Our Blog – Page 32 – Pure Beauty – The Lichfield Beauty Salon

Life and Fashion, Skincare Advice, Waxing

How to Deal with Ingrown Hairs

18/06/2019 17/06/2019 0

For many of us, ingrown hairs are a fact of life. It doesn’t seem to matter what we do, or how we remove hair, the ones which grow back just end up ingrown. According to Wikipedia “Ingrown hair is a condition where a hair curls back or grows sideways into the skin. The condition is most prevalent among people who have coarse or curly hair. It may or may not be accompanied by an infection of the hair follicle (folliculitis) or “razor bumps” (pseudofolliculitis barbae), which vary in size.”

So, how do we deal with ingrown hairs when they do occur? Follow these tips to help your body to heal properly:

Exfoliate

Ingrown hairs occur when dead skin cells clog your hair follicles, causing the hair to grow inwards instead of outwards. The key to stopping this from happening is to exfoliate as often as possible. The Elemis Body Detox Skin Brush is ideal for dry brushing and keeping your skin exfoliated, while the natural cactus bristles help to reduce the appearance of cellulite by improving circulation and softening the skin.

Change Your Razor

One of the best ways to prevent ingrown hairs, after exfoliating, is to ensure you’re using a new, sharp razor every time you shave. Disposable razors are intended to be single use and although they may seem like they’re still removing hair on use two or three, reusing them again and again could be doing your skin more harm than good. They also harbour bacteria, which can cause infections.

Use Shaving Cream

When it comes to shaving, we’ve seen it all – people using hair conditioner, soap or just water when shaving, but this is a bad idea. Shaving cream will give an extra slip to the skin ensuring blades don’t drag, and meaning you can avoid irritating any sensitive spots. Opt for an alcohol-free, sensitive formula, to prevent drying out your skin like Elemis Ice Cool Foaming Shave Gel.

Direction

When you shave, you should always shave in the direction of the hair growth. Shaving against the grain will cause your hair to be cut at an angle, making it sharper and more likely to grown back into the skin, causing painful and unsightly bumps.

If All Else Fails…

If you follow all of these steps and still find yourself with an ingrown hair, DON’T be tempted to squeeze it. It ma look like a spot and be begging to be squeezed, but this will force bacteria further into your skin and can even push the hair in the wrong direction. Most ingrown hairs clear up by themselves, with a little help from Elemis Tea Tree S.O.S. Spray to kill any bacteria, but if you must pick, try to use a sterile needle to lift the hair out of the follicle to ensure it’s removed properly.

Health and Happiness

Get to grips with rosacea

15/06/2019 17/06/2019 0

While people don’t tend to talk about it much, the skin condition rosacea is a problem for more people than you would think.

The acne-like inflammatory condition tends to affect the cheeks, forehead, chin and nose, and while symptoms come and go, it can be a real pain, on many levels.

This is classified as a chronic condition that predominantly affects fair-skinned women between 40 and 60, but men can suffer too and for them it could be more severe as well as harder to talk about.

Typically, rosacea begins with the skin turning red and flushed for a short time. This isn’t the end of things, as this can be followed by uncomfortable stinging, ongoing dryness, blemishes plus increased visibility of the blood vessels which makes skin look almost bruised. There is also the chance of small bumps, pus-filled spots and uncomfortable inflammation on the eyes and eyelids. Rosacea can persist for a long time and the severity tends to fluctuate from person to person.

While no one really knows what causes rosacea, certain triggers such as stress, excessive light exposure, being out in extreme weather, drinking alcohol and caffeine, and eating spicy foods, can make it worse.

To date there are no tests to diagnose rosacea, but anyone who has persistent symptoms should talk to their GP because the sooner it is identified, the sooner treatment can start. GPs examine the skin, as well as considering lifestyle factors and the impact it is having on the patient, and then looks for the best approach to get things under control.

Topical creams and gels can be prescribed and if the affected skin is really bad, it might be that a course of antibiotics is needed. In some cases, laser and intense pulsed light (IPL) treatment that involves beams of light being aimed at the visible blood vessels in the skin so they shrink and become less obvious.

