“Why don’t you try hand wash on your face, it worked for me”. This is honestly a piece of advice from a well meaning friend I received when my acne flared up. I, of course, did not try it! But when you have a skin concern you’d like to manage, you’ll try anything and everything (apart from hand wash!). You may well have taken skincare advice from a friend or relative or more commonly seen something on social media that you think will fix it all, and I’m worried. Worried that people may be harming their skin, all for the promise of perfection. I’ve been there, I know how the lure and promise of a product can hypnotise you and you buy it, it doesn’t work you become despondent and move on to the next product. There is no “one product” or “one routine” to fit all – it needs to be personalised to you and all those little nuances that only you have.

Now I’m all for sharing products that you love, but, please, for the love of your skin, do not copy a skincare routine that someone else follows. You have no idea what their skin type is or if yours is remotely similar. There is a time for self-help with some research and then there is a time for seeking out professional help.

You may think that trying out that new acid toner or retinol product will be the holy grail for your skin, but think about it carefully before you spend your hard earned money on products you are being told are amazing from people who are not qualified either in skin health or trained by the brand of the products they are recommending.

I’m trained and qualified up to NVQ Level 3 in facials and massage, including anatomy and physiology. My qualification covers not only the skin and how it works, but also the human body as a whole, including muscles, bones, lymph and blood. I am insured by BABTAC and my qualifications were verified by them before they accepted me as a member and insured me. I study my products intently and do not recommend things lightly.

I’ll recommend products and a routine for YOU, not for anyone else, your recommendations are worked out specifically for you, no two plans are the same

Please don’t think its just about what product you use on your face. It’s a whole lot more than that and it can take time to figure out what works for you. Think about your lifestyle, diet, stresses and generally how you live. These factors can hugely impact on your skin. There’s no one size fits all, so please seek professional advice if you are embarking on a whole new skincare routine or diet.

Rebecca Elsdon a Skin Expert and qualified aesthetician says – “I find clients with persistent skin issues have usually tried all the products on the supermarket aisles, they’ve had suggestions from friends on things that have worked for their aunties neighbours cousins twice removed, Facebook forums have suggested household remedies that still (surprisingly) haven’t worked, and then they give up realising that this might just be their skin – they’ve tried everything. However, have they ever thought to see a skin professional? Find out their real skin type? Investigate why their skin really behaves the way it does? Well, not until they have tried all of the above”.

 

Amba Logan Skin Health Specialist and Facialist says – “Keep it simple. You may find you have time on your hands and are using “all of the things, all of the time” chasing glowy, smooth skin, but are often over treating with ingredients that can become drying with over use or suffering from lockdown breakouts, mainly due to raised anxiety levels, and change in diet and lifestyle. The skin is an indicator as to what’s happening inside. Your skin is the body biggest organ, but is often last in the pecking order when needing repair. Water, vitamins will go to all your vital organs first before the skin see’s any of it. Self care is a big one to think about before you hit click on the miracle cream, promising the world.

People think oh, spots, and try and dry the living day lights out of it, with spot creams and alike, however it’s often not the best route as the breakouts are not from excess oil, but raised cortisol levels, and dehydration. Too many people still chase squeaky clean, which is basically stripping the skin. The skin then panics, produces oil, and the vicious circle begins. Think of it like a squeak on a door or hinge, what do we do, we add oil, that’s what we need to do on the skin, you’ve stripped the naturals oils, and disturbed the skins PH balance. Skin enjoys equilibrium, and nice calm balanced environment.

A softly softly approach is best, spending more time cleansing, really massaging in products, layer active serums, and protect with SPF. As more people are not wearing makeup they often feel there is no need to cleanse, or clean again in the morning, but SPF is designed to stick to the skin so needs a good removal method. It’s almost like wearing make up with out the pigment, but as we see the pigment in the make up on the cloth or flannel, it’s easier to comprehend it needs to come off.

When you go looking for help and product advice, it can be misleading, often making costly decisions at the hands of an influencer, simply selling a product! We all fall victim, I love a heavenly smell, and pretty packaging, as anyone does, but when you’re looking for results, you need to be mindful where your info is coming from. Fragrance and perfume is a big one to avoid when suffering with breakouts and sensitivity, often the best products, with high levels of active, don’t always smell the best, but fragrance is momentary, and very inflammatory”.

If you’re getting advice from a consultant or representative of a company and they’ve been trained in their products as to which ones are suitable for what skin type – this is a better route to take rather than from someone who may not have any experience in skin apart from their own.

My advice:

  • Be consistent with your skincare and routine, this will show results.
  • Choose products wisely, and please ask for advice. My clients are either all or nothing – they either have a fear of doing too much to their face for fear of bringing on breakouts and so barely do anything to care for their skin or they use every single conceivable product on their skin in the hope it will bring results.
  • Lets strip your skincare routine right back to basics and start from the beginning. Gradually add in products as your skin acclimatises to your new routine and products. The simple movement of cleansing and taking time to do this or massaging in an oil all help with the blood flow to the upper layers of the skin, allowing oxygenation blood to that area of skin.
  • Getting the lymphatic system moving to help drain toxins is one of my favourite pieces of advice. Don’t be afraid to massage your face, neck and décolletage more. You’ll see the difference in your skin as it will look more radiant and healthy.

I’m an Independent Consultant for Neals Yard Remedies Organic Skincare and I chose to do this consciously, not by chance or off the cuff. I have undertaken training on how to use the products, what ingredients they contain how they perform on the skin. The products are award winning and they are proud to use organic, natural and wild ingredients in their carefully thought out products. The goodness of these products reflects on your skin and they do not contain any parabens or synthetic colours or fragrances.

They believe outer beauty and inner health should be in balance – this is my ethos too

Neals Yard products are more than just products to use on your face and body, its much more than that, its self care in a blue bottle. Did you know the blue bottles of Neals Yard are used because it protects the products from UV and few, if any, preservatives are needed.

I have two new services and there are more exciting services and packages on their way too!

Skincare Snapshot
I created this service as I’ve spent a fortune over the years on products only to discover they weren’t quite suited to my skin. This service is complimentary and so simple, complete my short form to answer a few questions and I’ll send you personalised samples of Neals Yard Remedies Organic Skincare in the post. This gives you an insight to the products, how to use them and how your skin feels after using them. Its a lovely treat to try out products before purchasing the full size. It’s also a great stepping stone onto my online skincare consultation.

Online Skincare Consultation
This is perfect if you feel overwhelmed with product choice and how to gain healthy skin. I can help with your skin concerns, understanding your skin type and how to care for it, give product recommendations, and help you know how and when to use them. It’s a great way for you to advance, enhance or simplify your skincare routine and will help you on your way to healthy, happy skin. You’ll receive a recording of our 30 minutes together along with a detailed skincare plan including product and routine recommendations. This is £10.00 whilst my doors are officially closed and £25.00 normally, but is complimentary if you place an order of £40.00 or over of Neals Yard products via my website.

Complete your Skincare Snapshot and receive your samples in the post.

Book in for your Online Skincare Consultation where you can ask me all you skincare questions and together we’ll create a skincare routine just for you.