Archive
A Day in the Life of a Face: Photo Diary
Our faces change during the day and this is an interesting experiment. The comments are Anna’s own. Harsh at times. My comments are in italics. What could Anna do to look better during the day? Please comment below!
7am
Morning face. According to a new study on how our faces change from hour to hour and day to day, by 3.30pm we look the worst. Morning faces are less wrinkled than in the afternoon because lying down means gravity lets up a little overnight.
Anna’s morning face at 7am (l) and looking rosy and glowing at 10.15am post run (r)
10.15am
Post morning run training for a marathon. People with skin type prone to redness should avoid strenuous exercise and extremes of temperature or risk broken capillaries. The increased blood flow has at least done something for those early morning under-eye bags. However, the lines around her mouth have deepened.
In my view, excessive running is not the best for sagging cheeks and jawline.
11.15am
Make-up - while the application of foundation has made her look less flustered, it has also highlighted the creases above the eyebrows.
12.30am
She look ashen and exhausted. Her lipstick and foundation have long disappeared, while her eyeliner and mascara are fading. Adding caffeine makes her deep frown lines in the forehead and creases around her mouth appear.
3.30pm
Welcome to the beauty low spot – particularly on Wednesdays. Her face still looks oily – spotty, even – from the run but the make-up wore off long ago. Those eye bags have reappeared too. After a snack, the guilt and sugar rush are definitely showing in her face – a shine on her forehead and the end of the nose, and her ageing- dimples deepen.
Anna’s beauty low spot at 3.30pm (l) as identified by research for St. Tropez Anti-Ageing, and her hair is rebelling by 7pm post-ballet class (r)
7pm
Although she is looking less greasy than in the previous picture, her face is starting to look pallid, her wrinkles around the chin and nose are deepening.
A day in the life of a face: Anna puts on make up to go out for the evening8pm
Make-up applied, still a bit tired. The final look in the mirror – lots of laughter lines have appeared around her mouth and eyes, probably accentuated by her foundation, but her eyeliner and mascara and lipstick has given her face some warmth.
Looking human again but tired still at 8pm (l) and ready for bed once more at 11pm (r)
11pm
Make-up taken off. Staring at the mirror she feels she looks terrible without make-up. Greenish circles around her eyes and a deep line has emerged above the left eye, which wasn’t there this morning. Her double chin is now very noticeable. The overpowering tiredness she feels can clearly be seen on her face. Her face has had its own journey as she has gone about her day and has its own story to tell.
What could have Anna done to look better through the day? Please write your comments – I will publish my recommendations shortly!
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2274641/A-day-life-face-In-extraordinary-picture-diary-Anna-Pursglove-shows-faces-change-single-day.html#ixzz2KVOV19XC
May 2012 FaceWorkshops Club: Facial Yoga for the Eyes
Are you exercising your eye area?
Early research shows that facial zones age at different rates [Marrakchi 2007] and the eye area, in particular, is susceptible to premature ageing – due to squinting in the sun, computers, bad working conditions, lack of sleep, etc.
My clients quote the eye area to be their biggest concern. [FaceWorkshops Survey 2012]
We look people in the eye when forming a relationship. Our eyes are able to detect very slight changes in the eye area, we can distinquish a 20% change in skin surface topography eg. wrinkle depth. [Samson N, et al. 2010]
However, anti-wrinkle eye creams are used only by 22 % of people in the UK; 33 % in age group 45 – 54.
In order to deliver results, skincare has to team up with a smart application technique and facial exercise.
The FaceWorkshop Club members were encouraged to exercise their eye area, doing 3 eye exercises, twice a day, for 7 days.
- First exercise was an eye movement (please note the video repeats the movement twice)
Exercise 1
- The second exercise was resistance training and the third exercise was an upper eyelid lift. Following the instructions, we did 20 repetitions twice for Exercise 2.
Exercise 2 and 3
- We did rest with palms on our eyes afterwards.
Please read the comments of the participants below, these are the subjectively assessed results.
Allure magazine published my research on pre-menstrual acne..
My recommendations for women with pre-menstrual acne have been published in the June issue of the US Allure magazine. About 4 in 10 women in their 40′s still experience spots on the chin prior to their period. They feel unattractive, particularly in the work environment and when dating.
Please share this with your family & friends who still suffer with pre-menstrual acne! For more information please email info@faceworkshops.com.
The Allure Magazine Link
http://www.allure.com/beauty-trends/health/2011/facials-and-acne
Even A Small Reduction In Wrinkles Makes Us Look Younger
New ground-breaking research shows that even small changes in skin surface topography (wrinkle depth, volume, skin relief) are noticeable to our eyes and affect the perception of our facial age and attractiveness!
It is widely known that visible signs of ageing impact on how attractive we appear to others. Perception and noticeability of skin surface topography was studied by computer manipulation of six facial images of British women, aged 45–65 years. All topography cues (e.g. wrinkles, skin relief) were removed from the cheeks, the “crow’s feet” and the under the eye area, above the upper lip, and on the forehead at once and also gradually (in 20% increments). The images were judged by 300 Americans and Germans (aged 15–55 years) who were asked to determine the “younger looking” and “more attractive” image in a comparative pair.
It could be expected that images with wrinkles removed were judged as significantly younger and more attractive than the originals. As we look into people’s eyes when talking to them, it is also apparent that the forehead and the eye area are the most noticeable. In these areas, we are able to detect at least a 20% visual change in skin surface topography e.g. wrinkle reduction.
