My meagre brain seems to suffer from information overload on a daily basis. We live in an age dominated by discovery, progression and consequently choice – lots of choice. And so I am always excited about anything that will de-saturate my brain a little by making choosing easier.

When it comes to skin care and the billions of products to help us do so, there is a nifty little skincare app by My Skin that offers personalised advice on what skin care products work best for your unique skin profile.

Firstly, it’s free – woop woop! – and secondly… did I mention free?

Once you’ve downloaded the mySkin: Skincare Advice app, take the ‘skin assessment test’ and you’ll be given a recommendation on what would work for your skin from over 160,000 skincare products across all brands and retailers.

The advice on the skincare app is based on your skin condition, lifestyle, diet and skin concerns.

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A scalding hot bath is one of my most favourite things in the world – add a glass of wine and a good book and life becomes euphoric. But….Does hot water damage skin?

My husband thinks I am bonkers for subjecting myself to such hot water and has been voicing his opinion for years.

But is he right? Am I bonkers?

In short, yes.

The truth of the matter, according to the experts from Smartskincare.com, is that hot water is in fact not all that good for skin. It’s not so much the water itself which is potentially damaging but the chemicals found in the tap. Chlorine is apparently the biggest culprit.

Chlorine is an oxidative agent (that’s how it kills bacteria) which can potentially destroy the body’s much needed protein.

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If you haven’t heard the term ‘hard water’ before, you’re probably wondering “what the heck?” and “how is this relevant?” –I mean, water is water, right? Wrong. There’s hard water and soft water, and each has a different effect on the skin.

Water.org.uk describes hard water as water that contains high amounts of dissolved minerals such as calcium and magnesium (soft water has fewer mineral salts). It’s not a health hazard and the National Research Council (National Academy of Sciences) says that drinking hard water generally contributes a small amount toward total calcium and magnesium human dietary needs. BUT because hard water is not soap-compatible, it is not great for skin and hair conditioning.

Bathing with soap in hard water leaves a film of sticky soap curd on the skin. The film may prevent removal of soil and bacteria. Soap curd clogs the pores and interferes with the return of skin to its normal, slightly acid condition, and may lead to irritation (itchy, flaky, dry skin). Soap curd on hair may make it dull, lifeless and difficult to manage.

If we do live in a hard water area (London is one of the biggest hard water culprits), there are filters, conditioners and other practical things that can be implemented to limit the effects of hard water (visit Water.org.uk) at the source but if this is not possible then we need to take extra special care of our skin and hair.

Here are some things you can do to reduce the effects of hard water on skin: Continue reading →

I have a lip balm fetish. I simply can’t resist the stuff. In tubs, tubes or sticks – all flavours, especially ones that are ‘foody’; candyfloss, marshmallow, cherry, cinnamon, vanilla… YUM – I must have it! All of it.

So… when I discovered a recipe on how to make your own lip balms, I was, needless to say, ecstatic! (And so was my purse.)

Company magazine’s recipe is fab! And it offers a use for those old lipsticks that populate your dressing table with meddlesome resilience.

Here’s what you need:

* 1 tbsp Vaseline petroleum jelly

* An old lipstick

* 1 drop of your favourite essential oil

* A microwave-safe bowl

* A spoon

* A small container or pot for storing

Here’s what you do:

1. Place the Vaseline in a microwave-safe bowl.

2. Cut off an inch of your old lipstick and blend it into the Vaseline with the back of your spoon.

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Where’d that cute little blonde girl go? One minute she’s running around with Sean, Tom and Denzel and now she’s offering beauty advice!?

I feel scarily old right now.

Dakota Fanning, most recently in Twilight (yes, really) and The Runaways, is all grown up and lives by some pretty sensible beauty rules. Have a read of the beauty tips from Dakota Fanning:

1. You’re never too young to start a beauty regime. (Let’s not take the star too literally on this one.)

2. Applying sunscreen is a good habit to get into – DF uses NEUTOGENA ULTRA SHEER SUNSCREEN, £8.99.

3. DF’s top beauty tip is to take your make-up off before going to sleep – she reckons her good skin is down to DR LANCER products.

4. Whatever type of skincare routine you follow, you have to do it religiously morning and night, not just once in a while.

5. KERASTASE products keep DF’s hair looking healthy.

6. Marc Jacobs fragrances are DF’S favourite, especially Oh, Lola! (duh!).

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