New Year is already a distant memory (as are all our resolutions) and we are hurtling towards Spring! Our Winter-wear will soon be put to bed for another year, but before putting your arms and legs on show after months of hiding under layers and thermals, it’s time for some emergency exfoliation.

Get your skin prepped and ready to face the world again by banishing dull, dead skin to reveal a fresh, new, smooth you. There’s product galore to choose from, so first things first: decide on your weapon of choice; fruit acid, dry skin brushing, granules or spheres, and then pick the best of the bunch.

Melvita Foaming Facial Scrub for all Skin Types www.Melvita.co.uk

Natural Leader – The French have done it again! Well established, certified organic skincare range, Melvita has just launched in the UK with its huge and fantastic range of organic products including the Foaming Facial Scrub. The fact that this is an organic product is almost irrelevant once you have felt its rich lather and benefited from the fine bamboo ‘tears’ extract. Massage over the face and rinse off. Use two to three times a week to reveal smooth, even-toned, refreshed skin. How can something so mild be so effective?! Available online at www.Melvita.co.uk priced £15 for 75ml, and that will last you ages.

Karin Herzog Mild Scrub www.KarinHerzog.co.uk

A-List Secret – For the gentlest of granule-based formulas, follow in the footsteps of brand fans like Sharon Stone, Kim Bassinger, Uma Thurman, Kylie and Pixi Lotte love and give Swiss Skincare by Karin Herzog a whirl. Comprising premium quality and ground white marble powder, the perfectly spherical particles ensure the complexion is gently polished and refined without abrasion or irritation. Mild Scrub is available from www.KarinHerzog.co.uk £30 for 50ml.

MD Formulations Facial Cleanser www.bareescentuals.com

A Smooth Operator – For steady but effective daily exfoliation, try a glycolic acid based cleanser like MD Formulations. There are no granules for scratching away dead skin, just the Glycolic Compound to gently dissolve old cells. You won’t need to invest in a separate exfoliator if you opt for a cleanser like this one. Use daily to do away with dirt, oil and even makeup. No, it’s not a flashy new formula, but it really gets the job done. MD Formulations Facial Cleanser, available nationwide priced £24 for 250ml 0870 850 66 55.

Sanctuary Warming Microdermabrasion www.thesanctuary.co.uk

Beauty Bargain – Possibly the best buy of the lot is this cult beauty classic from The Sanctuary, London’s best known women’s day spa. The thermal action, combined with the microdermabrasion effect of the natural Marine Earth and detoxifying Kaolin clay, helps to open pores, exfoliate and draw out toxins. Bamboo, Jojoba and Beeswax help to smooth and soften the skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines. It’s everything you’d want form a facial, in one tube! Sanctuary Warming Microdermabrasion £9.99 for 100ml from www.thesanctuary.co.uk

No slacking, get sloughing!

Love from London

x

*all products in this feature were gifted

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Source: Anushka Spa

THE SILKPEEL EXPERIENCE

On a recent trip to Palm Beach, I succumbed to a much needed Day of Beauty at my favorite girl’s haunt – the  gorgeous 12,000 cosmedical mecca known as Anushka Spa in CityPlace. I was visiting to attend the L’Oreal 100^th Birthday Gala along with two hundred of the Palm Beach elite and a dozen members of the local press. After making three long trips in three weeks, my skin, hair and nails had taken a major beating and I would have allowed myself to be talked into almost anything. My first and most vital step was an appointment at the Spa to rehydrate my deadly complexion.

My aesthetician, the lively and quick witted Uslin, took one look at my skin under her light and declared, “You are so dry my dear. We need to brighten your skin so you will look good for the party.” In a flash, off came my makeup and out came the SilkPeel™, which offers a modern twist on the classic microdermabrasion. The SilkPeel™ device infuses topical solutions deep into the skin where they can be most effective. The solutions used do not just stay on the outer layer of your skin like most lotions or creams do. Rather the SilkPeel™ handpiece allows the aesthetician to deeply deliver vitamins, antioxidants, skin brightening solutions and other therapeutic ingredients that your skin needs, and the treatment can be customized so you get exactly the right combination of nutrients. This is a new and welcome complement to traditional microdermabrasion, which is a method that uses salt or aluminum oxide crystals to slough away the dead cells and debris that accumulate on the stratum corneum, or outer skin surface. Your skin feels instantly soft and smooth with a rosy glow that every woman will appreciate!

This new concept of Dermalinfusion™ optimizes the benefits of exfoliation and the effects of the topical serums without any redness or irritation that you may have with deeper peels or lasers. The best results can be achieved by combining multiple serums to target your skin’s individual issues, such as redness and discoloration, or fine lines and dry patches, etc. You can see visible benefits after a single procedure, although a series of four or six treatments is recommended scheduled about three or four weeks apart.

