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I am literally blown away by this product. I always had a feeling it was going to impress as i had read so much press on it, but sometimes there are so many products especially in skincare that just don’t stack up to all their hype. But this certainly does for me.

I think its also important to understand where you are on skin and diet and your age, health etc too to determine what results you may see. I am 42, had early menopause, have a good skincare routine (luckily have lots of skincare gadgets also at my disposal. I also have a relatively good diet. And I try to exercise a few times a week.

My main concern since my 40’s has been the ageing process and it has been a battle to keep lines at bay. I would say crows feet, neck and chest are my worst areas so i really wanted to keep an eye on this whilst i started my 90 day course of Skinade. During this time i have also limited my at home facial devices so i can clearly see if Skinade is the main factor in making a difference to my skin. So with all that in mind, collagen production declining year on year, i think trying an internal approach to stimulating collagen would be a great idea!

FACT: WE LOSE 1.5% OF COLLAGEN A YEAR FROM OUR MID TWENTIES

So Week 1:

After day 5, At this point i was only checking my face for visible signs, and it felt much softer. The hydration was kicking in.

Day 10: My skin is a lot clearer and brighter. My nails are super strong. My hair seems to have become much thicker. My toe nails are glossier and my body is feeling much less dry. Dry skin has been a real issue since being in my 40’s (menopause and loss of collagen being the culprit, arghh!) and if people come to me in clinic they will know i am not a big believer in moisturisers, so i always had a similar mentality to my body, if i keep smothering it in moisture it will always crave moisture and i will never really address the route of the dryness – lack of collagen.

Day 14: My whole body skin colour has changed. In the shower i see my legs are a great colour (this isn’t a tan!) its a real healthy glow, its quite weird seeing lovely healthy skin. I guess sometimes we get used to the colour of our skin but great to see it looking good, like it did in my 20’s!

FACT: COLLAGEN ACCOUNTS FOR 75% OF YOUTHFUL SKIN.

DAY 21: My makeup is looking super glossy (again hydration is ramping up) and weirdly i think my lips are looking plumper.

So super happy with the results so far, i will track progress and report back after another month.

x

Step into the world of AHA’s and BHA’s. You have probably seen these labels infiltrate skincare products, but what are they all about, and is it worth giving them a go?

AHAs (alpha hydroxy acid) and BHAs (beta hydroxy acid) are types of hydroxy acids. All very sciency i know, but what do they do?

AHAs are water-soluble acids made from sugary fruits. They help peel away the surface of your skin so that new, more evenly pigmented skin cells may generate and take their place. After use, you’ll likely notice that your skin is smoother to the touch.

On the other hand, BHAs are oil-soluble. Unlike AHAs, BHAs can get deeper into the pores to remove dead skin cells and excess sebum.

AHA’s are best for normal to dry skin or sun damaged skin. Whilst BHA’s are best for normal to oily skins or breakout prone skin. It can also help calm irritation and redness, so sometimes can be helpful for rosacea sufferers.

So how do we know what’s in our skincare?

Lots of skincare products are now labelled with AHA or BHA, but if they just name the acid (also check the ingredient list) here’s what to look for:

• AHA’s: Glycolic, Citric, Mandelic, Malic, Tartaric and Lactic.
  They exfoliate the skin, stimulate collagen. These are your anti-ageing acids!
• BHA’s: Salicylic. Also an exfoliant but treats breakouts and helps manage keratosis pilaris and other conditions that involve blocked or clogged pores.

Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHAs), such as salicylic acid, are very similar to AHAs except for difference in their solubility.

AHAs are water soluble and do not penetrate very deep into the skin of the person, while BHAs are oil soluble and often do penetrate much deeper into the skin, even past the oil barrier of the face

The structure of the BHA allows them to penetrate into the skin through sebaceous follicles, making it great for people with oily skin and open comedones.

So my tips for choosing your skincare:

• don’t be scared of glycolics, lots of my clients who have dry skin feel like a glycolic would be too harsh…it won’t be, it is going to help bind moisture and improve healthy collagen production. But like retinol, introduce slowly if your skin is sensitive.
• In regards to your skincare routine I don’t believe layering aha’s and bha’s is a good idea as it can cause irritation, unless the product has been specifically designed with the 2 acids together in one bottle.
• But you could sweep a glycolic around the drier areas of skin or like me when you want to aid in collagen production, across forehead, then use your BHA on your more oily areas, i use a salicylic pad here. Alternatively use your BHA in the morn and the AHA at night. Or alternate each day. Skincare is about finding what works for your skin, try different ways.
• Using acids with retinol. I personally don’t think you should be layering 2 exfoliants at the same time, it can definately cause irritation and can disrupt your skin’s barrier and leave you inflamed and sensitive. I would advise your acid in the morning and retinol at night. OR you mix it up,

1.  Acids one night, retinoids the next,
2. Two nights of acids,third night retinoids
3. Two nights of retinoids, third night acids.
4. Acids one night, retinoids the next, and then a night off with just moisturiser.

• How often to exfoliate – 2 to 3 times a week. But if you do see you skin become patchy and flaky, stop for a week, you maybe causing you skin barrier function to be impaired and it needs time to recover, always worth having a hyaluronic acid serum to sooth and hydrate.
• If you exfoliate in your morning routine make sure you always apply spf.

Know the ingredients now that you need for your skin, remember glycolic is stronger than your lactic, but also check percentages, work your way up to higher strengths, your skin will adapt, but take it slow.

