Your skincare routine, Day vs Night, does it need to different?

So I get asked this alot by my clients, do I need a day and a night routine? Do they need to be different? And the answer is always yes! Even if you don't wear make up, even if you work shifts, even if you have more time in the evening etc, etc, etc! Just yes! 

I agree that we all lead different lives and have different routines but I think everyone can find something to suit them to ensure they are treating their skin correctly day and night.

What does your skin need in the day?

So your daytime routine is simply when your awake (for those shift workers out there), your skin during the day needs protection. Your skin is exposed to high levels of stress caused by, make up, bacteria, UV exposure, pollutants, central heating, air con and various whether conditions so your skincare routine needs to reflect this. 

Your daytime routine:

1. Cleanse- as time is key in the mornings a quick easy cleanser is needed so a facial wash works well, you could do it in the shower to save time, (Elemis Sensitive Cleansing Wash) Cleansing in the morning will clean the skin from previous night time products and bacteria and oil built up whilst asleep. 

2. Tone- using an alcohol free toner to re balance the PH level of the skin

3. Apply any serums or additional products you may be using, serums work well during the day as there lightweight and soak straight into the skin (Elemis Advanced Even Tone serum) helps to even the skin tone, reduce pigmentation and brighten the skin.  

4. Apply Eye Cream again a lighter serum texture is good for the day (Elemis Pro Collagen Advanced Eye Treatment)

5. Apply your chosen moisturiser, during the day lightweight textures work well and feel more comfortable on the skin, if you have an oily skin then choose a balancing moisturiser (Elemis Hydra Balance Day Cream) or something more hydrating and anti-ageing (Pro Collagen Marine Cream) 

6. SPF! This is really important to protect your skin from harmful UV rays and remember all year round!!! 

This may look like alot of steps for the morning when most people are short of time but in reality it takes a few minutes, but if your in a rush, step 3 is only if your on a particular routine or really looking to treat a specific concern, and combine 5 and 6 by mixing your SPF and moisturiser together before applying to the face. 

What does your skin need at night? 

Whilst your asleep your skin is resting, so its all about repairing the skin after the stress from the day. Its all about hydration and nourishment to replenish whats been lost. Most people tend to have more time in the evening so its an opportunity to really treat the skin. I personally do my evening routine as soon as I'm home for the night rather than just before bed to avoid feeling too tired to bother.

Your evening routine:

1. Cleanse- if you wear make up a richer cleanser is better to really lift off heavy make up and dirt from the day using a warm damp cleansing cloth really ensures all the cleanser is thoroughly removed. (Elemis Pro Radiance Cream Cleanser) is really effective on an evening. 

2. Tone- any time water has been on the skin a toner is essential to re balance

3. Apply a night oil or serum, again to help with any particular concerns but especially beneficial at night time (Elemis Pro Collagen Super Serum) is a very hydrating anti ageing boost for the skin. 

4. Apply Eye Cream, again on the evening go for richer more hydrating, (Elemis Pro Intense Eye and Lip Contour Cream) if you decide not to use an eye cream in the day I would definitely suggest one for the night to keep the eye area looking youthful. 

5. Apply a Night Cream, the reason night creams exist is because they have additional ingredients to help the skin replenish and tend to be richer (Elemis Pro Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream) increases oxygen levels within the skin to rejuvenate the skin. 

I hear it so often from clients that they only do their routine morning or evening and their skins ok, well yes but imagine how much better it would be if you did it twice a day! You don't necessarily need to change every product in the routine or have 6 products for morning and 6 products for the evening but making  a few changes and bearing in mind that the day you want to protect and the night you want to repair could take your skin from good to great! 

So is Coffee really that bad for your skin?

We all know that coffee isn't great for us and we should drink less but I wouldn't say most people know exactly why. I see so many clients with breakouts that say "I'm too old to be getting spots!" but it has nothing to do with your age its lifestyle that can be contributing to this.

So what is Coffee?

Coffee is super complex. It contains over 1,000 chemical compounds that’s more than chocolate (250) and wine (450)! Obviously the main ingredient is caffeine, a mood enhancing stimulant, but the problem with coffee isn't just the caffeine its the milk and sugar we often add!

So how exactly does coffee affect the skin?

1. It makes you more stressed!

Coffee magnifies your body's stress response which is bad news for your skin! When we become stressed the body releases a hormone call cortisol which is not only ageing it increases breakouts on the skin. This stress hormone then makes your body pump out insulin. Insulin makes the skin produce excess oil/sebum, triggers overproduction of skin cells so skin gets 'clogged' and it increases the body's inflammation levels which makes your spots more red and swollen. Drinking coffee increases and magnifies even small everyday stressful situations making this whole process more intense.

Life is stressful enough and there will be certain stressful events that have this effect on the skin which we cannot control so why add to it by drinking coffee?!

2. Added milk and sugar soooo bad for spots!

Dairy (especially milk) is know to be particular bad for acne sufferers and sugar massively spikes your blood sugar levels boosting inflammation, swelling and redness on the skin, So I'm sorry latte lovers but in terms of your skin its a bit of a no no!

3. Coffee reduces the body's ability to absorb minerals from food

Think you eat all the right things? Eat all your 5 a day? If your drinking coffee though that healthy food just wont be having the same effect! When you drink coffee with a meal (or close to a meal), it impairs your body’s ability to absorb minerals from your food. 

In fact, one study found that drinking coffee with a meal (or up to 1 hour after eating) impaired iron absorption by a whopping 72%!

Avoiding coffee will help your body absorb more minerals from your food, which are absolutely key to clearing acne and maintaining clear skin.

