Five Summer Hair Concerns (and How to Fix Them!)

Tags

anti-frizz spray, breakage, buildup, chlorine, clarifying shampoo, colour-protecting products, conditioner, cruelty-free, deep-conditioning treatments, dry shampoo, dryness, excessive heat, frizz, frizz-control serum, GHD Bodyguard-Heat Protect Spray, GHD Straight and Smooth Spray, greasy scalp, hair colour fading, heat protectant spray, heat styling damage, heat-free hairstyles, L'Oreal Professionnel Serie Expert Vitamino Colour Radiance Masque, leave-in conditioner, lightweight hairspray, loose braids, messy buns, moisturising shampoo, natural oils, natural texture, natural waves, Nine Yards Moisture Duo, oil, Olaplex No.4C Bond Maintenance Clarifying Shampoo, Olaplex No.4D Clean Volume Detox Shampoo, Olaplex No.5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner, regular trims, saltwater, serum, split ends, sun damage, towel-dry, updos, UV protection, Vegan, wide-toothed comb

Photo by Maxx Miller on Unsplash

Summer is a season filled with sunshine, beach trips, and outdoor adventures. However, while we enjoy the warmer weather, our hair often faces a host of challenges. From frizz to sun damage, summer can wreak havoc on our locks. But fear not! Today, we’re going to  explore five common summer hair concerns and provide you with effective solutions to keep your hair looking fabulous all season long.

Frizz 

The humidity that accompanies the summer months can lead to frizzy hair nightmares. To combat this, start by using a moisturising shampoo and conditioner, such as Nine Yards Moisture Duo to keep your hair hydrated. After washing, gently towel-dry your hair and apply a frizz-control serum or oil, focusing on the ends. Use a wide-toothed comb to detangle your hair instead of a brush, as brushes can cause more frizz. Opt for hairstyles that embrace your natural texture, such as loose braids or messy buns. And for an extra defence against frizz, use a lightweight hairspray or anti-frizz spray, like GHD Straight and Smooth Spray, to set your style.

Sun Damage 

Just like our skin, our hair is susceptible to sun damage. UV rays can cause dryness, discoloration, and brittleness. Shield your hair from the sun by wearing a hat or scarf when you’re outside for extended periods. Additionally, invest in a leave-in conditioner with UV protection to nourish and safeguard your strands. Deep-conditioning treatments once a week can also help repair any damage caused by the sun. If you notice your hair colour fading, use colour-protecting products specifically formulated to maintain vibrancy and prevent fading, such as L’Oreal Professionnel Serie Expert Vitamino Colour Radiance Masque.

Chlorine and Saltwater Effects 

Frequent dips in the pool or the ocean can take a toll on your hair. Chlorine and saltwater can strip away natural oils, leaving your hair feeling dry and brittle. Before swimming, wet your hair with clean water to minimise its absorption of chlorine or salt. Afterward, rinse your hair thoroughly with fresh water to remove any residual chemicals. Use Olaplex No.4C Bond Maintenance Clarifying Shampoo once a week to eliminate buildup and restore balance. To replenish moisture, apply a deep-conditioning mask or treatment such as Olaplex No.5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner regularly. You should also consider wearing a swimming cap to provide an extra layer of protection if you’re an avid swimmer.

Greasy Scalp 

The combination of sweat, heat, and excess oil production can leave your scalp feeling greasy and your hair looking limp during summer. Combat this issue by washing your hair every other day with a clarifying shampoo to remove excess oil and sweat. Avoid using heavy conditioners or styling products near the roots, as they can weigh down your hair. Dry shampoo is your best friend when it comes to combating greasy roots on the days you skip washing. It helps absorb excess oil, giving your hair a fresh and voluminous appearance. We recommend Olaplex No.4D Clean Volume Detox Shampoo, which is a vegan and cruelty free dry shampoo from Olaplex. It’s been formulated with an innovative, scalp detoxing formula to dry cleanse and absorb oil without buildup, dryness or dullness. 

Heat Styling Damage 

With the rise in temperature, it’s tempting to use heat styling tools to tame frizz or create sleek hairstyles. However, excessive heat can lead to dryness, breakage, and split ends. Embrace heat-free hairstyles whenever possible, such as natural waves or updos. When you do use heat styling tools, always apply a heat protectant spray or serum beforehand to shield your hair from damage, like GHD Bodyguard-Heat Protect Spray. Lower the heat setting on your tools and limit usage to a few times a week. Regular trims every six to eight weeks will also help prevent split ends and maintain healthy-looking hair. 

