Category Archives: beauty products

1) If there’s one thing that beauty brand l’Occitane does very well indeed (there are loads of things, but that ruins my sentence) then it’s shea. Shea butter in hand creams, foot creams, face creams – even cleansers and toners and serums. If you need a proper hit of something rich and nourishing on your skin, then l’Occitane’s shea things always seem to do the trick. The founder of l’Occitane, Olivier Baussan, first used shea in his products after visiting Burkina Faso in the early eighties; since then the brand has built up a special relationship with the women there, providing ongoing financial support with a focus on education programs and literacy schemes. In celebration of Women’s Day, l’Occitane have launched the new Ultra Soft Balm; a gorgeous, apricot-scented moisturiser that has been formulated with 96% shea butter. It’s a proper little multi-purpose number for lips, dry patches, cuticles and hair and 100% of the profits from each sale go to non-profit groups that promote women’s entrepreneurship in Africa. The Ultra Soft Balm costs £4 – you can find it here online.

2) Mr Bear is going on a little holiday. I said vacation in the title, but that was only because I didn’t want two “days” in a row – it was a style decision. I can’t write too much about it because I am so sad, but basically we couldn’t find a short-term let that allowed cats (but they all allow dogs! Bizarre!) and so he is going for an eight-week retreat at my parents’ house. He will have an amazing time, because my Mum seems to have the energy of a six year-old when it comes to playing with the cat and devises all kinds of games and ways to tease him. But I’m still very sad. Even though he sleeps for approximately 99.99% of the time, he’s the best companion ever and when he comes to jump on my desk at the end of a work day it is my most favourite moment. Hopefully he won’t forget me…

Read all of the Sunday Tittle Tattle posts…

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As promised, the sunscreen Q&A with Dr Marko Lens. A little later than anticipated, because there were a few extra questions that I had, including one regarding the recent Which? report on SPFs. If you didn’t read the Which? report then you can do so by clicking here – it raises some quite important issues regarding the way that brands label their sun protection and the claims that they make about exactly how much protection the user is getting. They tested a number of sun creams to see whether or not they provided the SPF30 and UVA protection stated on the packaging, but three of them failed. Now I’m not wholly convinced by this report, I must say; I don’t like huge, scaremongery, headline-grabbing reveals when not all of the information is readily available. There’s not much said about the testing itself – they just show tiny dots of sunscreen being applied to skin – and they don’t give any hard facts away. For example, Hawaiian Tropic failed the SPF30 test, but by how much? What if it had provided a sun protection factor of 28 or 29, for example? The way the test results are worded it makes it sound as though the failed products are completely unfit for purpose. A little more detail would be good…

Anyway, on with the show. Dr Marko has kindly answered some burning questions (pun intended!) for me and de-bunked a few myths. If you want answers to some more basic SPF questions then have a read of the piece I wrote last year after interrogating Dr M. “Do I Really Need to Wear SPF?” Dr Marko Lens, for those who haven’t read about him before, is a highly sought after reconstructive and plastic surgeon and an internationally renowned figure in the areas of skin ageing and skin cancer. You can read his biog here, but I hope you’ll agree that he’s a very useful man when it comes to questions about sun care and sun safety.

 What are the most common misconceptions about sunscreens and the way in which we should use them?

–  Misconception: “I do not need sunscreen as I have dark skin and I never burn”.  Fact: all skin types including black and Asian skin need to protect their skin with a sunscreen.

– Misconception: “I do not want sunscreen with high SPF as I want to achieve a tan while sunbathing”. Fact: dermatologists around the globe recommend the use of a broad spectrum SPF 30 which provides high protection against UVB and UVA light. You can still achieve a tan while using SPF 30.

–  Misconception: “I do not need to apply a lot of sunscreen to protect the skin”.  Fact: the recommended dose is 2 mg per cm2. To cover the face we would need 1/4 of the teaspoon to supply adequate cover and protection.

–  Misconception: “One good application of the sunscreen is enough while staying outdoors”. Fact: sunscreens should be applied every 2 hours.

–  Misconception: “I do not need a sunscreen while driving”. Fact: wearing SPF protection while driving is just as important. Sunscreen protection is advisable even if the windows are closed.

