How to Protect Your Skin’s Biome

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antioxidant, bacteria, biome, black tea, blackcurrant, brighten, complexion, Elemis, good bacteria, jelly, make up, mattified, micellar, microbiome, Murad, Nordic bilberry, Nouveau, nutrients, oil-free, oxygen, prebiotic, primer, probiotic, protect, protective matrix, skin, smooth, soft

Photo by Daniel Apodaca on Unsplash

As we’ve mentioned previously, the skin’s biome is an umbrella term for all of the bacteria which lives on your skin. We’re primed, as humans, to see bacteria as a bad thing, but actually, protecting your skin’s biome is incredibly important if you want a balanced, healthy complexion. Fortunately, we have everything you need to protect your skin’s biome, regardless of your skin type. Here are five of the best products for the job:

REN Clean Skincare Perfect Canvas Clean Primer

REN Clean Skincare Perfect Canvas Clean Primer is a probiotic Primer that plumps skin, mattifies and fills in fine lines for the perfect makeup application. It contains skin-boosting extracts that help balance your good bacteria, reducing breakouts and promoting a healthy microbiome. It can be used on its own to give you smooth, mattified skin or as a primer underneath make up for the perfect canvas. 

Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Clear Biome

These capsules do exactly what it says on the box – they work on your skin’s biome to give you a clear, blemish-free complexion. Skin Clear Biome is designed to work from the inside out: feeding the gut with bacteria to clarify and brighten skin. The formula is housed within a protective matrix to ensure active bacteria reach the area of the gut where they are most needed. 

Elemis Superfood Blackcurrant Jelly Exfoliator

The Elemis Superfood range is all packed with naturally occurring ingredients, derived from superfoods, and this jelly exfoliator is made from antioxidant rich Nordic bilberry and black tea for healthy looking skin. It contains a prebiotic, naturally derived from sugar, that helps to leave skin feeling soft and smooth, without stripping natural oils while black seed oil supports the skin’s lipid barrier for a healthy glow.

Nouveau Prebiotic Eye Make-Up Remover Gel

The eyes are a tricky area – the skin is ultra delicate and finely balanced, while make-up for this area is often hardy and long-lasting. That’s why a specialist product is required to adequately remove cosmetics while protecting the delicate biome of the skin around the eye. Nouveau Prebiotic Eye Make-Up Remover Gel is an advanced oil-free, micellar gel eye make-up remover that contains powerful prebiotic ingredients to promote healthy skin microbiome, and to help prevent irritation.

Murad Prebiotic 3-In-1 MultiMist

Make-up can play havoc with the skin’s natural biome, preventing the transfer of oxygen and other nutrients. Murad Prebiotic 3-In-1 MultiMist is a 3-in-1 hydrating mist that hydrates, primes and sets makeup.The formula features hydrating sugars to moisturise and refresh skin, while a yeast peptide helps lock in hydration, making it the perfect, hard-working multitasker that your face needs. 

Vaping and The Effects on Your Skin

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acne, ageing, antioxidant, balanced, chemicals, cleanser, cream, daily routine, dangers, dark spots, day, discolouration, dry, dry skin, drying, dryness, e-cigarette, enlarged, exfoliator, flaky, hydrated, hydration, hyperpigmentation, inhaling, irritation, itchy, nicotine, oily skin, oxygen, patchy, pores, rashes, resurfacing, sagging, sebum, sensitive, sensitivity, skin, smoking, soothing, supple, texture, toxins, uneven, Vape, vaping, vapour, wrinkling

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. 

Busting More Beauty Myths

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chemicals, cleansing, damage, deficiency, follicle, hair, harmful rays, hypoallergenic, ingredients, irritant, irritating, make up, make-up, makeup, misinformation, Myth, nail polish, nails, natural, natural ingredients, oxygen, safe, sensitive skin, shave, Shaving, sleep, sunscreen, synthetic, thicker, Vitamin D

Photo by Emiliano Vittoriosi on Unsplash

Back in 2019, we wrote this post where we looked at some of the oldest and most persistent beauty myths around and gave you the truths behind them. The beauty industry seems to be awash with untruths about what is and isn’t good for you and your skin, and there are many more myths out there which need to be debunked, so we’ve come up with five more myths and the reality behind them: 

“Using sunscreen all year round causes vitamin D deficiency”

Sunscreen’s effect on vitamin D levels is actually minimal for most people. The truth is that everyone is at risk for vitamin D deficiency whether they have lighter skin tones or darker skin tones, even among people who live in sunny climates and are outdoors year-around. Skipping sunscreen is a case where the risk significantly outweighs the reward, so it just doesn’t make any sense to do in hopes of increasing your vitamin D levels.

“Wearing makeup every day is bad for your skin”

While wearing lots of makeup can be cumbersome for the skin on your face, wearing makeup consistently won’t actually make your skin worse. Granted, a day with no makeup feels great, but the real culprit of skin damage is not consistently washing your makeup off and leaving makeup on overnight. And no, using a face wipe won’t do the trick, either! Make sure you use a proper make-up removing cleanser and the effect of your make-up on the skin should be minimal. 

