BC Skin Journal
BC Blog
Vitamin C and your skin: Everything you need to know
by Jo Boyden
on Aug 12 2022
Ask anyone with beautifully radiant skin what their secret is and they’ll likely tell you they’re using Vitamin C! Recommended by every beauty expert, Vitamin C is THE go-to ingredient to dramatically brighten skin, but that’s not all it does, the notorious glow-getter offers a multitude of other benefits too. Read on as we reveal everything you need to know about this antioxidant powerhouse and why it should be a staple in your daily skincare routine. Firstly though, what exactly is Vitamin C? In short Vitamin C is a nutrient that our body and skin cells need to function and stay healthy. It is a potent antioxidant (the best of the best!) that helps prevent cell damage caused by age-accelerating free radicals, (highly reactive molecules which are produced either from normal essential metabolic processes in our bodies, or from external sources such as pollution, cigarette smoke, radiation, medication and industrial chemicals.) So, what exactly does this sought-after ingredient do for your skin? Free radicals can wreak havoc on our skin by harming healthy cells and promoting premature ageing! In fact, they are responsible for breaking down our skin's collagen, resulting in unflattering skin blemishes like wrinkling, dark spots, fine lines and loose, saggy skin.Antioxidants like Vitamin C, interact with and neutralize these free radicals preventing them from causing damage. The body makes some of the antioxidants that it uses to neutralize free radicals but topical antioxidants like Vitamin C dramatically help too! So, just as eating a diet rich in antioxidant food helps your body in fighting off free radicals, topical Vitamin C does the same for your skin by helping to offset daily aggressors like UV damage, air pollution exposure and other premature agers, stress even!But amazingly, this outstanding ingredient’s skin-saving benefits aren’t limited to its antioxidant status. It has plenty more going for it too!Vitamin C is also well known for boosting collagen (the protein hailed for keeping our skin supple and youthful!) through the process of collagen synthesis. In fact, collagen synthesis can’t happen without vitamin C! And although ccollagen is naturally present in our skin, as we age our natural collagen production dramatically slows! Vitamin C applied to the skin in the form of Vitamin C Serum can encourage new collagen to grow. It also helps maintain the collagen you do have and protects the precious protein from damage! Amazing stuff right?By adding vitamin C into your daily skincare routine will also make a noticeable difference to hyperpigmentation, dramatically reducing it in fact. Studies show that vitamin C helps inhibit melanin production — the pigment responsible for skin colour and the appearance of dark spots, this in turn reduces dullness and gives skin that youthful glow we all desire. And if you combine the best vitamin C skincare, such as Vitamin C Serums with your daily Sunscreen in the morning, you’ll be applying a powerful protective layer to help ward off the signs of ageing.Vitamin C skincare will also treat uneven skin, improving skin tone and texture. Plus, it’s an anti-inflammatory so will help reduce skin inflammation and redness too! When should you use vitamin c in your skincare routine? Free radical damage can occur throughout the day so it’s best to apply your Vitamin C serum in the morning. For best results, follow with sunscreen as this will give your skin the best antioxidant defence to protect it from pollutants and free radical damage which as we know can accelerate signs of ageing.When it comes to vitamin C serums apply them after cleansing and before your moisturiser and or SPF. Is Vitamin C safe to us with other active ingredients? The great news is, vitamin c can be safely used with other active ingredients, although using alongside niacinamide may make vitamin C less effective. Is vitamin c for everyone? Vitamin C is a versatile ingredient that can cater to different skin types depending on its formulation. For those with sensitive, reactive skin, certain forms of vitamin C can actually aggravate skin leading to dryness, peeling, and redness so you have to be careful about which products you use.Look for vitamin C serums formulated with a gentle derivative such as sodium ascorbyl phosphate, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate or Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, these vitamin C forms are considered more stable and less irritating.So, if you suffer from hyperpigmentation or dark spots or if your skin is lacking life and needs some serious brightening, vitamin c should be your go-to. Here are our favourite Vitamin C products, adored by our customers too! Pevonia Vitamin C Complexe This Vitamin C Serum is a-mazing for that perfect pick-me-up. Vitamin C and hydration hero hyaluronic acid, work together to quite literally drench skin with repairing antioxidants, deeply nourishing skin while correcting photo-damage. Not only does it have the most beautiful citrus aroma, when applied, skin looks instantly brighter and dewier too!Phytomer Cyfolia Radiance Cleansing CreamThis rich, velvety cleanser literally melts on contact with your skin to gently cleanse and remove makeup, oil and impurities! Organic Orange water delivers vitamin C for skin radiance and optimal glow while Cyfolia Algae enhances the glow by providing a reflective effect! Like a burst of radiance to the complexion, skin is soft, supple and glowing after every cleanse!Vie Collection Photo C Bright Radiance MaskThis brilliant brightening mask delivers radiant skin by morning! It will help draw out any build-up of impurities, dirt and pollution, reduce the appearance of dull skin and increase the look of luminosity!Power packed with vitamin c, exfoliating papain, marine minerals and more we promise after the very first application an incredibly radiant and brightened skin appearance will be revealed!Pevonia “C” Evolutive Eye GelInstantly say goodbye to dark, puffy eyes with this this nourishing and cooling eye gel formulated with Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid and Ginkgo Biloba. The power trio combine to smooth wrinkles while effectively reducing dark circles and under eye puffiness and thanks to its delivery of decongesting benefits throughout the day, eyes remain beautifully refreshed and rejuvenated morning to night.
Want clear skin? 13 beauty tips you need to know
by Jo Boyden
on Jun 30 2022
Whether you are currently dealing with adult acne, are prone to the occasional breakout, or get hormonal pimples when it’s ‘that time of month’, it is possible to get clear skin and maintain it, you just need to know how!From blemish busting products to best practices, we asked the BC pros how to get clear skin fast! Here’s their top 13 beauty tips…. Make sure you use skincare rich in blemish-fighting ingredients Just as you’d search for products rich in Hyaluronic Acid if we have dry or dehydrated skin, or collagen if you’re concerned about ageing, if you want to target any blemishes you may already have and urgently eliminate you need to make sure your skincare is formulated with a few key ingredients! These include;Salicylic AcidWhen it comes to breakouts, salicylic acid should always be your trusty go-to. This is because it’s calming, decongesting and antibacterial, as well as a proven superstar in reducing and preventing further pore clogging! Salicylic Acid is a BHA (beta-hydroxy acid) that penetrates deep into the skin to exfoliate sebum-filled pores, as well as dissolve oil build-up and dead cells from the skin’s surface!Benzoyl PeroxideBenzoyl Peroxide is the most effective ingredient for actually treating spots as opposed to preventing them. This is because it actually kills bacteria! It can however be a little drying and irritating which is why it’s best used in specific targeted spot treatments.AHA’s (Glycolic and Lactic Acids)These two alpha-hydroxy acids slough away the dead skin cells that cause pimple-producing clogged pores. The result? Smoother, softer skin.Vitamin COfficially known as ascorbic acid, Vitamin C is an antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory properties. It can help decrease redness and swelling in blemish-prone skin. Firstly though, when it comes to blemishes the first port of call is to understand what exactly you are dealing with, whether it be hormonal pimples around your chin to one big bulbus bump on your forehead to all out acne, blemishes come in all different shapes and sizes and the products you use can differ too! To find out more about the different types of blemishes and the best product for you click here. Use a facial cleansing brush daily The secret to getting clearer skin is not just in the formulas we use but the practices we establish too! Used in unison with your cleanser, a cleansing brush will provide skin with deeper cleaning, removing any remnants of dirt, bacteria and makeup from your skin you’re your cleanser alone may not have.A good facial cleansing brush will also exfoliate the skin’s surface, leaving it looking and feeling so much smoother. Just be sure that it is made with gentle silicon as some cleansing devices can be to harsh for blemish prone and reactive skin, causing any redness and sensitivity to be exacerbated. The best facial cleansing brush as recommended by the BC pros is the Sonic Facial Cleansing Brush. We all know about the importance of cleansing, but with this little genius gadget you can get your deepest clean yet as gentle but powerful sonic massage works with ultra-hygienic silicone touchpoints and your chosen cleanser to thoroughly remove any build-up of dead skin cells, dirt, oil and sweat, preventing skin problems and resulting in clean & radiant skin, But that’s not all! It preps your skin perfectly for the absorption of your favourite skincare products for maximum effect and results, the tiny pulses help awaken the skin by stimulating the circulation of blood in the skin’s layers (when the blood is stimulated more oxygen is produced in the blood and this feeds the skin cells) and the cleansing brush will aid in keeping your pores clear from debris banishing those breakouts!All it takes is 2 minutes per day! Watch what you eat Sadly, certain foods can exacerbate blemishes and cause full on acne breakouts eek! While other foods can actually help fight them! To pave the way to clear skin you want to follow an anti-acne diet stat. This is a diet rich in the following goodness; Fatty fish such as salmon and tuna Yellow and orange fruits and vegetables such as carrots, apricots, and sweet potatoes Spinach, kale and other dark green and leafy vegetables Tomatoes Blueberries Avocados whole-wheat bread brown rice quinoa Soybeans Foods to avoid include; Refined grains and sugars Dairy products Fast food Chocolate Whey protein powder Stay hydrated Staying hydrated is imperative when it comes to maintaining clear skin. It’s important to consume your 8 glasses of water a day, as well as religiously moisturising your skin both morning and night to keep it supple, soft, well-nourished and blemish free! Never skip on your sunscreen Sun, heat and humidity can cause oil glands to become overactive, which in turn can lead to acne breakouts! To prevent these breakouts choose and oil-free, non-comedogenic sunscreen and apply it liberally daily! Keep your phone clean and try not to touch your face! We are all guilty of spending many an hour stuck to our phones but did you know the bacteria on your phone can lead to breakouts! It’s best to use earbuds instead of pressing the phone against your face or simply use an anti-bacterial wipe to clean your phone daily! It’s also important to be mindful of how often you touch your face with your hands (eek guilty as charged!) like your phone your hands pick up dirt and bacteria and transfer this onto your skin when you rub your face can lead to further blemishes! Exercise every day, even if it’s only a little Exercise is imperative for optimum skin health, by exercising we increase blood flow, by increasing blood flow we help nourish skin cells and keep them vital. Exercise has also been accountable for reducing stress-related acne. Take time out to relax In a fast-paced world where many of us barely stop it’s easy to fall victim to stress! The thing is stress can, unfortunately, trigger breakouts and if you already suffer from acne, stress will only make it worse! So it’s important to try and take time out of our busy schedule for some relaxation. Anything from practicing breathing techniques, reading a good book, taking a bubble bath, meditating, listening to music, or practicing yoga can and will help! Wear mineral makeup as opposed to traditional formulations If you want clear skin and you’re not willing to let makeup go, choose mineral makeup products. They don’t contain any chemical nasties or pore clogging ingredients like some traditional formulations and will allow skin to breath freely all day long. Here at BC from the staff to the experts we all love ELES Cosmetics Liquid Powder Mineral Foundation. And for more translucent coverage the ELES Mineral Foundation Powder. Both products are perfect for those with skin sensitives, are free of any chemical nasties, provide effortless and natural coverage and most importantly will allow your skin to brief freely (so no pore clogging in sight) and feel like you aren’t wearing makeup at all! What more could you ask for? Clean your makeup tools! I’m sure many of us are guilty of putting this off but regularly cleaning our makeup brushes and sponges can make a huge difference to our skin! Yes, that’s right! Your makeup tools are meant to be washed! Besides bacteria, both brushes and sponges also accumulate dead skin cells and oil which can clog your pores leading to skin irritation and pesky pimples! Also, if you apply your makeup with a dirty bush the end result can be a streaky and patchy complexion! Clean brushes definitely make for a smoother makeup application! So get to cleaning them stat! Change your pillowcase frequently! While no one loves to do lots of laundry, switching up your pillowcase every few days will help on the quest for clear skin! Unfortunately like with our hands, makeup brushes and our phones, our pillowcases can harbour any excess oil, dirt and bacteria too (urgh) and in turn, become a breeding ground for acne. So, make sure you change that pillowcase to reduce the risk of breakouts! Better still, if you’re prone to blemishes opt for a silk pillowcase! Silk pillowcases absorb less moisture and dirt, therefore, making them the better choice. Always remove makeup before you go to sleep! It doesn’t matter how tired you are, removing your makeup every night is paramount! While you are asleep at night, your skin isn’t! It’s actually the time your skin recharge, repair, recuperate and renew itself! When you leave makeup on, you are preventing that from happening. The skin ceases to breathe properly, pores get clogged and blemishes start to appear! Get some quality sleep! We don’t call it ‘beauty sleep’ for nothing! When we sleep our skin repairs itself, producing collagen and the more collagen produced means skin is plumper and less likely to wrinkle! If we’re sleep-deprived, not only will we wake with dark under-eye circles and bags, but we are also more likely to experience skin irritation, dehydration, fine lines, and dare I say blemishes! Us adults need a minimum of 7 hours of restful slumber a night, 8 preferred! Just be sure you switch off any electronics an hour or so before a practice some relaxation techniques!
