Tomorrow (today, if you’re reading this by email) will see the launch of Indeed Lab’s new Beauty Length campaign, looking at the – often unbelievable – lengths that many of us will go to in order to look and feel more beautiful. Topping the beauty wishlist? Perfect skin.
Indeed Labs know a good deal about skin perfecting; they make brilliantly effective beauty products that moisturise, resurface and brighten, targeting dehydration, wrinkles, fine lines, dark spots, dullness, lack of volume – the list goes on.
As part of their Beauty Length campaign, Indeed Labs have been doing a bit of research, finding out how far people will go in the name of beauty – a third of the people surveyed said that they’d happily give up chocolate for life if it meant perfect skin forever, and there were those who had made quite extreme dietary adjustments in pursuit of a flawless face. From eating spinach at every meal for a whole month to hand-squeezing grapes to extract the juice and apply as a tonic, it seems that nothing is too much trouble! I asked Twitter for their quirkiest beauty lengths – one follower had eaten hornet larvae (though I’m not sure whether that was a joke!) and others had embarked on serious courses of acid peels and homemade baking soda facials.
I’ve been trying to think of some of the mad things that I’ve done, beauty-wise. (There are many.) I think some of the best were in my teens, when I made an iced cucumber mask and gave myself chilblains on my face, and also used so much toothpaste on my spots that it congealed into my hairline and turned into a concrete mess, impossible to brush out. That was an interesting bus journey to school!
Possibly the biggest beauty length I’ve gone to as an adult is giving up drinking milk. It took me absolutely ages to work out that milk was causing my adult acne (I’d tried to rule out wheat, shellfish and citrus before landing on the answer!) and it was a bit of a major thing when I realised that I’d have to cut it out. Bearing in mind that I was addicted to eating porridge for breakfast (half a pint of milk just there) it was no small challenge. And I haven’t really drunk milk since (I think it’s two years now – you can read the posts on it here) though I started on Lactofree when I was pregnant and it seems to be OK – no spots yet.
I also wear SPF on my face religiously if I’m going to be outside for any significant length of time. Is this a “beauty length”? I don’t know. It’s definitely a necessity, and I used to be a bit gung-ho about it – I had to make a concerted effort to incorporate it into my routine and I still find it a faff having that extra layer. Ditto primers: I just cannot be bothered using them – what a palaver! – but they do make skin look extra-perfected and are completely worth the effort, especially if you usually find that makeup creeps into fine lines or looks patchy and uneven.
During pregnancy my skin became more dehydrated and it has erred on the dry side ever since, so I use a hydrating serum before my moisturiser every time. (Another step I used to be a bit gung-ho with, but regular use definitely pays off. Have a read of last year’s serum post here.) Indeed Labs’ Hydraluron is a top serum for tackling dehydration – it contains a pure form of hyaluronic acid (an ingredient that can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water) giving skin a huge moisture boost. It’s lightweight and suitable for pretty much anyone – even oily skin can be dehydrated, and this does the trick without leaving any greasy residue.
Of course, using serum is the very opposite of a “beauty length” – it’s so light and easy to apply, it’s probably the quickest of the skincare steps. Potent ingredients, great results, no extreme measures needed! (Bye-bye chilblain-causing frozen cucumber mask.)
On Friday 18th September Indeed Labs will be showing that there’s no need to go to great beauty lengths to tackle your skin problems. They will be taking over three London stations and handing out samples of their targeted skincare treatments, offering solutions to your greatest beauty woes. Head to Paddington, Victoria or Oxford Circus stations where you can also share your “perfect skin” selfie; use the hashtag #SkinTalksIndeedListens and you’ll be entered into a competition to win a mini break for you and a friend.
And if you’re out and about in central London, then keep watch for one of the three branded cabs that will be cruising about – if you hop inside to confess your beauty length story then you’ll get a full-size product tailored to your skin needs.
You can find Indeed Lab’s products at Boots.com – the amazing Hydraluron is a very affordable £19.99.
*this post is an advertorial for Indeed Labs “Beauty Length” campaign.
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