Forget the Hacks – Get Skincare RIGHT!

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Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash

These days, because the internet and social media give anyone who wants one a very public mouthpiece, there’s a lot of false information floating around which claims to be true. This is especially relevant when it comes to skincare and barely a day goes by without a new “hack” hitting TikTok, claiming to be the latest skincare saviour or correct way to do things. There are, however, plenty of people out there putting paid to these myths, and we thought it was time we weighed in too! 

Homemade Face Masks

While there’s no doubt that there are plenty of ingredients in your kitchen which are can be good for your skin, there are also a lot which can be damaging. One such ingredient is sugar, which many claim makes a good exfoliant when added to face scrubs or masks. In fact, using sugar to exfoliate your face can be highly damaging and actually cause micro tears to your face, leaving you open to infection. If you want to exfoliate, opt for a non-physical exfoliation product such as Elemis Superfood Blackcurrant Jelly Exfoliator which will gently yet effectively exfoliate, leaving skin feeling soft and smooth.

Frozen Spoons

There are lots of tutorials on the web showing people using spoons which have been stored in the fridge or freezer to perform facial massage and lymphatic drainage. While the theory behind is is fairly sound, using a spoon is less than ideal. They’re usually made of a non-optimal material such as metal and they’re not specifically shaped for the contours of the face. Swap your spoon for a Hayo’u Beauty Restorer and we’re positive that your facial massage routine will start to show MUCH better results. 

Slugging

For those of you who don’t know, slugging involves covering your face with a thick layer of Vaseline and leaving it overnight as a way of hydrating the skin. It originated in Korea and made it’s way across the globe thanks to social media, however it’s NOT something we’d recommend. At all. While soaking your skin in something nourishing to encourage moisturisation is fine, using a product like Vaseline (which, let’s not forget, is a petrochemical…) is a really bad idea. Aside from suffocating your skin and blocking your pores, it can actually be more drying and cause your skin to parch completely. If you must slather your face in something, opt for Elemis Superfood Night Cream, which is designed to deeply hydrate and nourish your skin without the risk of damage. 

SPF Contouring

This trend is one that really blew our minds! Certain TikTokkers were advocating for only putting sunscreen on small areas of the face, so that you’d tan more in other areas, to create a physical contouring effect without using make up. Obviously, this is just beyond daft, and potentially a very dangerous thing to do, and we can’t imagine anyone taking this seriously. Properly protecting your skin from the sun using a product like SkinCeuticals Advanced Brightening UV Defence SPF 50 is one of the best ways to protect your skin from the damaging effects of the sun – and we do mean ALL OVER your face! 

Home Microneedling

While we aren’t suggesting that microneedling is totally out of the question, we have serious reservations about doing such an invasive treatment without proper medical training. Microneedling, for those who aren’t in the know, involves using a device which rolls lots of tiny needles across your face, making minute holes in your skin as it goes. The theory is that it allows the skincare to penetrate more deeply, but in reality, the risk of introducing bacteria, and therefore infection, is really high. Devices which pierce the skin should be sterilised in a medical grade autoclave before each use…not just left in your bathroom cabinet! If you make the sensible choice of leaving your microneedling to a professional, we do recommend using Medik8 Ultimate Recovery Bio-Cellulose Mask in the days after treatment.

How to put social media boundaries in place

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While social media can be a place to bring people together and share ideas and dreams, it can also lead us down a darker path and take over life.

There might be a sense of community online, but the combination of overuse and the constant need for attention and validation can be detrimental to mental wellness and distracting when it comes to productivity.

We have some top tips around how you can set up your boundaries, so you keep safe online and take what you need from social media and keep the rest away.

Set time limits
Have a think about how long you are spending on social media at the moment each day and then consider what a reasonable amount of time might be.

Two hours?
An hour?
Thirty minutes?

This is for you to decide and we are all going to be different, but what is key here is that once you choose a time limit, stick to it. Keep an eye on your watch, and look at what else you are able to do that brings you back into the real world. Facebook will still be there when you go back and that Twitter DM can wait.

Kick toxicity to the curb
If you are reading posts from a person who is always negative or are in a group that is toxic, get away. We don’t need that in our lives be that in person or online, so go through your feeds, work out what and who aren’t doing you any favours and walk away. No need for this to be a drama, just let things slip away and feel good vibes come back.

