Why You Should Be Paying Attention to Amino Acids

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amino acids, anti-aging, appearance, astringent, basil oil, blow, body, botanical, breakage, building blocks, Burdock, cells, chamomile, cleansing, cucumber, detangling, drying, elasticity, essential, exfoliating, expression, Eyes, Frankincense, frizz, Grapefruit, hair, healthy, heat, hydration, Ivy, Jojoba oil, lavender, lemon, lines, Mallow, moisturised, moisturising, nature, oil, oils, peel, peptides, protect, protection, radiant, rose, sagging, science, shine, skin, smoothness, softness, soothe, split ends, useful, Watercress, youthful

Photo by David Clode on Unsplash

Amino acids are the building blocks of the cells that make up your body – however, did you know they can also be good for your skin? Amino acids, which contain moisturising, anti-aging, and exfoliating characteristics, can aid with skin elasticity issues that arise as we age. Amino acids come in 20 different varieties, and they are useful for people of all ages and skin types. A more moisturised, youthful, and generally healthy appearance of the skin is achieved by using amino acids in skin care products that also encourage cellular repair and collagen formation. Here are five of our favourite products which harness the power of amino acids:

CACI – Amino-Lift Peptide Complex

This effective anti-ageing skin care cream contains powerful peptides, essential oils and amino acids that target expression lines and help to firm sagging skin. It can be used twice a day after cleansing to give visible results and as well as being packed with amino acids also contains basil oil, jojoba oil, grapefruit peel oil and a number of other other botanical ingredients which nourish and revive your skin. 

L’Oreal Professionnel Serie Expert Vitamino Colour 10-In-1 Multi-Benefit Leave-In Treatment Milk

Amino acids don’t just benefit your face – your hair can also benefit from using products which are infused with amino acids. This leave-in treatment milk from L’Oreal is a multi-benefit spray designed for coloured hair with 10 key benefits. It promises to help your hair to achieve shine, softness, smoothness of hair fibre and hydration, as well as offering protection against heat up to 230°c, detangling, anti-breakage, anti-split ends, anti-frizz and even facilitates blow-drying! 

Aromatherapy Associates Eye Zone Concentrate

The skin around the eyes is one of the thinnest areas of skin on your whole body, which means that it is more prone to premature ageing. This eye cream from Aromatherapy Associates combines powerful, bio-fermented actives, advanced amino acids and an effective pure essential oil blend to lift, tighten and contour the area around the eyes. It also contains rose, camomile and frankincense essential oils to soothe and protect for a radiant, youthful complexion. 

Dermalogica Active Moist

This moisture-rich product from Dermalogica combines the best of nature and science, containing a whole host of ingredients which are taken from natural sources. Silk amino acids help smooth and improve skin texture while natural botanical astringents lemon, ivy, watercress and burdock help to refine the skin. It also contains soothing extracts of lavender, mallow and cucumber to help provide deep-hydration.

Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Serum

This resurfacing serum from Elemis is so powerful that it’s advised that you avoid sunbeds and always use an SPF while using the treatment! It’s created using a powerful combination of alpha-hydroxy-acids, selastin and patented Tri-Enzyme technology, as well as selected amino acids. This serum smoothes the skins’s surface, revealing a stunning complexion and also helps to reduce the appearance of pores and wrinkles.

Five Products Which Help with Scarring

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100% natural, acne, acne prone skin, BHA, blemishes, calm, cell renewal, collagen, complexion, discolouration, dry, essential oil, exfoliates, fibres, firming, heal, healing, healthier, hydration, imperfections, improvement, inflammation, lavender, lavender oil, mental health, moisturising, multifunctional, nourish, oil, potent, redness, repair, Rosehip Oil, rosehip seed oil, Roseville, Scar, scarring, scars, skin, skin renewal, smooth, soothing, stretchmarks, Vegan, Vitamin E

Photo by Karolina Grabowska

Scarring can be caused by a number of things, from accidents to acne and everything in between. For some people, scars are like a badge of honour, but many people want to do everything they can to reduce the appearance of scars, and when left untreated, obvious scarring can lead to poor mental health. Fortunately, we have several clever products here at Pure Beauty which can lead to a marked improvement in the appearance of scarring. Here are five of the best:

Elemis Herbal Lavender Repair Mask

This clay-based mask from Elemis contains several skin-soothing ingredients which can calm the skin and reduce redness. It also contains lavender essential oil, which reduces the inflammation of acne and scarring. It doesn’t set on your skin, therefore it doesn’t dry your skin out and it can be used as a special overnight treatment to repair and heal blemished skin. 

