The Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Skincare

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base, clean, cleanse, combination, comedogenic, complexion, daily, dry, grime, hydration, make-up, normal, oily, perfect, pollution, primer, sensitive, skin type, skincare, SPF, spots, sun protection, sunscreen, unbalanced, water

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Whether you’re a young person who’s just started to take care of their skin, or an older person who’s steadfastly refused to deal with skincare before, being an absolute beginner can be a little intimidating, especially when you consider the vast amount of products available. We decided to put together some tips that we thing every skincare virgin should know, so that it doesn’t feel so daunting.

Take your make up off every day, no matter how tired you are

When you leave your make up on, not only are you leaving potentially comedogenic (that’s blackhead-forming, to you and me) products on your face, you’re also leaving the days dirt and grime. This can cause your skin to become dry, red, sensitised and generally unbalanced. Elemis Pro-Radiance Cream Cleanser is a great cleanser for most skin types as it melts make-up and removes the daily pollutants that can dull the skin.

SUNSCREEN!

Baz Luhrmann said it years ago, and it’s still as true as ever – “ALWAYS wear sunscreen”! The fastest way to age your skin is with prolonged, unprotected sun exposure, and this can be highly damaging even beyond the signs of ageing. Decleor Anti-Pollution Hydrating Fluid SPF30 is the perfect daily SPF for normal to dry skin and leaves skin feeling hydrated and comfortable.

Barely anyone has ‘perfect’ skin

We know that the slew of airbrushed images that we’re bombarded with makes it easy to believe that loads of people have perfect skin, but it’s actually very rare and we guarantee that almost every single person you asked would say they have at least one bugbear with their own complexion. Using a primer is a good place to start to get a flawless base before you apply your make up, allowing you to fake it all the way!

Know your skin type

When it comes to skincare, using the right type for your skin type is hugely important. If you have dry skin and are using products for normal skin, they won’t be powerful enough to keep you hydrated. If you’ve got normal skin, products for oily skin could dry you out and if you’ve got sensitive skin, anything perfumed or too rich will have you red and itchy. Use our guide to work out your skin type before you buy anything.

Drink plenty of water

You can use all of the moisturisers and skin-fixing products you like, but if your body is severely dehydrated then the source of your dryness isn’t going to be fixed. The old ‘eight glasses a day’ thing isn’t necessarily the right amount for everyone, but if your urine is almost clear and the skin doesn’t feel papery, you’re probably hydrated to a decent level.

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Five Skincare MUSTS For Your Thirties

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30’s, ageing, anti ageing, brighter, broad spectrum, cells, cream, dead cells, Decleor 24 Hour Hydrating Light Cream, delicate, Dermalogica Antioxidant HydraMist, Dermalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant, Dermalogica Stress Positive Eye Lift, Elemis Liquid Layer SPF30, exfoliate, exfoliating, Eyes, firming, flash-firming, hyaluronic acid, hydration, imbalance, moisture, moisturise, moisturiser, night, oily, protection, repair, repair-mode, sensitive, skincare, SPF, stress, sun, thirties, tiredness

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Your thirties can be a real in-between time for skincare; you’re probably not dealing with acne or sports anymore, and your party days are petering out, but you’re also not at that hardcore wrinkle-fighting stage yet, either. In fact, we often find from our customers that skin is neglected MOST when women hit their thirties for a number of reasons. There are, however, several things you should be doing if you want to reach your forties with skin which is still in good shape. Here’s a few of them:

NEVER MISS SUNSCREEN

If you’re in your thirties, there’s a good chance that ‘time spent in the sun’ revolves around watching the kids while they practice their divebombs in the pool, but distraction is no excuse and you should be taking extra time to ensure that your skin is adequately protected from the sun’s harmful rays. We say protect against the signs of ageing now so you won’t need to reverse them later. Elemis Liquid Layer SPF30 is a broad spectrum, water-resistant physical barrier sunscreen protects against sun’s harmful rays.

ADD MORE MOISTURE

A mistake that many women make is thinking that they only need to moisturise their skin if it’s dry in the first place, but this simply isn’t true. All skin needs added moisture, and in fact oily skin is often that way because of an imbalance and lack of moisture making the skin over-produce Decleor 24 Hour Hydrating Light Cream is a light moisturiser which offers 24hr hydration and protection to all skin types.

