Five of the Best Ingredients for Youthful Skin

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acidic, acne, ageing, all skin types, allergic reactions, alternative, anti-aging, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, ayurvedic medicine, bakuchiol, blemish prone, breastfeeding, ceramides, Chinese medicine, collagen, combination skin, complexion, dark spots, dehydrated, delicate, dermatology, dry skin, dryness, eczema, epidermis, Eyes, fats, firm, firmer feeling, germs, glowing, healthy, humectant, hyaluronic acid, Indian Babchi plant, inflammation, leaves, lines, lipids, melanin, moisture, oceans, oil based, oily skin, pigmentation, plump, plumper, potent, pregnant, products, Psoriasis, rainforests, reinforce, retinoids, retinol, rosacea, seeds, sensitive skin, sensitivity, skin, skin barrier, skin care, skin cells, skin issues, smoother, sun damage, topically, useful, vitamin A, Vitamin C, water, wrinkles

Photo by Karolina Grabowska

Here at Pure Beauty, we’re well aware of how confusing skincare can feel. There’s a different product for every different skin issue and a wealth of ingredients which vary from things found in your pantry to things found in the deepest oceans or rainforests! Looking at ingredient lists often feels like trying to decipher an unknown language, but there are some key things that you can look for if you’re in the market for anti-ageing products. Here are five of the best ingredients for maintaining a youthful complexion:

Retinol 

Retinol is a form of vitamin A that’s suitable for the skin. It belongs to a group of vitamin A derivatives, known as retinoids. Retinol has multiple uses and can be used to combat conditions like acne and can target areas of pigmentation. It can also reduce signs of ageing and sun damage. Retinoids don’t work equally well on everyone. If you suffer from rosacea, eczema, or psoriasis, it’s probably best to avoid retinol since it can be too powerful on skin that needs a gentle touch – it can increase inflammation, dryness and sensitivity in already delicate complexions.

Try Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Serum

Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic Acid is a humectant — a substance that retains moisture — and it is capable of binding over one thousand times its weight in water. This substance is naturally found in many areas of the human body, including the skin and eyes. Hyaluronic acid helps skin stretch and flex and reduces skin wrinkles and lines. Hyaluronic acid is also proven to help wounds heal faster and can reduce scarring. Allergic reactions to hyaluronic acid are rare, so that means whether you have oily skin, sensitive, dry skin, or combination skin, you have the green light to use hyaluronic acid products.

Try SkinCeuticals H.A. (Hyaluronic Acid) Intensifier Serum 

Vitamin C

Vitamin C can help keep skin looking plump and firm. This is because it’s highly acidic when applied topically and can help to promote collagen production and reduce the appearance of ageing skin. It also contains a property that inhibits the skin’s melanin production levels, two of the culprits that can lead to dark spots and hyperpigmentation, making it an absolute hero at giving you a glowing, healthy complexion. It’s usually found in oil-based products, so may not be ideal for acne and blemish prone skin, but it’s great for pretty much all other skin types. 

Try REN Clean Skincare Glow Daily Vitamin C Gel Cream

Bakuchiol

If you’re looking for an alternative to retinol that can be used on more sensitive skin, bakuchiol is a good place to start. Bakuchiol is found in the seeds and leaves of the Indian Babchi plant and has been used in traditional Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine for centuries. It also has calming anti-inflammatory and healing antibacterial properties and is even safe for use when pregnant and breastfeeding. It’s a potent-yet-kind ingredient which the British Journal of Dermatology found was just as effective as retinol and significantly less irritating, which is great news for anyone looking for an alternative.

Try Medik8 The CSA Bakuchiol Edition Kit

Ceramides

Ceramides are fats or lipids that are found in skin cells and make up 30% to 40% of your outer skin layer, or epidermis. Ceramides are important for retaining your skin’s moisture and preventing the entry of germs into your body. If your skin’s ceramide content decreases, which often happens with age, it can become dehydrated. Skincare products with ceramides will help reinforce your skin’s barrier and increase hydration, giving you plumper, smoother, firmer-feeling skin with fewer visible lines and wrinkles, as well as fewer signs of sensitivity.