Be positive
It’s an oldie but a goodie but “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all” is relevant when it comes to social media. Even if you’re speaking out against something, this can be done in a positive way if you offer alternative ideas and solutions rather than just throwing open a bag full of criticism. “I have another” can prevent discussions from becoming nasty and let you pass on your thoughts in a constructive way. Or, just move on and keep your thoughts to yourself rather than plastering it across IG for all to see.

Don’t give it all away
You might be having a bad day, you could’ve won the lottery, and your boss might have annoyed you, but you don’t have to put everything out there online. Yes, be part of the conversation but given that we don’t share everything in real life, you don’t want to let strangers know what’s up every second of the day.

Unplug
Checking social media can be a really bad habit, and an addictive one, but you do have a choice to decide when and how often you use it (see point one). Make one afternoon a week, or one day at the weekend a social media free zone and let your mind wander onto other things. Get outside, meet real friends, watch a movie or go to the beach and let the online world go on without you.

Team Pure Beauty

Stress isn’t just for National Stress Awareness Day

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While the first Wednesday in November each year is National Stress Awareness Day, the world is a pretty stressful place a lot of the time and it is different for us all.

You might feel irritable and impatient, nervous or depressed. There can be knots in your stomach, a sense of dread and the inability to see the good in life. Panic attacks, sleepless nights, loss of libido and feeling sick, dizzy or fainting are all ways stress can be experienced.

If we are to thrive, we need to find our own ways of coping with whatever our busy lives throw at us, so we have some ideas we hope might help.

Know your triggers
A buzz word, maybe, but it’s really good to try to access your triggers, where possible. Stress can come from many things, be that work, kids, family, friends or other people on social media! If you can identify what causes your stress, this will help you to tackle it and get things under control. Start to keep a diary of when you feel stressed, look at who or what sets it off and if a pattern emerges look at the changes you can make so things settle down.

Look at your lifestyle
Exercise is often on the bottom of our to do list, but it is a great way to manage stress. Increasing your heart rate, eating a nutritious diet, drinking lots of water and getting plenty of sleep are really important if you want to keep stress levels down. Just as you track your stress, look at how good you feel after a run or a swim, and how your skin improves when you swap chocolate and coffee for fruit and veg.

Pick your battles
There can be many things in life that are stressful – from a big bill, unfair boss to an angry customer, but if you react to them all you are going to be ill. Choose which things you are going to actually direct energy at and try to resolve, but the rest can be put behind you because they aren’t worth it.

Let it go
Stamp your feet, shout out loud, cry or jump up and down or do some boxing! No, we aren’t talking about toddler tantrums, but letting out your stress and steam in a more physical way. If you are feeling cross and out of control, it might just help to yell about it and get that stress out of your system.

Switch off
Turning off your phone, not checking your emails and powering down your laptop can all help put a lid on stress. You don’t need to be ‘on it’ 24/7, and no one expects you to work late every night, and if they do, maybe you need to look at how much work is impacting your life and stress levels.

Be mindful
This is talked about a lot, but mindfulness is where you have an awareness of the present moment and you pay attention to thoughts, feelings and sensations in the here and now. Mindfulness is really good for healthy mental wellbeing, so if you feel stressed, take a moment and reflect. If your mind gets busy, mindfulness can help to slow it down.

Kick the bad stuff
Smoking, drinking and binge-eating are ways many people cope with stress, but none of those toxic habits will do you any favours. Giving up cigarettes, cutting down takeaways and going to the gym rather than the pub will help you to feel better in the long run.

If things are getting out of hand, chat to your GP – you won’t be the only one.

Team Pure Beauty

Easy ways to stress less every day

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Life is busy, demands grow every day, the need to be Insta perfect plays on our minds and sometimes things can just get too much. It is just as important to look after your mental health, as it is to keep tabs on your physical wellbeing or things can start to get on top of you.

We have had a look at some simple ways you can take back control when it comes to feeling good about life and stressing less each day.

Think about how you start your day
For many people, anxiety is an issue and it can feel worse in the morning. To help with this, try to avoid activities that trigger your stress levels the moment you get up. Don’t look at your emails as soon as you wake, scroll through social media when you are at your desk and not in bed, and if coffee adds an edge, try a herbal tea and some meditation before hitting the caffeine.

List it
We aren’t talking about a to-do list, but a gratitude journal. Each day write down ten things that you’re grateful for and start to appreciate the little things we often take for granted, like family, health, food on the table and even the sun shinning. When you start to see what you do have and focus less on what you wish you had, shifts can be made and stress levels can go down.

