# 137 Soul Sister

'I'm 24 and work in an office in London. I currently use just a Neutrogena Oil Free moisturiser, as being 24 I was still getting the odd spot, someone suggested that I try something without oil. It worked, for a while, but now my skin is dry, lifeless, and still getting the odd spot. I'm nervous about changing moisturiser though. I try a Kiehls one about 6 months ago, but my skin just went haywire. I do however know that I need to find something to start giving my skin back its moisture, stop being flaky, hopefully keep away the odd spot and stop me feeling ancient before my time! If you could point me in the right direction of a relevent post, or have any advice I would be so grateful!'

Hey sister, I can relate! Ever since I popped out my little'un, the skin has been having an extended schizophrenic moment. It's superficially oily, deeply dehydrated, prone to dry patches and, out of nowhere, the odd forehead blemish has also made a determined comeback. Darn it to hell. The thing is, I've learned from past experience that it does no good to chop & change - to gauge if something's working or not you need to allow at least 6 weeks. Having said that the gut's a good indicator of the skin's proclivities - and it's pretty easy to tell if something's not going to suit you, full stop. The range I’ve always relied on to right my up-and-down days is ESPA. I’ve written about them several times in the past, but it’s the combination of balancing oil, balancing moisturiser, cellular hydrating complex and that lovely creamy easily-emulsifying oil-based gentle cleanser that most often gets my skin back up to scratch. I must say, however, that without the cellular hydrating complex, the combo is not quite hydrating enough as my skin switches from combination to dryness-prone the moment winter appears – but using a more moisturising line-up, such as, e.g. Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser, which is packed with avocado, borage and wheatgerm oils, does leave me superficially ‘slick’ looking [even when using the LIGHT formula – I get that suspect 2pm shine on the ol’ forehead]. So, my advice would be to supplement a skincare routine that you’re happy with – i.e. a cleanser & moisturiser that seem to work with your skin – with masks, serums and concentrates. That way you can ensure that you’re not changing things up too much or constantly trying and testing formulas out on your complexion (which is the shortest cut to skin chaos). Some of the very best hydrating and ‘enlivening’ masks I’ve used over the years include:

DERMALOGICA MULTI-VITAMIN POWER RECOVERY MASK

REMEDE ALCHEMY LINE-MINIMIZING MASK

ORIGINS DRINK UP INTENSIVE OVERNIGHT MASK

JURLIQUE INTENSE RECOVERY MASK

ALPHA-H CALMING & HYDRATING MASK

I’d also like to stress the fact that I’m a massive fan of oils for ALL skin conditions. I’ve never ever found the oil-free method to help with my oil- or spot-proneness, in fact, whenever I’ve used entirely oil-free formulas in the past – from Leaf & Rusher; Dr Brandt; Dermalogica; REN – my skin has initially settled (for a day or two), before becoming increasingly oily and spotty. My theory (and several skincare experts would agree with me), is that by using entirely oil-free products, the skin begins to overcompensate by overproducing sebum. However, by selecting facial oils designed to treat OILY skin (wonderful combinations are made by Aromatherapy Associates, Daniele de Winter, Darphin, Decleor, Clarins and, as previously mentioned, ESPA), the skin seems to settle down far more easily – and provides a far more successful longterm solution.

Please, do let me know how you get on!

Yours sincerely,

A sympathetic sister in search of skincare perfection

#59 The Good Stuff

So, last time I took a poke at the CRAP TRAP pile. Now, for the GOOD STUFF:

1. First up, apologies are due. I didn't give Stella McCartney's CARE line much of a chance - well, actually I did, I just didn't use it properly. You see, I've never believed the regime nonsense i.e. that using all products from a single line is more beneficial than mixing and matching - but I often overlook the fact that within certain lines, the products are designed to be used together (especially if high in active ingredients). Such is the case with CARE. I added the elixirs and 5 Benefits Cream to my Spiezia/Dermalogica/Liz Earle-rich routine, and well, I was less than blown away. Well, last week, I went back to basics (again) - and started using the CARE cleanser, toner, elixir and moisturiser - morning and night. Well, would you believe it, I've not heard a peep out of my skin in 14 days. It's clear, hydrated, soft, unshiny, comfortable and even has a mid-summer glow to it. I'm converted and, tail between legs, apologetic. From my utterly subjective standpoint, I think I've found my new skin resolution.

2. Jurlique Intense Recovery Mask. Beauty eds are always questing after something - the perfect red lippy, the undereye concealer, the invisible base - but for me, the journey's been rather more specific. I've been searching for a mask that will simultaneously hydrate, purify, calm, clarify and revitalise. I've tried masks that meet all but one essential criterion (Dermalogica Multi-Vitamin Power Recovery Mask e.g. does a lot, but offers no purification/clarification benefits) - but never have I found a tube that multi-masks effectively. Then the lovely Purple PR ladies sent me this baby. Wowzer. It's chocka with everything from Carrot Root and Green Tea extract to Rose Hip and Evening Primrose Oil - but crucially, it's also rich in Green Clay - so while it's hydrating, it's also vaccuuming out pores and tackling imperfections. I had it on for ten minutes yesterday and massaged it off with a warm muslin cloth - skin was rosy, even and plump. Very impressed with this one.

3. Colgate Total Professional Weekly Clean. It looks like a toothpaste, it tastes like a toothpaste, it smells like a toothpaste. But for some reason (and the flashy lettering on the packet gives us a clue - 'with an ingredient that professional dentists use!!!'), a five minute scrub with this concoction leaves my mouth feeling like I've just had a clean and polish, minus the freaky rubber gloves and panic-inducing surroundings. There are no drastic changes in the appearance of the teeth - they just look very clean - but the sensation it produces is really rather good.