by Jo Boyden
on Jun 23 2022
We are all on the quest to look forever young, after all why would we invest so much in our daily appearance? But what exactly is the secret to younger looking skin? And no, I’m not talking about the likes of cosmetic surgery or Botox injections, I mean skin that ages naturally and slowly like fine wine….While ageing is inevitable there are a number of steps we can take to keep our skin looking younger, longer! We asked the experts at BC what they are. Read on as we reveal their answers. Invest in a collagen cream stat As we get older, our skin loses its perky plumpness! This is because the collagen that forms in our dermis and keeps our skin youthful starts to diminish! This ‘fountain of youth’ as it’s fondly referred to, therefore needs to be replenished!Taking collagen supplements as well as investing in a good collagen cream will help! They can improve skin elasticity, reduce visible wrinkles, and increase blood flow to the skin!The problem is applying collagen topically is easier said than done. The collagen molecule can’t actually penetrate our skin unless you choose a product with collagen amino acids that are small enough to get to the deeper layer of the dermis to deliver that plumping effect. Cue Pevonia’s best-selling Age Correction Marine Collagen Cream. Personally, I can’t get enough of it! I swear this jar of anti-ageing goodness has hugely benefited my skin over the years keeping it soft, supple and firm! Give retinol a go Retinol – hailed as the Holy Grail of the skincare world and for very good reason, counteracts ageing like no other! A derivative of Vitamin A, this ‘superhero’ ingredient offers a multitude of benefits including boosting collagen production and erasing dark spots. It can also increase your cell turnover rate making cells function like that of a child! Amazing right? I couldn’t recommend this ingredient more but you do need to be sure to understand how and when to use it first! And which retinol product will be right for you according to your skin type.Try; Pevonia’s Micro-Retinol Moisturiser and find out for yourself what all the fuss is about! For those with advanced signs of ageing – wrinkles, loose and sagging skin, and uneven skin tone or dark spots, it will be your go-to night cream! This powerhouse product (and range!) is the perfect all-rounder! Formulated with Retinol, Hyaluronic, Squalane, and Marine Collagen, it deeply hydrates, smooths, brightens and firms!As well as applying your collagen moisturiser and retinol cream, ensuring you use a serum formulated with one of the top 5 skincare ingredients will also stand you in good stead! Ensure your daily diet includes lots of anti-oxidant rich foods Antioxidants are SO important when it comes to protecting our DNA from damage – they are the last line of defence against premature ageing. Thankfully our bodies produce antioxidants on their own, but we can definitely strengthen our protection against ageing by eating an antioxidant-rich diet. Multiple studies show that a diet rich in antioxidants can help keep your skin healthy, your immune system strong, your digestive system working smoothly and can also help you look and feel younger longer. Yassssss!Anti-oxidant Vitamin C, as well as amino acids can increase the levels of hyaluronic acid and collagen in the body (both which we know are very important for the skin) essential fatty acids and foods rich in sulphur are also imperative!So what foods do we need to consume to help our skin stay younger, longer? Foods such as oranges, red peppers, kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and strawberries are all rich in vitamin C. Foods rich in sulphur include beans, cabbage and garlic and foods high in essential fatty acids are salmon, tuna, flaxseed, chia seeds and walnuts, plus your everyday staples such as eggs, carrots, avocado and also soy! Yum! Wear sunscreen daily, all year round Surely by now, we all know that the NO. 1 cause of premature skin aging is sun exposure! This is why one of the most important things we can do to slow down premature skin aging is to diligently protect our skin from said sun! Using products with SPF is imperative, not only will it prevent awful sun burn, it’ll also slow down the development of brown spots, fine lines and wrinkles!Fortunately, there is a myriad of products out there with SPF, from sunscreen to daily moisturisers, foundations and more, and many are now formulated to work with specific skin types, so if you are a sensitive skin sufferer and the idea of slathering on sunscreen scares you, worry no more! Here at BC we have a few firm favourites;Foundation – ELES Liquid Powder Mineral Foundation SPF 15Daily moisturiser – ELES Luminous Defence Brightening Day Protection SPF 50Sunscreen face & body – Medicalia Sunscreen SPF 40 with Blue Light Shield Don’t forget to look after your neck, chest and hands! While most of us don't forget to look after our face, we often neglect our neck, chest and hands! Even if our face looks young, an aged neck, chest and hands will reveal our real age so it’s time to get serious about these delicate areas!Firstly, be sure you apply sunscreen to the back of your hands and then moisturise them as you would your face daily. Try Phytomer’s Oleocreme Ultra-Nourishing Hand Cream.Same goes with your neck and chest. After all, you want to avoid turkey neck the most obvious sign of ageing in that area! Cleanse correctly On the quest for a clear, youthful complexion cleansing is a must. But cleansing with conventional, harsh products can simply dry out skin which will age you! Worse, it can make skin over-produce oil so you could be hit with rather a few pesky pimples too!! Teenage acne? No thanks.So be sure to use a cleanser specific to your skin type. Beauty Collective has a myriad of cleansers for every skin type and concern so get searching! Make sure you exfoliate A good weekly exfoliation is key to preventing dry, dull skin which lacks youthful luminosity. Exfoliation will break up dead surface skin cells and reveal a fresh glowy complexion.If your skin is a little on the sensitive side, exfoliation is still important just be sure to opt for a super gentle formula – we LOVE Pevonia’s Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser, it gently polishes your skin with its unique creamy, granular texture. But if granules scare you, we also highly recommend Phytomer’s Vegetal Exfoliant with Natural Enzymes. It’s a soft exfoliant for even the most sensitive or rosacea prone skin and uses natural enzymes to encourage cell turnover without scrubbing or irritating your skin. Give yourself a daily facial massage Facial massage stimulates blood circulation, cell growth and collagen production as well as strengthening muscle memory! It helps in the prevention of fine lines and new wrinkle formation, while at the same time tightening the skin and making it plumper! And there is more! To learn more about the benefits of facial massage click here.Not sure where to start when it comes to facial massage? Look no further. For a step by step simply click here.You can use your fingers or invest in a facial roller which offers a multitude of more benefits!If you opt for a roller here’s how;1) Before you reach for your roller, cleanse and then prep your skin applying your serums and oils. Just be sure not to rub it in completely so that the jade roller can get to work.2) Simply roll outwards and slightly upwards on your face and neck. This is a great treatment to do with a serum or as a final step with your facial oil.And for the month of June, 2022, when you purchase a Pevonia Facial oil on BC you’ll receive a Gemstone Jade Facial Roller for FREE Drink your 8 glasses of water a day Drinking enough water, a day will not only do amazing things for your overall health, it’ll benefit your skin too!Dehydration can sap your skin of moisture and elasticity, leading to sagginess, dryness, and wrinkles, whereas hydrated skin equals plumper skin and plump skin helps hides current signs of ageing so that any wrinkles you already have are minimised! Win, win!And yes, I know we all have days where we don’t drink the necessary amount. The thing is when I don’t, I feel it! I’m tried and sluggish and my skin appears that way too! This is because drinking those 8 glasses or 2 litres of water helps the body to flush out toxins while increasing blood flow to the skin which gives it an even tone and dewy appearance not the dull, devilised skin we all don’t want! Oh and supple, dewy skin equals youthful skin right?If you aren’t a huge fan of water, herbal tea counts!! Get onto it and reap the benefits! Look after your lips Often overlooked, lips can really show your age so it’s important to show them as much love as you would your skin. This means applying a lip cream daily. We are huge advocates for Pevonia’s LipRenew Plump & De-Age treatment which deeply moisturises and volumises the lips, blurs imperfections, and, unlike other lip plumpers, also smooths the surrounding skin folds, lines and wrinkles!We also recommend using a hydrating lip balm to lock in moisture and get lips lipstick ready, after all applying lipstick to dry, chapped lips is a definite no no, as your lipstick won’t apply evenly, it’ll seep into any lip lines making your lips appear even more dry than they already are. Choose the right foundation You really can disguise the ageing process and look years younger with makeup, but you have to choose carefully. For example face powder, when used correctly and frugally can be a fantastic makeup staple (I have been I’m in love with the ELES Mineral Powder Foundation for years!) however, no matter your skin type, too much face powder can actually age you! That’s right, it can highlight fine lines and wrinkles instead of helping to conceal them, so it’s best to use powder sparingly – on your t-zone or as the perfect tool for touch ups.A hydrating or satin-finish liquid foundation will be your best choice, especially as skin gets drier with age. Choose a formula that has hydrating ingredients. Foundations that have sheer coverage and dewy luminous foundations will be your best youth enhancing options especially for those concerned about lines and wrinkles.I am a huge advocate for both the ELES Mineral Sheer Tint and ELES Age Defying BB Cream 30 but if you do love a slightly more matte finish the best-selling ELES Liquid Powder Mineral Foundation SPF 15 will be your go-to. Illuminate your face with a highlighter As well as giving your skin a lovely glow, highlighter can be used strategically to lift and contour the face, making it look more youthful.Apply it to the tops of your cheekbones, brow bones and Cupid’s bow. Try ELES Stick Illuminator. I personally can’t get enough of it! Never go to bed with makeup on I’ve sure we’ve all been guilty of this one in our time! From a few too many wines to being just plain old exhausted, sometimes it hard to peel yourself off your bed to go and remove your makeup but remove your makeup you must!Cleansing your face especially at night to remove not only your makeup but any remnants of the days sweat, dirt and grime is imperative for healthy skin. Not removing your makeup means your skin is unable to regenerate effectively while you sleep, pores clog, and fatigue (ageing!) signs start to appear. For a fantastic makeup remover which effectively melts away makeup and grime with minimum effort try Phytomer’s Doux Contour Eye and Lip Waterproof Makeup Remover. Combining the effectiveness of an oil (a trio of oils in fact) and the gentleness of a lotion, this ultra-hydrating makeup remover, eradicates even the most stubborn of lips and eye makeup fast!To read more about sleeping in makeup and what it really does to our skin click here. Go to sleep early and get 8 hours of slumber a night! Getting enough sleep comes with plenty of benefits - improved mood, better concentration and healthier, happier skin to name but a few! Research also suggests that people who go to bed earlier enjoy longer, better quality sleep and better quality sleep equals better skin! Why? Because while we sleep our skin goes into repair mode. Skin cells regenerate, our skin’s blood flow increases, it rebuilds its collagen (which as we know is essential for youthful skin) and repairs damage from any UV exposure.Late nights and lack of sleep on the other hand can show on your skin in fine lines, wrinkles, dullness, swollen or droopy eyelids and dark under eye circles. It can also contribute to acne. Eek. So we need to think of sleep as an essential step in our daily skincare routine. And we know, no one is choosing to be sleep deprived, the stresses of everyday life can seriously prevent us from getting the amount of sleep we crave, but if it’s possible to try and get our heads down at a reasonable time (I’m talking to myself here too!) and stick to it nightly, it’ll improve quality of sleep and in turn have a positive impact on our complexion too!For more information on what really happens to your skin while your sleep, click here.
10 reasons your skin is dehydrated and how to fix it
by Jo Boyden
on Jun 09 2022
Winter, darn winter! Unfortunately, it’s the time of year that your skin can look and feel seriously parched. We’re talking tighter, drier, duller, shiner or just plain devitalized. If that sounds like you, chances are your skin is simply dehydrated and in need of some serious moisture boosting love! And let’s not forget, even those with naturally oily skin can be suffering from dehydration too! After all just because your skin is oily doesn’t mean you are immune to external factors and lifestyle choices that deplete your skin’s water content. Dehydration is in fact characterised by a lack of water not oil!Luckily dehydrated skin can be relieved with a combination of lifestyle changes and topical treatments. Below are 10 reasons you could be battling dehydrated skin and our recommendations for how to fix it. You aren’t drinking your 8 glasses of water a day! Yes, we all know that the number one way to counteract dehydration is to drink plenty of water! But there is the when and the how! This water intake actually needs to commence as soon as you awaken from blissful slumber! It is suggested that drinking approximately 2 glasses of water first thing is hands down the most ideal way to bring back your hydration levels, after all you’ve not replenished fluid levels for a number of hours over night and make sure you drink at least 8 glasses a day. You aren’t getting enough ‘quality’ sleep Remember this as you will! Poor sleep leads to dehydration, dehydration causes poor sleep. Eek we have ourselves a vicious cycle here. Firstly, before bed, prise that mobile phone out of your fingers (sooo guilty here!) and put it down! I don’t need to tell you the impact screen time has on your skin, secondly drink a glass of water prior to sleep, yes you may think bad idea as surely you’ll be up in the night stumbling to the bathroom but believe me your skin (and all other vital organs) will lap up that glass of water and you’ll be able to notice the difference in the morning! Finally turn off the light and get that precious shut eye as apparently those that sleep for an average of six hours a night are up to 59% more likely to be dehydrated that someone who sleeps for say 8 hours. That’ll be me then. Pass me a glass of water someone! You’re consuming too much caffeine & alcohol I’m not saying go cold turkey or anything as like me I love a good cuppa and won’t say no to a glass of vino in an evening, but if dehydration could be something you are suffering from, significantly reducing your intake of both caffeine and alcohol will dramatically benefit your skin. Instead enjoy a cup of herbal tea or a fruit juice!Oh and for every coffee or alcoholic beverage you do indulge in, be sure to drink a glass of water too! You aren’t using the right skincare products Unfortunately, your skin is the last part of your body to receive hydration from water, so it’s important to provide hydration from the outside as well!One of the best ways to achieve this is with a topical treatment to lock in moisture and prevent transepidermal water loss.The best ingredient to beat dehydration is hyaluronic acid. a) Use A Hyaluronic Acid SerumUsing a serum containing hyaluronic acid is the quickest way to deliver moisture to a thirsty complexion as serums are quickly and deeply absorbed into the skin. Plus, Hyaluronic acid is the number one go to ingredient for effectively replenishing dehydrated skin, it delivers a burst of moisture thanks to its ability to hold 1000 times its weight in hydration! It helps bind and retain moisture and draws moisture from the air to the skin plumping and rehydrating skin cells from inside out. Amazing stuff right? Well we are in love with the Pevonia’s Hyaluronic Acid Hydra Serum. This hydration hero is worth its weight in gold. Just a few drops of the super serum will not only help to rejuvenate skin cells but will bind any moisturiser you apply on top like a magnet too!Featuring one of the highest concentrations of hyaluronic acid on the market (12%), combined with the powerful anti-ageing duo of marine collagen and Hibiscus Esculentus extract, it delivers immediate skin soothing results and deep hydration. Plus it quite literally blasts even the most dehydrated of complexions with a surge of moisture, maintaining surface hydration throughout the day. b) Wear a rich, hydrating moisturiser morning and night Moisturising is paramount no matter what your skin type. To battle dehydration we highly recommend both the Pevonia Age Correction Marine Collagen Cream which is rich in both Hyaluronic Acid and Collagen the perfect combination to replenish devitalised skin. As well as the Phytomer Hydrasea Night Plumping Rich Cream, which provides optimum skin hydration during the night. From the very first use, the skin appears drenched in moisture!c) Apply a nourishing face oil before bedWe all naturally lose moisture while we sleep so using a nourishing face oil prior to bed will stand your skin in good stead! Pevonia’s Vitaminic Concentrate should be your go-to every evening! It’s a dream come true! With its amazing mandarin aroma and rich formulation of vitamin A and E, it drenches skin in antioxidant goodness and hydration, locking in moisture that says! This means you’ll wake up to smooth, supple and seriously glowy skin every morning, we promise!d) Don’t use harsh face Scrub but do exfoliate!As dead skin builds up, it can diminish the absorption of important skincare essentials like your serum and moisturiser, exfoliation is therefore an important skincare step in aiding the recovery of dehydrated skin, however be sure to use a gentle exfoliating cleanser and once or twice a week only. You’re showering with water that is way too hot! Hot water will strip your skin of its natural oils fact! and those natural oils are what protect your skin against water loss by forming a barrier. Eek.Believe me I love me a hot bath or shower! Especially on a cold morning or evening, but you will thank me by telling you to turn down that heat and opt for a more lukewarm temp. Your daily diet needs adjusting We already know that what you eat can impact your skin but did you know that our skin is reliant on essential fatty acids like oily fish, nuts, and fresh green veggies to battle dehydration? In addition to nourishing the skin, essential fatty acids also form part of the acid mantle which is the skins protective barrier against environmental damage. They keep the cells moist and reduce the amount of transepidermal water loss giving the appearance of plump skin!In general, when you consume foods that are high in water you can help to add hydration to your skin too! Fruits such as watermelon can increase the level of moisture in your skin. Your heating/air conditioning As much as many of us have become reliant on heating in winter or air con in the warmer months, both can dramatically disrupt the natural moisture balance in your skin. Now while it’s highly unlikely we’d be prepared to suffer the consequence of not turning the heating on, brrrrr, or indulging in the cool aircon air in the sweltering hot months, just make sure you balance your day with fresh air and if your skin is feeling particularly parched, keep on hand a spritz to add a burst of rehydration when needed. The weather Cold, hot, dry, and windy weather can literally suck moisture out of the skin. This is because cold temperatures and low humidity levels result in dry air that draws moisture away from the skin while hot weather increases water loss from the body due to sweating, leading to dehydration! Sun exposure Too much sun can disrupt your skin and compromise its protective layer. Think of that tight feeling your skin has after a day in the sun. Make sure to always wear your daily sunscreen! Age! Yes, that’s right, as we get older hormone changes cause our skin to lose the ability to produce as much oil and tends to dry out. Oh the joys!
