12 days to glowing Christmas skin…..
It’s that time of year again where I start giving my clients the Christmas countdown to the party season.
Like most things to do with the festive season, getting prepared for the influx of party invites, carol concerts and school plays, frenzied shopping and subsequent late nights, takes some planning.
I’m guessing this is your countdown so far; buy and write Christmas cards (realising that you’ve missed the international post deadline) check! Make Christmas pudding and cake (good intention, never happens) check! Purchase Christmas gifts (during a rugby scrum style shopping experience) check! Attend 101 parties, drinks and concerts (whose party is this one?) check! Relax with friends and family on Christmas Eve (fall in a heap after your 3rd glass of bubbly realising that you haven’t had time for that leg wax, manicure & gasp! Facial) check!
Or maybe that’s just how my countdown goes, with a few clients to treat thrown in.
I was inspired to write this blog after my recent appearance as a guest on BBC Radio Norfolk’s Graham and Karen show. They had invited me in, this time, to discuss this very subject. How do we ensure that instead of looking grey, tired, puffy and blood shot, that we enter a room radiating health, calm and looking, well, fantastic!
I discussed with the Radio Norfolk listeners there are things that we can start to do leading up to the big day to ensure that come 2010 we haven’t completely ruined the chance of a healthy, young looking skin.
So here’s my 12 days to glowing Christmas skin…
On the first day of Christmas… Book and have a professional skin treatment. This is a very busy time for me since I recommend my clients to have a pre party season facial. As ever it will be totally bespoke to tackle the needs of the client whether it’s a total rescue treatment or something to just maintain radiant skin for the season.
On the second day of Christmas… Water!! Yup it’s a must with all the extra intake of alcohol and centrally heated environments. Aim to up your intake to at least 1 ½ litres a day if you want to avoid puffy, parched skin.
On the third day of Christmas…Start to take a tincture of Milk thistle and artichoke. This is great Liver support and can help with those rich foods and drink indulgencies. The Liver, if not able to function properly, will ultimately cause the skin to eliminate toxins, so start taking it daily now.
On the fourth day of Christmas…Start your way to a brighter skin by using a daily gentle exfoiliator. I recommend the MD Formulations facial cleanser (£25 www.u-treatments.co.uk) rich in fruit acids to encourage cell regeneration without the need for harsh abrasives.
On the fifth day of Christmas… Shoe horn just 10-15 minutes of Yoga into your day. www.yogajournal.com has some fab, short yoga videos you can watch for free. Yoga is amazing for distressing and for bringing fresh blood and nutrients to the skin…I could go on.
On the sixth day of Christmas…Not using an eye product yet? MD Formulations The Temps brighten and tighten eye serum (£26 www.u-treatments.co.uk) which is packed with Peptide technology to, yep you’ve guessed it, tighten and brighten the delicate eye area…I love it!
On the seventh day of Christmas… Make the most of Vit C rich Cranberries by scattering them onto your muesli or porridge. These berries are packed with the anti ageing benefits of antioxidants and will boost your collagen levels and immune system.
On the eighth day of Christmas…Now unless your tee total your undoubtedly going to partake in a glass or two of alcohol. So, if you must opt for red wine since this is rich in polyphenols another powerful antioxidant which defends the skin cells and is good for your heart. (In moderation)
On the ninth day of Christmas…Perform a facial massage at least once a day.
I give my clients some basic self facial massage movements to do when applying their moisturiser.
Even just using upward and outward circular moves can detoxify, brighten and tone the facial muscles.
On the tenth day of Christmas…Sleep! I know this is a tricky one but try and get as much quality sleep as you can especially if you know you have a heavy week on the way.
Studies have shown that sleep loss is linked to increasing the ageing process.
On the eleventh day of Christmas…However tired or merry you may be, do not commit the cardinal sin of going to bed in your makeup!
Sleeping in a cocktail of oils, dyes, chemicals and preservatives whilst your skin is trying to repair will leave you with dry, spotty, grey skin in the morning.