Try Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Moisture IQ

Everyday Sunscreens for Every Skin Type

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ageing, Aloe Vera, board protection, botanical, broad spectrum, cloudy, coconut, daily, defend, delicate, discolouration, dry, environmental, exacerbate, harmful rays, hydration, hyperpigmentation, inflammation, Jojoba oil, make up, matte, normal, nourish, nourished for more hydrated, oily, protection, rays, sesame oil, shine reducing, SPF, spot prone, stress, sun, sun damage, sun exposure, sunscreen, thinner, UVA, UVB, wrinkles

Photo by RF._.studio from Pexels

Although keeping your skin clean and hydrated is always going to be important, most experts agree that the easiest way to care for your skin is by wearing sunscreen on a daily basis. Wearing sunscreen can prevent skin damage, including wrinkles, unwanted pigmentation, skin thinning and cancer. It’s also a common misconception that you only need to wear sunscreen on warmer days; you can still get burned when it’s cloudy, so wear sunscreen daily.

With this in mind, we’ve curated a list of our best sunscreens for every different skin type:

Normal

When you have normal skin, you often have the pick of many different products, but finding a daily SPF which works well with make-up can still be a challenge. Elemis Daily Defence Shield SPF30 is a perfect base for make-up and offers broad protection against environmental factors including UV rays, high energy visible light and pollution. It has a super light texture and contains both coconut and jojoba oils to nourish the skin.

Dry/Sensitive

When people with dry skin use sunscreens which aren’t formulated for dryness, they often find that the product can look chalky or exacerbate flakiness. Decleor Aloe Vera Sun Gel Cream SPF50 is a gel-based sunscreen offering broad spectrum SPF50 protection which also deeply hydrates dry and ageing skin. Aloe vera soothes and prevents inflammation and botanical sesame oils leave the skin feeling nourished and hydrated.

Oily/Spot Prone

Many sunscreens are oil-based to prevent them from being washed away too easily, but this can play havoc with oily and spot prone skin. Dermalogica Clearing Defence SPF30 is a shine-reducing SPF moisturiser that protects breakout-prone skin from environmental stress. It offers a matte finish which doesn’t clog the pores while protecting the skin from the suns harmful rays. 

Ageing

If your skin is ageing, either prematurely or when it should, you’ll find that you need added protection from the sun. This is because, as we age, our skin loses the ability to make certain key elements, leaving our skin thinner and more delicate. Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF50 will help achieve absolute hydration and defend against the internal and external causes of skin ageing.

Hyperpigmented

If you suffer from hyperpigmentation, you’re probably all too aware that sun exposure can exacerbate the condition more than almost anything else, so having a good SPF is essential. SkinCeuticals Advanced Brightening UV Defence SPF 50 is a dual-action, lightweight sunscreen with SPF50 that helps protect the skin from UV-induced discolouration and helps evens skin tone. 

Dermaplaning – A Beginner’s Guide

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acne, chemical, chemical peel, damage, Decleor Thyme Gentle Peeling Cream, Decleor Ultra Protective Anti-Wrinkle Cream SPF50 Face, Dermalogica UltraCalming Serum Concentrate, Dermaplaning, doctor, dry skin, dull skin, exfoliate, exfoliation, face, fine lines, hyperpigmentation, inflammation, irritation, Keratosis pilaris, nurse, peel, practitioner, professional, protect, protection, rosacea, scalpel, sensitive skin, skin, skin condition, SPF, SPF50, sun, sun damage, wrinkles

Photo by Antonika Chanel on UnsplashDermaplaning – A Beginner’s Guide

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 6 months, there’s a good chance that you will have seen the videos doing the rounds where it looks like people are using a knife to scrape their skin off. What you’re actually witnessing are videos of dermaplaning, something that is considered the next big thing in the beauty world. We thought it was time that we took a look at what dermaplaning is and give all of the details you need to know before taking the plunge. Read on for more information:

What is it?

Dermaplaning is an exfoliating treatment which should only be done by a doctor or licensed practitioner and involves gently scraping the surface of your skin off with a surgical scalpel to remove dead cells and the fuzzy hair that most of us have on our faces.

What does it do?

Dermaplaning is said to have many benefits; as well as making your skin feel baby soft, it helps foundation to apply smoothly and is also said to be useful for acne, rosacea and people with hyperpigmentation.

Who is it good for?