Some of the many conditions SilkPeel™ treats include oily and acne prone skin, dry and flaky complexions, fine lines and creases, brightening redness and dark blotches, and sun damage, as well as skin that just needs a quick pick-me-up. The results are immediate – your skin takes on a new glow since the dullness is virtually gone. I was especially impressed with the pictures Uslin showed me of the spa’s acne clients that were simply amazing. The procedure took about 30 minutes, and Uslin made sure to include my décolleté as well. As she said, “Your chest is part of your face too so don’t forget to take care of it.” She also does hands, arms and legs on request.

Dr. Bonnie Marting, the Anushka Medical Director, recommended adding a dose of Lumixyl™, the new skin brightening peptide, to give my skin an instant brightening boost, and insisted that I keep using Lumixyl™ every night at home to maintain the effects. Lumixyl™ is sold only through doctors and Medspas ($120, www.lumixyl.com) and is used once or twice daily to reduce hyperpigmentation, melasma and improve uneven skin tone. It is non-toxic and safe for all skin types and a great alternative to hydroquinone or other skin lightening and brightening agents that may cause irritation.

According to Ann Messina, General Manager of Anushka, ‘Lumixyl is my absolute favorite product we carry in the Spa. When used with the Silkpeel, it exfoliates, hydrates, and illuminates. Our clients are thrilled with the results.”

www.anushkapsa.com

Photo Credit: Olay.com

 
Somehow each year, seemingly overnight, my skin goes from looking great and nourished, to dry and dull. How could all that hard work I put in over the summer to keep my skin clean, exfoliated, moisturized, and protected from the sun evaporate overnight? The culprit is humidity, or lack thereof. In the summer, when humidity levels are high, it is easier to keep your skin hydrated.  When temperatures drop and heaters get turned on, that dewy look you perfected during the summer requires a regimen change for fall and winter.
 
While you prepare your home and wardrobe for cooler weather, be sure to spend some time altering your skin care routine.  In fact, your skin requires as much pampering and protection from the dry heat and blustery cold and wind in the winter as it does from the heat and rays of the summer.
 
No matter the weather, use the best moisturizer for your particular skin type. If you find yourself at a cosmetic counter or beauty store, engage the help of the sales people, tell them about your skin concerns, and ask them to suggest a few different products for you to try. Consider different price points, and ask them to point out the differences. Most cosmetic counters and beauty stores will give you samples of products for you to take home and try. This way you can properly apply the moisturizer to cleansed skin and see how it performs for you, prior to shelling out the cash for it.
 
Allure Magazine named these five moisturizers to their “Best of Beauty 2009” list:
·         Normal skin – La Roche-Posay Anthelios SX Daily Moisturizing Cream with Mexoryl SX, $29 for 3.4 oz
·         Sensitive skin – Olay Complete All Day Moisture Lotion SPF 15 Sensitive Skin with vitamin E, $8.99 for 4 oz
·         Oily skin – Vichy Laboratories Norm Derm Pro Mat Oil Free Lotion SPF 15, $21 for 1oz
·         Dry skin – Estee Lauder Time Zone Line & Wrinkle Reducing Cream SPF 15, $58
 
A quick trip to your regular esthetician or dermatologist can be a great help in updating your skin routine for the change in weather. Be sure to bring a list of all the products you currently include in your daily regimen, and make a note of how your skin feels after using these products. Your skin care expert will be able to design a plan to keep your skin moisturized and glowing all winter long. 
 
Regular facials can also do the trick. In addition to the standard cleansing, exfoliating, toning, and moisturizing, a facial can include many extras to pamper dry or tired skin.  If you keep up with the latest trends celebrities embrace to keep their skin looking fantastic, you are probably familiar with the term “oxygen facial.”  Oxygen facials have been around for a long time. However, a new type of oxygen facial, developed by a company called Intraceuticals, is getting a lot of attention.  This new and improved version simultaneously infuses moisture, vitamins, and anti-oxidants into the skin via cooling, calming topical hyperbaric oxygen.  This treatment results in luminous, unsurpassed hydration combined with visable, age defying results.  Current devotees of this facial include Madonna, Eva Longoria, and Kimora Lee Simmons. Pampering your skin with this luxurious hydration treatment will cost approximately $200, but with overwhelmingly incredible results, it seems like a small price to pay. 
 
A final word on moisturizers – don’t forget your hands and feet. They need pampering too. Be sure to slather your hands and feet with heavy, oil based creams at night. They will thank you by continuing to look pretty and presentable, whether in a client meeting, or in yoga class.