Want smaller pores? Here’s how
by Jo Boyden
on Jun 03 2022
You might not think it, but enlarged pores is one of the most common skin concerns and how to reduce them, one of the most googled skincare questions too – in fact How do I reduce the size of my large pores? has almost 3 billion hits! Crazy right? But not really when we are a nation obsessed with pore size!Well, if you are one of the millions, billions even, that need help with your pores, keep reading, as we have the answers. Firstly, though what exactly are pores and what is their purpose?Essentially pores are an opening on the surface of our skin. In fact, they are tiny openings around our hair follicles and oil glands that help sebum (our body’s natural oils) move through the surface of your skin. When the sebum is released to the skins surface it helps keep it naturally moisturised, so while their appearance, if enlarged, can be frustrating, pores are actually helpful for maintaining skin health! What causes enlarged pores?Believe it or not, our pore size is genetically determined (thanks parents!) but, oily skin, sun damage and aging are other factors that can make your pores look bigger. For instance, if oil, toxins, dirt, and makeup collect in the pore, they can weigh it down and stretch it! And as we age the skin around our pores become less elastic as our bodies start to produce less elastin and collagen (the proteins that actually strengthen the walls of our pores making them tighter), so the already stretched pores can stay stretched as well as sag, this in turn can cause pores to expand and therefore become much more visible!Also, when we are hormonal our bodies can produce more oil, this can make pores appear larger than they really are because the excess sebum collects on the skin’s surface magnifying these small openings. How can we shrink our pores?While you can't actually get rid of your pores or change the size of them even – eek! You can minimize their appearance by following a specific skincare routine, making a few lifestyle changes and introducing pore minimizing products and/or treatments. Keep reading to learn more… Choose makeup wisely – opt for mineral formulations Unfortunately, our makeup can make pores seem bigger than they actually are. Products like our powders and foundation can settle into our pores over the course of the day, making them appear larger, so your best bet because, let’s face it we aren’t going to want to forego our miraculous makeup, is to opt for mineral products! A huge benefit of using mineral makeup is that it’s non-comedogenic, meaning it won’t clog your pores! We love ELES Cosmetics range of mineral formulations. Try the best-selling Liquid Powder Mineral Foundation or if you’re a lover of powder foundations we highly recommend the Mineral Powder Foundation. Use a makeup primer A makeup primer not only helps your makeup stay in place all day, but it also smooths and fills the surface of the skin which can help reduce the appearance of enlarged pores. We love ELES Cosmetics Pore Perfecting Face Primer. It’s a game changer for those with large pores! It’s oil-free, perfectly lightweight and seems to combat shine almost instantly. It contains a natural Dermat Complex which enables it to absorb oil and effectively reduce pore size in one hit Genius. Cleanse your skin morning and evening If you want to help minimise the appearance of your pores it’s essential to keep your skin clean by cleansing morning and night to remove any excess oil, dirt and makeup. Be mindful of what type of cleanser you choose though as the best ones will get rid of dirt and grime without stripping your skin of moisture. If your skin is oily look for gel-based cleansers like Pevonia’s Phyto-Gel Cleanser. It deeply cleanses the skin with a luxurious foaming consistency. It works by removing the excess and unnecessary oil from the skin’s surface, unclogging pores and ridding it of impurities and surface toxins.If you have a normal to dry complexion, you’ll benefit best from creamy cleansers. Try Phytomer’s Perfect Visage Gentle Cleansing Milk, it’s creamy texture melts on your skin to gently remove makeup and impurities without disturbing the skin’s protective barrier.Just remember too much cleansing can actually cause your pores to produce more oil though and we don’t want that! Exfoliating your skin is a necessity Exfoliating 1-3 times a week in order to remove dead cells and unclog pores is a must! Exfoliators with AHA’s and BHA’s (hydroxy acids) such as glycolic acid, lactic acid, citric acid and salicylic acid are best. These are the holy grail of ingredients when it comes to penetrating and cleaning out your clogged pores, and clogged pores look bigger, fact. So by unblocking them you are already halfway there in terms of reducing their size.While all four acids exfoliate on a cellular level, Glycolic, Citric and Lactic works on a more surface level to brighten and smooth your skin, whereas Salicylic Acid penetrates much deeper to effectively remove dead skin cells clogged in pores. Minimise sun exposure UV radiation breaks down our collagen and elastin, which in turn leads to saggy pores which expands pore size! So minimising your exposure to the sun is a must. Never skip wearing your sunscreen, even on cold, cloudy days Sunscreen is a necessity for everyone no matter your skin type! Overexposure to the sun is not only the cause of premature ageing and cancer even, it can also dry out skin making pores look bigger.You can also choose foundations that contain SPF in them like ELES’s Liquid Powder Mineral Foundation SPF 15. Make sure you do a weekly face mask Clay masks are best. They can help remove oil, dirt, and dead skin deep inside your pores to make them look smaller. Phytomer’s CityLife Radiance Reviving Mask is our go-to. This unique cream-mousse mask instantly counters dehydration, signs of fatigue, dark spots and enlarged pores. Combining 100% natural red and white clays, blue microalgae, red algae and a comprehensive depolluting complex of 3 marine sugars, it reveals luminosity, radiance and refined pores after just one application! Never fall asleep with your make up Falling asleep with your makeup on is detrimental to your skin, fact. Failing to remove makeup at the end of every day is a major missed opportunity for skin to be able to regenerate while you sleep, you see not removing your makeup means the skin ceases to breathe freely and pores clog. This can make them look larger than life the next day when you awake!That’s why it’s so important to wash your makeup off at night, no matter how tired you are or how late you get home. For added benefit, you can also use a makeup-removing product before cleansing, such as Vie Collection’s Micellar Water. It purifies, conditions and cleanses your complexion in one easy step gently removing makeup from your lips, eyes and face for a fresh and flawless appearance.. Make sure you moisturise daily even if your skin is oily Those who have oily skin tend to suffer from oversized pores. The problem is though that one of the most common mistakes people with oily skin make is to skip out on moisturiser for fear that it will add more oil to their face. Moisturising actually helps your natural sebum penetrate into the deeper layers of your skin though. This not only reduces the appearance of oiliness, but it also helps to condition your skin effectively. Without it, your skin could produce even more oil. And finally use a pore perfecting moisturiser When it comes to large pores, the key is to choose a pore-minimizing moisturiser as they work by stimulating and plumping the collagen that surrounds pores.Yes it’s a thing! If you aren’t already using one, you simply must now. Formulated to quite literally refine pores for a smoother, flawless complexion free of shine you won’t believe the results. Our go-to is Pevonia’s Age Correction Micro-Pores Refine Cream. It’s a mattifying treatment cream which radically reduces oil production and pore size, while providing long-lasting hydration at the same time.“I have seen the difference in my pores since using the micro pores range, my pores have slowly minimise. The moisturizer is hydrating and mattifying on the skin”. Sally S “I've only started using this cream as I am now in my 40's and need a cream to suit my skin's needs. It really helps to reduce pores (particularly on my nose).” Rhiannon K “It did exactly what it's formulated to do. I saw great improvement in reducing large open pores....Thank u Pevonia.” Anne K
How to improve uneven skin texture
by Jo Boyden
on Mar 17 2022
Prone to dealing with uneven, bumpy or rough skin? Want to know why?You’re not alone. Although it might not be as talked about as skin conditions like dehydration, hyperpigmentation, and rosacea to name but a few, uneven skin texture is just as common! From large pores, skin laxity, acne scarring, dryness, sun damage and more, here is everything you need to know about this skin condition and how to remedy it according to the BC pros. What causes uneven skin texture exactly?There are a number of factors that can play a role in the cause of uneven skin texture but most commonly it can be the result of dryness or a build-up of excess dead cells on the surface of the skin. This can make skin feel bumpy or rough. In addition, everything from unprotected sun exposure, dehydration, environmental and digital pollution (Blue light rays emitted from our digital devices), seasonal changes as well as natural skin ageing can all affect our skin texture too! Eek. How to get rid of itThe good news is there are certain ways to remedy uneven skin texture! You do need to be religious about it though! Exfoliate to smooth uneven skin out If skin-cell build-up is the issue, remedying the situation could be as simple as sloughing those dead cells away. To improve skin’s texture and ensure its smoothness once again, it’s essential to exfoliate your skin, no question….and do it properly! Exfoliation is imperative because it ensures the removal of any dead skin cells that accumulate on the skin’s surface, exfoliation also penetrates deeper into the skin than your daily cleanser, providing skin with a thorough deep cleanse. Just make sure you're exfoliating twice a week with a dedicated exfoliator. The key is to find an exfoliant that isn’t too harsh on your skin since abrasive exfoliants can cause micro-tears and excess oil production! We love Pevonia’s Best-selling Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser! And use a Sonic Facial Cleansing Brush, specifically targeting the areas that feel uneven.A Sonic Facial Cleansing Brush has many amazing benefits but most importantly it effectively works together with your cleanser to really remove 99.5% of dead skin cell build up on the skin’s surface, preventing further skin problems such as uneven skin texture. It also de-congests clogged pores clearing dirt, oil and sweat and debris and in turn banishing breakouts! And an added bonus is it stimulates circulation and oxygenates the skin resulting in a healthy, radiant complexion. Drink water and lots of it! Yes, yes, we know! We’ve heard it a million times before, but drinking enough water daily is imperative for your skin’s health. In fact, improving skin texture can be as simple as staying hydrated throughout the day since the moisture effectively assists skin in both looking and feeling smoother.Well nourishing skin also tends to lessen the appearance of dryness and dullness which are common symptoms of uneven skin texture. Introduce Vitamin C into your skincare routine Adding Vitamin C to your skincare routine has a multitude of benefits, one being the improvement in your skin texture! It provides a powerful antioxidant to both repair and defend your skin from free radical (environmental) damage (that can lead to uneven skin) while also boosting brightness, reducing the appearance of fine lines, reducing pigmentation, scar tissue and age spots too! So yes, if you want to both help and avoid more skin texture problems in the future, Vitamin C is key!We love Pevonia’s Vitamin C Complexe, Vitamin C and hydration hero hyaluronic acid, work together to quite literally drench skin with repairing antioxidants, deeply nourishing skin while correcting photo-damage. Not only does it have the most beautiful citrus aroma, when applied skin looks instantly brighter and dewier too! Use a daily moisturiser rich in humectants If the skin is dry, it’s important to moisturise every day, morning and night with moisturisers that contain humectants – we’re talking ingredients such as Glycerin and Hyaluronic Acid.Humectants are moisturising ingredients that work by drawing water from the atmosphere to hydrate and soften the skin!Try Pevonia’s Best-selling Age Correction Marine Collagen Cream. It’s one of my personal long-time favourites and does wonders for the skin! Rich in Hyaluronic, Glycerin, Marine Collagen and more skin loving goodies, its rich but not too heavy, deeply nourishing and easily absorbs into the skin leaving skin super soft and smoother after every application.And this month (March 2022) if you purchase this hero product, you’ll receive Pevonia’s Hydrating Cleanser and Lotion 50ml for FREE!! Apply a face oil nightly Our skin naturally loses moisture throughout the day. This annoyingly can contribute to signs of aging as well as dryness (which as we now know is one of the main causes of uneven skin texture!) Facial Oils act as amazing moisture barriers for the skin, this means they have the ability to lock moisture into cells, preventing it from escaping into the atmosphere while sealing natural hydrators to improve skin texture. Yes!!We highly recommend Pevonia’s Vitaminic Concentrate, It’s a phenomenal soothing, silky, antioxidant oil with the most amazing mandarin aroma that is worth its weight in gold! It’s fast absorbing and radically combats premature ageing, dehydration and excessive dryness by locking in hydration and delivering moisture that stays! So you will wake up to smooth, supple and seriously glowy skin by morning. Be religious with your sunscreen! Since uneven skin texture is often caused by sun damage, be sure to wear sunscreen every.single.day, no acceptation. Sunscreen doesn’t only help protect your skin from sunburn and premature ageing but will prevent pore enlargement and dark spots too!
This is the most important step in your skincare routine
by Jo Boyden
on Jan 25 2022
You might assume that moisturising is the most important part of your daily skincare ritual, but you’d be wrong! While keeping your skin nourished is paramount to a healthy complexion, cleansing, and I mean thoroughly cleansing, is in fact the first and most vital step. And sadly no, a quick swipe with a make-up wipe will not suffice! Instead, we all need to purify our skin every day, no matter what our skin type, especially in the evening and here’s why….Every day our skin is ageing and cleansing before bed is the only way to lessen the impact of external factors associated with the ageing process and to stimulate the internal processes that fight it!Research proves that physiological changes in the skin happen overnight. Like many of our organs, our skin can tell night from day. Evidence exists linking circadian clocks to cell cycle (cells dividing to replenish dead ones) and DNA repair, the natural process by which a cell regularly detoxifies itself.In addition, the skin needs oxygen to repair itself and sleeping with dirty skin or a face full of makeup deprives it of this vital nutrient. It also slows down the natural exfoliating process, which can leave your skin looking dull and lifeless. Not to mention the problem of clogged pores resulting in pesky pimples and acne too!Add to this the fact that nocturnal blood flow in the skin is higher when you sleep and when blood flow is increased so is absorption and penetration of ingredients. So again, if you aren’t washing, any skincare you might be applying (like your moisturiser or serums, will amount to nothing. They won’t be able to penetrate the skin and in turn help fight ageing!In a nutshell, if you don’t wash your face before bed it’s a missed opportunity to do something great for your skin and to wake up with smoother, softer, clearer complexion by morning.So now we understand why cleansing is important, let’s find the best cleanser for our skin type! To remove eye makeup…PHYTOMER MICELLAR WATER – EYE MAKEUP REMOVAL SOLUTIONThis mild cleanser for sensitive eyes is so very gentle yet highly effective, even on waterproof makeup! A single application removes all traces of eye makeup while soothing the area and conditioning the lids and lashes. For all skin types…PHYTOMER PERFECT VISAGE – GENTLE CLEANSING MILKThe creamy texture melts on your skin to gently remove makeup and impurities without disturbing the skin’s protective barrier. For combination and oily skin…PHYTOMER OLIGOPUR – PURIFYING CLEANSING GELA lightly foaming, velvety soft gel which eliminates impurities and excess sebum. Skin is cleansed and purified. For tired lacklustre skin…PHYTOMER CYFOLIA ORGANIC RADIANCE CLEANSING CREAMA rich, velvety cleansing cream formulated with organic orange water, oligomer, organic vegetal oils and cyfolia algae, which literally melts on contact with the skin to gently cleanse and remove makeup, oil and impurities!Like a burst of radiance to the complexion, skin is soft, supple and glowing after every cleanse! For dehydrated and devitalised skin…PEVONIA HYDRATING CLEANSERCombining hydration sensation Hyaluronic with anti-ageing duo Marine Collagen and Marine Elastin, this creamy textured nourishing cleanser, hydrates skin, preserving skin’s moisture while effectively removing skin impurities without residue. The result? Perfectly cleansed, beautifully refreshed, soft and smooth skin after every wash! For the ultra-sensitive…PHYTOMER ACCEPT – Soothing Cleansing Milk 250mlThe most gentle way to remove makeup and calm the epidermis. This makeup remover instantly cleanses, tones and soothes the most sensitive skin. A great multi-tasking cleanser…PEVONIA CLEANREFRESH FOAMING OIL CLEANSERThis truly innovative, triple duty cleanser is a hybrid which offers the combination of a gel, oil and foam! Featuring an advanced lipid-rich, alcohol-free, soap-free exclusive formula, it transforms from a gel like consistency to a luscious, foaming cleanser on application (which mixed with water). It acts like a super magnet entrapping pollutants, impurities and bacteria to leave skin radiantly refreshed and seriously soft.
