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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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 →

There’s nothing that’ll sell a product than a smack of celebrity endorsement. Especially a skincare product. And especially a new skincare product used by Katy Perry and Justin Bieber.

So, what are we talking about here?

Proactiv Solution.

The new skincare product, the Proactiv Solution range, also used by Avril Lavigne, is celebrating its launch on the UK High Street. Based on mass consumer demand, the 3 step cleansing system is tipped to be the UK’s hottest skin care product of 2012.

Here’s what all the hoo-ha’s about:

Proactiv Renewing Cleanser: is a refreshing beauty booster with a mild, oil-free formula that gently cleanses skin. Containing tiny exfoliating grains to smooth away dead skin cells and prevent the pores getting clogged, this effective cleanser also contains Salicylic Acid to deeply cleanse, lift away dirt, excess oil and skin impurities.

Proactiv Revitalising Toner: balances skin tone and helps lift away old, dead skin cells to reveal the fresh, radiant skin beneath. Infused with natural botanical extracts it will remove excess oil while soothing skin.

Proactiv Repairing Lotion: repairs skin and keeps it looking beautiful.

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Skincare is a practical process. It does cost money but there are also principles you can apply that will save you money… time, effort and even confusion.

Check out these five top skincare tips by dermatologist Marie Duckett and Sally Penford of the International Skin Institute:

1. The colder the skin, the less absorbent it is, which means that your product – be it a cleanser, moisturiser, serum or body lotion – will work better on warm skin. So, apply your cream after a bath or shower, when skin is warm and moist. – Marie Duckett

2. Choose a moisturiser with a built-in sunscreen, or use a separate sunscreen underneath your moisturiser. UVA and UVB rays are the biggest cause of skin damage! – Marie Duckett

3. Cleanse twice a day; using a face wash or cleanser in the morning and in the evening will help remove traces of sweat and sebum (grease/oil) as well as night cream, creating a clean canvas. – Marie Duckett

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I use a day and night cream. Why? I’m not quite sure to be honest – it seems like the right thing to do. I mean… that’s how skin care products are sold; in pairs.

The conspirator inside me often wonders if the whole day/night cream thing is just a money making scheme: lure youth-hungry women into believing their skin requires a multitude (not forgetting toners, cleansers, serums, anti-wrinkle agents etc.) of age-defying beauty products.

Or is there actually a difference between day and night cream?

Facialist to the starts Nichola Joss says that there is: night creams contain rejuvenating ingredients, rather than the protective ones found in day creams (the skin’s peak time for repairing and restoring is at night). Night creams are also thicker and more intensive, so you only need a marble sized amount – here’s a small tip: don’t apply your cream just before you go to bed; you want it to stay on your face and not end up all over your pillow!

Day creams are designed to hydrate the skin and protect it from pollution and harmful UV rays.

If you don’t buy into the whole day/night cream thing, there is the opinion that day and night creams can be used interchangeably (…the number of times I have used the wrong cream for the wrong time of day – insurmountable) – it won’t harm your skin.

Obviously it would be pointless to use an SPV infused day cream at night; so if you want a cream that can be used both night and day, opt for a non-SPF lightweight lotion that can be applied with your sunscreen during the day and without at night.

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