when you have your mid-morning coffee, you need to look at the space and how hot or cold it gets. Insulating your home is the best way of keeping the heat in, so check for gaps under doors and window frames, you will be amazed at what a draft excluder can do. Tiled and wooden floors might look great, but come November your toes won’t be happy, so look at underfloor heating, carpets or rugs and that way you can sip your hot chocolate before the school run without getting chilblains.

Make it your own
Yes, clean, clear surfaces and spotless walls are the images we see in magazines, but this doesn’t always create the kitchen you want. Art on the walls can add an extra feeling of love and family, pictures with magnets on the fridge are cute and of course, those precious paintings your little ones bring home from nursery will look lovely in your kitchen!

All about the smell
Kitchens are full of smells and let’s face it, some are better than others! Make sure you keep on top of your rubbish and recycling, if you fry food then keep the windows open and think about having a diffuser to help neutralise nasty odours, and these easy steps can help make your kitchen a pleasant place to hang out!

If you follow these tips, your kitchen should be the best room in your home.

Team Pure Beauty

Look and feel cool this summer with the right clothes

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animal prints, beach, bikini bottoms, black capri pants, black dress, blanket, Body con dresses, breathe, cami, capsule wardrobe, chic, classic, classy, comfort, cotton shirts, crisp, day time dress, denim, dresses, exfoliate, fantastic outfits, feel, fitted t-shirts, floaty, florals, foundation, gold accessories, good quality sunscreen, heat, hot pants, jeans, kaftans, leg-lengthening wedges, light jacket, lightweight, limbs, look, lose, love, midi dresses, monochrome mixes, navy city shorts, navy vest, office, oversize shirt, pale, party, party dresses, patchy, pins, relaxed, rule of thumb, sharp, shave, shorts, smart look, statement necklace, style, summer, super short denim cut-offs, tailored shorts, tee, tube, wardrobe staple, wax, weather, weekend, white, work

While we love the sunshine, as the temperatures rise, it can be tricky to know what to wear so you look, and feel, cool wherever you are.

Pretty dresses and crop tops are great for keeping the heat at bay, but while they work at the weekend, they might not do the job in the boardroom. The general rule of thumb is that if it works for the beach, it probably won’t be right for the office.

We have had a look at how you can look and feel cool this summer whatever you are doing, wherever you are doing it.

Cut down on denim
We know that denim is a wardrobe staple, but standard jeans, dresses and even skirts can make you feel as if you are wrapped in a blanket and your limbs will struggle to breathe. If you like the comfort of denim but not the heaviness, go for a lightweight, pale option that you can match with a navy vest and pretty pumps and you’ll have an effortlessly chic, cool look in moments.

Make shorts work for you
Let’s get this out of the way – hot pants, super short denim cut-offs and bikini bottoms are great for the beach and pool, but when it comes to going to work or the shops, we would suggest a slightly longer length. If you want a sharp, smart look, the answer is tailored shorts with a signature tee tucked in and leg-lengthening wedges.

Trash the tights
Yes, some people hate their legs so much that they will still wear tights in summer. You don’t need to! OK, they might be pale and patchy but if you exfoliate, shave or wax and apply a gentle tanning product, you will soon love your pins.

Create a capsule wardrobe
This sounds a little structured, but if you get the basics right you are on the way to winning when it comes to the cool stakes. We all have our own style but crisp, cotton shirts, fitted t-shirts, midi dresses, decent underwear, shorts and flat sandals are a good starting point. You can then add a light jacket, statement necklace and bold bag and dress things up and down to match the weather and occasion.

Keep it lose
Body con dresses look might be on trend, but if you are on the tube or in the bank queue, you are going to feel hot and sticky. Yes, wear those fantastic outfits when you party, but for the day time you might want to go for something that is more relaxed and floaty as this can keep you cool and save those embarrassing underarm marks.

Think about neutrals
You might think that when summer comes you need to ditch everything else and only wear white, but this isn’t the case. A classic black dress and gold accessories, navy city shorts and a fresh white tee, or black capri pants and a fitted short-sleeved shirt, all look fantastic, classic and classy and will show off your tan perfectly.

Grab a kaftan
Kaftans aren’t just for the beach; they can actually work well as a day time dress or oversized shirt. We would suggest you go for monochrome mixes, animal prints or florals but one word of warning – if they are see-through wear a cami to save blushes.

Add in sunscreen
Even if there are clouds in the sky, the sun’s rays can still get through and burn your skin. Whatever else you wear, please make sure you apply a good quality sunscreen before you go out in the sun. It’s it key to also use a facial sunscreen and if you don’t want to overdo the foundation, try a tinted moisturiser instead for the summer months.

Team Pure-Beauty

How to Keep Your Make Up in Place in a Heatwave

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balance, balanced, balancing, base, British Summertime, calm, Calming, clean, cleanse, cleanser, cleansing, cool, cooler, cooling, cosmetics, cream pH, Dermalogica All Over Toner, Dermalogica SkinPerfect Primer SPF30, Dermalogica UltraCalming™ Cleanser, fashion, gel, heat, hot, make-up, primer, protecting, purify, refresh, refreshing, skincare, soothe, soothing, SPF, spritz, summer, sun, sun protection, temperature, Toner, toning

Royalty-free Image

Okay, lets be real – summer hasn’t exactly hit us with much in the way of a heatwave, despite what the tabloids keep telling us. However, it’s only the beginning of July and we’re hopeful that things will get a lot warmer in the coming weeks. With this in mind, we thought we’d share a few handy tips on how to keep your make up in place once the British Summertime decides to switch on the heaters!

Prep Your Skin

The first thing you’ll want to do is make sure your face is totally clean, but without inflaming your skin or making it hotter than it already is – the cooler your face is when th make up goes on, the better staying power it will have. Dermalogica UltraCalming Cleanser is a soothing, pH-balanced gel/cream that glides easily over face to cleanse and cool sensitised or highly reactive skin.

Tone it Down

Next, you should opt for a toner which will cool and calm your skin; we’d recommend Dermalogica All Over Toner. This little spritz will refresh and purify your skin and contains cooling ingredients which will purify your skin before your next step. Allow it to really sink into your face before you move on.

All About the Base

Once you’ve got your skin cool and clean, adding a base for your make up to cling to will increase your chances of getting it to stay put. A high-quality primer such as Dermalogica SkinPerfect Primer SPF30 is remarkably lightweight but very effective in terms of keeping your makeup in place. In addition, it cools your face when applied and even offers sun protection, which is an added bonus on sweltering days.

Think About Your Products

You can apply all the magical stuff in the world UNDER your make-up, but if you choose the wrong make-up products to begin with, you’re going to be on to a loser. Opt for oil-free foundation as this has a tendency to slide off of even the driest faces in the heat, and try to use waterproof eye products if you don’t want them to be affected by sweat.

Go For an Up-Do

You may want to wear your hair down in nice, beachy waves during a heatwave, but wearing your hair up and off of your face is far better for keeping your face in place! Hair around your face will not only increase your body temperature, and therefore your tendency to sweat, but will will also increase the amount of friction around your face, carrying your make-up away with the sweat.