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Choosing a great night cream is a challenge on par with climbing Mt Everest. It’s difficult, expensive and daunting, more so when you want high end skincare. Even if you have skills and specialist training, it still takes hours to sieve out the nuggets.
Each week hundreds or probably thousands of new products are launched…. so how do you know what will work for you?
Gee, even if you had an unlimited cheque book, you still only have one face and 365 days in the year. You could not possibly test out ALL of them.
And also, have you noticed how brands hire really young women (with already perfect skin) to advertise the anti ageing creams? I mean seriously. Hello your skin isn’t anything like it will be at age 40 let alone 50. Those brands must think we are blind or stupid.
Night cream
Do you choose according to the gorgeous photo of the model (hey, it works! That’s why companies advertise…) But remember that models are so much younger, and they have professional makeup, lighting and then airbrushing to an extent that their skin looks artificial like than on an AI robot.
Or do you choose by the brand name or the length of time a company has been in business or the country where the product is made?
Or do you read the ingredient list? But how can you tell from an ingredients listing what actually went in? You don’t have access to the actual recipe/formula used.
Somebody may use Argan at 10% vs somebody who uses it at 1% or 0.1%.. all three will say Argan on the label so does that mean they are the equivalent? Of course not! That’s like eating a small nibble of parsley instead of your five portions of fresh vegetables. There’s a blog that likes to offer ‘dupes’ based on the ingredients listing however s/he does not know the actual ratios used so the comparisons drawn are not going to be accurate. And of course it’s easier to offer something cheaper – they’ve used less of the expensive stuff.
Unfortunately, even high-end products with well-known brand names from cities like Paris that are known for their glamorous women – can cause skin problems.
So where do you go from here? And how do you know what NOT to do. Read on and find out!
This past week two ladies arrived on my (virtual) doorstep. One uses what I term Chemical Soup, while the other is a devotee to the healthy organic lifestyle.
This is what Chemical Soup lady is adding to her skin:
Inspired by Nature
Its a brand made in France with a marketing tagline of Inspired By Nature… (cough cough.. the pot plant in the corner of the office kind of Nature?)
This is what they put inside…biggest ingredient up first… second biggest comes next etc.
Water, Glycerin, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Dimethicone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetearyl, Alcohol, Propanediol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Parfum/Fragrance, Cellulose, Cetearyl Glucoside, Dipsacus Sylvestris Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Ci 77891/Titanium Dioxide, Tromethamine, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Disodium Edta, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dimethiconol, Tocopherol, Butylene Glycol, Diospyros Mespiliformis Leaf Extract, Maltodextrin, Sanicula Europaea Extract, Myrothamnus Flabellifolia Extract, Citric Acid, Lapsana Communis Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Furcellaria Lumbricalis Extract, Sodium Citrate, Potassium Sorbate, Ascorbic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Maris Sal/Sea Salt/Sel Marin.Ci 14700/Red 4.Ci 17200/Red 33.Polyvinyl Alcohol.Copper Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-14 .Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate.
I researched ingred number 3…so that I wouldn’t be biased calling it chemical synthetic goop…Butyloctyl Salicylate (0.5% to 5%) hair-conditioning agents and skin-conditioning agents
Here’s a link to the techy article….
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1091581803022S303
You might like to skim that page and come to your own conclusion…
In contrast, you can eat 98 or 95% of my recipes! Not that I recommend this…essential oils are not designed for ingesting willy-nilly. One of my friends discovered a lavender allergy this week after eating what seemed a yummy bar of blueberry and lavender dark chocolate…
Which brand ?
The world’s best selling cosmetic range.
Millions of women buy it… and it’s affordable. So in the short term, she feels she’s saving money. But what happens next? The lady is 40 and says she has dryness. Am I surprised?
I mean aren’t all creams the same? That is definitely what my boyfriends said in the past. My husband now knows what ingredients I buy as he’s seen the invoices. So he will tell you that what goes into my bottles and jars is Very Expensive indeed.
So those cheaper version may appear to help you in the short term, but once you wash them off in the bath, or your night cream has spread itself over your pillowcase, nothing good has fed your skin. So you are back to square one, applying a temporary bandage tot eh dryness, the irritated skin, the scaly patches. Because no matter what you app0ly, be it a high end night cream or a cheap moisturiser, they all do give some relief, this is true. However, many products just sit on top of the skin, and wait to be washed off in the shower.
Will her skin respond?
I’m about to run a test on her skin, she’ll be a perfect guinea pig in the heart of London where the water is safe to drink but rather drying on the skin.
