Your Guide to the Best Moisturising Ingredients

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Photo by Jessica Felicio on Unsplash

Skincare is one of those things which can be entirely subjective – a product which one person swears by could be far less effective for someone else. This is usually down to the key ingredients in each product and how our skin reacts to those ingredients. With that in mind, we thought we’d take a look at some of the best ingredients for hydrating your skin, to help you to choose which might be best for your skins’ individual needs.

Hyaluronic Acid

Most people have heard of hyaluronic acid, but people continue to be surprised that it’s a moisturising ingredient (maybe because of the common perception of what an acid usually does?). When you apply a hyaluronic acid serum to your skin, it acts like a sponge by attracting moisture to boost hydration on the surface of skin. Dermalogica Daily Resurfacer is a 3-in-1 treatment which harnesses the power of hyaluronic acid to offer maximum hydrators to resurface, smooth and brighten the skin without causing irritation or redness.

Ceramides

Ceramides are lipids that help form the skin’s barrier and help skin retain moisture, while also helping the skin protect against environmental aggressors like irritants, and pollution. Dermalogica Overnight Repair Serum is packed with ceramides which mimic the natural fats found in our skin to help lock in moisture and stop skin from drying out.

Glycerin

Glycerin is actually a bit of a special ingredient as it actually traps moisture from the environment around you, allowing your skin to absorb it, giving you a softer, more supple complexion. It’s often used in hand creams or areas which need an extra boost, but is also found in Elemis Daily Defence Shield SPF30, which protects the skin from environmental micro particles and harmful UV rays, as well as leaving the skin feeling nourished, soft and supple.

Lactic Acid

Lactic acid is a ‘best of both worlds’ ingredient in that it act a both a mild exfoliant, as well as an humectant. This means that it gets rid of dead, dry skin cells at the same time as locking moisture in. It can be found in Dermalogica Biolumin-C Serum, which also exfoliates and reduces unbalanced pigmentation while nourishing the skin with moisture.

Urea

Urea might not sound like something you want to rub on your face, but it’s actually synthetic urea which features in skincare and it can be used to treat even the worst cases of dry skin, dermatitis and psoriasis. Urea works in part by loosening dry skin, and Dermalogica Age Reversal Eye Complex is made to target the eye area by reducing wrinkles, crows feet and puffiness which occur due to dehydration.

Keep Your Routine Cruelty-Free

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ageing, ageing skin, base coat, boost, Booster, brighter, complexion, Cruelty, cruelty-free, defence, Dermalogica Age Bright Clearing Serum, Dermalogica Phyto-Nature Firming Serum, Dermalogica UltraCalming Barrier Defence Booster, Dermalogica UltraCalming Calm Water-Gel, dryness, fine lines, gel, gluten, gluten free, hyaluronic acid, lock, luminoity, microbiome, moisture, moisturise, moisturised, moisturiser, moisturising, nail, oil, Orly Breathable Almond Milk, oxygen, sensitive, sensitivity, serum, skin, soothe, soothing, squalene, top coat, Vegan, water, wrinkles

Photo by William Daigneault on Unsplash

Whether you eat a vegan diet, are veggie, or still have meat in your diet, it’s important to most of us that our beauty products aren’t tested on animals. Cruelty-free beauty means that you can use products with the peace of mind that nothing you’re using has been tested on animals, and here at Pure Beauty, we try to offer as many of these products as we can find. Here are five of our favourites:

Dermalogica Age Bright Clearing Serum

This serum from Dermalogica is deisgned for people with ageing skin who still deal with adult acne or breakouts, giving you spot-busting power which will also tackle the signs of ageing. The AGE Bright™ Complex works with the skin’s natural microbiome for clearer, brighter skin and as well as being cruelty free, the formula is also gluten free, vegan friendly and contains no artificial fragrances, colours or parabens.

Orly Breathable Almond Milk

This beautiful soft taupe colour is the perfect neutral colour for autumn and is cruelty free, as are all of the polishes from Orly. The strong formulation means that you have no need for top coat or base coat and the advanced technology means that oxygen can still penetrate through to the nail, reducing any risk of damage from having your nails painted.

Dermalogica UltraCalming Calm Water-Gel

Many products for deeply dry skin are often oil-based, but this water-gel from Dermalogica is different. It’s designed for use on skin which suffers from sensitivity and redness and treats the underlying dryness using hyaluronic acid technology which works in different skin layers to increase and lock in moisture. It’s vegan friendly and cruelty free, as well as being free from gluten and parabens.

Dermalogica UltraCalming Barrier Defence Booster

This defence booster from Dermalogica is formulated using a combination of oils which not only moisturise the skin but also protect it from environmental stressors. Squalane locks in moisture, while soothing oat oil helps combat sensitivity and support healthy looking skin. It’s made using cruelty-free ingredients and can be applied directly to the skin, or mixed with your usual moisturiser for an added boost.