Evolve Organic Beauty Super Berry Body Oil

Evolve Organic Beauty Super Berry Body Oil is a moisturising body oil formulated to revive dry and mature skin, and improve the appearance of scars and stretch marks. This vegan formula is 100% natural and gets its scar-busting properties from Chilean rosehip oil, which has been used for centuries for its unique ability to revive skin that is prone to stretch marks or scarring. 

Murad InvisiScar Resurfacing Treatment

As you can tell from the name of this product from Murad, it’s specifically formulated to help deal with post-blemish scars and discolouration, making it a saviour for anyone with acne-prone skin. BHA exfoliates, while a unique blend of highly purified centella asiatica and vitamin C encourages natural radiance and a healthier-looking complexion. It’s so potent that it helps to minimise the look of post-blemish scar size, depth and discolouration in 8 weeks.

Decleor Prolagene Gel

Prolagène Gel contains an amino acid called proline L, which is similar to plant collagen and helps rebuild the skin’s supporting fibres. The formulation also includes osmanthus aabsolute for its potent healing action, making it perfect for skin which has scars and stretch marks. It has a visibly firming effect that builds up with regular use to smooth skin imperfections, as well as acting on the whole of the skin’s structure to speed up cell renewal and improve the look of stretch marks and scarring.

Aromatherapy Associates Anti-Ageing Intensive Skin Treatment Oil

This skin treatment oil from Aromatherapy Associates is a multifunctional product which performs a number of tasks. As well as providing hydration for dry, dehydrated and more mature skin types, it can also be used on scar tissue twice a day to help reduce its appearance. It contains a healing blend of lavender and rose oils, along with vitamin E and rosehip seed oil to nourish and encourage natural skin renewal.

Five Products to Help You Go Sulphate-Free

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Aloe Vera, ammonium lauryl sulphate, antiseptic, artificial colours, bergamot, blemish free, bubbles, bubbly, cedarwood, chemical, clean, cleansing, cleansing face, comfortable, complexion, damaged skin, damask rose oil, DEA, delicate, eye area, eye contour, fine hair, fine lines, Gallic rose flower extract, green tea, hands, hydrate, ingredients, lather, lavender, limp hair, mild, mineral oil, moisturiser, nourishes, parabens, products, protected, repair, revitalises, scented, Shea butter, soap, sodium laureth sulphate, sodium lauryl sulphate, soothing, spearmint, Sulphate, sulphate free, sulphates, take care, thin hair, vitamin B5, wheat protein, ylang ylang

Photo by Matthew Tkocz on Unsplash

In recent years, there has been an ever-increasing focus on “natural” beauty products and many people have overhauled their entire beauty routine to exclude certain ingredients. One of the most maligned of these is sulphate. 

Sulphates are the number one most common ingredient found in hair care products even today, and you know you’re encountering them when you see names like sodium laureth sulphate, sodium lauryl sulphate, and ammonium laureth sulphate on an ingredient label. 

To be fair to sulphates, they aren’t always worthy of the bad press they’ve received – the chemical itself is basically the thing in products that helps to give you a bubbly lather. However, if you’re trying to opt for sulphate-free products, here are some that you can try:

REN Clean Skincare Atlantic Kelp And Magnesium Anti-Fatigue Energising Hand Wash

While some people want a mega-lather when washing their hands so that they feel clean, the ingredients in standard bar soap can be very drying and irritating. This hand wash from REN Clean Skincare is a gentle sulphate-free daily hand wash to deeply cleanse, moisturise and revive tired hands. It helps to repair damaged skin and ensure that your hands are clean and protected. 