On the twelfth day of Christmas…You’ve made it! And is you’ve been following these golden rules you should be looking radiant.
If however you are not here’s hoping that you have a U Treatments gift card in your stocking www.u-treatments.co.uk
Merry Christmas and a ‘glowing’ 2010!
Louise Thomas-Minns CIBTAC CIDESCO BABTAC
Visit www.u-treatments.co.uk or call Louise on 07810 872 633 for details of her bespoke treatment menu.
Copyright 2008
Thursday 10 December 2009
Sunday 29 November 2009
Soap..friend or foe?
Q. I am in my early forties and have been using soap and water to cleanse my skin for a few years now. I have read that this is not a good option and have noticed my skin has become drier lately. Why is using soap so bad for your skin and could this dryness be because of this soap use?
A. Thank you so much for asking this question you have hit upon a very raw nerve with me as a skin therapist. When people say to me ‘I just wash my face with soap and water’ it’s a bit like me saying to a football fan ‘It’s only a game’.
To explain this to you properly I’m going to have to take you, momentarily, back to your chemistry lessons and talk the Ph scale.
Now you see our skin has a naturally acidic Ph and contrary to popular belief this is anything between 4.5 and 5.5. The reason for this is to maintain a protective environment against harmful bacterial invasion and to keep the lipids in the skin balanced and well equipped to transfer the nutrients and toxins in and out of your skins cells.
Any soap, even those with ‘a ¼ moisturising cream’, as the familiar ads say or ones that claim to be gentle enough to ‘use on a babies skin’ will have alkaline properties with the Ph typically being around 10/11!
This will instantly raise the natural Ph of your skin and therefore make it a perfect breeding ground for bad bacteria to attack resulting in infections and spotty outbreaks. The skin will rapidly lose water and lipid (fat) content and may show signs of dryness, this being a combination of visible dry, flaky patches and a ‘tight’ feeling to the skin after washing making you feel desperate to reach for your moisturiser.
All of this will lead to a skin that is unbalanced and that may be more susceptible to reacting to products, changes in climates or just touch. The skin will ultimately age quicker and will undoubtedly encounter problems.
If you like to use water on your skin, as I do, then opt for a Ph balanced cleansing wash. I love and recommend MD Formulations, £24.00 wwww.u-treatments.co.uk, facial cleanser which can be used with water and give you the regenerating properties of Glycolic acid a fruit acid derived from sugar cane.
If you would like a skin health programme tailored to nurture your skin back to health then call me Louise on 07810 872 633 or email: enquiries@u-treatments.co.uk
www.u-treatments.co.uk
Copyright 2009
A. Thank you so much for asking this question you have hit upon a very raw nerve with me as a skin therapist. When people say to me ‘I just wash my face with soap and water’ it’s a bit like me saying to a football fan ‘It’s only a game’.
To explain this to you properly I’m going to have to take you, momentarily, back to your chemistry lessons and talk the Ph scale.
Now you see our skin has a naturally acidic Ph and contrary to popular belief this is anything between 4.5 and 5.5. The reason for this is to maintain a protective environment against harmful bacterial invasion and to keep the lipids in the skin balanced and well equipped to transfer the nutrients and toxins in and out of your skins cells.
Any soap, even those with ‘a ¼ moisturising cream’, as the familiar ads say or ones that claim to be gentle enough to ‘use on a babies skin’ will have alkaline properties with the Ph typically being around 10/11!
This will instantly raise the natural Ph of your skin and therefore make it a perfect breeding ground for bad bacteria to attack resulting in infections and spotty outbreaks. The skin will rapidly lose water and lipid (fat) content and may show signs of dryness, this being a combination of visible dry, flaky patches and a ‘tight’ feeling to the skin after washing making you feel desperate to reach for your moisturiser.
All of this will lead to a skin that is unbalanced and that may be more susceptible to reacting to products, changes in climates or just touch. The skin will ultimately age quicker and will undoubtedly encounter problems.