Dermalogica Phyto-Nature Firming Serum

This vegan, cruelty-free serum from Dermalogica is aimed at ageing skin and provides flash-firming properties with just one application. It’s clinically proven to double skins luminosity and minimise the appearance of fine lines after just one application, while reducing visible wrinkles in 4 weeks.

Masks aren’t just for Halloween

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acne, acne prone skin, active fizzing formula, Aloe Vera, Antioxidant vitamins, apples, banish dull, beauty bag, beauty routine, blackheads, botanical extracts, brightens skin, Burdock, calming ingredients, calming stressed, Chia Seed Oil, Comfrey, dark circles, dark spots, Decleor Energy Concentrate Youth Mask, decongests, deep hydration, delicate eye area, Dermalogica Blackhead Clearing Fizz Mask, Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque, dry skin, dull, Elemis Absolute Eye Mas, Elemis Superfood Vital Veggie Mask, excess oil, Eyes, firms, fresh, Gentle exfoliators, grey, Halloween, hydrate the skin, ingredients, irritation, Jan Marini Luminate Face Mask, kaolin clay, light mask, lightening agents, luminous glow, lush, lychee, magic, mask, moisturise, oleic acid, omega 9, Orexcellence range, peony, plumper and firmer, pores, prematurely ageing skin, pumpkins, radiant glow, re-energise, redness, reduce, rhodiola, rich blend, skin, soften, sparkle, super-concentrated, sweets, textured mask, tired eyes, tones, topped up, trick or treat, unisex, wake up, winner, youthful

As pumpkins are carved and scary costumes are being taken out of cupboards, Halloween is very much on the way. While the sweets handed out for kids who trick or treat won’t do much for your skin, or waistline, this is a timely reminder that adding a mask to your beauty routine could be a good move.

If you would like your skin to look plumper and firmer when you wake up in the morning, look no further than the Decleor Energy Concentrate Youth Mask. Part of the Orexcellence range, this textured mask is made from a rich blend of peony, lychee and Rhodiola that together re-energise the skin and leave you with a fresh, luminous glow.

The Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque comes topped up with super-concentrated, antioxidant vitamins that are perfect for calming stressed, prematurely-ageing skin. Things don’t stop there because as the ingredients get to work adding deep hydration, botanical extracts of comfrey and burdock soothe skin so it is left happy and youthful again.

If you want a mask that packs a punch, you need the Jan Marini Luminate Face Mask in your beauty bag. While this brightens skin from the very first use, this mask comes with lightening agents that progressively reduce the appearance of the dark spots and discolouration that can get you down. Gentle exfoliators remove the dull, dry skin that can make complexions look grey and thanks to added calming ingredients, irritation and redness are reduced.

You might think that acne-prone skin doesn’t need a mask, but this isn’t the case. If you to ease blackheads, then the Dermalogica Blackhead Clearing Fizz Mask is for you. This unique mask comes with an active fizzing formula that cleans pores and target blackheads. Kaolin clay has been added into the mix and this works to absorb problematic excess oil and purifies the skin, while the magic of apples help to hydrate the skin so it feels lovely and fresh again.

If you want something your partner can use too, the Elemis Superfood Vital Veggie Mask has been created for unisex use and will please all skin types. Regular 10-minute sessions will banish dull, dry skin leaving you will a more radiant glow than ever. Aloe Vera helps to soothe, moisturise and soften skin while avocado adds a boost of lush, natural omega-9 and oleic acid. Bringing up the rear is chia seed oil that nourishes and means you are left with incredibly soft, smooth skin and smile!

If you only want to work on your eyes, fear not, we sell the Elemis Absolute Eye Mask at Pure Beauty and it’s a winner. Perfect for tired eyes that have lost their sparkle, this light mask kicks dullness into touch and as it rehydrates the delicate eye area, it decongests, firms and tones too. This mask also deals with pesky dark circles whilst nourishing and smoothing at the same time. We said it was a winner!

If you would like help finding a mask for you, get in touch and we would love to help.

Team Beauty

Five Self-Tanning Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

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Photo by Garett Mizunaka on Unsplash

Applying self tan can be a veritable minefield of potential mistakes, and anyone who has had a self tan disaster will know that they can be tricky to rectify. To help you to avoid self-tanning mistakes before they even happen, we’ve put together a crib sheet of no-nos in self tanning, so you’ll get the perfect, even glow you deserve.

Time Your Hair Removal

All too often, people wax or shave and then apply fake tan almost immediately, but this is one of the easiest ways to end up with patches. Your skin needs time to settle down after hair removal so make sure you leave at least 24 hours after shaving and a minimum of 48 hours if you’re waxing. Applying Decleor Soothing Aftershave Fluid will also help your skin to recover.

