Why getting up early could be good for you

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The early hours might not be something you are familiar with or keen on, but they are not only the quietest time of the day but can also be the most productive.

No one yelling “mum,” no phone calls coming in and no emails landing in your inbox that need an urgent response. There’s also something really special about watching the sunrise and feeling accomplished before breakfast.

If you’re not a morning person, this might sound like hard work, but setting your alarm just a little earlier each day can be all it takes to make big shifts and we have some suggestions on how to make the switch.

Me time
We all know that time by ourselves can be hard to come by, but even a few extra minutes by yourself with your own thoughts can be huge for your peace of mind and mental health. Whether ‘me time’ to you means meditation, doing some yoga, writing a gratitude journal or listening to a podcast with no interruptions, mornings can give you the time to do this, so you feel cared for and looked after.

Do some exercise
We all have good intentions, and we all have our own body clocks, but while the rest of the house sleeps, you could fit in the exercise you keep meaning to do. It could be going for a walk as the sun comes up, running on the treadmill, doing a boxing session in the living room or lifting weights, all of these are a great way to start your day and work towards a goal. Whatever makes you feel good and gets you moving, go for it and we think you will be surprised the energy and motivation this will give you for the rest of the day.

Enjoy one hot cup of coffee
How many times do you make your first coffee of the day but never actually get to drink it while it is hot? Even getting up half an hour earlier than usual will mean you can make yourself a coffee, or tea, and sip it while it’s hot and plan your day.

Eat breakfast
Giving yourself a little extra time in the morning means you can prepare and enjoy a healthy breakfast. It is so easy to grab a cereal bar or knock back a smoothie as you run out of the house, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Eggs on toast, a bagel with smoked salmon and lemon juice or smashed avocado on rye bread are all easy to prepare, quick to eat and good for you – so make that extra time in the day count.

Get to work
For some people, the stillness of the morning is the perfect time to do some work. With an increasing number of us working for ourselves, or having flexible hours, being able to get through your to-do list can be done on your terms. Maybe you are most productive at admin at 6am, or you like to write blog posts when the office is silent, or it could be that getting your accounts done before 7am makes you feel organised and efficient.

Find what works for you and you’ll be amazed at how those extra hours can change the way you live and feel.

Team Pure Beauty

Game, Set and Match at Pure Beauty

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balm, best, beta-carotene, Brazilian purple clay, brightens, centre court, Citrus essential oils, cleansing mask, décolleté, Decleor Energising Smoothing Cream, Decleor Green Mandarin Sun-Kissed Glow Cream, deep cleansing therapy, elderberry, Elemis Fruit Active Rejuvenating Mask, Elemis Superfood Berry Boost Mask, eliminating signs, English rose, fatigue, Galangal extract, game, gin and tonic, Ginseng, grim, grime, hot and bothered, hyaluronic acid, kiwi fruit, lemis Exotic Frangipani Monoi Body Cream, light, limb, loving, lush, luxurious body cream, macadamia oil, make-up, omega-rich, omega-rich super berry complex, pollution, potent, purifying mask, radiant glow, revitalises, rich, running, set and match, shower, side, silky-smooth, SPF15, starflower, strawberries, strawberries and cream, sun, super berry complex, super-smooth, t-zones, tennis, tennis shoes, tones, up to speed, volley, Wimbledon

With Wimbledon just around the corner, it’s time for strawberries and cream, gin and tonic and let’s not forget the tennis.

At Pure Beauty, we sell some first-class products that help ensure your skin is as super smooth as the winning action on centre court.

If you want to volley into sensational skin, the Elemis Fruit Active Rejuvenating Mask is for you. This isn’t just a cleansing mask but a refining one too that is rich in strawberries and kiwi fruit. Left on for 10 minutes, once or twice a week, this deep cleansing therapy revitalises, brightens and nourishes even the dullest of complexions

The Decleor Energising Smoothing Cream is as light as the best tennis shoes and comes with an SPF 15 so that skin is protected from the sun if it does come out to play. Galangal extract reduces the signs of fine lines while potent ginseng tones and visibly brightens the skin, eliminating signs of fatigue, which is great if your game isn’t quite up to speed.

