Foam Me Up (with the New L'Oreal Sulphate Free Shampoo)

So this is just a really quick post to mention that I just seen (and bought) L'Oreal's new Sulphate Free Shampoo range - I have been avoiding sulphates for about 6 months now and it can be tricky to find shampoos without them and you rarely find them in supermarkets or smaller chemists but I imagine this are going to be available everywhere. 

I got this bottle in a DocMorris chemist and it was on special offer (as its new) so it only cost 6.05 (it said normal price 8.99) which is actually quite cheap for a sulphate free shampoo. Sulphates (usually the 2nd or 3rd ingredient listed on shampoo bottles as Soduim Sodium laureth sulfate, or sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES)) is a detergent and a surfacant and it's what creates all the lather when you wash your hair and is widely used in all brands of shampoos and soaps etc as its cheap and effective.

The downside is it can be very irritating to skin as its a harsh detergent (bad for people with eczema and the likes) it can also dry hair out (more so and less so depending on the concentration) there is also some concern that it could be a carcinagenic though it has not been proven - if you want to know more you will find a quick google search will lead you to both the arguments for and against the use of Sulphates. One of the main reasons I chose to try and avoid sulphates where possible was because I have easily irritated dry skin and I also use a GHD a lot and have fine hair so I want to avoid using anything harsh that could dry it out further and cause it to become thinner (I am aware this is far from a concern for people with lovely thick hair - I envy you all so so so very much) :D

The other reason I want to reduce my use of Sulphates was because I read there is a possibility that 'sodium lauryl sulfate is heavily deposited on the skin surface and in the hair follicles. Damage to the hair follicle could result from such deposition.' and that this could lead to some hair loss - now I dont know how true that is but when you have fine hair like me - why take the risk? :D 

Anyways point is I bought this shampoo and tested and unlike some other sulphate free types this one so far seems to create a really good lather with lots of foam - this can be difficult to get without the sulphates so thus far seems like a good purchase - will possibly update this post if anything should change as I continue to use it! 

Battling Blackheads and Enlarged Pores

Annoying blackheads (AKA comedones/open comedo) and enlarged or open pores are a problem for lots of people - in fact it's possibly one of the most common forms of acne that most people have at some stage in their life. Keeping blackheads to a minimum is really all about consistent maintenance as there really is no miracle potion that keeps them at bay permanently. 

A blackhead is an open comedo and they appear when excess oil and dead skin accumulate in the sebaceous glands duct. The main substances found in these ducts are keratin and sebum (an oily secretion of the sebaceous gland) which darkens when it oxidises which causes the black appearance (some people wrongly think its dirt in the pores but its not at all - you could clean your face for an hour solid and the black will remain black) Blackheads often occur in the hair follicles and clogged hair follicles reflect light irregularly to produce the black hue.

To try and understand why you get blackheads and enlarged pores try to imagine a tube and picture oil trying to come up to the surface to protect and moisturise your skin but there is dead skin stuck in the top of the tube preventing the oil from escaping which then causes the tube to swell meanwhile the amount of oil being sent up the tube continues to increase and so when the diameter of the tubule dilates it can give the appearance of enlarged pores and or blackheads if the sebum and keratin are stuck on the surface. This is what leads to that 'orange peel' look around the nose and inner cheeks - it usually only appears on the T-Zone part of the face as these tend to be the oiliest areas. 

So once you understand what causes the problem its easier to see what you can do to help solve it. For a start exfoliation is crucial - if you don't make an effort to slough off those dead skin cells then chances are the pore will become clogged. Your glands will always make oil and send it to the surface - that's what a good gland does and its not a bad thing - its a natural protective barrier and moisturiser for the skin and so you need to try and make sure it can make it all the way up to the epidermis with as little clogging as possible. Getting the right kind of exfoliator for your skin type is important though as some are far too rough and grainy for sensitive skins and being too rough when scrubbing can cause broken capillaries and little skin tears so be gentle and avoid the very thin and delicate skin area around the eyes - I made this mistake once and actually ended up with little bruised looking marks around my eyes - this skin just isn't thick enough or tough enough for using anything rough so focus your attention on the T-Zone instead.

Some other things you can try out are using a suitable toner after cleansing and exfoliating to try and close the pores after you've cleaned and scrubbed them. Personally I would suggest a mild Witch Hazel product (dilute if need be) or Burts Bees Acne Solutions Clarifying Toner and unless your skin is oily all over just use it where you need it (nose and chin being the most likely places) you don't want to risk drying out other parts of your face unnecessarily. Products designed for the T-Zone with ingredients like Salicylic Acid are also great for acne prone skin and I find much more gentle than products that contain Benzoyl Peroxide which I think tends to be much too harsh and dries out the surrounding skin and causes flaking and redness and sometimes hurts too - Not good! 