Exfoliate Your Body in Time for Summer

Tags

absorption, acne, appearance, Aromatherapy Associates Revive Body Brush, blackheads, body, cell renewal, cell turnover, chemical exfoliation, congestion, dead skin cells, Dermalogica Phyto Replenish Body Oil reduces blemishes, dirt, dry brushing, evenly pigmented, exfoliate, hair follicles, high-end, high-potency, impurities, ingrown hairs, Lycon Ingrown-X-It Foaming Wash, mechanical exfoliation, Medik8 Smooth Body Exfoliating Kit, moisturise, oil, outermost layer, pimples, plump, radiance, REN Clean Skincare AHA Smart Renewal Body Serum, shave, skin, skincare products, smoother surface, summer, texture, vibrant skin, wax

Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

It seems rather ridiculous to talk about bearing our bodies in the summer when it’s almost May and we’re still sitting here wearing jumpers. However, we’ve been assured by the weatherman that warmer days are definitely on their way! That means that we can finally get our summer wardrobes out and wear shorts and dresses once again, but we need to get our skin ready in the meantime. Exfoliating your body before summer can have several benefits for your skin, and we’ve complied a list of five of them:

Removes Dead Skin Cells 

Both mechanical and chemical exfoliation methods work to remove dead skin cells by either physically dislodging them or chemically breaking them down. This process helps improve the texture and appearance of the skin by promoting cell turnover and revealing the healthier, more vibrant skin beneath. Dry brushing is a great way to manage whole-body exfoliation, using an Aromatherapy Associates Revive Body Brush, or if you prefer chemical exfoliation, REN Clean Skincare AHA Smart Renewal Body Serum is the perfect solution for both exfoliating and moisturising your skin, all at once. 

Prevents Ingrown Hairs

Exfoliating can help prevent ingrown hairs by removing dead skin cells and unclogging hair follicles. When dead skin cells accumulate on the surface of the skin, they can block the hair follicles, causing the hair to grow sideways or curl back into the skin, leading to ingrown hairs. This can be particularly important if you plan to shave or wax before summer. Lycon Ingrown-X-It Foaming Wash is highly effective in minimising the appearance of ingrown hairs, while calming and decongesting breakouts for the entire body and face.

Improves Skin Radiance 

Exfoliation can stimulate cell turnover, which is the process by which new skin cells are produced and move to the surface of the skin. By promoting cell renewal, exfoliation encourages the growth of new, healthy skin cells. These new cells tend to be more vibrant, plump, and evenly pigmented, contributing to a radiant complexion. Medik8 Smooth Body Exfoliating Kit is a great selection of products which gives you everything you need to keep your skin smooth and radiant. 

Enhances Absorption of Skincare Products

Exfoliating creates a smoother surface and removes the outermost layer of skin, which can be thicker and more resistant to product absorption. By eliminating this barrier, active ingredients in skincare products can penetrate more deeply into the skin, maximising their effectiveness. This is especially important when using a high-end, high-potency product such as Dermalogica Phyto Replenish Body Oil, as you’ll want to ensure you receive the maximum benefit from the formula.  

Reduces Blemishes

As we all know, acne and pimples don’t just occur on our faces – in fact up to ten percent of the world’s population is thought to have suffered with body acne at some point. Exfoliating can help unclog pores by removing dirt, oil, and other impurities that may accumulate on the skin’s surface, making it harder for spots to form. Additionally, when pores are clear, skincare products can reach deeper into the skin and effectively target specific concerns such as acne, blackheads, or congestion.

Which Type of Body Moisturiser is Best for You?

Tags

absorption, aromatherapy, Bloom and Blossom Pyjamarama Dry Body Oil, body, butter, cold pressed grapefruit oil, collagen, cream, Decleor Prolagene Gel, essential oils, evening primrose oil, Evolve Organic Beauty Tropical Blossom Body Butter, fluid, Frankincense, gel, hydrating, hydration, ingredients, lightweight, lotion, moisture, moisturising, moringa seed oil, oil, orange blossom, refreshing, REN Clean Skincare Moroccan Rose Otto Body Lotion, REN Clean Skincare Neroli And Grapefruit Body Cream, rich, tissue

Image Source

While many of us spend hours poring over product descriptions and reviews to work out the best formulas for our face, we don’t often take as much care when it comes to the things we use on the rest of our body.  But how do you know which body moisturiser is best for your skin? Today, we’re taking a deep dive into our collection of hard-working hydrators to find your body’s best ally, whether you’re looking for some serious nourishing care or a shot of hydrating fluid that absorbs quickly.