If you are going for game, set and match, there is no doubt in our minds that you need the Elemis Superfood Berry Boost Mask on your side. This purifying mask comes complete with Brazilian purple clay and an omega-rich super berry complex that not only balances the skin but mattifies tricky t-zones too. In less time than it takes to run up Henman Hill, this mask will draw out impurities so that skin is smooth, healthy and hydrated.

Given that Wimbledon is in the city, after a day outside, you will love the Elemis Pro-Collagen Rose Cleansing Balm. This powerful, deep cleansing balm removes make-up, grime, and pollution thanks to a blend of English rose, elderberry, starflower, and padina pavonica. Skin is left feeling nourished and soothed, with a radiant glow. For best results, warm a little balm in your hands, smooth over your face, neck and décolleté and after gently massaging into your skin, rinse away and love the skin you are now in.

If running around in the sun isn’t your thing, but you’d like a tennis players’ glow, how about trying the Decleor Green Mandarin Sun-Kissed Glow Cream? This fantastic day cream helps prevent fine lines and wrinkles and gives you a sun-kissed glow at the same time. Citrus essential oils have been blended with hyaluronic acid and beta-carotene for a winning combo that re-energises tired looking skin.

All players get hot and bothered so after a great game and a cool shower, the Elemis Exotic Frangipani Monoi Body Cream is a limb loving ‘go to’ product. This luxurious body cream has been enriched with macadamia oil and fragranced with frangipani flowers which together, leave skin silky smooth and smelling lush.

For more details on how you can get your skin match ready, get in touch today and we would love to help.

Team Pure Beauty.

Exercise Apps You’ll Love

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0-day beginner’s course, 30 minutes per day, 5k, abs, addictive, app, barre, beach holiday, board, body, boxing, cardio, chillout, community, competition, cycling distances, Daily Yoga, de-stress, determination, digital, downloading, downward dogs, feel good endorphins, finish line, fit, fitness studios, focus, four week to summer fitness programme, free trial, friend, From Couch to 5k, get fit, Gixo, Headspace, HIIT, important, intimidated, Judgement, kettlebell, mind, mindfulness, motivated, newbies, one stop, performance, personalised teaching approach, physical workout, progesss, running, Russian twists and reverse crunches, shop, Six Pack in 30 Days, speeds, start, Strava, strength routines, strong, Studio Tone It Up, sun salutations, sweat, three days a week, tip-top condition, tone, toned, total beginner, track, walking, warrior poses, wellness, wellness journey, willpower, work out, yoga, yoga and meditation

If you hate going to the gym and feel intimated by fancy fitness studios, why not jump on the digital bandwagon and get fit with an app?

OK, you will need a certain amount of willpower and determination, but free from judgement and competiton, by downloading an app, you can work-out when it suits you, wherever you like and you can often track your progress so you stay motivated too.

We have had a look at some of the best options out there to keep you in tip-top condition.

Gixo
Day and night, teachers are available on Gixo for 15, 25 and 40-minute sessions of running, walking, HIIT and strength routines that you can do without having to leave your living room. With no excuses about not being able to find time to get to the gym, you can try a free trial at home and then get to work with the ‘four week to summer fitness programme’ – what are you waiting for?

Daily Yoga
If you want something a little less intense and a bit more zen, then the Daily Yoga app offers over 100 yoga and meditation classes with plenty of poses to choose from. From sun salutations, warrior poses and downward dogs, you can chill out and tone up with this app and the meditation offerings mean this is a one stop de-stress and focus shop.

From Couch to 5k
If you haven’t heard of ‘From Couch to 5K’ where have you been ? This app is quite literally taking people from the comfort of their couch to the 5K finish line in weeks. It is perfect if you are a total beginner who wants to try running, but isn’t sure where to start. You only have to sweat for 30 minutes per day, three days a week for nine weeks to get to your target distance, and we think that you will be hooked on running before then! Why not get a friend involved and you can get fit, together?

Six Pack in 30 Days
Got a beach holiday coming up? Then you might want to strengthen your abs with ‘Six Pack in 30 Days’. No fancy gear is needed to do these ab workouts and the programme is suitable for total newbies. The app clearly shows you how to do classic core workouts like Russian twists and reverse crunches which will help you to work up a sweat, but make you look fab-tastic.

