Winter Skincare Tips from Elemental Herbology

Elemental Herbology is one of the niche brands I showcase during my talks and workshops. Available online at SpaceNK, their skincare works with the seasons and specific needs of our skin at a particular time of the year. Great for lovers of natural skincare!

 

Autumn is the time to shed dead summer skin, improve the skin’s barrier function and increase hydration to prepare for winter.

Step 1 – Shed dead skin. Facial Glow radiance peel combines Apple Serum with Manuka Honey, Vitamin C, Kombuchka, Pearl Extract, Green Tea, Macadamia and Argan Oil to gently shed dry skin, stimulate new epidermal growth, resolve congestion and balance skin tone to leave the skin feeling silky smooth and refreshed. Apply once or twice per week. Suitable for all skin types including sensitive skin.

Step 2 – Protect against oxidative damage. Cell Food protection and repair facial serum helps to reverse the effects of exposure to wind and cold by infusing the skin with an intensive dose of proteins, vitamins and anti-oxidants. Containing Vitamin A, C and E, Green Tea, Co-Enzyme Q10, Kombuchka, Olive Squalane, Pomegranate, Soya Lecithin and Aloe Vera it will help reduce the prevalence of dark spots, boost moisture levels, protect against free-radicals, stimulate collagen synthesis and repair. While its ultra-light texture allows the skin to breathe and won’t congest the pores. Apply every morning before your hydrator and every evening after cleansing.

Step 3 – Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate! Facial Souffle intensive hydration and repair mask. To improve the skin’s barrier function and avoid dehydrated skin during autumn boost the skin’s moisture reserves with protein rich Marine Collagen, Allantoin, Black Oat, Soya Protein, Plant Peptides and Hematite aka the ‘anti-aging jewel’. This highly reparative, leave-on mask provides a 24-hour moisturising effect in all layers of the epidermis, reduces moisture loss from the skin and promotes pro-collagen synthesis to restore the skin’s elasticity and tone. Use nightly after cleansing until optimum hydration leves are restored. Leave on and do not remove.

www.spacenk.co.uk

 

20 Years of Skincare Inspiration

Watching the commemorations of the events of 20 years ago, when the Berlin Wall came down and the Velvet Revolution took place - I was a student in my first year at University studying biochemistry then – has made me think about where my love for skincare comes from. I was born in Tabor, a small town in southern Bohemia. Skin biology and plants in skincare always fascinated me and, like any girl at that age, I wanted to look beautiful. The Czechs have quite a strong tradition of herbal remedies as well as spa therapy – not many people know that the famous London facialist, Eve Lom, as well as the “10 Years Younger” Channel 4 celebrity surgeon, Jan Stanek, are also Czech.”

In my second year of University, the government opened a new route to professional qualification for people who had A-levels, so I qualified as a beauty therapist. I loved it and had about 20 clients on my books till I graduated in 1994. My MSc. is in self-tanning of the skin. During my studies, I was fortunate enough to work for Shiseido in Japan and later for La Prairie in Switzerland. I found travelling the world amazing! These cultures place a great emphasis on skincare – my stay in Japan in particular was truly inspirational. I went on to do a PhD in Transdermal Absorptions (research into plant compounds – phytoestrogens – passing through the skin with a therapeutic effect) in Finland and moved to the UK in 1998 to work in the wound-healing industry (Smith and Nephew) in roles ranging from skincare science to strategic marketing. 

People’s faces interest me – they convey so much about our feelings and life experiences! Recently, I went back to the Eastern therapies by qualifying as a facial reflexologist as I believe they offer huge benefits that can offset the ever-so-busy British lifestyle. Facial yoga and anti-ageing massage should not be a luxury but a part of our everyday life as much as a good book or a nice cup of coffee!

The FaceWorkshops Interview 1 on Lara King Morning Show

 

For those of you who did not get a chance to listen to the interview live on the BBC Radio Humberside on Monday 9th November, this is the BBC IPlayer link.  

 

 

The interview starts at 1 hour 8 minutes into the show. I am happy to answer any questions you might have. Please email info@faceworkshops.com.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p004yyxj/Lara_Kings_Morning_Show_09_11_2009/

 

Happy Listening. 

 

To Feel More Confident..

Since pre-historic times, human communication has been mainly visual and it remains so today – we convey emotions through our face. We also still possess the ability to read the faces of others and evaluate their well-being. We form many assumptions about a person based on their physical appearance when we meet them for the first time. Make-up can increase our attractiveness and scientists have shown that attractive people enjoy many advantages in life – they are judged as happier, smarter and more successful.

The way we look even correlates with our health – our skin mirrors the strength of our immune system. When we become slightly unhappy with our facial skin, be it through a mild skin disorder (like rosacea or acne) or signs of ageing (lines and wrinkles, sagging and pigmentation), we are prone to psychological distress. It is unfair that the prevalence of skin issues increases steadily as we are ageing and our society does not judge visible ageing of our faces kindly. We don’t receive as sympathetic a response as someone suffering from other physical ailments may do and often feel low and rejected.

We tend to explore different strategies to boost our confidence, retain a youthful appearance and positive attitude. Foundation plays a key role in achieving desirable skin and recent market data shows that its sales has risen significantly during the recession.* When putting on a brave face we want to look our best but even the best make-up looks better on an even canvas.. Nothing can really substitute for radiant, clear and healthy facial skin.

If you want to feel more confident, invest in your skincare consciously. It is an important step, on par with a dental care or other preventative healthcare checks! Afterall, it was a great British monarch, who said that

“A good face is the best letter of recommendation”. Queen Elizabeth I.

Source:

- A summary of research on the importance of attractiveness carried out by the Olay brand as well as independent academic groups in Germany and US is available as a booklet from FaceWorkshops.

- * http://tinyurl.com/yha9zb2
- To learn more about the psychology behind our appearance – among other interesting topics, please attend one of our forthcoming talks on “10 Years Younger Without Botox”.