I, as a beauty therapist, am fanatical about skincare and Dermalogica in particular.  Love it, love it, love it!  Their range has something for everyone and I recommend it to all of my clients.  My power of persuasion is so good, I have even got my caveman of a hubby to try out some of the mens range, and to my disbelief, he loves it!  As long as I bring the products to him, and he doesn’t have to enter the uber feminine enviornment of a salon, then he is happy to do as I say and use what I want him to use.

His favourite product is the Invigorating Shave Gel.  He much prefers it to his old regeime of Gilette Shaving Gel.  He says it gives him a very close shave, it leaves his skin feeling super fresh (probably down to the tea tree and clove flower extracts!), and he knows that it’s much better for his skin than any of the supermarket products.  He would give this product a rating of 8/10, compared to Gilettes 6.5/10!

He did also try a product called Daily Clean Scrub from Dermalogica.  He has since told me out straight that he “does not see the point in it!”.  It is meant to be used before you shave to prepare your skin for shaving and help lift up the hairs.  But, as we all know men ‘just don’t see the point’ of spending more time than they have to looking after their skin, so I say the quicker the products are to use, the better!  I should be happy that I got him out of his Gilette rut in the first place – AMAZING!

This product is priced in the region of €23.

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As you may have guessed by now we are big fans of Dermalogica here at wow.ie so this competition is one we know you will be lucky to win.  The good people at Dermalogica have given us three of their PreCleanse and three Special Cleansing Gels to give away to some of our readers.  Here’s what they had to say about the products on offer…

Cool Brand Dermalogica is changing the way the world cleanses with the introduction of PreCleanse (€39.20/£28.30), a new category in skin care.  Formulated with a special blend of lightweight olive and apricot kernel based oil and fortified with kukui nut, borage seed and rice bran oils, PreCleanse is designed to remove surface debris and prep skin for the cleansing process. It thoroughly lifts and removes excess sebum, sunscreen, waterproof makeup and environmental pollutants which build up during the day, readying skin for a second, more complete cleanse with a traditional cleansing product.

Special Cleansing Gel – (€30.60/£23.00) a concentrated soap-free foaming gel designed to thoroughly remove impurities without disturbing the skins natural moisture balance.  Naturally-foaming quillaja saponaria gently removes impurities and excess oils; skin-soothing balm mint cools and calms the skin; purifying lavender extract assists in the cleansing action.

TO WIN:

All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is tell us in the comments box below of a cleanser you have tried and whether you rate it or slate it.

Dermalogica is a product I would definitely rate so good luck all!

Dermalogica stockist number is 0800 591818 / www.dermalogica.com / Irish stockist 1 800 556785

This competition has now been closed! The winners are Josephine, Rachael and Patrese – well done ladies.  Thank you to all who entered and watch out for more to come.

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Q: I keep getting spots on my cheeks, why is this and how can I prevent them?

A: One of the possibilities is your blusher!  Blushers may be the cause of the problem – the brush or the product itself.  This is especially true if they are underlying spots i.e. under the skin which would mean the pores are blocked from the product.  To begin with make sure you keep your brush clean so bacteria doesn’t build up, rinse it with warm water, then wrap it in a towel and leave it overnight in the hot press.  If this doesn’t help you may need to change your blusher as it may just disagree with your skin type, as cheeks are a very sensitive area.

To help eleviate the spots, cleanse and exfoliate daily (with a light non-granular) exfoliator.  I recommend using the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant as it’s nice and gentle on the skin for everyday use.

If you are looking for a good blusher try Benefit or MAC, both great brands.   When applying your blusher, wipe the brush into the blusher gently, then tap the excess product off the brush and “pull a smile” and lightly sweep from the cheekbone to the apple of the cheek… aka the fat bits of cheek and back up.

See our previous posts on Professional Make-up Tips or Beauty on a Budget.

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Q: I have been out walking a lot lately and have started getting big brown patches on my face!  It seems to be worse on my forehead and especially over my upper lip which looks awful.  How can I get rid of these marks?