Lotion

Starting with lotions, these are one of the products which are often best for “normal” skin, although some of them offer enough hydration to nurture very dry skin too. Lotions are a good all-rounder as they are a mixture of both oil and water, making them hydrating without being too thick. Lotions are also good if you’re time-poor as they don’t take an age to soak in. REN Clean Skincare Moroccan Rose Otto Body Lotion is a body lotion for all skin types designed to nourish and hydrate skin with the delicate fragrance of rose

Cream

Body creams usually have a slightly thicker consistency than a lotion and take longer to soak in, but will offer a higher level of hydration. They also tend to last longer and often offer more fragrance than a lotion because of the richer formula. REN Clean Skincare Neroli And Grapefruit Body Cream is a rich body cream for all skin types, designed to leave skin deeply hydrated and is formulated with orange blossom and cold pressed grapefruit oil, to hydrate and soften skin while leaving it with an invigorating fragrance.

Butter

Body butters might be more your thing if you have extremely dry skin or the cold winter air is causing damage. Body butters are a mixture of rich butters and oils that hydrate dry skin and promote a smooth surface, in contrast to body lotions, which typically contain a mixture of water and oils. They also keep your skin hydrated for a long time after you use them. Evolve Organic Beauty Tropical Blossom Body Butter contains nourishing organic shea butter and natural Tahitian coconut monoi macerated in exotic blossoms of gardenia. It leaves skin smooth, soft and fragranced with exotic natural hibiscus.

Oil

An alternative to creams and lotions that provides all-over moisture is body oil, a hydrating skincare product with many uses. Body oils can be applied to dry skin in the morning and evening, or after a bath or shower, due to their ease of absorption and lasting softness. Many body oils can also be used on the face and hair and will provide a deep level of nourishment, and will often contain fragrant essential oils which offer an aromatherapy benefit, too. Bloom and Blossom Pyjamarama Dry Body Oil is a lightweight oil to help calm the skin and mind before sleep. The ingredients are 99% naturally derived and it contains frankincense, moringa seed oil and evening primrose oil.

Gel

Gel-based body products are water-based products which typically do not contain any oils, making them very fast to absorb. They often have a very refreshing feel to them and they hydrate and moisturise the skin without leaving a film or residue. Many gel moisturisers are formulated with hyaluronic acid which can deeply hydrate skin. Decleor Prolagene Gel is a body treatment which supplies the deep tissue with the active ingredients necessary for the reconstruction of its natural collagen. Toning as well as firming, the gel leaves an invisible supportive and protective film making it perfect to use during and after weight loss, particularly during pregnancy, for smoother and firmer skin.

Dry Skin on Your Body? No Problem!

Tags

Aromatherapy Associates Rose Indulgent Body Cream, body, body butter, body cream, body oil, CBD, CBD oil, cracked, cruelty free, Dermalogica Phyto Replenish Body Oil, dry, dry skin, eczema, Elemis Skin Nourishing Body Cream, glowing, hydrating, hydration, Korean skincare, leathery, nourishing, oil, painful, Psoriasis, REN Clean Skincare Neroli And Grapefruit Body Cream, rose, scaly, South Seas - Pineapple Express CBD Body Butter, tight, Vegan

Image Source

Dry skin can occur anywhere on the body, but the hands, face, elbows, legs, feet, scalp, and arms are the most common areas. Often, the dry skin patches occur in regions which are more uncovered than others, like areas which are exposed to cold air in winter. The skin’s ability to hydrate can be disrupted by both internal and external factors, resulting in extremely dry skin.

When the skin on the body becomes extremely dry, it may feel very tight, scaly, or leathery, and frequently itches or hurts, with some dry skin being bad enough to become cracked or even infected. That’s why we’ve gathered together some of our best products for dry skin so that your body can hydrate and heal:

South Seas – Pineapple Express CBD Body Butter

Although you may associate South Seas with being a tanning brand, this CBD-infused body butter is so rich and restorative that it’s well known for being popular amongst people with dry skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema, not just the tanners amongst us! It’s packed with nature’s finest ingredients from around the world, and the unique formula assists with hydrating your skin to help improve damaged skin by moisturising and treating affected areas to restore your skin’s natural beauty. 

REN Clean Skincare Neroli And Grapefruit Body Cream

Although it’s suitable for all skin types, this vegan, cruelty-free body cream from REN Clean Skincare is so nourishing that even the driest skin will benefit from using it. Formulated with orange blossom and cold pressed grapefruit oil, this creamy moisturiser not only hydrates and softens skin, it leaves it with an invigorating fragrance, too. The cream has a silky-soft finish which makes skin feel comfortable with no annoying residue. 

Elemis Skin Nourishing Body Cream

This body cream from Elemis is formulated with “excessively dry skin conditions” in mind, harnessing the power of natural ingredients to offer deep nourishment. It contains concentrated milk protein and nourishing camellia, macadamia and jojoba oils, which combine to replenish dry skin, whilst softening and balancing the acid mantle. The soothing extracts of oat kernel and limnanthes alba, combined with the lipid rich sesame and shea butter base ensures skin is left silky soft and healthy looking.