–  Misconception: “Use of sunscreens alone is sufficient to protect me against sun damage and skin cancer”.  Fact: you also need to wear sunglasses and protective clothing.

–  Misconception: “I have my make up with SPF and therefore I do not need sunscreen”. Fact: the majority of make-up products contain a low SPF and this is not sufficient for protection.

–  Misconception: “I can safely tan if I use good sunscreen”. Fact: there is no “safe” tan even if you use the most efficient sunscreen.

–  Misconception: “Use of sunscreen can protect my skin if I use it while in the sun bed”.

– Other common “slip ups” include forgetting to apply sunscreen to the lips, ears and scalp and thinking that you have to avoid the eye area when you apply sunscreen.

As a doctor, do you feel that the public are educated about sun protection adequately, or do you find the information that’s widely available to be lacking?

I do not think that the public is well educated about sun protection. Everyone should be educated on basic guidelines for sun protection:

– Seek shade and limit time in the sun, especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

– Wear protective clothing: long-sleeve shirts, long pants, hats with a wide brim and sunglasses.

– Use broad-spectrum sunscreen (protects against UVA and UVB rays) with sun protection factor (SPF) 30 or greater

– Use sunscreens every day if you will be outside (even on cloudy days)

– Re-apply sunscreen approximately every two hours and after swimming

There are so many sunscreens available; how do we know which ones are effective? Are there any particular ingredients or labelling phrases to look out for?

Consumers should always look for broad-spectrum sunscreen which is a sunscreen providing protection against both UVB and UVA light. Make sure to see a sign or text for broad-spectrum. Also, use SPF 30 and above. SPF 30 provides high protection. A SPF below 30 is not providing high protection which is the recommendation in order to prevent sun damage and skin cancer.  Sunscreen alone is not enough. Therefore always look for formulas that include various antioxidants that are neutralising damaging free radicals. Also, ingredients that boost our immune system are good to increase protection of the skin against UV rays.

You have mentioned to me in the past that it can be very difficult and very expensive to both develop and properly test sun protection products; why is that?

Developing a good and effective sunscreen is a long process and also quite expensive. It is not easy to develop a sunscreen that will provide broad spectrum protection with SPF 30 and to have good sensorial profile. Testing the efficacy of the sunscreen is expensive particularly if we want to test the effect of the sunscreen on DNA damage.

And as for the new Zelens sunscreen; would you say that this is suitable for all skin types and colours? Where in a Skincare routine would you apply it?

It is suitable for all skin types and colours. It is oil-free and hypoallergenic. It should be used as a last step in skin care regime, just before application of the makeup.

Is there a reason that you didn’t develop an SPF50?

SPF30 absorbs 97% of UVB while SPF50 absorbs 98%- really clinically not relevant.

What are your thoughts on the recent “Which Report” on sunscreens? 

It is not acceptable to claim  SPF when actually you cannot achieve this minimum efficacy of a sunscreen against UVB. However, it is also necessary to use an appropriate test to ensure reproducibility and comparability of the results. Thus, according to the recommendations from the EC , the
International Sun protection Factor Test Method should be used as a standard test in Europe. [Which? say they tested to “strict British Standards”, but I’m afraid I don’t know how these tests compare. I shall endeavour to find out! Ruth]

Finally, I know that many people are concerned about their Vitamin D intake if they use an SPF daily. What are your thoughts on this? 

Vitamin D is very important for our health. Sun exposure is critical for vitamin D production. However, we know that sun exposure is a major factor in causing skin aging and skin cancer. Therefore a balance between sun exposure and sun protection is needed. SPF protects the skin from UVB and by doing this reduces the skin capacity to produce vitamin D. I would recommend SPF 30 which absorbs 97% of the UVB.  Also, I would always encourage people to use more fish in their diet and also to use Vitamin D supplement. 

You can read about Dr Marko Lens’ new SPF in last week’s post here.

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An edgy interpretation of classic pink polish, this innovative nail colour is formulated with special powders to leave a shine-free, matte finish.