The answer to this is basically anybody who feels that their skin needs a boost. If you have dull skin, dry skin, sun damage, fine lines, keratosis pilaris, sensitive skin, rosacea, acne or any other skin condition which causes you you bother dermaplaning is probably worth a go.

Is there anything I need to bear in mind?

Dermaplaning is considered safe for all skin types, however, if you do have highly sensitive skin it’s worth bearing in mind that dermaplaning might cause you added irritation. As we mentioned above, dermaplaning should only be carried out by a professional so we definitely do not recommend going out and buying scalpels and trying this yourself. Scalpels and faces really do not mix!

Which products should I use before and after?

If you have sensitive skin, it’s worth bearing in mind that dermaplaning can cause a little irritation. We’d recommend adding Dermalogica UltraCalming Serum Concentrate to your daily skin routine in the run up to your appointment as this will help to keep irritation and inflammation to a minimum.

Lots of people also opt for a chemical peeling treatment immediately after dermaplaning as the newly revealed skin is more receptive to strong treatments. If you want to do this yourself, we recommend Decleor Thyme Gentle Peeling Cream, a gentle cream exfoliator that removes dead skin cells for a clear and radiant complexion.

Finally, you’ll need to protect your skin from the sun for a few weeks after treatment, so make sure you start using Decleor Ultra Protective Anti-Wrinkle Cream SPF50 Face on a daily basis, too.

Find fabulous new habits in your forties

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age, bed, Binge drinking, body, boosts your mood, cancers, cigarette, critical, devices, diabetes, drinking, Eyes, fashion statement, fixed, forties, gambling excessively, get you down, good habit, GP, habits, happier, head in the sand, health checks, healthier, heart disease, hide, high cholestero, immune system, irritable, laughter, life, light emitting screens, melanoma risks, Menopause, midnight snacks, mind, miserable, moisturiser, money, outside, perfect, phones, power down, protect, reduce stress levels, reduces stress, risk factors, safe, seven hours, skin cancer, sleep, smile, smoking, snoozing, stop, sun damage, sun’s UV rays, sunnies, Switch off, tech, time, too late, vices, Victoria Beckham, wrinkles

When you get to your forties you may well find that the habits you have formed have been with you for years, but the reality is they might not be doing your mind or body very much good. No one is perfect, including us, so we’ve looked at easy ways to get happier and healthier as you sail through your forties.

Drop the vices
We all know that smoking and drinking isn’t good for us at any age, but this really is the time to try and get things under control. Binge drinking, midnight snacks, gambling excessively and lighting up one cigarette after another will be taking a toll on your health, and wallet. So look at what’s going on and make a decision to stop, and find something better to do with your time, and money.

Have health checks
Diabetes, high cholesterol, certain cancers and heart disease are all conditions that can be detected early through routine GP visits, so book in and get a clear bill of health. If things aren’t 100% good, it’s best to know what’s happening and trying to get it fixed because if you hide you head in the sand, things could get worse and then it could be too late. You might also want to keep a watch on the menopause at this stage in your life.

Get to bed
Sleep is so important and if you don’t get enough, you can feel irritable, miserable and life can quickly get you down. You might however be finding that as you move through your forties, the ease at which you get to sleep, and the amount of time you actually sleep, will change. We would suggest you still aim to get at least seven hours of snoozing a night as this will enhance your immune system, reduce stress levels, and generally help you to cope with life better.

No tech at bedtime
Talking about sleep, the one thing we do suggest is that you don’t take your phones or devices to bed. Yes, they can help you keep connected with the world, but night time is when you need to switch off, so power down and leave those light emitting screens downstairs.

Keep sun damage away
We need to do this all of our lives, but it is critical in your forties to look after your skin if you want to keep your melanoma risks down, as these increase with age. The sun’s UV rays is one of the biggest risk factors you can control, so find a moisturiser that has sunscreen in it, and if you want to go one step further to both protect yourself from skin cancer and keep wrinkles at bay, use an SPF stand alone too!

Look after your eyes
Yes, celebrities wear sunnies all the time, but they are so much more than a fashion statement; they are a good habit to get into. So take Victoria Beckham’s lead (she’s in her forties and wearing it well) and put your sunglasses on not just in the summer, but every time you go outside, and keep your eyes safe.