BC’s top 5 Phytomer products for summer
by Jo Boyden
on Jan 18 2022
Keeping your skin looking good in summer can be such a challenge! Extreme temps contribute to a number of pesky conditions that lead so many of us wanting to pack our bags and set off for cooler climates.We asked the team at Phytomer Australia headquarters to recommend their top 5 summer skin challenges and solutions and this is what they came up with…Challenge One: Excessive Oiliness and Open PoresSolution: Marine Scrub Creamy ExfoliantThis nifty product is just like a scrub and mask in one, allowing you to use it several times a week in summer to keep skin fresh and refined; it polishes off the dry dead skin cells that adhere more easily to the skin when it’s oily and Chondrus crispus oil and OLIGOMER moisturize and strengthen the skin. Challenge Two: DehydrationSolution: Hydra Continue 12H Moisturising Flash GelApply this gorgeous cooling gel beneath your moisturiser for lasting hydration. It literally “plumps” the skin with dewy moisture that lasts all day. Challenge Three: Redness!Solution: Oligoforce Soothing Enforcement Serum with OligomerLike liquid ice on the skin this gentle serum, sooths, cools, strengthens and replenishes heat irritated skin. Apply at night to do its thing while you sleep and wake with normalised calm skin.Challenge Four: Dry Body SkinSolution: Oleocreme Ultra-Moisturizing Body MilkI know, on a hot day the last thing you feel like doing is applying sticky cream all over your body however this one isn’t sticky and sinks into the skin long before you have the lid back on! It leaves the skin feeling velvety soft and as a bonus it smells exquisite!Challenge: Puffy Eyes and Dry Lips (yes it’s two but who’s counting?)Solution: Youth Contour Smoothing Eye and Lip CreamThis is a favourite and no wonder, it’s the ultimate multi-tasking and lets face it, we all love to save time! This marvel increases the circulation flushing away puffiness and dark circles yet moisturises deeply to repair the skin, apply around the eyes and over lips for the softest peepers and kisses you’ve ever experienced!Want to know more about Phytomer products? Check out https://beautycollective.com.au/Brand-Phytomer
Worried about wrinkles? How to minimise their appearance
by Jo Boyden
on Dec 23 2021
Starting to see signs of ageing on your face? Worried about wrinkles but not loving the idea of Botox or fillers? We hear you! Injectables are definitely not for everyone, nor are they a necessity thanks to the number of natural ways you can ward off or even minimise your wrinkles. Read on as we reveal what they are and pave the way to smooth, plump and radiant skin for as long as humanly possible! Wear sunscreen Yes, the NO.1 when it comes to premature ageing IS the sun and its harmful rays, so to overcome this rather hefty issue, wearing sunscreen, and wearing it religiously, day in day out is key. Nothing will warn away those wrinkles like a good sunscreen. Stay hydrated You and your skin need proper hydration to help defend against facial lines. As well as topical treatments, you need to hydrate your skin from within. You know the drill, drink your 8 glasses of water a day, skin cells need water or they will dehydrate and essential anti-ageing nutrients cannot be delivered to your system.Also including omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon and mackerel in your daily diet, will really aid in skin health and hydration too! Apply topical vitamin C If there’s one particular vitamin that needs little to no introduction, it’s vitamin C. Recommended by every beauty expert as a go-to ingredient in your beauty arsenal, the antioxidant powerhouse is known to help with your skin’s collagen production, tackle visible signs of ageing, brighten your complexion, lessen hyperpigmentation and shield skin from free radical damage! Amazing right?Try Pevonia’s Vitamin C Complexe. This product is a-mazing for that perfect pick-me-up. Vitamin C and hydration hero hyaluronic acid, work together to quite literally drench skin with repairing antioxidants, deeply nourishing skin while correcting photo-damage. Not only does it have the most beautiful citrus aroma, when applied skin looks instantly brighter and dewier too! Moisturise A good anti-ageing, wrinkle fighting moisturiser will not only make skin feel more hydrated, it will also nourish and plump the skin making wrinkles less visible.Choose a daily and nightly moisturiser with high doses of collagen, retinol, hyaluronic acid and peptides that work to reverse the ageing process.Retinol is by far the most proven and effective way of bettering signs of ageing such as uneven pigmentation, roughness, and wrinkling. And one of the best wrinkle skincare ranges is Pevonia’s Micro Retinol line.Just be sure to start introducing it slowly and at night-time and get yourself in the know with this miracle ingredient. Exfoliate Regular exfoliation is one of the most effective ways to keep older skin looking youthful and bright. As we age, our skin’s natural exfoliation process slows down and causes a build-up of dead, dull skin. Exfoliating helps speed up cellular turnover, softening fine lines and wrinkles and diminishing hyperpigmentation so you want to be getting in on it stat!One of the best exfoliators for all skin types is Phytomer’s Vegetal Exfoliant with Natural Enzymes! It’s a soft exfoliant for even the most sensitive of skin and uses natural enzymes to encourage cell turnover without scrubbing or irritating your skin. I promise you when I say it’ll make your skin appear fresher and younger! Give yourself a facial massage Massaging your face for just one minute per day can help combat those unsightly wrinkles. How? Because facial massage promotes oxygen and blood flow in our skin. Not only does this result in reducing puffiness, it will also increase collagen production, which prevents the formation of wrinkles too!For more information on the benefits of facial massage click here. Be aware of blue light damage from your electronic devices I’ve already preached about the damaging effects of the sun when it comes to premature ageing, but another cause of concern is our own electronic devices! Which let’s face it we all spend far too long going from mobile to laptop to tv every day! Did you even know though that this over excessive so called “screen time” can lead to skin damage? In fact, overexposure can actually prompt the formation of free radicals which break down collagen and cause inflammation, leading to redness, dark spots, and early onset wrinkles. What’s more, blue light has the ability to penetrate skin much more deeply that UV rays causing even more havoc and long-term damage! Scary right?So what should you do to protect your skin? Obviously reducing screen time is the best bet but if your job and lifestyle won’t really allow it, next best step is to apply a topical protective treatment like Medicalia’s Sunscreen SPF 40 with Blue Light Shield. It’s an everyday sunscreen with contains an exclusive mineral formula to shield skin from harmful sun rays, blue light and pollution. It delivers all-natural protection with the addition of zinc oxide which acts to form a protective seal over the skin to reflect blue light away. It rubs into skin seamlessly without leaving a white cast or greasy residue behind. And even better, the formula is reef-safe and works for all skin types and tones. Eat antioxidant rich food The diet you eat can visibly reflect on your skin, so instead of doubling down on the sugary treats that are in abundance this season, opt for antioxidant rich foods such as berries, leafy greens and whole grains. Add green tea to your daily diet too, which also provides natural antioxidants. Exercise daily We all know the numerous benefits of exercise but did you know how important it is for slowing down skin ageing too? Daily exercise increases the delivery of nutrients to skin's cells and provides optimum conditions for collagen production, in turn warding off early wrinkles and fine lines! Stop stressing Easier said than done for some of us I know but high levels of stress can prematurely age you! If life can sometimes seem like a little much, try and take 5 minutes out to simply listen to music, practice mindfulness, do some deep breathing exercises or meditate. Proven to induce a state of relaxation, all methods can decrease stress and anxiety and change mindset in minutes. Get your beauty sleep Haven’t we all heard this a million times! But sadly, it’s true. The quality and length of sleep you receive every night can have a profound impact on your skin’s overall health. When we sleep our bodies recharge. Not only do our bodies recharge, our skin does too. During sleep, we heal, restore and eliminate toxins from the skin and with enough sleep, our bodies are able to produce more collagen and hyaluronic acid – the molecules that give the skin its youthful glow and elasticity.. Only getting 5 hours a night can lead to twice as many fine lines as sleeping 7 would! Eek.Also, how you sleep can have a huge effect on your skin’s appearance! If you are a lover of sleeping on your front you might want to reconsider this position! When you sleep on your front, your skin is pushed up against the pillow for hours at a time which can reinforce lines, especially around the eyes, forehead and lips. The best way to prevent these wrinkles is by sleeping on your back. You can also reduce damage by using a silk pillowcase which allows for more movement, or a memory foam pillow which doesn’t compress the skin as much.
The best way to treat dark spots on your face
by Jo Boyden
on Nov 24 2021
If you find yourself suddenly susceptible to dark spots on your skin do not distress! Dark spots, or otherwise known as age spots, sun spots, brown spots or hyperpigmentation, is a common condition but one that can be helped by following a few simple steps! So, if your dark spots are bothering you and you want to know how to treat them read on.Firstly though, what exactly are dark spots and why have you started to get them you might ask?Dark spots are patches of skin that become darker in colour to your normal surrounding skin. This occurs when your skin produces excess melanin or the melanin clusters in certain areas of your body. Melanin, if you don’t already know, is a type of pigment that gives colour to your skin, hair and eyes. Dark spots are usually caused by a number of different factors such as acne scarring, genetics, hormones, age and most commonly sun damage. They become especially prolific in the warmer months due to increase in sun exposure. In other words, increased melanin production is stimulated by the sun!Anyone can develop dark spots on their skin, but certain factors can increase your risks including, being over 40 years of age, having light hair and fair skin, frequent exposure to the sun and history of sunburn! If like me you have ticked all of the above, you may well already be susceptible or could have a few dark spots to look forward to eeek! And remember even tiny dark spots will keep growing! So, let's get ahead now and start to treat them or try our hardest to prevent them from ever forming!So what’s the best way to treat dark spots? Don’t become slack with your sunscreen! Sunscreen! Here we are again preaching about the importance of sunscreen! And here is another reason to wear this superhero product. Sun exposure doesn’t only increase melanin production, UV exposure makes discoloration darker too — so slather on that sunscreen on every. single. day to make sure your dark spots don’t become darker, as well as prevent getting new ones from forming!For the best lightweight daily SPF, my personal go-to is ELES Cosmetics’ Luminous Defence Brightening Day protection SPF 50. It’s lovely and light (none of this thick white greasy emulsion!) plus not only does it protect skin against the sun’s harmful rays, it also helps prevent discolouration while diminishing existing dark spots, all whilst calming and brightening your complexion too! Just what the doctor ordered!Another favourite of some of the girls at BC includes Vie Collection’s Mela White Protective Sunscreen SPF 30. This amazing daily cream is formulated with two high-tech ingredients that act against dark spots, free radicals and UV rays. After daily use, dark spots become less visible and skin more unified.And if you want to protect skin from UV rays as well as blue light damage, try Medicalia’s Sunscreen SPF 40 with Blue Light Shield. This everyday sunscreen contains an exclusive mineral formula to shield skin from harmful sun rays, blue light and pollution. It delivers all-natural protection with the addition of zinc oxide which acts to form a protective seal over the skin to reflect blue light away.It rubs into skin seamlessly without leaving a white cast or greasy residue behind. And even better, the formula is reef-safe and works for all skin types and tones! Exfoliate Ah, the many benefits of exfoliation! A good weekly exfoliation will break up dead surface skin cells, lighten dark spots and reveal a fresh glowy complexion instead! For the perfect all-rounder exfoliator for all skin types, we LOVE Pevonia’s Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser. Formulated with jojoba beads, Saponaria and chamomile, it gently polishes skin with its unique creamy, granular texture, revealing a softer, smoother and brighter complexion after every single use!To learn all about the beautifying benefits of exfoliation and which other exfoliators might be best for your skin this spring click here. Wear skincare rich in Vitamin C In the warmer months, when the sun is shining, UVB radiation is at its strongest, so it’s important to not only prioritise SPF but Vitamin C in our skincare too! Vitamin C when applied topically not only boosts our skin’s natural tolerance to the sun, but it is able to help control the formation of pigmentation as well as significantly lightening its appearance too! So it’s a must-have treatment for dark spots!!Make sure therefore, you are armed with a great vitamin C serum or cream. I can’t speak more highly of Pevonia’s “C” Complex with Oxyzomes. The citrus scent is divine and just two pumps equals radiant looking skin instantaneously. Oh, and it feels a-mazing too thanks to its combination of vitamin c and hydrating powerhouse hyaluronic which quite literally drenches skin with repairing antioxidants. Heaven. Add Glycolic Acid to your skincare routine AHA Glycolic Acid is a chemical exfoliator that fights both skin breakouts and wrinkles by declogging, resurfacing and brightening the skin. In addition, this skincare saint is known for reducing dark spots and evening out skin tone so it’s one of the best treatments for dark spots on the face!I love Pevonia’s Renewing Glycocides Cream. It combines Glycolic acid with hero ingredient Hyaluronic Acid to dramatically improve skin’s texture. Try using Retinol at night Retinol, a form of vitamin A, is another go-to ingredient to help in the quest against dark spots and the sooner you start using it in your skincare routine the better. In addition to encouraging cell turnover and exfoliating away minor discolorations, this amazing ingredient also helps to prevent future dark spots through a photoprotective antioxidant. Just be sure to apply it at night, since it may induce heightened sun sensitivity, and ease it in slowly.Try Medicalia’s L Retinol Smoothing Cream. It’s a must in the fight against dark spots! Formulated with retinol and Glycolic and Lactic Acid (yes!) it’s an excellent resurfacing and lightening cream for photodamaged skin. Just be sure to introduce it slowly and apply before bed. To learn more about retinol click here. And at the end of the day remember prevention with sunscreen is key!