If you like to use water on your skin, as I do, then opt for a Ph balanced cleansing wash. I love and recommend MD Formulations, £24.00 wwww.u-treatments.co.uk, facial cleanser which can be used with water and give you the regenerating properties of Glycolic acid a fruit acid derived from sugar cane.
If you would like a skin health programme tailored to nurture your skin back to health then call me Louise on 07810 872 633 or email: enquiries@u-treatments.co.uk
www.u-treatments.co.uk
Copyright 2009
Sunday 22 November 2009
Q. Can you really improve your skin whilst you sleep?
A. There is truth to the saying ‘I need to get my beauty sleep’ and, as I’ve mentioned in past articles, scientific data to support the fact that a lack of sleep will equate to further decline in the production of the growth hormone and therefore an increase to the ageing process.
Sleep deprived skin also cant recover from daily aggressors that we are constantly exposed to.
But is there a need to use a specific product dedicated to use at night?
If we believe the cosmetic giants then the answer is yes.
As a skin therapist, with an advanced knowledge of skin health, I compiled the following reasons why I, too, believe the skin benefits from this.
1. When the body is at rest its not fighting the aggressors that we are exposed to during the day so the skin needs a helping hand.
This is where products infused with free radical (thieves of youth) fighting ingredients like, Vit C and E and help.
2. The skin loses moisture at night so the protective lipid barrier weakens. This means that a) we need to apply a product that will increase hydration by using water loving ingredients like Hyaluronic acid and b) as this barrier is weaker ingredients can penetrate deeper into the skin at night.
3. Our ‘skin sleep cycle’ is between 11pm and 3am. This is when cell renewal speeds up to repair. Using Vitamin A in our night creams can assist in this repairing cycle and will explain why the skin looks worse for wear after an especially late night.
4. Day creams are often lighter and geared towards being protective and should contain an SPF. Night products are set to repair, heal and nourish our skin.
Other night time skin tips are to:
• Train yourself to sleep on your back. This helps to prevent wrinkling of the skin and reduce fluid retention which leads to puffy eyes.
• Invest in a silk pillowcase as sleeping on cotton sheets will not only create creasing of the skin over time but also leach moisture out of the skin, it can also scrub off your night products.
www.silkperfect.com which sell their silk pillowcases specifically for benefit for the skin and hair, also suggest that the 17 amino acids found in silk can have some benefits to skin health.
Louise recommends:
MD Formulations Night recovery serum £40.00 www.u-treatments.co.uk
Louise prides herself on her knowledge of ingredient technology and has developed her own signature facial. To experience the ‘U and your skin’ facial
Call 07810 872 633 or email: enquiries@u-treatments.co.uk
www.u-treatments.co.uk
Copyright 2009
Sleep deprived skin also cant recover from daily aggressors that we are constantly exposed to.
But is there a need to use a specific product dedicated to use at night?
If we believe the cosmetic giants then the answer is yes.
As a skin therapist, with an advanced knowledge of skin health, I compiled the following reasons why I, too, believe the skin benefits from this.
1. When the body is at rest its not fighting the aggressors that we are exposed to during the day so the skin needs a helping hand.
This is where products infused with free radical (thieves of youth) fighting ingredients like, Vit C and E and help.
2. The skin loses moisture at night so the protective lipid barrier weakens. This means that a) we need to apply a product that will increase hydration by using water loving ingredients like Hyaluronic acid and b) as this barrier is weaker ingredients can penetrate deeper into the skin at night.
3. Our ‘skin sleep cycle’ is between 11pm and 3am. This is when cell renewal speeds up to repair. Using Vitamin A in our night creams can assist in this repairing cycle and will explain why the skin looks worse for wear after an especially late night.
4. Day creams are often lighter and geared towards being protective and should contain an SPF. Night products are set to repair, heal and nourish our skin.
Other night time skin tips are to:
• Train yourself to sleep on your back. This helps to prevent wrinkling of the skin and reduce fluid retention which leads to puffy eyes.