Elemis Absolute Eye Mask

Elemis Absolute Eye Mask helps to hydrate and support the eye contour, as well as reducing the appearance of fine lines. It hydrates, nourishes and revitalises the eye area as well as helping to reduce dark circles and puffiness. As well as being free from sulphates, it also contains no parabens, DEA, mineral oil or artificial colours, giving you the confidence that your delicate eye area will be protected. 

Nine Yards Go Loud Volume Shampoo

As we mentioned above, shampoo is one of the most common places to find sulphates and has therefore been the subject of the most scrutiny when it comes to beauty products. This volumising shampoo from Nine Yards has a a mild sulphate free cleansing base, making it ideal for fine, thin or limp hair in need of delicate cleansing without weighing the hair down. The formula is 100% vegan and contains natural extracts of shea butter, gallic rose flower extract, damask rose oil, green tea and aloe vera and wheat protein.    

Refinery Face Wash

Refinery Face Wash is a deep cleansing, sulphate free face wash that will help to balance and purify the skin. It’s packed with bergamot and spearmint to freshen and stimulate skin while the antiseptic properties of lavender and cedarwood help maintain a blemish free complexion. Impurities are washed away, leaving skin clear and revitalised.

This Works Stress Check Gentle Wash

This gentle wash from This Works is designed to be used all over your body and contains  ylang ylang and vitamin B5 for a worry-free wash that won’t damage the integrity of your skin. This all-over daily wash effectively cleanses the skin leaving it protected, comfortable and soothingly scented so that both your skin and your mood feel a little more balanced as you go about your day.

Five of Our Favourite CBD-Based Products

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AHA, ailments, anti-inflammatory, anxiety, balance, body butter, Booster, brightening, calm, cannabinol, cannabis plant, CBD, CBD isolate, CBD oil, chronic pain, clogged pores, coconut oil, complexion, congestion, customise, dry skin, dryness, eczema, essential oils, for strep spectrum, hemp seed oil, intensive, irritated, lavender, Neroli, nighttime routine, organic hemp CBD, potent, Psoriasis, self tanning, Shea butter, skincare, soothe, sublingually, uneven texture, uneven tone, Vitamin C

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For quite a few years now, people have been coming around to the huge benefits that can be derived from using CBD oil. CBD oil is made by extracting CBD from the cannabis plant and then diluting it with a carrier oil like coconut oil or hemp seed oil. CBD can be found in a variety of products online and in stores, including dietary supplements, bath soaks, drinks, and food. It continues to gain momentum in the health and wellness world, with some scientific studies finding that it may ease symptoms of conditions such as chronic pain and anxiety. It’s no surprise, then, that many of our brands have also started to harness the power of CBD in their products; here are five of the best:

This Works Evening Detox CBD Booster + AHA Complex

This skin boosting product from This Works contains a combination of CBD oil and an AHA  complex to leave your skin looking clearer and calmer than ever before. You can use it as part of your nighttime skin care routine for a powerful boosting effect or on its own as an intensive application to help reduce hormonal breakouts, tackle uneven skin texture and tone, and help to deal with clogged pores and congestion.

South Seas – Pineapple Express CBD Body Butter

This body butter from South Seas contains 100mg of organic hemp CBD as well as a combination of other ingredients which will deeply hydrate and repair your skin. It can be used to treat dry skin and is even suitable for use on skin which suffers from eczema and psoriasis. It is also a great moisturiser to use when prepping your skin for self tanning to ensure that you don’t get orange streaks and areas of dryness.

This Works Morning Expert CBD Booster + Vitamin C

Another skin booster from this works, this product contains one percent CBD and a massive 20% vitamin C for a potent brightening effect. You can use this booster to customise your morning skincare routine by combining it with your moisturiser for visibly smoother, brighter, and more radiant skin or simply use it alone as an intensive application.

