Why You Should Be Paying Attention to Amino Acids

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amino acids, anti-aging, appearance, astringent, basil oil, blow, body, botanical, breakage, building blocks, Burdock, cells, chamomile, cleansing, cucumber, detangling, drying, elasticity, essential, exfoliating, expression, Eyes, Frankincense, frizz, Grapefruit, hair, healthy, heat, hydration, Ivy, Jojoba oil, lavender, lemon, lines, Mallow, moisturised, moisturising, nature, oil, oils, peel, peptides, protect, protection, radiant, rose, sagging, science, shine, skin, smoothness, softness, soothe, split ends, useful, Watercress, youthful

Photo by David Clode on Unsplash

Amino acids are the building blocks of the cells that make up your body – however, did you know they can also be good for your skin? Amino acids, which contain moisturising, anti-aging, and exfoliating characteristics, can aid with skin elasticity issues that arise as we age. Amino acids come in 20 different varieties, and they are useful for people of all ages and skin types. A more moisturised, youthful, and generally healthy appearance of the skin is achieved by using amino acids in skin care products that also encourage cellular repair and collagen formation. Here are five of our favourite products which harness the power of amino acids:

CACI – Amino-Lift Peptide Complex

This effective anti-ageing skin care cream contains powerful peptides, essential oils and amino acids that target expression lines and help to firm sagging skin. It can be used twice a day after cleansing to give visible results and as well as being packed with amino acids also contains basil oil, jojoba oil, grapefruit peel oil and a number of other other botanical ingredients which nourish and revive your skin. 

L’Oreal Professionnel Serie Expert Vitamino Colour 10-In-1 Multi-Benefit Leave-In Treatment Milk

Amino acids don’t just benefit your face – your hair can also benefit from using products which are infused with amino acids. This leave-in treatment milk from L’Oreal is a multi-benefit spray designed for coloured hair with 10 key benefits. It promises to help your hair to achieve shine, softness, smoothness of hair fibre and hydration, as well as offering protection against heat up to 230°c, detangling, anti-breakage, anti-split ends, anti-frizz and even facilitates blow-drying! 

Aromatherapy Associates Eye Zone Concentrate

The skin around the eyes is one of the thinnest areas of skin on your whole body, which means that it is more prone to premature ageing. This eye cream from Aromatherapy Associates combines powerful, bio-fermented actives, advanced amino acids and an effective pure essential oil blend to lift, tighten and contour the area around the eyes. It also contains rose, camomile and frankincense essential oils to soothe and protect for a radiant, youthful complexion. 

Dermalogica Active Moist

This moisture-rich product from Dermalogica combines the best of nature and science, containing a whole host of ingredients which are taken from natural sources. Silk amino acids help smooth and improve skin texture while natural botanical astringents lemon, ivy, watercress and burdock help to refine the skin. It also contains soothing extracts of lavender, mallow and cucumber to help provide deep-hydration.

Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Serum

This resurfacing serum from Elemis is so powerful that it’s advised that you avoid sunbeds and always use an SPF while using the treatment! It’s created using a powerful combination of alpha-hydroxy-acids, selastin and patented Tri-Enzyme technology, as well as selected amino acids. This serum smoothes the skins’s surface, revealing a stunning complexion and also helps to reduce the appearance of pores and wrinkles.

Have Yourself an Oil-Free Christmas

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all skin types, bisobolol, broad spectrum, Burdock, complexion, Dermalogica Active Moist, Dermalogica Oil Free Matte SPF30, dry, dryness, face, Green Tea extract, heat, holiday, inflammation, Ivy, Jan Marini Daily Face Protectant SPF30, Jan Marini Physical Protectant SPF30, lemon, oil, oil free, oily skin, overproduction, sebum, skin, smooth, soothe, sun, sun protection, UVA, UVB, Watercress, winter

Photo by Malvestida Magazine on Unsplash

If you suffer with oily skin, this time of year can play absolute havoc with your complexion. Between central heating, too much food and drink during Christmas parties and the cold weather, skin which already over produces oil can go into overdrive. The best way to combat this is to invest in some good oil-free products which will help keep your skin in great condition without exacerbating any overproduction. Here are four of our favourite products which are completely oil-free but will give your skin a real treat during the festive season.