A couple of my go to products! A great introduction to the world of acids and retinols!

• BHA – Glo Complexion Pads
• 0.3% Medik8 Retinol

xx

I have always said that cleansing wipes are better than nothing but i am going to take that back. I actually think it is better to sleep in make-up than use a wipe….There i said it, the facialist who promotes the double cleanse technique daily has said you can sleep in make up!!!!

Well not quite…but if it means you may think twice about using your facial wipe, please read on!

I started to see a really big link between my clients who were suffering from breakouts and acne prone skin and the use of cleansing wipes. Clients who were suffering with their skin were not keen on trying new products because of the risk of making their skin worse…but at the same time they were coming to see me for the alternatives. So the position i take is throw the wipes away, and this is to everyone, even if you think your skin is in good nic…i think over time your skin will age…you need to get into good cleansing habits now. Clients and friends will always say to me that i have a good skin and i do truly believe its down to my mum who sent me for teenage Clarin’s facials regularly and i would always use a Clarin’s cleanser and toner from being about 14. It was instilled in me, my mum has fab skin too. So i do believe its important to educate our kids on skincare. If your skin feels good, you feel good. Its our biggest organ so we need to look after it.

When looking into this blog i came across a few good analogies..Mona Gohara, dermatologist described the process of cleansing with facial wipes, “the equivalent of swirling dirty toilet water around your bathroom”, or skipping the rinse cycle of your laundry, Cleansing agents are designed to break down debris within the pores, but it’s the rinsing action that actually removes it.” So it did astound me on the back of cleansing wipes it will often state that no rinsing is required…that seems totally absurd to me!

So cleansing wipes contain high levels of preservatives, alcohol and anti-bacterial agents to keep them usable.

These harsh synthetics are then rubbed vigorously into the skin, particularly around the delicate and extra-thin eye area.

As well as irritation, high levels of alcohol can also cause extreme dryness and premature ageing.

So not only are you putting harsh ingredients on to the skin, you are also moving your makeup around your skin, with no rinsing, your skin is not being properly cleaned and you’re then transferring that gunk to your pillow, which then gets transferred back to your skin, and on and on the cycle goes, leading to breakouts, blackheads, irritation, and, oh, did I mention wrinkles?

So know your ingredients. Paiskincare has listed these as the main culprits:

– Propylene Glycol and Dipropylene Glycol (irritants)
– Parabens
– Phenoxyethanol (irritant)
– 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1, 3-Dio (potent anti-microbial agent that carries the highest hazard rating, 8-10, on the skin.

So please if you want clearer skin, ditch the wipes. If you want more youthful skin, ditch the wipes, if you want to keep pigmentation at bay ditch the wipes.

For advise on cleansers drop me a message and i will happily recommend xx

So this summer we had 2 great holidays, camping in Abersoch and a beach holiday in Alicante. Both holidays throw up some skincare alerts! Camping….outside pretty much all of the time and from past experiences this is very harsh on the skin. The number one rule you must protect from the elements, this was the case in Spain too, with that hot summer sun! But first lets looks at camping and my must haves to come back with great skin and not trying to frantically rebalance it once home!

Camping Essentials:

1. Firstly i know it is so easy to pack cleansing wipes, but in my book they don’t really cut it, unless you pay for the pricey ones and then i am not totally convinced. But if your like me and hate those grubby bathrooms and its a quick in and out, and just a cleansing wipe before bed in the tent, then do this, as always best to clean your face by any means morning and night!! But because being outdoors, we really need to cleanse and i have 2 go too’s.

I love Alpha H Cleansing Balm
also
A great Vitamin C cleanser for neutralising free redicals

2. A great SPF. This is my trusted fave that i will always slather other face, neck, chest and shoulders.
https://www.nuskin.com/content/nuskin/en_GB/products/nuskin/shop_all_products/sunright/97001345.html

3. I double up this SPF as my moisturiser too as packed full of antioxidants and feels nice and moisturising.

4. At night my skin will feel tight, more often dehydrated but a little dry too. Don’t always apply my SPF every couple of hours! So it needs hydration. My go too is an oil. I love an oil it feels way more luxe than a cream or serum and when camping I need abit of a glamp edge!! I love uno Hydroactive Cellular Face Oil by Sunday Riley, it packs a punch at £35 but i LOVE IT!
https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/sunday-riley-juno-hydroactive-cellular-face-oil.html

Ok so that’s my camping essentials in a nutshell! Now Alicante!

Heat equals sweat. Sweat in pores is not good! We need to limit any breakout be controlling grease.

1. This cleanser from Nuskin has 0.5% salycylic acid
https://www.nuskin.com/content/nuskin/en_GB/products/nuskin/face_care/clear_action/97110388.html

2. Then it may seem silly to take masks on hols but if you can, a great clay mask works wonders again helping unclog pores. Again always coming back to my fave brand NUSKIN this Glacial Marine Mud is fab https://www.nuskin.com/content/nuskin/en_GB/products/nuskin/shop_all_products/epoch/body/97110809.html

Then again all the producs listed above for SPF and Moisture. And you are covered. Just a big straw hat, sunglasses and the trusted Havaianas. And a bottle of water in your beach bag ALWAYS.

So the timing of this blog a bit late with UK summer hols over but hopefully for any lucky ones jetting off in October hopefully this will be helpful.

I am a NUSKIN stockist so please feel free to message me about any products listed and look out for my Facebook shop coming soon xx