And breath
Tuning into your breathing can make a real difference to how you feel as this really does affect your body. Think about it, when you are stressed out, your breathing becomes shorter and shallower, this can make you feel worse and a vicious cycle is set in place. Meditative breathing techniques can make a big difference to how you feel and allow you to become more relaxed and able to think straight. Start by simply taking deep, full breaths in through your nose, and exhaling slowly out of your mouth. Set aside ten minutes a day, more if you can, and just sit with your breath and feel the tension lift.

Get some exercise
Yes, we are all busy but there are real benefits for our mental health if we exercise. When you move your body releases endorphins, feel-good hormones, and when this happens it helps you to feel more energised and focused. This doesn’t mean hitting the gym twice a day or training for a marathon, but simply walking the dog, getting on your bike or taking a step class are all ways to bring good vibes into your life the natural way.

Be your own best friend
Have you ever stopped and thought about how you talk to yourself? Words like stupid, slow, lazy and failure are negative phrases we often use with ourselves, but now is the time to stop and be your own best friend and look after you.

Sleep it away
When we are tired, our worries seem to get worse and we find it harder to turn off and relax. Try to get yourself into a healthy sleep routine so you are able to give your body and mind time to recuperate and catch up. A set bedtime, having a warm bath with added essential oils, doing some yoga are all ideas that can have a positive impact on your mental health.

Live in the moment
It is all too easy to think about what went wrong in the past, or worry about the future, but why not start to enjoy and appreciate the here and now? You cannot change what has happened and we do not know what will happen tomorrow, next week or next year, so savour the moment and leave those worries at the door.

Team Pure Beauty

Top Tips for Returning to Work

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Whether you’re going back to work after maternity leave, have been made redundant or have taken an extended career break, going back to work can be daunting.

We have had a look at how to embrace change and go back to what you love in style.

Confidence
Be it six months or six years, time away from your workplace can leave you feeling a little lost and wondering who you are. Many people find that some of their confidence has gone and a loss of career identity leaves them feeling out in the cold. It’s normal to feel this way, but it is something that you can talk to your HR Manager and team about. If you are up to speed on changes, new staff and anything else major you have missed out on, it will help get you back to your old positive self.

Step back in time
Now is a great time to think about your past achievements and experiences as well as looking at your CV. Focus on what you have done, what you do know and get used to recording new wins and goals. While your confidence may have taken a little bit of a battering, you are still very capable, so when the self-doubt creeps in, go back to that list and celebrate YOU.

Value Yourself
It is really important that you value yourself in all parts of your life when you go back to work. Be sure you ask for the salary you want, as well as the support you need and don’t sell yourself short. If you aren’t’ quite sure what you are worth, do some research, speak to a recruitment consultant and look at sites like LinkedIn so you can get a feel for the land.

Flexible Working is Out There
If you’re looking for flexible working, you need to know that this is possible and there are companies who do offer it. This isn’t just about part-time hours, but compressed hours, working from home, starting the day early or working term time only. Not everyone will offer this but just think about how working life needs to look for you and go for the right fit.

Skill Up
Depending on just how long you have been out of the working game, you might want to get some new skills that will take you further in your career. Whether it is an updated first aid course, a social media seminar or a refresher in Excel, do what you can to make the transition as easy as possible.

Leave Perfection at the Door
No one, absolutely no one is perfect, don’t even go there. Yes, social media feeds will show ‘picture perfect’ people at their desk with manicured nails and a whiter than white smile, but that’s all about the filters and the good days. Do your best and that is more than enough.

Don’t Say Yes To It All
You will want to please your employee, your friends, family, and colleagues, but where do you fit into this picture. Look at your work contract, your hours, obligations and take it from there. Do the shopping online, share chores with your partner and if you need to delegate – do it.

Network
As the saying goes, it’s not what you know but who you know and this is pretty true when it comes to working. Connecting with old colleagues, bosses, HR teams and suppliers can be super helpful and just meeting for a coffee and catching up can lead to the unexpected, and in a good way.

Take It Easy On Yourself
Just as it took time to get used to being off work, you will need to give yourself time to get used to being back in the saddle.
Take each day as it comes, one step at a time and as the days, weeks and months pass by, you will find a new rhythm and even a more confident version of you will start to bloom.

Team Pure Beauty