Skin News

Heard about the mineral makeup craze? By now, probably.

How it doesn’t block pores, how its great for acne prone, oily and sensitive skin etc. But before you go out and grab your minerals, here’s one thing to look out for before you fall for pretty packaging. Hey, if you’re looking, you might as well go for the good stuff.

Minerals are so popular now, it’s no surprise that half a dozen brands enter the fray each week. A bit like the organic craze.

The result is the same as with all skin care after a while.

Confusion and buying mistakes.

Here’s what really separates real minerals from cheap (or worse, expensive) copycats.

Bismuth Oxychloride, and here’s why its bad news for your skin.

We sell Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup, the only range till date that chooses to omit Bismuth Oxychloride from its ingredients. And that is what makes it a truly great mineral brand.

Sorry Bare Minerals and the rest of the mineral makeup gang!

accutane is banned

Remember our warning on Accutane? This latest worldwide move practically bans accutane.

If you’re looking for effective acne treatment, the good news is there are plenty to go with.

accutane is not a good acne treatment

We’re frequently informing our clients during our Skin Type program consultations, using Accutane as an acne treatment is a really bad idea.

Here’s why.

It doesn’t actually stop acne. Rather,  it reduces your skin’s oil glands and hence the amount of oil your skin produces. The acne causing P. bacteria needs this oil to survive so the logic is that less oil, the less likely P. bacteria is to thrive.

So what’s the problem?

Accutane works on hormones and they get told to stop producing oil by means of suppression. This “suppressive” nature has been shown to cause bouts of depression in teenagers and birth defects and deficiencies and fertility complications.

Accutane was invented in ‘79. Last century.

It just isn’t clever enough to choose how the hormones are suppressed hence the complications.

There are now easier and safer ways to treat acne, and we eliminate the guesswork by getting on the Skin Type program, it shows us what your unique Skin Type is and it shows you, what products and treatments you can do, very often without spending more than you would need to.

Say bye bye raccoon eyes.

Who or what invented the concept of dark eye rings? Seems 90% of it is down to plain & simple lack of sleep.

Too little sleep ups cortisol levels, causing skin to retain fluid among other ‘nasties’. Combine that with poor eating habits , sun damage, and allergies, and eureka,  dark circles and eye bags.

Preemptive strike:

Here’s a tip that may run opposite to what you’ve heard so far. Drink a glass of water before bed, yes you heard us right;  this reduces puffiness by decreasing the amount of salt in the body.

Store an eye gel in the fridge and pat it around the eye area before bed.

Elevate the head of your bed or sleep on a thick pillow to prevent fluid from settling under the eyes.

In the morning, using  an eye cream that contains both antioxidants & light diffusing particles, such as Neutrogena Radiance Boost, or one that has cucumber extract as an ingredient, helps a lot.

If allergies are the ones contributing to the raccon effect, take an antihistamine.

Counterstrike:

Any eye cream that contains caffeine helps remove fluid from the skin.

Cold tea bags have tannins which also reduce puffiness.

Our favourite trick for circles would be to dab on vitamin k. Vitamin K is used in operations to reduce bruising after surgeries and it has been formulated for eye circles in a number of products. We also like the use of retinol, which makes lines less noticeable over time.

From there it is all about camouflage. We  like to cover rings with  light-reflecting concealer and if you finish off with a white eye pencil rubbed on the inner corners of the eyes, vavoom.

That trick alone makes you look alert even if you’re not.  Only Jane Iredale of course, the mineral makeup is best suited for sensitive skin.

Specials:

Vita K for dark eye circles now available in store at $79.90.  10% off for the first ten readers of this post.

You do not want to look like a lobster special.

Prevent: Chemical peels, waxing, and Rosacea can make you look flushed so use mild cleansers. Cetaphil or Peter Thomas Roth Chamomile Cleansing Lotion, with lukewarm water, helps a lot.

Also,  steer clear of Retin-A, glycolic acids and salicylic acids about 3 days before peels or waxing to reduce irritation. Any over-the-counter cortisone cream will also reduce redness, just don’t apply it to broken skin.

Counter Strike: Rosacea sufferers require more attention. Avoid spicy foods, alcohol, aspirin, and the sun, these vasodilators will trigger blood vessels to expand and you know what happens next! A longer lasting solution is a few rounds with a laser or Intense Pulsed Light to close blood vessels near the surface of the skin.

Specials: light treatment full session trials for reducing facial redness starts from $150, ask for a special trial price off the AFT laser if you’re looking to speed it up a little.

Spent $500 at our location in the last 3 months? Good on you, we’re give you another 10% off the Peter Thomas Roth Chamomile Cleansing Lotion. Go to www.spahaven.com.sg