For many people, lifestyle changes can help manage the condition and many patients find that avoiding their known triggers, be that alcohol, coffee, wine or the midday sun, they feel better and their skin improves. By taking control of your lifestyle you are taking control of the situation and over time hopefully your skin will become calm and healthy once again.

We would suggest writing a record of your flare-ups and see if they match up to anything you have done differently – maybe had more curries, been really stressed at work or had one or two glasses of wine more than usual.

Skincare is also important, so forget soap and water, as they won’t cut it. Go for products designed for sensitive skin and more importantly, ones that works for you. Make sure you cleanse, tone and moisture twice a day and use a good quality sunblock all year round.

For many people, it’s not just the irritation that’s the problem, but the physical and mental impact too. For people who really do struggle with their appearance, counselling and support can be an option worth considering. It is hard sometimes, but try not to let your thoughts and worries take over, and remember what you see in the mirror probably won’t be what others see as they talk to you and they won’t even notice it.

What we would say is, that millions of people around the world suffer with this condition, and while it isn’t fun, you aren’t alone. We know that it can cause embarrassment and insecurity, and would suggest checking out the British Skin Foundation who offer more information.

Team Pure Beauty

Health and Happiness

Happiness hacks to feed your mind

11/06/2019 12/06/2019 0

Tired?

Overwhelmed?

Tearful?

Anxious?

We know how it is, and send out group hugs.

While 21st century living gives us so many more opportunities than ever before, it can also have a downside when it comes to your mental wellbeing.

Expectations mean we are switched on 24/7, and let’s face it that just isn’t possible.

We know that life can be busy, but we have some easy happiness hacks we hope will free your mind and allow you to relax and chill out, rather than being in fight or flight mode all of the time, which is totally exhausting and unsustainable.

Just breathe
This sounds simple, but when was the last time you sat back and breathed deeply? Bet you can’t remember. When you have read this post, sit down, close your eyes, count to five, breathe in and then out. Focus on that breathing, feel the air go into your body and then go out again. By doing this for just five minutes you can focus and regroup and when you breathe better, you will feel better.

Talk it out
After breathing, comes talking. We don’t mean gossiping, but opening up and letting others know you are having a hard time. A problem halved is more than a problem shared and those around you will want to support and love you. You might feel that you are burdening family and friends, but by holding onto toxic thoughts and ideas, you will get dragged down and nothing will change. Pick up the phone, or ask your bestie to meet you for coffee and you will be surprised by how much better you feel by being honest.

Ditch your screen
We bet just thinking about this is hard, but screens can take over your life and drain your happiness and also remember people only post their best bits. Playing games, using social media, texting, and streaming TV might fill time, but if you put your device down you will find happiness somewhere else and life might just get better. Maybe check in with Facebook once a day, turn emails off after 6pm and call friends rather than using WhatsApp.

Bigger picture perspective
We often get caught up in the here and now, but what is bothering you in this moment isn’t going to last. Look at problem areas and see if you can break those down into more manageable chunks and deal with one at a time. If work is too much, what can you push back on and delegate? If the house is a mess, get others pulling their weight. What might feel enormous now, will be gone in no time if you address it and then move on.

Take some exercise
Social media, long hours and demanding careers often leave us time poor which means exercise gets dropped. This is a big mistake. Exercise will raise your heart rate, clear your head, trim your waist and the resulting endorphins will pump feel good vibes around your body. It doesn’t matter what you do, but running in the park, racing on your bike or swimming in the sea will is so much better than sitting in a dark office hour after hour.

Be kind
We all have off days, but if you can generally be kind to those around you, it will help with your happiness. A compliment, holding the door open for someone, a simple smile and letting another driver go past, are all small things, but they add up and you will both be happier as a result.

Do something just for YOU
Go on a date, take a walk, or have a manicure and pedicure and treat yourself. You work hard and think of others all the time, so you need to top up your reserves and if you do this on a regular basis, your happiness levels will soar.

