Banish breakouts, prevent their return

If your skin is anything like mine, it will be a fairly pleasant dream one day and a veritable nightmare the next. There are many things that can affect how your skin behaves; stress, lack of sleep, pollution and poor diet to name but a few. Fortunately, there is a treatment that can help to keep it on the straight and narrow: Murad Blemish Clearing Solution.

Unlike other topical acne treatments, it isn’t packed full of alcohol, which can make your skin flare up. The gel-like formula actually calms your skin down as it works, reducing redness and relieving sensitivity.  It seems to reduce the oiliness too, which is a blessing. You can use it on your face, neck and chest, which is handy for the monthly breakouts I tend to endure.

Obviously, different things work for different people, but this is something I find really effective. Actually, 96% of users had clearer skin after using it for 72 hours.

Murad is a great skincare brand; definitely worth checking out if you haven’t tried their products yet.

www.murad.co.uk

Keep Kalme and Carry on Partying

With the party season well and truly upon us, chances are you’re either piling on your make-up for a night out or using it to disguise the telltale signs the following day. With all this on/off business, our skin can sometimes flare up, especially if you’d describe yours as ‘sensitive.’ What to do? Fortunately there is a product to help.

Although my skin used to be worse, it still gets very itchy and sensitive sometimes, especially when it’s cold outside (or artificially warm inside). I’ve started using ‘Kalme’ which acts as a neutral, protective barrier base coat, providing a blank canvas for any number of products you choose to apply afterwards. Sort of like a primer. Actually, quite a lot like a primer. You can also use it in place of a moisturiser, but I find I need a bit more hydration in the winter months so I usually apply it after my Ren formula.

Kalme works best if you wait about 15 minutes for it to sink in before applying your make-up. I slap it on and do my hair – the morning routine has to be particularly slick these days; when it’s dark outside, I normally feel like I should be in my bed.

I think Kalme is a great idea because it means that people with sensitive skin can still glam up as much as the next person! A great stocking-stuffer to boot!

Kalme Undercoat is free from, SLS, MI, parabens and perfumes and is suitable for use during pregnancy. It costs £9.95 (75ml) and is available from www.skinshop.co.uk or call 01794 527433

Hit Refresh

My poor post-Ibiza, cold-blotched face was in dire need of some help last week. After a decent amount of sun exposure, I couldn’t risk anything too invasive, so popped along to skin Mecca Skin Perfection in search of help. The lovely Ayse recommended an Epionce treatment; ‘Lite Refresh’.  It’s a skin peel which leaves your skin looking renewed and glowing, not red and raw as you can get with stronger treatments. 

Ayse double-cleansed by skin before applying barrier cream to the sensitive areas of my face. She applied a pre-cleanse (bit smelly!) before smoothing on the peel formula; a potent mixture of Malic and Salicylic acid. It felt a tiny bit warm and itchy, but very little, not enough to be really unpleasant. After 10 minutes, Ayse cleaned and neutralized my face, giving it a good cleanse before applying a beautiful Epionce firming mask. It felt gorgeous on my skin and smelt lovely. I was left to relax for a while and then she wiped it away and applied a barrier cream and SPF. 

My skin looked a little bit red afterwards, but I felt happy enough to step straight into Zara and H&M on Oxford Street, conveniently just a stone’s throw away from Skin Perfection. 

I would recommend the Epionce Lite Refresh treatment to anyone looking to give their skin a boost without unpleasant after-effects. It’s perfect a couple of days before a special event and is very popular with brides-to-be. Have it at Skin Perfection; you know you’re going to get the best possible treatment with a thorough consultation and the best aftercare advice. 

Skin Perfection, 21/22 Great Castle Street 4th Floor, London, W1G 0HY

www.theskinandlaserspecialists.co.uk
www.epionce.com