A: You don’t mention if you are pregnant or on the pill.  It sounds like you have Chloasma or Melasma, also known as ‘mask of pregnancy’.  When you are pregnant you release more melanin which is what gives us a tan.  This is common during pregnancy hence ‘mask of pregnancy’ and also quite common if you are on the pill.  Unfortunately there is no way of preventing Chloasma.  The best thing you can do to help keep it at bay is apply SUN BLOCK to your face.  Chloasma does not appear any where else on your body apart from your face so wear a sun block at all times and don’t expose your face to direct sun light.

Kirstie Allsop had Chloasma when she was pregnant.  If you are a fan of Location, Location, Location you will have noticed her face was heavily pigmented around her mouth and forehead.  This condition effects the forehead, cheeks and upper lip mostly.

There are various methods of treating Chloasma which is a form of hyper-pigmentation.  Firstly go and see your doctor to confirm what it is and your doctor can recommend a good dermatologist if it really is bad and bothering you.

If it’s not that bad you could try various different products on the market one of which I would recommend is Dermalogica‘s Skin Brightening System which some of my clients have used over the years and were happy with the results.  You can buy their various skin brightening products individually if you don’t want to invest in the kit.  The night bright would be the one I would most recommend.  Anything rice based can also have a whitening effect on the skin (great for removing fake tan too!).  Talk to a therapist at your local salon and ask what they would recommend, DO NOT buy everything they suggest – have a whitening facial using the products they recommend and ask for samples to do you a couple of days, that way you can be sure that the product is suited to your skin before investing in expensive ranges that you’ll end up leaving on the bathroom window sill!

Other treatments can include topical bleaching creams, laser (a lot of dermatologists don’t recommend laser for Melasma), chemical peels or oral supplements – all of these can be discussed with your doctor.  If the problem isn’t that bad pick up a whitening skin care routine (one that has been recommended to you) and try some camouflage make-up.  There are great heavy coverage foundations or concealers available now so start by looking for one to suit your skin.  Jane Iredal Enlighten Concealer is specifically for covering Melasma.

One to note – if you are fake tanning you should probably avoid your face as fake tans tend to exaggerate hyper-pigmentation.  Use a bronzing powder to tan your face instead.

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The beauty show held at the RDS hasn’t disappointed again this year. It was full of every kind and make of treatment, tan, nail and make-up gadget you can think of. I did almost choke (slight exaggeration) while passing the Infinity spray tan stand, one to note if you too are sensitive to cosmetics!! Available to have done at the show were lash extentions, teeth whitening, spray tans, skin care, body care, nail extentions, foot care, manicures and many more at excellent value or even free of charge!

Dermalogica were face mapping (skin analysis!) anyone interested in having it done (would highly recommend it). You will be given a perscription sheet with your face mapped as to your problem areas and what would be best suited to those areas listed. These girls are the best skin therapists you will ever get to look at your skin, and there’s no charge. Don’t be afraid of the head gear, it’s instead of a facial lamp normally used in a salon. Jessica (top nail care brand), were as always flooded with people looking to buy into their ‘manicurist to the stars’ vibe not to mention their great show price specials. A serious deal was to be had on their varnishes, every colour under the sun plus cute gift sets. See our previous post on nail trends for ’09 to know what to look for!!

All the big names were there, Sun FX, Fake Bake, Dermalogica, Jessica, St. Tropez, Decleor and many more alongside stands selling jewellery, make-up & brushes, candles, various cosmetics and applicators plus handbags starting at €5 upwards to about €40! For trades people you can avail of seminars tomorrow, advice from various exhibitors and get up to date with the latest technology or treat yourself to a new uniform!