How to look younger than your years – the top 12 tips of all time
by Jo Boyden
on Sep 08 2021
Although ageing is inevitable there are both simple and less invasive ways to look younger than relying on the likes of Botox or turning to cosmetic surgery. From miracle makeup products to the best anti-ageing skincare routines, a diet high in super foods to daily yoga, if you are searching for a way to look younger than your years try incorporating a few of these beauty habits into your daily life, and we promise they won’t just have you looking fresh faced, they’ll boost your overall energy too! Sound good? Read on…Choose skincare wiselySkincare, while not as fast as the effects of Botox, really can slow down ageing if you select the right products. Choosing serums and creams formulated with one or more of the top 5 skincare ingredients will have your skin looking smoother, firmer and plumper in next to no time.And if you’re missing your Botox appointment because #lockdown, here at BC we have a number of natural alternatives that actually work!Get serious about sunscreenI’m talking about religiously applying it daily. Just as you use a cleanser to wash your face, apply a sunscreen to protect your face! Sun damage is hands down THE most aggressive form of ageing. In fact, it’s estimated that 90% of skin ageing is due to the effects of the sun! It causes proteins in our skin to deteriorate, leading to the loss of our youthful appearance over time. On the bright side this type of ageing can be prevented with proper sun protection, but it needs to be worn even on cool, cloudy days too!Fortunately, there is a myriad of products out there with SPF, from sunscreen to daily moisturisers, foundations and more, and many are now formulated to work with specific skin types, so if you are a sensitive skin sufferer and the idea of slathering on sunscreen scares you, worry no more! Here at BC we have a few firm favourites;Foundation – ELES Liquid Powder Mineral Foundation SPF 15Daily moisturiser – ELES Luminous Defence Brightening Day Protection SPF 50Sunscreen face & body –Medicalia Sunscreen SPF 40 with Blue Light ShieldChoose the right makeup baseYou really can disguise the ageing process with makeup but you have to choose carefully. For example face powder, when used correctly and frugally can be a fantastic makeup staple (I have been I’m in love with the ELES Mineral Powder Foundation for years!) however, no matter your skin type, too much face powder can actually age you! That’s right, it can highlight fine lines and wrinkles instead of helping to conceal them, so it’s best to use powder sparingly – on your t-zone or as the perfect tool for touch ups.A hydrating or satin-finish liquid foundation will be your best choice, especially as skin gets drier with age. Choose a formula that has hydrating ingredients. Foundations that have sheer coverage and dewy luminous foundations will be your best youth enhancing options especially for those concerned about lines and wrinkles.I am a huge advocate for both the ELES Mineral Sheer Tint and ELES Age Defying BB Cream 30 but if you do love a slightly more matte finish the best-selling ELES Liquid Powder Mineral Foundation SPF 15 will be your go-to.Illuminate your face with a highlighterBy doing so your skin will look dewy and more youthful. Apply highlighter to the tops of your cheekbones, brow bones and Cupid’s bow for a natural glow that will leave you looking rejuvenated and refreshed. Try ELES Stick Illuminator. I personally can’t get enough of it!Apply bronzer correctlyWe are all on a quest for that healthy youthful glow, especially in the winter months when it’s almost non-existent, but dusting copious amounts of bronzer all over our nose, chin, cheeks and forehead can play up fine lines and large pores as the powder sinks into them. The best way (and the most flattering!) is to apply your bronzer with a bronzer blush to the perimeter of your face in the shape of a number three. Start on your forehead near your temples and loop down to the tops of your cheekbones, then curve out and around again along your jaw.Look after your lipsOften overlooked, lips can really show your age so it’s important to show them as much love as you would your skin. This means applying a lip cream daily. We are huge advocates for Pevonia’s LipRenew Plump & De-Age treatment which deeply moisturises and volumises the lips, blurs imperfections, and, unlike other lip plumpers, also smooths the surrounding skin folds, lines and wrinkles!We also recommend using a hydrating lip balm to lock in moisture and get lips lipstick ready, after all applying lipstick to dry, chapped lips is a definite no no, as your lipstick won’t apply evenly, it’ll seep into any lip lines making your lips appear even more dry than they already are.Fill in your browsCreating the perfect brows can completely transform your face and make you look 10 years younger, seriously! but you need to know how.Just as the hair on our heads can thin with age, so do our eyebrows, so to look younger, we want to create instantly fake fullness and to do this we need to fill them in with the perfect brow pencil! Just be sure you don’t overfill the front part of your brow though! This area should have soft hair that graduates into more density. If you overfill this area you can make your eye brows look way too harsh. Read more on how to create perfect brows. Cleanse correctly In the quest for a clear complexion cleansing is a must. But cleansing with conventional, harsh products can simply dry out skin which will age you! Worse, it can make skin over-produce oil so you could be hit with rather a few pesky pimples too!! Teenage acne? No thanks.So be sure to use a cleanser specific to your skin type. Beauty Collective has a myriad of cleansers for every skin type and concern so get searching!Make sure you exfoliateDry, dull skin lacks youthful luminosity, so exfoliating is a necessity! We’re not talking daily though, just once or twice a week depending on your skin type will suffice, as too much exfoliation can be counterproductive.A good weekly exfoliation will break up dead surface skin cells and reveal a fresh glowy complexion. If your skin is a little on the sensitive side, exfoliation is still important just be sure to opt for a super gentle formula – we LOVE Pevonia’s Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser, it gently polishes your skin with its unique creamy, granular texture. But if granules scare you, we also highly recommend Phytomer’s Vegetal Exfoliant with Natural Enzymes. It’s a soft exfoliant for even the most sensitive or rosacea prone skin and uses natural enzymes to encourage cell turnover without scrubbing or irritating your skin.Remove remnants of makeup before bedYou know you’re supposed to do it, you’ve been told time and time again but sometimes you just…don’t. But we can’t stress enough that failing to remove makeup at the end of every day is a major missed opportunity for skin to be able to regenerate while you sleep, you see not removing your makeup means the skin ceases to breathe freely, pores clog and fatigue signs start to appear.You also need to remove the days makeup and grime to make way for applying your nightly skincare ritual, and the products aren’t going to work their magic if they can’t effectively seep into the deeper layers of your skin thanks to a wall of makeup in the way!Want to know the full extent on what sleeping in makeup can really do to our skin? Click here. Eat your antioxidantsAntioxidants are SO important when it comes to protecting our DNA from damage – they are the last line of defence against premature ageing. Thankfully our bodies produce antioxidants on their own, but we can definitely strengthen our protection against ageing by eating an antioxidant-rich diet. Multiple studies show that a diet rich in antioxidants can help keep your skin healthy, your immune system strong, your digestive system working smoothly and can also help you look and feel younger longer. Yassssss! So what foods are rich in antioxidants? The favourites in our house include, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, broccoli, spinach and kale! Get enough shut-eyeI’ve said it before and I’ll say it a hundred times, and we all know it’s the truth, not enough shut-eye can have serious ramifications on our skin! We need to think of sleep as an essential step in our daily skincare routine. Not only will plenty of shut-eye let skin cells regenerate overnight, it will also help prevent dark under-eye circles which can really make us look so much older than we are! And we know, no one is choosing to be sleep deprived, the stresses of everyday life can seriously prevent us from getting the amount of sleep we crave, but if it’s possible to try and get our heads down at a reasonable time (I’m talking to myself here too!) and stick to it nightly, it’ll improve quality of sleep and in turn have a positive impact on our complexion too!For more information on what really happens to your skin while your sleep, click here.
The truth about rosacea: Debunking the myths
by Jo Boyden
on Aug 20 2021
With the amount of stress many of us are under right now thanks to #lockdown it’s likely those of us who suffer from rosacea have been susceptible to a few facial flair ups. The thing is so many of us (including those who are currently living with rosacea!) Are either blissfully unaware of the skin condition or totally misinformed! Well, we are here to change that and separate fact from fiction by debunking 11 myths about this skin condition. So read on to understand what’s true and false and start establishing whether it might be rosacea you are currently suffering from yourself. “Rosacea is just blushing skin”FALSEIf only this was the case! You would never need to bother applying blush again, would you? Sadly, rosacea is a lot more sinister than facial flushing! Other symptoms include pimple like breakouts, enlarged pores, visible broken blood vessels, and at worse your skin can burn, itch, swell and throb! “It can be triggered by stress”TRUEStress and anxiety can indeed cause rosacea symptoms to worsen, nooooo! So some stress management techniques will be imperative (we could actually all do with some of that right now!) Make sure to get plenty of rest and practice mindfulness as this can really help combat the stress-inducing effects of negative thinking which let’s face it, we all are likely to be having a little of that right now!There are several methods for increasing mindfulness a few of which include, mindfulness-based stress reduction, meditation, and yoga. I have to say I am a huge advocate for yoga, which is so easy to do from the comfort of your own home! If you don’t know any yoga moves but would love to give it a try, fear not! There are some great yoga apps and YouTube videos you can follow. And while my kids are being home-schooled, they are loving starting their day with Cosmic Kids Yoga too! Win win for all!And don’t forget to practice deep breathing when you feel anxiety creeping up. “Rosacea can be caused by poor skincare choices”FALSERosacea is in fact a vascular and inflammatory condition and while your choice of skincare isn’t the cause, over cleansing and exfoliating with physical exfoliators can actually worsen symptoms. “It can be triggered by extreme temperatures and sun exposure”TRUEUnfortunately, sun exposure is the most common trigger for rosacea. While we all love long days at the beach, if you suffer from rosacea your skin sadly will pay a price. Not only can sunburn make flare-ups even worse, the heat from the sun can also increase your body temperature which in turn dilates blood vessels and triggers inflammation. So limited sun exposure as well as wearing SPF is the way to go. “Rosacea is contagious”FALSEWhile experts are still trying to determine the exact cause of rosacea, we do know that there is no evidence to say that it's an infectious skin condition. So, fear not, if you, a friend or a family member have rosacea, you can't pass it on by touch, sharing cosmetics, or spending time around each other. Phew. “Your cup of coffee can cause rosacea flare-ups”TRUE & FALSE!It’s ok, calm your farm, you don’t’ have to forgo your morning hit of caffeine just yet as no it isn’t actually your cuppa which is triggering the flare- ups but rather the thermal heat they omit. Cold cup of coffee anyone? “Rosacea is a skin condition for only the over 50’s”FALSEWhile the peak ages for rosacea sufferers are between 30 and 60 years, you can get rosacea at any age! In fact, teenagers as young as 18 have been diagnosed. “Rosacea is caused by alcohol and hot foods”FALSEWhile drinking alcohol and eating a spicy vindaloo can indeed trigger facial flushing, they are certainly not the cause of the condition. In fact, someone who’s never even had a drink in their life can just as easily develop rosacea as someone who enjoys spicy food and wine or two each night!All that said, hot and spicy foods are however rosacea triggers for some, so it’s best to steer clear from things like horseradish dip and hot sauce when you're drinking alcohol as heat dilates the blood vessels in the skin, and since hot foods generate heat, peppers are a big no-no!And while alcohol might feel like a necessity for some (I hear you), sadly that glass of wine or three can potentially worsen your facial redness! While I’m not necessarily saying cut it out completely, you should cut down on the amount consumed while you are experiencing a flare-up. I promise you will notice a difference in your skin. “Rosacea is the same as acne”FALSEOne of the most common signs of rosacea - bumps and pimples, is also one of the most common causes of confusion about the skin condition! Why? Because it’s often mistaken and then misdiagnosed for acne! Unfortunately, while the two share similar symptoms, including pustules and papules and even redness (although in acne it’s isolated to the pimple or lump) acne, has a different underlying cause and needs to be treated very differently. Many ingredients used in acne specific products such as salicylic acid, vitamin A and exfoliators can cause irritation in rosacea-prone skin resulting in dryness, sensitivity and intensifying redness! “Makeup makes rosacea worse”FALSENo one with rosacea wants to be told they can’t wear makeup because it’ll only exaggerate the skin condition. And not when the stress of having to face people without wearing a mask of makeup to conceal symptoms can actually trigger a flare-up! You do however need to be mindful about what you are putting on your face! Ensure you steer clear of chemical formulations and instead sick to a range of ‘breathable’ products formulated with skin nurturing ingredients that are going to enhance your complexion, not clog up your pores and irritate skin even more! Mineral Makeup should be your go-to! And we LOVE ELES Cosmetics Luminous CC Cream 20, rather than covering up your redness with a thick layer of concealer and foundation, this lightweight, oil-free colour correcting cream helps visually correct redness and even out skin tone. What’s more it’s SPF 20 so will also help shield sensitive skin from sun exposure which can aggravate rosacea. To learn about the top 10 makeup tips and products to conceal rosacea click here. “You can totally rid yourself of rosacea”FALSEWhile you can control rosacea so you speak, you, unfortunately, can’t eliminate the skin issue altogether because there is no cure. Skincare can however reduce redness and other associated symptoms keeping the skin condition at bay, you just need to choose your skincare wisely. Opt for products specifically designed to counteract the condition. We highly recommend Pevonia’s best-selling RS2 line - created by world renowned dermatologist, biochemist and a pioneer in advanced organic skincare, Dr. Sylvie Hennessy, the line was designed to specifically treat rosacea. Formulated with the purest, most natural, nurturing ingredients including Green Tea, Chamomile, Liquorice, Allantoin, Vitamin E and Rose Essential Oil all the products in the range help strengthen capillaries, desensitize, decongest, soothe, and hydrate the skin while rendering it evenly toned and visibly calmed! If you are suffering from facial redness and want to understand more about the skin condition and how to combat it, you can read more here.