Some people also suggest that another effective ingredient is Retinol A (Vitamin A) which is also a well know anti-ageing ingredient, but word of warning - a lot of people with sensitive skin (like moi) will find Retinol A products quite irritating on their skin and so may not be the best option for all. Another option to try maybe once a week or so if you feel your skin is very oily/shiny looking in parts, is a mud/clay mask to draw out the oil and other impurities but again remember unless your face is actually oily all over only apply to the T-Zone or where needed - these masks can be very drying if used on skin that doesn't actually need it.


And my last tip is for preventing enlarged pores turning into big old enlarged spots - if you happen to notice an enlarged pore that's starting to look a bit pink and raised and you think its likely to turn to a giant angry volcanic spot of biblical proportions overnight (the horrid cystic variety) just in time for your girls night out/big date/job interview (insert appropriate exciting event here) then dab some tea tree oil on it immediately and try to remember to keep doing it every few hours if possible and it should stop it in its tracks if you get in there early enough. Boots happen to sell one that's good value called Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Oil but you can find topical Tea Tree Oil pretty much anywhere (chemist/health food shops) - just make sure you get the kind suitable for skin and not for aromatherapy.

Oh and remember hormones greatly affect the skin so when its that time of the month these problems are likely to be much worse so its even more important to make sure you are vigilant about your skin care routine both morning and night and if nothing topical seems to help consider asking your GP if he can prescribe anything - in particular a change in pill type can often make a huge difference in controlling hormonal acne.

Hope that explanation made sense and the advice is helpful - If not, leave a comment with a question and I'll try to explain better :D

At Last.....Wet Wipes I Don't Hate!

I'm sure most people have already seen the ad on TV for these recently and according to the website they have been on sale in Ireland for a few years - no idea how I have never noticed them before? Maybe its because I'm like a Magpie and get distracted easily by shinier flashier items placed on shelves nearby :-) But as a general rule of thumb I HATE wet wipes/make-up remover wipes/baby wipes - all of the various varieties always made my face sting and feel irritated and dry and so I only ever used them as a last resort when in a huge rush or had no other option (camping in the Okavango Delta springs to mind as one such occasion and my skin definitely looked a lot worse for it) and despite the promises of gentle formulations which are kind to sensitive skin (or baby skin depending on the brand) I never found that to be the case and any read through of the ingredients always confirmed my suspicions that they were frequently full of chemicals that I consider fairly harsh for cleansing.

Having said that I know plenty of people who do use wipes and don't seem to suffer any irritation at all and so I am aware to some extent that this is a bigger problem for sensitive skin types (and for baby skin of course) but nonetheless I thought these wipes were worth a mention based on the fact that people are becoming a lot more concerned with ingredients in cosmetics and so there could be some interest in a much more natural alternative and here it is Water Wipes....

So why do I like these so much? Simple - as in they are a really simple product with probably the shortest, least confusing ingredient list I've seen - they are 99.9% water and the other 0.1% is Citrus Grandis Seed Extract AKA Grapefruit! They are completely chemical/preservative free (no parabens) but they still do the job intended - oh and a few other plus points to mention they are also 100% biodegradable, approved by Allergy UK, they also donate a pack of Water Wipes to the charity Bliss (special care baby charity that provides vital support and care to premature and sick babies) and Irish Premature Babies for every 10 likes they get on Facebook (so get to liking) and they are also an Irish company and I think at the moment we need to be trying to support our own home grown business' where possible so extra brownie points for that too.

So if anyone else is interested in trying these out then I'm pretty sure you can get them anywhere - I got them in a local Chemist and I see you can also order them online through Amazon and a few other places which they list on their website - if anyone feels the need to learn more here is the link to their website:

http://www.thegreatbottomcampaign.com

and another link to their Facebook page so you can go like their page

Click here to Like them on Facebook

(feel free to like mine too while you're at it :-) )

Find Me Here On Facebook

Back Just In Time For St. Paddys Day! :-)

First Blog post since December due to a hectic schedule (apologies) but thought a little" How To" on smokey green eyes for Paddys Day might be in order so here is a quick step by step guide to getting a this look and I would like to thank my beautiful best friend Paula Lumsden-Grace who kindly modeled for me :-) 

1. Prime eyes with a product like Urban Decays Primer potion or MAC Prep and Prime Eye Primer

2. Apply a light coloured shadow across the lid and up to the brow bone to act as a base for the brighter colours you will be applying. 

3. Take a light green colour eyeshadow and begin patting it on to the inner corner of the lid and sweeping it out over the rest of the lid keeping the colour most concentrated in the inner corner. 

4. Now take a medium green colour and begin patting it on in the centre of the lid again sweeping across to the outer corner but keeping it concentrated in the middle. 

5. Then take a dark green shadow and apply it to the outer corner of the eyes and into the crease blend the shadows together well so they have a gradient effect. Also remember to bring a little of the colours beneath the lower lash line and using a smudge brush blend them so that it looks subtle and not messy. You can also add a white shimmer shadow just beneath the brows to make the colours pop more if you wish.

6. Next apply a gel liner with an angle brush all the way across the top lash line. You can flick it out at the end depending on personal preference. Then apply a black Kohl pencil to the waterline.

7. Then apply mascara to both the top and bottom lashes and don't forget to define the eyebrows using an angled brush and appropriately coloured powder.