• Invest in a silk pillowcase as sleeping on cotton sheets will not only create creasing of the skin over time but also leach moisture out of the skin, it can also scrub off your night products.
www.silkperfect.com which sell their silk pillowcases specifically for benefit for the skin and hair, also suggest that the 17 amino acids found in silk can have some benefits to skin health.
Louise recommends:
MD Formulations Night recovery serum £40.00 www.u-treatments.co.uk
Louise prides herself on her knowledge of ingredient technology and has developed her own signature facial. To experience the ‘U and your skin’ facial
Call 07810 872 633 or email: enquiries@u-treatments.co.uk
www.u-treatments.co.uk
Copyright 2009
Monday 16 November 2009
Winter proof your skin...
Question: We have only had a few days of colder weather but I have noticed that my skin seems to be changing and not for the best. Its feels tighter and drier and I have some spots which I never usually experience. Any ideas as to why and what I can do to help?
Answer: With the first cold snap of winter forcing us to don our scarves and gloves and to crank up the heating our skin can start to manifest a whole host of unsightly changes. Read on and I’ll walk you through a winter wonderland of tips to winter proof your skin.
• Problem: Dry and flaky.
• Louise Recommends: Any moisturiser worth entertaining should contain ingredients that are found in our skin. I use and recommend to my clients products that contain Hyaluronic acid, the moisture binding component of the dermis.
• Tip: Apply your moisturiser to slightly damp skin this will further enhance its humectant properties and make your product go a little further.
• Problem: Uncomfortable tightness.
• Louise recommends: Dehydration is the term coined by the cosmetic industry to describe the tight, creapy appearance that’s down to a lack of water in the skin. Its a lot more complex than this, however, upping your fluid intake can help. Limit diuretics like caffeine and increase water and herbal teas.
• Tip: Buy a humidifier for your home or office to create a more hydrating atmosphere for your skin.
• Problem: Spotty, oily skin.
• Louise recommends: If your skin is parched it will try and help out by secreting more oil onto the skin. This can lead to an oily shine and blocked follicles resulting in outbreaks. Gentle exfoliation will sweep the pores clean and limit spotty eruptions.
• Tip: Using a product containing AHA’s will be a more effective and can also rebalance the oil secreting glands.
Remember it’s still important to protect your skin with an SPF everyday despite the lack of sun, since UV rays are present all year round.
A change of season is the perfect excuse for booking a professional facial. I offer skin health checks as part of my treatments to reassess your skin and ensure you get that healthy, rosy winter glow.
copyright 2009
Answer: With the first cold snap of winter forcing us to don our scarves and gloves and to crank up the heating our skin can start to manifest a whole host of unsightly changes. Read on and I’ll walk you through a winter wonderland of tips to winter proof your skin.
• Problem: Dry and flaky.
• Louise Recommends: Any moisturiser worth entertaining should contain ingredients that are found in our skin. I use and recommend to my clients products that contain Hyaluronic acid, the moisture binding component of the dermis.
• Tip: Apply your moisturiser to slightly damp skin this will further enhance its humectant properties and make your product go a little further.
• Problem: Uncomfortable tightness.
• Louise recommends: Dehydration is the term coined by the cosmetic industry to describe the tight, creapy appearance that’s down to a lack of water in the skin. Its a lot more complex than this, however, upping your fluid intake can help. Limit diuretics like caffeine and increase water and herbal teas.
• Tip: Buy a humidifier for your home or office to create a more hydrating atmosphere for your skin.
• Problem: Spotty, oily skin.
• Louise recommends: If your skin is parched it will try and help out by secreting more oil onto the skin. This can lead to an oily shine and blocked follicles resulting in outbreaks. Gentle exfoliation will sweep the pores clean and limit spotty eruptions.
• Tip: Using a product containing AHA’s will be a more effective and can also rebalance the oil secreting glands.
Remember it’s still important to protect your skin with an SPF everyday despite the lack of sun, since UV rays are present all year round.
A change of season is the perfect excuse for booking a professional facial. I offer skin health checks as part of my treatments to reassess your skin and ensure you get that healthy, rosy winter glow.
copyright 2009
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