moisturising

You may have noticed a few new additions to our beauty arsenal with the arrival of luxury beauty brand Decleor. Let me tell you, no one has been more excited about our newest brand partner than me. I’ve always loved the brand due to their aromatherapy roots, but thanks to my persistent acne over the years, I’ve stupidly (I’m mentally kicking myself now) shied away from oil based products. 

Now, if you’re an acne sufferer like myself, you know the fear. Oil = grease and grease = spots. Oh how wrong we are. Think about it…healthy skin needs moisture, hydration and nourishment. If you keep using harsh, drying and mattifying products to treat your skin, you’re going to end up in a dehydrated, sensitive skin nightmare. It’s a vicious circle and sometimes it takes a leap of faith to break it.

Enter…Decleor and their new Micellar Oil. As I’ve been banging on about for years, if you don’t crack the cleansing part of your routine, you’re wasting your money on expensive moisturisers as they just won’t be able to do their job properly. Micellar oil contains a unique powerful formulation that stimulates microcirculation and leaves skin deeply cleansed. According to the experts at Decleor, micellar particles work even deeper into the pores, dissolving and dispersing impurities with a specifically formulated complex that gently removes all traces of make-up including waterproof formulas. Once massaged into skin, the fine oil particles kickstart microcirculation to boost radiance leaving the complexion nourished, refreshed and revitalised - perfectly prepped for the next skincare step. To me, that sounds like the perfect cleanser for problem skin, don’t you think?

So I thought, why not? Let’s give it a go.

Now I won’t lie to you (would I ever), when you first change up your skin routine, no matter how incredible the product, your skin will have a bit of a wobbly. Mine certainly did. But I urge you to stick with it as the results are worth it.

I’ve introduced Micellar Oil as my first cleanse at night, and wow does it do its job. Makeup just melts with this stuff and my skin feels so clean and fresh after just one cleanse. It’s also super quick for those of you in a time crunch. I just use 2 pumps and massage into dry skin which starts the process of breaking your makeup down. Then I wet my hands and continue to massage. The oil turns into a more ‘milky’ consistency at this point. Then I just splash my face with cool water to remove. You can also use a damp cleansing cloth if you prefer.

It’s so gentle and effective that I can’t see myself going back. My skin feels nourished and hydrated but at the same time, really clean. Isn’t that what we all want from a cleanser? Plus, it’s helped reduce the sensitivity I was getting on my cheeks. Winner.

Don’t mind me…I’m just off to switch my whole skincare routine over to Decleor.

10/10

xoxo

Sometimes it’s the most obvious questions that get overlooked. We spend so much of our time asking which products will most benefit our skin and when to use them, that very often we forget to ask the simplest thing; how much should I be using?

So, if you’re confused whether ‘less’ really is ‘more’ or if you should be generous with your favourite products then this is the post for you. Let me break it down.

Cleanser – This depends on your choice of cleanser and which cleanse you’re doing:

Balm cleanser (used for first cleanse or make-up removal): a heaped teaspoon

Cleansing milk (used for first cleanse or make-up removal): a heaped teaspoon or two pumps, depending on your applicator.

Second cleanse or your morning cleanse – a level teaspoon or just one pump

Toner

Make sure you’re using a cotton pad. Dampen it with your toner until it’s ¾ wet. To make your product go further, use both sides of the pad.

Eye cream

The aim here is to cover your entire eye area, both below and over your eye. If you don’t struggle with a dry or overly ageing eye area, a small amount on the edge of your ring finger will be more than enough. Remember, you need not ‘rub’ in an eye cream. The heat from your fingers will do the work, so just pat the product in gently. If your eyes are dry or showing signs of ageing, then you may want slightly more. Remember, you can always add, but you can’t take away.

Serums 

I tend to find that products such as serums are easier to gauge because the majority of them come with a pump. The thought process here is 1 pump per application. Simple. But for argument sake, your looking for a 20p piece size.

Moisturiser

This will depend on the consistency, but as a rule, 20p piece size should suffice.

Night cream

Here you can afford to be a little more generous. Your skin does most of its regenerating work and moisture absorption while we sleep, so make sure to pack in the hydrating products now. I’d say a grape size amount will be more than enough here.

Seems simple, but so many of us get it wrong. Remember though, everyone’s skin is different. If your skin feels like it needs a bit more, then listen. It’s asking you for a reason.

We all think we know what it means to have sensitive skin. You notice your skin feels tight, red, stinging, itchy, flushed or hot. Classic signs of sensitive skin right? Wrong. Sensitive skin is inherited. Sensitised skin is acquired. The behaviours of the two conditions are often similar, and treatments may be similar as well, but here’s the crucial difference: if you have truly genetically-inherited sensitive skin, then the sensitivity cannot be fully erased but it can be treated. But here’s the good news! Sensitisation is a response to an external factor and is generally triggered by lifestyle choices…so with a few changes and key product choices, it is possible to kiss goodbye to sensitisation.

So, how will you know it’s sensitisation? The primary signs of sensitisation tend to be; dehydration on the cheek and forehead area, excessive dryness, uneven texture, tightness after washing and stinging on product application, broken capillaries across cheeks and nose, blushing and itching, burning sensations and small, rash-like bumps or breakouts. Sounds brutal I know, but it doesn’t have to be forever.

So, why you? The simplest answer is always “stress”. It never ceases to amaze me how a mental issue can cause havoc with our skin. Sheer physical stress can have an impact too as it’s caused by fatigue, dehydration or malnutrition and or recovery from illness. Its important to be aware too of environmental and lifestyle factors that can contribute greatly to sensitisation, such as; extremes of climate and smoking (which dehydrates the skin by depleting barrier lipids). Sometimes it can even be a result of an overzealous skincare regime. Excessive exfoliation can lead to over-processed skin, excessive washing, especially with alkaline products like conventional soap (just no people), and especially showering/bathing in too-hot water. Remember, your skin prefers gently warm/tepid versus steaming-hot. Over indulging in alcohol and caffeine can also have an impact on your skin in a bad way (grieves for morning Starbucks…)

So where do you even begin to combat all that?  The first step in breaking the cycle of sensitisation is removing as many triggers as possible. Lifestyle choices which are under your control are an obvious place to start, such as smoking, alcohol and caffeine consumption. Likewise, stress may be managed to some degree through other lifestyle choices, such as the decision to exercise (rich I know coming from a girl whose gym membership card is gathering dust)

Cleansing the skin properly is the best way to keep sensitization at bay. Look for an extremely gentle, sulfate-free, nonstripping gel or cream cleanser which will fortify the protective barrier function without leaving a residue. Try Dermalogica Ultracalming Cleanser. Make sure you remove your cleanser with a damp cotton or a soft cloth. A spritz of calming spray is a recommended next step. Look for a soothing, hydrating mist to immediately relieve irritation, such as Dermalogica Ultracalming Mist or Thalgo Reviving Marine Mist. Serums can help speed the healing process at times of severe inflammation and ease the discomfort of long-term sensitisation too. I love Thalgo’s Multi-Soothing Concentrate. Your moisturiser is essential to managing sensitisation, since dehydration, excess heat and free radical damage are often triggers. A rich, medium-to-heavy weight product works best, to form a substantial layer of lipid barrier protections. I reach for Dermalogica’s Barrier Repair.

Taking care of sensitisation is a marathon, not a sprint. You’ll notice significant differences by using the right products, but it really demands a lifestyle change and regular professional treatments to really beat and keep sensitisation at bay. There is hope!