So, on this very last day of 2007, that is it from me.
What's coming in 2008 - hey, I'm a beauty editor, what do you think's coming....?
A........ makeover........... of course!

#55 O is for Organic

Lordy lordy lordy. Organic, schmorganic. It's everywhere. I'm getting about 20 new emails a week, proclaiming the benefits of this new preservative potion, talc-free make-up, puritanical product. I'm tired. My eyes hurt. The BRANDwagon is at buckling point. Yes, the marketeers have caught on to the fact that green is good, green is big and boy oh boy, green is where the green is. Ker-ching. Which pretty much explains the stuffed inbox. So what have I been trying? As mentioned in my last entry - Origins Organics and Jurlique. Jurlique are not new - but they have ditched the white and blue glass packaging in favour of a cleaner, fresher, self-explantory mode of packaging and product. I've used the Balancing Day Care Cream. It gets the thumbs up. It didn't do anything miraculous - but it did soothe and hydrate well. A small amount satisfied the entire face - it sunk in cleanly and didn't produce an exceptionally oily mid-afternoon result (just a bit of shine, which given that my skin lives in an artificially ventilated environment, is to be expected). The Daily Exfoliating Cream is the range's big hitter. The thing that the PRs say that they themselves couldn't live without. It's rather like the Dr Hausckha one - grainy, wholemealy, porridgey. You don't rub it in, but rather press it over skin, creating a popping suction with fingertips which is meant to draw out impurities, without scouring the skin. Hmmmmm. I've always had a thing for homemade exfoliators - things that look and feel as though you could've whipped them up in the kitchen - but experience has taught me that nothing beats a finely milled powder or an exfoliating mask such as REN's Glycolactic Skin Renewal Peel. I'm not sold on this one. My skin still had a few flakes left around the chin, which I had to buff away with a warm muslin cloth. Then there's Origins Organics. A big, new, simply packaged line that promises to be straightforward. In an interesting twist, it's printed it's organic percentages right on the front of the packaging - and it ranges from 73% in the Foaming Face Wash up to 98% in the Conditioning Hair Oil. There's no reason that organics will be any better for sensitive skin - in fact, a lot of sensitive skins flare up at first contact with essential oils - which are so often the staple of organic lines. I'm seriously prone to eczema on my body and have been using the Cleansing Body Bar for several weeks (it lasts a satisfyingly long time) and haven't seen a peep from my usual patches. It feels great whilst it's on the skin, but leaves a slightly too super-squeaky-clean feel afterwards - great though for those who hate it when their body washes leave an oily residue behind. I've yet to try the skincare - I've promised my skin a break from persistent testing - but have been using the Silky Spray Body Spritz and Conditioning Hair Oil. The former is tricky. Essential oils of clove, lavender, patchouli and thyme means that it has a very distinctive, enduring scent. Some days I love the scent - taking me back to student sex sessions in a jostick haze, but other days it makes me feel more like I've found myself in a trunk in the back of my local Oxfam. Mood dictates. It does feel mighty good though - not greasy in the slightest - and the milky texture sinks in nice n deep in seconds. The hair oil is ostensibly nothing special. It mixes sunflower, sesame and olive oil with a smattering of essential oils - peppermint is the one that stands out - and yes, it does make hair lovely and soft and shiny. But then, so would a cup of olive oil. Another thing - I'm not sure about the packaging. It's self-consciously plain. As though it's parading it's openness - at the press day I asked the PR when they'd replace the prototypes with final packaging. She told me this was it. Well, it ain't pretty, but Isuppose it ain't ugly either. And for a company that has always prided itself on clever names and cute packaging, it's very possibly a step in the right direction.

#53 Mid-Week Delivery

Oh lord. Head. Ache. Muscles. Ouch. Soles. Sore.

So what does it take to get back on track? To obey the morning alarm call? Well, I couldn’t even muster the energy to shampoo my hair when I got in – gross but true – but last night’s hairspray had given it atypical thickness and the morning-after matte look was sort of working for me. So I went with it – just slapped a thick headband across the front – and focused on the face instead. Two slices of very cold cucumber helped take my eyes down a bit. Skin washed with Jurlique Replenishing Foaming Cleanser – which I’m using because the postal strike has meant that my Liz Earle goodies are being held at ransom at the local depot. In fact, the strike might have had an odd upside. It’s forced me to dig into the drawers again and, thankfully, skin is still looking as good as it has been and this non-drying, effective foaming cleanser hasn’t scuppered the spot-free run that I’ve had for over a month. I also recommend Jurlique’s Herbal Recovery Eye Gel – lovely, light, full of hydrating botanicals with none of the residual stickiness that lesser gels are prone to creating. Then a quick facial massage with Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant and a hop into the shower with a super thick layer of Laura Mercier Hydra Soothing Gel Mask still on skin (my current replacement for Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Masque, which is once again, still ‘in transit’) but which does pretty much the same job. A freezing water splash, a spray of Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic, a little pat of Darphin’s camomile oil and then a dab of Organic Glam’s new Antioxidant Foundation to even out the odd red patch and I was feeling not too bad. Until I turned around, lost my balance and head-butted the jutting partition wall in my bedroom. Cocktail complexions you can conceal. Heavy heads you cannot. Note to self: Tuesday nights are not the new Friday.