Dermalogica Phyto Replenish Body Oil

This body oil from Dermalogica is not just rich in moisturising oils – it also contains high levels of antioxidants, which help to replenish, calm and moisturise the skin. The blend is made from French plum seed oil, avocado oil and sunflower seed oil, which are rich in omega fatty acids and vitamin E, and help protect skin’s lipid barrier. It’s also packed with calming fermented red ginseng, inspired by Korean skin care rituals, which calms and nourishes to deliver glowing skin.

Aromatherapy Associates Rose Indulgent Body Cream

Last on our list of body creams for dry skin, but by no means the least, is this rose-infused treat from Aromatherapy Associates. The cream is crafted using a pure expert oil blend of warm rose, geranium and palmarosa. Furthermore, Alpine rose from the Swiss Alps is blended with antioxidant rich almond and jojoba oils to hydrate and enrich your skin, leaving you with deeply nourished, hydrated and radiant skin beautifully scented to uplift you throughout the day.

Cloud Skin – The Newest Skincare Trend

Tags

Aromatherapy Associates Mattifying Deep Cleanse Face Wash, balance, blurred, blurring, cloud, Cloud skin, complexion, Elemis Superfood Berry Boost Mask, Evolve Organic Beauty True Balance Lotion, influencers, lotion, make-up, matte, oil, oily, pores, Refinery Mattifying Moisturiser, skin, skincare, SkinCeuticals Oil Shield UV Defence Sunscreen SPF 50, smooth, soft, TikTok, viral

Image Source

*sigh*

Another day, another viral skincare trend. 

Last week, we were all trying to make ourselves look as though we had doughnut glaze on our faces, while this week, it’s ‘cloud skin’ we’re all striving for. 

So what is cloud skin and how can we achieve it? Cloud skin is all about a soft, matte finish on the skin which looks blurred, soft-focus and ethereal. Think of cherubs on a cloud and you get the idea. And surprisingly, it’s not as difficult to achieve as it might sound, providing you use the right combination of skincare and make-up. With this in mind, we’ve put together a list of products which should definitely be in your cloud-skin arsenal:

Aromatherapy Associates Mattifying Deep Cleanse Face Wash

Every good artist knows that the quality of the canvas is of utmost importance and the same can be said for our faces. Using a mattifying wash is essential in achieving cloud skin, and this one from Aromatherapy Associates is one of the best. It contains lavender and tea tree, which are natural antibacterial essential oils, whilst jojoba helps to balance the skin. It will remove makeup and leave skin feeling balanced, toned and deeply cleansed. 

Refinery Mattifying Moisturiser

Many people make the mistake of thinking that oily skin doesn’t need moisturiser, but that’s rarely the case, and moisturising oily skin can actually help to rebalance your complexion. This moisturiser from Refinery is a light and easily absorbed moisturiser to instantly reduce shine, resulting in matte looking skin. It contains pumpkin seed extract which reduces shine with special optical effects while oat kernel flour soothes and protects skin. 

SkinCeuticals Oil Shield UV Defence Sunscreen SPF 50

Even if you want your skin to look like a cloud, you still need protection from the sun! This SPF from SkinCeuticals offers broad-spectrum SPF50 protection while helping to mattify the skin. It’s an invisible lotion which offers a lightweight, residue-free formula with mattifying properties to help reduce skin oiliness. It contains silica silicate, which absorbs sebum for a light-scattering and blurring effect, perfect for use under make-up to achieve cloud skin. 

Elemis Superfood Berry Boost Mask

If you struggle with imbalanced skin, you’re going to find it difficult to maintain the cloud skin look throughout the day. This mask from Elemis helps to draw out skin impurities whilst gently exfoliating to leave the complexion looking balanced and smooth, and will help to soak up excess oil in 10 minutes. It contains omega-rich fatty acids derived from berries and a prebiotic, naturally derived from sugar, which helps to maintain balance in the skin’s microflora for a healthier looking complexion.

Evolve Organic Beauty True Balance Lotion

Cloud skin relies on looking smooth and soft, as well as having a matte finish, and this lotion from Evolve Organic Beauty can help you to achieve that. It contains ingredients which are clinically proven to tighten and reduce the appearance of pores as well as having a mattifying, firming and moisturising effect. Avocado extract helps to limit excessive oil production by inhibiting an oil producing enzyme (5 alpha-reductase) and therefore reducing the shiny appearance of the t-zone, while hyaluronic acid helps to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, making the skin look fresher with an improved skin tone, and reduces the appearance of pores.