Strava
Not that exercise has to be a competition, but if you want to compare your performance with friends this app cold help to give you that extra push towards the finish line. Strava is a great way to keep track of running and cycling distances, speeds as well as endurance, and believe us, it can become as addictive as those feel good endorphins.

Studio Tone It Up
If community is important to you, then Studio Tone It Up could be what you have been looking for. Without leaving the house, you will be guided through workouts that will help to get your body toned and your mind strong. There’s a choice of yoga, cardio, barre, boxing, kettlebell, and more on offer and with new classes arriving every week, there’s no chance of getting board, just fit.

Headspace
Not everyone is looking for a physical workout, and if that is you, then how about trying the a wellness journey with the Headspace app? Start things off with a free 10-day beginner’s course that shows you the essentials of practicing mindfulness on a daily basis and with meditating known to help ease insomnia and increase productivity at work, you never know where this could lead.

Got an app you think we would like? Let us know about it and we will give it a go.

Team Pure Beauty

Don’t Let the Cold Weather Stop You From Exercising

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autumn weather, biting, body, bottle of water, bright, chilly hands, Christmas party, clocks, comfort, cool down, cycling, dehydrated, duvet, ear phones, eat well, energise, exercising, extra warmth, gloves, goal, good quality leggings, H2O, half marathon, hand-warmer, hard work, hat, hoodie, icy breath, injury, London to Brighton bike ride, motivated, music, November, overheating, painful, reflective clothing, refuel, running, running-specific designs, scarf, sensible, shower, size ten dress, slippers, sofa, spirits, sports socks, spring, stretches and exercises, sun, sweating, t-shirt, temperatures, thin glove liners, tip-top condition, trainers, vest, walking, warm up, water, wear layers, winter workouts, working out

While we have been lucky with the autumn weather so far, now the clocks have gone back, we are pretty sure the temperatures are going to start to drop soon. Some people might be put off from exercising once November hits, but if you put your trainers away now, all your hard work over the summer months will be undone in no time at all.

Yes, you can take your exercise inside, but running, walking, cycling or rowing outdoors, can energise your soul, lift your spirits and keep you in tip-top condition. We hope our hints and tips will keep you motivated to brace the elements, even when your sofa and slippers are calling you to go back to them.

Have a Goal
If you haven’t got anything to aim for, then going out on a biting Friday morning may well not appeal, so set a goal. Maybe it’s getting into that size ten dress for your Christmas party, running a half marathon in the spring or doing the London to Brighton bike ride, decide what will keep you on track and you will immediately have something to get out from under the duvet for.

Drink Water
We naturally tend to drink less water in the winter, but you still need to keep H2O levels up, especially when you are exercising. You may not feel as if you are overheating or sweating like you do when you run in the sun, but your body still needs to refuel, and you can still become dehydrated even if you can see your icy breath as you run through the woods. Take a bottle of water with you when you are working out, and be sure you to drink more, and eat well, when you are out of the shower and warming up.

Layer Up
If you are working hard, you will get hot, so make sure you wear layers that can be easily taken off and put back on. A vest, t-shirt, and hoodie together with a pair of good quality leggings, sports socks and appropriate trainers are a given, and you can always add a hat and scarf at the start of your session for extra warmth and comfort, and take them off as you heat up.

Look After Your Hands
Painful, chilly hands can be a part of winter workouts, so don’t try to brave it out, instead do the sensible thing and wear gloves. There are some excellent cycling, rowing and running-specific designs on the market which are worth investing in. If it’s a really cold day, you might want to wear a pair of thin glove liners made of a wicking material, or you could pop a hand-warmer in your pocket for extra heat too.

Warm Up and Cool Down
When it is cold, you might want to get running as soon as you step out of the door, but this could do more damage than good. It might be windy and raining, but it is still important to do your pre and post workout stretches and exercises to ensure you don’t pull or muscle, or worse.