Coming Attractions.....The Naked Palette Part Deux

Good News for other Urban Decay fans out there - a new Naked Palette has just been released stateside and has of course already sold out. I've gotten some seriously mixed messages about when this product will be released in Ireland but its looks like its due out in either late January or early February (though some say it will be out earlier than that so lets hope) and the price is set to be €40 which again is pretty reasonable considering it comes with 12 eyeshadows, a travel size Lip Junkie lip gloss and a double ended cruelty free good karma shadow/crease brush all encased in a nice sturdy tin with a dinky mirror.

I have a little trip stateside planned before then so if I'm lucky I might be able to get it while I'm there. I actually think this looks even better than the first one as I like some of the cooler tones that are included (though there are still plenty of warm colours included) but a word of warning for those who are big fans of the original Naked palette - buy one now if you haven't yet or get a 2nd one if you can't live without it as I hear the original palette will be discontinued shortly after the release of Naked 2. Now if you wanna have a good look at the new one get yourself on to the UD website here The Naked Palette 2

 

I know I'm going to seriously start to sound broken record but again YAY for Urban Decay being Cruelty Free!

Puckered Out?

A couple of people have asked me lately what they should do about their dry chapped lips at this time of year and although I already talked about this a bit in the Tis The Season to....Moisturise, Moisturise and Moisturise Some More! post I didn't go into much detail because I thought any tips I had would already be well known but apparently I'm wrong in that so I thought it might be worth another post. 

The best advice I would have for anyone suffering from sore chapped lips at this time of year is to make some time for them in your regime and continue to look after and protect them throughout the day at regular intervals. 

If they are very flakey give them a little light exfoliation by taking a soft old toothbrush and dipping it into some almond or olive oil and brush over your lips lightly to remove the flakes (its really important to exfoliate because otherwise the dead flakey skin at the top is getting the moisture and not the new skin underneath) then moisturise them well afterward with a nice oil again such as the almond oil you used or some argan oil or if you prefer to use a chapstick type product or balm then use that just be sure to check it doesn't contain petroleum and ideally one that does contain SPF. 

I also find at this time of year my lips can also get quite sore and sting a bit and when that happens I use the old school little blue tub of original Nivea cream on them. Some people may not like the idea of using a thick cream like that on their lips but I've always found it to be soothing and moisturising at the same time so its a long standing tradition for me to keep a little tub of this by my bed.

So in summary:

• exfoliate any flakes
• moisturise with a nourishing oil 

• continue to moisturise and protect the lips throughout the day

I hope that's of help to some people! :-)

Identifying Photoshopped Images in Magazines - is it a good thing or bad thing?

I stumbled upon an interesting article last week by Beth Stebner for the Daily Mail demonstrating a new software which breaks down the retouching of an image demonstrating how the photograph has been manipulated and retouched to create the "flawless" appearance of celebrities and models alike.

You can follow this link here to the Daily Mail article showing exactly how magazine Images are Photoshopped.

The 2 computer scientists who developed this say the reason behind it is "that consumers should be told how much altering has been done on a particular image" and "The ubiquity of these unrealistic and highly idealized images has been linked to eating disorders and body-image dissatisfaction in men, women, and children". 

I was already well aware of how images are altered and unrealistic, in fact I wrote an essay on this very topic back in my Media Studies days so it wasn't new news, but I do believe there are still plenty of people who sadly don't realise the degree to which this is done and people are sadly still holding themselves up against completely unrealistic expectations. 
 

Young girls don't ever seem to think they are thin enough, women who have just had babies feel they need to lose the weight within weeks and more mature women are made to feel ashamed of the lines on their faces and all of this is in no small part due to the bombardment of "perfect looking people" in media. 

Having said all that there is of course the argument that the media cant sell what we wont buy and clearly if we keep buying these magazines or celebrity endorsed products we must want to see these ideals so it must appeal to us on some level. 

I think its an interesting subject to consider - if we all buy into it, is it because we secretly prefer to see only beautiful people that we regard as aspirational? Would we all walk past a magazine if it had average looking people on it? I put that as a question because I quite honestly don't know the answer myself. 
 

And is it fair to embarrass celebrities in this way? I know that technically photoshopping is cheating but they are also held up to far worse scrutiny than we are and by a lot more people. Most of us don't like to see a bad photo of ourselves on Facebook so imagine how it would feel to see it on the cover of a magazine or a newspaper? 

Is there to be sympathy for the celebrity in all of this or is that just part of their job and so they just have to take the good with the bad? Personally I hate seeing those photos of (mostly) female celebrities on beaches or sitting down with a short dress or skirt and the big coloured circle around their cellulite and I hate it for 2 reasons ....

1. I think its cruel to the celebrity in question  

2. Instead of making me feel better because even stunning looking women have cellulite it actually just serves to remind me that its deemed a terrible thing to have instead of just a normal and natural part of life for most women. 

I can definitely see the benefits to making it clear to people how altered the images in magazines and advertisements are but I also hope it doesn't just become another way for the media to be cruel!