If my range is’ for her’ she will notice results/changes within a few days. Skin has innate intelligence. It will gobble up the freshly made organic goodness.. or.. it won’t.
If it won’t, I’ll investigate and find out what else is missing.
Because I handmake each jar of goodness here, I can tweak for an individual, unlike a big brand.
Heck even small brands won’t do that for you… my version of Bespoke skincare is along the lines of an original Van Gogh or Monet…
Why do I make these night creams? It’s not for the money, that’s for sure. I feel I was born to do this, to work with flowers and create with my hands. Even if we won the lottery I would still be working with Nature to help women feel better about themselves and happier and more comfortable in their skin. Why? because I suffered for YEARS with grotty, painful skin and hid away from life.
As soon as I allowed my skin to heal, using natural means, I got the confidence to try new things, meet people and more. Self-image is so tied up to our faces. If I could send products back in time to when I was 12 and starting acne.. I would, in a heartbeat. Oh to have a time travelling method like a Tardis or Mycelium Network!
If you’re still searching for a solution to your skin.. stop! For a mere £90 (excl postage, VAT and duties), you can test drive two products in my luxury system. Find out once and for all if my goodies are what your skin needs. Kiss those skin issues goodbye.
Moisturizer moisturiser definition
The first known use of the word in print was in 1957. Other new words to appear that year include disco, go- kart , doggie bag, paracetamol and Zen-like.
Wiki defines ‘Moisturizer or moisturiser is a cosmetic preparation used for protecting, moisturizing, and lubricating the skin. These functions are normally performed by sebum produced by healthy skin. The word “emollient” is derived from the Latin verb mollire, to soften.’
a cosmetic preparation, as a cream or lotion, used to restore moisture to the skin, especially of the face and neck.
Synonyms include balm, ointment, salve, cream, demulcent, emollient, liniment, oil, unction and unguent.
Typically modern moisturisers are of the ’emulsion’ type, containing both water and oil. Balms, ointments an salves tend to be waterless, or anhydrous – with no water-based components, just waxes and oils..
Organic moisturiser
What do night creams and moisturizers actually do?
Our skin looses water through evaporation.This is called trans epidermal water loss (TEWL). A layer of night cream or moisturiser on the surface creates a barrier to water loss, which keeps our skin soft and supple. This barrier also acts as protection against dirt, pathogens and damage Emollients inside the night cream or moisturizer, such as Shea or cocoa butter, prevent water evaporation.
The more oils in the formulation, the greater the emolliency, so night creams, ointments and salves are more emollient than emulsions, day creams, moisturisers than lotions. Humectants are substances that draw water into the stratum corneum and the common ones are glycerine and rosewater.
You may ask, why is it important to moisturize your face? Or what is the best natural moisturizer for your face? Or even, if you are a natural gal, how can I moisturize my skin naturally? These are excellent questions. Because when you ask what is the best natural body Moisturiser you need to consider your definition of natural.
Is it OK to use night cream during the day? Yes – when weather is really dry or windy, you may find your skin is thankful for the additional protection.
Is there a difference between day and night cream? Yes – a day cream is typically much lighter, more like a lotion. Of course it depends on the formula – an artisanal product can be created that is suitable for both day and night. Often a day cream includes ingredients with sun protection that you don’t need at night.
Which day and night cream is the best? Ha, the best is what suits your skin and your wallet. The bigger your budget, the better your best will be!
How do you chose the best serum for your skin type? Read my guide.
What’s the difference between day and night cream?
Day creams often contain SPF. Night creams have more actives and a thicker texture. Moisturisers are worn under makeup, vs night creams that may have a serum applied above.
Night time is called Beauty Sleep for a reason, its when our body does it’s repairs from the exposure to weather, UV, winds, pollution and stressful living.
eye cream organic
What is the best night cream?
It is one that suits your skin, does not cause allergies, with a scent you love that you enjoy using.
And yes that’s a broad definition. Within that you can refine it down -are you avoiding palm oil? Do you want natural? Are you expecting anti-ageing effects? Do you want basic vs luxury? What’s your budget? What’s your age? Is it a treat to pamper you? Do you want something mainstream or something artisanal? Are you supporting Big Corp or a local craftsperson? Are you vegan or eco conscious? Are you looking for a simple vs a complex routine? How much time do you have to apply your product? If you ask these questions, you’ll probably enjoy my weekly wellness whispers, sign up here
What IS all that stuff? Scary! No wonder she has dry skin. My skin was shrivelling just reading about it!
Even scarier, I used to use chemical goop too… it’s only when somebody points out what’s inside and that there are options. Thank you for reading the articles Karen :-)