See the bright side
If nothing else, remember to laugh. In the bigger picture, life is really short so try to make the most of it and enjoy every single day.

Let us know your happiness hacks, we are all ears.

Team Pure Beauty

Skincare Advice

Five Hacks for Clearer Skin

08/06/2019 08/06/2019 0

If you’re one of the millions of women in the UK who has acne or spot-prone skin, you probably have a skincare routines that is almost hard-wired into your brain to help you keep your spots at bay. There are, however, a lot of things that can contribute to breakouts, many of which you may not have even considered, so we thought we’d put together a list to give you a gentle reminder of what not to do.

Don’t Touch!

Every time you touch your face, you transfer dirt, oil and other nasties which can all make spot breakouts significantly worse. Keeping your hands clean at all times is nigh-on impossible, unless you use anti-bac gel every five minutes (trust us, your hands will NOT love you for this…) so keeping your hands away from your face is best practice. Dermalogica Clearing Skin Wash will help remove bacteria from your face.

Clean Your Phone

Prepare yourselves for a statistic which will make you want to live in a sterile bubble – it’s estimated that your phone screen carries around TEN TIMES MORE germs than the average toilet seat. Disgusting, huh? Every time you put your phone to the side of your face, you risk these bacteria transferring onto your face, so make sure you give it a thorough clean on a regular basis.

Change Your Sheets

According to various surveys, the average person changes their sheets every 24 days, although for some people is more often and for some is less. The general rule of thumb is that we should be changing our sheets every 7 days, because of the amount of sweat, skin cells and bacteria which are captured by our sheets and pillow cases, so changing your sheets regularly is essential if you want to avoid breakouts.

Use a Probiotic

Much of our internal health is dictated by our gut health, and scientists are now linking thinks like obesity, type 2 diabetes and even dementia. As such, your skin is also affected by your gut biome, so one of the simplest ways of getting a handle on your complexion is by adding a probiotic to your diet. Just one pill or drink per day can make a huge difference to your skin’s health.

Clean Your Brushes

Every time you sweep make-up onto your face using your brushes and sponges, you also sweep bacteria transfer onto your face. Keeping them regularly cleansed is SO important for making sure you don’t infect your skin or give yourself a breakout of spots. Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel is great for cleaning your face but can also be used to cleansed your brushes without damaging a potentially expensive investment.

Life and Fashion

How to dress with confidence

04/06/2019 04/06/2019 0

We all want to look, and feel, good, but being able to stand in front of the mirror and smile at what we see, can be hard.

Self-love isn’t always easy, and there are times when insecurity casts a shadow on our days, but we have looked at ways that you can dress so you do feel confident, even on the tougher days.

Go with your body
Fashions trends come and go, but not all of them suit all of us, and why would they? If you work with the body you have and start to love it, you will find clothes that bring out the best in you – which is what we are all aiming for.

We don’t all have gazelle model like legs or totally toned abs, but by learning to accept the body you have, you will soon spot clothes that will highlight the bits you love and be more confident as you wear them.

Think outside of the black box
Many of us step into black as it makes us feel safe, but it doesn’t always make us look our best. Depending on your skin tone , hair and eye colour, some shades will make you look fabulous, whereas others will bring you down and make you look pale, even ill.

You can have a consultation with a colour specialist to see what ‘season’ you are, or you can simply find colours that work well for you. Spend some time in a department store and try on clothes in various shades and you will soon see what works.

Red will set some people on fire, but drain others.

Navy can be a show stopper for some of us, but for others it will do nothing at all to set us apart from the crowd.

Orange and yellow offer bright pops of colour if your skin tone is right, but some of us will put it right back on the rack.

See what works for you, start to experiment with a few key pieces and you will find a whole new look in no time.

Find your style
You might not realise it, but we all have our own style.

Dresses with boots and pumps are the ‘go to’ style for many women, but others prefer the convenience of jeans with a cool tee and shiny shoes.

Gym kits aren’t just for the gym, and suits simply work for some of us.

Block colour brings out the best in one woman but the next girl is all about floral frocks and animal prints – even wearing them together.

