Tag Archives: Dry skin

by | August 4, 2017 · 7:00 am

My Dehydrated Skin Saver – Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex by NIOD

I’ve been using hyaluronic acid products for a few years now to try and combat skin dehydration. I’ve tried a couple of different brands and gone through tube after tube, bottle after bottle.

Throughout this time, I never saw a noticeable difference in my skin although it felt good straight after application. I was convinced it must be doing something though. It’s one of the few products that has been proven to plump and hydrate the skin and I am forever hearing how it can ‘attract up to one thousand times its weight in water’.

I persevered with hyaluronic acid, even as my skin deteriorated last autumn and I developed an extremely dehydrated, flaky patch on my cheek. My skin had become ‘compromised’.

Then after becoming intrigued by The Ordinary, I read on the DECIEM website that the effectiveness of  hyaluronic acid to penetrate the skin depends on the size of its molecules. The Ordinary’s offering has three different sizes of molecule but the site actually points customers to sister brand NIOD for a more advanced formulation. Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex (MMHC) has – count them- 12 different sizes of molecule as well as a precursors to hyaluronic acid.

 

“Many products have used HA to claim hydration benefits, but HA is too large of a molecule to penetrate the skin and instead sits on the surface and can draw moisture out of the skin making the surface feel soft and hydrated temporarily.” – The Ordinary website

 

Therefore when I visited the London DECIEM store with Val the Cookie Queen in mid-May I decided to go straight for the big guns and purchased the more expensive NIOD version (£25 for 15ml or £38 for 30ml).

 

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I cracked open NIOD’s MMHC and applied a few drops after cleansing as instructed.

After one day there was a marked improvement, after two days the dryness was almost gone, after three days I was so happy to get my smooth skin back I can’t to tell you. I know it was the Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex that made the difference because  I hadn’t changed anything else.

Hyaluronic acid had finally lived up to its hype and done the business.

Since then NIOD have released MMHC2 with an improved formula, which they are calling ‘the second generation’ of MMHC. I will be purchasing it as soon as my bottle runs out.

 

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How have you got on with hyaluronic acid products?  Do you recommend anything else from DECIEM brands?

 

 

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by | February 6, 2017 · 7:00 am

What Are Your Winter Skin Savers?

Like a lot of people, my skin always becomes drier in the winter but this year it’s suffered more than ever. Here in the UK, it’s been a colder winter than usual with temperatures in London consistently around 5 to 7 degrees during January. I have persistent dry patches on my neck and face which can itch horribly. Some products have helped, but I’m yet to find a magic bullet.

 

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Winter in a local park in London

 

I’ve been squirting a good amount of Johnson & Johnson Baby Oil into my bath water and once a week while having a soak, I apply Clarins HydraQuench Cream Mask which started to make a difference after three applications.  La Roche-Posay Lipikar Baume AP+ is still the best body moisturiser I’ve found.

I’m cleansing my face with La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermo Cleanser after a recommendation from my pal Vanessa of Bonkers About Perfume (who has been blogging about her contact dermatitis). I’m following this with La Roche-Posay Soothing Lotion for sensitive skin because although toners are supposed to do no more than water, I like using them.

HydraQuench Intensive Serum Bi-Phase by Clarins is the consistency of water which makes it a little tricky to apply but also means I can use it on my parched eye area and it soaks in quickly. I follow this with La Roche-Posay Hydraphase Intensive Eyes. I’ve turned to Cicaplast Baume B5 Soothing Repairing Cream (again La Roche-Posay) combined with a couple of drops of RESIST Hyaluronic Acid Booster from Paula’s Choice for extra moisture, but the effects have only been temporary. MAC Prep+Prime Lip provides a moisturising base for lipstick.

 

 

Unless it’s a gym day, it doesn’t make sense to use an antiperspirant during winter so I’ve switched to Weleda Wild Rose Deodorant. This stuff smells absolutely fantastic when sprayed but isn’t potent enough to clash with your perfume.

At night I’m mostly sticking with my usual Paula’s Choice evening routine except I’ve dropped the liquid exfoliant while my skin is so sensitive.

I apply Nuxe Rêve de Miel lip balm before bed and the truth is that I’m more than a little bit in love with this product. Previously, I was using Lano Lips but my bottom lip still split open, which was beyond grim. Since using the Nuxe balm my lips have been totally transformed even though I wear drying lip pencils and matte lipsticks most days. It also has a gorgeous honeyed lemon scent.

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What products do you turn to in the winter to protect and nourish your skin? Have you found anything that works on dry patches? Should I just use Vaseline or is there a better alternative? Please let me know your thoughts in the comments.

 

 

 

 

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by | May 1, 2016 · 7:00 am

My Favourite Cleansers: Cetaphil and Hydrabio H20

Finding Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser the year before last was somewhat of a lifesaver. I have combination skin but it can feel very dry and sensitive.Rinse-off cleansers usually  irritate my eyes and leave my skin dry however applying Cetaphil is a pleasure. Designed for sensitive and dry skin, it is soap free, fragrance free and non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores). It may be far from glamorous but I love it.

It doesn’t foam on the skin but effectively removes all traces of make-up without stripping the skin. I can even massage it into my lashes to get rid of mascara and it doesn’t bother my eyes in the slightest. My skin is left feeling clean and calm instead of tight and stressed. An added bonus is that I can buy a big bottle for just under a tenner at my local high street chemist (drugstore).

Cetaphil

I came pretty late to French pharmacy brands but I’ve been playing catch up for the last few years. If I’m not washing my face in the bath or shower, I use Bioderma’s Sensibio H20 – Micelle Solution to take off eye make-up and then Hydrabio H20 – Micelle Solution for the rest of the face because it’s more hydrating. Although both are alcohol-free and suitable for sensitive skin, Hydrabio H20 contains Aquagenium, a patented biological complex that locks in moisture on the surface of the skin.

Oh how I heart micellar waters. Creams and lotions always felt so icky on my skin, it’s great to banish them for good. As Lisa Eldridge recently wrote, it’s one case where a beauty trend has trickled up instead of down, with luxury brands bringing out their own – much more expensive – versions. I’m sticking to my tried and tested budget option though and am grateful Escentual has made Bioderma easily available to us in the UK.

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Do you have any favourite cleansers to share?

 

 

 

 

 

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