THINK ABOUT ANTI AGEING

Something we see really often here at Pure Beauty is women who only start to use anti-ageing products once the signs of ageing have already started, but in fact using them preemptively is so much more advantageous as they can stop ageing in it’s tracks. Opting for products containing hyaluronic acid like Dermalogica Antioxidant HydraMist with its intense hydration and flash-firming properties will help you to look younger for longer.

DON’T FORGET YOUR EYES

Many women use an all-over facial moisturiser (probably because they’re short on time) and totally forget about their eyes, but this is a mistake. The skin around the eyes is delicate and prone to collagen loss, which means it’s usually the first place to age. Treat yourself to a tube of Dermalogica Stress Positive Eye Lift which will help to remove all signs of stress and tiredness, keeping the skin around your eyes in top condition.

EXFOLIATE AT NIGHT

Changing hormones and the ageing process can mean that your skin starts to change in your thirties, maybe feeling a little more delicate than before. Exfoliation is an important step in your skincare routine but once you hit your thirties you should try to only do it at night. Skin goes into repair-mode as we sleep, so exfoliating away all the dead skin cells before your skin repairs itself at night will give you the best chance of waking up with a brighter complexion. Dermalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant is a gentle exfoliator, suitable for most skin types.

Celebrity Fans of Elemis

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beauty, BIOTEC, Cara Delevingne, celeb, celebrity, Christina Hendricks, Elemis, Elemis Japanese Camellia Body Oil Blend, Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm, Elemis Pro-Collagen Hydra-Gel Eye Masks, face, facial, skin, skincare, Victoria Beckham

Sometimes, a brand comes along which is both impressive enough to be used by celebrities and the super-rich, but is also affordable by us mere mortals, and Elemis is definitely one of those brands. Although it’s prices aren’t as prohibitive as other high-end products, there are a lot of well-known fans of the brand, so we thought we’d take a look at some of the more high-profile fans of Elemis and exactly which products they use.

Cara Delevingne – Elemis Pro-Collagen Hydra-Gel Eye Masks

Image by Gage Skidmore (from Wikipedia)

Cara Delevingne is a model and actress who’s graced the runways for the likes of Burberry, Mulberry and Dolce and Gabbana, as well as starring in huge hits such as Suicide Squad on the big screen. Her make-up artist for the Suicide Squad promotional tour Romy Soleimani says “For Cara, all week long I used Elemis pro-collagen hydra-gel eye masks under her eyes while I was doing her make-up. Then I would peel it off and do her skin. It’s a great way of not only catching fallen shadow, but it also refreshes and plumps. Some mornings we started at 5am”.

Natalie Dormer – Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm

Royalty-free image from Wikipedia

Natalie Dormer is most famous for her role as Margaery Tyrell, the young but ruthless wannabe queen in Game of Thrones. Her role is a tricky one and (spoiler alert!) latterly quite gruelling, but she swears by Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm for keeping her skin clean and fresh. The star says “The best way to take my make-up off is with Elemis’ cleansing balm. I rub it all over my face, then use a flannel to wipe off”.

Victoria Beckham – Elemis Japanese Camellia Body Oil Blend

Royalty free image from Wikipedia

Victoria Beckham (sorry, but she’ll always be Posh Spice to us!) is such a huge fan of this oil from Elemis that she’s tweeted about it several times and has even mentioned it in her fashion book. She credits its use with her complete lack of stretch marks even after FOUR pregnancies and says “I have used this through every pregnancy, it’s amazing”.

Christina Hendricks – BIOTEC Facials

By Dominick D – https://www.flickr.com/photos/idominick/13334284895/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36716084

Christina Hendricks is well-known for her classic, vintage look and has skin which would make almost any woman jealous. She’s a huge fan of Elemis BIOTEC facials, using some of the most powerful products from the BIOTEC range. Her facialist, Georgia Louise Vassanelli, is one of the most sought-after skincare experts and says “My team and I love offering the ELEMIS BIOTEC facials; They are the perfect balance of science and nature, the right amount of hands-on massage with the sophistication of the machine, backed up with powerful chemistry in ELEMIS’s newly formulated professional products”.