Anti-ageing beauty tips 8 celebrities swear by
by Jo Boyden
on Jul 02 2021
It's not just genetics that grant our favourite celebrity’s beautifully bright, Benjamin Button-esque skin. Many A-listers have their go-to beauty regime which they believe keeps their complexions radiantly youthful. From daily exfoliation to drinking plentiful amounts of water, never for-going the SPF, to anti-ageing must haves, read on to discover the anti-ageing beauty tips 9 celebrities swear by and whether they’d really work for us all. Actress Gwyneth Paltrow“I drink a lot of water, it is full of healing powers”While drinking water daily is without a doubt imperative for your overall health and well-being, there is little research to support the idea that it will make a huge difference in your skin’s appearance. This is because when you drink water it doesn’t automatically go to the skin, in fact, it hydrates cells once it’s absorbed into the bloodstream and is filtered by the kidneys.So rather than relying heavily on water to boost your complexion, like Gwyneth, the best way to effectively hydrate skin is topically using products rich in hyaluronic acid. When it comes to getting dewy, hydrated skin, few ingredients deliver the way hyaluronic acid does. This is because it holds up to 1,000 times its weight in water meaning it attracts and holds on to moisture in skin cells, enabling skin to both feel and look hydrated and plump. Genius!We LOVE Pevonia’s Hyaluronic Acid Hydra Serum. Featuring one of the highest concentrations of hyaluronic acid on the market (12%), combined with the powerful anti-ageing duo of marine collagen and Escutox® (Hibiscus Esculentus extract which relaxes harsh wrinkles similar to that of Botox), it immediately boosts skin’s suppleness and combats ageing in multiple ways thanks to its skin-plumping properties. Actress Jennifer Aniston“I stay out of the sun”While it’s next to impossible to completely stay out of the sun (in fact 10 mins of sun a day will help with vitamin D production which is essential for health), limiting your time spent in it and definitely not bathing in it!! Will do wonders for your skin including keeping its smooth, even-toned texture. This is because the number one cause of wrinkles IS sun damage. Sunscreen is the most effective anti-ageing product going. Fact. So wearing an SPF daily come rain, hail or shine, whether inside or out is imperative for protection.For sunscreen that won’t clog your pores, look for formulas that contain zinc oxide. We highly recommend Medicalia’s NEW Sunscreen SPF30 with Blue Light Shield. This smooth tinted sunscreen formulated with zinc and iron oxides will not only protect your skin from UVA and UVB but also from the harmful effects of blue light caused by not only the sun but screen time too! What’s more, it rubs into skin seamlessly without leaving a white cast or greasy residue behind (which let's face it we all loathe ‘those’ sunscreens!) and its formula is reef safe!!And for extra protection and flawless-looking skin try ELES Age-Defying BB Cream 20 Actress Kerry Washington“I wear minimal makeup so my skin can breathe”Sure, sure, you might be one of those blessed celebrities that look just as fabulous without makeup on as they do with, but I’m pretty sure the majority of us aren’t going to forgo our favourite makeup must-haves in the hope it will preserve our age by a few years! What we can do though is invest in makeup that will allow your skin to breathe freely, so no clogged pores, reactions and premature ageing! ELES Cosmetics range of mineral foundations allows just that - your skin to “breathe” while shielding it against age aggressors.We can’t get enough of their best-selling Liquid Powder Mineral Foundation SPF15! It’s a silky, mineral-enriched liquid foundation which sets to a soft, powder finish when applied. Its skin-safe formula rich in vitamins A, C & E, contains no chemical ‘nasties’, heavy fillers or potential pore-clogging irritants, such as fragrance, talc, oil and dyes. And it is also formulated with titanium dioxide which is UV-protecting! Victoria Secrets Angel Candice Swanepoel“I’m religious about going for facials”Of course, a monthly, even weekly facial, as many celebrities will admit to having, can do wonders for your skin, and wouldn’t we all love to be in the position to indulge ourselves in weekly treatments at our therapists’ hands! But sadly, we can’t all afford to frequent our local spa! Good skin maintenance is however something we can all manage daily! Being armed with the right skincare products for your skin type is a start and why not give yourself a facial at home? Socialite and Entrepreneur Kim Kardashian-West"I wash with a hot cloth... then use it to exfoliate"While hot water washcloth exfoliation may be a thing, it is unlikely to be extremely beneficial in the long run. In fact, while washing your face with a hot cloth and hot water can be seen by some as a little luxury, it does come at a cost! Firstly, you want to be gentle when washing your skin. Using a washcloth can cause friction if used vigorously or too often which can lead to inflammation, irritation, and damage to your skin barrier, in turn leading to premature skin ageing!! Eek.Secondly, hot water can strip the skin of its essential moisture and deplete its natural protective barrier which can lead to impairments in the skin’s moisture. I’m sure the majority of us aren’t going to stop washing with hot water but it’s a good idea to turn the heat down a little and ensure you replenish skin immediately after with a good hydrating moisturiser! I’m currently loving Pevonia’s Age Correction Marine Collagen Cream it’s deliciously rich and delivers intense and lasting hydration to my skin!And finally exfoliating your face with a washcloth doesn’t come close to using a skincare exfoliator which will effectively remove the days impurities. Try sticking to a face scrub or enzyme exfoliator specific for your skin type. Actress Cate Blanchette“I remove stress where possible, this will give you a better glow”Research has found that stress can have a major impact on our bodies and our skin too, leading to inflammation, skin sensitivities and even early skin aging! As stress can aggravate skin conditions, taking time to indulge in a little self-care, in turn, helps your skin stay clear and smooth. Practice self-care at home with team BC’s beauty recommendations and experience better skin health. Supermodel Christie Brinkley“I start every day by exfoliating my face”Exfoliation is key as it helps increase cell turnover and unclog pores, preventing breakouts and helping other products in your skincare routine absorb more easily for optimal results. But while Christie advocates for daily exfoliation, it’s definitely not a recommendation for everyone! Here at BC we recommend you exfoliate once or twice a week – as long as your skin can handle it. For those with sensitive skin or certain skin conditions, it’s essential to start slowly (minimum of once a week) and steer clear of physical exfoliators which contain eg. grains or microbeads to buff away dead skin cells as these can be too harsh and lead to further reactions. Instead, opt for an enzyme exfoliator such as Phytomer’s Vegetal Exfoliant with Natural Enzymes. It’s a soft, gentle exfoliant for even the most sensitive skin, and effectively eliminates impurities and dead skin cells using natural enzymes to encourage cell turnover without any scrubbing!Supermodel Jessica Hart“I change up my products depending on how my skin reacts to the changing seasons.”Unfortunately, skincare isn’t a one size fits all. And over time our skin can change dramatically depending on our circumstances, from our lifestyle to the environment, our daily diet, to the stress we might be under! Also, with a change in season comes a change in our skin too so what worked for your skin weeks ago might now need some tweaking! You just need to recognise what your skin now needs and adapt your skincare to these needs.And then there are those of us that are self-isolating because of #lockdown. Here’s why it’s time to change up your skincare routine!
Why retinol is the anti-ageing ingredient your skin needs
by Jo Boyden
on May 10 2021
With so many anti-ageing skin care products on the market, choosing what will be right for your skin can be baffling so say the least. However, when it comes to reducing the visible signs of ageing, retinol is the “super-ingredient” every beauty professional hails as the holy grail of the skincare world. Why? Because it offers a multitude of benefits; From reducing the appearance of fine lines and preventing wrinkles, to correcting hyperpigmentation, reducing large pores and clearing acne. Retinol also has the ability to speed cell turnover making cells function like that of a child! What exactly is retinol?Retinol and retinoic acid are both forms of vitamin A used in skincare products. The stronger of the two, retinoic acid, is only available via prescription while retinol can be sold over the counter. What does it do?It is a cell communicator that can help damaged skin cells return to their normal function.When skin is exposed to the UV rays of the sun it absorbs free radicals, which attack healthy cells. Retinol interrupts this process by attaching itself to damaged cells and communicating with them, helping them to act like healthy cells again.It also helps your skin slough dead cells and creates new ones, which in turn creates new collagen. Over time, this can lessen the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.Finally, because retinol helps to slough away dead skin cells and reveal new growth underneath, continuous use can help to reduce the symptoms of hyperpigmentation by peeling away the top layers of skin and slowing the production of melanin, the pigment that gives skin its colour. Who is it suitable for?While the cosmetic and medical industries are almost united in their love for retinol, some with sensitive skin will go through an inevitable adjustment period, up to six weeks of red, flaky skin. Still, sensitive skin can be trained to tolerate vitamin A derivatives, so really, the only women who shouldn’t use retinol are those who are pregnant or nursing.So what about the adjustment period? There will be some dryness, maybe flakiness and sometimes the skin may feel sensitive. Why? Upon application, the retinol binds to DNA, and immediately instructs the skin’s proteins and enzymes to do certain things, firstly to expel the piled-up dead cells from your skin’s surface. Refining that top layer causes some water loss initially, which can make sensitive skin seem drier and more irritable. But push through and it will become less sensitive over time and leave you with a fantastic glow and reduced fine lines.If however, you have underlying skin conditions like eczema or rosacea, using a high strength retinol product could enhance the inflammation. When is the best time to use it?It is best to introduce retinol products slowly – apply it only at night, one or two times a week for the first week and gradually increase application. Retinols are best applied at night, particularly because it makes your skin more photosensitive and should be used in conjunction with sunscreen in the day (although you should be using SPF daily, round around anyway!).When applying your retinol cream, allow the product to fully absorb into the skin (this could take up to 30 minutes) before layering any other products. Just make sure to use any acne-fighting products (i.e. anything that includes benzoyl peroxides or salicylic acid) on the nights you don’t use your retinol product.Prepare for the inevitable adjustment period your skin will go through before you see the results you want. Because retinol causes the skin to shed cells faster than normal, you’ll likely experience a few weeks of change to your skin including some flakiness and dryness.And finally, give the product time to work its magic. This could take a few months but the results WILL be worth it. We promise!Why Pevonia Micro-Retinol range?Pevonia’s Micro-Retinol Line contains all-natural retinol, sourced from green leafy vegetables.The Micro-Retinol Line utilizes a specialized technology to create micro-particles of retinol that get delivered deep into the epidermis. This means complete product absorption, no skin irritation and immediate results.Every product in the Micro Retinol Line contains a powerhouse trio of vitamin C, vitamin E, and Micro-Retinol® The addition of vitamins C and E not only ensures Micro-Retinol®’s stability, but also that the skin’s nutrients and density are renewed and preserved.
Are you suffering from facial redness? Understanding rosacea and how to combat it
by Jo Boyden
on Apr 08 2021
If you didn’t already know, you do now - the month of April has become globally renowned as “Rosacea Awareness month” and for very good reason! Yes, an entire month dedicated to educating us all about one of the most prevalent skin disorders. A condition that so many of us don’t understand, even those who may be currently living with it but ignorantly unaware! In fact, it’s said that an estimated 415 million people suffer from rosacea globally. Huge right?So if you suffer from facial redness, persistent bumps and pimples, skin irritation or thickening read on as we reveal the facts about rosacea and how to best treat it. So what exactly is rosacea?Rosacea is an auto-inflammatory skin condition. A chronic condition, which unfortunately cannot be cured per se but can be alleviated. What are the key signs of rosacea?If you are suffering from rosacea, they’ll be a few key symptoms to look out for. The most common visible symptom being persistent facial redness which may resemble a blush or sunburn which doesn’t want to go away!Many people with rosacea have a history of frequent blushing or flushing. This may be accompanied by a sense of heat, warmth or burning that comes and goes, and is often an early feature of the disorder. Small red solid bumps or pus-filled pimples may often develop. While these may resemble acne, blackheads are absent and burning or stinging may occur.In many people with rosacea, prominent small blood vessels called telangiectasia become visible on the cheeks, nasal bridge and other areas of the central face.And finally, but a much less common symptom - your skin may thicken and enlarge from excess tissue, most commonly on the nose (known as rhinophyma).Through understanding the different appearances of Rosacea, as well as some common triggers, you can start taking steps in the right direction toward controlling your redness. Who does rosacea affect?Adults over the age of 30 are more likely to be affected, although rosacea occasionally occurs in young people but very rarely in children.Pregnancy and childbirth can exacerbate the condition as well as be a trigger.Like many conditions, rosacea can be hereditary and while it’s more common in women, men tend to suffer from more severe symptoms. What is the cause?While the cause of rosacea is unknown there are lifestyle and environmental factors which can affect it’s severity from sunlight to weather changes, alcohol, caffeine, smoking and more. If I have rosacea what can I do to manage/improve it?Sorry to be the barer of bad news but there is currently no cure for this intrusive skin condition. The good news however is you can effectively manage your symptoms by a combination of lifestyle changes, supplements (if recommended by a dermatologist) and specific skincare products. Phew! Change up your diet Underlying redness can sometimes be related to a few external factors, and simple changes like adjusting your diet can make all the difference. In the same way, certain skincare ingredients can trigger surface reactions, some foods can inflame and irritate skin from within. These foods tend to have high acidic content and in turn, can regularly produce flushed cheeks and persistent redness. We suggest avoiding triggers such as spicy foods, citrus, tomato and chocolate and instead recommend an ‘anti-inflammatory diet’ which includes lots of green leafy veggies, fish, essential oils and low-glycemic (G.I) fruits including apples, pears, plums and cherries. Be sure to steer clear of watermelon and mangos which are high-glycemic as well as grains, non-organic meats and dairy!Finally, pre and probiotics are a must and vitamin D supplements can also help. Make lifestyle changes As well as diet, simple lifestyle changes will become a must.I’m afraid alcohol is a no no. But everything in moderation right? Hot beverages should become a thing of the past and drinking cold water and plenty of it (especially while exercising) is a necessity. Extreme temperatures (either hot or cold), as well as wind and sun exposure, can massively impact symptoms so be sure to take all into consideration and smoking is not good. Fact. Introduce an effective skincare program specifically targeting your concern Change up your skincare routine but be sure your products are compatible with your symptoms. Rosacea specific products such as Pevonia’s best-selling RS2 line can help soothe the skin as well as successfully elevating the symptoms.Firstly, cleansing your skin is imperative but it’s essential to use mild, non-abrasive cleansers and rinse with lukewarm water (not hot that can further trigger the flush). We love Pevonia’s RS2 Gentle Cleanser. Ideal for hypersensitivity, it’s a calming, creamy cleanser which gently removes impurities with soothing, cooling and decongesting allantoin, French rose and chamomile. After cleansing, use a soothing serum rich in anti-inflammatory ingredients that work deeply to strengthen capillaries, control blotchiness and restore calmness. Try Pevonia’s RS2 Concentrate.Follow with a nurturing care cream specifically to moisturise sensitive and rosacea prone skin. Rich in licorice root extract (also known as nature's cortisone) Pevonia’s RS2 Care Cream is soothing like ice on sensitive skin. What’s more for the month of April, if you purchase this best-selling cream you’ll receive the matching cleanser and lotion 50ml for FREE! Having read the above if you suspect you may have rosacea, start an effective skincare program today and follow these top tips now before the disorder becomes increasingly severe and intrusive on your daily life.