Uneven Application

Seasoned self tanners will know that you have to get into every nook and cranny to make your tan look even, and the most common places to miss are your inner elbow and the backs of your knees. A lot of people apply fake tan while sitting down and you end up with white circles in these areas, so make sure you stand up and get all of the areas evenly!

There’s No Such Thing As Too Much Hydration

Almost everyone on the planet has drier skin on their knees, elbows, hands and feet and there’s no shame in admitting that, but it can play havoc with self tan. Exfoliation is really important, but layering PLENTY of moisturiser in these areas will help you to avoid the orange patches that often appear on these areas when the tanner clings to dead skin cells. Moisturise and then when you think you’ve done enough, moisturise some more!

Out With the Old

If you still have traces of old self tan on your body which are less then even, you need to get rid of this before layering over the top. Gradual tanner is designed to be layered to build a level of coverage that you’re aiming for, but make sure it’s even otherwise you’ll end up way too patchy.

Don’t Soak Yourself

If you want your self tan to look its best for as long as possible, bathing is another big no-no. Obviously we aren’t telling you not to wash, but baths will make your tan disappear much quicker than showers. Try to use a moisturising body wash to give your skin plenty of moisture as dry skin will slough off much easier, taking your tan with it.

Pure Beauty tones up like no other

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50ml bottle, Aloe, antiseptic qualities, bacteria, botanical ingredients, breakout prone skin, cleanse, clear complexion, conditions tight, critical hydration, Decleor Essential Tonifying Lotion, Dermalogica All Over Toner, Dermalogica Breakout Clearing Booster, Dermalogica UltraCalming™ Mist, dry skin, Elemis Balancing Lavender Toner, Elemis Rehydrating Ginseng Toner, excess oil, face, fresh, goodness, happy skin, holidays, inflammation, irritation, missing out, mist, moisturise, natural oils, neck, paraben-free, PH levels, Phytoplankton Extract, radiant, recover, redness, reduces dryness, Salicylic Acid, scrimp, seaweed-derived extract, showcase, skin care routine, sluggish complexions, soft, soothing toner, spray, stimulates, Sweet Betty flower, Tea Tree, teenagers, throat, tip-top condition, tone, UltraCalming™ Complex

We bet you cleanse and moisturise, but we suspect that you don’t always tone.

Are we right?

If we are, you are missing out on a vital step in your skin care routine, so today we are going to showcase some of the toners we sell at Pure Beauty, and talk about why they are worth using.

We love the Dermalogica UltraCalming Mist, as do many of our customers. This soothing toner offers critical hydration, relieves inflammation and helps your skin to recover from damage. The unique UltraCalming™ Complex helps reduce sensitivity, redness and irritation, while Aloe soothes and the antiseptic qualities of Lavender, desensitises. After cleansing, spray the mist over your face, throat and neck and let the goodness sink in.

The Elemis Rehydrating Ginseng Toner is fabulous because as well as helping to level out PH levels, it also preserves your important natural oils. It’s the Ginseng that stimulates sluggish complexions, but also soothes and conditions tight, dry skin. Sweet Betty Flower rebalances skin without the need for alcohol and the overall effect is soft, happy skin that is fresh and ready to be moisturised.

Holidays might seem like a time when you can scrimp on toner, but there’s no excuse with the Decleor Essential Tonifying Lotion. This gorgeous toner now comes in a 50ml bottle, making it perfect for keeping your skin in tip-top condition when you are away. The soft lotion gently tones and reduces dryness as it moisturises your skin. Gentle and paraben-free, with Néroli Essential Oil that protects and repairs the skin whilst helping to fight dehydration, means your skin will look radiant.

Teenagers, or anyone with breakout prone skin, might think less is more when it comes to beauty products, but if you don’t use a toner you are missing a trick. The Dermalogica All Over Toner is a beautiful mist that controls excess oil and helps to eliminate breakouts thanks to the inclusion of Salicylic Acid. A blend of twelve gentle botanical ingredients refresh, energise and revive skin and thanks to antiseptic and anti-microbial Tea Tree, bacteria is no more. If you do have problem areas, before using a moisturiser, you could use the Dermalogica Breakout Clearing Booster. This fast-acting treatment works in 15 minutes and is great for rapid skin clearing. Phytoplankton Extract works with skin’s natural microbiome so it isn’t over dried, and a seaweed-derived extract soothes irritated skin.

The Elemis Balancing Lavender Toner tones your skin and leaves you with a fresh, clear complexion. Free from alcohol and harsh chemicals, this toner contains Extracts of Lavender, Sweet Betty Flower and Saponins which come together to soften your skin. By simply wiping a little of the liquid over your face after cleansing, you will remove any traces of your cleanser, brighten your complexion and encourage your moisturiser or night cream to really work for you.

If a toner is missing from your life, get in touch and we will help find your missing skincare link.

Team Pure Beauty