Dr Nick Lowe The Secret is Out skin care range

As you may know I have been using the Liz Earle skin care range for quite some time and have been loving it - my skin has been calm, happy and unblemished.  I know it has it's nay-sayers but I have got on really well with Cleanse and Polish, I think for me the fact that it has got me actually cleaning my face properly has made all the difference.  Back in the bad old days - before I read Beauty Mouth (Ness - the link there is for you! xx)- I had decided that my skin didn't tolerate water well so used cleansers I could smooth on and tissue off.  My head spins round thinking about that now!  I my defence back then I was also wearing much less make-up, but even so it would explain why my skin looked pretty crap a lot of the time.  Muslin or face cloth, makes no odds but using a cloth gives your face a mini-exfoliation each time you cleanse and its this that I think is key to clear, happy, healthy skin.  

Soooo, whilst I loved the Liz Earle Skin Repair cream and the C&P I had decided that perhaps at 45 I should be looking more at preventing the affects of ageing than I was.  I have already mentioned Beauty Mouth, if you have never read Caroline's blog I urge you too, her credentials are massive and her knowledge more so, anything I know about skin care has come from reading Caroline's blog.  She wrote a brief post here recently and it was the point aimed at over 40's in her precis at the top that hit home!  I had no idea which products contained Vitamin A and what peptides were let alone where I could find them.  At this point I should say if I had a big enough budget I would just buy every product Caroline ever recommended - I don't, so I needed to find some alternatives that I could afford.  I am completely aware that in doing so I am no doubt buying products with less active ingredient than their more high end counterparts, but I figure its a start!

Necessary peptides - did a bit of googling and apparently Matrixyl and Argireline are the top peptides to instantly reduce appearance and creation of wrinkles.  Hylauronic acid is also hailed as being massive in helping the skin to restore mositure.  So next I googled "skin care Matrixyl Argireline" and up popped this Dr Nick Lowe The Secret is Out Anti-Age lifting cream.

Ta dah! contains the necessary peptides and costs £25 - bloody brilliant! It also has Vitamin A, C & E and an spf of 15.
I had a look at the full range on the Boots site, then on the Dr Nick Lowe site, then I did some further googling for reviews and found several including this one here which pretty much answered all of the questions that I had at the time.  I was in the car and off to Boots faster than you can say early on-set dementia.


To make things even better Boots were running their 3 for 2 promotion on skin care so for £53 I got the Lift and Repair Night cream (£27.56) and the Lifting Super Serum (£25.52) and I got the Anti Ageing Lifting Cream (£25.48) free!

I genuinely hadn't expected to see any visible improvement in my skin, anti ageing is all about the long haul after all, but I was actually very surprised at how much better my skin looked even within a couple of days.  My complexion was clear and even and whilst I am aware that this makes me sound nuts, I did look younger.  Maybe this stuff has something into it that seeps into your pores and then into your brain and causes delusions, I have no idea, but I could literally see a difference.  


I am using the Lifting Serum in the mornings after cleansing.  It does contain some Dimethicone, so if that is an issue for your skin you might want to avoid this.  You know when you apply a primer that is just Lancane in a fancy tube or any product that claims to make your skin instantly feel like silk  that you have just masked your skins texture with a heap of silicone? Well this doesn't feel like that, I can still feel my skin through it.  What they say about it:

The Star Ingredients

• Linseed Extract to improve skin's elasticity and firmness.
• A powerful Peptide Complex that visibly refines the skin's surface, fading expression lines .

Additional features and benefits

• Acai and Goji berries - extremely rich in antioxidants
• A powerful Peptide Complex that visibly refines the skin's surface, fading expression lines
• Vitamins A, C and E to help smooth, rejuvenate and protect the skin

I follow that with the Lifting Cream, this is a very heavyweight moisturiser that I can still feel on my skin - I apply it on my neck and decolletage as well - in the evening when I am cleansing.  I have dry skin and like this sort of heft in a moisturiser, I would strongly recommend going to Boots and trying this from the testers before buying if you aren't as dry skinned.  What they say about it:

• New generation peptides Matrixyl®, ChroNOlineTM and Argireline ® to help reduce instantly, and over the long term, the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
• Hyaluramine® and Hydralys® to help restore the skin’s capacity to retain moisture. With time, the skin recovers its supple and elastic qualities.
• Anti Age Cranley Complex combining potent anti-oxidants Ferulic Acid, Pomegranate and Raspberry with Vitamins A, C and E.

In the evening I am using the Avene Emulsion reviewed here and then the Lift and Repair night cream, this is my absolute favourite of all the products. It has a body butter like consistency and an orange flower smell that I just love, its soothing to apply and the fragrance is so relaxing, if this was giving me warts I would still be tempted to use it! What they say about it:

This rich, readily absorbed cream works during the night helping to tone and firm the skin. The advanced tightening and hydrating formula with Sodium Hyaluronate, peptides and super fruits Acai, Blueberry and Pomegranate also helps to replenish and revitalise. With regular use, fine lines and wrinkles appear reduced the skin looks more youthful, fresher and more radiant.