Wear what works for you, and let others do the same.

Feel comfortable
We aren’t talking about joggers and oversized sweatshirts here, but more about starting the day in clothes that feel good and make you want to go out and shine.

If you head out of the house in a designer dress that looked great on the peg, but is too small for you, it’s not for you.

Skinny jeans might be a worldwide phenomenon, but if they don’t do you any favours, leave them on the shelf and find bootlegs that make you feel fab.

Go for breathable fabrics, lengths that flatter and necklines that you know work for you.

Add lipstick
Now, this is a trick we love. Lipstick can totally pull your whole look together, and gives you a polished look, even if you hopped out of bed and threw on a pair of combats and a simple jumper. Get the right colour for you, then swipe, smile and you are good to go!

Team Pure Beauty

Decleor, Dermalogica, Elemis, Facial Treatments, Health and Happiness, Manicures, Skincare Advice

Don’t Grow Up – GLOW Up!

01/06/2019 31/05/2019 0

When you look back at pictures of yourself, do you ever think “Oh my goodness, why did I do THAT?” – from dodgy hairdos to questionable make-up choices, many of us feel like we’ve improved with age, and that’s what people are calling a “glow up”. Today, we’re taking a look at five products which can improve your appearance to such a degree that we consider them to be essential to every glow up:

Dermalogica Overnight Clearing Gel

This gel from Dermalogica not only helps to clear the skin of acneic breakouts, but it also prevents any future breakouts from happening. It contains a vitamin B complex of niacinamide and biotin combined with zinc gluconate, yeast extract, caffeine and nordihydroguaiaretic acid, which soothes irritation, inhibits over active sebaceous gland activity and purifies the skin.

Elemis Total Glow Bronzing Moisturiser

We know SO many people who look back and can’t believe either how orange their fake tan looked or how pale they were in their younger days. This gradual tan from Elemis allows you to gradually build your colour, giving you the perfect happy medium between “milk bottle” and “Irn Bru”!

Nailtiques After Artificial Treatment Kit

One essential step in looking elegant and put-together is taking care of your hands and making sure they look presentable. This treatment kit from Nailtiques is designed for use after false nails or gels but will work on all hands to nourish and replenish nails to quickly strengthen and rebuild nails back to a healthy condition.

Elemis Exotic Frangipani Monoi Hair and Scalp Mask

If you, like many of us, spent your younger days bleaching and straightening your hair into a parched oblivion, a major aspect of your glow up should be to address the condition of your locks. This hair and scalp mask contains frangipani monoi and pink clay to help restore softness and strength to dry, damaged hair. It’s also perfect for all hair types.

Decleor BB Cream 24 Hour Hydration SPF15

How many people do you know who look back at old pictures and feel horrified by the amount of make-up they’re wearing? Many of us in our younger days had a tendency to slap it on with abandon, but actually, as you age you discover that less is more and that using a good moisturising BB cream which provides coverage and sun protection is a much more elegant solution.

Decleor, Elemis, Facial Treatments, Health and Happiness, Skincare Advice

Give Your Skin a Dose of Vitamin C

28/05/2019 28/05/2019 0

Most of us know by now that we should be eating a balanced diet comprised of whole foods which provide us with the vitamins and minerals we need. One important factor in a balanced diet is an adequate supply of vitamin C, which can be found in a number of sources like citrus fruits and bell peppers. Vitamin C is essential for the body in many ways, and good skin relies heavily on having enough vitamin C, so we thought we’d take a look at five products from our shelves which contain a healthy dose of vitamin C for your skin:

Jan Marini C-ESTA Cleansing Gel

This cleansing gel from Jan Marini builds to a luxurious lather to soothe, repair and cleanse the skin. It’s a gentler alternative to products which contain glycolic acid, making it suitable for even sensitive skin types. It encourages noticeably softer, more refined skin texture and is potent but sensitive enough to use to remove stubborn eye make up.

