Cosmetics and Skincare News: August 2007

by Asuncion Parra Llorente

ESSENTIAL SKINCARE AND MAKEUP PRODUCTS YOU SHOULD HAVE WHEN YOU TRAVEL

Are you going on a trip and want to know what beauty and make up basics you will need to pack –and those you won’t?

FACIAL CARE

Remember the basics:
* Make up remover
* Tonic
* Eye contour gel/cream
* Moisturizer

Tip: Use small containers or travel-sized products so that everything will fit into your hand held toiletry bag….there are also many brands which currently produce tiny travel make up kits. Treat yourself to one! They are normally quite cheap …

BODY CARE

Essentials;
* Body moisturizing cream
* Exfoliant

Tip: Get hold of a pair of exfoliating gloves for your body, they are very easy to acquire and work really well. Aside from this they aren’t heavy to carry, they don’t wear out, and they work wonders to eliminate all the dead cells, leaving the skin smooth…

MAKE UP

Essentials:
* Corrector
* Foundation
* Powder (if your skin is combination or greasy)
* Neutral shadow for daytime
* Shadow for partying –remember it’s Christmas!
* Light shadow
* Black pencil (it can get you out of a corner if you happen to want to replenish your make up and you haven’t got a dark shadow with you: you can use the pencil as shadow and then spread it with a brush)
* Mascara
* Rosy or earthy rouge
* Your favourite lipstick
* Transparent gloss
* Colored lip pencil, so that if you feel like making your lips up a little more on day, you can use the pencil and the gloss over it and there you have it: a new lipstick color! Besides the pencil weighs little.
* Illuminator. Don’t forget to bring the illuminator. Use it for the party make up….

HAIR

* Bring a hair pack. You’re sure to need one …
* If your hair is difficult to manage or sensitive, bring your treatment with you. The shampoos in hotels tend to be for normal hair.

NAILS

Don’t forget ….
* Nail file. They always break when you’re away.
* Transparent or ivory varnish
* Colored varnish, if you normally use this

FOR EMERGENCIES

* Bath salts. A holiday is an ideal time to relax in a bathtub.
* Face pack. Make the best of the little extra time you have while on holiday and look after yourself…
* Beauty flash or shock treatment to be stunning. Bring it in single doses so it weighs less.

I’m off on holiday to a warm place …

To relax, enjoy the sun and the hot weather, a great way to unwind….But –what do I pack in my suitcase?....

FACIAL CARE

The same essentials as for a trip to cold climes, and:
* Moisturizing cream with high factor sun block
* Facial sun block.
* After sun cream

BODY CARE

The same essentials as for a trip to cold climes, and:
* Sun block for the level of protection you need. Remember that it is very important to protect yourself from the sun.
* Ultra moisturizing cream for after-sun, and to calm the skin
* Moisturizing cream with a touch of illuminator-why not? It’s hot and you’re sun-tanned, so bring out your tan …

MAKE UP

The same essentials as for a trip to cold climes, but:
* Switch your foundation for a tanning powder. Give yourself a few touches with the brush and you’ll see how your face instantly acquires a healthy look.
* Forget dark colors for shadows, and select some light, luminous ones
* Go for lip glosses. These look good in hot climes…

HAIR

The same essentials as for a trip to cold climes, but:
* The hair pack should contain after-sun treatment.

NAILS
The same essentials as for a trip to cold climes, but:

* Take the opportunity to paint your toenails
* Paint your toenails in striking colors

FOR EMERGENCIES

The same essentials as for the cold, and also:
* Moisturizing face pack. When we sunbathe, the skin dries up. Remember to bring a face pack and take this opportunity to relax …see how grateful your skin will be.

Articles by Asuncion Parra Llorente a Beauty coach and founder and professional Make Up teacher at the Make Up school Elite Make Up. http://www.elitemakeup.com/beauty.

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Labels: makeup, Skin Care Tips, skincare, skincare and makeup for travel

by Chrissy Birdsall

There are many wonderful, holistic reasons for choosing organic skincare products. The reasons range from wanting to reduce the number of chemicals on your skin, for your health, skin sensitivity or just based on personal principals.

The problem facing most consumers wanting to purchase genuine organic skincare products, rather than those making “organic” claims, is that a standard for the certification and labelling of organic skincare products is not available.

Currently in Australia, the only organic certification available for skin care products is a general food standard. This requires 95% of all ingredients, other than the water component, to be organically certified. Water generally makes up to 70% of total ingredients in many skincare creams. Therefore 95% of the remaining 30% of ingredients need to be organically certified.

Only a few Australian products have been certified to these very strict and sometimes impractical rules for food standards. It has been argued by some manufacturers, that to achieve the 95% certified rating is counter productive to producing an effective skin product.

Currently unrecognised are many skincare products with over 50% organic ingredients which cannot be certified, even though they have been manufactured by passionate organic supporters to the highest organic and natural principles.

Essentially, to make a cream for skin, there are two main components (oil and water) which need to be blended. A synthetic emulsifier is used to blend the oil and water components. Emulsifiers can make up to 20% of an ingredient mix other than water. Hence the catch 22, to make a cream which really penetrates and moisturises the deep layers of the skin with beautiful organic vegetable and essential oils, you need a synthetic emulsifier. Purestuf uses an emulsifier created from olive oil which is synthesised to form the emulsifier.

The cream also requires a preservative, so that it will not go mouldy in your bathroom cabinet. This is one area which really distinguishes skincare products. The organically passionate manufacturers use natural preservatives like grapefruit seed extract whereas other manufacturers add chemical preservatives containing parabens and other nasties to their products.

Organic skincare products produced and sold with integrity by the passionate manufacturers aim to be free from chemicals such as parabens, formaldehyde, petrochemicals etc. and made from as many natural and certified organic ingredients as possible.

Australian (and most overseas) manufacturers are not compelled to disclose the percentage of organic ingredients in their products. The word organic is not protected by any law about its use in terms of marketing claims. Often these other so called organic products, contain a very low percentage of organic ingredients and have many chemical additives, which are not good for you or your skin.

So what is being done to eliminate the confusion?

A group of leading Australian skincare product manufacturers (including Purestuf Natural Skincare) are currently working together to formulate a standard which can be certified by any one of the 7 Australian organic certifiers.

Until then – read labels and look for products which don’t include parabens, petrochemicals, sulphates, fragrances and clearly list the organic ingredients such as essential oils, vegetable oils.

For the time being, for consumers it is a matter of instinct, trust and reading the labels.

Chrissy Birdsall is a renowned beauty & skincare authority, with over 40 year’s industry experience. Her boutique skincare business, Purestuf Natural Skincare, uses the finest natural & organic ingredients. The products are available for purchase online at http://www.purestuf.com.au or +612 99093222