Why and how you should switch up your skincare routine this autumn
by Jo Boyden
on Mar 17 2021
With summer now officially behind us (boo), and the cooler days of autumn here, you might well have started to notice a slight change in your skin? From dehydration to hyper-pigmented patches, seasonal changes can reap havoc on our complexion, but with just a few simple changes to your daily skincare routine (and some dry skin remedies thrown into the mix), we promise you can calmly transition your skin from summer to autumn, seeing it happily and healthily through the cooler months ahead. So read on for our 8 top tips on how to get glowy autumn skin. Exfoliate away dead summer skin cells Even though skin becomes drier and more sensitive in the cooler months, exfoliation is not a step that should ever be missed! Those dry dead skin cells that sit on the surface of your skin are not only dulling it, they are also blocking the hydrating ingredients from every other skincare step in your routine from getting in! Just be sure not to overdo it though. If your skin tends to be on the more sensitive side, we recommend exfoliating no more than once a week and opting for natural enzyme exfoliators rather than physical ones where rubbing and scrubbing can cause irritation.Both the Phytomer Vegetal Exfoliant with Natural Enzymes and Pevonia’s Enzymo Spherides Peeling Cream are formulated with natural enzymes which basically melt away dead cells so no scrubbing is needed and the results speak for themselves – brighter, more radiant skin after every application.For all other skin types, exfoliating once or twice a week is a must. Try Pevonia’s Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser, it’s one of the brands global best sellers and for good reason! Switch your cleanser to an oil or balm As the temperature starts to drop your skin will start to produce less oil, as water loss from skin is increased, this means it’s time to forgo the gel or foaming cleanser which has been your go-to through the warm summer season, and opt for gentle cream, milk or oil-based formulas that will thoroughly cleanse your skin without stripping it of much-needed moisture. Try Phytomer’s Cyfolia Radiance Cleansing Cream. It’s formulated with Organic Orange water, Oligomer, Organic Vegetal Oils and Cyfolia Algae which literally melts on contact with the skin to gently cleanse and remove makeup, oil and impurities. Bliss. Know what skin survival ingredients to look for It’s important to look for skincare formulated with ingredients that will not only hydrate but also assist the skin in retaining that moisture all day long. Ingredients rich in essential fatty acids such as squalane (olive oil) and vitamin E as well as superstar hydrators including hyaluronic acid, marine collagen and Glycerin, will keep the skin plump and hydrated, while ingredients such as shea butter and argan oil will ensure cells function optimally allowing them to maximise the skin’s water retention. Give your skin a moisture surge Early autumn can see skin depleted of moisture which leads to a dry, devitalized complexion. So be sure to up the ante and incorporate dry skin remedies into your daily routine. If you aren’t already, be sure to apply a hydrating serum each morning under your daily moisturiser and a replenishing oil at night.Don’t forget your body too! After your shower, smother your damp skin from neck to toes with a rich body balm or body oil. Did you know the skin’s outer layer swells open when it’s damp allowing products to penetrate better? Reduce hyperpigmented patches While you can’t undo the damage that the UV rays have caused while you’ve been sunning yourself by the sea, you can help minimise the appearance of hyperpigmentation. To help fade the look of dark spots and even skin tone click there. Don’t forgo your sunscreen Yes, it’s easy to remember to apply your sunscreen when you’re headed to the beach, or out and about on holiday, but so many of us seem to skip this vital step as soon as the cooler, cloudier months arrive! Still the biggest offender of premature ageing, UVA rays are prevalent all year round and can penetrate clouds, glass and even some clothes! Scary right? So make sure you continue this vital step in your daily routine and keep skin looking younger! For a daily moisturiser to die for, try the ELES Luminous Defence Brightening Day Protection.If you aren’t a huge lover of sunscreen on your face, opt for a foundation with a high SPF. Try ELES’s Age Defying BB Cream 30, I promise it’ll become your go-to all autumn long. It’s multi-faceted and benefit-packed, and primes, tints, nourishes, evens out skin tone, and helps to strengthen and protect the skin on contact! Genius. Use an antioxidant-rich cream at night At night, your skin switches from ‘protect’ to ‘repair’ mode. It’s when it can finally recover from the day’s stresses so applying a rich night moisturising cream will offer no end of benefits. I LOVE Phytomer’s Night Recharge Youth Enhancing Cream. The rich texture of the cream literally cocoons skin in nourishing hydration while it boosts your skin’s renewal, so your complexion gets all the benefits while you slumber. Adding a few drops of rich nourishing oil to your night cream, or immediately after applying will give skin that extra boost too. Try Pevonia’s Vitaminic Concentrate. This soothing, silky oil has the most amazing mandarin aroma (it’s formulated with Mandarin Essential Oil) and is quite literally worth its weight in gold! It’s fast-absorbing and radically hydrating! So you’ll wake up to smooth, supple, and seriously glowy skin every morning. I kid you not. Give your eyes and lips a little extra TLC Our lips lack melanin so they are especially susceptible to sun damage and after several months of hot weather are also prone to deep dryness. Squinting, sweating and the sun can also cause damage to the fragile eye area. So give these areas some TLC. Reach for nourishing lip colour instead of drying mattes, apply SPF over your lips and at night offer some much-needed repair. Phytomer – Youth Contour Soothing Eye and Lip Cream is our favourite because it is formulated to calm, soothe and replenish delicate skin.
Suffering from hyperpigmentation? 4 things you need to be doing now
by Jo Boyden
on Mar 05 2021
You may not know it but hyperpigmentation, otherwise known as dark spots, is a very common skin concern. The condition most commonly occurs due to overproduction of melanin, the natural pigment in the skin, which is why it’s often exacerbated during the sunny summer months (thank you sunshine!) However, it can also occur due to inflammation caused from conditions like acne, just want you don’t need, and while hyperpigmentation can be hard to avoid for some, you can definitely help reduce its severity by following a few key steps and we are here to tell you what; Choose your skincare wisely If you aren’t already invest in skincare specifically designed to target hyperpigmentation. There are 4 key ingredients to look out for. The first being Vitamin C. Vitamin C can not only help heal blemishes it can also help reduce hyperpigmentation and give your skin an all out glow. Once you add a daily dose of vitamin c to your skincare routine you can start seeing noticeable improvements in a matter of weeks.Here at BC, we love Pevonia’s “C” Complexe. Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid work together to hydrate, correct photo damage and drench your skin with repairing antioxidants for a revitalized, youthful glow. It’s really good stuff and I’m testament to that!AHA’s such as glycolic and lactic acid and BHA’s such as Salicylic acid are ideal for managing hyperpigmentation. They help with resurfacing, declogging and brightening skin and can aid in evening out dark areas of the face, neck and chest.I personally love Pevonia’s Renewing Glycocides Cream with UV protection! It combines Glycolic acid and Hyaluronic Acid to dramatically improve skin’s texture.Retinol, a form of vitamin A, is another go-to ingredient for hyperpigmentation. It works by going deep beneath your skin, encouraging cell turnover and bringing healthier, newer skin cells to the surface!Medicalia’s L Retinol Smoothing cream is a must in the fight against Hyperpigmentation! Formulated with retinol and Glycolic and Lactic Acid (yes!) it’s an excellent resurfacing and lightening cream for photodamaged skin. Just be sure to introduce it slowly and apply before bed. To learn more about retinol click here. Exfoliate And once or twice a week! This will help shed the hyperpigmented cells and speed up healing. Really!The most effective exfoliators for managing hyperpigmentation are either chemical or enzymatic exfoliators though as they penetrate more deeply into the skin than physical exfoliators and don’t contain grains which can in some cases create inflammation by scrubbing which can lead to additional pigmentation! Eek!Try Phytomer’s Vegetal Exfoliant with Natural Enzymes! It’s a beautifully gentle exfoliant that uses natural enzymes to encourage cell turnover without scrubbing or irritating the skin. Ideal for even the most sensitive and reactive skin, it eliminates impurities by gentle exfoliating away dead skin cells to reveal a refined skin texture and more luminous complexion. Slip, slop, slap Wear sunscreen and be religious about it. Applying your SPF is not only the best way to prevent premature ageing but it will also dramatically decrease your chances of getting hyperpigmentation as well as reducing it.I highly recommend Vie Collection’s Mela White Protective Sunscreen SPF30, this amazing daily cream is formulated with two high-tech ingredients that act against dark spots, free radicals and UV rays. After daily use dark spots become less visible and skin more unified. Eat a diet rich in Vitamin C and flavonoids A healthy diet rich in antioxidants, such as vitamin C and flavonoids can effectively help reduce skin darkening. So be sure to introduce avocados, oranges, grapes, cherries, broccoli and bell peppers into your daily diet, as well as foods with beta-carotene (orange colour) like sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots and seafood rich in copper, magnesium, selenium and zinc. Such a diet works by encouraging production of melanin, reduction of free radicals and support of cell turnover, the three things that help grow healthy, happy skin and diminish dark spots! Drink herbal Turn your morning cuppa into a mug of green tea! We know green tea is rich in antioxidants and flavonoids, but did you know as a result it can help reduce both skin inflammation and melanin production in one.
Blue light damage – what it is and why you need these products now
by Jo Boyden
on Nov 24 2020
We’ve learnt from an early age the importance of wearing sunscreen to protect our skin from the suns harmful UVA and UVB rays, but now a new concern is taking centre stage - the effects of blue light - harmful rays emitted not only from the sun but from our electronic devices too! Eek.I’m certain, as I write this, that there is likely not a single one among us who doesn’t spend perhaps a little too much time daily on our phones, laptops, iPads, or even watching our much loved shows on Netflix, but did you know that this over excessive so called “screen time” can lead to skin damage and premature ageing? In fact, overexposure can actually prompt the formation of free radicals which break down collagen and cause inflammation, leading to redness, dark spots, and early onset wrinkles. And if you’re one to suffer from hyperpigmentation too, blue light can and will darken it! Especially in those with deeper skin stones! What’s more, blue light has the ability to penetrate skin much more deeply that UV rays causing even more havoc and long-term damage! Scary right?So what should you do to protect your skin? Obviously reducing screen time is the best bet but depending on your job or lifestyle that’s not likely possible.The good news is scientists have been researching the effects of blue light for many years now and new formulations are being launched to help protect our skin from its damaging effects, just as sunscreen does from the sun. Furthermore, the clever folk at Pevonia have created not one but two eco-friendly double duty sunscreens which not only protect your skin from blue light, but UVA and UVB rays too! Excellent news right?So read on to find out more about these new blue light skin protection products and why you need to need to incorporate them into your daily routine, starting now! Pevonia Hydrating Sunscreen SPF 40 with Blue Light ShieldA true triple threat, this Pevonia exclusive mineral SunShield formula delivers major moisture while effectively protecting skin against ongoing UV, infrared and blue light damage! It is a purely physical ocean/reef safe emulsion, which means it contains no nasty chemicals – one of the biggest threats to our beautiful reefs/ocean and its sea life!Its clever new technology counteracts free radical reaction, and it’s sheer formula is micronized in such a way that it is invisible on all skin tones, so no thick white residue (synonymous with the majority of other physical sunscreens) in sight! In fact, it is very light and silky smooth to apply with no greasy sheen and it doesn’t have the usual ‘sunscreen’ smell, instead a subtle, very pleasant aroma. Phew!It is formulated with natural, nourishing and skin repairing ingredients including; green tea, an antioxidant to prevent damage from free radicals, as well as argan oil, hyaluronic acid, aloe vera and ingredient spotlight Indian Ginseng Root - which is proven to boost cellular energy and activity, as well as fight “digital” pollution – clever stuff right?! What’s more, it deeply hydrates, soothes and protects skin and is suitable for all skin types, tones and ages!Medicalia Sunscreen SPF 40 with Blue Light ShieldIf you’re a little reluctant to wear your sunscreen because quite frankly its smell and greasy texture puts you off, you are going to love this lightweight emulsion! Much like its counterpart, this everyday sunscreen contains an exclusive mineral formula to shield skin from harmful sun rays, blue light and pollution. It delivers all-natural protection with the addition of zinc oxide which acts to form a protective seal over the skin to reflect blue light away.It rubs into skin seamlessly without leaving a white cast or greasy residue behind. And even better, the formula is reef-safe and works for all skin types and tones.Now don’t let blue light steal the shine from the anti-ageing skincare staples you religiously apply every day. Just add blue light skin protection to your daily routine and reap the long-term benefits. Trust me when I say they will definitely be worth your investment!
Could Licorice Be The Answer To Your Skin Care Woes?
by Jo Boyden
on Oct 20 2020
If I mention licorice to you, you probably picture that black sweet goodness that comes in a bag and leaves your tongue blue. However, did you know that licorice is a wonderful skincare herb?Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), a leafy green plant which yields small blue flowers, also grows long tap roots which can extend down well over a metre. It is these roots which yield the characteristic flavour we know as licorice.But did you know that Licorice has been also been used for thousands of years to treat skin ailments?This fascinating herb is a firm favourite of the skin care industry because it contains various cosmeceutical compounds, including glycyrrhizin, glabridin, and liquiritin, that do some remarkable things.Glycyrrhizin Glycyrrhizin helps to reduce inflammation because it mimics cortisol in our bodies. Cortisol is a steroid hormone which is released in our body in response to stress. So, when you think of all those skin conditions that require the use of a topical steroid cream; eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis to name a few, a natural alternative such as licorice is an exciting prospect.Glabridin Licorice also contains a compound called glabridin which is a phytoestrogen. Phytoestrogens are plant-derived compounds with biological activities comparable to the human hormone oestrogen. It is well known that oestrogen stimulates the body to make collagen and hyaluronic acid – two essential components of the skin which form an important part of the connective tissue and keep our skin looking young.This is also proven! Studies have found that topical application of phytoestrogens was found to reduce the depth of wrinkles and increase general tone and hydration of the skin.But glabridin does more than just providing anti-ageing properties! It also helps to reduce hyper-pigmentation and prevents UV-B induced pigmentation.What’s not to love about Glabridin!Liquiritin By now you’re probably thinking – what more can this miracle herb do for my skin?! Well, bear with me because I’m not finished.Licorice also contains a compound called liquiritin. This chemical is particularly useful for treating melasma. Unlike glabridin, it doesn’t prevent it so much as it fades the existing patches. Put them together and you have a very effective lighting ingredient that is more effective than previous chemical ingredients.So, to sum it up, not only is licorice anti-inflammatory but it also contains compounds that enhance skin penetration, provide skin lightening properties, and treat melasma. And I've only covered three of the main constituents of licorice, there are many more!Here are some of our favourite Licorice rich products and why we think they are worth a try!Pevonia RS2 CollectionThe RS2 line; Cleanser, Lotion, Concentrate, and Cream are rich in licorice extract and work in harmony to reduce inflammation, even the chronic inflammation associate with Rosacea, to balance the oil and moisture levels in the skin and to even the skin colour. We love the great results for sensitive skin but also love the natural signature scent of French Rose Extract in this heavenly line!Pevonia Lumablanc CreamA water-based lotion that is applied at night to brighten, whiten, and lighten the skin. It’s ideal for mature skin with sun-spots, skin suffering from Chloasma or Melasma, or for fading the hyper-pigmenation that occurs after skin trauma. It uses a Pevonia exclusive retinol delivery technology which means it gets down deep into the skin where it’s needed to fade those pesky patches.ELES Luminous Defence Brightening Day Protection SPF 50+It’s so light you can barely feel it on your skin but it offers an abundance of benefits including the highest level of UVA and UVB sun protection. Licorice Extract of course to help reduce inflammation, stimulate collagen formation, and fade dark patches. It also contains peptides and Lotus Flower Extract to help elevate hydration give the skin a great glow!