Elemis White Brightening Dark Spot Corrector

Vitamin C can have a profound effect when it comes to brightening the skin, which is why Elemis have packed this dark spot corrector with it. Its brush applicator targets key areas of concern on the face, neck, decolletage and hands and the ELEMIS brightening complex of encapsulated vitamin C, Pea and Daisy is blended with Garden Cress to help reduce the intensity of dark spots without affecting the surrounding area.

Dermalogica Biolumin-C Serum

This high performance serum has been designed around an advanced vitamin C-based complex which works with the skins own defences to brighten and firm. The serum exfoliates and reduces unbalanced pigmentation, reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and prevents and corrects free radical damage.

Jan Marini C-ESTA Oil Control Serum

This product from Jan Marini is as powerful as it is unique – so often, anti-ageing products focus solely on dry skin, but this serum is for people with oily skin. The serum itself will help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, while substantially reducing oil breakthrough. With continued use skin texture will appear smoother and deep lines will be less pronounced.

Dermalogica Intensive Eye Repair

This fortified eye treatment from Dermalogica uses vitamin C for its antioxidant properties, combining it with wild yam to help repair prematurely-aging skin and smooth fine dehydration lines. It diminishes dry, fine lines and replenishes hydration around the delicate eye area while soothing botanicals of cucumber, butcherbroom and arnica help maintain the skin’s elasticity and texture.

Skincare Advice

Summer hacks for hydration

25/05/2019 28/05/2019 0

Drinking water is one of those things we know we need to do, and it sounds super simple, but let’s be honest, it can be really easy to let things slide.

The reality is, if we don’t drink enough water it can lead to dehydration, headaches, poor skin, fine lines and much more.

We have put together some easy hacks that will keep you topped up and hydrated all summer long.

Wake up with water
We know sipping a coffee is just how it is for many people first thing, but drinking a glass of water instead, can become a new habit in no time. Go for cold water in a tall glass with a little lemon juice and you will find this fruity start to the day, will set a pattern for the future.

Keep a jug of water in the fridge
Whether it’s a Brita-type filter jug, or just a large glass bottle you refill as needed, ensuring you have cold water at all times is a key factor to success. As well as having a cold supply of water all day, going to the fridge for a refill will give you reason to get up and walk around. Spoiler alert – more water will also mean more trips to the bathroom!

Make swaps
Being hydrated doesn’t mean only drinking still water. Sparkling water and herbal teas will also keep you hydrated, but too much caffeine has a diuretic effect on your body and this can actually lead to dehydration. If you’re drinking caffeine to get an energy boost, then green tea can help, but you may be surprised how much more energy you have by simply hydrating better.

Get creative with ice cubes
Adding cucumber, ginger, mint and pineapple to your ice cube trays, means you’ll not only add flavour to your glass of water, but you’ll detox, alkalise and beat bloating at the same time.

Get water from your food
You can get even more H2O from your diet by choosing foods that are high in water content. Cucumber, celery, strawberries, melon, tomatoes, spinach and peppers are full of water, and double up as a healthy alternative to those sugary afternoon snacks we are tempted to dip into.

Have a water chaser
For every non-water beverage you drink, follow it with a glass or two of water. This will help to dilute and flush out sugar, caffeine and any preservatives or chemicals from your system.

Set water goals
Yes, you read it right. If you set a goal for the day and track it in a notebook or download an app like My Water Balance, you can see if you’re reaching that target. This can make drinking water feel like more of an accomplishment, especially if you’re competitive by nature.

Get a water bottle
We aren’t talking about a plastic one use bottle, but a reusable one that you can take with you and fill up as needed. Go for something pretty that you like, and if it has a big mouth, you can pop those infused ice cubes in too.

There are many benefits of drinking water, right from weight loss, digestion and gorgeous skin, so follow these tips to sneak in the sips and we assure you that drinking water will no longer be a chore.

Team Pure Beauty

Health and Happiness

Kick social anxiety to the curb

21/05/2019 19/05/2019 0

If you are feeling shyer than normal, want to avoid crowds and even a meeting at work feels too much, it could be that social anxiety is getting the better of you.