Smile
Life can be hard in your forties as your kids move away and your parents fall ill, but getting into the habit of smiling and laughing during your day, can be a really good for you. Laughter boosts your mood, reduces stress, and smiling at a stranger could be the lift they also need in their day.

So, what new habits are you going to make, and which badies are you going to ditch to make your forties fabulous?

Team Pure Beauty

How to feed your skin with Vitamin E

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Active HydraMesh Technology, antioxidant, Avellana Seed oil, cleansing, combination, complexion, creams, Dermalogica MultiVitamin Power Firm, Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream 2.0, deserve, dirt, elements, Elemis Balancing Lime Blossom Cleanser, Elemis Pro-Radiance Hand and Nail Cream, essential fatty acids, excess surface oils, Eyes, fine lines, free radical activity, fresh, goodness, green tea, hand creams, hands, healthy, healthy serving, hyaluronic acid, hydrate, hyperpigmentation, important, Jan Marini Age Intervention Retinol Plus Mask, Jan Marini Luminate Eye Gel, jasmine, lecithin, lime blossom, Litsea, locks in, lotions, lush, luxurious cream, magnolia, make-up, Milk Protein, moisturisers, mouth, new formulation, nourishing, nutrient, oil, Omega 7, polish skin, pollutant build up, products, protect, protecting, purest, Red Seaweed, removes, repair, retinol, samples, Shea butter, silky barrier, skin brighteners, smooth skin, soft, sooth, sun damage, sunscreens, sweet smelling, toners, under eye circles, vanilla, versatile, vulnerable skin, wrinkles

Vitamin E is both a nutrient and an antioxidant, and the oil in its purest form is extremely versatile and nourishing and a great way to feed your skin. You can find Vitamin E in many creams, lotions, hand creams and cleaners as well as sunscreens, moisturisers and skin brighteners.

We have had a look at some of the products we stock that could help you get the skin your deserve because they come with a healthy serving of Vitamin E.

Cleansing your skin is really important, and we would suggest trying the Elemis Balancing Lime Blossom Cleanser if you have combination or congested skin. This lush product removes pollutant build up, dirt and make-up and thanks to extracts of Lime Blossom, Lecithin and that all important Vitamin E, it also helps to balance excess surface oils and soothe your skin.

We love the Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream 2.0 and the new formulation means it is better than ever for your complexion. Incorporating Active HydraMesh Technology™ this cream can hydrate your skin for up to 48 hours as well as protecting it from the elements. Vitamin E is just one of the antioxidants that helps reduce free radical activity, and because this cream locks in moisture and protects your skin’s beneficial bacteria, you are left with healthy, soft, smooth skin that you will love.

Vitamin E is also found in the Jan Marini Age Intervention Retinol Plus Mask which is great when it comes to dealing with the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, sun damage, and hyperpigmentation. Packed with Retinol, Hyaluronic Acid, Essential Fatty Acids, Shea Butter and Vitamin E, when applied to the face for just ten minutes, twice a week, you are left with fresh, polish skin that is glowing and healthy.

If dry, ageing skin is a problem for you, we would suggest trying the Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Firm because the blend of ingredients in this firming complex, help to protect, repair and strengthen your skin. Vitamin E, along with Vitamins A and C have been mixed with Red Seaweed and Green Tea to protect vulnerable skin and prevent the moisture loss that can be so ageing around your eyes and mouth.

Dry hands are a problem for many of us and it isn’t surprising given what we subject them to on a daily basis. For hands that are soft and smooth, as well as sweet-smelling, the Elemis Pro-Radiance Hand and Nail Cream is just the ticket. This luxurious cream contains Milk Protein, Avellana Seed Oil, Omega 7, Vitamin E, Camellia, Virgin Plum and Macadamia Oils which together form a silky barrier that locks in moisture. Thanks to Litsea, Jasmine, Magnolia and Vanilla, this cream smells amazing and we think you will be hooked from the very first application.

We are big fans of the Jan Marini Luminate Eye Gel and for good reason. This little pot of goodness not only brightens skin but also helps to reduce the appearance of under eye circles, fine lines and wrinkles. Vitamin E is just one of the ingredients in this gel which will get to work hydrating the eye area, making it look smoother, healthier and brighter.

If you would like more information, or are interested in samples so you can try new products out before investing in them, get in touch today and we would love to help.

Team Pure Beauty