Dermalogica Active Moist

Although many people with oily skin shy away from moisturiser, it can actually be even more essential to moisturise oily skin, as the oiliness can be caused by an underlying dryness problem. This moisturiser from Dermalogica is lightweight and oil-free, and absorbs into the skin without leaving a slick on the surface. It creates an invisible barrier which stops your skin from losing natural moisture and can help to create a smooth base for your makeup. It contains natural extract of lemon, watercress, burdock and ivy, which are all astringent and will help to keep oil at bay. Soothing extracts of lavender, mallow and cucumber will deeply hydrate your skin. It’s perfect for skin which creates excess oil and helps to hydrate without leaving the skin feeling greasy.

Jan Marini Daily Face Protectant SPF30

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again; even if you live in the UK, you still need a daily SPF on your face to protect yourself from the sun’s harmful rays, otherwise they will exacerbate the signs of aging. This daily-use face protectant from Jan Marini is SPF30 and will provide your skin with a water-resistant broad-spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays. As well as this, it will help to control the oil production in your skin while providing advanced hydration, allowing you to give you a skin a wash of moisture and daily protection without any additional oil which could exacerbate sebum production.

Dermalogica Oil Free Matte SPF30

This product from Dermalogica is a truly multifunctional formulation. As well as providing lightweight ultra sheer broad spectrum sun protection, it also helps to regulate oil production within the skin, preventing shine and soothing inflammation. It contains advanced oil absorbers which help your skin to have a matte finish all day long, but doesn’t leave the same powdery residue that other oil absorbing products might. It contains green tea leaf extract, a powerful antioxidant which helps to soothe inflammation and can rid your skin of the underlying causes of overproduction of oil.

Jan Marini Physical Protectant SPF30

This sunscreen from Jan Marini is so much more than just sun protection and is actually a bit of a miracle product in a bottle! The weightless formula contains a universal tint and microscopic oil absorbing particles which will leave your skin with a sheer matte finish all day long. It contains green tea extract and alpha bisabolol, which give enhance antioxidant properties while soothing and calming the skin. It’s suitable for all skin types and is water resistant for up to 80 minutes, making it the perfect product to take on holiday with you.

Salad, but not as you know it

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apricots, Asparagus, Balsamic vinegar, BBQ, beef tomato, cherry tomatoes, cold water, crushed, dinner, Extra virgin olive oil, free range chicken breasts, friends, garlic, grated, Hot Tuna and Sweetcorn Salad, ingredients, lemon juice, lemon zest, lunch, luscious green salad, olive oil, organic butter, pan, pan of salted water, peppery leaves, picnic, pitta, plates, red chilli, red onion, Red wine, roasting, rocket, salt and pepper, serve, slivers, soft, steaks, Summer chicken salad, tasty, trimmed, tuna, Vegan, very finely sliced, Watercress, Watercress and apricot pitta bread

How many times do you buy luscious green salad, only to find it limp and sad at the back of the fridge because you don’t know what to do with it?

Full of flavour, the peppery leaves of watercress and rocket contain essential vitamins and can be a great addition to any diet.

Whether you are having friends for dinner, planning an end of term BBQ or packing a picnic for the park, we are here to share some ideas of how to get the most out of your salad leaves.

Watercress and apricot pitta bread
This vegan option takes around 10 minutes to get ready and serves two, making it a quick, easy lunch that is light but tasty.

Ingredients
1 bag of watercress and rocket (washed)
4 ripe apricots
½ a head of fresh fennel
Extra virgin olive oil
Wholemeal pitta breads
For the dressing:
75ml of extra virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
½ teaspoon of lemon zest
Fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper

To start, halve the apricots, cut them into slices, brush them with oil and place in a hot, dry pan and cook for a minute or so, turning so they are soft.

To make the dressing, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper, adding more lemon juice if required.

Toast and break open the pitta bread, add the salad and apricot slices, and enjoy.

Summer chicken salad
This is perfect for a mid-week treat or a lighter alternative to a full roast with all the trimmings.

