Make your own lip balms

It's quick and easy to make your own lip balms and making your own works out a lot cheaper too.  I had a go and making some a little while back and they don't take long to make, about 20 minutes for a lot of five.

I haven't included exact quantities here as I didn't measure them out, I just did it by handfuls.  If you want to make some yourself you just need some cosmetic grade beeswax, some Shea butter and some Vitamin E oil, I brought all of my supplies on eBay, including tins to put them in but you can reuse small tins or old lip balm tins if you want to.

You just melt the beeswax, and then add some Shea butter, when all of this is melted in you can then remove it from the heat and stir in some Vitamin E.  Pour into the tins but don't touch the outside of them for a while - they'll be scalding hot.

That's it.  Lip balms for far cheaper than you would but them anywhere else.

Pass the detox tea...

... I've got a face full of spots.  You'd think by the grand old age of thirty-something that spots would be a thing of the past but it seems the few hormones that I have left circulating are determined to torment me.

A little while ago, I had lovely flair up of spots.  Determined to combat the spot situation once and for all I brought some highly recommended spot cream which seemed to help a bit until I ended up with contact dermatitis and looked even more terrific than I did before.  These creams aren't suitable for us more sensitive types, it seems.

So, I decided to go for the more natural approach.  I got out the ancient - but still effective- box of Tesco's detox tea*.  Every time I made up a cup of ordinary tea or coffee, I made up a cup of Detox tea, and by the end of the day my skin looked significantly better and after a few days was looking pretty clear.  I also find spirulina powder gives my skin a glow and drinking lots of water with lemon juice can clear a spot quicker than most spot creams I've used - and it doesn't give you allergies.

Detox tea - it's the future (at least for me) and it's cheaper than spot cream.

*Other detox teas are available!

Tesco to relaunch its own brand skin care range

Supermarket chain Tesco has announced that it is too relaunch its line of own brand skin care products.  The Clear Skin and My Skin brands are to be relaunched in February and they'll be on offer from the 15 February-12 March.  Some of the products will be on sale for as low as £1.00 so it will be a good time to stock up if they're products that you plan to use regularly.

The Clear Skin range has been formulated for all skin types and the products are all dermatologically tested.  The products have Salicylic Acid as it's active ingredient which is often used to help combat skin problems.  The range will include some deep cleansing tissues which have been designed to calm skin and reduce redness.

The My Skin range have been formulated to help keep skin clear and looking healthy.  Included in the range will be a new product called Radiance Moisturiser.  The moisturiser has added sunscreen and includes natural plant ingredients.  The products are also free from parabens.

Bare Minerals hold blind casting call

Bare Minerals has taken a unique approach to its latest advertising campaign by holding a blind casting call and choosing the models for the campaign by their personality rather than based purely on the way they looked.

300 models and actresses were invited to the casting call and each of them was asked to fill out a survey where they detailed their personal passions and values.  78 women were then chosen to take part in the blind casting call and answer questions which would show their character, vitality and strength - their inner beauty.

Commenting in a press release, Leslie Blodgett, Creator of bareMinerals, said:

"This is pretty revolutionary and unheard of for a beauty company."

"Let's be honest, there was a high level of risk associated with this approach and I had no idea what to expect. What I discovered was how liberating it is to do the right thing and choose women based on their values, not the way they look. We love women and their stories and it reinforces everything we stand for, and frankly, I think the models were equally enamored with our approach."

"From there it was then narrowed down to 26 women who then returned for another round of one-on-one blind interviews. Based on the final round of in-depth blind interviews, bareMinerals selected five 'Forces of Beauty' to feature in the campaign. One week later, following a condensed 10-day timeline and extraordinary anticipation, we finally met the spirited women whose stories, coupled with an unparalleled process of discovery, became the crux of the campaign."

The new campaign will feature five models; One model taking part said that she wished all castings were like this.  The "Be a force of Beauty" campaign will be launched in February. 

Boots sell new £125 skin serum

High Street chemist Boots recently introduced a new £125 anti-aging skin serum. The serum is said to reduce fine lines, improve skin tone, blemishes and dark circles.

The product is called Bio Effect EGF Cellular Activating Serum and comes in a 15ml bottle; they also sell a 5ml bottle for £49.

The product is said to use “green biotechnology”. The cellular activators contained within the product are grown in barley and the product promises dramatic effects with just two drops.

At £125 a time, I’m not sure it’s something I’ll be personally testing anytime soon (unless they’d like to send me a bottle) but the product is getting largely good reviews.

If you have a review of your favourite product that you'd like to share, please let me know.

Natural bodycare company launch new moisturiser for the summer

Experts often advise changing your moisturiser to match the seasons: a heavier one for the winter months and a lighter one for the summer.
Oleo Bodycare, a small Dorset-based company, have brought out a Light Facial moisturiser especially for the warmer weather designed to protect the skin from the drying effects of the sun.

The moisturiser contains a blend of oils including sunflower and coconut and patchouli, lavender and palmarosa essential oils.

All of their products are aromatherapy based and are handmade. Their products have the added advantage of being free from parabens, synthetic fragrances and colours and mineral oil. Their products are also cruelty free.

The moisturiser is available as a 60g jar and the price is £10.20 plus postage.

You can find out more about the products by visiting the following link:

http://www.oleobodycare.co.uk/

*Previously published on Wordpress 2011

Review: Skin Doctors Gamma Hydroxy skin resurfacing cream

I brought this after Christmas last year because I’d seen some good reviews about it and as my skin always looks duller in the winter, I was looking for something to brighten up my skin.

I was reluctant to use it at first as it contains Glycolic Acid and my skin is hyper-sensitive and reacts to almost anything.

As advised, I did a patch test before I used it and I’ve had no problems using it on my face. It does do what it says on the box. It brightens your skin, fades fine lines, and it does help reduce scarring. It can make your skin a bit red at first and it can tingle, which is normal, so I wouldn’t use it every day in case I develop sensitivity to it but overall, the product works well.

It normally retails at around £30.00 plus for a 50ml jar which I think is quite expensive but when I brought mine it had been reduced to around £16.00 on Amazon and is now on sale there for £18.85.

It lasts a long time as well; nearly six months on, I have well over half of the jar left. It’s non-greasy and smooth’s into your skin well. It does say on the jar that it takes around six weeks to work but I saw results quicker than that. All in all, this product is worth the money and it’s something I’ll continue to buy.

*Previously published on Wordpress