If your particular skin niggle didn’t make Tuesday’s list, read on – I *think* I’ve covered new products that target everything annoying that can happen on a face between the two posts (feel free to shout at me in the below field if I’ve overlooked yours)… //
Pigmentation / Eve Lom have flirted with pigmentation-lifting ingredients in other products, but they’ve never before homed in on it with quite this degree of dedication. This four-part range doesn’t contain a cleanser (probably because Lom, rightly, decreed that cleansers aren’t on the skin long enough to affect marks) – instead there’s a brightening lotion, serum*, Brightening Cream and mask all designed to really go to work on unevenness throughout the day.
Layer the three daily and use the mask twice weekly and you can really expect to see some evening out of patchy skin thanks to the cocktail of actives that include niacinamide, vitamin C and liquorice root. When combined, they don’t just slough off surface patches of darkness but also reduce the inflammatory response that leads to damage, help to reduce melanin production and strengthen the skin.
I was impressed by the lotion and serum during my testing process, but would suggest anyone on a tight budget plump for the brightening lotion, which can easily be slotted under an existing serum to brighten. As always with any products designed with pigmentation in mind, using an SPF is an exceedingly good idea if you don’t want to expose fresh skin to damage-forming rays…
* Team Lom seem to be releasing the range in waves – all will be available here by the end of Jan/early Feb.
Redness / I mentioned the limitations of cleanser above. What I didn’t say, though, is that while cleanser can only go so far on treating the skin, using an overly-harsh one can wreak an awful lot of damage. The rule of thumb I abide by when choosing a cleanser is always to pick something that will slide grease and make-up off the skin without stripping.
The new Eau Thermale Avene Antirougeurs Redness-Relief Dermo-Cleansing Milk ticks all my boxes – the thick milk soothes and comforts but isn’t a right pain to remove (I take it off with a flannel or muslin but damp cotton wool would do the job equally as well), and it contains an anti-inflammatory as well as a microcirculation-stimulating extract that’ll help to reduce broken capillaries in case you decide to give it a little extra time on your face. This would be ideal for rosacea-sufferers or anyone who finds their face is red and feels hot after cleansing.
Dryness / People of dryness, say hello to Magic Organic Apothecary Aphrodite Oil. I have a feeling you’re going to be pleased with me for writing about this one. First let me add a caveat: while the rosehip in this will be a tonic to dry skin, the yarrow, marshmallow and geranium make it a one-for-all situation – the mission of this oil is to soothe, soften and replenish all skins.
For those of you suffering from excessively dry skin, I’d suggest popping a layer of this on after serum and pre-base in the morning. If you need more, add a couple of drops to your foundation. At night, apply this and then a thin blanket of moisturiser.
Part two of this recommendation is a body moisturiser – dry faces tend to come with dry bodies, don’t they? Get your hands on Estee Lauder’s Revitalizing Supreme Global Anti-Aging Body Creme (due to launch here imminently) if this tightness of skin drives you mad as it does me – the collagen-boosters, algae and cucumber extracts contained in the rich cream make it instantly gratifying.