Ingredients
2 free range chicken breasts
1 x bag of watercress and rocket
1 beef tomato, sliced
60ml olive oil
Large bunch of fresh asparagus, trimmed and washed
Salt and pepper to season

For the dressing
1 red onion, very finely sliced
1 red chilli, grated
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of cold water
Salt and pepper to season

Method
Start by making the dressing as giving it time to settle before eating makes it taste best. Ensure that the onion is finely sliced into slivers and the garlic is well crushed. Put all the ingredients into a glass bowl and beat with a fork until you have a smooth mixture. Pour into a jar and put in the fridge.

We would suggest either putting the chicken on the BBQ or roasting for around 25 minutes, using any left-over garlic plus salt and pepper to season.

Cook your asparagus for two minutes in boiling salted water, then drain and set aside.
Wash the watercress and place onto each plate, then add the chicken and asparagus before drizzling on your dressing – and enjoy.

Hot Tuna and Sweetcorn Salad

Ingredients
1 bag of watercress and rocket
2 fresh tuna steaks
Cherry tomatoes
2 fresh corn on the cob
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar to drizzle
A large knob of organic salted butter
Salt and vinegar

Method
Firstly, boil your corn on the cob in a pan of salted water, chop the tomatoes and wash them, together with the watercress and place on plates.

Next, cook the tuna steaks but do note, this doesn’t take long and burning can happen easily, so don’t walk away mid-cook! Brush the tuna lightly with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place the fish in a heated frying pan over a high heat and cook for just a couple of minutes, depending on how thick the steaks are. Then, turn the tuna over and cook for another couple of minutes.

Add a drizzle of the balsamic vinegar to the salad, place the tuna on the leaves, drain and butter the corn and enjoy with seasoning as required.

Team Pure Beauty

For the love of lemons

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abdomen, anti-cellulite and body cleansing programme, beauty cabinet, blend, boost cell renewa, Burdock, buttocks, citrusy scent, clean, cucumber, Decleor Lavendula Iris Rejuvenating Serum, Dermalogica Active Moist, Dermalogica Conditioning Body Wash, detoxified, Elemis Cellutox Active Body Oil, Elemis Quiet Mind Temple Balm, Elemis Treat Your Feet Foot Cream, essentail oils, eucalyptus, Geranium Manuka, gloriously fresh, ingredients, inner balancing, iris, Ivy, jasmine, juniper, lavender, lemon, lemongrass, lemons, life, light, make-up base, Mallow, natural botanical astringents, nourished, oil-free moisturiser, Patchouli Essential Oil, powerful synergy, Pure Beauty, rose, samples, Sea Buckthorn, Sea Fennel, senses, thighs, Watercress

There is something special about the citrus scent of lemons that makes us stop in our tracks at Pure-Beauty and put life on hold for just a second or two.

It is so simple but so gloriously fresh and clean and we think that is why it features in so many of the fantastic products we stock, so today we are going to look at just a few for you.

When Sea Buckthorn, Sea Fennel, Lemon and Juniper essential oils come together they create the perfect body detox in the form of the Elemis Cellutox Active Body Oil. This powerful synergy of ingredients can be used as part of an anti-cellulite and body cleansing programme and by simply rubbing into problem areas like the abdomen, buttocks and thighs when you come out of the bath, your skin will be left feeling nourished, detoxified and your senses will be stimulated.

Dermalogica Active Moist is one of our most popular products, and we aren’t surprised. This light, oil-free moisturiser simply sinks into normal and oily skin and offers the perfect make-up base. Lemon is one of the natural botanical astringents in this blend, together with Watercress, Burdock and Ivy which all help to refine the skin while Lavender, Mallow and Cucumber hydrate and sooth it.

When life gets busy, you need the Elemis Quiet Mind Temple Balm by your side. At the heart of this beauty cabinet must have is the zesty refreshing aroma of lemon which helps to enhance feelings of positivity, something we all need from time to time. There is also Patchouli Essential Oil for inner balancing plus the freshness of Eucalyptus to clear the mind and focus concentration. Add stress reducing Centella Asiatica and Organic Indian Menthol and all that is left to do is lie back and take five minutes to regroup.