Stay Safe
If you’re exercising when the sun has gone down, use well-lit areas, wear bright, reflective clothing and either tell someone where you are going or, even better, go with a friend. We know that music can help keep you motivated, but when it’s dark, cold and icy, not being able to hear what’s going on around you can make you vulnerable, so leave the earphones at home.

We hope that these tips will help you exercise safely when temperatures drop, but if it gets too much out there, either workout inside, or have a day off because, while the weather might be better tomorrow, an injury could take you out for weeks.

Team Beauty

Hay fever – what you need to know

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allergic, Antihistamines, asthma, balm infused tissues, clothes, corticosteroids, dock, eczema, exposure, eye drops, GP, grains, hay fever, immunotherapy, inflamation, inside, itchy, medication, methods, mugwort, nettles, options, outside, pain, pollen, red eyes, resistance, running, shower, sinus, summer, sunglasses, swelling, Vaseline, weeds

Whilst many of us open our arms to the summer, for hay fever sufferer the warm, pollen filled days aren’t always smiled upon.

Itchy eyes, runny noses, coughs and sneezes are usually associated with winter colds and flu, but hay fever can bring summer misery and pain.

It is thought that around a quarter of the population suffers with hay fever. Men and women are equally affected, symptoms can start at any age, seriousness changes year to year and some people find it become less severe as they get older.

So, let’s start with the basics.

Basically, you will suffer with hay fever if you have an allergic reaction to pollen. Pollen is a fine powder that is released by plants as part of their reproductive cycle. The proteins in pollen can cause the eyes, nose, throat and sinuses to become inflamed, irritated and swollen.

The pollen forecast is usually given with the weather in the summer and this is how things tend to be described:

• Low is less than 30 grains of pollen per cubic metre of air
• Moderate is 30 to 49 grains of pollen per cubic metre of air
• High is 50 to 149 grains of pollen per cubic metre of air
• Very high is 150 plus grains of pollen in every cubic metre of air

In general, symptoms often start once the pollen count hits 50.

The main types of pollen people are allergic to are:

• Tree pollen which is released during the spring
• Grass pollen which is released at the end of spring and in the start of summer
• Weed pollen, such as dock, mugwort and nettles, tends to be released late autumn, but far less people react to this

The most common symptoms of hay fever are:

• Blocked, watery, runny nose
• Coughing
• Itchy, running, red eyes
• Constant sneezing

Other symptoms people experience include:

• Disrupted sleep and tiredness
• Earache
• Headaches
• Reduced sense of smell
• Sinus pain
• Sore throat
• Worsening asthma symptoms

It is worth noting that if you suffer from, or there is a family history of allergies, particularly asthma or eczema, you may be more susceptible to hay fever.

The obvious way to control hay fever is to avoid exposure to pollen but this really isn’t viable unless you stay inside with all windows and doors closed. Despite all the advances in modern medicine, to date there is no cure for hay fever. The good news is that in the most, symptoms can be relieved.

Over-the-counter medication from your pharmacist can be used for hay fever. Antihistamines can help prevent an allergic reaction from happening in the first place. It is a good idea to take these before your nose and eyes start to run and a regular dose will keep the drug in your system to fight off the pesky pollen. Corticosteroids can also be taken and these help bring down inflammation and swelling.

Eye drops and nasal sprays can help a blocked nose and itchy eyes so take them with you wherever you go along with plenty of clean tissues.

If your symptoms get too much then it it’s worth speaking to your GP, as you may require prescription medication. Some people choose to try a treatment called ‘immunotherapy’ which involves pollen exposure over time to build up resistance. This is done via an injection or pill in severe cases but it can take months or years to work so you will need to use other option to start with at least.

As well as medication, there are some easy steps you can take to help ease the pain of hay fever.

• Try to stay inside as much as you can when there is a high pollen count
• Wear sunglasses outside to stop pollen getting in your eyes – wrap around models are preferable
• Take a shower and change your clothes when you have been outside to remove the pollen on your body and wash your sunglasses too
• Apply a little bit of Vaseline at the bottom of your nose as this can actually trap pollen grains
• Try and have a good diet and add extra vitamins and local honey because whilst they won’t stop the allergic reaction they will help keep your immune system strong

Good luck and it you have top tips for living with hay fever, let us know.