SKINCARE & BEAUTY BY JANA ELSTON

A good toner will add many benefits to your skin care routine.  A well formulated toner is not a toner as such, not in the traditional sense. In the early days when cold creams were used as cleansers, alcohol based toners were used to 'remove the greasy film left on the skin'. In the early days, alcohol toners were also thought to 'close the pores' creating a smooth skin. This of course was due to the mild swelling of the surface of the skin following the use of alcohol, making the pores appear temporarily smaller. As the inflammation cleared, the skin relaxed and the pores returned to their previous size.  Unfortunately the long-term use of toners containing alcohols or other strong astringent ingredients lead to dehydration, dryness, sensitivities or reactive seborrhoea (excessive oil production).   Professionally formulated toners are far more sophisticated and include botanicals, vitamins, antioxidants and other active ingredients to treat the skin. Howev...

No one likes pimply skin especially when they pop up just before a party right on top of your nose, they can be really sore and really gross. So what can you do?   Remedy 1: Keep your skin clean! Use a cleanser recommended for your skin type to keep the pores clean of dirt and buildup that can clog the pores and make you break out. Clean your skin morning and night,  in the morning to take off any waste, sweat and oil squeezed out by your skin overnight, and in the evening to remove any pore clogging dust, pollution and dirt.  Remedy 2: Use a gentle exfoliant to remove buildup on the skin - the skin is constantly renewing itself and shedding off old skin, these dead skin cells can stick to your skin and clog the pores. Remedy 3: if your pimples just popped up, you can use a spot treatment to quickly dry the pimple out, reduce redness and soreness. Use morning and night until cleared.  Remedy 4: You can use a specially prescribed moisturizer that will keep the p...

One of the most asked about problems I have seen in the beauty salon is dark circles under the eyes. It's a concern because it can make the whole face look tired and unwell. People comment that you look tired and ask if you are OK.  Before I make any recommendations, I take a closer look and ask questions to determine what is the cause of the dark circles. They are not all the same and the treatments and home care products will differ according to the cause. There are six different types of dark circles under the eyes: - thin skin  - poor circulation - dehydration - pigmentation - puffiness - aging It can be a singular cause or a combination of the above so the skin care and treatment need to be adapted for each individual person and sadly one product or treatment will not treat all of the above.  Thin Skin & Poor Circulation Some people have inherited the genetics for a thin skin, and the skin around the eyes is even thinner. When the skin ...