13 skincare habits that are ageing you
by Jo Boyden
on Sep 16 2020
Let's face it, we are all on the quest to radiant, youthful skin and many of us will invest both time and money perfecting our daily beauty routine, but there are still a number of mistakes or bad habits should I say, that we are likely doing daily that can and will make us look older than our years! Eek.So read on to find out what they are, and if you are currently committing any of them, you know to stop now! Not updating your skincare as your skin changes You might have been loyal to the same moisturiser for many years but sadly the skincare you've used in your 20's really won't cut it in your 30's, 40's and beyond. This is because as we age our skin's needs dramatically change. Skin becomes thinner, drier, more sensitive, and loses elasticity as collagen and elastin start to deplete, while fine lines and wrinkles start to form. Therefore anti-ageing skincare rich in ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, collagen, and vitamin C become essential. For more info on this read about the top 5 skincare ingredients as recommended by the experts and adjust your products accordingly. Going to bed with makeup on Well here's one you've heard many a time before! Right? From a few too many wines to being just plain old exhausted, sometimes it hard to peel yourself off your bed to go and remove your makeup but remove your makeup you must!Cleansing your face especially at night to remove not only your makeup but any remnants of the days sweat, dirt and grime is imperative for healthy skin. Not removing your makeup means your skin is unable to regenerate effectively while you sleep, pores clog, and fatigue (ageing!) signs start to appear. For a fantastic makeup remover which effectively melts away makeup and grime with minimum effort try Phytomer's Doux Contour Eye and Lip Waterproof Makeup Remover. Combining the effectiveness of an oil (a trio of oils in fact) and the gentleness of a lotion, this ultra-hydrating makeup remover, eradicates even the most stubborn of lips and eye makeup fast!To read more about sleeping in makeup and what it really does to our skin click here. Skipping on your moisturiser It's that time of the month and a few pesky pimples have reared their ugly head, or you are often prone to adult acne or simply suffer from oily skin, so think it best to lay off the moisturiser which must be exacerbating the issue right? Wrong.While you are likely not alone in thinking lathering up on moisturiser seems counterproductive, everyone, no matter what your skin type or concern, needs to apply a moisturiser daily! This is because moisturiser maintains skin hydration throughout the day and therefore assists in fighting premature fine lines and wrinkles too. In fact, applying moisturiser will greatly reduce your chance of developing extreme dryness, skin sensitivity, or oiliness! Why? Dehydrated skin can lead to issues like inflammation, premature skin ageing, and even breakouts. When your skin becomes dry, your body responds by making more oil! And we all know excess oil can clog pores leading to more of those darn pesky pimples.When searching for the right moisturiser for your skin type they do tend to be categorised by skin concern so you just need to research and find the right one for your skin's needs. Just be sure to opt for lighter moisturisers by day, especially in the warmer months, and richer creams at night.For oily skin types, we highly recommend Phytomer's Oligopur Hydra Matifying Control Cream. It's an ultra-light cream that controls oil and breakthrough shine throughout the day. No shine, no greasy feeling, no heaving feeling!If your skin is prone to pimples try Phytomer Acnipure Blemish Solution Fluid, it's a lightweight gel-cream that fights acne without clogging pores or irritating skin. It also helps eliminate shine, diminishes the appearance of blemishes, and prevents future breakouts!! Wearing SPF only during the summer Hands down the no. 1 contributor to skin ageing is skipping your SPF.Yes, it's easy to remember to apply it when you're headed to the beach, or out and about on holiday, but so many of us skip this vital step in our everyday lives and not because we are necessarily lazy but because we don't understand the long term affect not wearing it will have on our skin! Being exposed to UV rays will make your skin age quicker, creating fine lines, wrinkles, sunspots, and more...Applying sunscreen daily all through the year will assist in keeping skin looking younger. Just remember the higher the factor the better especially in the warmer months. Thinking that the SPF in your makeup is enough to protect your skin Unless your makeup has an SPF factor of 30 or above it's unlikely to ward off premature ageing if worn alone. This is because the majority of makeup will protect against UVB rays but won't block UVA rays which is what causes skin damage. Layering your skin with a high factor SPF moisturiser and then foundation will give you the best chance of maintaining skin's youthful appearance, but if you are in love with your daily moisturiser which doesn't contain sun protection, still use it and then apply a lightweight SPF like the ELES Luminous Defence Brightening Day Protection SPF 50. Not only does it protect skin against the sun’s harmful rays, it also helps prevent discolouration while diminishing existing dark spots and calming and brightening your complexion at the same time!Still be sure you use a foundation with SPF for that extra protection and coverage though, as chances are when you apply sunscreen, you'll skip vital spots that you won't do with your foundation. The ELES best-selling Liquid Powder Mineral Foundation SPF15 is an institution. It's a silky, mineral-enriched liquid formula with broad spectrum sun protection that literally glides on to skin and sets to a soft powder finish. Loved by everyone who tries it you won't be disappointed! Focusing only on Wrinkles While we are all concerned about fine lines and wrinkles as we age, dark spots and pigmentation can actually give our complexion a dull, devitalised and in turn much older appearance too! In fact, dark spots and uneven skin tone can make us look 10 years older! So if you suffer from hyperpigmentation ensure you introduce products specifically to help with this like concern. We promise it'll positively impact your complexion and protect your skin too. Try Vie Collection's Mela White Radiance Brightening Essense, a triple-action daily cream that effectively acts against dark spots, free radicals, and UV. The results will speak for themselves. Rubbing Your Eyes The area around your eyes is the most delicate on your face, fact. When we are tired it's easy to fall into the trap of rubbing our eyes, or when applying eye makeup with precision. We've all been guilty of pulling at our eyes I'm sure, but tugging, rubbing or pulling at your eye area can cause tiny blood vessles to break resulting in dark circles that make you look tired All. Of. The. Time. Instead, start applying an anti-ageing eye cream morning and night pronto! I am currently loving Vie Collection's Chrono Eyes Puffiness-Dark Circles Wrinkles Cream. It's a beautifully fine cream enriched with moisturising ingredients to nourish the eye area while reversing puffiness, dark circles and wrinkles! Seriously! Ignoring Your Neck and decolletage Oh, the forgotten area! And the area of your skin which can actually age you the most! Exposed to sunlight just as much as your face, if your neck and decolletage aren't cared for daily or protected with SPF, they can end up crepey and wrinkly so much earlier than they should! Whatever you do for your face you should do for your neck and decolletage too.There are neck and chest specific products you can use, I personally use Pevonia's Age Correction Rapid Restore Neck and Chest religiously, it's a 2 in 1 serum and cream which hydrates, nourishes refines and brightens skin for a more youthful appearance while smoothing wrinkles too! But there is also nothing wrong with using your daily moisturiser or a hydrating body cream instead! Just start doing it now! Avoiding exfoliators It's not just fine lines and wrinkles that make you look older, having a dull uneven skin tone can easily add years to your face as well!As we age our skin's natural ability to shed dead cells declines, so without weekly exfoliation skin can become uneven, dull and lacklustre. This is why exfoliation is so imperative, and not a step that should be ignored. Many people are scared of exfoliation because they think their skin is too sensitive, and it will just aggravate an existing issue, but that's where natural enzyme exfoliators can be the answer.Both Phytomer's Vegetal Exfoliant with Natural Enzymes and Pevonia's Enzymo Spherides Peeling Cream are formulated with natural enzymes which basically melt away dead cells so no scrubbing is needed. Just remember removing dead skin cells helps your skin properly absorb moisturiser which in turn keeps fine lines and dehydration at bay, as well as brightening skins radiance. Now, who wouldn't want that!! Or simply going overboard with exfoliating If you tend to sway the other way and love to exfoliate your skin a little too much i'm here to tell you stop it now! Over exfoliating can actually slow cell turnover, cause chronic skin irritation and inflammation which can lead to accelerated ageing. Stick to exfoliation once a week for the best results. If you ilke to use an exfoliator with grains or microbeads but skin tends to be a little on the sensitive side give Pevonia's Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser a go. it’s great for those who love physical exfoliators with granules but want to steer clear of facial scrubs which could be a little harsh on the skin. It gently polishes your complexion with its unique creamy yet granular texture, formulated with jojoba beads, saponaria and chamomile, revealing a softer, smoother and brighter complexion every time! And in the month of September if you purchase Pevonia Vitamin C Complexe (the perfect skin-brightening summer serum) you'll receive a full size Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser for FREE Not drinking enough water As I'm sitting here writing this, I can hold my hands up and say today so far I've only drunk 2 glasses of water when I should have in fact consumed at least a litre by now! Yes, it's fact, water, or lack of should I say is a real skin ager!! And I know I must practice what a preach! The thing is I do, but some days I will admit it's easy to forget! And when I do, I get cross with myself as I can see it in my skin! It's drier, duller and devitalised. This is because drinking 'enough' water helps the body to flush out toxins while increasing blood flow to the skin which gives it an even tone and dewy appearance! And dewy skin equals youthful skin after all!Not a huge fan of water? Try a good herbal tea instead. Extreme water temperatures How many of us are guilty of indulging in a hot shower or simply washing our faces with water set to a high temp. But really for best and healthy results we should be washing with lukewarm water. This is because extreme water temperatures will strip healthy natural oils from your skin quickly, making it dry and therefore age much faster. Water that's too hot can also dilate your capillaries leading to spider veins. Not getting enough sleep....when you could get more If I had a dollar for every time I said to my husband I must get to bed early tonight because I need more sleep and am fed up of looking old and tired, I'd be a rich woman. While they say practice what you preach, I am a testament that not getting enough sleep (when I could indeed fit in another 1-2 hours a night (darn netflix!) literally does age you.Poor sleep is quite literally to blame for premature ageing, dermatitis, eczema, acne, loss of collagen and more! Scary right? So let's make a pact and try for that 8 hours + we really do need nightly.Now be sure to follow our advice to be sure you slow down the signs of ageing naturally!
8 expert tips for the ultimate spring skincare routine
by Jo Boyden
on Sep 09 2020
Spring is well and truly in the air, but with a change in season, comes a change in our skincare concerns, so it is important to now adjust your daily routine just as you would your wardrobe. From switching up your diet, upping your exercise and updating your skincare products, it’s time to put some pizzazz back into your skin after the cold, winter months.Not sure where to start though? We've got you covered. Read on for the best skincare tips and products on how to achieve truly radiant spring skin, as recommended by the beauty experts at BC.1. Exfoliate away dry winter skinPolish away post winter dullness to reveal a layer of fresh new skin. It's best to opt for gentle exfoliators and fruit peels that you can use once or twice a week. Follow with a moisturising mask as this will also aid your skin's recovery.I love Pevonia's Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser, it's great for those who love physical exfoliators with granules but want to steer clear of facial scrubs which could be a little harsh on the skin. It gently polishes your complexion with its unique creamy yet granular texture, formulated with jojoba beads, saponaria and chamomile, revealing a softer, smoother and brighter complexion every time! However, if your preference is for an exfoliator free of microbeads or grains, one of my absolute favourites is the Phytomer Vegetal Exfoliant with Natural Enzymes. It combines natural vegetable enzymes with vitamin E to eliminate impurities, blackheads, dead cells and toxins without scrubbing the skin. I promise you your skin will be smooth, soft and radiant after one application!Follow with one of my go to masks Pevonia's Ageless Skin Collagen Mask. Formulated with collagen, squalane and shea butter, it deeply penetrates the skin for outstanding hydrating and skin-plumping results.2. Go lighter with your moisturiserIn winter, we tend to reach for the richer, heavier creams in hope they'll combat our dry, dehydrated skin, but swapping your daily moisturiser for something a little lighter is key for spring, this is because our skin retains more water during the warmer months so heavier formulations can lead to clogged pores and pesky pimples!It's important though to find the right balance between nourishing and light lotions or creams to complement your daily regime and boost your spring glow. We recommend a hyaluronic acid or water-based formula to add dewiness to your complexion but not over saturate your skin. This is because they help achieve hydration from within the skin as opposed to just sealing in moisturiser from the outside. Pevonia's Age Defying Marine Collagen Cream is one of my all-time favourites. It's light and silky and you can feel and see it immediately replenishing moisture on application restoring supple, soft and glowy skin every time!3. Up the SPFWhile a moisturiser with an SPF 30 is fine for winter, upping your SPF factor to 50 can make a huge difference in spring as we are exposed to higher UV rays in the warmer months. By using a high factor sunscreen daily, you will not only decrease your risk of skin cancer but also increase your change for healthier, smoother and more youthful skin.My go-to in the spring and summer months is ELES Luminous Defence Brightening Day Protection SPF 50, not only does it protect skin against the sun's harmful rays it's also helps prevent discolouration while diminishing existing dark spots, all whilst calming and brightening your complexion!Or why not, like me, double up and use SPF in both your skincare and makeup! I can't recommend enough the ELES Luminous CC Cream 20 (which also happens to be a best-seller on BC!) it's a lightweight, oil-free, colour correcting cream with broad spectrum protection which quite literally diminishes imperfections, while brightening skin in one fell swoop!4. Prioritise Vitamin CIn the warmer months, when the sun is shining, UVB radiation is at its strongest, so it’s important to not only prioritise SPF but Vitamin C in our skincare too! Vitamin C when applied topically not only boosts our skin's natural tolerance to the sun, but it is able to help control the formation of pigmentation as well as significantly lightening its appearance too! So make sure you are armed with a great vitamin C serum or cream. I can't speak more highly of Pevonia's C Complexe with Oxyzomes. Two pumps and radiant looking skin instantaneously.BONUS: In the month of September if you purchase this product, you'll receive a FREE full size Pevonia Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser too!5. Use eye cream daily...if you don't alreadyWith more time spent in the sun over the warmer months, it's important to understand you're be at higher risk of developing fine lines and wrinkles around the delicate eye area. To minimise this, make sure you incorporate an eye cream or gel into your daily skincare routine. We highly recommend Pevonia's “C” Evolutive Eye Gel to hydrate and protect our eyes. This soothing and cooling gel with high-tech time-release spherulites delivers protective and decongesting benefits to the delicate eye zone all day long.What’s more it's made with an outstanding trio of ingredients including Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid and Ginkgo Biloba so perfect for spring skin.6. Add pore perfecting and mattifying products to your routineFor many, the transition into spring can leave you with more shine and oil production then you bargained for. Therefore, your spring skincare line-up should include products that will help your skin shine the right way, by mattifying areas of your face that could become overly oily. Try introducing a primer to keep makeup in place throughout the day. ELES's Pore Perfecting Face Primer is an oil free primer which combats shine, absorbs excess oil and reduces the appearance of my pores! As a result, my foundation is a breeze to apply and remains fresh and flawless throughout the day! So, if your skin tends to be on the oily side give this product a go!7. Transition to a lighter foundationIt's best to steer clear of the thicker, heavier foundations you might have been accustomed to over winter as the heat and humidity bought about by the warmer months can lead to sweat and clogged skin, potentially causing breakouts. Switching to lighter products like a BB Cream or mineral powder foundation will balance out the extra oil production and leave your skin looking healthier.I can't get enough of ELES's best-selling Liquid Powder Mineral foundation. It's light silky formulation quite literally glides onto your skin and then sets to a soft powder finish, providing beautifully natural coverage with no shine!If however your skin tends to be more on the drier side and it's more of a dewy glow you're hoping for try ELES's Mineral Sheet Tint you won't be disappointed!8. Facial mists will be your friendAs the weather heats up and skin dries out, make sure you are armed with a good hydrating facial mist. They not only cool the skin but keep it hydrated throughout the day. We love the convenient Pevonia Phyto Aromatic Mist, it's a must-have for its calming and nourishing properties.
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