South Seas – Pineapple Express CBD Drops

Everyone knows that beauty starts on the inside which is why we’ve included Southsea Pineapple Express CBD drops in this list. As well as being suitable for topical application or mixing with your favourite body lotion these CBD drops can also be taken sublingually. The drops are comprised of 600mg of organic, full spectrum CBD to give your body a natural anti-inflammatory and help to reverse the effects of a number of different ailments.

This Works Stress Check CBD Body Cocoon

The final product on our CBD list is this body cocoon from This Works. It contains shea butter, ylang ylang, neroli and lavender essential oils as well as 1125mg of pure CBD isolate per bottle. The lotion helps to maintain skin balance, calms and soothe irritated complexions and contains antioxidants which repair the ageing damage of environmental stress.

Luxury Bathing Without a Bath

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align your senses, aromatherapy, bed, bedtime, blend, Calming, Elevate, exotic, exotic oils, experience, focus your mind, formulation, Frankincense, home, improve circulation, indulgent, invigorating, lavender, lemongrass, lotus flower, luxurious, massage, mind and body, mind clearing, natural, pampering, petite grains, protective surface oils, reduce stress, relaxation, relaxing aroma, rest, rich infusion, self-indulgent, shower, shower oil, skin friendly, sleep, sleep inducing, sluggish, soothing, Spa, steam, therapeutic, treat, Vetivert, wild chamomile, ylang ylang

Photo by Sora Shimazaki

A trip to a spa can be a fantastic way to treat your mind and body to some rest and relaxation, as well as giving your skin a thorough pampering. However a spa may not be an option right now, for whatever reason, so recreating the experience at home may be the next best thing. You may find, if you only have a shower at home and not a bath, that you don’t feel as though you benefit from the fully relaxing experience of a proper spa, but we’ve put together a list of products which will take your shower to the next level and give you a sensory experience to mimic being professionally pampered.

Aromatherapy Associates De-Stress Mind Bath and Shower Oil

This shower oil from Aromatherapy Associates is made from a calming blend of frankincense, petitgrain and wild chamomile which combine to calm the mind and relax the body. To get the full therapeutic experience you should massage the oil all over your body prior to stepping into a warm shower, and this will also enhance the aromatherapy benefits as the heat will spread the fragrance allowing you to deeply inhale the relaxing aroma.

Bloom and Blossom And Breathe Relaxing Shower Oil

This shower oil from Bloom and Blossom is another naturally derived oil which has been created to soothe the mind and body, as well as treating your skin. It contains a blend of frankincense, ylang ylang and lemongrass which combine to create a luxurious and soothing fragrance. Once activated by the heat of the shower, the fragrance will combine with the steam for a relaxing and therapeutic experience.

Elemis Exotic Frangipani Monoi Shower Cream

Using a truly luxurious body wash is a great way to elevate your everyday shower experience and this Exotic Frangipani Monoi Shower Cream from Elemis is exactly that. This skin-friendly formulation completely cleanses the body without stripping away any of the protective surface oils and contains a rich infusion of exotic oils which have a naturally exotic and indulgent fragrance.

Hayo’u Mineral Shower Wash

This shower wash from Hayo’u is packed with iconic Chinese ingredients such as lotus flower, frankincense and ylang ylang, all of which have been used for thousands of years to improve circulation and reduce stress. The ingredients combine to create an invigorating, mind-clearing fragrance which will make you feel sharper and more energised after every use. It’s perfect if you’re feeling sluggish and want a self-indulgent shower to help focus your mind and align your senses. 

This Works Deep Sleep Shower Gel

If you’re planning to have a spa-experience shower, doing it just before bed is a great idea, especially if you’ve been struggling to sleep. This Deep Sleep Shower Gel from This Works contains a blend of lavender, camomile and vetivert to calm and soothe, whilst softening and protecting the skin. The ingredients are all renowned for their soothing, sleep-inducing properties and will help you to feel as though you’ve been thoroughly pampered before you drift off into a deep, natural sleep.