We know it is rotten and can make life tough, so we have had a look at how you can manage social anxiety so you feel good enough to get out there again.

Don’t avoid things
Totally avoiding situations that cause anxiety, can actually make things worse in the long run. Getting out of something might make you feel better initially, but you are still going to feel anxious the next time you’re asked to do it. Whether it’s talking to new people in the staff canteen, giving a presentation at work or going to a yoga class, take a deep breath and even if you only go for a little while, try it and we think you will feel better.

Practice
Why not set yourself a test by trying to do something that makes you feel anxious and nervous. Start with small, realistic goals, such as volunteering to speak at the next team meeting or going to a different bar with your friends at the weekend. Each time you do it, and enjoy it, your confidence will improve and you will want to do it again.

Even if something doesn’t work out exactly as you expected, learn from that experience, move on and do something different next time.

Leave your comfort zone
Social anxiety tends to go away once we start doing the things that make us anxious because it is often the thought of doing something that makes us fret. So, when a situation arises that makes you nervous, like walking into a coffee shop alone or asking someone to be your partner in the gym, feel the fear and see what happens. At worst they will say they are already working with someone, at best you might make a new friend and have some fun!

Chillout
Pilates, meditation, a warm bath, massage and reading a good book, can all help you to relax and regulate your anxiety. Doing something quiet a and spending time at home, can give you the levelling you need when life is busy and social anxiety is treading on your toes.

Open Up
We aren’t dismissing the severity of social anxiety, so if you really are suffering and things aren’t getting better, tell someone how you’re feeling. Talking to a close friend, your partner, mum or even a work colleague your trust, could feel you feel better and will give you a cheerleader in your corner for when you do take those first steps. Anxiety is something you can get help for, but opening up to someone and admitting that you have a problem, can be the first step on the road to recovery, and if you do need more help, speak to your GP.

Team Pure Beauty

Decleor, Dermalogica, Facial Treatments

Exfoliation Not For You? Think Again…

18/05/2019 19/05/2019 0

For many people, exfoliation is a tricky subject. Lots of us think that exfoliation is not for us, whether that’s because of a bad experience or just not really knowing where to start. Fortunately, here at Pure Beauty, we have a wide selection of exfoliators for all different skin types and we’ve curated a list to help you to choose the best one for you.

Normal Skin

Those of you with normal skin are lucky because your skin is usually non-reactive, meaning that you can use almost any product and it will suit your skin. This means that you’ve got your pick of the bunch, but we’d recommend Dermalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant, which is suitable for all but sensitive skin types and will detach dead skin debris and promote cell renewal for a smooth complexion.

Dry Skin

Dry skin is the skin type which benefits most from exfoliation as you often have an excess of dead skin cells that you need to get rid of. We recommend a powerful product along the lines of Dermalogica Daily Superfoliant, which provides triple-action adsorption along with physical and chemical exfoliation, removing harmful impurities from pollutants that have built up on skin throughout the day.

Oily Skin

Oily skin can be a pain to get under control, and it’s not uncommon to find that an underlying cause for oiliness is actually dry skin, causing your body to overcompensate with excess sebum production. Dermalogica Foaming Wash is developed for oily skin and contains salicylic acid, a beta hydroxy acid that exfoliates surface skin cells and reduces inflammation.

Combination Skin

If you have combination skin, you might find that Dermalogica’s Exfoliating Face Brush works well for you. It can be used in conjunction with your eisting cleanser and allows you to target the areas where you feel you need exfoliation, while avoiding any areas which may suffer from sensitivity.

Ageing Skin

If your skin is ageing, be it prematurely or right on schedule, you probably have a degree of dryness to your skin. However, once skin starts to lose collagen it can become delicate and harsh physical exfoliators can cause micro-tears in delicate skin, leaving you open to damage and even infection. Dermalogica Multivitamin Thermafoliant is powerful thermal polisher that combines physical and chemical exfoliants to refine skin texture and enhance penetration of ingredients into skin. It is suitable for drier and prematurely-ageing skin.

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