Skincare for Make-Up Lovers

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cleansing, decleor, Decleor Soothing Micellar Water, Decleor Youth Cleansing Milk, dermalogica, Dermalogica Charcoal Rescue Masque, Dermalogica Multi-Active Toner, Dermalogica Soothing Eye Make Up Remover, make-up, skincare

These days it seems more than ever that there is a trend of heavily made up faces. Between the Kardashians and the girls from TOWIE, normal women have been following suit and wearing make-up which looks heavy and glamorous in their everyday lives. Contouring is huge, as are fake lashes, heavily coloured lips and smoky eyes. The problem is, heavy make-up can play havoc with your skin, so we thought we’d take a look at what you should be using to remove your make-up if you favour a full-on look:

Dermalogica Soothing Eye Make Up Remover

Using a specific eye make-up remover is a good idea because of the ingredients in eye make-up which make it longer-lasting and therefore harder to remove. This cleanser contains arnica, balm mint, lavender and aloe to remove all traces of dirt whilst also soothing the delicate eye area. It’s suitable for all skin conditions from dry to oily.

Decleor Soothing Micellar Water

This soft fragrance-free micellar water from Decleor is perfect for sensitive skin types or skin which has been over-sensitised by external irritants. It’s a 3-in-1 cleanser, toner and make-up remover which means you don’t need additional products although following your cleansing routine with a moisturiser is a good idea.

Dermalogica Charcoal Rescue Masque

Using heavy make-up is one of the main causes of combination skin as it can both dry out sensitive areas and cause over-production of sebum, leaving some areas needing moisture and other areas which need something to mob up excess oil. Adding Dermalogica Charcoal Rescue Masque into your routine would be a good way to improve your skin and get it back to looking its best.

Decleor Youth Cleansing Milk

This cleanser is perfect of you have skin which is showing the signs of age as it not only removes make-up and dirt but also has extreme hydrating powers which will add moisture to the skin and plump up areas with wrinkles and fine lines. It contains sweet almond oil which gently cleanses the skin without causing any irritation, while hyaluronic acid reduces dryness and smoothes the surface of the skin.

Dermalogica Multi-Active Toner

Using a toner after deeply cleansing the skin is a good idea as it will replace any moisture which is lost during the cleansing process, as well as helping to close the pores and soothing the skin. This spray-on from Dermalogica is perfect for use throughout the day and is suitable for all skin types.

Sporting Skincare

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cycling, football, hair care, skincare, sport, swimming, tennis

Playing a sport can be good for us in so many ways; as well as helping to keep us fit and healthy, playing a sport can encourage mental wellness and a feeling of accomplishment. However, there can be a slight downside to certain sports, in that they’re tough on your body in other ways. We thought we’d look at some of the most popular sports, their effects on your beauty regime and what you can do to help.

Cycling

Ever since Bradley Wiggins brought the yellow jersey home from the Tour de France and Team GB did so well at the cycling events at the London 2012 Olympics, the UK seems to have caught cycling fever! Cycling is an excellent way to get a full body workout and if you’re brave enough can still be done in both rain and shine. It can, however, be tough on your hands and encourage callouses and rough skin to develop. We’d recommend Decleor Nourishing and Smoothing Hand Cream which will nourish the hands and protect them from the elements, as well as Dermalogica Multivitamin Hand and Nail Treatment as an overnight treatment to repair the cuticles and give deep moisturisation.

Tennis

Tennis is a great sport for both exercise and socialisation, and joining a tennis club can do wonders for both your health and your social life. During the summer months, you’ll likely be playing outside which means that a good sun lotion will be in order. Protect your face whilst keeping a flawless complexion with Decleor Multi-Protection BB Cream SPF15 in light, medium or dark and protect your body with Dermalogica Protection 50 Sport SPF50, a product specifically designed to be used during sport and therefore won’t be affected by perspiration.

Football

Women’s football is becoming more popular than ever, with Liverpool Ladies and England Captain Gemma Bonner providing a hugely positive role-model for girls around the country. There’s no doubt that football is a physically demanding sport, and 90 minutes of running (and that’s not counting added time…) is enough to give even the fittest sportsperson tired legs. We recommend that you put some life back into your aching pins with Decleor Circulagel Refreshing Leg Gel.

Swimming

Swimming offers perhaps the best full body workout of any sport, with breaststroke estimated to work at least 30 of the major muscles. There’s no doubt though, that the chemicals used to clean a pool can be hard on your hair if you swim regularly and even salt can be harmful if you’re lucky enough to live somewhere warm enough to swim in the sea. You’ll need to use haircare products which are powerful enough to cleanse away the chemicals without stripping your hair of you use them every day so products such as Dermalogica Shine Therapy Shampoo and Dermalogica Silk Finish Conditioner are an important addition to your bathroom.