I think by now you have got the gist of this post!  I am really loving this range and wish I had found it years ago.  I asked the kids for the Cleanser and am not completely loving it, it does seem to be more aimed at smooth on tissue off cleansing and I am not going there!  I think I am going to buy a balm cleanser too and then alternate between the last of my C&P, this cleanser and the balm to keep my skin in tip top condition.  From the range I'd like to try the Neck and Decollete firming cream too and maybe the Instant Face Lift too, just to see what happens *ping and I'm 9 all over again* maybe?! Has anyone else tried any Dr Nick Lowe products?  What did you think?  I am rushing around recommending this to anyone that will listen!

Top: Serum, Middle: Day cream, Bottom: Night cream

Serum ingredients:
Aqua (Water), Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Glycerin, PEG-12 Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Alcohol, Euterpe oleracea Fruit Extract, Linum usitatissimum, Lycium barbarum Fruit Extract, Xanthan Gum, Lecithin, Carnosine, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Retinyl Palmitate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Potassium Sorbate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sorbic Acid, p-Anisic Acid, Tocopherol, Silymarin.

Lifting Cream ingredients:

 Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, Bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine, Butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetearyl olivate, Dimethicone, Sorbitan olivate, Glyceryl polymethacrylate, Hydrolyzed glycosaminoglycans, Butyrospermum parkii (Shea butter), Phenoxyethanol, Polyacrylamide, Pullulan, Methylparaben, C13-14 isoparaffin, Parfum (Fragrance), Propylene glycol, Butylene glycol, Rubus idaeus (Raspberry) leaf extract, Cucumis melo (Melon) fruit extract, Ferulic acid, Propylparaben, Punica granatum (Pomegranate) extract, Sodium lactate, Algae extract, Laureth-7, Disodium EDTA, Phospholipids, Sodium benzoate, Sodium hydroxide, Potassium sorbate, BHT, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Retinyl palmitate, Quaternium-15, Caprooyl tetrapeptide-3, Dextran, EDTA, Tocopheryl acetate, Ascorbyl palmitate, Palmitoyl oligopeptide, Palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7

Lift And Repair ingredients:

 Aqua (Water), Cetearyl ethylhexanoate, Glycerin, Prunus amygdalus dulcis (Sweet almond) oil, Cetearyl alcohol, Caprylic/capric triglyceride, Cyclopentasiloxane, Polyacrylate-13, Punica granatum (Pomegranate) sterols, Phenoxyethanol, Butylene glycol, Cetearyl glucoside, Polyisobutene, Parfum (Fragrance), Salicyloyl phytosphingosine, Benzoic acid, Disodium EDTA, Isoquercetin, Sodium hyaluronate, Sodium lactate, Euterpe oleracea pulp powder, Polysorbate 20, Decarboxy carnosine HCL, Sorbitan isostearate, Dehydroacetic acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium hydroxide, Vaccinium myrtillus (Blueberry) fruit extract, Potassium sorbate, Sorbic acid, Hexapeptide-9, Benzyl salicylate, Hexyl cinnamal, Butylphenyl methylpropional, Limonene, Linalool, Alpha-isomethyl ionone.

Estee Lauder Idealist - pore minimizer skin refinisher

I decided to lash out and spend £38 on something to reduce my pores, even though apparently nothing can in fact reduce them because they don't actually ever increase in size.  The skin refinisher comes in a lovely aqua coloured bottle and it smells heavenly, so if you like pretty bottles and nice smells this might be right up your street.  Unless you find smearing your face with a tonne of silicone gives you bloody great spots all over your chin. In which case it wont be.

I have on my desk a pre-paid envelope addressed to Estee Lauder, any moment now I will be popping my bottle of skin refinisher into it and sending it off for a refund.

Since I stopped using this I have discovered that my ELDWL actually wears better without it underneath - it seemed to make my foundation look powdery, presumably because I have dry skin and it was very mattifying so any "glow" I might have had was mopped up and whisked away, leaving me cake faced, yuk.

(Whilst I was in Boots trying to hand my skin refinisher to the nice lady on the Estee Lauder counter from whence it had come - no bloody chance! - I made a teeny purchase of some anti-ageing skin care.  Post due soon but so far, loving it - you wouldn't believe me if I told you I could see a visible reduction in my fine lines and wrinkles almost right away would you? Well, I did!)