They didn’t seem to be too strict on who got in, you just have to fill out a form at the entrance so if you are in the area tomorrow it could be worth a try! If you work in the industry or are studying beauty/health you should definitely try to get in tomorrow before it finishes at 5pm. Wear comfortable shoes and raid the piggy bank

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The most important ingredient in any moisturiser is a sun protection factor. We should all be using an SPF all year round and increasing the factor now as it’s coming in to summer. Some people can be alergic to some sun screens, if that’s you then be sure you are using a physical sun screen instead. This is what would be used in childrens sun screens too, ask your therapist for advice on this. Also, be wary if you are prone to clogged skin to use an oil free sun screen, Dermalogica do a great range of sunscreens for all skin types. If you love your moisturiser and don’t want to use a different one just to have an SPF, then buy a high factor sun screen that you can mix with your moisturiser before applying. Again Dermalogica do a solar defense booster (pictures below) you can mix in. Remember by doing this you have now reduced the factor by half! Once you have your SPF organised that will prevent any further damage to your skin which will have built up since you were a child.

When you are choosing body or face creams there are some key ingredients to look out for. Be aware that the further up the list of ingredients you see things listed the more of that ingredient there is. I would recommend looking for:

Vitamin C - also known as ascorbic acid. People can be frightened when they read ‘acid’ but fruit acids are great. Vit C helps the elasticity in your skin by helping collagen production. It can also reduce the appearance of sun damage by reducing pigmentation. (Try to have plenty of Vit C in your diet also!)

Vitamin A – again it can be labelled as retin or retinol. This is a great ingredient to help combat anti-aging along with your SPF of course! It can have a mild exfoliating effect on the skin and can be helpful in treating acne.

Vitamin E – often listed as tocopherol or tocopherol acetate (in it’s synthetic form). Scary name for a great ingredient which enables your skin to repair itself by having natural healing qualities. It’s a natural moisture binder that will allow your skin to breathe and carry out it’s functions naturally.

So there is just a couple of key ingredients and tips to look out for when next purchasing skin care. As always it’s advisable to get professional skin analysis and advice from a qualified skin/beauty therapist to put you on the right path and avoid wasting money on products that aren’t suited to your skin type.

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We all want beautiful clear skin that’s blemish free and not dull and lifeless. Firstly a good skin care routine is essential including cleansing, exfoliating and moisturising. If after you’ve got your routine down to a fine art but find you still have breakouts we’ve listed out some products that may be worth trying out. Where possible ask for samples of the products so you can try them before parting with hard earned money to realise it doesn’t suit your skin!

To start with we have the Dermalogica Clearing Mattifier, approx ?57.35
As the name suggests this product is said to control shine, reduce congestion and help clear any breakouts. The way in which it manages this is by exfoliating whilst on the skin so unplugging any congested areas or follicles. It also promises help rid of fine lines and smooth out the texture of your skin.

Matis offer Intensive Purifying Serum, approx ?51
Serums are definitely the way forward in skin care containing higher strength ingredients. The Matis serum was created to regulate and control sebum secretion, the natural oil on your skin that is there to protect your skin but can sometimes cause breakouts for various reasons. The high potency formula should protect the skin from the various elements that cause your skin problems.

If you prefer to use more natural based products this may be of interest. Environ Active Sebugel A Approx ?30
Environ have used all the usual natural ingredients to sooth and disinfect irriated skin such as tea tree, colostrum, vitamin A and more. The colostrum used is dairy and is a totally natural antiseptic that will help control bacteria from spreading.

As always if you aren’t sure what your skin needs go to a salon or therapist and have your skin analysed. It’s worth it to go for a facial and get some detailed information back so you are armed with information that should help you purchase the right products for you.

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Dermalogica – Special Clearing Booster. I swear by it and recommend it to anyone prone to the odd breakout.

Apply as soon as you feel something starting and it will blast that bad boy away. Nothing else can be said – it does what it says on the tin! It’s key ingredient is 5% concentration of Benzoyl Peroxide mixed with the likes of purifying watercress, burdock, ivy etc to speed up blemish clearing. Botanicals help calm any irritation. Apply directly to to breakout using a cotton bud and repeat every 6-8 hours.

€49.20 & will last all year. Only available at salons using Dermalogica or on-line. Check out our post on Pays to shop around.

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