The change in temperature and with it the need to turn on the central heating or to light a fire - it can take its toll on our skin. To prevent dehydration and dullness, it’s important to exfoliate regularly and start adding facial oils or nourishing night balms into your skincare regime.
Exfoliation is key to brighten your complexion and prevent your complexion matching a dull day. Look for natural fruit and acids and enzymes. You generally can’t feel these working but trust me they do work and they are very effective.
Natural fruit acids (also known as AHAs or alpha hydroxy acids) and enzymes from fruits like papaya and pineapple work by gently dissolving dead, dull skin and speed up the renewal of healthy new skin. Our skin does renew itself naturally but as we get older the rate at which this happens slows down. As a result skin can look duller and also, any
serums, oils or creams you use, will not be absorbed as well.
Twice weekly exfoliation can help with this. Also look for exfoliators that contain a gentle polishing particle rather than a harsh rough one. May people do like the “scrubby” feel of a nut – crushed walnut shells or ground almond kernels are all popular but these can be too harsh for our skin and can damage our skin, particularly with over
use. My preference is to use jojoba grains – these are grains of jojoba wax which are totally spherical so they gently polish your skin. Just because they feel gentle, doesn’t mean they aren’t effective – for me, they are the most effective and the most gentle which is why I use them in Scrub Up.
Thinking about it now, I probably should have given this a different name! But Scrub Up is it’s name and it’s one of my personal favourites. This facial scrub contains papaya enzymes, fruit acids from maple, lemons and bilberries and yes, you guessed it - jojoba grains. Regular use a couple of times a week in the evening after cleansing can brighten and even out skin tone. The fruit acids can also help to fade the appearance of age spots with long-term use.
If you don’t already use a face oil, now is the time to introduce one into your regime. A serum to plump up and hydrate your skin combined with a few drops of a face oil can replace your normal moisturiser in the morning and again at night. If you prefer to use a moisturiser in the day, add a drop of face oil for an extra boost of nourishment. At night massage a couple of drops of face oil into clean skin.
If your skin is very dry or damaged, swap your oil for a rich and nourishing night balm. Rest & Regenerate is super rich, nourishing and can help to improve dryness, brighten your skin and strengthen elasticity.
Choosing which oil is key. Some oils like Rosehip, Kiwi, Evening Primrose and Chia are great for all skins. They are light, easily absorbed, can help to repair damage and nourish skin as well as balance skin. They are also all rich in skin-loving omegas – which are key to great skin.
Then if your skin is dry look for richer and more nourishing oils – things like macadamia, pumpkin seed, argan, rice bran, avocado to improve dryness. If your skin is combination or oily – yes, I did say oily – look for omega rich oils like Evening Primrose, Rosehip, Kiwi and Chia with added Jojoba and Thistle (also known as Safflower). Active ingredients including antioxidants and vitamins can help to nourish, calm, brighten, strengthen elasticity, regenerate the skin and repair damage. Look for things like bisabolol, Q10, sea buckthorn, arctic blackcurrant, vitamin A, natural vitamin E and electric daisies (also known as spillanthes acmella).
I also use essential oils – not only do these smell great and can help lift our senses; they also have benefits for our skin. So oils like Frankincense, Neroli, Myrrh, Carrot Seed and Mandarin can all help with elasticity and generating new skin cells. Whereas Cypress, Lemongrass and Bergamot can help with congested skin and are balancing. I also use Rose Geranium to balance skin that is out of kilter and it’s also very uplifting.
Don’t forget I send out samples with all full sized orders so if you would like to try one of these oils
or my Scrub Up, please leave a note with your order!