“Shaving makes your hair grow back thicker”

This is one of THE most persistent (and if we’re honest, IRRITATING!) beauty myths out there. Shaving will not make your hair grow back thicker, faster, or darker. The growth of hair is controlled by the follicle, and shaving doesn’t affect the follicle or growth pattern whatsoever. Your hair just might appear more stubbly because the blade cuts the hair at the thickest part. There are products which can help to slow the regrowth, but there’s no need to worry about turning into a yeti just from shaving! 

“Nail polish harms nails because it prevents them from breathing”

Nails are dead cells. The reality is that nails do not actually “breathe”; they receive their nutrients and oxygen from the bloodstream and not the air. If your nails are feeling weak and damaged, especially after having gel polish or extensions, using Protein Formula For Nails No:4 can help to restructure and strengthen damaged nails, whilst hydrating and promoting healthy nails.

“Natural ingredients are better for sensitive skin”

If you have sensitive skin, it can be easy to think that ingredients which are derived from natural sources will be less irritating than those which aren’t. However, this is simply not true. Some of our most potent products are made almost entirely from natural ingredients and in fact, it’s important to be selective about ALL ingredients, not just the synthetic ones. There are lots of synthetic ingredients proven to be hypoallergenic and safe for sensitive skin. And even if a synthetic ingredient has the potential for irritation, cosmetic chemists have the ability to remove the allergenic portion of the ingredient in a lab, making it more tolerable for your skin.

Easy ways to relax at lunchtime

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ancient Indian hair removal technique, annoying colleague, bad boss, big believers, blood, breathing, calmer option, card writing, chapters, Christmas parties, coffee shop, Convenient, dancing, delicate oils, difficult client., drink, eat, endorphins, energy boost, energy levels, exhausted, eye-watering, Eyebrow Threading, face, fast, feel good chemicals, fresh, heart rate up, increasing muscle activation, invigorated, long hours, lunchtime, manicure, Me time, midday break, mini facelift, mood, Neck and Shoulder Massage, oxygen, pedicure, phone, present shopping, pump, quieter, Read a Book, relaxed, relieve stress, run, salon, season to be jolly, Secret Santa, Shake it Out, shaped, small things, socialise, splashing out, stress of the office, stretching, sushi, threading, tight deadlines, trainers, treat, twisting cotton, untie knots, win, workplace, zen

Let’s face it, by this time of the year, many of us are often feeling exhausted and in need of a recharge. Long hours, tight deadlines and Christmas parties mean we are running on empty and finding ‘me time’ needed to get to the end of the week can feel impossible.

We are big believers that small things can lift your mood and increase your energy levels, so in the run up to the big day, let the card writing and present shopping wait, and do something for you at lunchtime instead.

Try Eyebrow Threading
Having your eyebrows shaped can change the way your face looks and the process means you sit down for just a while, not even able to look at your phone. Threading is an ancient Indian hair removal technique that is fast and convenient, it leaves no marks, isn’t messy and is like having a mini facelift. We admit that twisting cotton through the eyebrows can be eye-watering, but because it’s only ten minutes which will give you time to stop for sushi on the way back to work.

Have a Neck and Shoulder Massage
A half hour neck and shoulder massage can relieve stress, untie knots and leave you so much more relaxed. It’s fast and convenient and the delicate oils used will leave you feeling invigorated and able to make it to the end of the day. Walk to the salon and back and you’ll get an energy boost too.

Go for a Run
A run will get your heart rate up, more oxygen and blood will flow around your body and the resulting endorphins will lift your mood which means Dave in HR will seem like less of a pain. This is the ideal way to get outside and leave the stress of the office or shop floor behind you, so get your trainers on and start running.

Do a Little Yoga
Yoga is all about stretching, breathing, increasing muscle activation and a session in the middle of the day, will leave you feeling zen fresh for the afternoon.

Shake it Out
Dancing is a great way to shake away the stresses of the day, be that a bad boss, annoying colleague or difficult client. See if there is a class near your workplace and you will find that dancing away your lunch break will make you feel fab, and the afternoon will pass by in a flash as those feel good chemicals pump through your body.

Read a Book
OK, let’s take things down a little and go for a calmer option. Taking a book to a coffee shop and letting your mind escape to somewhere quieter is a real treat. Go alone, order something nice to eat and drink and just read a few chapters and you’ll feel those orders and accounts drop away.

Enjoy a Manicure
Want a quick make over for the office party? Why not head to a nearby nail salon for a manicure. Not only will you return to your desk refreshed, but your freshly polished nails will set off your outfit a treat but won’t break the bank! And if you feel like splashing out, have a pedicure done at the same time.

Have a Catch Up
It is the season to be jolly, so why not book in a few lunches before the office closes? Your midday break is a good opportunity to catch up and socialise, in person, with people you might not see that often and if you throw in the idea of Secret Santa then it’s a win, win!!!

Have fun!

Team Pure Beauty

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.