4. Coffee upsets your gut!

Coffee can cause disruptions in your gut flora due to its high acidity, leading to a condition known as “dysbiosis” essentially, overgrowth of bad bacteria in your intestine, and not enough good bacteria. This is not only bad for your digestion and body but also the skin, again probiotics help but pretty much useless if your counteracting it with the coffee.

5. Coffee affects your sleep!

Not ground breaking I know but being dependant on coffee means your hormones that tell us were sleepy or wake us up are being suppressed so we rely on the coffee in the morning to "wake us up" and if we drink it at night it means the body isn't telling us were tired. Lack of sleep has huge consequences on the skin, so even if you only drink it in the morning the body becomes dependant on that hit.

6. Coffee dehydrates the body!

Again quite simple but we all know it but choose to ignore it! Dehydration can lead to premature skin ageing and wrinkling, coffee also impairs collagen and elastin production, which are absolutely critical to maintaining supple, youthful skin, so coffee ages your skin faster. Quitting coffee will allow you to maintain that beautiful glow and healthy-looking skin for longer. SIMPLE!

So what about decaf?

Put simply, decaf is better but still not great (sorry) it helps with the suppression of the hormones that disrupts your sleep, but its still very acidic and still contains toxins that will affect the skin.

Dependant on how much coffee you drink, cutting it out can cause headaches for around 3-4 days so start by cutting down considerably before completely quitting and then be prepared for it, drink lots of water and maybe start over a weekend. 

Soooooo.......I know people will still drink coffee as its something they enjoy and I'm definitely a believer in moderation but I think if your armed with the information and actually understand WHY you shouldn't be doing something its more of an incentive to stop. So if your one of those people who loves a cup of coffee and doesn't feel there getting the best out of their skin give it a break and just see the difference it can make. 

Top 10 tips to help you prepare for a spray tan

Top ten tips to help you prepare for a spray tan

Tanning experts share their top ten tips to help you prepare your skin for a spray tan.

Here's the definitive run-down of the top ten tricks recommended by spray tanning professionals to help you achieve a deep and flawless fake tan. 

Achieving a beautiful sunless tan without mistakes is easy when your skin is properly prepared for the treatment. Your spray tanning appointment itself is quick and can be completed in as little as ten minutes which allows you the freedom to prep your skin to suit your schedule. Preparations can be done in advance and will smooth out the skin to give the best base for your spray tanning product.

1. Buff away dry skin before treatment with a gentle natural exfoliator. This will make your tan last much longer by revealing new skin.

2. Wax at least 24 hours before treatment, ideally 48 hours before to allow the pores to close.

3. Shave at least 24 hours before treatment and apply a rich moisturiser to replenish dry skin.

4. Moisturise generously the day before, ideally overnight. This will prevent dryness and provide the perfect tanning base.

5. Rinse off any products, perfume, oils, moisturisers and make up before attending your spray tanning appointment.

6. Dark, loose cotton and jersey fabrics and dark underwear without tight waistbands are ideal to wear before and after your spray tan. Some of the guide colour can be easily removed by tight fitting clothing so it is best to keep clothing loose.

7. If you are new to spray tanning, a patch test before your treatment is always recommended to ensure the tanning formula is suitable for your skin.

8. Take some hair ties along with you if you have long hair to keep the back of your neck and shoulders free.

9. If you have to run any errands after your spray tan, you can take deodorant to apply afterwards once your tan has set.

10. Applying nail polish to fingers and toes will help to protect the nails from any discolouration from the tanning product.

http://sienna-x.co.uk/blog/top-ten-tips-to-help-you-prepare-for-a-spray-tan

5 WAYS TO FAST TRACK YOUR PARTY PREP

WHAT TO DO WHEN DECEMBER HITS AND YOU BARELY HAVE TIME TO BREATHE…

Let’s be honest - hopping between work, friends, family, shopping, and parties can leave even the most efficient of multitaskers feeling more than a little frazzled. And while we can’t be your chauffeur, we can at least take the stress out of gift-seeking – and preparing yourself for party season. So, diaries to the ready: simply find a small window for each of the five steps below and you’ll whistle through that ‘to do’ list – and still make the party on time…

1. The instant skin glow: Tired skin and party make-up is hardly a match made in heaven. So if your skincare regimen has been flagging of late, get it back up to speed in the speediest of manners with ELEMIS Fruit Active Rejuvenating Mask. Tailor-made for the last-minute party preparations, it contains Strawberry and Kiwi extracts that gently remove those sluggish dead skin cells on the surface before breathing a new, glowing life back into that complexion in just 15 minutes.

2. Nails:  The speedy nail service: No matter how exhausted you feel, having beautifully groomed nails to wrap around that glass of bubbly will instantly make you look and feel more polished.

3. The two-minute body makeover: What you have is slightly dry, pallid skin that’s been hiding beneath your opaque tights, trousers, and jumpers. What you want is gorgeously smooth, juicy skin with a hint of a tan to streamline your figure and look fabulous beneath your new party dress. So swoosh on a speedy layer of ELEMIS Total Glow Self Tanning Cream to any body parts on show and the transformation will be complete in minutes.

4. Brows:The ready-to-go facelift: Brows are like lovely lingerie for the face: Get them right and they’ll seemingly hold your other facial features in place and create an instant lifting effect. 

 5. The essential stress buster: Getting prepped and primed for that party is not just about taking care of the outside. Because no one will want to catch you underneath the mistletoe if you’re radiating stress. So may we suggest that you pop some ELEMIS Quiet Mind Temple Balm – containing calming Eucalyptus and Patchouli – into your handbag, then rub it onto your temples, the back of your neck and earlobes when you feel Christmas overwhelm rising.

http://www.elemis.com/inside-elemis/latest-news-and-features/2015/11/5-ways-to-fast-track-your-party-prep/