Pink Rubber is the item that I’m not thrilled with mainly because I don’t like matte or velvety nails. My first instinct when I put it on was “I hate it” – the matte finish is just something I can’t get into. This one is such an interesting concept though as it dries to a gel-like rubber matte finish. Coverage is just perfection with two coats though which I find very rare for pale pastel polishes. Most apply like a streaky mess and require 3 coats to smooth out or are just very sheer. The exceptions are Dior and Tom Ford from my experience. The first coat of Pink Rubber can be a streaky mess but the second coat fixes everything to a perfect soft baby pink.
I think it photographs well but in real life it just looked odd to me. The finish is something you have to see in person to truly understand the velvet finish. I think it can easily be fixed by adding a glossy top coat.

I was once fitted for a head-to-toe latex suit in a fetish shop. I was to play a superhero in a TV advert (sadly it never happened because I got the flu, if I remember rightly) and I needed to be rubberised – everything from the neck down – for my superhero costume. It was quite the experience – talcum powder all over to get the blasted thing to go on, and then double-shoulder-dislocation in order to get it off again. I needed two people to help me in and out and – let me tell you – it does not show off your body at its best angles when you’re contorting it to try and release your thighs from their sausage-skin casings.

Anyway, I’ve started off on a tangent as usual. I wanted to go in straight with a rave about Chanel’s new limited edition nail polish, Pink Rubber. My goodness, this is satisfying stuff: the palest pink shade but in a rubberised finish. Whoever came up with this (I have a feeling it was makeup maestro Lucia Pica) is a bloody genius. Ignoring the obvious batman black, Chanel have gone as pretty as can be but given it a sexy edge. If rubber is the sort of thing that turns you on. Otherwise, we’ll just call it a “modern” edge.

I’m wearing three coats with no top coat here. You could probably get away with two coats if you’re careful, but it dries very quickly and so tends to drag. I needed three coats to even it out completely. That wasn’t too much of a hassle since the speed it dries.

If you want to up the longevity of a matte polish, try adding a quick-dry top coat before the last colour coat – all the benefits and none of the shine.  This is actually what I’ve done here, so you can see it doesn’t compromise the matte finish.

I was really surprised that this one suited me – normally most nude shades look horrific on me, with the exception of one or two. But this doesn’t have too many orange/warm tones so seems to suit. It’s verging on mannequin hands somewhat, but not at all horrible.

What do you think? Do you like the matte finish? It’s definitely a non-traditional shade for this season! I was most unsure about this polish, purely because I thought it wouldn’t suit me, but it seems I can add it to my small collection of nude polishes that suit me.

If you prefer a glossy finish it’s no hassle to add a standard top coat.  I like Seche Vite personally. But it’s not a particularly unusual shade, so I’m sure you could find a much cheaper dupe with no problem.

Next I’ll be posting about Hyperrose Glass, a bright pink (with blue undertones), an extremely sheer polish.  Last up from this collection is Liquid Mirror, a metallic silver.

I mentioned Philosophy’s Renewed Hope In A Jar in the May Favourites, but it most certainly deserves its own post. This is turning out to be a very promising day cream for those looking for something that will renew and refine the skin, tackle fine lines and make dull skin a good deal brighter. Renewed Hope In A Jar has three different exfoliating acids packed into the formula – glycolic, mandelic and citric – but there’s no harsh tingling sensations with this one and it seems to do the trick very well in terms of keeping the skin smooth and clear. I have tried to stay away from my usual acid exfoliants during pregnancy because they really didn’t agree with my skin from the very start, but I chanced it with this one because of the gentle, comfortable feel of the cream and the light texture.

Read more moisturiser reviews…

I’ve had no problems whatsoever – not even the telltale redness around the nose, which is usually where any sensitivities seem to reveal themselves on my face! I’m really pleased with this one. It’s not the richest or most hydrating cream in the world, but then that’s not its main agenda; I see it as more of a light hydrator that focuses on gentle acid exfoliation. I’ve been using it on days when I’ve been indoors for the majority of the time; make sure you follow up with a good SPF if you’re going to be gadding around outside. (Loads of SPF recommendations here.)

You can find Philosophy’s Renewed Hope In A Jar online here – it’s £35.50 for a whopping great 60ml, which I think is excellent value. I’ve seen some reviews complaining about fragrance being included in the formula, but it must be absolutely tiny amounts, because I can barely smell any. Until I looked at the ingredients list, I actually thought it was an unscented product!

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