What Does It All Mean
- Frown lines, crows feet and the under eye area are the most important in how young we look.
- Even a small effect in terms of wrinkle reduction has an impact!
- Practice facial yoga to relax your face and buy skincare with good efficacy. Our ability to understand and quantify the discerning power of our eyes enables us to predict the efficacy of chosen skincare products.
Reference: http://www.mdlinx.com/dermlinx/news-article.cfm/3176525
Are You Ageing Well?
- If you are less than 40, hydrate & stimulate! http://humber.tv/shows/skincare-qa-6/
- If you are 40 – 50, focus on wrinkles & firming! http://humber.tv/shows/skincare-qa-6-2/
- If you are 50+, focus on the sagging jawline! http://humber.tv/shows/skincare-qa-6-3/
Ageing in the Sun
Sun is the dominant factor in the onset of premature ageing! Had we always protected our faces, the way Japanese women often do, our skin would age in a different, subtle way.
Ageing with sun protection
Our aged face would have a smooth and even surface with only few fine wrinkles. We would be able to distinquish some loss of elasticity (due to thickenned, disoriented bundles) and thinning (atrophy) but no signs of inflammation and only a moderate decrease in perfusion giving our facial skin slightly drawn, pale appearance. The upper skin layer, epidermis, would be still working well in comparison to photo-aged skin.
Ageing in the sun (photo-ageing)
If we have suntanned all our life, our facial skin will have an uneven (bumpy) surface and sallow, yellowish tone with mottled pigmentation (sun spots). We will see coarse wrinkles and a severe loss of elasticity (due to the thickening of dermis and increase in elastotic amorphous mass, less structural fibres and underlying inflammation). Also the capillaries become prominent on the skin surface (teleangiectasia) contributing to the uneven skin colour. Epidermal changes – and the risk of skin cancer – are also profound.
If – like me – you would rather 
your face aged in a subtle way
, read below on how to protect your face during summer.
Source: http://tinyurl.com/32w7exe
Next – After the Boots Serum?
As discussed in my previous blog, Boots had an unprecedented commercial success in Britain in the past few years. The Boots Protect & Perfect serum case gave clear evidence to the skincare industry that a little science could do a lot more for sales than any amount of expensive glossy advertising!
The latest attempt to promote a skincare product through serious scientific scrutiny, this time by Procter & Gamble, hopes to emulate the success of Boots and provide us with a proof of superior efficacy!
This month the British Journal of Dermatology will publish a scientific study showing that an anti-ageing cream, Olay Pro-X, is as efficacious at reducing wrinkles as a prescription-only treatment. In the study, 99 women who applied the Olay product several times a day for six months were compared to other 97 women receiving prescription-only retinoid treatment with well-known efficacy. Wrinkle reduction was assessed by grading on high-resolution digital images at eight and 24 weeks into the trial and showed that an appropriately designed cosmetic regimen can improve facial wrinkle appearance comparably with the benchmark prescription treatment and without its side effects.
P&G plans to launch Olay Pro-X in Britain next year! And the active ingredients look great – more about them in my next blog.
Source: http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/beauty/article7026342.ece
Facial Expressions Lead to Permanent Wrinkles at 40
From Temporary Lines to Permanent Wrinkles
Wrinkles develop progressively through our lives. When young, we only see temporary lines when making a facial expression. Later in life, lines and wrinkles become visible permanently. It is the mechanical stress caused by repeated facial expressions along the same skin groove that makes temporary lines become permanent wrinkles. The most significant period of change is in the 40s! Light skin tone and low hydration make our skin more prone to wrinkling. Also a low intake of water and a belief that tanned skin is healthy looking skin will contribute.
A Tipping Point
Research presented at the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) in San Francisco shows that skin elasticity and resilience has a tipping point at about 35 years of age. Compressing the skin of a 20-year old and that of a 40-year old skin with the same amout of stress and force – a skin compression imaging device - shows a big difference in the ability of the skin to withstand pressure. In a study of 100 women aged 25 – 55, skin power gradually declined through their 20′s and early 30s but dropped precipitously at their mid thirties. This is due to collagen and elastin, skin’s two main structural components, being damaged by oxidation (UV rays, pollution and intrinsic stress). The damage builds up till the scaffolding can no longer hold it at bay and the loss of elasticity and thickness shows as textural changes in our face e.g. wrinkles and sagging. It is a dramatic shift rather than slow degrading overtime but whether it is at the age of 35 depends on how much damage you’ve had accumulated so far.
What To Do
- Attend a Facial Yoga Party to see how your feelings show in your face and “unlearn” your bad habits e.g. frowning.
- Be gentle with your face – avoid stretching and pulling, particularly your jawline and eye area.
- Use the right skincare products. Come for a personalised skincare consultation to establish the correct routine.
Source:
http://www.pgbeautygroomingscience.com/assets/files/posters/AAAS09/Hillebrand%20P101%203MB.pdf
Maggie Bullock. A Wrinkle in Time. US Elle Oct 2009
New FaceWorkshops Interview on BBC Radio Humberside
Happy Listening!
Longer Lashes – The Scientific Breakthrough of 2009!
Women may soon be able to stop relying on mascara. Biologists at L’Oreal’s research laboratories in Paris have spent the last three years studying eyelashes and have now developed a gel that they claim extends the length of time individual eyelashes grow for before they fall out. This apparently leads to longer, thicker eyelashes. L’Oreal plans to market the gel as an over-the-counter cosmetic.
Source: http://uk.yearinreview.yahoo.com/2009/blog/7