Aveeno

Aveeno is one of those ranges that has just never piqued my interest, I knew it existed and apparently delivered but I always overlooked it for something that was less functional.  That was until Em had bad eczema on her wrists and a colleague of hers told her to buy Aveeno moisturising cream, which she did, within 2 weeks the eczema had healed.  I pinched a dollop of Em's Aveeno cream and was very impressed, the difference in my skin was visible and lasting.  

I have been using an inexpensive shower gel recently, I like the smell but had really noticed that my skin was feeling much drier post shower than it did when I was using the Korres shower gels that I bought on holiday in Crete (am definitely going to purchase more Korres shower gels!).  I decided that perhaps my skin could use a bit of a hand so headed off to Boots with Aveeno on my list.

All the Aveeno products were 20% off so I decided to pick up a few things. I was particularly interested in the shower oil.

As you can see it's a nice thick oil, it emulsifies with the water and feels great on your skin, leaving it feeling very comfortable but with no greasy residue.  It doesn't really have a fragrance, sort of an odd biscuity smell really, so I tend to use my fragranced shower gel for washing and then use a dollop of this as a final skin rinse.  You can also squirt some of the oil into a bath and I think it would be fantastic used in this way - I have no bath so can't try it sadly. I think this would be ideal to add to baths for babies and little people with eczema - I wish I had had it back when Em was little and really suffering.

The Daily Moisturising Lotion is also fragrance free and doesn't have the biscuity smell of the oil either.  It feels very cooling and soothing and it really does improve the appearance of my skin.  It does feel a little sticky when I put it on my legs, not so much on the rest of my body and it's not a deal breaker but I'd like it more if it didn't!

The hand cream is very very effective.  The body lotion and the hand cream both claim to moisturise for 24 hours and I really feel that they do, the hand cream also claims to last through hand washing and I would also agree that it does.  Again no fragrance and I do prefer my hand cream to smell nice, but it is incredibly effective, it instantly makes my hands feel soft but leaves no residue.  

I would definitely recommend Aveeno if you have little people with eczema, or have it yourself, or if you are looking for something that actually works.  Bit of a dull post, back to lipstick and nail varnish for the next one!

Sanctuary Therapists Secret Facial Oil & Mir Argan Beauty Oil joint review

If you are a regular reader you will know that I have really dry skin.  I was recently going through a really dry phase when I was in Boots with a £5 voucher off facial skin care burning a hole in my pocket when I spotted the Sanctuary facial oil.  Without the voucher this would have been £17 which isn’t bad, for £12 it was a steal!

The oil is in a nice glass bottle with a pipette top, which initially I really liked – very apothecary. Reality is if you are as cack handed as me, a glass bottle, a tricky top and lashings of oil are not the best combination!  I did eventually work out that if  you hold the bottom of the bottle your left hand you can unscrew, suck up and drop a couple of drops of oil onto the palm of the left hand using your right, but that entailed a good few near misses.  

The Sanctuary oil is a blend of Essential oils of Frankincense, Jojoba oil, Rose, Rosehip seed oil, Sunflower oils and wheat germ oil – the fragrance, which is very delicate but rather lovely, clearly comes from the Rose and Frankincense.
 
Whilst I have had the Sanctuary oil I have also tried a small sample of the Mir pure Argan oil which was part of a Mir Sample set that I purchased to try, the full size bottle of this comes with a pump  - much less dangerous!

Photo borrowed from www.mirskincare.com

The two oils feel quite different. The Sanctuary oil is much denser and as such feels a little as if it sits on the skin more, the Argan oil is a lighter oil and did seem to soak in very much more quickly.  The Sanctuary oil is more fragranced than the Mir pure Argan and if you are a very sensitive soul this might warrant bearing in mind.  My skin has relished both.  I use a couple of drops of whichever is closest to hand morning and evening, after cleansing and before moisturizer – it is an option to add a couple of drops of oil to your moisturizer but my skin seemed happiest when I applied the oil direct.  My skin feels nourished and plumped up and once it got over a major hormone induced blip recently has had a much more even tone and less visible redness. 

I am rather partial to a good exfoliate before bed and again the oil has been lovely smoothed into my buffed face, on the nights I have exfoliated I have been a bit more liberal with the oil and applied it more as a mask rather than a base for a night cream – the Sanctuary oil may be better for overnight as it is more heavy weight.  It is lovely for a pre-sleep facial massage too as it gives nice slip and the fragrance is soothing. The pure Argan is my preference in the morning under my moisturiser as my skin just mops this up.

Will I buy again?  Absolutely. I have to say I love the convenience of being able to nip into Boots to pick up the Sanctuary oil so it will probably win out but I think the Mir is actually better for your skin, not least because it is so easily absorbed.

The Sanctuary oil is £17.35 for 30ml and available in Boots.

The Mir pure Argan oil is £17.50 for 30ml and available here (although you will need to add p&p to that too!)