Bet you didn’t know there were hints of lemon in the Decleor Lavendula Iris Rejuvenating Serum? This award-winning product helps to reduce lines and wrinkles, redefine facial contours and boost cell renewal. It comes with a floral aroma and delicate silky texture and because it is rapidly absorbed, skin is instantly hydrated and softened thanks to Geranium Manuka, Iris, Rose, Lemongrass, Jasmine, plus Plum Kernels, Hazelnut and Borage.

Essential oils of Lemon together with Tea Tree, Eucalyptus and Rosemary are at the heart of the Dermalogica Conditioning Body Wash. Purifying ingredients and natural extracts work together to cleanse the body and de-stress the mind. Perfect for everyone, this leaves skin feeling soft, silky and smoother than ever and it will smell pretty good too.

Before we go, let’s not forget out feet as they quite like lemon too. The Elemis Treat Your Feet Foot Cream melts beautifully into the skin, smoothing and hydrating those dry, rough spots that can get worse when we wear flip-flops all summer long. Infused with a blend of Patchouli, Eucalyptus and Lemon oils, regular use can leave you with happy, healthy feet once again.

If you would like more information about any of these products, or are keen to try before you buy, get in touch and we would love to chat and send you some samples.

Team Pure-Beauty

Improve Your Skin in just Five Minutes

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Arnica, artificial colours, Bentonite, bright, clay. Relief, cool, cucumber, decleor, Decleor Energy Concentrate Youth Mask, Decleor Hydra Floral White Petal Skin Perfecting Hydrating Sleeping Mask, decongest, dermalogica, Dermalogica Skin Refining Masque, dewy, dull, Elemis, Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Gel Mask, Elemis Herbal Lavender Repair Mask, excess, glow, glowing, hyperpigmentation, inflammation, Ivy, kaolin, lemon, luminous, lychee, Mallow, mask, men, mineral oils, oily skin, parabens, peony, recharged, refined texture, refining, rhodiola, sebum, shine, shine-free, skin, SLES, soothing, Watercress

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Having a daily skin routine is important, but sometimes we need an extra little boost to get our skin back to its best. Rather than going for expensive (and potentially painful!) non-invasive procedures, there are things you can use which can improve your skin dramatically in just five minutes – masks! We’ve trawled through our products to single out the best masks, and we thought we’d share our favourites with you:

Decleor Energy Concentrate Youth Mask

This mask is perfect for ageing skin which needs a boost and contains highly concentrated extracts of peony, lychee and rhodiola to re-energise the skin. It helps the skin to look firmer, plumper and younger and will imbue the skin with a luminous glow. It should be applied to the face once or twice a week after cleansing for best results.

Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Gel Mask

This powerful gel mask from Elemis helps to completely resurface the skin, giving it a refined texture and ridding your complexion of excess sebum. The skin appears instantly smoother, shine free and more youthful and it’s formulated in line with the ELEMIS Promise, which means no parabens, no SLES, mineral oil or artificial colours.

Dermalogica Skin Refining Masque

This mask from Dermalogica is based on bentonite clay and contains kaolin and zinc oxide, which that remove impurities and refine the skin’s surface, helping to reduce oily-skin breakouts. It also contains mallow, arnica and cucumber which help reduce to inflammation, as well as purifying watercress, lemon and ivy which revive dull skin.

Decleor Hydra Floral White Petal Skin Perfecting Hydrating Sleeping Mask

Okay, so this one may take more than five minutes to work, but TECHNICALLY you only need five minutes to apply it before you go to sleep, so we think it still counts! It’s a refining mask which reduces the appearance of dark spots and hyperpigmentation and allows you to wake up with skin which is recharged, bright, glowing and fresh like dew.

Elemis Herbal Lavender Repair Mask

Skin which is over-sensitised and blemish-prone can really benefit from mask treatments and this one for Elemis is designed to soothe and repair such complexions. It contains rosemary, thyme and lavender, all in a kaolin clay base which is designed to give relief to skin, and cools and decongests oil rich skin. It’s non-setting and non-drying and also ideal for men who’s skin is irritated by shaving.